Wolves, Stars, and Kisses

Wolves, Stars, and Kisses

By: Jenny_Black

Harry was in his 7^th and final year at Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione had become a couple, as well as Ginny and Seamus. And now Lavender spent all of her time planning out the rest of her life knowing that Oliver Wood was waiting for her when she left Hogwarts, because before he had left, he confessed his undying love for her. And for Harry, well lets just say he had a lot of time to spend with his thoughts. And after a few nights by himself in the Common Room, he soon found out that he wasn't the only one feeling the loneliness of being single.

Parvati Patil started every night sitting at the table in the corner of the Common Room. She was always alone, nothing but her homework and books stacked around her. She didn't look quite like herself without her best friend, Lavender, beside her giggling insanely. She, actually to Harry's surprise, looked very much like Hermione. After a few nights of watching her, Harry noted she was always leaning over a book and her hand was scribbling notes down madly on a piece of parchment. And Harry secretly wondered why she had the sudden interest in her schoolwork.

Night after night passed on, and still every night he would he would watch her from across the Common Room. Every night it was the same routine. Harry would sit by the fire and Parvati would sit in the desk in the corner. She would pour herself over books, and Harry would try to keep his mind on his homework without looking at Parvati. Parvati never seemed to notice that she and Harry and her were in the same room each night... Harry was reluctant at first but he now realized how beautiful Parvati actually was...

*~*~*~*~*~*

Now it was about a week later. Harry and Parvati sat in the Common Room again. The time was nearly five-thirty. Harry had focused all of his time the past week on gathering all of his courage and trying to figure out what to say to her if he just happened to approach her tonight.

5...10...15...minutes passed as he had second thoughts..."What am I doing? What if she laughs at me?"

Harry knew she left the Common Room every night at 6:00. He had 15 minutes to think or act...

"Damn me for being so shy..." Harry mentally slapped himself, "Come Potter it's now or never--" he thought as he tried to stand up but his legs wouldn't move and he only succeed in shifting uncomfortably in his armchair.

"Come on!" he egged himself on as he stood up, feeling slightly light-headed.

He made his way over to her desk and took the seat across from her.

She didn't move. She didn't even look up from her book or showed any signs of Harry's existence.

Harry cleared his throat, "Er--Parvati?"

"Huh?" she asked biting the top of her quill, still not taking her eyes off the book.

"Er--well I know that you leave er...around 6:00 every night up to your er--dorm..."

"Yes?" She said as she looked up as if she just realized that there was a world beyond her book.

Harry's mouth went dry. "Brilliant Potter, you've had a week to think and you didn't even plan on what to say..."

Parvati sat down her quill and closed her book.

"Yes, Harry?" she asked again with a slight hint of irritation in her voice, "Why have you interrupted me while I am doing my Charms homework?"

"Er--well I have just been well...I just..." Harry stumbled over his words.

Parvati sighed and opened back open her Charms book.

"I was just wondering if you would like to go out and star gaze with me..." Harry said so quickly that he wasn't even sure she understood. "Star gazing? Nice spur of the moment pick-up line, Potter. Pathetic!"

"W-what?" Parvati stammered, dropping her quill now looking back up at Harry again.

"Yes, you should just stand up and walk away like nothing happened and save yourself the embarrassment..."

"I was just wondering if you would--" Harry started to say again but Parvati stopped him.

"I understood...it just needed sometime to sink in..." she smiled making Harry's stomach turn. He ran is fingers through his messy dark hair. He was sure that under his glasses his face was as red as all the Weasley's hair put together.

Harry looked down at her books, "I w-would u-understand if you have homework..."

"I would love to go with you," she cut him off.

Harry smiled, "You would?" Relief flooded through his veins.

"Of course," Parvati said as she started stacking up her books. "I even hear that there is a full moon tonight!"

Harry hadn't seen Parvati this happy in a long time. She simply beamed as they walked quickly down the corridors to the Entrance Hall. They exchanged no words so Filch and Mrs. Norris wouldn't send them back up to their Common Room, but Parvati gave a brisk "Thank you--" as Harry opened the large oak doors for her.

They walked outside. And as soon as Harry closed the doors Parvati wailed quietly, "Oh my gosh!"

"What?"

"I didn't realize how cold it is out here!" Parvati said rubbing the sides of her arms.

"Do you want to go back up? I mean you didn't er--have to come..."

"No I'll be okay...!" said Parvati grinning, "Mind you, I never give up a chance to look at the stars."

"Really?" Harry asked as they made there way though the courtyard.

"Of course!" Parvati said still grinning ear to half frozen ear. The wind had her long chestnut hair flowing out behind as she walked and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I didn't know that you liked to stars so much..." Harry commented.

