Word Count: 2098

Prompts:

Padma/Michael

Black

Disclaimer: Poem belongs to Jean Pullman

From Black to White

I was so angry with her.

How could my own sister start dating Cedric? She knew I liked him, and yet she said yes when he asked her to Hogsmeade this weekend. I stormed through the Forbidden Forest, full of fury and grief. I soon realized however that I had gone a bit further than I felt comfortable and made my way out before I got into an even worse predicament.

This was how I found myself wandering around the edge of the trees and eventually to the edge of the lake.

I sat down on a rock that was partially concealed by a rather large bush. I sat there for what felt like hours when I noticed a shimmering light. I got up and walked closer to it. It was then that I realized that it was a full bodied patronus; not only that, but it was a squirrel! I had to figure out whose patronus this was, as squirrels were my favorite animal.

Perhaps it was odd for me to adore them so much, but I loved how fluffy and small they are. I loved their curious and mischievous personalities and how – when no one was looking – they would jump out of a tree, steal your food, and pelt unsuspecting passersby with pine cones..

"Who conjured you up?" I thought as I looked around for the owner of the patronus, but it disappeared before I could speculate further.

The next day I returned to the same spot near the lake in hopes of discovering who the owner was.

I was half expecting for it not to show up again, but to my surprise and delight I finally spotted the familiar glow of the patronus.

I tried to see which direction it had come from, but sadly I did not catch it in time.

Then the strangest thing happened. It was pretty cool the squirrel seemed to know exactly where I was and scampered up to me.

I looked at it for a moment then it opened it's cute little mouth and started speaking to me.

"Hello Padma, what are you doing out here?," the squirrel patronus said to me almost like someone was speaking through it to me.

"Oh, hello there. Who are you? I mean, who is the person who cast you?" I asked after recovering from my initial shock.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," the squirrel simply replied; then it vanished without a trace of it's origin.

Curious.

I decided that I would research patronuses to see if I could uncover any hints that will assist in my search for the mysterious person, so I hastily gathered my things and headed toward the library to begin my quest.

I was sitting at a table quietly reading a book I found when Michael Corner had the gall to approach me. Merlin, I utterly loathed that wizard! He was so conceited, thinking that he could waltz around and pick any girl up he wants just because he happened to be mildly attractive. Well, he'd have another think coming to him if he thought I'd go out with him, notwithstanding his charming smiles and offerings of petty trinkets. Didn't anyone else realize that he pulled the same trick on every girl he'd met, or was I truly the only witch observant enough to notice?

"Hey, Padma," he said to me. Merlin, I couldn't believe he actually had the nerve to speak to me. I was furious, having to take a deep breath to calm myself.

Just calm down Padma, all you have to do is ignore him and he will go away just like all your other problems. To me he had to be the most unintelligent, dim-witted Ravenclaw ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts. Even Luna was better than him, and she was one odd witch.

"So, what are you up to?" he asked.

Why couldn't he take a hint and get out of here?

After several seconds of forced silence he sighed in defeat. "Okay, I get it; you're studying. I'll leave you alone." And he left. Thank Godric.

In spite of Michael annoying me I did discover some answers with my research. The castor of the patronus had the ability to send messages through their patronus to a person. So my mystery person definitely knew who I was. I smirked proudly, one step closer to discovering their identity.

That evening I returned to the library, carefully surveying potential candidates. Perhaps he'd gone to the library again. There was Draco Malfoy, Terry Boot, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley and a few boys I didn't know – and then… there was that git, Michael Corner. Just what was he doing anyway? I leaned over to get a better look and spotted him helping some first year who'd dropped her books.

Huh. Who knew Michael could be capable of genuine kindness. Had he always been that way, and I simply didn't notice? No. That was impossible. Michael Corner was a heartless womanizer, and he always would be.

For the next several days I continued to wait by the rock, waiting for my furry little friend, and he'd deliver a message. Sometimes it was a poem – occasionally a lyrics from a song she liked – but it always seemed to bring a smile to my lips. Whoever was sending these messages seemed to understand my heart, and I longed to discover the sender. The Cedric Diggory I had once desired seemed but a dim memory of a school-girl crush. This, well this felt deeper and more real.

After my odd meetings by the lake I would proceed to the library, searching for ways to possibly follow or catch the patronus. While attempting to focus on my research I often observed Michael Corner doing more and more kind things for people – to my immense frustration. One day he helped get gum out of Luna Lovegood's hair, and the next day he thwarted Cormac McLaggen from harassing a rather helpless Hermione Granger. I waited for him to make his own pass at the witch, but it never came. He'd simply been a gentleman. What in Rowena Ravenclaw's name was going on? Why was Michael being so perfectly likable? It frustrated me to no end. Could I have misconstrued the wizard's nature as manipulative and skirt-chasing, when he'd simply been a sweet romantic the entire time? I suddenly had no idea.

