title: changes, cities and faces
author: Sirikit
rating: G/K
summary: Padma and Parvati at the beginning. A brief vignette.
wordcount: 300
"It's so cold," Parvati complained, even though they were standing within a crush of other first years, so of course it wasn't. Padma squeezed her sister's hand, because where nerves made Parvati cross they made Padma solemn instead.
"We'll go in soon," she promised, smiling.
Beside them, Pansy scanned the crowd, tossing her cap of dark hair. "Oh, they're just waiting until everyone stops fussing." She leaned forward to whisper to the sisters, and the way her eyes narrowed reminded Padma of eels hiding in a reef. "Too many of the wrong sort, you know," Pansy added with a little sniff.
Padma thought Pansy should stop trying to sound like she knew so much, but that was how Pansy was. Parvati wasn't even attending and just kept fidgeting in place, tugging at her long plaits, her eyes darting everywhere.
In front of them the old witch in the tartan robes was clapping her hands and the entire crowd of them went hush, a nervous thrumming hush that Padma could feel through her robes.
"Children! Children! Your attention, please."
The old witch smiled; Parvati and Padma looked at each other, eyes shining, and then -- ooh! -- the massive doors were opening before them. There was bright candlelight, almost blinding, and then a long room that seemed to go on forever, a sea of people waiting for them. In Padma's mind it looked like something out of a book, like a mountain splitting in half to reveal the dragon's hoard of gold. Her sister squealed in excitement and even Pansy made a noise like a happy sigh.
Draco dormien nunquam. . .
Chattering excitement broke out as they were told to queue up, two by two. Padma and Parvati stood together, as they've always done. The line moved forward and on they went into the fairy story.