Disclaimer: Not JK…
A/n: It's for Amy, a great friend and a wonderful writer, on her birthday (actually I'm late, but still)!
Happy birthday, Amy! I'm sorry it didn't come out as well as I'd planned it to be!
Parvati opened the door to the stable carefully, making sure that it was clean enough before entering; she did not want to get her new robes dirty. The four ponies inside neighed as she entered and she smiled; she had named them after the four Founders of Hogwarts a few years back when they had been born. Parvati grinned as the day Blaise had called her flashed back in here mind; it had been so sudden, and so like Blaise.
Parvati Zabini placed the receiver of the telephone back with a snap; these nuisance calls were becoming a routine. How many times would she have to tell them that she did not want a customized loan for her clinic, which, might she say, was doing so fabulously well that she wouldn't be lacking in funds for a century?
The bell ringing again, she picked it up with considerable annoyance, intent on giving the prank caller a piece of her mind, "Hello!" her voice wasn't the usual polite tone she used and the voice at the other end of the line seemed to hesitate for a minute before replying, "It's Blaise."
Parvati bit her tongue, of course she'd be rude to him, of all people. Parvati chasticised herself before she spoke again, "I'm sorry Mr Zabini. Is there something I can do for you?" her tone was coolly professional; there was no need for her to be friendly with him. It wasn't as if they were close friends or something. They had been nothing; for the past six years. Not precisely; five years, ten months, eighteen days and nine hours.
"Yes, Ms Patil. I gather that you are a wizarding veterinarian?" His voice echoed her own hollowed one. Not that he had ever been one for much emotion, but Parvati had always detected a softening in them when he spoke to her. No longer, apparently.
"Yes Mr Zabini," Parvati agreed, barely managing to keep the impatience out of her voice. He had always been slow; deceivingly so.
"I would like to know if you would be able to treat my horses?" Parvati hesitated for a few minutes; it would mean meeting him and she wasn't sure if that was good or not.
"I would be able to do that, yes," she answered finally, closing the mouth piece of the telephone so she could calm her raging breath. It was merely professional, she argued with her conscience, but before she could counter herself, he spoke again.
"Thank You, Ms Patil. My stable-keeper will deal with the rest," she could hear him speak in an undertone on the other side and a new, gruff voice spoke to her.
The rest of the conversation passed by in a blur; as if her world had focused on the minute he had handed the reins over.
"How're you doing Helga? Salazar not troubling you much, is he?" Parvati stroked the smallest foal's fur. Salazar neighed indignantly from the next stall and she chuckled. For siblings, the two were completely unlike. Helga had a rather small stature and was hazel while Salazar was already too big to be called a foal and completely black. No-one would believe Helga was born earlier.
She smiled as the stable door opened, hoping to see Blaise; Marsh Burnster, the stable-keeper stood there instead. He walked with a slight stoop, having fallen off a rampaging horse in his early days. His face was lined with crinkles, his sun tanned face alight with the sunny smile he always bestowed upon her.
"Hey there Mrs Zabini," he called out rather loudly, and Parvati's eyes rounded; he had picked up the habit of calling her that ever since Blaise and she had started, kind of, going out, but she had assumed it was a secret between them.
"Blaise's gone out," Marsh said by way of an explanation, taking a seat on one of the upturned pails.
Parvati let out a breath of relief as she took a seat opposite him, "He has? He asked me to meet him here today!" Parvati stood up indignantly; she had given up a few of her appointments for him and he just left? Wasn't that so like him, to just up and leave? Leaving her stranded? Parvati fumed as the memory stood up starkly in her mind.
"We can't do this any longer," his voice whispered in her ear as Blaise appeared out of the darkness of the corridor. Parvati didn't even flinch; she had gotten used to his appearances a while ago.
"What do you mean, Blaise?" sixteen year old Parvati couldn't understand why her boyfriend of two years was suddenly speaking of breaking up. The first time, she had thought it a joke, the second, she had been offended, angry next and now, now she merely felt resigned.
