A Year to Remember
By Izzy
Part 12:One Finale
Dean Thomas sat down in the bath and attempted to relax. It was the night before the final Quidditch match, and the common room had been just too tense. He'd watched Parvati pace back and forth for nearly an hour before excusing himself and retreating here, to the Prefect's bathroom. He closed his eyes and leaned back. Sometimes there was nothing more relaxing then a good bath.
Unless of course-
"Evening," said a very glum voice. A very feminine glum voice.
His opened his eyes, and spat water out of his mouth. Staring down at him from the top of the bathtub was a ghost of a young girl with a sad face and thick pearly spectacles.
"What're you doing in here?" Dean demanded angrily. She didn't respond. "And who are you anyway? I know you're not the Grey Lady!"
The ghost sniffed angrily. "I should say not! I, that haughty excuse for a ghost? But you mention her! Not even the Head Boy knows who I am! No, old Myrtle isn't important! Noone has to know who she is!"
"Allright, allright, but as I said, why are you watching me taking a bath?"
"Oh, I've been coming up here for years," she said, rather carelessly, wiping away some silvery tears. "I've only come out to talk to Harry-"
"Harry??" Dean spat more water out of his mouth. "What's Harry been doing in the Prefect's bathroom?"
"Well first time he came here to test out the egg clue. No doubt Cedric Diggory gave him all the instructions, I heard the two were more allies then they were opponents. Then he came in here again two years later-with Cho Chang."
It wasn't that difficult for Dean to get her meaning. "You mean Harry's not only been coming in here when he's not a Prefect, but he's also been having sex in here? I am going to have to have a talk with him when he gets back."
"Oh he's hardly the only one," said Myrtle with a giggle that somehow sounded very melancholy. "The last Gryffindor Head Boy, he was always in here with the Ravenclaw Prefect. First time was was the end of thier sixth year, and he was sickeningly sappy, 'I thought I'd lost you forever, Penny', 'I missed you so much Penny', 'It's allright, Penny, I'm here'. I didn't stay long, I couldn't stand it!" She burst into a fresh flow of tears for some reason.
Dean searched for a good response for this, but couldn't find one. Noting that the bubbles allowed him to keep his modesty, at least for awhile, he closed his eyes again, hoping she would go away.
She had no such intention, though. "Besides, would you complain if you were up here with Parvati Patil?"
He spat more water out of his mouth. "Parvati?" But at the same time an image of Parvati, in here, in the bath, with him, sprung into his head, and it sure looked tempting.
"Oh, go ahead!" she said, as she started to cry again. "Deny it! You've actually got a choice in the matter!"
"Uh, Myrtle..." started Dean, but she appeared to be throwing a temper tantrum. "You get to be alive! You have a beautiful girl dreaming of you, and you don't have to-"
"Wait a minute" interrupted Dean. "Parvati's dreaming of me?" He must have misheard, or misunderstood, or-
"Yes she is! And you're so stupid, you take everything for granted so bloodly much-" She was crying *again*. "I'm leaving!" She vanished through one of the taps.
Dean ignored this. There was only one thing he could think of now:She likes me! She really likes me!
Meanwhile, below the Great Hall...
"Why are we doing this again?" asked Parvati Patil.
"Because you are way overstressed," answered Elaine.
"And how will this help me?" asked Parvati, but Elaine put her fingers to her lips. "Quiet. Professor Solen's coming this way."
The three of them backed against the wall. Elaine had her nose pressed to the map. She and Gabrielle had shown Parvati this map. They had then led her down this corridor, which according to the map, eventually led to Hufflepuff tower. But they insisted they weren't taking her that far. "It's okay. She's going off in another direction."
"What's she doing out here?" Parvati wondered.
"She's a teachair, she 'as 'er reasons," answered Gabrielle. "Ah, 'ere eet ees."
She had walked up to a picture of a gigantic silver bowl filled with fruit, and tickled the pear. It giggled and turned into a green door handle. She pulled the handle open, and beckoned the other two inside.
"This is the kitchen," said Elaine needlessly.
"I can see that." Honestly, how had she ended up guided around by a pair of first-years?
"Parvati Patil! Parvati Patil!" next thing she knew something had collided with her. She looked up at a delighted pair of large brown eyes. "Winky!"
