Coming together.
In the summer before her fifth year, Pragya received a letter informing her that she'd been named as the female prefect for Ravenclaw. Everyone at home was very proud of her, as holding the position was considered an honour and an achievement. Even Abhi congratulated her, though he joked that he wouldn't show up if she assigned him detentions as an excuse to spend time with him. She just replied sweetly that she knew he wouldn't be doing anything to earn detentions since he'd obviously be busy studying for his NEWTs all year. Daadi had been present and voiced her approval of this comment, so Abhi couldn't even argue back that he'd never be such a swot.
When they got to Hogwarts, Pragya learned that Raghav had been named as her co-prefect. As they were already best friends, they were pleased to know they'd be working with each other.
With prefect meetings and night patrols added to their many shared classes and habit of studying together, they spent more time than ever in each other's company. And gradually, Pragya began to realize that her dynamic with Raghav was changing.
It didn't feel like they were just friends anymore. And she certainly didn't see him as a brother the way she still saw Purab. No, she could admit to herself that since he grew into his height and developed those wide shoulders, she was definitely attracted to him. She had always liked his personality, and now whenever they were together - which was almost always - she found new things to admire about him.
And, there were signs that he was attracted to her too. His gaze would sometimes linger on her when she came down for breakfast, as if it brightened his morning to see her. His hands kept finding excuses to trail in her hair, toying with the ends while they were sitting together. His arm always found its way behind her back when they shared a sofa in the common room. And somehow whenever she looked at him, he would be looking at her too.
There was definitely a different awareness between them, and as the term progressed, their chemistry did too.
Things came to a head just before the Yule holiday, when a rogue sprig of Peeves' mistletoe cornered them in an empty hallway off the Ancient Runes classroom. They had looked at each other and blushed, and the air seemed to heat between them as they decided what to do. There were multiple ways to get rid of the mistletoe, but the quickest way was to kiss.
Without discussing it, they both reached the same decision. They leaned toward each other and their lips met.
The mistletoe dropped to the ground, its enchantment satisfied by the bare minimum contact. But then Raghav's arm hooked around Pragya's waist, and he pulled her close for a deeper kiss. She met his eager mouth with matching enthusiasm, and before she knew it she had her arms wrapped around him and her hand twined into his hair.
The kiss went on until they had to break for breath, and even then Raghav held her close. He touched his forehead to hers and they smiled at each other, giddy with the thrill of what they'd just shared.
"Wow, Phataka," Raghav had whispered, and his breath was close enough to blow across her lips.
Pragya blushed shyly and gave him a tight hug, which he returned happily.
They walked back to the common room hand in hand, and spent much of the evening sneaking secret goofy looks at each other. If their housemates noticed the silliness, no one said anything, and Pragya went off to bed feeling almost on cloud nine.
It was only once she'd snuggled down under her covers with her bedcurtains closed against the winter draft that the dark weight of reality hit her.
An intense pulse of guilt crashed through her at the thought that she had been unfaithful to Abhi, followed by a wave of shame that she'd been so lost in hormones that she hadn't even realized she was doing wrong.
She passed a sleepless night trying to come to grips with her conflicted feelings. On the one hand there was her natural inclination to keep exploring things with Raghav, because it felt so easy and right and fun. But on the other hand there was her sense of duty, which told her that it was wrong to get involved with anyone else when she knew she was meant to wait for Abhi.
The consideration that Abhi certainly wasn't waiting for her wasn't very compelling at first. Why should she be like him, when she hated the choices he'd made?
But as the night wore on, she kept coming back to the realization that if he didn't have a problem with it, she shouldn't either.
Still, by morning her decision was that she would explain the whole situation to Raghav and just see what happened next.
Thus she pulled Raghav into a private compartment on the train ride back home for the holidays and told him everything.
He was disappointed to hear that she was betrothed, and appalled when she admitted that her fiance was Abhi. He knew all the gossip about Abhi and Tanu very well, and he was outraged on her behalf when she explained Abhi's stance on the matter. Ultimately he agreed that they should both take the holiday to think about it and that no matter what happened, they would stay friends.
Pragya did her best to keep her mind off the subject while she was at home. There would be time enough to deal with Raghav's decision once she knew it, after all. And though neither her family or Abhi's celebrated Yule, there was plenty to keep busy with in the general currents of the festive season.
She saw Abhi often over those two weeks, and they shared seats next to each other at many family meals. At first she felt an uncomfortable consciousness when around him, and she debated whether she should mention what had happened between her and Raghav. But then she remembered how he'd said what he had with Tanu wasn't serious and so she didn't need to know about it, and figured that the same applied in the present case.
Tanu actually sent Abhi a completely obnoxious Yule/New Year's Gift - an embroidered sweater that she had supposedly embellished herself, but that had obviously been stitched by a less than expert house elf. Abhi had hidden it from Daadi's view but Pragya and Purab had many a chance to tease him about it. Abhi had declared that he'd sooner wear Sarla Maa's knitting than that, which left Pragya to get defensive about her mother's far superior handicraft skills.
Her own gift to Abhi was a cologne she'd distilled for extra credit in Potions. She'd used a range of herbal sources, so when Abhi took the first sniff he complained that she was trying to make him smell like a tree. But then he applied it to his wrists and didn't say anything further, and Pragya understood that he liked it after all.
