Gold, Silver, Bronze
A Little Bit of Christmas
Title: Gold, Silver, Bronza: December 4th
Author: Bizarity
Pairing: Padma/Anthony
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1306
Summary: Padma and Anthony have a very special prefect duty to do.
Warnings: None
Notes: Part of my own self-imposed "A little bit of Christmas" challenge.
Miss Patil,
Please report outside the Ravenclaw Common Room at midnight tonight for a special prefect duty. Please be discreet.
Professor Flitwick.
Padma refolded the note, slipping it into a pocket of her robes. She frowned slightly, wondering what kind of prefect duty would start so late at night. Fortunately, she was ahead on her work and could afford to have a nap after dinner. She set an alarm to wake her at 11.30 and settled between her covers.
When she woke up it took her a few moments to remember why she had set her alarm to go off in the middle of the night. Once the sleep had cleared she got up and got dressed quietly, trying not to wake anyone. She walked down the stairs and through the door of the common room where Professor Flitwick was waiting for her. There was someone with him but she couldn't make out who it was in the darkness.
"Good evening, Professor. I'm not late, am I?" Her eyes still hadn't adjusted but she realised that it must be Anthony standing there, who else would be with her for prefect duty? She smiled at him and then felt stupid, knowing he wouldn't have been able to see it. They knew each other quite well but rarely got to spend much time together.
"Good evening, Miss Patil. Right on time, as always. Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Padma's eyes were adjusting now but she still couldn't see well enough to read the expression on Professor Flitwick's face. "Now, you know that every year all the house common rooms are decorated for Christmas. Who do you think does it?" Padma blinked, she'd never thought about how the decorations appeared. They just always did.
"I... I've never thought," she admitted.
"Deplorable lack of curiosity!" Professor Flitwick laughed before turning to Anthony.
"I always though the house-elves did it, sir." Of course Anthony would have an answer. "I wanted to check, but thought it might ruin the fun."
"Good boy! Not for being right, because you aren't, but for guessing. No, it's not the house-elves. It's you. The sixth year prefects." He stepped aside to reveal a massive cardboard box. "Last year, you may remember, they went for the house colours but you can change the decorations to any colours you like. A simple colour charm will do it. You don't need me to refresh your memories, do you?"
"No, sir," Anthony and Padma replied in unison. Flitwick levitated the box through the portrait hole and lit a few candles. They provided just enough light for Padma to notice that two miniature Christmas trees had been placed either side of the entrance. As he left he cast a powerful silencing spell around the room so that they wouldn't wake anyone up.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Padma could make out the blurred shape of Anthony beside the box, leaning to look into it.
"Very. I love decorating for Christmas. What colours do you think we should have?" She smiled at his back, waiting for a reply. "I thought the blue and bronze looked nice last year, but maybe we should do something different," she continued when he made no move to answer her. He was pulling things out of the box. Padma saw what looked like a smaller basket full of ornaments, probably for the tree.
"We don't have to use everything," offered Anthony, who was still crouched by the box.
"No, I don't remember seeing those wreaths last year. Maybe we should do gold and silver, that would be nice." Anthony finally stood up, a set of glowing lights in his hand. "Oh, those would look lovely around the fireplace. Or, actually, maybe not there. The light from the fire would probably make them a bit pointless. Are there enough to go across the walls there?" She gestured to the walls without windows. Anthony raised his arm to show that there was plenty of lights still in the box. The lights cast a faint light across his body and Padma took the opportunity to watch him. She'd realised long ago that he was attractive but she liked to confirm it every now and then.
While Anthony strung up the lights Padma summoned one of the candles over to the trees and started wrapping gold and silver beads around them. She kept looking over at Anthony whose t-shirt lifted up every time he reached upwards.
"So, looking forward to Christmas?" She finished with the beads and moved on to the baubles, casting the colour changing charm on each of them before deciding where to place it on the tree.
"Er, yeah," replied Anthony. He finished with the lights and moved back to the box, pulling out the wreaths Padma had mentioned. She watched as he walked around the room, distributing them at equal intervals. She approved of the symmetry.