After several weeks of impromptu meetings by the lake I returned to my regular spot with mixed feelings. I adored whoever continued to send romantic sentiments to me each day, but my mind kept drifting to Michael. It was a nagging, guilty feeling, knowing I'd misjudged my fellow Ravenclaw, but those feelings evaporated as a silvery squirrel came bounding into view. He proceeded to deliver his message:

True beauty is in the way she laughs

True beauty is in her eyes

True beauty is how she acts

True beauty is inside

True beauty is unseen

True beauty is only felt

True beauty is not mean

True beauty is herself

I could have cried at that moment; it was such a perfect poem, but in a twist of irony it made me think of Michael. Trying to discover the identity of my mysterious suitor, I'd discovered a beauty in Michael Corner I would have never thought possible. It was all so confusing. Sinking to the bank by the rock, I sat down and began tracing patterns in the sand.

After several minutes I heard an blithe voice clear her throat.

"Are you all right?" Luna asked.

I could tell it was Luna without turning, because she was the only person I knew with such an airy and carefree voice.

"I'm fine," I lied, frowning at the sand.

"If you were truly all right, I don't think there would be quite so many Narbunckles around you." She sat down in the sand next to me. I gaped at her, perplexed as to what a Narbunckle could possibly be, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, making note to ask at a later date; I had enough confusing things to worry about.

Without really thinking I began to blurt out one of my pressing thoughts. "Luna, I think I've fallen in love with someone." Wait, why was I telling this to Luna? We didn't exactly talk very much – perhaps that was why I chose to confide in her, rather than one of my best friends.

"That explains the Narbunckles," she said lightly. I looked at her, and in her own eccentric way, I knew she understood. "They fly around people who are experiencing strange bouts of love," she explained like it was the simplest thing in the world.

For reasons unknown to me, I continued to spill my soul to this odd acquaintance.

"The thing is, I don't know who he is. All I know about them is that their patronus is a squirrel and they keep sending me a message through it every day."

"I think with cases like these it's more important to know – not who he really is – but who you hope he is."

Her words pounded in my brain – typical Luna, always spouting off the oddest bits on nonsense, only to end up being the wisest one of all. Was it possible that I wanted my secret admirer to be the man I had openly accused of being a vain womanizing git for so long?

Luna sighed at my silence. "Perhaps you'd like it to be Cedric. It's common knowledge that Hufflepuffs have a tendency toward twins."

I choked at Luna's comment, unsure whether to laugh or gasp. Finally I shook my head. "No, I don't want it to be Cedric, Luna."

Suddenly the silvery squirrel darted out from the woods.

"Who do you want me to be?"

His words were earnest, and my will crumbled.

"I think – I wish." I took another deep breath. "I wish you could be Michael."

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you," said a louder voice, hidden in the shadow of the nearby trees.

I stood up hesitantly, drawing my wand. That voice suddenly sounded so familiar. I'd heard it from the squirrel, in my classes, and so many times in the hallway, and lastly... in the library. Could it be? Slowly and reluctantly the figure emerged from the forest revealing himself to be none other than Michael Corner. My heart thumped heavily, and my face turned red as I wondered how much of our conversation he had heard.

He took out his wand, swishing it once, and the squirrel dissipated into vapor.

At once my head began to spin. I loved him. I loved Michael. My head got all fuzzy, and the lake and forest started to spin. Then I collapsed to the ground, and everything went black.

I heard voices talking around me. There was a warm blanket covering me, and I could tell that I was on a bed. What had happened? The last thing I remembered I was on the bank of the lake with Luna and... Michael! He was the one who was conjuring the squirrel patronus and who... I ... fell in... love... with. It all came back to me.

Slowly I decided to open my eyes. The light stung, but I managed to squint, seeing the hospital wing and Luna and Michael sitting on either side of my bed. I tried to sit up, but when my head began to throb I opted against it and layed back down. I looked at Michael, and he met my gaze with sincerity in his eyes.

"Padma, every message I sent to you is how I really feel. I know you think I'm some sort of womanizing git, but I swear—"

"Yes, Michael Corner, I will go out with you."

"What, but I didn't say anything yet."

"I'm in Ravenclaw. What can I say – I figured it out."

He smiled triumphantly and kissed the top of my head before he walked out and I heard him shout gleefully out in the corridor. I smiled to myself.

I had always considered Michael to be some sort of scoundrel, black and heartless, but I realized at that moment that it hadn't been Michael who had been so vain and full of deceit. Rather, it had been my perspective that had been so tarnished and false – but reflecting on the present, I knew everything had changed. My life, my pride, my heart, it had shifted from darkness to light – from black to white.