The whole business with the gifts strengthened Pragya's conviction that there was no need to get Abhi involved in her situation with Raghav. He could continue to live his own life and she would live hers and all would be well, just as he wanted.
When they returned to school, Raghav told her that he'd thought everything over but he still thought they should take a chance with each other. They both knew they wouldn't end up together, but they could still make the most of what time they did have.
"After all," Raghav had said with a wry grin, "I know you're going to be his wife, but why shouldn't you get to be someone's girlfriend too? And if that someone's going to be anyone, it had better be me."
Pragya had laughed and hugged him and from that day forward their rock-solid friendship acquired a playful new side. In terms of relationship status they both agreed that it was too complicated for them to openly date, so it wouldn't be exactly right to call them boyfriend and girlfriend. Mostly they just looked for opportunities to secretly snog and that was enough for both of them.
Pragya made Raghav promise that if he ever felt like actually having a relationship with some other girl he should just tell her. Raghav had assured her that if that ever happened he would, but his main focus for the present was on getting as much of his Phataka as she was willing to give.
Thus the romantic side of their relationship was mostly just physical. Pragya still felt guilty on some level. She knew what she was doing would horrify Maa and disappoint Daadi. But she clung to the justification that Abhi wouldn't have a problem with it, and she wouldn't go too far, so everything was fine in the name of fun.
One complication that Pragya couldn't foresee was that it was very hard for them to go back to keeping their hands off each other once they'd started to explore kissing and more. The temptation just seemed to be stronger the more they made out, until one day they couldn't resist the chance to cuddle up on a sofa in a far corner of the library and snog between OWL revision sessions. They knew it was risky because even the most secluded corner of the library was still a public place, but they had so few chances to be alone that they tossed caution to the wind that afternoon and followed the tug of hormones.
Since no one interrupted them, Pragya thought they'd managed just fine and it made her open to the idea of repeats in the library. Raghav thankfully had more sense than that and told her sternly that they'd have to keep it to the study carrels in the common room from now on. She had agreed and then they had both laughed at the absurdity of life and packed up their books for the night.
Pragya gained a few lovebites along her collarbone from that encounter, and three days later they were just starting to fade. The sweet bruises became suddenly and starkly unimportant when Raghav ended that weekend's Ravenclaw-Slytherin Quidditch match with a broken jaw, sprained wrists, cracked ribs, and a series of contusions all over his body from multiple Bludger hits.
The school at large explained the unusually vicious game as a byproduct of mis-charmed equipment, but Pragya had been a close spectator and knew that something more specifically malicious had been at work.
So just as she had on an occasion two years earlier, she struck off from her friends early on Sunday evening and headed to the owlery. Once again she sent a note with a school owl and once again she was awaiting Abhi on the astronomy tower at dusk.
This time he was not whistling or smiling when he came up the stairs. Instead he had a savagely brooding air about him, and even before he said anything, his intensity had Pragya's heart rate up a notch.
"You summoned?" Abhi drawled sarcastically. He set his back to the stone tower and crossed his arms in front of him, practically radiating anger.
"What is your problem?" Pragya demanded, not bothering with an introduction to the topic since he apparently didn't need one. "How could you do all that to Raghav, what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking," Abhi said in a lethally contained voice, "That if I could break his hands he would keep them off my betrothed. And I sent those Bludgers at his pretty boy face so that he could keep his lips to himself too."
The ferocity of Abhi's response sent Pragya reeling in shock. She stared at him in complete confusion, unable to believe he'd actually said all that.
"What?" she asked, too stupefied to articulate a clearer question.
"You heard me," Abhi snapped. His eyes were dark and molten, lit with a fire Pragya had never seen there before. "And I'd like to know, what the hell were you thinking letting him paw you like that, openly in the library!"
The memory of their last conversation in this same place played in Pragya's mind. And even though she knew it would only provoke him further, she couldn't resist the urge to return the same answer he'd given.
"He's my boyfriend," she said defiantly.
"The hell he is!" Abhi strode towards her, but stopped just short of grabbing her. "You don't get to have a boyfriend, Chashmish," he said grimly.
"Excuse me?" Pragya scoffed. "Our lives are our own, remember? You said -"
Abhi stepped closer, pressing into her personal space until somehow she was backed against the stone wall with his arms caged around her. "I never said you could just let anyone touch you like that. And how could you, Chashmish? How could you give him what only I have a right to-"
"What are you talking about!" Pragya interrupted, unwilling to hear more of his harangue. It was overwhelming to have him pressed so closed to her, but she knew she had to hold her ground. "What rights? Since when do I need your permission -"
"Since always!" Abhi took firm hold of her chin and tipped her head back. "You're mine, you've always known that." He brushed his thumb roughly across her lips. "First rights here, only rights here were mine. No way in hell am I letting him -"
Pragya pushed at his chest until he was forced to step back. "Your rights are pending return of mine," she snapped. "And you lost 'first rights' the day you gave mine away. Did you forget, that you were always supposed to be mine? Isn't this exactly what you always meant by we should enjoy our only free years?"
"No! I didn't mean that you should -" he stopped himself mid-sentence, but the weight of what he'd started to say still freighted the air between them.
Pragya crossed her arms tightly around herself and gave a short, sharp laugh. "Right. You meant that you get to play the field and be free, while I wait for you like a good girl. I always knew you were selfish, Abhishek, but I never dreamed you could be such a hypocrite!"
