Inspired from .

park, painful, humble

I've got no name for this. Blah.

Ginny didn't know Padma very well, but she still let the older girl lead her into a park she never knew existed, somewhere behind the Shrieking Shack. "Nobody goes here," Padma explained. "Who'd want to sit in a boring park when you can visit the Three Broomsticks or Zonko's?" Padma paused, and then said quietly, "I used to be like that, too."

Ginny didn't ask why, just reached over and took Padma's hand. They looked at each other, Ginny not knowing what to say to the older girl, and Padma not feeling the need to speak.

What was it about Padma that made Ginny follow her? Ginny thought it may be the way Padma looked. Padma was beautiful in a way Ginny couldn't imagine. People could look good with a lot of effort- she saw it some girls at the Yule Ball, most of all Hermione. She'd gapped at Hermione that night, marveling how the insecure, know-it-all girl with frizzy hair turned into an elegant girl with sleek hair in a complicated hair style, who stayed humble through it all. It must have taken hours. But Padma... she looked great naturally. She could be covered in mud and still look great. It made Ginny sort of nervous. And made her follow Padma, a girl she barely knew, to an empty park she never knew existed.

They made small talk then, after the silence. "You're Ron Weasley's sister?"

"Yes. You went with him the the Yule Ball?"

Finally, Padma came out and said it. "I've noticed you. And I want to get to know you better."

It took Ginny a while to figure out what Padma meant. And when she did, her heart jumped. I should tell her about Harry, Ginny thought. But then Ginny realized how silly that was. "Oh, I can't go out with you, Padma, because I'm waiting for the day Harry Potter will realize I'm alive." Silly, and oh so very painful.

"Harry, right?"

Ginny looked at Padma in shock. Padma laughed. "It's not hard to see. I told you, I've noticed you, and I've noticed you watching him. "

Ginny felt bad. "I thought maybe you weren't so madly in love with him that you could try being with someone else, but I guess i was wrong," Padma continued. Ginny stared. "I mean, I won't be mad if things don't work out. It would be disappointing, but you get over things after a while."

Ginny wanted to ask Padma what she meant. She had a feeling there was more to her than she showed, some sort of sadness. Ginny wanted to ask why but she was nervous. It wasn't a very polite thing to do, and her mother always told her to be polite. And... to not be afraid of life. So why was she afraid now?

"I'm not madly in love with him.. I suppose."

"You suppose?" Padma raised an eyebrow at Ginny, something she always admired at Charlie and the twins.

Ginny shrugged. "I mostly know him from stories."

"Stories aren't very accurate."

"They aren't," Ginny agreed.

And then Padma gave Ginny her first kiss.

"I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever." Amy Tan