Chapter 25:

The Curses of Popularity

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Parvarti frowned and flicked one dark spiral curl from her face-this look just wasn't working. With a muttered spell and a 'swish' and 'flick' of her wand, her hair returned to its natural sleekness. Sighing she pinned up the silky tendrils and painstakingly applied hairspray. Honestly…this took sooooo long. If she simply chose not to be gorgeous every day, imagine the potential she would finally live up to! Perhaps she would have been able to take O.W.L. level Potions…but then again, who would want to see that greasy bastard Snape every day? Except Malfoy of course…

With a small grunt (Quite ladylike, thank you very much.) of assent, she picked up a nearby shoe off of the floor and threw it at Lavender's head- oddly enough her friend had never complained about the daily wake-up call.

"I'm going to Breakfast, Lav. Catch up soon, will you?"

"Mmkay Pahvahtee," came the muffled, and slightly sore, reply from under scarlet covers.

Parvarti snorted and made her way out of the room, giving out nod of acknowledgement where they were due.

Harry- nod.

Ron- nod.

Seamus- nod.

Dean- nod.

Ginny- nod.

Finally entering the Great Hall she sighed as more people who merited nods were present. Gods, if only she weren't so popular, her head wouldn't be so very tired at the end of the day. But alas…that was the curse of such legendary beauty.

"Psst- Pehvatri! C'mere!"

Raising one perfectly shaped eyebrow, Parvarti looked down with frustrated amusement at the short Hufflepuff.

"It's Par-Var-Ti." With a sigh and a tossing of her head, she followed him out of the Hall.

"What now, Ernie? Neville's toad eat your Charms essay again? I'm not going to get it for you this-"

"No, no. None of that nonsense. This time it's Malfoy."

Parvarti hissed at the name and ducked into a nearby broom closet, her manicured nails digging into Ernie's arm painfully, "The walls they have ears, Ernie! Speak not the evil name!"

Ernie pouted and nursed the crescent shaped marks in his arms pitifully, "No need for dramatics Par, we've got work to do."

Parvarti rolled her eyes and leaned against the stacked cleaning supplies, frowning at the mention of the alliance between Harry and Malfoy. As he finished speaking and collapsed against a makeshift stool to catch his breath Parvarti straightened, "Well, we'll have to be a bit more effective, now won't we?"

Pushing the door open she threw him one last glance over her shoulder, "Do work on that plan of yours, McMillan."

Ernie snarled and yanked bristles out of his short hair, "My plan? Bribing the bloody wall was her idea! Stupid Gryffindors…"

Lavender stared blankly at the boy in front of her- choppy auburn hair, brown eyes, nervous twitch…

With a horror-filled gasp, she shook him erratically, "Ernie! Are you doing those muggle things? The erm…eh. Drumps, that's it! Ernie, you're on drumps, aren't you?"

Ernie winced and placed a hand placating on her shoulder, "No I'm not on 'drumps', Lavender. I just need your help."

Lavender shrugged and dropped the shorter boy on the floor, "Mmhmm?"

"Um," he stretched out his legs on the floor carefully, wincing at a tell-tale 'crack', "It all started when Hermione asked me for help with Zabini…"

Lavender blinked, "Who?"

Sighing exasperatedly he massaged his temples wearily, "Dark brown hair, sort of curly. Slytherin. Um…" he squinted and tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully, "Drop dead gorgeous?"

"Oh!" Lavender's eyes lit up- finally a subject she could relate to! "That Zabini!"

And so Ernie told her a tale of heroics, of sorcery, or damsel-in-distress's, and of a love so passionate and so obsessive that it simply could not be ignored. One wonders at a time like this, what Ernie was currently high on. However, it was Lavender's personal belief that he had a stash of 'drumps' under his mattress.

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