Abhi's hand balled into a fist, but he didn't raise it. "So this was your revenge, Chashmish? You were jealous that I have a girlfriend, so you just shamelessly let -"
"Why does everything have to be about you!" Pragya demanded in exasperation. "You said we wouldn't interfere with each other. You said it was ok to have some harmless fun. Raghav and I - we're not serious. We know we don't have a future together. There's no reason for you -"
"How far have you gone with him?" Abhi cut in.
One look at his face was enough to quash the urge to answer him provokingly again. "No further than you saw in the library," she replied carefully, meeting his gaze and holding his eyes so that he could read the truth for himself.
"And how long has this been going on?" Abhi probed, apparently not yet ready to be pacified.
"Just a few weeks," Pragya replied evenly. A tide of resentment grew in her mind as she thought of how Abhi's misdeeds stretched much farther back, but she did her best to stem those futile reflections.
It was never any use to hold the extent of his wrongs against him, as he had a way of convincing everyone that his intentions were always acceptable. Already from years of habit, Pragya's own heart was telling her that it didn't matter if Abhi had done the same or worse than she had. He had surely never realized he could be hurting her, whereas she had known the whole time that she was wronging both of them by doing anything with Raghav.
"And it's over now." It was a declaration, not a question.
Pragya frowned in irritation. "I just...I don't really understand. I didn't think you'd have a problem with it -"
"Are you joking?" Abhi interrupted in disbelief. "Not have a problem with you sneaking around with him like a characterless -"
"You expected me not to have any problem, remember," Pragya pointed out. "You never thought I'd care about having to share you with other girls -"
"I never asked you to share -"
"I just don't think it's fair, is all," Pragya concluded. "You wouldn't dump Tanu for me, would you?"
Abhi stared at her for a long moment. Then to her astonishment, he answered firmly, "I will. From now on, there's no one for us but each other. Agreed?"
"Really?" Pragya demanded skeptically. "Just like that, you'll ditch her?"
Abhi grimaced. He ran his hand through his hair again, looking stressed as he thought about what lay ahead. "She...will probably not take it well. It might take some time to completely be free of her, but - but I am definitely done with her."
Then a wicked glint entered his eye and his tone lightened as he said, "I don't want anyone else kissing you, so I better make myself free for the task, right?"
Pragya felt her whole body blush. "I - you - you mean -"
Abhi stepped close to her again, leaning in so that there was barely any space between them. He tapped her lips lightly and said, "I mean that I'm coming for you Chashmish. And these lips are reserved until I'm free to claim them."
He gently tipped her chin down and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "So make sure your pretty boy knows you're off limits now."
"I - I will," Pragya agreed unsteadily, too surprised to scold him for the derisive reference to Raghav.
Abhi stepped back and smiled. "That's like my Chashmish," he said, and then she watched him walk away.
It was a good thing she had the solid support of the ancient castle wall at her back just then. With her mind racing, her blood thundering, and her legs feeling like jelly, Pragya would not have been able to keep herself upright.
She wondered wildly if perhaps Abhi had nonverbally jinxed her in parting.
But she knew in her heart that there was a different magic at work between them now. One that had nothing to do with spell-casting.
When Pragya explained the new situation to Raghav, he was unhappy but understanding. She apologized over and over again for the way that Abhi had harmed him, but he told her that wasn't the worst part for him. Madam Pomfrey already had his bones and bruises healing, but his heart was always going to ache for what would never be between them.
Pragya had hoped they could just go back to being friends, but after he said that, she knew she needed to give him space for a while. As a result, she had a lot more time to herself. She tried to keep busy with schoolwork and her other friends, but after her confrontation with Abhi, his promise was always on her mind.
She respected the reality that it would take some time for Tanu to accept that Abhi was ending things. Even though she had tried to avoid observing the other girl over the years, she had noticed enough to understand what type of girlfriend she was. It had always seemed to Pragya that Tanu was with Abhi more for his popularity and status than because she actually liked or understood him. Of course she would not be ready to just let him go, no matter what reason he gave her.
Pragya wasn't sure if Abhi would tell Tanu about the betrothal or not. She wasn't even sure if she wanted him to. Now that she had spent five years at Hogwarts, she knew that he'd been telling the truth when he said that betrothed couples were treated differently. She didn't really want to deal with her peers judging her family's choices or making assumptions about her and Abhi. She thought that probably it wouldn't change how her friends dealt with her - at this point it was really only Meethu who didn't already know, and she'd probably just take it as another weird wizarding custom. But she wasn't ready to face the changed environment that would come when the news spread through the school, and so she hoped that Abhi would find some other way to get free of Tanu.
As the days passed, she grew impatient for some sign that Abhi had even attempted to carry out his promise. At every meal in the Great Hall, she could still see Tanu sitting near Abhi. They were in several classes together, and they shared a common room. Obviously it wasn't easy for Abhi to keep his distance, but all the logic in the world couldn't quell Pragya's mounting restlessness.
Raghav was released from the Hospital Wing after two weeks, and he was already talking about training up for the rest of the Quidditch season. There was still a bit of constraint between them but things were slowly getting back to normal, and Pragya was relieved to have her friend back.
