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Name: Padma Patil
Gender: Female
Date of birth: 21 June 1980 (22)
House/Year: Ravenclaw (1991-98)
Blood status: Pureblood
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Suggested livejournal username: breakerpadma
PB/Avatar: Anuska Sharmna
Physical characteristics:
Identical to Parvati, Padma's skin is naturally a delicate olive, tanning darker easily if she is in the sun for too long, but she takes care not to let herself get too dark. A tall woman of 5'7", she has a slim but curvy figure, which is the classic hourglass shape. Her face is oval shaped and clear complexioned with elegant arched brows, long lashed deep brown eyes, full lips and a beautiful even toothed smile. Her long hair is a rich, dark brown -almost black - and usually worn loose outside of work.
Although Padma knows she's good-looking and attracts many admirers, like many women there are parts of her body she's not happy with and would love to change: she isn't very fond of the shape of her nose and worries that her shoulders are too broad. She's also acutely conscious that she walks with a limp now due to her knee injury.
She prides herself on being stylish and looking perfect before she takes one step out of home. However, once inside she doesn't mind being a little sloppy - wearing casual clothing and no make-up. Her hands are always well taken care of with perfectly polished and shaped nails. She is particularly proud of her small, elegant feet and her greatest frivolous expenditure is on shoes.
Distant History:
Padma was always the quieter and more serious of the twins, happy to let her sister have the limelight. She wasn't very social either, and it was only because she was nearly always with Parvati that Padma actually acquired playmates. She learned to read at age three and was soon devouring books that were beyond her age, much to the delight of her father who encouraged her interest.
When the time came to go to Hogwarts, Padma was sad to leave home but also excited about school and comforted by the knowledge that Parvati would be with her. She'd heard that siblings always ended up in the same House and was confident the same would apply to them. Throughout the train ride she speculated which House they would end up in and hoped for Gryffindor, even though she didn't think she really fit with the description. All Padma's hopes were shattered the moment the Sorting Hat shouted out 'Ravenclaw'. She knew even before Parvati was sorted that her twin was not going to get into Ravenclaw and could only watch, tears forming in her eyes, as her sister went to Gryffindor.
Unlike Parvati, Padma did not find a kindred spirit to replace her sense of loss. On her first night she was so heartbroken, she didn't talk to the other first years and instead retreated to her bed, pulling the curtains around her. Unfortunately, since her expression remained stony and her responses to any queries about how she was feeling were short and sharp, Padma earned a reputation for being 'snobby' amongst her female peers and was never quite able to change that first impression. Luckily, the boys didn't feel the same way and slowly Padma made friends with Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot and Michael Corner, finding that she preferred their company to that of the other girls. Eventually she did managed to form some friendships with Mandy, Su and Morag, but they were never very close.
Without a female friend to distract her with giggles and gossip, Padma never became a girlie girl even when she hit her teens and focused most of her attention on her school work. However, she was kept from overwork by Anthony, his talkative and friendly nature pulling out her mischievous and affectionate side, and she found she could happily spend time talking with him about things that had nothing to do with school work (she certainly learned more about 'Star Wars' than she probably needed to know). Despite missing Parvati, she was soon glad she wasn't in Gryffindor, from the stories she heard from Parvati, the House Harry Potter was part of was far too dramatic for Padma's liking. Although affected peripherally, as most students were, by the Heir of Slytherin business in her second year and then the Dementors hovering around school in third year, Padma's first few years at Hogwarts passed by peacefully.
In fourth year, Padma gradually realised that the opposite sex thought she was a very pretty girl and she was quite surprised when a Hufflepuff two years older asked her out on a Hogsmeade date. Padma turned him down very briskly, as she did with the second boy who asked her, and the third. By the time the Yule Ball rolled around Padma had a reputation as a haughty girl who thought she was too good for any boy, a description that stung but she was too proud to try to do anything about it. Instead she pretended she didn't care about the Yule Ball, thought it was a complete waste of time, really. Deep down, Padma was miserable and really wanted to go, but by the time she realised how much she wanted it, her male friends already had dates. Just as she was resigning herself to a lonely evening, Parvati came to her rescue with the offer of Ron Weasley. Harry's mate was not Padma's first choice, but she didn't know him well and therefore accepted Parvati assurances that Ron was nice. However the evening turned into a disaster when Ron not only turned up in the most bedraggled robes she'd even seen, but he then spent the whole night in a sulk, ignoring her. Padma was furious and vowed never to let Parvati set her up with anyone ever again, a vow she's managed to keep to the present day. She was even crosser when she allowed herself to think there was more to Ron after it appeared he'd helped Harry rescue people during the second task for the Triwizard tournament. When he turned out to be boasting, she was so annoyed that she spoke very nastily about him in the Ravenclaw common room, where Luna Lovegood overheard.
