Masquerade (Discontinued)

Chapter XXIII

Wyndcliff Road Westcombe Park SE7, Charlton, London

Monday the 12th of July 1999

10:00 AM

"What are you making?" Anthony asked, peeking over Padma's shoulder in excitement. Padma spun around, shoving her friend away and she held up her spatula dangerously.

"This is the last time I'm going to warn you, Anthony Goldstein. It's a surprise. Go bother Pavati instead of me," Padma sighed.

Anthony pursed his lips and sat down, falling into his chair again and speaking quietly with Michael. Padma sighed and looked over at Parvati. The young woman shook her head.

"Still not talking to you?" Padma murmured.

"Yeah…can't blame him though. I wasn't as serious about the relationship as he was and I let it go on, knowing that, for like a year and a half. Should've ended it when you told me," Parvati huffed and Padma shrugged, not wanting to say 'I told you so' but from the way Parvati looked at her, she didn't need to say it aloud. "Shut up, Padma."

"I mean…I think he'll be okay. I would've preferred you two together but you saw how he was with that girl," Padma said, sounding apprehensive and she cast a calculating look over at Anthony and Michael. Maybe she could weasel something out of her own boyfriend…

"Right. The girl," Parvati said, her eyes hard.

Padma snorted. "You can't dump him, break his heart and still be jealous, Parvati. It just makes you look like an asshole."

"Then maybe I'm an asshole," Parvati said sharply. She sighed as Padma gave her a piercing look. "Gods, I don't know, Padma. She was just…beautiful and disturbing and so much. Too much for him. Like she'd swallow him whole and still be starving, unsatisfied."

"He's like that too, Parvati. He's never satisfied," Padma said pointedly. "He fools himself into thinking he was happy with what you could give him, but he's the kind that wants the love you die for. You're not that girl. You're a survivor. He wants someone that burns too bright to martyr themselves. Just like him."

Parvati nodded, knowing how that true that was.

They continued to cook in silence, only looking over their shoulders when they heard the fireplace roar. Padma looked over her shoulder and she grinned as Linda, Theodore, Lalita, Neville, and Daphne ambled in, one after the other. They were chattering loudly, with Daphne being the loudest of them all as she tended to be. Lalita walked over kissing both Padma and Parvati on their cheeks, Linda following suit as she dropped a platter of croissants on the table.

"I said not to bring anything!" Parvati whined.

"I didn't listen. Do I ever?" Linda grinned as she spoke over Daphne as the woman hugged and kissed the people that hadn't been late to breakfast.

"What's her problem?" Padma asked as she finished up the bacon and fried bread.

"Oh…oh. Uh, Fay," Lalita said, unable to hide her snickers.

Daphne looked like she had just been getting started as she stripped off her long over robe. "You should've seen her, Anthony! She put herself between us like she needed to protect Bella from me. From me! Her best friend! Who the fuck does she think she is?"