"We need to break up, Parvati. It was never written in the stars for us; we both knew that. The war's too nearby and my loyalties lay where they lay," Blaise replied in a soothing voice; he had never been one to shout. But he might as well have poured acid onto his words for all the comfort it gave her.
"Of course, Blaise, I knew that. I was just…I guess there's nothing more to say," Parvati began walking in the other direction, and only when she was sure he was out of hearing range did she let herself crumble to the ground in a mass of tears and misery.
She had reached the gates of the Manor before she calmed down. Maybe it had been an unavoidable emergency, she reasoned. Even as she knew it was hopeless, Parvati began walking back to the stables, trying to remember the happy memories to quell her doubts; doubts that clouded her thoughts too often. It wasn't always her fault; Blaise was too slippery, too much like quicksilver; she was never sure if he reciprocated her affections. It didn't help that it was always she who had to sacrifice. No, her mind screamed at her; it wasn't always that way; he had given up, the most important thing for her…
"Why don't you just die already!" Parvati screamed right before she shot an Incarcerous at the hooded person, who simply cackled and deflected the curse. It was no use, she was being drained. Parvati wasn't sure how much longer she could jump and dodge the steady stream of spells.
"Sectum Sempra!" a cool voice echoed from behind and the Death Eater before her crumpled, revealing the slightly frazzled form of Blaise standing behind her. Parvati didn't know what to do; her instinct took on the defensive.
"Wonderful how you fought her from behind," her words seemed to roll off him; he might have missed her words, but he did reply.
"They aren't ones to expect justice; a fifty year old woman fighting a seventeen year old girl," Blaise walked around the slumped figure, bending down to remove the mask. Her face was absurdly beautiful, was the first thing she saw. It took a moment for her to recognize the almost tender expression that crossed Blaise's face as he looked down at a woman…so like him.
"She's your mother!" Parvati exclaimed as it dawned on her, and Blaise nodded, "Was. She doesn't mean anything to me now. Always picking the wrong side," Blaise shook his head as if he was severely disappointed in her; as if he hadn't just hurt her with a very painful spell. It took Parvati a minute to comprehend his words.
"But I thought your loyalties lay…" Balise stood up abruptly, brushing aside when Parvati took a step towards him.
"I think I'm up for a few more duels," he walked away without another word or look, but Parvati noticed; he was limping, and he was holding his wand too tight. He was in no condition for a fight.
Parvati had always believed he had switched sides for her; not that she needed an ego boost, but it made sense and when confronted, Blaise hadn't denied it. He hadn't accepted either, but she knew to read between his lines.
And if his absence of the past few hours was anything to go by, she would be leaving already. Parvati didn't know how to feel; was this his way of breaking up with her? She didn't even deserve a goodbye this time?
The war, Parvati liked to believe, had changed her a lot. It had taught her that she was worth something and not just a Divination freak whose best shot at fame was being Harry Potter's one time date to the Yule Ball. She had developed a sense of dignity, which was now screaming at her to get the hell out of the place.
The sun was setting in the west; had she been in there for so long? when Parvati stepped out of the stables. Everything was painted orange and red; even the grass seemed set on fire. Parvati stood mesmerized; she had never thought any sight could dumbfound her as it did. She spotted a little dot in a distance, a dot that was steadily growing into a shadow, as if it was rushing towards her.
Parvati took a step back instinctively, she had learnt to fear dark forms; they still haunted her nightmares. It was almost at the gates now, tall silver gates that were slowly losing the golden glow of the sun as it set. They opened without a sound and still the form rushed towards her; she was now sure it was him; her fear dissipated, and she stood her ground firmly, ready for a fight.
"Vati," Blaise replied, out of breath. Parvati could see that he had been in a hurry; his hair was windswept and a few locks were sticking out in odd directions, his face was weary and flushed as if he had been running in the sun the entire day, his immaculate robes were splashed with patched of dirt and grass. The sight of him was new to her; she had never seen him this filthy, since the war. He didn't even seem to mind; Parvati doubted he even noted it, which was even more of a surprise.