The unpleasant end to Fourth year, culminating in Dumbledore's announcement that Voldemort was back, saw Padma return home deeply depressed. Eventually, she allowed her parents' insistence that Voldemort's return just wasn't possible, along with the reports in the 'Daily Prophet' convince her that Dumbledore was mistaken and Padma returned to good spirits. She was ecstatic when she got her prefect badge and even happier when she found out Anthony would be her fellow prefect. Padma started her fifth year with high hopes, looking forward to excelling in her O.W.Ls.
Umbridge and Harry's continued insistence that the Ministry was lying soon brought Padma's happiness crashing down. She was more upset about Umbridge's DADA classes at first, afraid that the dreadful lessons would mean the mark for her DADA O.W.L would end up very poor, maybe even a T. It was this, combined with the nagging feeling that Harry wasn't talking nonsense and Dumbledore had been right, that prompted Padma to decide to join the DA when Parvati, and Michael, mentioned it to her. She did not invite the other girls in her dorm since they were not so close that Padma could be sure where they stood on the matter of Voldemort. Plus she was absolutely terrified the DA would be discovered and her prefect status stripped from her. Aside from her fears, Padma thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Dumbledore's Army. She was happy to be with her sister and her friends, and she saw the value in what Harry was teaching, which led her to forgive him for treating Parvati horribly at the Yule Ball. When Marietta betrayed the DA, Padma was furious and applauded the punishment meted out to the sneak by Hermione's spell.
When Voldemort's return was ultimately confirmed by the Ministry, Padma had to deal with her over protective parents who were extremely worried for the twins' safety and even considered withdrawing the girls from Hogwarts. For once, Padma didn't quietly obey her parents. Instead she joined Parvati in persuading them not to make any drastic moves and the girls were able to continue their Sixth year. However, they were whisked away quickly the day after Dumbledore's death and the Death Eater invasion of the castle. Padma was actually grateful to leave. She'd spent that night alternatively fretting over Parvati and comforting frightened younger Ravenclaws, and when the news filtered back that Dumbledore was dead, she was almost numb with shock and fear. Once they were home, she spent the next few nights coming to Parvati's room and sharing her bed for comfort and support. It took a month before Padma felt more secure and even then she remained on edge since the war was still ongoing.
Seventh year was hell, pure and simple. Padma tried to obey her parents' pleas to stay safe, keep her head down and not interfere, but sometimes she couldn't help but speak up or jump in to defend a student being tortured by the Carrows. She suffered a couple of special detentions and finally was forced to flee to the Room of Requirement with the other DA members. When the time came to fight, Padma didn't even question whether she should leave. She knew Parvati wouldn't go and therefore she wasn't going either. She acquitted herself well in the battle, receiving a few minor injuries from hexes and falling masonry.
Recent History:
After taking advantage of the review sessions and finally taking/receiving her NEWTs (Arithmancy (O), Care of Magical Creatures (E), Charms (O), DADA (E), History of Magic (A), Transfiguration (E)), Padma entered the Gringotts' Curse-breaker training programme as soon as it was offered. As before, when she was eleven and missing her sister, Padma threw herself into the work, using it to help her move on from the experiences of the past year, desperate to regain a 'normal life'. She remained living at home with her parents and sister, glad to keep them close for a while, but when her training was done and she received her first job abroad, Padma didn't cry too much when leaving.
Work and travel were Padma's therapy and worked well. She also dabbled in romance for the first time in her life when swept off her feet (literally) by handsome Dutch curse-breaker Jasper Bruel, while in South America. The relationship lasted for nearly six months, but ended when Jasper made noises about marriage, which Padma wasn't prepared for. It was a fairly amicable split and Padma was grateful that her first relationship wasn't a disaster, but she wasn't anxious to seek another one.
Matters of the heart were pushed to the side when matters of health took centre stage. While exploring an ancient Inca ruin in Peru, Padma managed to disarm one old curse, but didn't break the second in time and ended up getting her left knee skewered, shattering the knee cap and ripping muscle and tendons. Since the device that caused the damage was magical, the treatment required was complex and when Padma was well enough, she was sent back to Britain and St Mungo's. The Healers managed to fix most of the damage, but she was told the rest needed time to heal, which meant therapy sessions. So Padma took up a desk job at Gringotts to tide her over until she could return to the field.
Desiring to assert some independence and move out of home, she moved into a flat with Parvati and Anthony. When Parvati moved out, Padma tried to persuade her sister to stay, offering to cover her share of the rent. That didn't work and then Padma found out why Parvati lost her job, which required someone to physically restrain her from going and telling Stronzo precisely what she thought of him.
Current employment status: Many people were surprised when Padma chose Curse-breaker as her ideal job, but the ones closest to her understood. Curse-breaking not only offered Padma the chance to travel and work independently, but also to solve complex mysteries, which she always enjoyed. Once her goal was decided on, Padma didn't waver (although due the mess after the war, her training was delayed) and proved adept at the trade, travelling far and bringing back plenty of gold and artefacts for Gringotts and many stories about her travels. After being injured, Padma was put on a desk job at Gringotts where she works on cursed artefacts brought back by other Curse-breakers, assists with security protocols and helps with training.
