Chapter Text
Padma Patel had always been known as "the quiet one", since she was as much of an introvert as her sister was an extrovert. The contrast made the differences all the sharper, considering how perfectly the two of them physically matched, at least to the casual eye.
No one, without either legilimency or Mediwitch skills, would realize that the social butterfly sister of the pair had cashed in her "V" card, and divested herself of the status of "virgin" during the previous school year, while Padma had not.
This was not because Padma was uninterested in boys, or that she was by nature a 'witch's witch'. No, it was just a matter that she was far more choosy about whom she would ever consider getting herself involved with, should the opportunity occur.
Her list of 'at least acceptable' males was rather short, and surprisingly included none in her Hogwarts house of Ravenclaw. Yes, brains was a requirement, she would not consider a male who would be a crashing bore, of whom this school was entirely too full of.
Ravenclaw House's cadre of males in her year, and nearby in age, where entirely of the "turnoff" quality, from Padma's perspective. Of course, with her high standards, pickings were thin everywhere. Perhaps the Zabini boy in Slytherin, Justin Finch-Fletchey among the 'Puffs, possibly Longbottom, an Heir, among the Gryffs.
Harry Potter would be another possible, if he would only raise his standards of personal deportment and manners, or so she thought. As he stood now, she could never take him home to Daddy as a potential suitor. You would think no one had ever told him anything about the expectations he would have to fulfill as the Lord of an Ancient and Nobel House!
But he seemed to be 'off the market', based on his close relationship with Hermione Granger, who would be a world-class fool (in Padma's opinion) if she didn't kick that Weasley slob to the curb, and grab onto Potter tightly, with both hands. Padma had overheard several of the staff Professors placing bets among themselves on when those two, Harry and Hermione, would get together.
A rich Heir, who didn't put on airs; a real hero, if any part of the gossip was true; and a boy with a 'thing' for brainy girls. His ignorance, if it was that, and not attitude, could be cured by a concerned lady friend.
Perhaps she should 'test the waters' over there in the House of the 'way too much red' and gold? Harry did seem to be teachable, at least by young ladies whom he liked and whose opinions therefore mattered to him. Hermione had smoothed off quite a few of his roughest edges already, or so Padma thought she observed. But he had a long way to go to hold his head up in the social circles of the Wizengamot seat holders.
Padma looked in the mirror and tried to imagine what she was seeing, from the eyes of a boy. Her face was every bit as flawless as Parvati's, even if her default expression was more serious. Her hair was the same luxurious black as her sister's, and her figure was rather nice, too.
Maybe not quite as impressive as girls like Susan Bones, she of the chest that caused drool to appear on so many male faces.
But concealed by those school robes, not cut to display too much, she had curves in all the right places, a chest that might be classed as "just right" for a young man's playground, and, frankly, an ass that begged to be held, massaged, and kissed.
Her legs, quite strong from her years of dance lessons, were elegant in shape, and just about right to wrap around a young man, and encourage him to even greater feats, when the time came. Whether that would be around his waist or his head, might differ from day to day, or perhaps from hour to hour.
Padma had quietly included the Kama Sutra, the Ananga Ranga, and other classic works from her family's home culture, into her private studies, and rather expected to surprise, perhaps shock, her future lover(s) and her husband. Her attitudes had been shaped by growing up in Britain instead of Bombay, and she viewed the traditions of her family's homeland with at least as fishy an eye as most teenagers.
Her gossip-monger sister had not been shy in telling her that their shared 'café au lite' skin tone had been evaluated as quite a turn on by a number of young men in their own year and above, young men typically maturing, in such matters, later than the women.
Padma had kept herself quiet about her opinion that too many males never "matured" properly, at all, at any age.
Then came the stampede of looking for dates to the Yule Ball.
After Potter had been turned down flat by Chang, and had learned Hermione was already paired with someone else, he had done the almost unthinkable, and approached Padma, across House lines.
Apparently he really did have a "thing" for brainy girls, as Padma was solidly third in their year, behind the ongoing cat fight for first between Hermione and Daphne Greengrass.
When, before accepting, she mentioned that her sister was, as yet, unaccompanied, giving Harry an opening to back out, and take a lady from his own House, he didn't even flinch. But he did express that there was someone else he knew was still looking for a 'date'.
That attempt to give Harry an honorable path for retreat, resulted in the "Red Weasel" becoming Parvati's date for the Ball. Knowing his utter lack of manners or social graces of any kind, and his attitude that he had no need of them, Padma almost felt sorry for her sister; but all was fair in love, war, and Yule Ball dates. Padma knew that SHE would never have lowered herself to accept Weasley as an escort.