[ 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.
[ 4 ] For a time, Draco wished Padma would join him and some of the other Slytherins in serving the Dark Lord. She’s pureblood after all, which already sets her at an advantage. If she merely gave up Dumbledore’s Army, she could do well, far better than Crabbe and Goyle who have each surpassed him in rank (like that makes any sense). Draco suspected her curiosity about magic might be the thing that did it. There’s more to the Dark Arts than the Unforgivables, after all; so much magic yet undiscovered, thanks to the school curriculum. Draco has since abandoned this secret wish. He likes working with Padma, having her on his team (not that she’d see it that way), and whether he intended it or not, Draco is more than a Death Eater. Why lure her towards an organisation he feels increasingly detached from?
