Ficathon: On Putting Away Books (PP/NL, PP/DT, PP/PW)
Title: On Putting Away Books
Pairings: Padma/Neville, Padma/Dean, Padma/Percy
Rating: PG
Word Count: 912
Summary: Padma’s morning at the library brings something bordering on regret, embarassment and a new possibility
Author's Notes: Written for the rarepair_shorts Chain Reaction SuperChallenge. Thanks to my awesome beta, jtav
Padma weaved her way through the rows and rows of books while maneuvering two stacks of reference books through the narrow openings, occasionally depositing one or two onto the shelves before moving on to the next row.
She’d been working at the Ministry library for a little over a month now and was just beginning to find her way around it. Mornings were normally slow for her, so she chose this time to put away the books that had been checked in the day before by the Ministry’s various departments.
As she walked along, she nearly tripped over a person, only spotting them at the very last second as she turned the corner.
She caught her balance and pulled the books back with the aid of her wand before looking down to see whom she’d almost hit.
“Neville, what are you doing here so early?” she asked as she recognized the man sitting on the floor.
Neville looked up from the Herbology book he was reading through and grinned. “Sorry, I was running a few tests on the bubotubers and decided I should read through a few of the books here to make certain I understood the test results.”
“All right,” Padma said, inwardly glad that the initial awkwardness she’d felt when around him before was no longer there. “I will see you later. Tell Cho I said hello.”
“She told you?” Neville asked her just as she turned away.
“Yes.”
Neville grinned and for just a moment she wasn’t sure if she should clap him on the back and give him a grin of her own or be just a little sad that in their brief six months of dating he’d never once smiled like that when he spoke of her.
“Bye, Padma.”
“Goodbye, Neville.”
Padma moved on through the library, continuing her walk, stopping once more when she saw Dean with a stack of books on art techniques and bringing one’s art to life. She smiled when she saw it because she already had a pretty good idea of what the man was up to. Her birthday was coming up in two days, which meant Parvati’s birthday was coming up in two days.
Padma snuck up behind him easily and peered over his shoulder and then quickly looked away, blushing at what she’d seen. “Sorry, Dean.”
Dean looked behind him to see his girlfriend’s sister turning quite red and then quickly put his hands over the drawing he’d been doing. “Oh, em, sorry, Padma. I didn’t-“
“No, it’s my fault. I’m certain that Parvati will like her…gift. I have to go now.”
“Right, then. See you in a few days. Without the sketch of course.”
“Good. I don’t think my parents would really…and I, me too.”
“Yeah, it was a private gift. I got her a necklace too. It’s more of a public gift.”
Padma nodded. “Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Padma shuddered a little as she continued on her way. The image wouldn’t leave no matter how hard she tried. Perhaps if she could just think of something, anything that wasn’t an illustration of her sister and Dean on a bearskin rug.
“Um, excuse me. Ms. Patil?”
Percy Weasley would do nicely. “Yes,” Padma answered, turning around as she did so. Percy had been coming in to the library every two days for the last few weeks. Often the two would strike up a conversation about the books they were reading. Parvati called it library flirting and told her that she should get him outside of the library if she were interested in him.
She found him attractive, certainly. He was tall and lean with a thin face. The pair of horn-rimmed glasses, always tilted just a little to the left, gave him an air of intelligence, and his mind backed it up. She’d seen him in the halls of Hogwarts, but he was different now. Where once he’d been proud he now seemed different: self-assured certainly, but humble as well. She liked that combination.
“I can see you’re busy, but can you please help me find a book whenever you get a chance?” he asked, looking just a little guilty as he did so.
“Certainly, Mr. Weasley.” Padma placed the books down on an empty table. “I can help you now, if you like. I know that being an Auror trainee is time consuming.”
“It can be,” Percy agreed. “But we do get time off every now and then. We had testing earlier this morning so we have the rest of the day off.”
“Really?”
“Yes, in fact I’m quite unsure of what to do with myself now. It’s been so long since I’ve had a day off that I can’t remember what one does.”
“And you think there will be a book on that subject?”
“Isn’t there?” he asked hoarsely.
“There is, actually. I also am not quite certain what to do with my days off so I checked into it.”
“And?”
“It was checked out three years ago and never returned. It was a first edition and there was never a second printing of the book.”
“How horrible,” he said. “Perhaps you could help me come up with some ideas then.”
“Well, it is rather warm today. Florean Fortescue’s just reopened last week. You could have some ice cream.”
“I don’t really like eating by myself though. Would you like to have ice cream with me?”
