For the eighth time that night, Padma Patil found herself scrutinizing the reflection in her wine glass. The broken strands of hair around her face were sticking up and out once again, despite several previous attempts at magicking them flat. She couldn't help but think that Parvati could have done a better job of it.

If she moved her head slightly to the left she could see Sunil trying to discreetly pick a piece of food out of his teeth with his tongue. He looked handsome in his black dress robes. His hair was short, black, and combed up and back. Sunil seemed to be watching the happy couple take the dance floor.

Padma's head popped up to watch Ron and Hermione start to sway.

"Great venue, yeah?" Padma was snapped out of her reverie by her date.

"Yes," she said quickly. "Absolutely… I wonder if the Weasley's will let me use the burrow for my wedding." Padma laughed and then immediately stopped once she realized how that must have sounded to Sunil. This was after all, their first date. "Not that I - uh - that was a joke."

Sunil shrugged without smiling and picked at the cake on his plate.

"Would you care to - um?" Padma nodded over to the dance square. Once Sunil understood her question he jumped slightly.

"Oh no, no. I'm an awful dancer," he explained apologetically. Padma nodded politely and smiled, trying not to let her disappointment show.

"It's fine. I should probably go make the rounds anyway. I see one of my old dorm-mates across the room."

"Of course."

Padma walked off, tripping over her dress once or twice before finally making it to the table where her old dormmates sat happily chatting away. Hermione and Ron had been kind enough to sit her with other members of Dumbledore's Army, including Justin Fletchley and Hannah Abbot. And as nice as it was to talk with them at the start of the evening, they had all wandered off, forming their own groups, leaving Padma and her date to themselves.

Padma was unsure of what to say once she arrived at the table full of her old dormmates. She was relieved when they all broke into "Padma!" And pulled her into the nearest chair.

She wouldn't have blamed them if they had decided to ignore her. She hadn't done the best job, or really any job of keeping in touch.

"Where have you been?" asked Su. Su had been Padma's favorite dormmate.

"Heard you became a Healer!" said another.

"I did, actually."

"I saw you with a guy!" said Mandy, another Ravenclaw. Padma was surprised at how quickly the subject turned from her career to her date.

"Yes," was all Padma could muster.

"Tell us!"

"Just a date my parents arranged."

"Pureblood thing?" asked Mandy. Padma nodded back sadly.

"Tell me about you all though!" said Padma, trying to deflect the attention. "I've missed you, all of you."

OOO

It didn't take long for Padma to become overwhelmed. As happy as she was to see old friends, it made her equally unhappy to think about all that had happened since the last time they saw each other and just how few friendships she currently had. She didn't want to go back to her table though, where Sunil would be waiting. So, instead she walked out of the nearest opening in the large tent, and into the much calmer night.

Perhaps the literal breath of fresh air would give her enough courage to go back in…eventually. She stayed there for a while, standing just outside the tent, gazing up at the night sky, amazed at how many stars she could see. Her calm was rudely disturbed however, by a tall figure tumbling out of the tent and onto the grass near her feet. She stayed there for a moment, waiting for someone to come out chasing after. But no one followed and the figure, a man, didn't get up.

"Are you alright?" There was no reply so she asked again. "Sir, are you alright?" Padma dropped to her knees. feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline that came with tending to the injured. Padma turned him over.

"George?"

It was him. She was sure of it now. She couldn't help but think though that he looked older than she remembered. But of course, he was older…

Padma was startled as he began to rouse.

"-being ridiclous...I'm fiiiine!" Padma was elated to see him awake but startled nonetheless.

"George, do you know how many drinks you've had?" His eyes were closed, but his mouth was opening and closing, seemingly searching for the number with his mouth.

"tenish…? No clue…" Padma sighed while feeling for his pulse so she could take his heart rate.

