Padma's Quest Chapter 11
A/N: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I was on vacation! Two more chapters to go of Padma's ongoing saga!
Padma entered the Ravenclaw common room feeling sore, tired, but oddly contented. Dean had kissed her again! There was no doubt about her feelings now. Ron Weasley was just a passing fancy; Dean was for keeps. Padma thought about the way Dean had blasted through the maze to help her, scratching himself and tearing his robes. The look on his face as he tenderly bandaged up her bleeding hands. The way he held her. The way he kissed her. Padma sighed, wishing she had someone to share it with. She would've liked to talk to Parvati, but it was late and her sister was in Gryffindor Tower.
Padma looked around the common room for her dorm mate Mandy. She wasn't there, but she did spy Penny and Cho tucked into cozy chairs in front of the fireplace. They would understand! Padma started towards them when she suddenly stopped, remembering that Penny was still annoyed at her for having switched places with Parvati. She glanced longingly at them. Cho looked up and caught Padma's eye. She flashed her a radiant smile and beckoned Padma over. Padma smiled gratefully in return and cautiously approached them.
"'Lo girls. Can I join you?" Padma asked hesitantly.
"Of course you can," said Cho, patting the armchair next to her. Padma sat down looking nervously at Penny.
"Hello Padma," said Penny stiffly, "that is if you really are Padma."
"Oh Penny!" sighed Cho with exasperation.
"Penny, I said I was sorry," pleaded Padma. "Besides, I've just come from serving my detention."
"Have you?" asked Penny with interest. She seemed to consider this for a second before she said, "Well, I hope it taught you a lesson." However Penny relaxed after that, apparently satisfied that Padma had paid for her offense.
"What did you have to do for detention?" asked Cho. "Was it awful?"
Padma told them all about pruning the maze for the Triwizard Tournament including getting lost and hving Dean rescue her. "And then, after he found me, we…we kissed," she said, looking nervously from Penny to Cho.
"But I thought you liked Ron Weasley," said Cho after a few seconds of stunned silence. Penny nodded.
"I thought so too," said Padma shyly. She explained about the Hogsmeade visit and kissing Ron the night Parvati had her vision. "So when I kissed Ron, I didn't feel anything. Besides, he's been avoiding me for two weeks," she added ruefully. "But Dean's…different. He's endearing, and he really cares for me. Look…" She took Dean's drawing out of her pocket and showed it to them. "He thinks I'm the prettiest girl in school," sighed Padma, her face flushing deeply.
"Oh Padma!" exclaimed Cho. "How sweet!"
Penny suddenly burst out, "Well this is awkward!"
"What is?" asked Padma, bewildered.
"I wrote to Percy a couple of weeks ago about your interest in Ron. Percy was thrilled. He said he was about to answer a letter Ron had written him and that he would mention something to Ron about it."
"What?" asked Padma sharply, causing nearby students to look up. "What?" she asked in hushed voice.
"I thought it would be nice to double date or something," said Penny sheepishly.
"Do you know if Percy has written back to Ron yet?" asked Cho.
"I don't know. He's been pretty busy at work, filling in for his boss, Mr. Crouch." Penny said the last bit with undeniable pride.
"See?" said Cho, affecting a soothing voice, "I wouldn't worry about it Padma. Percy's probably so busy, it'll slip his mind and he'll forget to mention it. Right Penny?"
"Yes, more than likely that'll be the case," said Penny in a thoroughly unconvincing voice.
"Now, Penny," said Cho, clearly keen on changing the subject, "how about you finish showing me that charm."
"What charm?" asked Padma distractedly. "Is it for your O.W.L.S. or something?"
Cho turned a brilliant shade of pink. "Actually, this charm isn't on the O.W.L.S."
Padma looked from Cho to Penny, who was blushing as well. "So, what is it?"
Penny looked at Cho who nodded slightly. "I was teaching Cho how to cast a Contraceptus Charm," said Penny quietly.
"Contraceptus? I've never heard…." Realization dawned on Padma's face. "Oh!" She looked at Cho sharply. "Oh! You mean you and Cedric…" Padma couldn't finish the sentence.
"No!" said Cho quickly. "Not yet anyway. But one should be prepared, right? And Cedric's such a gentleman, I doubt he would take the initiative to learn it first."
