~*~
Harry
was giggling uncontrollably at the bubbles rising up around him. He didn't know
why, but they felt so funny as they brushed past his skin...and Parvati had
been right, half a bottle of the drink and he was way up in Cuckoo Land. He
noticed she was giggling too.
"I never expected that to happen, Harry!" she said, her words
slightly slurred. She had consumed her fair share of the alcohol, too.
"Wait till I tell Lavender! Harry Potter stripped off in front of me and
got into my bath!"
Harry turned to her, and they both dissolved in more laughter. Harry thought to
himself how funny Parvati was. A few stray strands of wet hair were in her deep
brown eyes, which were sparkling with laughter. Her perfect, white shining
teeth were smiling at him.
"Well you wait till I tell all the boys that I had a bath with you!"
Harry grinned mischievously. "You have no idea how much they all fancy
you! Some of them reckon you and Padma are the best looking girls in the
school!"
Parvati, perhaps over reacting a little due to the drink, gasped loudly.
"No!" she said incredulously. "But - but - that's so
weird!"
"Nah, it's not," Harry said cheerfully. "You're both very
pretty."
Parvati blushed deeply. "You know what, Harry?" she began. "I
know I'm only telling you this because I've drunk so much, but you know who I've
always fancied?"
"Who?" said Harry, for some reason genuinely interested.
"You!" she answered, and burst out in hysterics once more. Harry
joined her after getting over his initial shock.
"Really?" he asked, wiping away tears of laughter.
"Yes!" she said enthusiastically. "In fact, I don't know of a
girl that hasn't secretly got a little crush on you! I mean, in first year you
were just a lanky little boy with messy black hair and rather odd looking
glasses. But now..." she looked down at the water and smiled coyly.
"You've grown up to be quite handsome, Harry. You've filled out, your hair
has become messily cute instead of just plain messy, and your glasses are
really quite flattering."
Harry was quite taken aback. He didn't know how to respond to Parvati's
compliments. He then realised he didn't have to. Parvati was slowly coming
closer and closer towards him, her deep brown eyes looking into his. He almost
reeled backwards when her stomach came into contact with his beneath the
water...then her legs, and then her chest. His head was dizzy, not just from
the drink. He had never come this close to a girl before. Not ever. Parvati's
fingers intertwined with Harry's, and little electric shocks exploded all over
his body where her skin made contact with his.
"I - I -" Harry began, not having a clue what he was trying to say.
"Sssh," Parvati placed her finger over his mouth. "Don't say
anything. Just kiss me, Harry."
His head spun with the shock of her request. He didn't know why, but he began
to move his head down towards Parvati's. When their lips came into contact
Harry's entire body trembled. Something was screaming at his from the depths of
his mind. Something was trying to break the numb haze that Harry was enveloped
in. Harry realised it was a voice as his lips moved clumsily against Parvati's.
The voice was screaming a name. She wrapped her arm around his slippery back and
drew herself entirely into Harry. Then he realised. The voice was screaming at
him the name of a beautiful redhead who he cared about more than his own life -
it was saying, Ginny.
He pushed Parvati's arm away from around his back. She looked surprised and
puzzled as Harry stood in the bath, panting heavily.
"Ginny," he whispered to himself. Parvati rolled her eyes, and
disappeared lazily under the water. Seizing his chance, Harry leapt out of the
bath and threw a fluffy white towel around his shivering body. Parvati's head
re- appeared.
"Going so soon?" she questioned innocently.
"I can't - I'm sorry, Parvati," Harry said honestly, all effects of
the alcohol suddenly disappearing under the throbbing memory of Ginny. Her face
stood etched in the forefront of his mind, it killed him to see her expression
- hurt and confused.
Parvati sighed. "Well," she shrugged, "I guess it wasn't really
meant to be. Listen, Harry, I know how much you and Ginny like each othe. Go
and make your peace with her. I won't say anything about tonight if you won't.
It'd be so...embarrassing." Parvati averted her eyes from Harry's face to
a wall behind him, an uncomfortable look spread on her face. "Just go and
tell her the truth. She needs to know how you feel, Harry. Chances are she only
did what she did with Draco because she couldn't be with you. Our minds work in
strange ways Harry."
Harry nodded slightly, understanding what Parvati meant. "Thank you,"
he whispered.
"It's okay," she shrugged. "Now go! Be the knight in shining
armour," she winked at him, and he smiled feebly, exiting the bathroom. As
he trudged down the corridor towards the Common Room, he ever so slightly
smiled to himself. He never thought he would see the day when he had a new
found respect for, of all people, Parvati Patil.