When another week passed without any dramatic change between Tanu and Abhi, Raghav actually asked her about it. He pointed out that Valentine's Day was only three days away, and she still had no confirmation of Abhi's relationship status. That was enough to snap Pragya's patience, and she decided that she would track down her pati-to-be for an update.
It was next to impossible to catch him alone, as he always walked with friends between classes. She contemplated fetching him out by owl post again, but she didn't want to resort to that yet. Luck was on her side one afternoon as she and Raghav were leaving the Runes classroom. She caught sight of Abhi turning a corner down the hall, and she thrust her bag at Raghav with a quick excuse so she could chase after him unencumbered.
She didn't want to call out his name as she ran forward, because it might draw too much attention from the gossipy portraits on the walls. As a result he remained completely oblivious to her approach until she was close enough to snatch at the back of his robes, at which point he whirled around with his wand ready and a "Protego" half-formed on his lips.
But he realized who she was before he could finish the incantation, so she was thankfully not bounced across the hall by the magical shield he had intended to cast. He slid his wand back up his sleeve and looked over her with wide eyes. "Chashmish? What's going on?"
She stood back and clutched the stitch that had developed at her side from running so quickly. At the back of her mind she resolved to take up some form of exercise after exams, and she tried to catch her breath so that she could answer him.
Abhi led her to a windowsill and guided her to lean against it. He conjured a cup and some water. It was on the tip of her tongue to remind him that such casting was not allowed in the halls, but before she could get the words out, he was holding the cup to her mouth to help her sip.
She gulped down some water and finally the adrenaline surging through her veins ebbed low. She returned the cup to Abhi, and he vanished it with the silent, wandless magic he was effortlessly good at.
"All good, Chashmish?" he asked, concern still furrowing his brow. "What on Earth made you run like that?"
"Had to catch you," Pragya explained. "Didn't want to yell because you know how the portraits are. Do you know how hard it is to get you alone?"
Abhi grinned in delight. "Oh ho. So you chased after me to get me alone. Naughty Chashmish, just what are you planning?"
Pragya glared at him impatiently. "Nothing! I can plan nothing until you get rid of that girlfriend of yours. Are you planning to give her one last Valentine's Day or something?"
"What? No, no. I've already told her we're done. I told her three weeks ago," Abhi said, hurrying to reassure her. "She's just being ziddi, so I'm giving Nikhil time to do his thing. I was going to let you know as soon as she says yes to him." He smirked and raised his thumb to trace the curve of her cheek. "I didn't know you were getting frustrated."
Pragya repressed a shiver. She had to follow up on a point that confused her. "What do you mean you're giving Nikhil time to do his thing?"
Abhi leaned back on the windowsill. He absently lifted his hand to fluff up the spiky fringe of his hair. "You know my dormmate Nikhil na? Well, he's always had a thing for Tanu. Just, in third year I asked her out first, so he never had a chance. He was mad at me when I told him I was ditching her because he thought I'd led her on. I explained to him that she always knew it wasn't serious -"
"She did?" Pragya interrupted in surprise. "All this time, she knew we were betrothed?"
"Well, no, not exactly. I just told her all the time that I would marry Daadi's choice, no question. I wanted her to think that it was never going to be about what I wanted, so even if she thought I was in love with her - which I wasn't - she should have known it was going to end."
Something twisted in Pragya's heart. "You mean - marrying me is an obligation, right? You never wanted -"
"Oh ho, Chashmish, aren't you listening?" Abhi gave her an exasperated frown. "I said I wanted her to think that I had no choice, so she wouldn't think she could try to influence me. Of course that's not how I really feel."
He sounded as if she should somehow just know what he really felt, but based on what he'd said Pragya wasn't so sure. She pointed out, "But then...I'm not your choice either. You never had a chance -"
Abhi gave her an impatient frown. "Chup! Why do you talk so much bakwas? Of course you're not a choice. Is breathing a choice?"
"Oh..." Pragya couldn't manage more than the one syllable, her mind and heart both racing with joy at his simple comparison.
"How did they ever let you into Ravenclaw if you just jump to conclusions like that?" Abhi tsked. "You should've been in Gryffindor, like -"
Pragya cut him off, wanting to get clarity on the Tanu situation once and for all. "Fine, ok, whatever! Finish telling me about Nikhil."
Abhi sighed, irritation seeping into his voice."Chashmish, you would not believe this fool's nakhras. First he was complaining that he didn't want to be her rebound guy, and then he was saying he didn't know how to patao her. So I had to help him and that's what's taking so long."
Pragya frowned suspiciously. "Help him how?"
"Tell him her favourite stuff, give him ideas for how to cheer her up. He's been sending her notes every morning at breakfast and gifts every day at lunch. He's been working on some convoluted everlasting rose transfig because he thinks it will impress her enough to finally agree to go to Hogsmeade with him."
"And you think she will?"
"If she doesn't I might just make him slip some Amortentia into her pumpkin juice and be done with it."
Pragya's eyes widened in dismay at this reference to the notorious love potion. "Don't even joke about that! You can't do that to any girl, it's wrong and it's cruel -"
"Oi, relax Madam Prefect! Of course we won't actually do that." Abhi rolled his eyes, unimpressed that she didn't share the joke. Then he continued, "Anyway, I don't think we'll need to. You know Nikhil's coming into a huge fortune through his uncle right? That'll be enough to interest Tanu, and once he flatters her with his ridiculous rose gift she's bound to agree."
