Padma Patil (warsanctions) wrote in euphorialane, @ 2009-01-19 13:32:00 |
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"Do we have to get up?" Padma groaned, rolling over and tucking herself against Stephen's side under the blanket. The air was just cool enough in the bedroom that it seemed the best idea to stay snug under the warm blankets. "I think I need to sleep for a year. I can't believe I used to get by on only four hours every night for years." The sunlight streaming through the window was deceptively bright, but Padma knew that it wouldn't be pleasant outside. Padma's feet were freezing, too, and she shoved them under Stephen's knees to warm them up, teeth chattering a little. "No, I don't think so," Stephen mumbled in reply, wrapping his arms around Padma as she snuggled up closer. "We both have the day off, so we can just stay right here all day... or at least until we get hungry." After an eventful Christmas - visiting Padma's father for the first time in years, for the first time since he and Padma had gotten back together, and visiting his family for the holiday as well - Stephen couldn't imagine anything he'd rather do than shut the rest of the world out and stay curled up in bed with Padma all day. It wasn't that the holiday had been terrible; in fact, it was the best Christmas Stephen could remember having since before his father's attack. He'd been nervous about visiting Padma's father, but that had gone well, and his own father was able to return home for a visit, to celebrate with his wife and children. It was almost too good to be true. "Want me to go make us tea?" he asked, turning so he could nuzzle her neck a little. "Mmf. Not yet," Padma mumbled sleepily, her long hair twisting and turning in Stephen's face. She bit her lower lip gently, half-puckering and half-asleep. She curled her arms around his wrist and pulled his arm against her chest. She could obviously be quite clingy when she was tired. When it was clear that she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep again, she finally muttered, "....maybe? I can't sleep, but I can't quite wake up yet." "Mmm." Stephen was perfectly content to stay in bed, all wrapped up in his beautiful girlfriend. With one arm against her chest, Stephen's other hand was free to thread through her hair. He loved Padma's hair when it was down and messy (though not tangled, just... not curled perfectly) and he was free to play with it. "You'll have to let go of me if you want me to get up," he said softly, lightly teasing her. He managed to detangle himself and slide out of bed, grabbing a cashmere jumper off the floor on his way out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with the Daily Prophet folded and tucked under his arm, and a tray with two teacups and a teapot with tea brewing. He set it down on the bed and crawled back up. "I brought the paper too," he said, holding it out for Padma. "Thanks. I get to read it at my leisure now; that's something of a relief. I don't have the scour the paper for bits that I might have to use anymore. Of course," she said, pushing herself up and propping up a pillow against the headboard. "I still look anyway, but it seems much more...." By now, she'd opened the paper, and the headline practically jumped out of the page: SOUTHEAST ASIA STRUCK BY TSUNAMI. The Patils had family there, and she was certain that her father was jumping out of his skin. All of his family lived on that side of the Indian Ocean, scattered. Some were inland, but a great deal of them were in Pondicherry, a coastal town right smack in the middle of the tsunami zone. Padma sat up with a start, her mouth hanging open inelegantly. "Oh. Oh no." "Wish I could say the same," Stephen grumbled, getting situated on the bed. He'd read the paper later; since he didn't have to go in to work that day, it wasn't terribly important to him to know exactly what was going on in the world since he fell asleep the night before. He was in the middle of taking a sip of tea when Padma sat up, having obviously just read something startling. "What is it?" he asked, setting his cup down so he could lean in and read over her shoulder. He scanned the headline quickly, his eyes immediately widening when he got to the map of the effected area. "Oh shit." Padma threw the blankets off, slipping her legs over the side of the bed. Swallowing hard, she grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her. "I've got to... I can't stay here... I've got to go. Merlin, if I was still... I could easily get access out there. It's going to be tough to get clearance, but I've..." She suddenly stopped, looking at Stephen with tears in her eyes. "Stephen, I've got family out there. A lot of family out there. I have to know if they're okay." Stephen was so surprised by the news that he barely noticed Padma get out of bed. It wasn't until he heard the emotion in her voice that he got up as well and crossed the room to wrap her up in his arms. "I'll go with you," he told her, not bothering to ask if she wanted him there. He knew she would, and he didn't want her to go alone. Besides, Padma's family was going to be his family one day, and after all she had done for his, the least he could do for hers would be to come to their aid in return. He pulled back, kissed her forehead and looked down at her with a serious expression on his face. "We'll get dressed, toss some things in a few bags, go to the Ministry and go. I'm sure my boss'll be trying to find me soon enough, and I'm sure I can talk him into letting me go." The Indian Ministry would probably need their help. "Just get some things together and I'll take care of everything else, all right?" |