Chapter 5: Crush
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the related characters. The Harry Potter series is created by J.K. Rowling and owned by Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights of Harry Potter belong to Warner Bros. Pictures. This entire story is a work of fanfiction and is meant for entertainment purposes only. I am not making a profit from this story.
Notes: This chapter is inspired by the song "Crush" by Mandy Moore.
Winter 1996
"You seem more excited about this year's holiday party than usual Pads," Parvati commented as I skipped up the steps of my uncle's house.
Instead of wearing a woolly jumper and black skirt like I normally did each year, I had selected a festive red dress and worn nicer makeup. I wondered if Dev was going to be there.
"Um, I heard that Auntie has bought crackers to open at the end of the night!" I fibbed, ringing the doorbell. Uncle opened the door and ushered me, Parvati and our parents inside.
After saying hello to the other guests in the house who had arrived before us, I went to grab some refreshments. Munching on a cookie, I tried to hide my disappointment that Dev wasn't among the people I had greeted. The cookie was very tasty. I could detect a hint of nutmeg that really enhanced its chocolate flavour.
"So, what do you think?"
I choked a little and whipped my head around. My face brightened upon seeing Dev standing there and looking at me expectantly. He was wearing a forest green button down shirt and black trousers.
"Nutmeg!" I exclaimed, after clearing my throat. Ugh, how embarrassing.
"Wow, you're good. Yes, the secret ingredient I use is nutmeg. Just don't tell anyone," he winked before walking away to sit on one of the empty loveseats. Oh right! He had said he would bring his chocolate chip cookies for me to taste the next time he saw me. My heart warmed a little as I followed him and sat down, intrigued by the rolled up magazine he was holding. It didn't look like one from the wizarding world. The pictures on the outside of it weren't moving.
"Is that a muggle magazine?" I asked.
"Yeah, I like to read them sometimes," he smiled.
"Which muggle magazine genre do you like best?" I asked, curiosity bubbling inside my chest as I leaned closer to inspect it.
"Usually automobiles," he replied, a fond smile tracing his lips while his finger brushed across a page that displayed a Ford locomotive. "Muggle transportation is truly amazing. They're so resourceful and innovative. Vehicles these days are even designed to protect both occupants and pedestrians," he rambled and I smiled at how passionately he spoke about them.
"Sorry, I'm probably boring you" he sheepishly trailed off.
"Not at all. Everyone has a hobby," I enthusiastically reassured him, before losing myself in his gentle voice and intoxicating scent. He glanced up at me and our eyes met. My breath hitched when I tried to inhale.
Dev's irises are hazel, not dark brown like his brother? Has he always smelled this good? I'd never noticed. We hadn't been in such close proximity before. I could feel the warmth radiating off of his body in the cool air of the room.
"Yeah right, we all know what Dev really uses those muggle magazines for!" Vijay announced as he suddenly materialised and plopped down on the sofa cushion beside Dev. I snapped out of my daze and pulled away from Dev, feeling a rush of heat flood my cheeks as I turned towards my cousin.
"What d-does he use them for?" I stuttered, willing my heartbeat to slow down and praying that neither of them noticed my odd behaviour.
A mischievous smirk slowly grew upon Vijay's face and he cockily leaned back and popped a laddu into his mouth before quickly jerking his fist up and down a few inches above the crotch of his trousers.
Feeling mortified, I ducked to hide my burning cheeks and stared at my lap in horror as my mind began conjuring images of Dev pleasuring himself. Late at night, alone in his room, underneath the bed sheets, boxers below his waist, hazel eyes squeezed shut, fervently stroking his…
"Shut up Vijay," Dev muttered and turned back to his magazine with an annoyed expression on his face. Vijay roared with laughter and pulled Dev into an affectionate headlock, causing the magazine to slide off of his lap and fall onto the floor. I used the unexpected commotion Vijay created as an opportunity to quietly slip out of the room and regain my composure.
*/*/*
I escaped to the piano room down the hall and sat on the black bench in front of my uncle's piano.
What was wrong with me? I felt like a Roger Davies-level pervert having these inappropriate thoughts about my cousin's best friend.
I grimaced and began idly playing a Tchaikovsky piece from The Nutcracker to distract myself. Parvati and I used to take lessons before we started school at Hogwarts and despite being out of practice, I could still remember a fair bit of what we learned. Among the magical and muggle composers we studied, Tchaikovsky was my favourite and I even knew a few of his whimsical pieces by heart.
As I played, I glanced up and saw that my aunt and uncle had placed a picture frame with a mini collage of Sarika's engagement photos on top of the piano. Sarika and Shahid were dancing and laughing beneath a gazebo in all the photographs. They looked so happy together and I slowed down to admire each photo.
"You've been looking at those pictures for so long that your tempo dropped, it should be allegro not moderato. What's the matter, are you imagining your own wedding?" a voice interrupted me.
I stopped playing and turned to face a smirking Dev who was standing at the doorway. I did occasionally think about getting engaged and married someday. Weddings were a big life event in our culture. I couldn't help but wonder who I would marry, what I would wear and what would be on the menu.
"Your sixteenth notes are also a little slow. Do you want me to show you how to play them?" Dev asked. I forgot that he used to play piano as well, and continued to take lessons during his summer breaks. He had probably advanced much further than me and my sister in his music lessons.
"Sure," I agreed, my inner Ravenclaw preening at his offer to learn something new. I moved aside on the bench to make room for him to sit next to me. Our forearms brushed together as he settled his fingers on the piano keys.
"There are double the number of eighth notes in one beat. That's four instead of two. Count them as 'one-e-and-a'," Dev explained. Then, he counted and played for me.