"That looks good." She looked at the trees and reached over to remove some of the plain baubles. She replaced them with star-shaped ones. "Uh, they're still blue though." He nodded, made a complicated wand movement and Padma watched as one by one the wreaths turned gold and silver. They continued decorating by candlelight. Padma finished with the trees and started adding enchanted snow to the windowsills. Finally, Padma was standing in the middle of the room and the box was nearly empty.
"Is it too much?" Anthony was behind her.
"I think it might be. What shall we get rid of?" She looked around then pointed at the bookshelves. "I think if we get rid of that tinsel and move the stocking over to the fireplace it will be all right." Anthony quickly moved to do what she'd suggested.
"Yeah, I think that's better. Don't you?"
"Yes. You're good at this." She knew he couldn't see her blushing but she smiled at him anyway.
"Well, if we're done I think I'll go to bed. Good night, Anthony." She waited for a reply but none came so she went up the stairs to her room, wondering why he didn't like her. She worried, as she settled into bed, whether he just found her really annoying. She did always try to fill the silence between them when they were together. She kept thinking until she fell asleep, tired and warm but confused.
The next morning Padma was woken up by Mandy Brocklehurst asking her to return a book she had borrowed. Since she was awake she decided to go down to breakfast with the girls. She was at the back of the group and smiled when she heard them all break into sounds of delight as the walked out into the common room. She had to admit it looked pretty amazing, the sun poured in through the east window and fell on the metallic decorations. They all glinted and shone, casting reflections all across the room. None of them wondered who did it, at least not out loud but Padma wouldn't have enlightened them even if they had.
On their way out she almost bumped into Anthony. She let her friends go on ahead to smile at him.
"Beautiful, isn't it? They all love it."
"Perfect." He smiled down at her then gestured upwards. Padma tilted her head back and saw a cluster of white berries and green leaves. Mistletoe. She was about to say something when Anthony was bending down to her. He kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Padma."
"That wasn't there when I went up to bed." She looked up at him, still confused.
"Uh. No. I put it there. So that I could do that. 'Cause, you know," he trailed off. Padma leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, glad she finally had some idea how he felt.
Title: Gold, Silver, Bronza: December 4th
Author: Bizarity
Pairing: Padma/Anthony
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1306
Summary: Padma and Anthony have a very special prefect duty to do.
Warnings: None
Notes: Part of my own self-imposed "A little bit of Christmas" challenge.
Miss Patil,
Please report outside the Ravenclaw Common Room at midnight tonight for a special prefect duty. Please be discreet.
Professor Flitwick.
Padma refolded the note, slipping it into a pocket of her robes. She frowned slightly, wondering what kind of prefect duty would start so late at night. Fortunately, she was ahead on her work and could afford to have a nap after dinner. She set an alarm to wake her at 11.30 and settled between her covers.
When she woke up it took her a few moments to remember why she had set her alarm to go off in the middle of the night. Once the sleep had cleared she got up and got dressed quietly, trying not to wake anyone. She walked down the stairs and through the door of the common room where Professor Flitwick was waiting for her. There was someone with him but she couldn't make out who it was in the darkness.
"Good evening, Professor. I'm not late, am I?" Her eyes still hadn't adjusted but she realised that it must be Anthony standing there, who else would be with her for prefect duty? She smiled at him and then felt stupid, knowing he wouldn't have been able to see it. They knew each other quite well but rarely got to spend much time together.
"Good evening, Miss Patil. Right on time, as always. Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Padma's eyes were adjusting now but she still couldn't see well enough to read the expression on Professor Flitwick's face. "Now, you know that every year all the house common rooms are decorated for Christmas. Who do you think does it?" Padma blinked, she'd never thought about how the decorations appeared. They just always did.
"I... I've never thought," she admitted.
"Deplorable lack of curiosity!" Professor Flitwick laughed before turning to Anthony.
"I always though the house-elves did it, sir." Of course Anthony would have an answer. "I wanted to check, but thought it might ruin the fun."
"Good boy! Not for being right, because you aren't, but for guessing. No, it's not the house-elves. It's you. The sixth year prefects." He stepped aside to reveal a massive cardboard box. "Last year, you may remember, they went for the house colours but you can change the decorations to any colours you like. A simple colour charm will do it. You don't need me to refresh your memories, do you?"