"Alright George. I'm going to try to sit you up." Padma used her wand to hoist George's upper body against the tent wall. She succeeded but had to place a hand on his forehead to keep it from falling forward. She put her wand in her pocket and at the same time withdrew a small vial. Padma's trusty bottle of sober up had become a staple in her purse ever since her last arranged date had decided to finish off an entire bottle of wine at the dinner table. She uncorked the vial with one hand, and brought it to George's mouth which was conveniently hanging open.

"Swallow, okay?" He did as she ordered but his sleepy face grimaced as he did so. The effect was almost instant. The potion worked from the top of George's body down. As his mind cleared, he became aware there was a woman sitting extremely close. And as his vision became less blurred he saw that she was shockingly pretty.

"What just-?"

"I found you on the verge of blacking out and your heart rate was low. I suspect you had more than your fair share of spirits." Padma was trying to act professionally but was having a hard time with it now that George was lucid. "I decided to give you a bit of sober-up... I hope you don't feel intruded upon… It's just that I'm a healer and I just took my oath, so I couldn't leave you there. You should really be more careful. You must have had a lot of firewhiskey to get that drunk." George raised his eyebrows at her. "Sorry, that's your choice, of course! But it could be very dangerous. Especially since you were by yourself." George looked away from Padma for the first time since he had sobered to look at his surroundings.

"Padma?"

"Yes," she replied, mildly shocked that he hadn't called her Parvati, as had happened a few times that night already. Perhaps he knew about where Parvati currently was...

Padma, stood up to straighten out the skirt of her dress. "You really shouldn't have any more to drink tonight."

"Healer's orders?"

"Well… yes." Padma stood a little taller. "Yes."

George clumsily rose to his feet. Even with a potion it took a considerable amount of effort. "The problem is," George sighed, his gaze at his feet, "I'm at my third wedding this year. Same bloody music, same cake, same sappy speeches." He motioned back into the reception tent. "I'm ten drinkless minutes away from transfiguring the dinner plates into fanged frisbees and showing everyone my pants for a laugh. Then mum might murder me, right in the middle of it all. Is that what you want?" Padma gave George a sympathetic look. "If I don't drink, how am I going to survive the night?"

"Well... if you keep drinking, you absolutely will not survive the night!" Padma replied firmly. George, who was leaning against the tent pole nodded in agreement. But there was a smirk on his face that communicated some hidden mischief.

"Well, perhaps I need a chaperone." Padma was positive he needed a chaperone. Even out of Hogwarts George Weasley appeared to be nothing but trouble. And although Padma was intrigued, and for some reason flattered, she couldn't.

"I told my date I would be back by now."

"Oi you!" he shouted at a man standing near the entrance to the tent. "10 galleons that I can convince the groom that the bride is his cousin by the end of the night!"

The man to whom George was hollering looked like he wasn't sure George was talking to him. But, after looking around and realizing he was alone, the man seemed intrigued.

"George," Padma groaned, "you can't be serious!"

"I can't believe you accused me of being serious. I am never serious! Do I intend to convince Ron that he and Hermione share a great uncle, though? Yes, absolutely."

"They've literally just gotten married. You were there!"

George relished the doe-eyed look that Padma was giving him.

"Yes, I was," he agreed.

Padma was at odds with herself. She could find Sunil, have mediocre conversation the rest of the night, and watch helplessly as George tortured Ron on his wedding night. Or she could babysit George, someone who had already thrown her into an uncomfortable situation that night, and who would likely throw her into more.

"Just say yes." George reached into a pocket in his robes and pulled out a small metal flask.

"George, no!"

"Hmm…?"

Before the flask could reach his mouth, Padma knocked it out of his hand with a force that wasn't her own. She followed the flask with her gaze. Although she felt her actions were morally defensible, she still felt embarrassed and surprised at herself. When she looked up George was smirking shamelessly.

Slowly she walked over to him then put her arm under his. "Yes, well where are we off to then?"

OOO

"So that's the plan," finished George. He was grinning over Padma's head at what Padma could only assume was Ron Weasley.

Padma was speechless. Still trying to retrace the steps to how she got here. This plan was better than the first two he had pitched. Each of which included bodily harm, which as a healer, Padma could not condone.

