Theodore watched her as she spoke, and though he was listening, it was to her body language that he was most attentive. Nothing about her tone suggested that she was anything more than peripherally interested; she seemed casual but thorough, in that very Padma sort of way that he'd always admired. His intellectual experiences with Ravenclaws often left him weary -- too much information about details that ran the gamut between crucial and barely relevant, with no real indication about which was which, was difficult to parse. Had she been someone else, he wouldn't have delved into the topic at all, particularly as he had nothing to add, but there was a personable colour that Padma gave to her academic subjects that he greatly appreciated. He'd actually learnt something. How about that.
But he learnt more from the way she held her tea, the way her fingers tightened across the handle and base, the way her hands contradicted her air of ease. He wanted to know more about how and why this subject was personal to her; luckily, he had the sense not to outright ask.
"I had no idea how complex Obliviation could be," he said casually, sipping his tea. "Are wizards affected similarly?"