Ficlet: In Her Laughter (no challenge)
Title: In Her Laughter
Summary: In which Ernie Macmillan finds his expectations shattered. Written for rarepair_shorts.
Characters/Pairings: Ernie Macmillan/Parvati Patil
Genre: Romance
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: G, no warnings.
Medium: Ficlet
Word Count: 830
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: No, thanks.
Ernie sighed and ruffled his hair. "Might I have a word with you?" he asked, putting his politest smile on, and leaning over the table in what he hoped would be a friendly manner.
She looked at him as though she had no idea as to who he even was. "Okay," she said eventually, with a shrug. "Sit down."
Ernie did so, taking the chair across from her. He looked directly into her eyes; she was smiling slightly, with her lips pursed, and he had the feeling she was trying not to laugh. That irritated him; he sat up straight and tall in his seat. "I was just hoping we might be able to review our Prefect duties together. You know, inter-house relations are more important now than ever, especially with that dratted Inquisitorial Squad to be dealing with. We might pool our resources and be able to better serve the younger students. Best to be looking out for them in these troubled times, am I right?"
She laughed, putting her hand over her mouth and giggling with a playful mirth that both repulsed and fascinated him. Ernie Macmillan was not very fond of being laughed at, but she had a way of making it seem so much less than harsh; she made it seem almost friendly. "You're not very observant, are you?" she asked. She pointed to her chest, an area Ernie had not been looking at at all, out of respect for a lady. Pinned to her robe was a Gryffindor badge.
Ernie felt a deep-seated embarrassment and shame overtake him; he deflated slightly and felt his cheeks heating up. "Yes, well, forgive me, Parvati," he said quickly, flustered. "I must admit I have a lot on my mind."
"It's all right," Parvati replied, and her grin was open and friendly. "It tends to happen more than it should. I'm not sure where my sister is at the moment, but I'm sure she'd be happy to 'pool her resources' with you." She laughed again, and threw Ernie a knowing look that made his stomach clench briefly.
"That's just," he said, and felt the words leave him for probably the first time in his life. Ernie wasn't used to having nothing to day. He could only nod awkwardly and take his leave, bowing slightly before he went, as it was his custom to appear the perfect gentleman always.
*****
Afterward, he wasn't sure how he'd ever confused the two siblings, for Padma couldn't have been more different from her sister. Oh, they looked alike, of course (Ernie felt embarrassed again, briefly, at the thought), and they wore similar hair styles and jewelry. But Padma's laughter wasn't nearly as joyful and exciting as Parvati's, and despite her enthusiasm for discussing Prefect duties, Ernie didn't feel quite as drawn to her as he'd once imagined he would. There was just something missing in the seriousness of her expression, in the way she looked at him. She looked at him as an associate and fellow Prefect, and nothing more.
Padma was a perfectly nice girl, exactly the sort of person Ernie had always imagined he'd marry someday, someone serious and intelligent and proper. But there was just something missing.
"Ernie, are you even listening?" Padma asked, sounding irritated, and Ernie felt guilty for nodding his head.
*****
"Might I have a word with you?" Ernie asked, ruffling his hair and leaning over the table in what he hoped to be a friendly manner.
Parvati gave him an odd look. "Not this again," she said.
Ernie smiled at her. "I assure you, I'm aware of your identity, Parvati. I wished to ask you for a favor."
Her smile was open and friendly, and it made his heart beat faster in his chest. Parvati looked at him as a friend might look upon a friend, or perhaps even more than that. "Okay," she said. "Sit down."
He did, taking the seat across from her, and basking briefly in the glow of her presence, in the glow of her something, the sort of something that was missing in her sister. "I would be honored to accompany you to Hogsmeade next weekend," Ernie said, puffing his chest out with pride and hope.
Parvati laughed, but it was not a mocking laughter; it was a laugh of joy and pleasure. "Sure," she said. "That might be fun. But what about my sister?"
Ernie shook his head. "Padma is quite intelligent and makes for an admirable Ravenclaw Prefect," he said. "But there was simply something missing from our interactions."
"Ah," said Parvati, shaking her head so that her earrings glittered. "And you hoped I might provide that for you." She was grinning.
"You are providing it in spades already," Ernie replied.
He found himself questioning his sanity, for straying so far from the Macmillan dream of a quiet home with a quiet wife. But then Parvati laughed again, and he wondered how he could have ever wished for anything else.