"And just like that she'll be over you?" Pragya couldn't imagine how Tanu could just jump from Abhi to Nikhil. Could it really be that simple?
"I don't think she was ever really that into me. I told you, it was just for fun, and she knew that," Abhi said decisively. He clearly had no doubts about Nikhil's likelihood of success.
"Fine..." Pragya conceded, deciding that she'd just have to trust Abhi to know what he was doing. "But what if she sees us together in Hogsmeade that day? Will she cause a scene?"
Abhi raised his eyebrows. "Who said we're going to Hogsmeade?"
"We're not?" Pragya asked, crestfallen.
"No, we're not."
"But - but it's your last Valentine's here! I want to go to Puddifoot's with you and do that whole thing -"
"Trust me, we'll do something better."
Pragya pouted. "But that's what I want. One perfect Valentine's in Hogsmeade. If you won't take me then maybe Ragh-"
Abhi flicked his hand and Pragya felt the sudden slash of a silencing spell settling over her. She stopped mid-sentence and glared at Abhi in outrage.
"Do not take that Bludger bait's name ever again Chashmish." Abhi growled. "Just be glad that I haven't hexed him into oblivion yet. If you keep saying things like that, I won't be held responsible for what happens to him next."
Pragya rolled her eyes. She pulled out her wand and cast a Finite at herself. Along with her mental note to exercise, she added a resolution to get better at wandless magic so that Abhi wouldn't always have this advantage over her.
"I'm just reminding you that if you won't give me what I want there is somebody who will," she said with sweet sarcasm.
A dangerous look darkened Abhi's face, but in the next moment it shifted to something else. The corner of his mouth turned up and he slowly leaned toward her until her back was pressed against the wall.
"Empty threat, Chashmish," he said in a low voice that sent a thrill zinging to her toes. He looked at her lips for a long moment and then met her eyes again. "You and I both know that only I can give you what you want."
Pragya swallowed hard and fought to keep her nerves steady. Everything in her wanted to swoon just then but she knew she couldn't let him have such an easy win. She gathered her focus and took a deep breath. She set her hand on his chest and slowly glided it up until her fingers closed around his green and silver school tie.
"Then, maybe," she said, pausing to bite the corner of her lip flirtatiously, "you shouldn't keep me waiting any longer."
Abhi froze, his eyes widening at the implication. He glanced down at her hand holding onto his tie. When he looked up again, his surprise had given way to a sort of serious curiosity, and he was studying her carefully.
"W-what?" Pragya demanded, unnerved by the sudden scrutiny. The brazen impulse that had prompted her daring words had passed, and a wave of self-consciousness came in its place.
Abhi tipped her chin up with one finger. "It won't be much longer," he said softly. He angled her head down and lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "I think you can wait just three more days." Then he winked and walked away, his robes swirling out behind him as his long stride got him across the corridor before she'd completely processed the moment.
And once again Pragya was left mulling over a not-quite-kiss from Abhi.
But unlike the other times, now she knew exactly when to look forward to more.
***
Over the next days, Pragya kept watch on the Slytherin table at meal times, specifically trying to see what might be going on between Nikhil and Tanu. Raghav teased her that she was showing signs of snake obsession, but she didn't bother explaining what she was watching for. She was hoping that when - or if - it finally happened, it would explain itself.
On the morning of Valentine's Day, the Great Hall was buzzing with more than its usual chatter. Letters charmed to sing love songs added to the din of morning chatter, while bursts of confetti and flower petals drifted from gift parcels onto breakfast plates.
Pragya kept her head down and focused on her toast and jam, trying to be indifferent to the excitement around her. Abhi had promised her that today would be the day, and that had to be enough to get her through the morning. Even if it did seem that every other girl at Hogwarts was receiving some kind of Valentine's token while she got nothing.
When even the Owl Post came and went without anything for her, Pragya couldn't suppress a pang of disappointment. Was it too much to wish for just a little note from her betrothed? Now that he'd finally decided to prioritise their relationship, and with this being his last Valentine's at Hogwarts, Pragya had hoped for some kind of acknowledgement from him.
She was distracted from her self-pity by a hubbub at the Slytherin table. When she looked up, she saw that Nikhil was kneeling on one knee by Tanu, levitating his enchanted rose under a glass dome. It was like he was a reverent acolyte making an offering to a goddess.
Or like a mortal man proposing marriage.
As Pragya watched, Tanu took the delicate gift with trembling hands. Then she stood from her seat, pulled Nikhil to his feet and hugged him tight.
And Abhi was the first to clap for them, grinning and leading the sudden chorus of cheers.
He turned his head after a moment, perhaps feeling Pragya's eyes on him. He gave her a quick wink, and suddenly Pragya forgot that there had been anything disappointing about her morning.
***
Nikhil and Tanu's new relationship became a topic of discussion for all the Houses that day. It was unusual to see Slytherins so openly demonstrative, especially seventh years who were supposed to be the standard-bearers of decorum. Moreover, everyone knew that Tanu had been with Abhi for years, and speculative gossip about their breakup ran rampant. The dramatic edge was somewhat lacking because Abhi's reaction had been so obviously positive, but still everyone in the school seemed interested in the story.
