AN: Don't own HP
Should've Gone With Me
"Hey!" Theodore Nott's voice rang out in the library. "Hey! Patil! Are you listening to me!"
He was more then agitated, he was stomping around, pounding on the table, and talking so loudly Madam Pince threatened to throw him out. And who was on the receiving end of his over aggressive tirade? Why, the girl he wanted ever since his first year... Padma Patil.
Padma was sitting in the library finishing up a paper for McGonagall's class, then Theodore Nott shows up and starts going off at her. While that was going on, Padma just sighed and started reading a muggle romance book her sister gave her, but as he continued, she was tired of listening to the young Slytherin. She slammed her book shut, silencing him instantly.
"What, Nott? What do you possibly want?" Her voice started to get louder and other students were started to look over. "And why are you in here yelling at me!"
Nott, or Theodore, as she always addressed him, was the only Slytherin Padma liked. He was brighter than most of the Slytherins, charming and handsome, and just plain different. She wished he was in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor or Hufflepuff so they could hangout in peace without anyone staring at them.
Theodore glared darkly at the curious students. They instantly looked away and went back to whatever they were doing. Theodore hated to admit it but he enjoyed the fear and power he had over his fellow students. Even Malfoy was scared of him, even though he didn't show it.
Theodore sat down in the chair across from Padma, and placed his feet on the table, leaning coolly back in his seat. He took in Padma's glare and smirked, but didn't say anything. His smirk went away and he stared at her in silence, watching her grow increasingly uncomfortable, and watching her struggle to keep her glare. He smirked again in triumph, and Padma rolled her eyes.
"Well," she started. "What?"
"I heard you were going with Weasley to the Yule Ball. I want to know why, and why you didn't tell me."
Padma frowned and crossed her arms. "I didn't know I was suppose to tell you everything going on in my life, Theodore."
"But why him? He's too stupid! Shouldn't you go with someone smarter? You deserve the best!"
"I know." Padma sighed. It was her sister who fixed her up with Ron. Padma planned on not going to the Yule Ball. She wanted to fake being sick and spend a quiet night by herself in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Thanks sis, she thought. You're the best.
"Then why are you going with Weasley?" Theodore asked calmly.
"My sister fixed me up with him because Harry asked her too."
"Find someone else, Patil. He's not worth it. You know he's going to be staring at Granger all night. He probably doesn't even know she's going with that Krum guy yet... Just find someone else, Patil. I would feel better if you went with someone else rather then Weasley."
Padma stared at him, her mouth open and her eyes wide. She stood up still staring at him in shock. "Since when do you decide who I can and can't date?"
Theodore stood up. "Padma, I was..."
"No, Nott! I don't want to hear it!" Padma ignored the glances and stares she was getting from the other student. "Since when do you control my life and what I do?"
"Padma, I was just saying, you deserve to go with someone better than Ron Weasley!"
Padma scoffed. "Like you?" She picked up her stuff and walked away but not before saying in a soft voice, "Don't make me laugh, Nott... Not like you would like me anyway..."
Theodore sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. "But I do..."
A few hours before the Yule Ball, Theodore was in his dorm room checking himself over in the mirror. He was wearing new and nicely tailored dress robes his father sent him when he heard about the Yule Ball.
The week leading up to the Yule Ball was hard for him. Padma refused to talk to him, and would move away when he tried to sit with her in the library or in the courtyard.
He didn't want to go to the Yule Ball because he didn't want to see Padma with Weasley. He thought about pretending to be sick, like Padma planned, and just spend the night alone in the Slytherin Common Room, but his father already sent dress robes for him, which was his father's way of saying, "You're going, whether you like it or not, boy." Even now he still didn't want to go, he had no date, after all he turned down every girl who asked him. All his friends had dates except him, and to be honest, he was the best looking out've all of them.
"Nott! Are you ready yet?" He heard Malfoy yell.
"Yeah!" He yelled back. He rushed downstairs, not bothering to fix his hair. He had a bed head but he decided to be the one boy who didn't slick back his hair.
"There you are, Nott," Malfoy said, Pansy Parkinson holding his arm.
Pansy frowned at his hair. "You should really do something about your hair, Nott."
Theodore scowled. If he was going with Padma, he would do a little more preparation but since he's not... Fuck it all... "My hair is fine the way it is, Parkinson. And I don't plan on staying long." He sighed. "Let's go before I change my mind and not go at all."
He lead them out of the Slytherin Common Room and towards the Great Hall...
Padma sighed while she walked with Parvati, Harry, and Ron to the Great Hall. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at her date. Ron looked just plain ridiculous in his dress robes, Harry looked perfect in his. Parvati was lucky, she got the best looking guy and who did she get? The idiot. Padma sighed again. She didn't want to admit it, but Theodore was right. She deserved someone better.
When they entered the Great Hall, Padma looked around for Theodore, wondering who he was with. Her eyes widen when she saw him in pure white as snow dress robes. He looked so masculine and perfect, and she thought about what it would be like to be wrapped around his arm. She couldn't contain a deep sigh that escaped her lips.
"Theodore Nott does look good." Padma jumped at Parvati's voice. Her sister grinned. "That's who you were staring at, wasn't it?"
"I was just admiring his robes. They're white as snow." And perfect. Turquoise and white go together, right?
Parvati shrugged as the guys lead them to their table. "Nott is the best looking Slytherin," Parvati said to Padma. "I'm still amazed he doesn't have a date."
"You're talking about Theodore Nott?" Ron said while Harry stared at Cho Chang. "My father told me Nott Senior was a big follower of You-Know-Who. He was part of the higher ups and You-Know-Who's favorite."