"Here's an example of how it sounds in a piece," he added. He closed his eyes in concentration and began to play an unfamiliar classical piece. Wow, he was amazing! I could feel every emotion he poured into the piece.
"Sixteenth notes coming now," he said and smoothly counted them in for me as he played. Once he finished, I began to clap for him and he smiled a bit bashfully.
"Which musician was that?" I asked.
"That was Chopin. He's my favourite classical composer," Dev replied.
"I see. What else do you like to play?" I continued, soaking up as much information about him as I could. I might not see him again until next summer at Sarika's wedding and the thought of it depressed me more than I was willing to admit.
"Mainly classical music, but I do like to make covers of some mainstream songs in my spare time, like music by The Hobgoblins - before Stubby retired. They were a popular band from the 80's and he was their lead singer," Dev explained.
"I know who they are. They still play reruns of their music," I bristled a little at his assumption.
"Well most children don't remember, especially since other bands have become popular since then, like The Weird Sisters and Spellbound…" Dev elaborated but stopped short when he saw the blatant annoyance on my face.
Children?
"Oi! Are you giving free piano lessons to everyone? I want in. Gave them up because scales are a fucking pain in the arse. It's why I haven't touched that thing in years."
Vijay entered the room with Kirin and I abruptly stood up and pushed past them to go to a place I knew I could finally be left alone - the attic.
*/*/*
He thought I was a child. It looks like this was doomed before it even started. I was such a fool.
I discreetly weaved my way through groups of distant relatives and family friends, heading for the attic.
My uncle's house had a semi-finished attic, which contained a couple of shabby couches and a rickety wooden coffee table I used to play gobstones on with my sister. Whenever Parvati and I were misbehaving during a family gathering, my mother would send us there for a time out to think about what we'd done wrong. We spent some time thinking about our actions - and the rest playing around. Right now, I definitely needed some alone time to mull over Dev's words.
I climbed up the ladder and pushed open the trap door, securing it shut behind me. Since we weren't allowed to use magic outside of school grounds, I was unable to cast a Lumos charm in the dark room, so I carefully felt my way around the gobstones table to the sofa to sit down.
I guess I'll have to tell Sue that nothing really came of this before she dove into giving me a play-by-play of Normande's Christmas visit. I sighed and continued to brood.
After about ten minutes of radio silence, I yelped at the sound of the trapdoor re-opening. Pulling my wand out of my pocket, I threateningly aimed it at the intruder. At least we were permitted to use magic outside of school if it was in self-defence!
"Padma, I-whoa easy there Dumbledore's Army! I'm not a Death Eater," Dev laughed, waving his hand to stop me. I sighed in relief and re-pocketed it.
After Umbridge and her stupid Inquisitorial Squad busted the lot of us at the end of fifth year, our parents were immediately owled about our grievous rule breaking. To my complete and utter shock, Mama and Papa were actually proud of us and told everyone about it. Since we had been practising the school curriculum during our D.A. meetings, they interpreted it as an extracurricular club. Go figure…
"What do you want? I'm sure you must have better things to do than hang out with a child," I said bitterly, crossing my arms and sinking back into the sofa cushion.
Dev raised an eyebrow at my remark, then heaved himself over the ledge and closed the trapdoor. He stood up and with a wave of his hand he conjured a few candles to float around the sofa. Although his nonverbal magic was certainly impressive, it only served as a reminder of the great divide in magical ability between him and myself.
While I was distracted by the ease at which he used magic, Dev swiftly joined me on the couch. I squeaked as he wrapped his right arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him into a side hug, enveloping me into his enticing sandalwood and coastal air scent that I had quickly grown to love. Merlin's beard, what is he doing?! What if someone catches us in this compromising position? Unless it doesn't matter to him because I'm just a kid…
The thought of his lacklustre feelings renewed my vigour and I angrily turned my head away, only to be stopped by his gentle fingertips on my chin coaxing me to face him again.
"Come on Pads, what did I do? Tell me or else I won't know," Dev chucked. My heart fluttered at his first use of my nickname and the close proximity of his face to my own.
"It's just that…well…I-I'm not a child anymore," I finished lamely, averting my gaze and trying to calm myself down. The last thing I wanted was to start sweating out of nervousness when I was trying to show him that I was grown up.
"Yeah, I noticed," Dev said quietly and a serious look flickered in his eyes.
"How did you know I was here anyways?" I asked, furrowing my brows.
"I saw you turn the corner after Vijay came in and followed you when we were done talking," he shrugged.
"Are you keeping tabs on me?" I asked incredulously.
"Maybe," he admitted in a low voice that had my heart racing.
"Well anyways, I bet that you even think about getting married sometimes," I said pointedly, bringing us back to the topic of conversation.
"I do and I will. Eventually. With the right girl…at the right time…," Dev smiled with a twinkle in his eye.
I suddenly noticed that his lips were just a few centimetres away from mine now. 'Is he going to…?' I dared to hope. My eyelids started closing and I sat still with bated breath.
But then his warm hazel eyes widened and he abruptly pulled away, clearing his throat. I blinked at him in confusion.
"Um great, glad you're not upset with me anymore. I think they're serving dinner soon. Wanna go downstairs together?" Dev said sheepishly, scratching his head.
The right girl at the right time. I smiled in realisation.
"Sure," I agreed, sitting up and following him.
It looks like I'll have something to tell Sue after all.
Notes: As evidenced by these chapter titles, I'm a big music lover so I had a lot of fun researching wizard rock for Dev and Padma's conversation :)