Written for the Back to School Challenge at The Golden Snitch Forum (Beauxbatons, Guinefort) - 8. one set of brass scales: write from a Ravenclaw's POV.
It All Started With a Meeting
Padma only attends the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army because Cho is going. Well, Cho and Marietta, and she's determined not to look like a wimp in front of her girlfriend and her girlfriend's best friend.
"It'll be fine, Padma," Cho says encouragingly. "We're just going to go hear what Harry has to say."
"Yeah, but...the Hog's Head, Cho?" Padma bites her lip. "That seems like such a dodgy place!"
"Well, I reckon Harry has his reasons for wanting to meet there," Cho replies, grabbing her hand. "Come on, Marietta's waiting for us in the common room."
...
The simple act of Cho holding her hand is enough to bolster Padma until they reach the pub, where she begins to have second thoughts again.
"You don't think we'll get in trouble, do you?" she whispers, praying that Marietta doesn't hear her.
The redhead snorts. "Scared, Padma?"
Padma laughs nervously. "Of course not," she says quickly, before adding, "If any of us should be scared, it's you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Marietta takes on an aggressive stance, hands on her hips.
"I think," Cho cuts in, "Padma just meant that with your mum working for the Ministry, it's more risky for you to be here. That's all, right, Padma?"
Padma nods, her throat dry. She doesn't know what it is about Marietta, but that girl has always rubbed her the wrong way. She puts up with her for Cho's sake, though.
Marietta's eyes narrow, but she says nothing more.
"Great!" Cho says brightly, seemingly oblivious to the tension between her girlfriend and best friend. "Now that that's been cleared up, let's go in, shall we?"
...
The meeting is brief — just enough time for Padma to learn what she's getting herself into. In theory, the group sounds like a good idea, but in practice, she isn't so sure.
"Do you think Harry can even find a place big enough for all of us to practice in secret?" she asks Cho at dinner that night.
Cho nods. "If anyone can, it's Harry."
Padma notes her confidence with some bitterness. She's well aware that Cho has had a thing for Harry for a while now.
"Well, I guess we'll see about that, won't we?" Marietta sniffs. She seems a little more touchy than usual, but Padma doesn't think anything of it.
"Yeah," Padma says, taking a bite of shepherd's pie, "I guess we'll see."
...
When Marietta is revealed to be the snitch, Padma is elated. Perhaps now her girlfriend will see how horrible she has been all along.
The last thing she expected was for Cho to defend her.
"Everyone keeps saying what an awful thing it was for Marietta to have done, but I don't see it, do you?" Cho asks.
Padma shrugs, tries to remain neutral. "I was as shocked as you, Cho."
"I mean, her mum practically works for Umbridge. She didn't really have a choice." Cho sighs. "I should never have dragged her to that first meeting."
"I—what? You think this is your fault?" Padma can't help but sound a little incredulous. "This had nothing to do with you."
"Well, she wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for me—"
"I wouldn't have either, and you don't see me walking around with pimples announcing to the world that I'm a sneak, do you?" Cho's willingness to stand up for Marietta is almost as irritating as the girl herself, and Padma has had enough.
Cho jumps to her feet. "You sound just like Harry," she says sourly, storming off.
If only the comparison had been more favorable — Padma would have been thrilled.
...
Cho ignores Padma for nearly a week. Padma tries not to be hurt by this, tries to spend more time with Parvati and Lavender and even Luna Lovegood. She tells herself that this is a good thing. She's branching out, strengthening the relationships she abandoned for Cho.
"You should talk to her, Padma," Parvati says, patting her arm. "I know you're probably waiting for her to approach you first, but you need to just grit your teeth and do it, or you could be waiting a while."
"'Grit your teeth and do it?' How very Gryffindor of you," Padma teases.
Parvati throws a green bean at her. "Shut up."
...
"You can't stay mad forever."
This isn't what Padma envisioned she would say to Cho, but it's the first thing that popped into her head. Normally, she would have planned this out better, but she's trying to follow her twin's advice. Too late, she's remembered why she doesn't do that anymore.
"Sorry?" Cho looks at Padma like she's dirt on the bottom of her shoe.
"You can't stay mad forever," Padma repeats. She can't think of anything to add to that.
Cho's eyebrow looks as though it's raised as high as it can possibly go. "I'm not mad."
"You've got a funny way of showing it."
"Alright, fine, maybe I'm a little mad," Cho concedes. "You were supposed to stick by me, and you didn't!"
"Because you were supporting a—a traitor!" Padma hisses. "She could have gotten us all into terrible trouble!"
Cho laughs humorlessly. "It's funny how you want to call her a traitor when you would have done the exact same thing to save your own skin. Don't even try to deny it."
Padma tries not to show just how deeply those words have cut her. It hurts, because she knows deep down that Cho is right. She's a coward, and always has been. She might as well do something about it.
...
The rest of the school year passes in something of a blur. Marietta's pimples refuse to fade. Cho begins seeing Harry. Later, they break up, but by that point, Padma has stopped caring. Perhaps that is because she has started a new relationship herself, with one Hermione Granger.
After a D.A. meeting one evening, Padma went up to her and held out a book, a thick tome that discussed the history of various jinxes.
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "This looks amazing, Padma," she said. She rifled through it eagerly and found the little note that Padma tucked inside: Care to discuss over dinner sometime? My treat. A blush and a nod later, and Padma had her answer.
...
As everyone says their goodbyes for the summer, Padma spots Cho standing alone on the platform.
"Have a good summer," she says awkwardly to her former girlfriend.
"You too," Cho says softly. After a moment, Padma steps forward and gives her a quick hug.
"You know, I never properly thanked you for making me go to that first D.A. meeting," she tells her. "So...thanks."
"You're welcome," Cho says before disappearing into the crowd, no doubt looking for Marietta.
Padma smiles. In a way, that first meeting was the start of a new chapter in her life, and for that, she will always be grateful to Cho.
"There will be time for reminiscing later," Parvati says loudly into her ear, her uncanny ability to read Padma's thoughts proving itself once again. "Let's go, Mum and Dad are waiting."
Padma slips her arm through her twin's and together, they make their way towards their parents.
Word count: 1,199
