This will be my second story, the first being an Oliver Wood/ Katie Bell fic that's very close to being finished. This pairing is a bit odd if I say so myself. I actually got the idea after reading Breaking the Rules by Angel of the North at the Sugarquill. It was very well written and made me wonder, what if… So here's my Padma/George story…

Disclaimer: Don't own Potter. Um, duh…

Even the Best Laid Plans Go Wrong

It was with a sour look that Padma Patel watched her twin sister, Parvati, kiss Ernie McMillan at the other end of their table at the Leaky Cauldron.

At that moment, Padma hated the former Hufflepuff. As far as she was concerned, he had ruined her life. The plan had always been for her and Parvati to share a flat and own their own dress shop in their native India after their graduation from Hogwarts. With Parvati's fashion sense and Padma's Ravenclaw smarts it was sure to be a success. But Ernie ruined all of that when he proposed to Parvati mere months after graduation and asked her to help run his family's store. Parvati, in tears, had said yes. With one three letter word, all of Padma's life plans had been destroyed.

Padma was a girl who had a plan for everything and a backup plan for everything that could go wrong with that plan. It was the only way she felt comfortable. Maybe that was why she had not been able to keep the attention of her boyfriend, Roger Davies, and he was now snogging Cho Chang on a regular basis.

The one thing she had neglected to plan for was Parvati deciding she did not want to run a dress shop with her twin. She had always assumed they would. They were twins, after all, and twins stuck together no matter what. Now, Parvati knew exactly how her life would be while Padma knew nothing. She had no job, no flat, nothing, and her parents were expecting her to move out as soon as possible.

She sighed miserably.

"Are you alright?" Parvati asked.

Padma plastered a fake smile across her face. She might not like what was happening, but the other part of being a twin was always being supportive of what made the other happy.

"I'm fine, just thinking of where I should look for a job."

"You could always work in our store," Ernie offered.

The idea appealed to her for a brief second. It was guaranteed work, and she was sure to be paid pretty well since she would be related to the owners. But the idea of watching Ernie and Parvati's public displays of affection while at work made her nauseous.

"I'm afraid I have to pass. I'll find something in Diagon Alley I suppose."

"I saw that the Slug and Jiggers had a 'Help Wanted' sign in the window," Parvati told her, "You were always good in Potions."

Padma thought the idea over carefully. She had made excellent marks in potions, finishing just behind Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy.

"I suppose I could stop by before I go home, and see if they'll interview me."

"I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have you," Parvati assured her, "and you'd be working near me so we could lunch together at Fortescue's and share gossip. I'm sure we'll have tons!"

Padma forced herself to look excited at the idea, even though she could have cared less who was dating who or having whose baby.

"I'm sure it'll be great." She got up from the table and pulled on her coat and scarf. "I should be going if I want to catch the apothecary before it closes."

She started to take a few coins from her pocket, but Parvati stopped her.

"Dinner's on us, Padma. Let me know how it goes with the Apothecary, alright?"

"Sure."

Padma left the Leaky Cauldron, swallowing her anger at being given charity from her own twin. She was an independent girl, even if she did not have employment.

Fat snowflakes fell from the sky, sticking to her long dark eyelashes and hair. The shop windows of Diagon Alley were covered in festive Christmas decorations, but Padma hardly felt in the Christmas spirit. She was miserable and angry and wanted nothing more than to wallow in her own self-pity, not traipse down to Slug and Jiggers and beg for a job.

She stopped in front of the door and stared at the sign for a moment, unsure of whether or not she should actually apply. Finally, she made up her mind and walked inside.

There was a tiny jingling as she opened the door and an old man at the front counter looked up.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

She picked nervously at the fringe of her purple scarf, trying to ignore the stench.

"Well, I hope so. You, um, you have a sign advertising 'Help Wanted,' do you still need help?"

He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Is the sign still in the window?"

"Well, yes."

"Then I suppose I do."

She could feel her cheeks turn red at having her ignorance pointed out.

"I would like to apply."

"Really, now?" he said, pouring some powder into a vial, "You're hired."

Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"What? Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that." He placed the vial on a shelf behind himself. "I've had that sign up for an entire year without any applicants. It wouldn't make sense for me to turn down help now would it? Or did you want to be rejected?"

She shook her head. "No, no, I need the job. That's fine."

"Good, wouldn't want to hire someone who didn't want to work here. Be here at 8 tomorrow morning, I'm expecting a very important customer."

There was another jingle as a group of people poured into the store. Padma made her way to the door through the swarm, her new boss yelling after her.

"Don't forget! 8 AM sharp!"

She was met with a gust of cold air as she stepped outside. Carolers sang loudly somewhere down the street, but the noise seemed more tolerable to Padma now. At least she had a job. If she was lucky she could hold onto it long enough to find her own flat and maybe even a better job at the Ministry. She knocked on a nearby wooden fence, finding it best not to tempt the fates.

Quickly, she ran down to the nearest fireplace connected to the floo network to go home and tell everyone the somewhat good news.

I promise George will be here in the next chapter.