I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew just close your eyes, escape this town for a little while...
December 1995
Just ask her, Dean, just go up to her and ask. Dean told himself after potions on Friday afternoon. She doesn't have a date yet. Seamus told you so, just ask her. Dean watched as Parvati and Lavender walked up the corridor giggling happily, no doubtedly discussing the Yule Ball which would occur later that night. He still remained dateless, having wimped out at every opportunity that he got to ask Parvati, his crush of four years, to go with him. Sometimes Dean wondered if she felt the same way about him, he wondered if he was being friend zoned by her. He wondered if there was another bloke in her life.
The two of them had been really close friends since the day that they'd met, on the first of September four years ago. He remembered the moment that he had lain eyes on her as if it was yesterday.
He didn't know when he had started to like her as more than a friend, he estimated that it was towards the end of first year, when they had been locked in the charms classroom overnight together and neither of them could remember the unlocking charm, which was, of course alohamora. They had cuddled up against each other in an attempt to keep warm and after that night, the two of them had shared something special, something that she hadn't shared with another bloke, and that was when he started to look at her in a different light. He hoped that she had thought of him in a different light after that. He wished, hoped and prayed that Parvati would like him back.
"Hey, Parvati!" Dean said cheerfully, falling into step beside her, "How did you go on the potions test?" he asked, trying to make a casual conversation.
"Not bad." Parvati said happily, "I got an E, you?"
"an A" Dean replied, "but Snape hates me."
"Oh!" Parvati said, her eyes widening, "are you insinuating that you would've done better than me if Snape liked you more."
"Maybe," Dean grinned, "Maybe not." Parvati hit him playfully, as Lavender started babbling on about her dress for the Yule Ball.
"I want it to match Seamus' tie, but he won't tell me what colour." Lavender whined, and Dean saw his chance.
"Uh… Parvati, can I talk to you?" he asked, looking pointedly at Lavender.
"I'm got going, Thomas, whatever you want to say to Parvati, you can say in front of me as well." Lavender insisted, crossing her arms. Dean could see no point in arguing with her, she was as stubborn as a mule
"Yes?" Parvati said, looking up at him expectantly. Dean took a big breath and gathered all of his courage and forced the words to form.
"I was…um… wondering if you… um… want to go to the Yule Ball with me tonight." Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the ground.
"Oh Dean…" Parvati said, an apologetic expression on her face as she looked up at him. "I'd love to, but I've already got a date." She said, smiling sadly at him, "I would've loved to go with you, but he asked me first, and don't you reckon that us going together would be a bit weird?"
"Weird?" Dean asked, confused, "Why?"
"Parvati wake up!" It's obvious that he fancies the pants off you." Lavender said, rolling her eyes with a sigh at her friend's obliviousness.
"What? No he does not." Parvati said with a smile.
"Yeah, I was just asking her to go as friends." Dean said, his courage abandoning him and he lapsed back into the 'friend zone'
"Seriously? It's got to be you two!" Lavender said, looking at both of them incredulously. Dean looked at Parvati only to find that she was looking at him, he looked away quickly, feeling his face grow hot, "Oh cut to the song already, it's getting boring." Lavender said.
"Nice thought." Parvati said seriously, "but completely impossible."
"Yeah…" Dean said, becoming more and more flustered by the minute, "Impossible."
"I mean, I'd love to go with him… he's my favourite bloke, but he's – you know…" she trailed off and Dean jumped in and said "a friend," just as Parvati said, "Gay."
Dean turned to her, hurt written all over his face. "I'm not gay."
"Yes you are." Parvati said earnestly, nodding at him.
"No… I'm not." Dean insisted, wondering where in the world she could be getting this from. When had he shown any interest in someone of the male gender?
"Of course you are, don't be stupid." She paused, looking at him as though he was stupid, "In the entire time I've known you, when have you shown the slightest interest in a girl?"
