Unexpected Love

Chapter 1:

Meeting Blaise

Padma Patil was just walking down the halls that fine September day. She wasn't walking with her sister Parvati and her best friend Lavender because they both had Herbology that time of the day, while Padma had Transfiguration. The classes where on the two opposite sides of Hogwarts, hence her walking to Transfiguration alone.

The Ravenclaw fifth years had Transfiguration with the Slytherins. Oh joy. Padma could hardly wait. Did you notice the hint of sarcasm?

Padma was just walking, hugging her books to her chest, walking in a rhythmatic pattern, knowing the way to the Transfiguration class by heart. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, so she didn't see a student stop to check something right in front of her, breaking the easy flow of the students walking down the halls.

Now, every student who had been looking up saw the boy stop and swerved to avoid the collision, but, of course, Padma didn't see.

BAM! Padma crashed right into the unsuspecting student, sending them both flying towards the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she heard a male voice say from a little to her right. It sounded like the unforgiving voice of a Slytherin.

There were barely any people left in the hallways, and the last ones that had remained quickly veered into their classrooms, leaving the corridor nearly empty. Nearly, that is, except for the two students who had just fallen to the ground.

Padma silently cursed herself. Great, Paddy. Real smart. You really deserve to be a Ravenclaw….

She sat up, and slowly the fuzziness in her eyes from the collision receded.

Now, Padma could vaguely see the back of the stranger's head. He had dark hair…. That didn't say much.

As she attempted to pick up the five different books she had been holding that flew in five different directions, the mysterious boy looked up.

The first thing Padma noticed about him was the color on his Hogwarts tie: Silver and Green. He was a Slytherin. Padma grimaced slightly, getting ready for the earful she was about to receive.

When the boy first looked up, he looked like he was about to say something, and he had this assertive light in his eyes; typical Slytherin. But, as soon as he laid eyes on Padma, his gaze softened. The threatening air that had once surrounded him suddenly dissolved.

"Oh, um, sorry about that," the boy said, being the first to speak. He rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of what to do next. "Here," he scrambled, "let me help you pick these books up."

"Oh no, it's ok," Padma said, trying to pick up her stubborn Charms book. "You don't have to get them, it's fine."

"No, really," he said, reaching for her Potions book. "It's the least I could do for crashing into you."

"That's fine, it was really my fault," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear in reply. "I wasn't looking were I was going… you don't have to--"

"It's no big deal, really," he said, handing Padma her History of Magic book.

"Thanks," Padma said sheepishly, taking the book from him. She looked around at isolated corridor and realized that she would soon be late. "Um, I have to go. Thanks, again."

"Hey, wait!" The boy went after her, holding something in his hand. "You forgot this."

It was Padma's Transfiguration book.

"Oh, thank you!" Padma said, gratefully taking the book. "I need that. That's for my next class."

"Really?" The boy asked, mildly surprised. "Because, my next class is Transfiguration."

"Oh," Padma said, not really sure what to say. "Ok, then."

The boy smiled at her. "Maybe I can walk with you. Or, you know, if that makes you uncomfortable, I can take the long way and walk around the other side of the school. It'll take me twenty minutes, but I'd get there."

Padma merely muttered, "You can walk with me," clearly seeing that there was no getting rid of this mysterious boy.

After they had walked for about two minutes in absolute silence, the boy spoke up.

"I'm Blaise Zabini," he said, looking at Padma in wonder. "What's YOU'RE name?"

"Oh… I'm Padma Patil," she said, not expecting a question from him. She hugged her books closer to her chest.

"Patil… interesting." He looked at her and said these things like he was genuinely curious. "I can see you're a Ravenclaw," he said, pointing at her house tie.

"And I can see that YOU'RE a Slytherin," she replied, saying more coldly than she had intended.

"Hey, relax," he said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "We're not ALL bad. Don't worry, I won't put a hex on you or whatever it is you think I'll do." But, he smiled when he said it.

Padma blushed, then said, "Oh no. I didn't mean it like that! I was just saying that you're a Slytherin."

"Sure you were…," he said, grinning at her.

Padma looked at her feet. She wasn't sure what to do. She had always been a very safe and cautious person, and this Slytherin was setting off every alarm in her head. But, the way he hadn't shunned her for bumming into him made her wonder….

"So, are you up for McGonagall's quiz today on Animagus?" he asked, then pointing at her many books, added, "Well, I'm sure a smart Ravenclaw such as yourself doesn't have to worry about a little quiz."

Padma suddenly looked up. Was he making fun of her, calling her a smart little Ravenclaw, or… what this normal behavior for males? Padma was so inexperienced with things like this… anything, for that matter, to do with the opposite gender.

She decided she should atleast answer the statement. "Well, I don't expect the quiz should be all that hard. I mean, it's just a matter of being able to identify the different characteristics of an Animagus, then just put it all down on paper--"

Blaise interrupted her. "Wow, I was right. Only a Ravenclaw would be able to tell me so much about an Animagus quiz, and why it won't be hard." He smiled cockily in her direction.

Padma became suddenly very interested in her shoes. Was he making fun of her? She felt like spitting back at him, "And only a Slytherin would be able to point that out." But, she didn't. She was afraid of the response she might get back.

They walked alittle further in silence, Padma staring down at the floor and Blaise trying to figure out what to do next. They were nearly at McGonagall's classroom, so Blaise figured that their time to talk was running out.

"So," he started off lamely, "how do you like the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

Blaise mentally cursed himself. That was all he could say?! Some ladies man he was….

Padma was sort of surprised. That was kind of a normal question…. "Um, well I haven't really known her for long, but I'm definitely not getting a good vibe from her. I mean, we're only studying Defense theory. That's completely unfair! On our O.W.L'S we are going to be given involves actually DOING defense spells. Plus, we're NEVER going to actually need theory!"

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Plus, have you seen the woman's office?" He made circles around his ears and crossed his eyes, signaling that Professor Umbridge was crazy. "It's full of cats and pink! There's not even that much pink in my younger cousin's room!"

Padma laughed. Wait, she actually laughed?! What was wrong with her?! Never, not even once, had she found something ANY boy had ever said funny. Gross and inappropriate, yes, but NEVER funny.

They had made it to the Transfiguration classroom. Padma went forward to open the door, but Blaise beat her to it.

He grabbed the handle of the door and held it open. When Padma thought he would walk in before her, he still held it open.

"After you," he said, motioning Padma to go forward. "Ladies first."

Padma found herself blushing and muttering, "Thank you."

She walked into the classroom, avoiding the gaze of her fellow Ravenclaws and the snickers from the Slytherins. Padma Patil is… late? She was usually NEVER late. What had the world come to…?

Padma walked all the way to her seat without looking up. She sat down at her desk, expecting to hear McGonagall give her usual lecture on being late… the same one Padma had usually watched her give to other students.

When the speech did not come, Padma became surprised. She looked up, to see that Professor McGonagall wasn't in the room. Not even in cat form!

Padma looked around twice just to make sure. She couldn't believe her luck! The one day she was late, was the one day Professor McGonagall hadn't arrived to her own classroom yet!

She looked behind her, and saw, sitting two rows behind her and one to the left, Blaise sitting there, looking almost as amazed as she looked. Then, the cocky grin found his face again, as he smiled in her direction and shrugged, as if to say, 'Oh well, she's not here. We're safe.'

Padma turned back to her desk and smiled slightly to herself. Safe, she thought. Padma didn't know if she knew the meaning of that word anymore.