"No, sir," Anthony and Padma replied in unison. Flitwick levitated the box through the portrait hole and lit a few candles. They provided just enough light for Padma to notice that two miniature Christmas trees had been placed either side of the entrance. As he left he cast a powerful silencing spell around the room so that they wouldn't wake anyone up.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Padma could make out the blurred shape of Anthony beside the box, leaning to look into it.
"Very. I love decorating for Christmas. What colours do you think we should have?" She smiled at his back, waiting for a reply. "I thought the blue and bronze looked nice last year, but maybe we should do something different," she continued when he made no move to answer her. He was pulling things out of the box. Padma saw what looked like a smaller basket full of ornaments, probably for the tree.
"We don't have to use everything," offered Anthony, who was still crouched by the box.
"No, I don't remember seeing those wreaths last year. Maybe we should do gold and silver, that would be nice." Anthony finally stood up, a set of glowing lights in his hand. "Oh, those would look lovely around the fireplace. Or, actually, maybe not there. The light from the fire would probably make them a bit pointless. Are there enough to go across the walls there?" She gestured to the walls without windows. Anthony raised his arm to show that there was plenty of lights still in the box. The lights cast a faint light across his body and Padma took the opportunity to watch him. She'd realised long ago that he was attractive but she liked to confirm it every now and then.
While Anthony strung up the lights Padma summoned one of the candles over to the trees and started wrapping gold and silver beads around them. She kept looking over at Anthony whose t-shirt lifted up every time he reached upwards.
"So, looking forward to Christmas?" She finished with the beads and moved on to the baubles, casting the colour changing charm on each of them before deciding where to place it on the tree.
"Er, yeah," replied Anthony. He finished with the lights and moved back to the box, pulling out the wreaths Padma had mentioned. She watched as he walked around the room, distributing them at equal intervals. She approved of the symmetry.
"That looks good." She looked at the trees and reached over to remove some of the plain baubles. She replaced them with star-shaped ones. "Uh, they're still blue though." He nodded, made a complicated wand movement and Padma watched as one by one the wreaths turned gold and silver. They continued decorating by candlelight. Padma finished with the trees and started adding enchanted snow to the windowsills. Finally, Padma was standing in the middle of the room and the box was nearly empty.
"Is it too much?" Anthony was behind her.
"I think it might be. What shall we get rid of?" She looked around then pointed at the bookshelves. "I think if we get rid of that tinsel and move the stocking over to the fireplace it will be all right." Anthony quickly moved to do what she'd suggested.
"Yeah, I think that's better. Don't you?"
"Yes. You're good at this." She knew he couldn't see her blushing but she smiled at him anyway.
"Well, if we're done I think I'll go to bed. Good night, Anthony." She waited for a reply but none came so she went up the stairs to her room, wondering why he didn't like her. She worried, as she settled into bed, whether he just found her really annoying. She did always try to fill the silence between them when they were together. She kept thinking until she fell asleep, tired and warm but confused.
The next morning Padma was woken up by Mandy Brocklehurst asking her to return a book she had borrowed. Since she was awake she decided to go down to breakfast with the girls. She was at the back of the group and smiled when she heard them all break into sounds of delight as the walked out into the common room. She had to admit it looked pretty amazing, the sun poured in through the east window and fell on the metallic decorations. They all glinted and shone, casting reflections all across the room. None of them wondered who did it, at least not out loud but Padma wouldn't have enlightened them even if they had.
On their way out she almost bumped into Anthony. She let her friends go on ahead to smile at him.
"Beautiful, isn't it? They all love it."
"Perfect." He smiled down at her then gestured upwards. Padma tilted her head back and saw a cluster of white berries and green leaves. Mistletoe. She was about to say something when Anthony was bending down to her. He kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Padma."
"That wasn't there when I went up to bed." She looked up at him, still confused.
"Uh. No. I put it there. So that I could do that. 'Cause, you know," he trailed off. Padma leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, glad she finally had some idea how he felt.