Dean floundered for words, but Parvati wasn't done shooting him down yet.
"I've known you for what, four years? Name one girl that you've paid the slightest bit of attention to?" she asked. Dean looked at her, his brow creasing, wanting desperately to yell "YOU!" and kiss her then and there. But he couldn't do it, he just couldn't, he was a bloody coward! Biting his lip, he turned and ran away leaving Parvati with Lavender. He was stupid, she didn't like him and he was wasting his time going after her, and now she thought that he was gay. He would have to stop pining after her and find someone else. He just hoped that she would realise some day that he wasn't gay and was only trying to impress her.
Parvati stared after Dean, realisation written all over her face. Lavender grinned at her.
"Oh my god…" she said, gesturing wildly with her hands, "Dean!" she called running after him, "Dean wait! Dean!"
"And the penny drops," she heard Lavender say from back at the end of the corridor. She could see Dean's head bobbing along in the sea of students. All she could do was to push through the crowds roughly to reach him.
She spotted him duck into a tapestry, half way up the marble staircase. Pushing and shoving the excited students out of the way she followed him through it.
"Dean" she called jogging to a halt as she spotted Dean leaning against a wall a few metres away, "Dean I'm so sorry, I-I didn't realise." She stammered, walking up to him and attempting to give him a hug.
"It was always you." Dean said, tears in his eyes, "the only girl that I've paid the slightest bit of attention to in the last four years is you, Parvati." He said.
"I know," Parvati said, tears spilling out of her own eyes at this realisation, "I'm so sorry, I-I just… I love you too." She said letting out a sob as she tried to console Dean, "I have always loved you, ever since that day on the train I knew that you would be the one that would always be there for me. And then you didn't show any interest in me or anyone else so I assumed that you were gay."
"I must've done a pretty good job of hiding it, my love for you, that is." Dean sniffed, a smile making its way across his face, "you did a pretty good job for me."
"I'm so, so sor-" Parvati's apology was cut of abruptly as Dean pressed his lips to hers. It took her a moment to process this but as soon as she did she kissed him back full force. The feel of his lips on hers just felt so right, like he was the only one that was allowed to kiss her.
After what seemed like eternity, they broke apart.
"About that date to the yule ball…" Parvati said, licking her lips, "I lied, I'm not going with anyone."
"Shall I take that as a 'yes' to my question?" Dean smiled.
"You assume correctly." Parvati said, and before she knew it, their lips were locked in another kiss.
"You look beautiful, did I tell you that already?" Dean asked as he and Parvati walked through the garden after a night full of dancing.
"Multiple times." Parvati laughed, tugging on his arm as they walked through the bushes, "Come on, let's go and sit by the lake." Dean obliged and let her guide him to wherever she wanted. He was just so happy that he had finally told her how he felt, that he had gotten a date with her in the same day, and most importantly, the feelings that he had for her were reciprocated.
"Today was the best day of my life." Parvati said as the two of them sat down on a log beside the lake. "Do you know why?"
"Why?" Dean asked
"Because I got to spend most of it with you." She said, staring out across the frozen lake and shivered slightly, Dean smiled and put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. She leant into his side and sighed deeply, "I'm sorry I thought you were gay."
"Stop apologising," Dean said firmly, "Remember what happened last time?" he said, referring to the kiss that they had shared earlier in the day.
"In that case I'll keep apologising." Parvati said, laughing softly, wrapping both of her arms around his waist and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"This was the perfect first date." Parvati said, "thank you, Dean, for making my life a little brighter."
"You're welcome, Parvati." Dean said, kissing the top of her head, "I'd do anything for you."
AN: Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, it took me like two months to update this! And to think I said updates would come quickly *shakes head at own stupidity*
Well the due date for the challenge that I'm writing this for is coming up soon, so I should be updating at one to two day intervals to get all seven oneshots up :)
Please review so I know that you've read and/or enjoyed!
Until Next Time
~The Original Horcrux~