Crystal/Hufflepuff/28 Points
Summary: In which Ernie Macmillan finds his expectations shattered. Written for rarepair_shorts.
Characters/Pairings: Ernie Macmillan/Parvati Patil
Genre: Romance
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: G, no warnings.
Medium: Ficlet
Word Count: 830
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: No, thanks.
Ernie sighed and ruffled his hair. "Might I have a word with you?" he asked, putting his politest smile on, and leaning over the table in what he hoped would be a friendly manner.
She looked at him as though she had no idea as to who he even was. "Okay," she said eventually, with a shrug. "Sit down."
Ernie did so, taking the chair across from her. He looked directly into her eyes; she was smiling slightly, with her lips pursed, and he had the feeling she was trying not to laugh. That irritated him; he sat up straight and tall in his seat. "I was just hoping we might be able to review our Prefect duties together. You know, inter-house relations are more important now than ever, especially with that dratted Inquisitorial Squad to be dealing with. We might pool our resources and be able to better serve the younger students. Best to be looking out for them in these troubled times, am I right?"
She laughed, putting her hand over her mouth and giggling with a playful mirth that both repulsed and fascinated him. Ernie Macmillan was not very fond of being laughed at, but she had a way of making it seem so much less than harsh; she made it seem almost friendly. "You're not very observant, are you?" she asked. She pointed to her chest, an area Ernie had not been looking at at all, out of respect for a lady. Pinned to her robe was a Gryffindor badge.
Ernie felt a deep-seated embarrassment and shame overtake him; he deflated slightly and felt his cheeks heating up. "Yes, well, forgive me, Parvati," he said quickly, flustered. "I must admit I have a lot on my mind."
"It's all right," Parvati replied, and her grin was open and friendly. "It tends to happen more than it should. I'm not sure where my sister is at the moment, but I'm sure she'd be happy to 'pool her resources' with you." She laughed again, and threw Ernie a knowing look that made his stomach clench briefly.
"That's just," he said, and felt the words leave him for probably the first time in his life. Ernie wasn't used to having nothing to day. He could only nod awkwardly and take his leave, bowing slightly before he went, as it was his custom to appear the perfect gentleman always.
*****
Afterward, he wasn't sure how he'd ever confused the two siblings, for Padma couldn't have been more different from her sister. Oh, they looked alike, of course (Ernie felt embarrassed again, briefly, at the thought), and they wore similar hair styles and jewelry. But Padma's laughter wasn't nearly as joyful and exciting as Parvati's, and despite her enthusiasm for discussing Prefect duties, Ernie didn't feel quite as drawn to her as he'd once imagined he would. There was just something missing in the seriousness of her expression, in the way she looked at him. She looked at him as an associate and fellow Prefect, and nothing more.
Padma was a perfectly nice girl, exactly the sort of person Ernie had always imagined he'd marry someday, someone serious and intelligent and proper. But there was just something missing.
"Ernie, are you even listening?" Padma asked, sounding irritated, and Ernie felt guilty for nodding his head.
*****
"Might I have a word with you?" Ernie asked, ruffling his hair and leaning over the table in what he hoped to be a friendly manner.
Parvati gave him an odd look. "Not this again," she said.
Ernie smiled at her. "I assure you, I'm aware of your identity, Parvati. I wished to ask you for a favor."
Her smile was open and friendly, and it made his heart beat faster in his chest. Parvati looked at him as a friend might look upon a friend, or perhaps even more than that. "Okay," she said. "Sit down."
He did, taking the seat across from her, and basking briefly in the glow of her presence, in the glow of her something, the sort of something that was missing in her sister. "I would be honored to accompany you to Hogsmeade next weekend," Ernie said, puffing his chest out with pride and hope.
Parvati laughed, but it was not a mocking laughter; it was a laugh of joy and pleasure. "Sure," she said. "That might be fun. But what about my sister?"
Ernie shook his head. "Padma is quite intelligent and makes for an admirable Ravenclaw Prefect," he said. "But there was simply something missing from our interactions."
"Ah," said Parvati, shaking her head so that her earrings glittered. "And you hoped I might provide that for you." She was grinning.
"You are providing it in spades already," Ernie replied.
He found himself questioning his sanity, for straying so far from the Macmillan dream of a quiet home with a quiet wife. But then Parvati laughed again, and he wondered how he could have ever wished for anything else.
Crystal/Hufflepuff/28 Points