Even Pragya's friends wanted to chat about it as they headed out of the Great Hall after breakfast. It was mostly Meethu carrying the conversation, as Raghav and Purab both knew that Abhi had never intended for that relationship to last. Pragya's head was entirely lost to the clouds, and she would not have been able to repeat any of Meethu's questions and guesses about the topic.
The gang of four was headed down to the Potions lab to work on their OWL independent projects. Pragya didn't quite notice when a wave of second year Hufflepuffs cut her off from her friends, as she was barely watching where she was going. Thus, she was caught totally off guard when someone yanked her backwards just as she was turning a corner alone.
Before she even had time to yelp in surprise, she was whisked into an alcove. A large hand covered her mouth, and a familiar oak-and-sage scent flooded her senses. She relaxed as her brain instinctively recognized that it was Abhi that had grabbed her.
But then a tide of warmth rushed through her as she realized that Abhi's forearm was grazing the underside of her breasts. He was holding her clinched tight, her back pressed to his front. They had never been this close before.
"No sound Chashmish, OK? Nod if you get me or I'll Silencio you to be safe," Abhi whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.
She nodded obediently, and he let his hand drop from her mouth.
"I just wanted to say, you need to meet me on the seventh floor after your friends leave for Hogsmeade. You're doing that extra credit Potions thing now, yeah? So stick with them until lunch, and then come to that dancing troll tapestry -"
"To get into the Come and Go Room?" Pragya interrupted, recognizing that he was trying to give her directions on the assumption that she didn't already know the special location.
"The what?" Abhi asked in bemusement. "What a daft name, where did you get that? It's called the Room of Requirement," he informed her.
Even though he couldn't possibly see her, Pragya rolled her eyes at this piece of condescension. "That's what the house elves call it, and you're not going to convince me that you know the castle better than them, so don't even try," she huffed.
"What even? Chashmish, here I'm trying to romance you, and you're arguing about house elves." The incredulity in Abhi's voice was softened by a definite note of fondness.
Pragya tipped her head back onto his shoulder and tried to meet his eyes in the shadowy dimness of the alcove. "Snatching a girl from a corridor is not romance."
When Abhi met her gaze, he was looking at her with nerve-melting heat. "Don't you worry, Chashmish," he said. "You'll get plenty of romance. Room of Requirement this afternoon, got it?"
"Y-yes," Pragya confirmed shakily.
Then he let her go, and without another word, he walked away.
***
When Pragya made it up to the seventh floor, a sudden wave of doubt stopped her in her tracks. Instead of continuing down the hall to cue the Room of Requirement, she stood stock still in front of the tapestry of dancing trolls. The gaudy pink of their stitched tutus blurred in front of her eyes.
What was she doing here? What exactly would happen next? And after so many years of waiting for Abhi to want her, how could she possibly feel nervous now?
Until this moment, she had been excited and curious. A secret assignation with Abhi during his last Valentine's at Hogwarts - what could be more thrilling? She had been so caught up in the moment, she hadn't realized how significant this was.
When she joined Abhi inside that room, something would change. It didn't matter what he had planned for them or what they would actually do. What mattered was that this was going to be the beginning of their life as a couple. They weren't kids anymore, with their future roles as husband and wife too far down the road to take seriously. And they weren't going to hide anymore, pretending that their betrothal was something that could be ignored until she graduated.
No, from this day forward, she and Abhi would finally treat their relationship with the respect it deserved. And it would be real in a way it had never been before.
It felt so very adult, and Pragya found herself wondering just how she had arrived at this moment without realizing it. She slowly backed away, until her shoulder came against the cool stone of the opposite wall. She closed her eyes then, taking a deep breath to centre herself.
A soothing sense of calm settled over her. She couldn't say whether it came from herself or from the solid castle around her. But, just as suddenly as her wave of doubt had paralysed her, this new wave of certainty pushed her forward.
The future was now, and she wouldn't delay it a moment longer.
She stepped forward and began the three rounds of pacing needed to trigger the door to the Room of Requirement. It was enchanted to become whatever she needed most, and what she needed now was to be where Abhi had called her.
She focused her thoughts on Abhi, remembering the thousand sunlit days of their childhood. She thought of his glorious smile that represented joy and happiness to her. She recalled the sense of safety she felt whenever he held her in his arms. As she paced, she concentrated on the words that would help her get to him now.
I need to be where Abhi is. I need to be where Abhi is. I need to be where Abhi is.
As she completed the third round, she kept her eyes closed one extra moment, giving the magic time to do its work. When she opened her eyes, a door had formed right in front of her.
She took a deep breath and stepped inside.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the brightness of sunshine, and she had to blink a few times before her vision cleared. She found herself standing in a very familiar garden. And at the far end of the garden, underneath the shadiest oak tree, Abhi stood waiting for her with his arms stretched open.
She ran straight to him, not needing any more invitation than that. He caught her as she barrelled forward, his hands closing tightly on her waist. Her robes swirled around her as he lifted her into a spin, and they laughed together from sheer exhilaration.
He gently set her on her feet but didn't let her go. Pragya's racing heart calmed down just a bit, and she was able to grin up at him and say, "You requested the garden at home."
"Of course," Abhi said with an answering grin. "Important things should happen at home, right?"
His eyes were dark with intensity, and she couldn't look away from him. Slowly, he raised his hands to cup her face. His thumb brushed lightly against her mouth, and accordingly her lips parted for him.
"Now or never, Chashmish," Abhi murmured, and it wasn't a question.