"Winky is delighted! Winky has really been hoping to have someone to talk to," here she suddenly seemed very serious. "Something she thinks Parvati might be able to help her on."
"Sure, Winky. What's wrong?"
"Over here." Winky led Parvati over to the far side of the kitchen, behind four long wooden tables which Parvati suspected the food they ate was sent up through. Gabrielle and Elaine, meanwhile, began loading thier pockets with food.
"Okay, Winky. What is it?"
"It is Dobby, Miss. Parvati knows who Dobby is, right?" Parvati nodded. "Well, just the other day...Dobby," her voice dropped to an excited whisper, "Dobby is asking Winky to become his mate, Miss."
"House-elves have mates?" Parvati asked in surprise.
"Not reguarly, Miss." answered Winky, and here it appeared her face was turning not only the shape but the color of a tomato. "House-elves are usually mating just twice, Miss, once to replace the father, once to replace the mother, because families need someone to look after them after house-elves die. But Dobby has always been high-seeing, Miss. Dobby wants a mate like humans have. Dobby is in love with Winky, he says, and Professor Dumbledore says we can become mates if we both wishes it, Miss! But I don't know if I wishes it."
"Well," Parvati considered. She wasn't really the one, she thought, to give a house-elf advice on her love-life. But she was the only one right now who could do it. "Would Dobby consider making any other house-elf his mate?"
"No he would not," answered Winky. "He says only Winky will do as his mate."
Dean hadn't been interested in any other girls, Parvati couldn't help noticing.
"Do," she thought hard, "do you prefer being with Dobby then being without?"
"Yes, oh yes, Miss! Dobby has been so helpful, Dobby...Dobby is the reason Winky is now happy, even though Winky is free."
And whats more, a voice in the back of Parvati's head told her, she liked Dean in her life. She liked sitting next to him, even though she always felt awkward. She liked talking with him, it had always calmed her. If they could just have things to talk about...
"Can you see Dobby as your mate?" Winky was silent for awhile, leaving Parvati to think. She could see herself and Dean, yes, in that way. "Yes. Winky can see it."
Parvati racked her brain, sure there had to be something more to ask, but gave up. "Well, I would probably say yes. But this is a decision you have to make, not me."
Winky nodded. "Thank you, Miss."
"Hey, Parvati!" called Elaine. "We're about ready to go!"
"We got you some stuff," said Gabrielle, unloading handfuls of food into Parvati's pockets as she came back over.
"Winky will be coming to watch tomorrow!" called Winky as they left. "Winky and Dobby are getting tomorrow off, so we can come!"
The next morning...
"Patil?" Parvati turned. Elizabeth Knatter was walking across the Entrance Hall towards her.
"Yes?" she asked.
Next thing she knew Knatter was pressing her against the wall, her feet several inches above the floor. "Beat. Malfoy." Knatter growled.
"I'll go my best," Parvati managed to say, and Knatter released her and started to walk away. Then she turned and yelled, "Oh yeah, and that sentiment's from both me and Leeford."
"Gotcha." Parvati staggered into the Great Hall, more nervous then ever.
All the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuff applauded Parvati, and she sat down next to Dean, who smiled at her, took her hand, and told her she would be fine. This helped, at least enough so that she was able to get a small amount of breakfast down.
She left first, to get an idea of the conditions. She was followed shortly by Gabrielle and Elaine, who were hoping to get the best seats.
At quarter to eleven there were a number of students already in the stands, but Gabrielle and Elaine found the two seats they had selected earlier empty, though the seat next to it wasn't.
"Parvati?" asked Gabrielle. "Why are you up 'ere?"
"Not Parvati," sighed the girl, "Padma." Padma Patil looked like her sister and was dressed in scarlet, with a scarlet dot on her forehead.
"Sorry," said Gabrielle meekly.
"It's allright. Even Dean Thomas has called me Parvati once or twice!"
"Yes, you can expect that sort of mistake from a Mudblood." commented an unwelcome voice from behind them.
They whirled around. Lindsey Aldant and her companions were sitting behind them.
"You watch your mouth, little girl," Padma told her. Lindsey glared, obviously lacking the nerve to answer back to an angry seventh-year.
"What're you doing 'ere?"
"I'm here to watch the game. This is the best seat in the stadium and I'm not moving."
"Well neither are we," answered Elaine.
