Seems Like Years
Title: Seems Like Years
Character Pairing: Justin/Padma
Prompt: The horizon is near
Rating: G
Word Count: Word Processor says 884
Summary: At first, Padma turned down the invitation from Hannah and Susan to their Dumbledore’s Army Reunion New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Non-Gala Gathering.
Author's Notes: Title taken from this song. Also, as a happy disclaimer, nothing is mine.
Link to Prompt Table: Table.
New Year’s Eve was proving to be more fun that the young Indian had expected it to be, even if all she was doing was watching everyone from her spot by the punchbowl and silently appreciating the decorations around the small house.
Last New Year, Padma had spent the entire evening running around the fourth floor after a handful of Aurors had gone on a raid of Malfoy Manor; an undercover Auror caught young Draco trying to sell some dark artifacts in Knockturn Alley. This led to a scuffle and a rapid exchange of curses that, when combined, produced unpleasant results. Needless to say, the Malfoys were now quite officially finished dabbling in the Dark Arts.
To her dismay, Draco ended up being one of her patients and she ended up silently casting Silencio on the blonde while she treated him. She was devastated when the Healer-in-Charge made her lift the spell after she was through with him.
Her training at St Mungo’s was finally finished and just last week she had received the results from her board exams, all of which were Outstanding. It felt like the perfect ending to a busy, tiring year.
At first, Padma turned down the invitation from Hannah and Susan to their Dumbledore’s Army Reunion New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Non-Gala Gathering. She wanted a more relaxing evening, perhaps with some flatbread and a crossword puzzle and maybe some ice cream.
Her twin would not allow this and sent a howler. “PADMA, YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME WORKING, AND YOU JUST BROKE UP WITH AMAR, YOU NEED TO GET OUT MORE AND I’M COMING OVER TO GET YOU IN AN HOUR! YOU BETTER BE READY!”
Padma was glad she went, even though seeing all of her old schoolmates brought on a lonely nostalgia. She told herself that she would try harder to keep in touch (if only to make herself feel less like a workaholic and to give herself a false sense of a social life).
Suddenly a pair of arms were around her waist and Padma was hoisted into the air. “Terry, I was holding a drink!” she protested, knowing he was the only person who would dare manhandle her in such a way.
“Hello!” he replied as he ignored her stern stare.
“That was unnecessary,” she told him, but she offered her best friend a warm smile nonetheless.
“Still antisocial, I see,” Terry remarked, to which Padma shrugged and finished her punch, then filled him in on the various goings on in her life until he left to talk to Anthony.
Padma sighed and checked her watch; it was nearly midnight and she wasn’t in the mood to watch people snog once both hands reached the twelve. She tossed her cup into the nearest rubbish bin and sneaked toward the front door, but there was someone in her way.
“Excuse me, er…” Padma began and reached up to tap the tall man’s shoulder. “I just- I need to slip past, please.”
Padma blushed apologetically up at Justin Finch-Fletchley. “Sorry,” he said with a friendly smile, but then paused. “Are you leaving already? It’s not even next year yet.”
Padma shrugged and explained that she was going to head outside for some fresh air until all the snogging was over with.
“You’re just going to stand outside by yourself for the next fifteen minutes or so?” Justin asked, and Padma privately wondered if people really were going to snog for that long in here.
“I suppose,” she answered, “and crowds bother me anyway, I need a break.”
“Hold on,” Justin said and Padma tapped her foot impatiently. All she wanted was to step outside, she didn’t need anyone to interrogate her about it. Justin excused himself from his conversation with Susan, and when he nodded his head toward the front door, she fetched her cloak and followed him outside, frowning briefly at the sprig of mistletoe strategically placed over it.
“What are you doing?” Padma asked after a minute of silence passed between them.
Justin shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“You’re not obligated to keep me company or anything-”
“I know,” he interjected, and Padma fell silent again, wondering why she had never noticed how good-looking he was.
It was strange when they suddenly fell into conversation, first about their careers, then hobbies, followed by favourite things. It was long past midnight and by now both had rosy cheeks from the sharp winter air.
“It’s because you’re so short, people can’t resist picking you up.”
“I am not,” Padma argued, and he tried not to laugh at her pout. “You have a big nose.”
“Yours is just small,” he said. “Stop insulting my nose.”
“I never said it was a bad thing-”
“You implied it-”
“No-”
“Yes-”
“No,” Justin said, then pointed at the horizon. “Look, it’s sunup already.”
Padma followed his gaze and smiled up at him. “Would you look at that,” she said and stared at the warm glow just peeking up. “We should probably head back in.”
Nodding his agreement, Justin followed her and just as he opened the door for her, he captured her hand and dropped a quick kiss on her knuckles.
“What-” Padma stuttered with a deep blush.
“We didn’t kiss anyone at midnight,” Justin explained and shuffled her inside.