"You might be surprised," said Penny smirking. "It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Who would know from looking at Percy that he can cast a mean Disrobing Charm?"
The girls dissolved into mad giggles, earning them a reproving look from Roger Davies who was sitting at a table nearby. Cho pressed her hands over her mouth, attempting to stem the flood of giggles. "Do you…" she gasped, "do you suppose he's been listening to our conversation?"
"One way to find out," mouthed Penny. She cleared her throat and spoke in an exaggerated whisper. "Do you know what Veela do to their mates once they've had as many children as they want to have?"
"No, what?" asked Padma, cottoning on.
"They eat them," said Penny dryly.
"What?" yelped Roger, rushing over to them in wide-eyed panic. "Do you that's true for half Veela as well?"
"Why don't you ask your little girlfriend and stop trying to overhear our conversations, you prat!" Penny grinned with satisfaction as Roger turned beet red, grabbed his books and parchments, and moved to a table on the other side of the room.
"That'll teach him!" Cho cried. "Now, where were we?"
Although Penny's useful charm lesson had distracted Padma for a while, once she'd gone to bed, she couldn't help but worry about Percy's letter to Ron. What would Ron think? What if he told other people about it? What would Hermione think? More importantly, what Dean think? Padma shuddered, pulling her blankets closer and settling in for what was sure to be a restless night.
Padma felt thoroughly exhausted as she made her way into the Great Hall for breakfast. She knew she looked awful. The mirror in her room had told her as much. Padma scanned the Ravenclaw table and chose a seat on the far end, away from the crowd and facing the Gryffindor table directly where Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting. They were talking quietly amongst themselves. Padma wished futilely that she could hear what they were saying. Padma looked up at the enchanted ceiling, scanning for signs of the post owls. They hadn't arrived yet. She turned her attention to the platter in front of her, spooning scrambled eggs onto her plate. The lack of post owls and the fluffy, yellow mound in front of her seemed to cheer her up a bit. She was so distracted that she was startled when a low, warm voice spoke directly in front of her.
"Can I sit here?"
Padma dropped a forkful of scrambled eggs on her lap and looked up to find Dean standing across the table from her, a bright grin on his face.
"Er…" said Padma, quickly brushing the egg of her lap.
"I'll take that as a yes." Dean plunked his book bag on the floor and took the seat directly in front of her. Padma glanced over his shoulder and saw Parvati giving her a thumbs up sign from the Gryffindor table. Padma quickly averted her eyes from her sister and faced Dean instead.
"Good morning," said Padma breathlessly.
Dean motioned towards Padma's hands. "Your hands okay?"
Padma rubbed her palms together rapidly. "Oh! Yes, they're fine, thank you." She smiled at him nervously. "Your face looks better too." Dean gave her a bemused look. Padma gasped. "Not that it didn't look okay before! Because you have a really nice face. What I mean is…eggs?" She shoved the platter towards him.
Dean took the platter and began serving himself, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Padma looked up at the ceiling again, wondering what kind of owl Ron owned. Did he even have an owl? Perhaps he was a cat person…
"Are you expecting a letter?" asked Dean.
Padma turned her gaze back to Dean. "No, I was just trying to…um…se what kind of day we're going to have."
"I know what you mean," said Dean, reaching for the toast. "Yesterday, raining, today clear. It's amazing how fast the seasons change, isn't it? Can't believe its Easter break already."
Padma nodded, mouth full of toast.
Dean seemed very intent on his piece of toast for a moment. "I'm going home for the holiday," he said quietly.
Padma swallowed her mouthful of pumpkin juice with an audible gulp. "You are?"
Dean nodded. "Yes," he said, tearing his gaze away from his toast to look at Padma. "I didn't go home for Christmas and Mum sorta misses me." A sheepish grin crept across his face.
Padma smiled broadly as she watched Dean duck over his plate embarrassedly. "Are you sure it's not the other way around?" she teased.
His smile widened, revealing the impish dimple on his cheek. "Oh, go on!" He flicked a stray cornflake at her, which she ducked, laughing. She was just straightening up in her chair when the flutter of hundreds of wings filled the hall.
Padma watched with growing dread as a tiny, gray owl made its way over to Ron, an envelope and a small package tied to its leg.