"Fine then." The three girls turned towards the Quidditch pitch and tried to ignore Lindsey after that.
They noted Professor McGonagall was wearing her ring as she walked past them to the top of the stand, where she would spend most of the game trying to keep Colin's commentary in line. Was Dumbledore following the game as well from Beauxbatons?
At eleven o'clock sharp the two teams came onto the pitch, and the stadium erupted in cheers. This was the most exicted Gabrielle had felt yet.
"The Gryffindors!" said Colin through the magical megaphone, in the style of the World Cup. "I give you-Patil! Creevay! MacDonald! Eggleton! Randall! Gordon! Aaaaaand-Weasley!"
More cheering, but Gabrielle could hear Lindsey Aldant booing behind her.
"And the Slytherins! I see big bad Bulstrode's back-"
"Creevay!" warned Professor McGonagall. Gabrielle booed as loud as she could, determine to drown out Lindsey's cheering.
"Well, she is! And there's Malfoy as usual, um," Gabrielle did not want to know how severely McGonagall was glaring at Colin, "Zabini, Utterson, Baddock, Pritchard, and Gudgeon."
"Can't we have a commentator that's a little less biased?" commented Lindsey icily.
"Captains, shake hands" ordered Madam Hooch. Parvati and Malfoy glared at each other and gripped rather hard.
"Mount your brooms, three, two, one-" WHEEEEEET!
"And thier off! Gryffindor in possession, William Gordon speeding towards the-ow! Stupid Bludger! Quaffle taken by Millicent Bulstrode! Natalie, get her-arghh, missed! She's almost reached the goal. She's going to score, or is she?"
Gabrielle grinned and leaned forward. She'd seen Dennis play before, and understood why he was such a good Keeper. For just as Bulstrode was about to put the Quaffle through the goal, tiny Dennis flew under her arms and nimbly snatched the Quaffle from her raised hands.
"And a terrific save by my brother! Hah! She didn't even see him coming!"
Bulstrode wasn't pleased. With a snarl of "Why you little-" she swung her huge arm at him, hitting him and nearly knocking him off his broom. Gabrielle shook her fists angrily, beside her she could hear Elaine yelling furiously.
"Penalty! Penalty! Taken by Benjamin Randall. HE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"
Cheering now. Gabrielle delightfully managed to drown out the booing of the Slytherins behind her.
"Gryffindor back in possession, Victor Eggleton dodges Zabini, and Utterson can't get past Ginny Weasley! She flutters about like a French Fire-Pixie! I hope Neville Longbottom realizes what a lucky guy he is-"
"Creevay!" McGonagall cut him off. Down below, Neville had gone as scarlet at the team's robes.
"Sorry, Professor. Anyway, Victor passes to William, uh-oh, watch out for the Bludger! Tosses it back to Victor! Victor reaches the goal, skives around Gudgeon-and scores!"
By now Gabrielle's throat was sore, but she could not stop yelling. She took a look at Ginny, who had gone back to circling.
Then suddenly Ginny dived, and Gabrielle followed the direction and spotted her goal-the snitch was floating smack dab in the middle of the pitch. But Malfoy had likewise spotted the snitch, and was going for it.
"Come on, Ginny, come on!" hollered Colin, completely ignored because everyone, including Professor McGonagall, were on the edge of thier seats yelling.
Then all three Slytherin Chasers got in the way, then swerved so that they hit Ginny with the side of thier brooms. She swayed and tumbled.
"WHY YOU-no, Malfoy's going to get the-" WHAM! "Parvati saves the day with the best-timed Bludger yet. It's a penalty to Gryffindor-"
"Just a penalty?" demanded Padma angrily. "Someone should be thrown out of the game or something!" Behind them, Lindsey Aldant and her gang had begun to do a victory dance, until Padma then pulled out her wand and told them to sit down.
"William scores, but the snitch has dissapeared again, still can't believe the nerve of those stinking- "
"Creevay, will you at least try-"
2 hours later...
"120-80 to Gryffindor!" announced Colin Creevay as Benjamin scored again. Ginny barely heard him. She hadn't seen the snitch since the one time early in the game, and from what she could see, Malfoy wasn't doing much better.
"Whats taking you so long, Weasley?" asked Malfoy as he flew past. "Is there a Dementor behind you?"