"There's a lot people don't know about me, Harry." Parvati sighed. "And sometimes I am not even sure some people care..."

"How do you know no one cares?" Harry asked, "Have you told anyone?"

Parvati didn't respond to this.

As they came nearer to the lake Harry reached into his pocket and found his wand. He muttered so Parvati couldn't hear, "Accio blanket"

Finally they came to the edge of the lake.

"Er--I guess we'll sit here?" Harry asked. But before she could answer his blanket from his bed slapped him in the back of his head and fell to the ground beside his feet.

"I guess that's a yes," she giggled.

Parvati and Harry laughed as they lied down the blanket and sat down on it.

Parvati sighed as she let herself fly backwards onto the blanket.

"It feels so good to be back..." she muttered to herself.

"Where did you go?" Harry teased as he leaned back with her.

"Never you mind," Parvati sighed as if she was remembering a painful memory.

Parvati looked up at the almost cloudless sky, stars were everywhere. Harry finally looked up at them too.

"Wow..."

"Isn't it beautiful?" Parvati sighed again.

"Not as beautiful as the girl beside me..." Harry thought.

Parvati gasped as what little clouds there were moved across the sky to reveal the bright full moon.

"There it is! Its just like I remembered it!" Parvati squealed as she suddenly sat straight up.

"Harry look! Do you see it?"

"Of course I see it." Harry laughed.

"Isn't it just the most stunning thing you've ever seen?!"

"I suppose..." Harry sighed as he sat up beside her, just about a head taller than she was.

Parvati flipped her head around to face him, "You suppose?"

"Yeah, I mean well--it's just he moon."

"Just the moon?" Parvati heaved a sigh, "Maybe it's just me..."

"Want to tell me?"

"Well, ever since I was a little girl I've loved to look at the stars and the moon. I used to follow the pattern and find out when the full moon was coming. Every night I would go star gazing. I could find all the constellations by the age of 10! And the moon I loved to look at it...I don't know, it's like I'm a freakin' werewolf or something."

Harry laughed at the mention of werewolves.

"Don't laugh at me." Parvati scowled.

"I'm not laughing at you..." Harry said quickly. "I just well--knew a werewolf once."

"Really?"

"Yeah...he was quite cool actually..."

But before Harry could finish his sentence there came a long howling noise. Harry franticly looked over to the Forbidden Forest, expecting a giant beast to come running out any moment to attack them. But then he realized, Parvati was making the noise! He looked at her, his green eyes wide with bewilderment.

She made a few more loud cries and then closed her mouth smiling.

"What do y--" Harry tried to ask but Parvati clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Shhh..." she whispered, "I used to do this all the time."

No sooner had she said that when off in the distance came a long howling cry, a cry that caused Harry's hair on the back of his neck stand on end and a even bigger smile across Parvati's face.

She removed her hand from Harry's mouth and cupped it around her own making another wolf howl, craning her head towards the dark sky.

Harry thought for a moment, maybe Parvati was a lunatic and Harry needed to run as far away from her as possible...but then reconsidered the thought...Maybe she was just trying to have fun, remembering her childhood.

And to Harry didn't know what provoked him to do it...but like her he tilted his head towards the stars and cried like a wolf.

Parvati grinned again as the both of them sat on the blanket, their faces towards the sky, howling at the moon.

After a few seconds Parvati sat her hand on Harry's knee indicating that it was time to listen.

Harry quieted down with her and strained his ears to listen for an answer.

For a few brief moments Harry and Parvati could hear nothing but the sound of the water on the lake and the chirping crickets. But then there it was...

A loud drawn-out howl from somewhere deep in the Forbidden Forest rang out. Then there was a second one...only coming from a different location; it was across the lake somewhere in the woods. There was a third cry...slightly softer in the distance again across the lake, but in the mountains.

Harry looked at Parvati; she looked as happy as Dobby would be if he were given a large package discount socks. Grinning from ear to ear, Harry noticed how even more beautiful she was in the moonlight.

Suddenly there came another howl to the moon. But this one was different. It was so earsplitting, bone chilling, that it sounded merely meters away from them.

Harry felt shivers go up is spine. He slid closer to Parvati, filling the gap between them. A look of pure panic-stricken fear plastered on his face.

Parvati laughed, "She won't hurt us, Harry."

"Who said I was scared?" spat Harry defensively.

Parvati laughed again "No one--"

"Uh huh, but you were implying it," He narrowed his emerald eyes at her.

Parvati said nothing, but returned his look with one that said: You possibly can't be serious...