By now, Blaise had collected himself and pulled something out of his cloak and handed it to her. Parvati took it, but she kept looking at him, bringing out a smile on his face.
"I know I look good, but are you going to open that or not?" Blaise asked with a disarming grin, indicating the wrapped object in her hand. Parvati came back to her senses, but she had a few things to clarify before she did as asked.
"Where the hell did you disappear off to? I've been waiting here for almost an entire day and you go off without even informing me?" Parvati tried to make her voice sound uncaring, but she was almost yelling by the time she was finished. For all her questions, Blaise just shook his head, indicating the object once again.
"I had to get it for you," Though she was till ticked off with him, the gift now intrigued her. She opened the wrapper cautiously; it had too many covers and her patience was almost gone, but what was inside caught her breath.
"This…" Parvati pulled out a ring, neatly nestled in a bed of velvet, reliving the memories it triggered, "How do you know about this?" If his face wasn't already flushed, Blaise would have been properly blushing by now.
"I just happened to be nearby when you were admiring it," Blaise tried to make his tone sound offhanded, shrugging to emphasise the fact.
"I don't remember seeing you at all!" Parvati exclaimed, wondering how she could have missed him, "But it's beautiful; and symbolic. That's why I liked it in the first place, you know?" Parvati observed the ring; it was what some people would call weird. It was made of silver, a simple band with a single lavender perched on the band. In the light of the sun, it glowed with a greenish red hue, giving the flower on it an ethereal quality, "Gryffindor and Slytherin together, like us."
"I guessed it would be something like that," Blaise smiled as he took the ring from her and eased it onto her finger. Parvati hugged him suddenly, making him chuckle.
"I take it you like it?" Blaise's eyes twinkled with amusement as he held her close, running his hand through her hair.
"Of course, but how did you get it? The ring disappeared from the store the very next week."
"That's for me to know. If you liked it, then that was all worth it," Blaise drew back from her, holding her hand as he began walking towards the house.
"I still don't get it. Why would you do this all of a sudden?" Parvati asked, still unconvinced with his evasive answers.
"Not all of a sudden, Vati. You don't remember? Happy Anniversary," Blaise greeted her, smirking at her confused expression.
"Anniversary? Aren't you a few months early?" Parvati knew Blaise wasn't that bad at remembering dates; he remembered her birthday well enough.
"No; I meant the first time; back when we were in fourth year and I stumbled upon you in a deserted corridor," Parvati tried to remember what date it had been; sadly, she couldn't recollect.
"You remembered that?" Blaise nodded, adding, "It's been ten years exactly, since I asked you out,"
"Seems too long ago, doesn't it?" Parvati was honestly shocked, but she couldn't help but feel absurdly pleased either, "You know what, Blaise? You're too romantic for your own good."
"I'm not romantic," Blaise's response was immediate, eliciting a laugh from Parvati.
"You have such issues with the word as I've never seen; but it is true. You are the most loving boyfriend ever," Parvati grinned knowing her words would startle him even more. Blaise, as far as she could remember, had hated the concept of love, claiming that it never existed. She couldn't blame him, with the examples he had seen.
But then there was also the way he was with her; too affectionate and caring. Sure he wasn't ideal, he had hurt her too many times and there was no guarantee that he won't do the same in the future, but it was the present that she held close, letting the warmth of the moment filled her heart with joy.
The day passed normally, but that one moment was stored in her Hall of fame, in her heart, forever.
To treasure, to relive, to hold close when Blaise wouldn't be there to tell her he loved her.
A/n: It sucks, but please leave a review to tell me that?
Of course, TACO would totally murder me if I didn't say this:
Thanks to TACO(NinjaLampshade) and Rach(this carnival ride called life) for reading through this and telling me it wasn't crap!