Padma did a double take. “I’d be delighted.”
Percy smiled. “Good.”
Pairings: Padma/Neville, Padma/Dean, Padma/Percy
Rating: PG
Word Count: 912
Summary: Padma’s morning at the library brings something bordering on regret, embarassment and a new possibility
Author's Notes: Written for the rarepair_shorts Chain Reaction SuperChallenge. Thanks to my awesome beta, jtav
Padma weaved her way through the rows and rows of books while maneuvering two stacks of reference books through the narrow openings, occasionally depositing one or two onto the shelves before moving on to the next row.
She’d been working at the Ministry library for a little over a month now and was just beginning to find her way around it. Mornings were normally slow for her, so she chose this time to put away the books that had been checked in the day before by the Ministry’s various departments.
As she walked along, she nearly tripped over a person, only spotting them at the very last second as she turned the corner.
She caught her balance and pulled the books back with the aid of her wand before looking down to see whom she’d almost hit.
“Neville, what are you doing here so early?” she asked as she recognized the man sitting on the floor.
Neville looked up from the Herbology book he was reading through and grinned. “Sorry, I was running a few tests on the bubotubers and decided I should read through a few of the books here to make certain I understood the test results.”
“All right,” Padma said, inwardly glad that the initial awkwardness she’d felt when around him before was no longer there. “I will see you later. Tell Cho I said hello.”
“She told you?” Neville asked her just as she turned away.
“Yes.”
Neville grinned and for just a moment she wasn’t sure if she should clap him on the back and give him a grin of her own or be just a little sad that in their brief six months of dating he’d never once smiled like that when he spoke of her.
“Bye, Padma.”
“Goodbye, Neville.”
Padma moved on through the library, continuing her walk, stopping once more when she saw Dean with a stack of books on art techniques and bringing one’s art to life. She smiled when she saw it because she already had a pretty good idea of what the man was up to. Her birthday was coming up in two days, which meant Parvati’s birthday was coming up in two days.
Padma snuck up behind him easily and peered over his shoulder and then quickly looked away, blushing at what she’d seen. “Sorry, Dean.”
Dean looked behind him to see his girlfriend’s sister turning quite red and then quickly put his hands over the drawing he’d been doing. “Oh, em, sorry, Padma. I didn’t-“
“No, it’s my fault. I’m certain that Parvati will like her…gift. I have to go now.”
“Right, then. See you in a few days. Without the sketch of course.”
“Good. I don’t think my parents would really…and I, me too.”
“Yeah, it was a private gift. I got her a necklace too. It’s more of a public gift.”
Padma nodded. “Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Padma shuddered a little as she continued on her way. The image wouldn’t leave no matter how hard she tried. Perhaps if she could just think of something, anything that wasn’t an illustration of her sister and Dean on a bearskin rug.
“Um, excuse me. Ms. Patil?”
Percy Weasley would do nicely. “Yes,” Padma answered, turning around as she did so. Percy had been coming in to the library every two days for the last few weeks. Often the two would strike up a conversation about the books they were reading. Parvati called it library flirting and told her that she should get him outside of the library if she were interested in him.
She found him attractive, certainly. He was tall and lean with a thin face. The pair of horn-rimmed glasses, always tilted just a little to the left, gave him an air of intelligence, and his mind backed it up. She’d seen him in the halls of Hogwarts, but he was different now. Where once he’d been proud he now seemed different: self-assured certainly, but humble as well. She liked that combination.
“I can see you’re busy, but can you please help me find a book whenever you get a chance?” he asked, looking just a little guilty as he did so.
“Certainly, Mr. Weasley.” Padma placed the books down on an empty table. “I can help you now, if you like. I know that being an Auror trainee is time consuming.”
“It can be,” Percy agreed. “But we do get time off every now and then. We had testing earlier this morning so we have the rest of the day off.”
“Really?”
“Yes, in fact I’m quite unsure of what to do with myself now. It’s been so long since I’ve had a day off that I can’t remember what one does.”
“And you think there will be a book on that subject?”
“Isn’t there?” he asked hoarsely.
“There is, actually. I also am not quite certain what to do with my days off so I checked into it.”
“And?”
“It was checked out three years ago and never returned. It was a first edition and there was never a second printing of the book.”
“How horrible,” he said. “Perhaps you could help me come up with some ideas then.”
“Well, it is rather warm today. Florean Fortescue’s just reopened last week. You could have some ice cream.”
“I don’t really like eating by myself though. Would you like to have ice cream with me?”
Padma did a double take. “I’d be delighted.”
Percy smiled. “Good.”