#padmaunshadowed

“Sorry – have you seen Parvati?”

There was an easy way to tell them apart. Parvati stood a little straighter and Parvati’s voice was recognizable from across the hall. She and Lavender, after all, were known for that cross between the shriek and a giggle – not that either of them had done that in months.

Of course Lavender knew where Parvati was, but she was still surprised by Padma’s appearance in that familiar hall. Lavender herself was a little scared of entering the Room of Requirement; she had lost her faith in so much that it felt a little silly to hope that they would be protected. Padma had always tagged along behind the two Gryffindors but now Lavender felt like the third wheel.

She had hoped that if she did see Parvati that day, then maybe Padma would get the hint to go. Lavender had some pretty private business to share, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for a third person to know about her little pet projects.

Her hand was pressed against the wall, finger tingling against the cold; it was like she could feel the room on the other side of the wall, regardless of the fact that no one could ever really be sure that the room was there at all.

[ 1 ] Draco always got along better with Padma than Parvati, so it was no wonder to him that she was sorted into Ravenclaw while Parvati had the misfortune to join the house of Godric Gryffindor, the man who favoured brawn over brains. Draco wouldn’t go as far as to call them friends. On playdates, Draco liked to choose the game, thus he formed friendships with more malleable peers, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle for instance. Friendships with this particular pair didn’t challenge Draco to be a better version of himself; he could be selfish, biting, and confident in his superiority. The same could not be said of Padma and Parvati. However, he was friendly with Padma once, before they’d received their invitations, purchased their wands, and started donning their new house colours. Draco never hoped for friendship–hope was too much like begging, and Draco needed neither–and yet Padma might just be the friend he never dared to hope for.

[ 2 ] When Draco’s seventh year began, he anticipated that detentions would be a walk in the park after all the practice he’d gotten over the summer, casting the Cruciatus Curse on men twice his size. But they weren’t–in fact, he came to loath detention almost, almost, as much as the next person. Padma was the first to witness his hatred of it outright. It was not long before his agreement with Snape–that Draco would take on responsibility over the younger students’ detentions. It was just supposed to be him and Padma leading detention that evening, but Amycus Carrow stuck his big head in and messed everything up. Aunt Bellatrix had trained Draco well, to the point of breaking; Draco’s spell careered into a bookcase which exploded in a riot of paper and charred leather. It shocked even Draco, who had once been applauded for his precision.

[ 3 ] Padma is pretty, and Draco likes being seen around her. Yes, she’s a Ravenclaw and her family hasn’t the best reputation. She’s been too friendly with the Gryffindors for Draco’s liking, and her judgement is clearly off. But there’s something pleasing about walking next to her. This is as much about her personality as it is her appearance–or perhaps more so, considering she has an identical twin and Draco doesn’t feel the same way about Parvati. And maybe it’s less about being seen with Padma than being with her in general. Not that he lets it be known. Draco is perfectly comfortable with the school thinking the rumours are true, that he’s not just a bully but a killer, if it keep anyone from learning the truth; that he has a heart and it’s breaking. He and Padma have shared moments--dancing at the Yule Ball while sneering at the wardrobe choices of her date is one of Draco’s fondest--and that’s enough for him. 

“That note’s a little higher – maybe a little louder?”Lavender taught Padma how to sing backup for All I Want For Christmas Is You, which would have probably been alot easier if Padma could actually hear what that song sounded like on a muggleradio. That’s always been a problem when trying to introduce her friends to her world, while she feels like she’sbeen fully steeped in theirs. Lavender offered to invite them over during the holidays, but the Patils have yet to take her up on that offer.

“Squid? Well, you are what you eat I guess….”The first time Lavender heard the word squibwas from Padma after she explained that her mother can’t do magic, but hergrandparents are magic. Lavender’s half-Filipina, so she grew up eating squidso she got the term mixed up for a while and thought that it was a strangeassociation for wixen to have.

“Can you pleasetell Parvati that I’ll be seeing Ronald tonight?”Parvati knows everything first, even if Padma was the one more willing to lend an ear. One of the few times Lavender told Padma something that Parvati didn’t already know was when she asked Padma what Ronald was like – because there’s no better way to judge someone’s character after one night of being forced to spend time with them, obviously. But Padma hears everything whenthe two are fighting because there’s no such thing as the silent treatment when there was an owlthat could deliver their messages back and forth. Sure, Padma’s a good listener– but Lavender always had a feeling that she would always side with Parvati.They were twins, after all, andPadma just seemed like the type to put her own family first.

“Are you gonna be okay in Ravenclaw Tower?”Padma’s presence was just a given when Parvati was around and a few months into their friendship– though Lavender wouldn’t call them friendsquite yet since Parvati was their go-between at that point. They weren’tfriends enough that Lavender was actually concernedthat Padma wasn’t making friends at all in Ravenclaw, which is why she wasalways following the pair of Gryffindors. Lavender’s always trying to get Padmato expand her social life a little, and she considered herself Padma’s unofficialmatchmaker.

bonus because I didn’t think of it but I thought it was funny: “I’m literally going to kill Seamus!”Parvati and Lavender overuse the word “literally” so much that Padma starts making fun of them by misusing “figuratively” the same way. If Parvati says, “I’m literally going to kill Seamus,” Padma automatically answers, “I’m figuratively going to ask you what happened.” It’s cute and funny until it gets adopted into Padma’s regular speaking patterns. 

[ Padma Patil | A Relationship with Lavender ]

A reading for @padmaunshadowed. Card interpretations are from the Golden Thread Tarot app.

[ Padma | Seven of Swords, reversed ] Turn a New Leaf, Desire to Reform, Desire to Change. Though you may have found yourself in a position where you have needed to lie, betray, and steal to survive, there is a spark within you that is showing desire to leave that life behind. It has left you feeling smothered, and unable to be free.  

[ Dynamic | Six of Wands, reversed ] Self-Doubt, Lack of Recognition, Punishment. For some reason or another, you are either starting to doubt your own abilities, or instead of getting the public recognition you expected, you are now being punished. Your confidence has been suffering as a result of all this.  

[ Lavender | The Lovers, Reversed ] Loss of Balance, One-Sidedness, Disharmony. In a partnership, there may be a sense of feeling like one party is giving or taking too much. Are the feelings in your relationship mutual? Or conversely, there might be disagreements -- between either two parts within yourself, or amongst your relationships.

[ Padma Patil | Past, Present, Future ]

A reading for @padmaunshadowed. Card interpretations are from the Golden Thread Tarot app.

[ Past | The Hierophant ] Tradition, Conformity, Morality and Ethics. Following the bounds of tradition. What is tried and true is valued, and it is not the time to stray from the path. This card can also represent the pursuit of knowledge, or a spiritual guide.  

[ Present | Two of Swords, reversed ] Lesser of Two Evils, No Right Choice, Confusion. The choices that you need to make right now are ones where there are consequences for both. Though you struggle to weight the options in your hands, anything you do could lead to suffering. The alternative is that you are wading through conflicting opinions from too many external sources, having to play middle man between two opposing forces.  

[ Future | Ten of Cups, reversed ] Shattered dreams. Broken family. Bad relationships. The joy that you should be getting when you reunite and connect with family and the community around you is not happening right now. For one reason or another, your desire to create peace and understanding amongst loved ones is failing.