"Okay."

"What d'ya think?"

"I think it sounds the least harmful..."

"Alright!" George said enthusiastically. "Let's go start phase one!"

George wrapped his arm around Padma's waist and walked zealously toward the table where Ron and Hermione were whispering happily to each other. Padma was startled by the gesture, but like everything going on, Padma just went with it.

"Hermione, you look lovely!"

"Oh, thank you George." Hermione and Ron looked skeptically at him before turning to Padma.

"Yes, beautiful! Congratulations," added Padma. Ron and Hermione seemed to relax a little at the remark.

"Thank you. It's wonderful to see you. I feel like it's been ages since the last time we saw each other." Hermione had reached out to hold Padma's hand. The gesture made Padma's stomach turn. Padma had liked Hermione a lot, though they had never been real friends at Hogwarts. And seeing Hermione glittering in her wedding gown and so gracious, Padma's resolve to prank Ron (and Hermione by extension) was dissipating.

"Yes, it's been forever! But I can't say that I would want to see you at the hospital anyway. I'm glad you're well."

"Oh of course! You're a healer now! I think that's fascinating!" Hermione chatted happily with Padma, asking her a million questions about St. Mungo's, all while Padma cast nervous glances to George whose face gave away no sympathy or worry. As always George was complete enthusiasm.

Finally, when Padma felt like she would burst, George interrupted. "Hermione, care for a dance with your new brother?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at George before replying. "Yes. But-"

"But?"

"I think you should be aware that my wand is tucked away in the bodice of this dress, and I have no qualms about using it to maim you if you attempt to embarrass me at my own wedding, George Weasley."

"I would expect no less," George replied and took her by the hand to the dance square.

"My wife is a total badass." Ron watched admiringly from his seat at the table.

"Absolutely," agreed Padma.

Ron who had forgotten Padma was there went slightly pink.

"Even at school everyone knew that. And everyone knew you two would end up together."

"Everyone but me and Hermione probably." She smiled kindly at Ron. In his face, she tried to find the fourteen-year-old boy who had jilted her at the yule ball, but couldn't find him. What she saw in him now was something different. Something she couldn't name.

On the dancefloor Hermione was being twirled about by George. Nearly everyone at the wedding had joined them. It was becoming that time of the night when the music was becoming livelier and the guests were a bit tipsier.

George was trying as best he could to keep Hermione from looking back at Ron, and took advantage of the sudden influx of dancers to distract her. He spun her until she was stumbling from dizziness then dragged her deeper into the crowd. George was tall enough that he could see over the throng and at Padma. He winked the most conspicuous wink Padma had ever seen. And realizing that it was time, she turned back to Ron.

"Thank you for the invite. It's been a great day," said Padma, trying to appear to leave. Ron shrugged.

"Good to see you Parvati."

Padma shrunk at Ron's mistake. He had thought she was Parvati the whole time! There was the fourteen-year-old Ron she had been searching for! Perhaps he didn't expect that the girl he had ruined the school dance for would show up to his wedding. Did Hermione believe she was talking to Parvati? No, she had asked about her job. She had to know that Parvati would have hated becoming a healer. After all she had shared a dormitory with her sister for six years…

Any reservations Padma had had before about pranking Ron flew out of the tent the moment Ron mistook her for her sister.

Padma reached out her hand to shake Ron's goodbye, and while doing so cast a nonverbal engorgio spell.

She pretended not to notice as Ron's wedding ring fell off his finger and to the ground, now the circumference of an orange.

"What-?" Ron asked reaching for his currently huge wedding ring.

"Oops!" Padma managed to grab the ring off the floor before Ron could reach it and slid it onto her wrist. "One of my bracelets fell off."

"Oh."

"It happens all the time. I should probably make it a bit smaller, shouldn't I?" Ron's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, in a way that reminded Padma slightly of Hermione. He shook off his confusion quickly enough though.

"Yeah probably. Have a good night."

And just like that Padma Patil stole Ron Weasley's wedding ring.