Padma definitely misses her travels, but she is happy with the job she has and gets along well with her goblin employers, who are pleased with her dedication and good results. She also gets along with her human co-workers, although like in any job there are some who rub her the wrong way.
The desk job means Padma does not get the excellent bonuses she used to receive from bringing in gold and artefacts, but she is well paid enough to afford to live in one of the middle floor flats and still have a respectable amount of disposable income after paying for the essentials (food, bills etc). Sensibly she has banked most of her bonuses and after saving a tidy sum managed to get enough to be able to rent one of the newer flats in EC. Although she loves her twin, she wants her own space.
Personality:
More studious, conscientious and serious than her twin, Padma is a independent, direct and intelligent individual. She loves to learn and was always intensely curious about things, which is part of the reason why she chose a career as a curse-breaker since mysteries and discoveries fascinate her. Padma's also a workaholic and is well known for staying up late or after hours to complete a task. She has a lot of intellectual arrogance, is convinced of her own brilliance and considers how people present themselves to be vitally important, so she can be impatient and judgmental towards people who don't match up to her standards. However, Padma is also fair and she does try to revise her opinions if new evidence comes to light.
Although Padma isn’t shy, she is a perfectionist who has a horror of being ridiculed and therefore remains quiet and reserved in unfamiliar situations or with those she doesn't know well so she can assess the situation and ensure she won't make any embarrassing errors. If she is upset or embarrassed then she often dwells heavily on the incident - either remarking acidly about the person who upset her (such as Ron Weasley's treatment at the Yule Ball) or fretting about it until she almost makes herself sick from lack of sleep.
She is practical and has little time for complainers. Unfortunately, along with this practicality comes some bossiness. Padma likes to get things done and won't hesitate to order others to get moving if they're not working hard enough for her liking. She's also a neat freak and was notorious in her dorm for nagging the other girls to tidy up. She gets antsy if something is out of place in her room and would rather stay up late cleaning up after a party rather than leaving a mess. Rules, lists and order keep her happy now as they did back at Hogwarts when she was well known for keeping younger years in line and for her 'tough love' attitude. However, if the cause is just or she feels the rule makers are acting in a way that adversely affects the well being of others - such as in 5th year - she is prepared to break or bend the rules to make things right again. She also has a strong dislike for bullies and it was that, along with her sense of justice and anxiety about her OWL exams, that led her to join Dumbledore's Army.
When angered she tends to become very snooty and sarcastic rather than exploding with rage and this has led many to call her cold. In actual fact, despite her brisk attitude, Padma is very affectionate towards the people she loves and knows well, and will be very caring, protective and generous towards them. Around friends and family she is relaxed and shows a mischievous sense of humour, enjoying witty banter and clever jokes. She doesn't make friends easily though, since she's more of a loner than a social butterfly, and her closest friends in school tended to be male. Padma wasn't really very interested in boys, fashion and make-up at the time. Also, as a direct and honest person, she heartily disliked how other girls could be so vicious with rumours. Consequently she never really getting that close to the girls in her dorm.
She is, however, very close to Parvati and will forgive her twin just about anything (even setting her up with a terrible date!). Padma worries a lot about her sister and if anything can make her lose her temper then it's someone badmouthing or mistreating Parvati. Naturally she doesn't think any man is good enough for her twin and automatically loathes all of Parvati's boyfriends, even if they are boys she knows well. Although Padma comes across as the more 'together' twin, she is actually emotionally weaker and more dependent on her sister than she knows, and although she sometimes feels tied down by the role of the serious, 'smart' twin and quietly envies Parvati's carefree ways, Padma doesn't know how to change. Despite only being a few minutes older than her twin, Padma definitely feels like an older sibling and has always felt her parents had high expectations for her, which adds to her drive to excel in everything she does.
As a flatmate, Padma is the sort that keeps the place tidy, ensures everyone knows where they are on the cleaning roster, keeps the pantry well stocked and ensures any bills are paid on time. She loves cooking and is likely to insist on preparing most of the meals (as long as her flatmates chip in for food costs).
Likes: Tea (Earl Grey is her favourite), warm summer nights, sunsets, being organised, chocolate, clever quotes, lists, discussing interesting topics, good food
Dislikes: cold fingers, hair in the sink, windy days, bad dressers, mess, whipped cream, malicious gossip, being ridiculed, match-making (for her)
Hobbies: Reading (arithmancy, charms, history - magic and muggle, law, philosophy, classical literature, psychology), yoga, cooking, calligraphy
Weaknesses: tone deaf, gets drunk after more than three glasses of wine
Quirks: Is grouchy before her morning cup of tea. Hums softly when doing mundane jobs. Has a disconcerting habit of looking very intently at someone when listening to them. Cooks when troubled or angry. Finds it hard to sleep if she hasn't washed her face.