"Come off it Potter you were scared..." she sneered.

"No...I--"

"It's okay ya' know Harry, to be afraid of something sometimes..." she cut him off.

Harry glared at her, but then admitted, "Okay maybe I was a little...you know scared..."

"Yes, that's good Harry," Parvati smiled mischievously at him, "The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

Harry glared at her once again as her bell like laughter filled the air.

But he couldn't help it; he couldn't stay mad at Parvati while she was smiling like she was. He watched her lean back down on the blanket again. He found himself smirking at her, somehow seeing her happy gave him a warm feeling inside his chest.

Parvati noticed Harry was looking down at her, "What are you looking at?" She asked curiously.

Harry was thankful it was dark enough that Parvati didn't see his cheeks burn under his glasses, "Nothing--" He muttered as he too leaned back to lie beside her. Harry noted that they're shoulders were touching. He smiled again and turned his attention back towards that sky. There had to be a thousand stars out tonight, the sight was spectacular Harry thought. No wonder Parvati liked watching the stars.

Harry glanced back over at Parvati; she seemed to be deep in thought as she was looking up at the sky. Harry thought she was calculating something.

Harry probed, "What are you thinking about?"

She didn't take her eyes of the stars, "I'm looking for somethi--wait--yes! There it is!" She suddenly pointed to a group of stars over the lake.

"There's what?"

"My favorite constellation!" Parvati beamed sitting up again.

Harry too sat up again with her, "Where is it? What is it?"

Parvati sighed at the thought of someone not even bothering to remember constellations. She pointed up to the group of stars again, "Look you see those 4 stars that are sort of in the shape of a diamond?"

"Yeah--"

"Okay well you see those stars that sort of branch off from it in a wavy line?"

"Er--yeah," Harry answered, although it didn't sound very convincing.

Parvati smirked again, "Well, that's Draco!"

"What!?" Harry looked disgusted, "That's your favorite constellation? Erg!"

"My guess is when they gave us the option of quitting Astronomy, you quit?"

Harry nodded his head innocently.

Parvati giggled, "Well, it's Draco the Dragon! Nothing to do with Malfoy..."

Harry huffed, "I still don't see why it's you favorite--"

"Oh, I liked those stars before I ever met that prat--" Parvati spat not meaning to sound as harsh as she did.

Harry smirked at her.

She now looked cross, "What?"

"Oh nothing," Harry chuckled as laid back on the blanket once again.

"Tell me!" Parvati raised her voice as she nudged Harry's elbow, but she only succeed in making him smiled wider.

"It's nothing," Harry looked up at her trying to look sober, "I swear--" But Harry wasn't a very good liar, and his sudden look of seriousness melted as another smile crept onto his face.

"You lair--" Parvati pushed his elbow again, "Tell me Potter!"

Harry sighed and sat up again. He scooted even closer to Parvati on the blanket. He could feel her tremble as his hand found it's way into her cold one. He leaned closer to her, until his face was merely centimeters way from hers.

"I was wondering," Harry whispered as he lifted Parvati's chin upwards, "what it would feel like to do this--"

He leaned down and placed his lips upon hers. Parvati was cold; her lips were ice against Harry's warmed ones. Harry wanted to soothe her, she was freezing outside in this February air, and she didn't even have a cloak.

Harry ran his hand across Parvati's cheek as he deepened the kiss. As Harry's tongue explored Parvati's mouth, his mind was racing.

"Please, don't push me away, please--"

Parvati suddenly ended the kiss as she leaned away. She looked back up at Harry. To his relief, she was smiling. "That was sort of--unexpected, Harry..."

Harry nervously ran the hand that wasn't entwined with Parvati's through his messy hair. "I know--but you insisted on me telling you what I was thinking about..."

"Yes, I did." Parvati was still grinning up at him, "But you showed me, you didn't tell me."

Harry laughed uneasily, " I thought it would be more appropriate to sho--"

But Harry's sentence was cut short as Parvati leaned over and brushed her lips against his again. She didn't have to say anything as she looked back up at him; her eyes said it all. They sparkled in the moonlight like never before; they danced and glistened with newfound love.

He smiled down at her again as he slipped his arms around her. They leaned back down on Harry's blanket under the stars.

Parvati rested her head on Harry's chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was steady soothing sound that relaxed her.

Harry held her close to him, afraid to let her go. He ran his fingers through her long auburn hair, "I love you," he whispered.

Parvati tried to hide her smile, "I love you too," She whispered as she scooted more closely to him.

Harry glanced back up towards the night sky; the moon peeked out from behind a violet cloud. And from somewhere in the distant mountains, there came a soft drown out cry of a wolf.