Moments of "Time"

Eight story. The lights go down.

I know, you're waiting so close to me,

But how will you ever see as time rolls away,

Lonely, but trying to be so proud,

And just as I turn around, the lights go down...

- Electric Light Orchestra, "The lights go down".

I look back on it all and think how it happened... So swift, so sudden, yet so... so... interesting. Unusual. For us, Ravenclaws, anything out of the ordinary is an interesting object to be studied, be it some complex spell or some emotion. Speaking of emotions - don't trust anyone if they tell you that loving a girl and loving a guy is the same. Never, ever trust those words.

*****

It all started during the winter of our fifth year - I was calmly sitting in the library, preparing for that damned paper on Arithmancy (despite all that they say about Ravenclaws, we also do not receive much enjoyment from being forced to write fiendishly difficult papers. There's only one who ever to attend this school who does, being that Housemate of my twin sister - that Muggle-born Hermione Granger).

So, I checked the time and felt that it was about enough studies for one day, and that eating was a nice idea to consider. Picking up my books and carefully packing them into my bag, I headed towards the exit of the library, but as I stepped out the door, I was immediately knocked over by someone running.

The impact sent both me and that someone (who, judging by the shriek and gasp that followed the fall, was a girl) collapsing onto the floor, with me working as the cushion to soften the fall for that careless girl that ran into me.

I looked up at her, assuming the angriest look I could muster, and frowned.

"I think you owe me an apology, er..." I paused to look at my offender and to remember her name, "Zabini," I added, finally managing to do so.

She turned her eyes (I noticed that they are green, almost as Harry Potter's were) to mine (hazel, if you're wondering) and I felt that she probably would not apologize.

"Oh, sorry," she said in a suddenly un-Slytherin-like honest tone, her face showing that she is genuinely regretful. I, however shocked I was, felt a lot better after hearing that, and got up; brushing all the possible dirt and dust I might have accumulated in the process of lying on the floor under her.

"No problem," I replied. It seemed to be as surprising for me as for her, as her face changed when she noticed the Ravenclaw emblem on my robes.

"Padma, right?" she asked, "I seem to have mistook you for your sister."

"And that means you will take the 'sorry' back, right?" I asked, trying to force as much sarcasm into my words as possible.

"No!" she replied quickly with a grin. I suddenly felt that the legend of Slytherins being evil was as overdone as the legend of Gryffindors being brave (just one look at Longbottom and you know the deal) and Ravenclaws being study fanatics (I just hate to study as much as they make us! Smartest house does not mean we can do more homework than others!).

"Oh, alright then," I said, not knowing what else to say (but feeling that I had to say something), and bent down to pick up the books. Was it me or had she whispered something along the lines of "Nice ass" to herself as I did so?

"You said something?" I asked casually, straightening out. She looked panicked then.

"Er... no, nothing at all!" she protested. I let myself smile.

"Good. Now help me with this, would you?" I asked, handing her several books so I could put the others back into my bag. She held them as if she did not mind the weight of that History book I checked out to get back up on the Dragon Wars of the 11^th century I missed due to being sick. Once I packed everything (including the aforementioned book on Dragons) up, I remembered that I was going to eat.

"Sorry, have to go now," I said, trying to sound casual.

Something inside told me that this would not be the last time that I shall 'run' into Blaise Zabini. The look on her face also told me that she thought so as well. Boy, was I right!

*****

It happened two days later - I saw her sitting in the library not that far from my usual place, when I had gone there for a revise and study period. She was doing some Runes homework, as it seemed, and was not making a lot of progress.

"Need help?" I asked, wondering why I did so.

She looked up at me, and for a moment there, I thought that the look in her eyes could be classified as 'being glad'. A moment after that, I reconsidered that statement. It was something else, though not that far from being glad to see me.

"Can you decipher this stuff?" she asked earnestly. I nodded.

"Great! Could you give me a hand with this then?" she asked. Upon receiving a "yes" she moved her chair aside to let me sit down next to her. I pulled up another chair and sat on it, moving closer to the table.