"Now," she answered anyway, never more sure of anything in her life.
And then he leaned forward, and she leaned up. She laid her hand on his shoulder to keep steady. Their mouths met.
A burst of pure magic swept through them. Pragya could feel it surging from the core of her being, her magic rushing to meet his, bright and sweet and perfect. She had never felt anything so right. It was like a message from the universe that they were born for each other.
As they continued to kiss, she stepped closer to him, cradling his head in her hands and pressing her chest to his. He held her tight, not allowing an inch of distance between them.
When she broke away to catch her breath, Abhi tilted Pragya's head so that he could keep kissing down the side of her neck. He pressed his lips to the wildly leaping pulse point on her throat, and the slightest touch of his tongue against her skin sent sparks along her nerves. She felt right then that she could spend forever just like this, cherished in his arms with every last bit of his attention concentrated on her.
But finally the chaos of their first kiss eased, and they slid down to the ground together. As Abhi settled her in his lap, her back to his chest, Pragya realized that they were sitting on a Mehra estate picnic blanket. The distinct navy and ivory check pattern was unmistakable, and his family crest was even embroidered at each corner.
"Wow," Pragya said, reaching her fingers out to trace the perpendicular lines of the familiar pattern. "I didn't know the Room could conjure with such detail. When we use it for our Ravenclaw study groups, it just looks like any other study room."
"Mmm." Abhi leaned his chin on her shoulder. "Look in the picnic basket," he said, pointing at the wicker hamper she hadn't noticed before.
It was too far to reach without getting up. Not wanting to leave Abhi's arms, she drew out her wand to cast the summoning charm. "Accio," she said, and the basket scooted forward.
Even though she couldn't see his face just then, Pragya could tell that Abhi was grinning. Suddenly worried that he might be setting her up for one of his wicked pranks, she demanded, "Have you hexed the basket? What's going to happen when I put my hand in it?"
He huffed against her shoulder, his warm breath blowing against the curve of her neck. "Nothing bad. Go on."
Still suspicious, Pragya opened the basket very carefully. To her surprise, it was stuffed to the brim with food - and not the standard Hogwarts fare, but all shudh desi treats. She drew out a crystal bowl of gulab jamuns with a glass cover.
"What is this!" she marvelled. "No way that this came from the Room. It can't create food."
"True," Abhi said. "Taste one."
She took another look in the basket and then turned to Abhi with a pout. "There are no spoons."
As she finished speaking, two pewter spoons materialized next to them. It was the same cutlery used for student meals in the Great Hall, and obviously the Room had provided them to meet her needs. But as she went to reach for one, Abhi grabbed her hand to stop her.
"Uff ho Chashmish, don't be so boringly proper," he scoffed. Then he took one of the gulab jamuns out of the golden syrup with his bare fingers, and lifted it to her lips. "Eat."
She raised her eyebrows skeptically, but willingly dipped her head to take the sweet with her mouth. Abhi drew his hand back and licked the extra syrup from his fingertips, and as she chewed, Pragya realized why he hadn't just told her where the food came from.
"You summoned Chan Chan!" she said accusingly, after swallowing the last bite of the gulab jamun. "These are from your kitchens. Robin made them, right? And you had Chan Chan bring all this here? You know you're not allowed to call personal house elves to Hogwarts!"
"Oh no, I'm caught," Abhi said in an exaggerated drawl. "What will the Ravenclaw prefect do to me now, I wonder?"
But instead of letting her answer, he started to tickle her sides, and the next moments were lost to squeals and laughter as she tried to squirm away from him.
She ended up flat on her back, with Abhi pressed on top of her, his hands pinning her shoulders to the blanket. Laughter faded away as their eyes locked, both of them suddenly realizing just how intimately they were positioned.
Looking up at him, Pragya saw her whole future, and she had no doubts. If she was with Abhi, everything could only be right. She wondered if maybe he would kiss her again, and started to reach for him.
But Abhi pulled away and sat up, cursing under his breath. "No, no, Chashmish," he said distractedly, sweeping a hand into his hair with nervous tension. "Suhaag raat ki liye kuch toh bachao," he admonished, as if it was all her fault that they were getting carried away.
Pragya blushed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She tilted her head and complained to him, "I thought at least we could kiss. Are you telling me you won't touch me again until our wedding night?"
Abhi stared at her in amazement. "Chashmish..." he began uncertainly, but then he didn't finish.
"What?" she prompted.
"I just..I didn't think you'd be so demanding."
Pragya stuck out her lower lip in frustration. "How is it demanding to want to kiss my betrothed? I'm not saying we should do anything else. I don't want to do anything else. Yet."
"Yet," Abhi repeated mockingly, but she could see that he was teasing her.
"You know what I mean," she insisted impatiently. "And I never thought you'd be like this. After everything you did with Tanu -"
"What everything?" Abhi interrupted. "What are you talking about?"
"I heard the two of you, at the Yule Ball last year. She kept asking you to come back to the dorms and you said -"
"Were you spying on me?" Abhi's eyes had narrowed, his face darkening with suspicion and outrage.
"No, I wasn't following you on purpose or anything, ok?" Pragya snapped, annoyed that he would find something to accuse her of while they were discussing his past misdeeds. "I was just looking for you for the pictures, and I passed by that statue you two had ducked behind."
