Author's Note: This is my entry for round 8 of the match maker competition. Not my proudest but hey. I was determined to write something.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Changing Opinions

As a Ravenclaw Padma had always lived up to the stereotype, not intentionally of course the sorting hat had simply placed her well, but as she reached her sixth year at Hogwarts she began to notice that certain people treat her differently because of the stereotypes that came attached to those Blue and Bronze colours.

She was relatively quiet, although still capable of having a good time, and always tried to have her homework in on time and completed to the best of her ability. That was just good sense though, why hand in a piece of homework that you hadn't tried your best on. Padma mostly kept her head down, she talked to her sister of course but Parvati was far more outgoing than she was, and the friends she had in Ravenclaw but when it came to the other houses she just didn't bother.

Until one Charms lesson just after Christmas when she discovered the idea that maybe she was going about this all wrong.

Professor Flitwick had instructed them to pair up but in order to get them out of their comfort zones not only did they have to pair with someone from a different house but also of a different gender. Padma was at a loss and watched silently as the rest of the class scrambled to find a partner in the other house that they wouldn't end up murdering.

A tap on her shoulder had Padma turning around and she was both shocked and horrified to find Gregory Goyle stood there leering at her. She tried to repress a shudder as he spoke and saliva trickled down his chin, "is this seat taken?"

Padma opened her mouth searching desperately for an excuse to not partner up with him but couldn't. She was just about to give her unwilling consent when they were interrupted. "Hey sorry Goyle, this seat is mine."

Goyle scrunched his face up in annoyance and turned open mouthed read to argue the toss with whoever had interrupted him, but he stopped. "Oh, Nott, okay I'll look for someone else."

Padma turned to her rescuer to find the very handsome, very charming Theodore Nott grinning down at her. "You are welcome," he informed her sliding into the empty seat.

She was speechless as this cocky little Slytherin turned to the front of the room and started listening to the lesson.

X

"Oh come on! Do you really think that little Ravenclaw has it in her?"

"I don't know, they looked pretty chummy sat there together laughing."

"Oh please Caesy, they're almost as bad as Hufflepuffs for this kind of thing."

Padma froze behind the door of the cubicle she was in realising that if she left the Gryffindor girls would stop talking and Padma, who loved gossip as much as the next girl, desperately wanted to know who they were talking about.

"I know I know, but you know you're twins! Surely she got some of that sluttyness that you have."

The other girl scoffed and with some horror Padma realised that on the other side of this door was her very own sister Parvati, and she was bitching about her!

"I prefer flirtatious flare, and besides Theodore Nott could do so much better…" Padma tuned out the girlish voices and giggles as she began to think. Her own sister the twin that she had been inseparable from for years thought of her as a timid pushover.

She jumped at a particularly loud screech of laughter as the two gossips left the bathroom and she felt her heart break a little bit as she realised that the whole world thought she was a joke. Well, that wasn't going to last.

X

"Hey! Nott! I want a word with you."

The handsome, dark haired Slytherin turned in his seat and looked surprised to see her. He stood up as she stormed over and opened his mouth to greet her but he was cut off rather abruptly.

The whole hall gasped and fell silent as shy little Ravenclaw Padma Patil grabbed Theodore Nott crushed him into a kiss and proceeded to drag him out of the great hall. She made sure to throw a smug glance at her sister as she did so.

"Listen Theo I'm sorry about that," Padma started as the rounded a dark corner a few corridors away. "It's just all these girls are talking about what a timid little mouse I am and how much better you could do and I just wanted to show them they were wrong. I know we aren't really friends but if you could just pretend to be my boyfriend for a little while I would really appreciate it."

"Padma," he snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her close to him, used one finger to tip her face up and pressed a soft but passionate kiss to her lips. "Why on earth should we pretend?"

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Much Love, MaryandMerlin x