Parvati shuddered, Padma looked back at Theodore. All that, she knew already. Theodore told her about his father and how he followed Voldemort. Theodore was different. He didn't want to like his father and he believed Harry Potter will some day defeat Voldemort. But he still thinks he's better than everyone else, Padma thought distastefully. She instantly looked away when Theodore caught her eye and stared back at her. She blushed, knowing she was still under his gaze. She turned to Ron.
"So how are you?" Padma asked him. She frowned when she saw his gaze land on Hermione, who looked stunning.
"Oh... What?" Ron said, turning back to her.
She sighed. "Never mind... Can you get me a drink, please?"
When Ron didn't answer, she noticed he was staring at Hermione again. Deciding not to say anything, she turned back to Theodore, and saw another sitting next to him, talking to him, and touching his arm. Theodore stared back at Padma, and she instantly turned away.
"Padma, I brought you something to drink... Oh! I'm sorry!"
The water spilled onto the front of her dress. Harry quickly took out his wand and did a quick drying spell.
"Thank you, Harry." Padma turned to Ron and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's all right, Ron. Harry fixed it." And why Harry and Hermione hang out with Ron, she'll never know.
When Ron wasn't looking, she looked back at Theodore and saw the girl he was sitting with lead him onto the dance floor. She saw him wrap his arms around her waist and start dancing. She looked away again and felt a tightening in heart and stomach. Jealousy? She thought. Was she really jealous of that girl dancing with Theodore? And is Theodore jealous of... Ron?
"Ron, lets dance!" Padma said loudly interrupting his thoughts and making Harry and Parvati jump.
"Do I have... Ow!" He was cut off when Harry elbowed him in the ribs. Ron stood up and took Padma's hand as she stood up. "Yes. Lets go dance..." He was looking past her at Hermione dancing with Victor Krum. He turned back to Padma and lead her to the dance floor.
She knew she was going to regret this. Ron wasn't very coordinated which meant he wasn't good at dancing. As soon as they started, he was stepping on her feet and he somehow bruised her thigh. It wasn't that bad until he started staring a Hermione. Ron lost his footing, stumbling over his own feet, and fell, ripping the upper part of her dress in the process, and revealing her well developed chest.
It was quiet in the Great Hall. Everyone was staring at her and Ron. She was blushing, bright red not sure what to do. She saw Theodore also looking at her, and felt tears form in her eyes. Covering her chest, Padma pushed past some student as she left, trying to hide her tears. As she was leaving, she could hear Hermione call Ron an idiot and hear her sister yell at him for "stripping her sister."
She sat in the empty library and burst into tears, sobbing into her knees, that were pulled up to her chest. She could handle water getting spilled on her dress, she could handle her date staring at another girl, she could even handle the whole school staring at her, but she couldn't handle Theodore looking at her too. His expression read, disappointment. She should've listened when he told her to find someone else.
As she cried, the portraits and the Gray Lady tried to comfort her but it didn't do any good. A few minutes (she wasn't sure how long she been out there) later, she could hear footsteps coming towards her, but she didn't look up. She heard them pull the chair out and sit next to her. When she looked up, she saw Theodore. He smiled gently and pulled her into his lap, hugging her to his chest.
"You should've went with me, Padma," He said softly taking off the outer part of his dress robes and putting it over her shoulders to cover up her chest. He pulled her closer. "You would've been happier, because I would only look at you."
"I know. I wished I listened to you. If you wanted to go with me, why didn't you ask me?"
"I was nervous. I didn't know if you would say yes."
Padma smiled sadly. "I would've said yes, Theodore... But shouldn't you be with that other girl?" She frowned.
"My cousin, you mean?"
Her eyes were wide. She was jealous of his cousin. Theodore caught on to her thoughts and smirked. Padma pouted. Didn't pure bloods marry her cousins?
"Well, you have an intimate relationship with your cousin." She pouted again.
Theodore laughed, and she couldn't help but smile. "Incest doesn't run in my family, Padma."
Padma sighed, happy to be with someone she liked. She drew patterns on his chest with her fingertips. "You were right, you know? I deserve the best. And... I found the best for me..."
"Oh... And who might that be?"
"You! You stupid Slytherin!" She leaned into his lips and kissed him. She sighed when he kissed her back, but as soon as it started, it ended. Padma looked at him worriedly. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No it's just... I love you so much, Padma."
"I... Love you too." It was the first time she said it to someone other than her sister.
"Do you want to go back to the party?" Theodore asked.
"I'm topless." She blushed. "I would like to dance though. Ron wasn't very good."
Theodore laughed and took out a small radio and turned it on. "Obviously... Let's dance."
Her eyes widen as she slid off his lap. "Here? But Madam Pince..."
"Is at the Yule Ball," Theodore finished, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Its just you and me."
Padma sighed wrapping her arms around his neck as they started dancing to a nice slow love song. Padma kissed his chest and lips.
"Padma?"
"Yes, Theodore?"
"If we're going to be together, in a relationship, you have to promise me no more Weasley and no more other boys."
Padma pulled away in amusement, a playful smirk appeared on her face. "Why don't you make me yours?"
"How?" Theodore asked with interest.
"Your room is going to be empty for a few hours."
His expression turned serious. "Padma, are you sure you're ready?"
Padma smiled and kissed him. "I love you. I never done it before, but like all Ravenclaws I want to learn. You can teach me."
Theodore kissed her hand. "People are going to talk, you know? About us?"
"I don't care. I just want you," Padma said rubbing his chest.
He smiled and kissed her and lead her out of the library and down to the Slytherin Dungeons. Theodore sighed. A perfect end to a perfect night.