A Matter of Propriety
Seven: Gravity
"I'll bet you can't go an entire day in the muggle world," She challenged one lazy evening as all topics of conversation died away, leaving the two of them without much to do. Glasses of wine lay abandoned upon the table in front of them in the little wizarding pub, quickly picked up by the waitress when she came through. Padma was smirking, watching Theo, the challenge clear in her face.
"You do, huh?" He replied with lazy confidence.
"Oh I do," She laughed. Of course, she knew he would take the bait that lay before him, if only to prove her wrong in this statement.
A date and time were set and, shaking upon it, the two parted, meeting again in the early morning on the aforementioned time and date. It was a chilly day and a bit overcast but both seemed in high enough spirits. It was almost Christmas in London and all over the place there were little bits of cheer and lights all across town. When he got cold, he tried to discreetly place a warming charm over them. Padma, however, stilled his hand.
"Didn't I mention that today was magic free?" Oh, he wanted to wipe that innocent (and slightly cheeky) smile off her face. Yet, he'd agreed to it and, following along after her, made good of the day. They went through museums, walked in the cold to see different monuments, spent the afternoon in an all too crowded pub, and rode public transportation.
They sat together on the tube (Theo was quite tired of hearing the voice telling him to mind the gap at every single stop they made) when he finally asked the question he'd been burning to ask the entire day. "How in Merlin's name do you know how to work all this muggle stuff?" He had to lean in close to speak to her and to be heard, something he found he didn't mind too much. He could smell a linger jasmine perfume just behind her ear and it was particularly pleasing to the senses after being trapped on the tube with tourists and Londoners alike that didn't always smell particularly nice to Theo. Padma, once again, was a breath of fresh air to him, another peculiar thing he had taken note of. "You're from a bloodline that gives you privileges to magic and yet you're here riding the tube and spending your day without magic."
Padma gave a little laugh. "Curiosity, of course," She replied easily, flicking a strand of black hair away from her face, leaning in close to him so she, in turn, could be heard. Her breath tickled his neck and it sent a small shiver down his spine. "I mean, there's a whole world outside of the one I grew up in. My sister may be content to remain there, but I wanted to see things…to know things." A small shrug. "Besides, you have to admit, today was fun, wasn't it?"
Theo gave a noncommittal shrug and they rode on in silence. Padma had closed her eyes and leaned herself up against the clear plastic that separated her seat from the entryway to the tube. All it took was one good jolt and a little bit of gravity for her head to loll to the other side. Her cheek pressed gently to his shoulder, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Theo stiffened only slightly, holding his breath as he wondered if she would come awake again and come to her senses and move away from him with a muttered apology. But none of these things happened as she remained exactly where she was.
It shouldn't have meant anything, Theo reminded himself as he tried to still his heartbeat, which thudded in his heart. Yet, somehow, he knew it did mean something as he gently shifted, resting his arm on the back of her seat and, by proxy, fingers brushing against her shoulder.
It was then that Theo could finally admit today had been a very good day indeed.