"We'll give them a few minutes, then," Padma answered readily. She sat back down, scooting over to give him room to sit beside her, pushing a stray strand of hair back behind her ear.
Even if Parvati decided to go off with Lavender, then at least Padma wouldn't have to tag along, or strike off on her own. For one thing she'd promised their parents she wouldn't be alone, and neither would Parvati. For another - it was just nice to have company. "How's your summer been, Justin?" she asked politely. Padma wasn't as shy as she seemed - but when she wasn't talking on academic subjects, or something she was comfortable with, Padma could be awkward. Small talk and prattle was definitely more in Parvati's real of gifts than her own.
That awkwardness just got a bit worse around boys with nice smiles, sometimes. But she'd known Justin for years, and he was easy to get along with, even if he wasn't in her house, so she didn't sound terribly forced when she asked. She looked around again and then added. "It's odd to see Diagon this empty, isn't it?"