"Padma? Are you okay?" asked Dean with concern.
Padma nodded slowly, her scrambled eggs suddenly sitting in a sickening lump in the pit of her stomach. She fought to steady her voice as she asked Dean. "S-so you're really leaving?" She tried not to be obvious as she watched Ron open the package and hand something to Harry and Hermione then tear open the letter. Was it from Percy?
"Yes," said Dean soberly. "But I wanted to talk to you before I go." He took a deep breath. "Padma, you know I…I really like you."
"Uh huh," mumbled Padma, trying to gage Ron's reaction as he quickly scanned his letter. Wait! What was he doing? Why was he showing the letter to Harry and Hermione? Was he mad? He was going to let them read it! And why was Hermione looking so sad?
Dean glanced briefly over his shoulder, but turned back to Padma and continued. "After last night, I have some hope that you might like me too, but…"
Padma was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on Dean's words. It appeared that the trio was finished reading Ron's letter. Why was Ron looking outraged? Harry looks pensive. Why does Hermione keep looking down at her hands like she's going to cry? Had Percy written about her? What else could be making Hermione look so gloomy? Padma felt as though she would burst if she didn't find out soon.
"Padma?" Dean's voice cut through Padma's tumultuous thoughts. "Have you been listening to me?"
Padma blinked, puzzled. "Listening? Oh! Of course I've been listening. Why do you ask?"
Dean frowned. "You seem a little…distracted."
"Distracted? Me?" Padma forced a nervous little laugh, but kept her gaze on Dean.. She took a swig from the goblet in her hand and immediately spat it out over her plate. Padma looked at the container in her hand and realized that she had been holding the ketchup bottle.
Dean's eyebrows rose sharply. "Right, anyway, I was saying that I'd like to be sure you're over Ron before we can think about us."
Padma vehemently wished she had a magical eye like Mad-Eye Moody so that she could look at Dean and the Gryffindor table simultaneously. She settled for looking at Dean while throwing what she hoped, were inconspicuous glances Ron's way. "Dean," she sighed, "I know I've been a bit of an idiot lately, but I…think I know what I feel for you. What does Ron have to do with it?" Ron looked so angry! He smacked the piece of parchment in his hand, gesturing angrily as he spoke to Harry. Why wasn't Hermione saying anything?
To Padma's surprise, Dean rose from the table, throwing his napkin down with an exasperated sigh. "I dunno Padma, you tell me, 'cause you're the one who can't seem to keep her eyes off of him for more than five minutes at a time!"
"Dean!" cried Padma, unheeding of the questioning looks she was getting from the Ravenclaws up and down the table.
"Never mind," said Dean, viciously flinging his book bag onto his shoulder. "Have a good holiday. I'll see you…whenever."
Before Padma could say a word, Dean had stalked out of the Great Hall. She sat in stunned silence. Seconds later, Harry and Ron left the Gryffindor table talking animatedly. Padma heard Ron say, "Can you believe that Percy? Irritating git!" Padma looked down quickly, feeling her face burn. Suddenly, she remembered Hermione. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Hermione was trailing behind Harry and Ron, head bent gloomily. Padma raised her gaze slowly. Just as Hermione passed the Ravenclaw table, she raised her face and looked over at Padma. She steeled herself for a furious look from Hermione. To Padma, Hermione's look was one of deep hurt rather than anger. Padma looked away quickly, the table blurring before her eyes as they filled with tears. Padma pushed away from the table, grabbed her bag and ran out of the Great Hall.
Parvati caught up with her in the entrance hall. She made a double take when she saw Padma's tear streaked face. "What happened? You didn't straighten things up with Dean?"
Padma knew her sister meant well, but she didn't think she could stand her vapid prattle at the moment. "Go away Parvati!"
Parvati grabbed Padma's arm before she could run off. "What happened?" she demanded again.
Padma flung her bag to the ground and faced Parvati angrily. "I'm a blooming idiot that's what! All right?"
Parvati picked up Padma's bag and steered her sister towards the nearby broom closet, away from the curious glances of the students streaming out of the Great Hall. She pulled out her wand, locked the door behind them and conjured up a box of tissue. Parvati didn't say another word until Padma had sobbed herself out.
It took a while.
To Be Continued…