"Great! I thought I would go mad trying!" she said merrily, "So, still angry about that... er... accident?"

"Not at all," I replied with a shake of my head, "You said "sorry", remember?" I added as I started drawing out the rune translation chart on a clean piece of parchment.

"Oh, yeah," she replied, looking a bit confused, "So, how's life? I mean, being a Ravenclaw and all..."

"I suppose it's fine, as long as we don't count your Head of House taking points for correct answers again."

"Ah! Never liked the man anyway. He's weird -" she paused, looked around us, then moved to a barely audible whisper, "- and he never washes his hair!"

"I thought everyone knew that!" I replied, although with a hearty laugh.

"Well, everyone thinks that, but we have actual proof of it... Not that anyone cares about it though - it's hard to see a decent guy in the Slytherin dungeon. And I'm not even talking about decent girls!"

"There are your runes," I added as I handed her the chart and got up, "Sorry, I have my own homework to do now."

"Thanks!" Blaise said, "You're a life-saver!"

"Don't mention it," I replied as I got to my own usual place and laid out my books and parchments in front of me. Only one thing was bugging me - why did I blush when I replied to her last words?

*****

A week passed with me not seeing her. It seemed to be quite as usual as always, except that I felt as if I was missing something... something vital.

I found myself looking over at the Slytherin House table at breakfasts (which had quickly created a rumour of me being one more person on the ever-long list of "Girls that have a crush on Draco Malfoy"), checking her usual place in the library (well, she did study there, though not as often as me) and so on, but I could not seem to find her anywhere. And I could not just go up to a Slytherin and ask if he/she saw Blaise, now could I?

Finally, on the seventh day of my lack of Blaise Zabini, I saw her entering the library as if nothing happened. She, however, sat at my table instead of her usual one.

"Hi," I said dryly, cursing myself for doing so.

"Hi," she replied, the same semi-fake dryness in her voice as well.

I could not help but grin at this as I looked up at her. She was bearing the same "Why didn't I see you before?" kind of face as I had.

"What happened? Where were you all week?" we both asked at once. Then, once again in unison, we laughed out loud at this, earning strange glances from the other students present here and a threatening one from Madam Pince.

"I suggest we move out before they suspect something nasty," Blaise whispered conspirationally. I nodded, and, after packing up my books, followed her out into the grounds.

*****

"So, what happened?" I asked, looking over the snow around us.

"Draco - Malfoy" she copied the usual tone with which every non-Slytherin referred to Malfoy, "to you - you know, my semi-boyfriend, he thought I found some boy on the side--"

"He hexed you?" I asked, my mouth falling open in terror.

"No! He just kept me near him for the entire week. Stupid git thinks I'm his property!" she replied angrily.

"Listen, I..." I started, not even knowing what to say. I felt that now, that she was here, with me, I was content, but when she was gone... I felt somehow empty, as if I've found some missing part of me in her. My problem? How to tell her about it.

"Yes?" she asked, her eyes looking into mine. I've felt some strange emotion, something I've never felt before and... and...

And I just reached forward, my lips slightly brushing against hers. It wasn't much of a kiss, more of an illusion of one, yet we both seemed to be equally shocked at my actions. Blaise was first to recover though, as she swallowed nervously and stepped up to me, her lips closing in on mine. I felt her breath against my face...

The second kiss was a real one, and a lot longer too. It felt as if I was struck by a lightning bolt... And it was good too.

*****

Blaise's break-up with Draco was worth the wait of a further week, but it was such a scene (when she caught him with Pansy) that none at Hogwarts would forget any time soon... They did not, except maybe his about-a-year-later getting-together with Hannah (that was several weeks ago). Seems that he finally found his One and Only love.

And my One and Only love is sitting next to me on my bed as I write these words, and is looking like she'll run off with Lisa Turpin or some other Ravenclaw (seems that she's got a thing for Ravenclaws now!) if I don't get back to her this instant.

Sorry, can't keep her waiting!