Twenty months ago
In the middle of lopsided fight, an agonized scream pierced through the air. Ryder, as berserker rage lifted for a moment, casted a shield and turned to see Padma kneeling over Parvarti and her mother. The sadness, hurt, and blame he saw there froze his heart to back to ice. Throwing himself back in the fight against Fabian's fluckies, his rage returning with more than ever. He knew that after tonight his stay in India will be over. And whatever chance he had at dating Padma were dashed. 'BASTARD!' he thought.
Pushing the assholes and their leader out of the mansion, Ryder instantly switched from stunning to his family's one hit killer spells. Their screams were deafened by a freak monsoon thunderstorm and he only stopped when Fabian turned cowardly and ran for his life. Sliding his forearm length wand in the holster on his hip, he heaved a resigned sigh. "Accio hooded duster, accio duffle." Catching the only things he brought from Hogwarts, Ryder glanced back while putting the duster on. "Goodbye Padma." he whispered under his breath. Drawing the hood up over his face, he slung the duffle onto his shoulder and disapparited to his older sister's apartment. Standing outside the door, he kept his gaze down and watched water drip. 'There goes my heart.' he thought.
Present Day
Ryder Shogun, dressed for the cold, sprawled out under a tree as other students milled about. 'Another day, another hell to deal with. And still no word from Padma. Guess she's still not wanting to talk with me. Can't say I blame her, given what I accidentally did to her mother and sister, I won't talk to me either.' he thought, glancing towards the covered walkway. Upon seeing Padma talking with someone from her house, Ryder stood and bolted down the path to Hogsmead. "Damn, why did Fabian have to attack during Christmas and made me retaliate the way I did?" he asked aloud, knowing that there's no answer to the answer. About half way, he stopped next to a tree.
Leaning on it with a hand, he balled his free hand into a fist and punched. Letting that destact him from his thoughts, he rest his head on the tree. "Padma, I miss you." Ryder felt himself drop to his knees at those words. Wallowing in his misery for a long moment he stood up again. Shifting around, he continued to Hogsmead at brisk pace. Drawing the hood over, Ryder watched the snow start to fall. 'Why did one night have to change so much?'
Reaching Hogsmead, he entered Three Broomsticks and sat in the farthest booth from everybody. Sitting catacornerd Ryder took a silver coin from his pocket. Staring at it, he thought for a second that he felt an emotion radiate from it. But he was sure it wasn't from her, he knew from Luna that she hadn't touched hers since that night in India. He could still dream and hope, even if it wasn't reality. Figuring that he's puts himself through enough hurt for one day, he slid the coin back in his pocket. A butter beer was set on the table, causing him to look up.
"Hi Gin." Ryder said neutrally. "Hi, still no word?" He shook his head in answer of Ginny's question, watching the red headed witch sit across from him. "She'll forgive you eventually." He glared, "What if I nearly killed your mother and one of your siblings? Would you forgive me? Because I wouldn't." Ryder states coldly. Slugging the butter beer back, he turned his from Ginny and added, "Shouldn't you be with Harry?" "He's doing a favor for the headmistress." 'Which means he is not here, wonder-freaking-bar.' he thought, going back to people watching. Which he has done a lot since that night, mainly to not think to much about Padma. But it usually fails in that regard, most anything he looks at reminds him of her. 'Damn me.'