Written for TGS Gobstones Championship for the prompt: Write about a Slytherin character. Submission from Mahoutokoro, House Mizu. W.C. 504.

Because That's What Sisters Do

"Hi, Pav," she said when Padma saw her twin made her way to her after breakfast, a smile making way to her lips because Parvati simply looked so happy. Padma's arms wrapped around her twin as Parvati hugged her and returned the greeting.

When Parvati stepped back and giddily told Padma she'd been asked to the ball by Harry Potter, Padma couldn't help but smile for her twin. But when Parvati said she'd gotten Padma a date for the Yule Ball as well, and that date was Ronald Weasley, Padma wanted to scream. Lisa had told her just a few minutes back that she'd heard that Terry Boot was going to ask Padma to the ball today, and she had been looking forward to it before Parvati ruined it all.

She wanted to yell at Parvati to stop assuming things and to stop meddling with her life, because that's what it was—Padma's life. She wanted to ask why Parvati didn't volunteer to go with Ronald Weasley and leave Harry for her. Instead Padma leaned forward to hug her twin again and thanked her because she knew if she refused Parvati would have to go and tell that Harry and she would be embarrassed as hell.

Later that day, when Terry cornered her and asked if she would like to escort him, Padma mentally stomped on her feelings for the boy in front of her and politely told him that no, she already had a date, because that's what sisters do.

…

The day of Yule came too fast and Padma couldn't help but smile at her twin who wore the same outfit as her but for the colours and was latched onto Potter's arm. When Parvati passed her, she whispered, "You look beautiful," in her ear, and her twin's beaming face made her day.

Later, when Ronald Weasley didn't take her for dance for even a single time and Harry himself came to just sit after the first song and neither boy asked them for even a drink, the look Parvati shared with her broke Padma's heart.

Especially when they both saw that the bookworm Hermione was being worshipped by her date, Victor freaking Krum!

Thankfully, some well-mannered boys asked for dance with both of them, and the girls enjoyed themselves for some part of the night, but Padma was disappointed because this was a one time opportunity at Hogwarts and she didn't get to enjoy the night with her date. She stole glances at Terry Boot and the girl at his arm, her heart breaking when he leaned forward to kiss her lips.

And she knew Parvati—who was a hopeless romantic at heart—was feeling even worse, especially when Padma saw her twin jealously staring at her best friend Lavender who was happily dancing with Seamus.

So when almost everyone had left and Parvati came over to her, Padma gathered her twin in her arms, sinking down to the floor when her sister's knees buckled, and cried with her, because that's what sisters do.