Character Pairing: Justin/Padma
Prompt: The horizon is near
Rating: G
Word Count: Word Processor says 884
Summary: At first, Padma turned down the invitation from Hannah and Susan to their Dumbledore’s Army Reunion New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Non-Gala Gathering.
Author's Notes: Title taken from this song. Also, as a happy disclaimer, nothing is mine.
Link to Prompt Table: Table.
New Year’s Eve was proving to be more fun that the young Indian had expected it to be, even if all she was doing was watching everyone from her spot by the punchbowl and silently appreciating the decorations around the small house.
Last New Year, Padma had spent the entire evening running around the fourth floor after a handful of Aurors had gone on a raid of Malfoy Manor; an undercover Auror caught young Draco trying to sell some dark artifacts in Knockturn Alley. This led to a scuffle and a rapid exchange of curses that, when combined, produced unpleasant results. Needless to say, the Malfoys were now quite officially finished dabbling in the Dark Arts.
To her dismay, Draco ended up being one of her patients and she ended up silently casting Silencio on the blonde while she treated him. She was devastated when the Healer-in-Charge made her lift the spell after she was through with him.
Her training at St Mungo’s was finally finished and just last week she had received the results from her board exams, all of which were Outstanding. It felt like the perfect ending to a busy, tiring year.
At first, Padma turned down the invitation from Hannah and Susan to their Dumbledore’s Army Reunion New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Non-Gala Gathering. She wanted a more relaxing evening, perhaps with some flatbread and a crossword puzzle and maybe some ice cream.
Her twin would not allow this and sent a howler. “PADMA, YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME WORKING, AND YOU JUST BROKE UP WITH AMAR, YOU NEED TO GET OUT MORE AND I’M COMING OVER TO GET YOU IN AN HOUR! YOU BETTER BE READY!”
Padma was glad she went, even though seeing all of her old schoolmates brought on a lonely nostalgia. She told herself that she would try harder to keep in touch (if only to make herself feel less like a workaholic and to give herself a false sense of a social life).
Suddenly a pair of arms were around her waist and Padma was hoisted into the air. “Terry, I was holding a drink!” she protested, knowing he was the only person who would dare manhandle her in such a way.
“Hello!” he replied as he ignored her stern stare.
“That was unnecessary,” she told him, but she offered her best friend a warm smile nonetheless.
“Still antisocial, I see,” Terry remarked, to which Padma shrugged and finished her punch, then filled him in on the various goings on in her life until he left to talk to Anthony.
Padma sighed and checked her watch; it was nearly midnight and she wasn’t in the mood to watch people snog once both hands reached the twelve. She tossed her cup into the nearest rubbish bin and sneaked toward the front door, but there was someone in her way.
“Excuse me, er…” Padma began and reached up to tap the tall man’s shoulder. “I just- I need to slip past, please.”
Padma blushed apologetically up at Justin Finch-Fletchley. “Sorry,” he said with a friendly smile, but then paused. “Are you leaving already? It’s not even next year yet.”
Padma shrugged and explained that she was going to head outside for some fresh air until all the snogging was over with.
“You’re just going to stand outside by yourself for the next fifteen minutes or so?” Justin asked, and Padma privately wondered if people really were going to snog for that long in here.
“I suppose,” she answered, “and crowds bother me anyway, I need a break.”
“Hold on,” Justin said and Padma tapped her foot impatiently. All she wanted was to step outside, she didn’t need anyone to interrogate her about it. Justin excused himself from his conversation with Susan, and when he nodded his head toward the front door, she fetched her cloak and followed him outside, frowning briefly at the sprig of mistletoe strategically placed over it.
“What are you doing?” Padma asked after a minute of silence passed between them.
Justin shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“You’re not obligated to keep me company or anything-”
“I know,” he interjected, and Padma fell silent again, wondering why she had never noticed how good-looking he was.
It was strange when they suddenly fell into conversation, first about their careers, then hobbies, followed by favourite things. It was long past midnight and by now both had rosy cheeks from the sharp winter air.
“It’s because you’re so short, people can’t resist picking you up.”
“I am not,” Padma argued, and he tried not to laugh at her pout. “You have a big nose.”
“Yours is just small,” he said. “Stop insulting my nose.”
“I never said it was a bad thing-”
“You implied it-”
“No-”
“Yes-”
“No,” Justin said, then pointed at the horizon. “Look, it’s sunup already.”
Padma followed his gaze and smiled up at him. “Would you look at that,” she said and stared at the warm glow just peeking up. “We should probably head back in.”
Nodding his agreement, Justin followed her and just as he opened the door for her, he captured her hand and dropped a quick kiss on her knuckles.
“What-” Padma stuttered with a deep blush.
“We didn’t kiss anyone at midnight,” Justin explained and shuffled her inside.