"Uh huh," Abhi replied, not mollified. "And was this before or after you danced with that Bludger bait for three songs in a row?"
Pragya's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't known he was even in the Great Hall at that time. "You noticed that?"
"Do you think I'm blind not to notice? Who is the one wearing chashma here, hmm?"
It should have been a joke, but he was still annoyed so his tone was harsh. Defensively, Pragya replied , "Well so what if I danced with him? I never asked to go to his room like she was asking you-"
"Can we please just never talk about them again?" Abhi declared. "I know my limits, ok? I never brought her to my room. I didn't do anything more with her than you did with your Bludger bait. And every time I think about his hands on you, I want to kill something, preferably him. So if you don't want me to Avada him on sight, let's drop this subject."
Startled by his vehemence, Pragya started to agree. But then she stopped herself, not comfortable with the idea of closing the topic forever. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it now," she conceded. "I don't want to talk about it now either. But at some point we should talk about it."
"What's there to talk about?" Abhi argued. "I'm done with her, you're done with him, and we're finally together. What does it matter, what happened before?"
Pragya took a moment to think before replying. At last she said softly, "What kind of a future will we have together if we can't talk about the past?"
Abhi closed his eyes then, as if to turn away from the truth. But finally he sighed and opened his eyes again. "Fine. Let's talk about it. But come here and sit with me. Maybe I won't think of killing him while I'm holding you."
Pragya went to him and they cuddled up together, their backs to the massive oak tree. Abhi slid his arm around her shoulders, and she was able to lean her head against his chest as they settled in.
"Did you really not do anything with her other than snogging?" Pragya finally asked, tracing idle patterns on his robes with her fingertip. Then she realized that the patterns weren't idle at all, but rather she was spelling out her own name against his arm. He didn't notice, so she didn't stop herself.
"Don't you trust me?" Abhi answered, his voice calm. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like that."
"But you were with her so long," Pragya pointed out, unable to let go of the point. She didn't want to hear that Abhi had been intimate with Tanu, but if he had, she would rather know than not know.
Abhi didn't say anything for such a long time, that Pragya wondered if maybe she should repeat her comment. But then he finally said, slowly, "I am sorry about that. I didn't realize...when I saw you with that - Raghav - in the library, I felt...I felt so angry, Chashmish. I felt cheated by life." He paused briefly and then continued, "I don't know how I even stopped myself from casting some blasting curse between you just then...but I didn't want you to suffer, just him, so I decided to plan something else."
"My Slytherin hero," Pragya tried to joke, referring to his house's reputation for sneakiness and cunning.
But he didn't laugh, or even acknowledge the joke. Instead he shifted so that they were looking at each other, face to face. "If that's how you felt the whole time I was with her...I'm sorry, Chashmish. I shouldn't have put you through that. I was only with her because - because it was sort of fun, for a while, and then it was just a habit. It wasn't worth hurting you like that, and I'm sorry."
Pragya looked away from him, feeling uncomfortable about an apology she'd never expected to get. It wasn't like Abhi to be so sensitive, or to admit regret like this. She hated to think of him feeling guilty now. And even though, yes, it had hurt her over the years to know that Abhi had chosen to pursue a girlfriend, right in this moment she couldn't bear the thought of his anguish.
"It's ok," she started to say. "Like you said, the past is past, and -"
He stopped her with a finger to her lips. He tipped her face up she had to look at him again. "Is that why you went to him?" he asked, not accusing but genuinely interested. "I know it's stupid, but until I saw you together I never thought my Chashmish was old enough for kissing. I wish you'd come to me, instead of him."
Again Pragya looked away, her eyes suddenly stinging at the thought of how different things might have been. "I - it just sort of happened," she explained. "I didn't go to him."
Abhi drew her into a side hug, letting her set her head against his shoulder as his arm slipped around her waist. He pressed his lips to her hair. "And it's all done with him now, right? Maybe we should find him another girl so he will stop thinking about you. I don't like the idea of leaving you here with him for two more years after I graduate."
Pragya scowled up at him. "Don't be like that. He's a very nice boy, really, and we agreed we're just friends."
"Never trust nice boys, Chashmish," Abhi said very seriously. "They're the most haraami of them all."
"Oh, right, and what are the straight-forward haraami boys then?" Pragya countered, and then they tumbled into a nonsensical argument, bickering as had been their habit from almost as soon as they could talk.
They spent the rest of the afternoon just like that, cuddled together under their tree, talking, arguing, snacking - and occasionally kissing. Between the enchanted sunshine and the basket full of summery picnic foods, Pragya forgot for a time that it was even Valentine's Day. Instead, for her and Abhi, it was the first day of the rest of their lives.
And for some years afterward, it was Pragya's best memory.
-finite incantatem-
Thank you for joining me on this fic!
Please let me know your thoughts 😊
You can find links to my other fics at my KKB Fic Index
I would love to write more HP-AbhiGya AU, whether connected to this story or not. If ideas come to me I will surely do so. I did have some parallel stories in mind that I couldn't fit into this fic, featuring Neiliya and Rabul. Would anyone be interested in reading a companion fic with their Hogwarts stories? Let me know 😊
And that dialogue about haraami boys...I think it's from a recent movie but I can't remember which. Anyone who can identify it please tell me so I can add it to the credits! Thank you in advance 😳
Edited by -mina- - 9 years ago
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