Maybe it was one insult too many from him, or maybe she was just over irritated by the lack of snitch. But Ginny abruptly decided Malfoy would have to pay for that one. She looked down, let out a loud, "Oh!" then began diving.
Malfoy followed, of course. And since his broom was faster, he was catching up and would be ahead of her before they reached the ground. This was an advantage to her, but still she would be cutting it thin. She knew the ability of the Cleansweep Five she rode, and knew she would need several feet to pull out of the dive.
Colin was dismayed, this was a disadvantage, since Malfoy would know the minute she pulled out, he needed to already be unable to stop. He was ahead of her, but the ground was coming up too quickly. She was out of space-
She gave her broom a tremendous yank, she was swerving, Malfoy looked at her in confusion, then looked down. Realization dawned on his face, but it was too late-
THUD! Even as Ginny felt the tip of her broomtail brush the grass before her broom headed steadily up, Malfoy crashed into the ground. She grinned triumphantly down at him, and slowly the crowd burst into cheering(and booing).
"A Wronski Feint on the Cleansweep Five!" cheered Colin. "Way to go, Ginny!"
And as if to make the victory complete, she spotted the snitch, glimmering near the Gryffindor edge of the pitch. She was off, flying towards it.
"And there it is-it's a clear win-wait no, Malfoy's up, he's heading for it too-"
Ginny swore under her breath and urged her broom on. She was ahead of Malfoy, but his broom was faster, he was sure to catch up!
"It's going to be Ginny-no Malfoy-no Ginny-no Malfoy-no Malny-no Ginfoy-no-"
She stretched her hands out-and collided with Malfoy as he came up from the ground. Her legs locked around her broom, her hands fumbled around the air, thier bodies fought to push the other aside-and then she felt her hand close around the tiny golden ball.
"SHE'S GOT IT!" hollered Colin as Ginny pulled free. "SHE'S GOT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS 270-80!"
She continued across the field and collided with a cheering Natalie MacDonald. "You did it! We did it! The Cup is ours!"
Next thing she knew Parvati and Dennis had also collided with her, and they were heading down, joined by Victor, Benjamin, and William.
Ginny swerved aside and landed next to Neville, crashing into him so that they both tumbled back. He was crying, she could see, and could only kiss her clumsily and murmered, "You did it, you did it!" over and over again.
Parvati, meanwhile, found a house-elf clinging to her midriff. "You won! Gryffindor won! And Winky has said yes, Winky will be Dobby's mate, and-"
Parvati shook her off, and suddenly came face to face with Dean. Her heart, already off from watching Ginny and Malfoy charge the snitch, froze again.
"Um, Parvati, I've been thinking, and I'd just like to say, that I, well I-"
She reached a decision. "Dean?"
"Yes?"
She threw herself onto him. "Shut up and kiss me."
And to the delight of everyone, Dean did just that.
Happiness flooded Parvati as Dean tossed her up onto his shoulders. "Come on, Parvati! Time to claim the Cup."
There was the huge Cup, borne by Professor McGonagall, who looked like she'd been crying herself. She watched while Seamus helped Neville lift Ginny up, Colin bounded down the stands and pushed his way through the crowd towards Dennis was being borne up with Natalie. She spotted Kevin amoung the crowd, he was crying, as were Padma, Gabrielle, and Elaine, who were helping to lift the three Chasers. Parvati's own eyes were starting to tear up as she accepted the cup from Professor McGonagall and along with Ginny lifted it high in the air. Life didn't get any better then this.
A few minutes later, at Beauxbatons...
Hannah and Alfred cuddled on one end of the bus, Sally-Anne and Lisa did homework on the other, Ron sat about, and Lavender paced back and forth.
Then Harry burst into the bus. "We won!"
"Won what?" asked Alfred. "The Tournament?"
"No, the Quidditch Cup! Dumbledore's been keeping track of the game through his mind-link with McGonagall, and they just finished, and he said something about a Wronski Feint, and about Dean and Parvati, and we won!"
"Woohoo!" Ron jumped up, and he, Harry, and Lavender spent the next few minutes dancing around the bus. "Come on!" said Ron. "Lets go tell Hermione! Maybe get her to take a night off."
Sally-Anne and Lavender both startled giggling like mad at this. Ron shot glares at them and they shut up.