Note: Post War!AU

'Be the warm, yellow light that pours over my life.'

It had been a year since the war had ended, and the Patil twins were no strangers to the loss that came with the light side's victory. To cope with the aftermath, Padma kept her head in the books and research. No matter how miniscule the problem was, Padma sought to find a solution.

Parvati tried to aid Lavender with a robes shop, giving her best friend her opinion on textiles and the latest styles. It wasn't where Parvati's heart laid. No, that was in her garden. Parvati took pride in the masterpiece that was her garden.

There was a gate of rough wood that was as tall as Parvati; and ivy cascaded over the fence, growing tendrils in every direction. The stone path was pristine; no weeds were threatening to rise through the cracks. The manicured lawn was more moss than grass and was shaded by a large willow tree. Clusters of daffodils reared their golden heads amidst the grass, and there were beds of fuchsia alongside the scarlet and saffron hued primroses.

Though none of those were the heart of Parvati's garden. That title belonged to the patches of yellow sunflowers that surrounded the willow tree. They stood tall, bringing light as bright as the color of their petals. There wasn't a day that she didn't sit with, tend to, and lose herself to the sunflowers and how they swayed their petals at her.

To Parvati, this was what she was meant for. She could decorate, criticize, and shape her garden however she wished without defiance. It was in her image, and Parvati made sure to provide the image perfectly.

That is, until the image that Parvati saw of herself had changed. Once, she would see herself as beautiful, someone that would be tough to crack. Now? Now Parvati saw herself as stripped and bare as her garden now looked.

All it took was the wrong man saying and doing all the right things. She had given him her heart, something she held dear to herself after losing Dean in the war, and he had taken her heart and shattered it into a million pieces.

Parvati would happily tell the sods that didn't believe the movie scenes of catching a cheating fiancé in the act weren't real but that those scenes, in fact, were real. She had lived it, throwing curses and objects at her ex and the tart he brought to her bed.

It deflated Parvati's ego for quite some time; not even Lavender sending her ex Howlers could comfort the girl. Once she began neglecting herself, her garden paid the price. The animated garden was now lifeless.

Parvati held a mug in her hands as she looked out the window wistfully. She sipped the contents–which happened to be herbal tea–and sighed, tapping her fingers against it subconsciously.

The slamming of a book on the table next to her stirred Parvati out of her 'moment.' Her lip curled up into a snarl when she saw Padma with her arms folded.

"I thought I told you that I didn't have time to listen to your findings anymore, Padma," Parvati said with a frown.

Padma scoffed. "Two months has been far too long for you to brood over some man that wasn't worth your time, sister," she told her. "And it's about time that you get off your sorry arse and see that."

Parvati narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Have you been talking to Lavender?" she asked.

"No," Padma answered, "but clearly if we're both telling you the same thing then you ought to believe it, and actually do something about it. Just look at yourself!"

Parvati grimaced. She saw what she looked like in the mirror, but it was hard for her to care. When she had told Lavender that, the young woman thought that her best friend would have a stroke. It took all her magic to keep the other witch from dragging her by her robe that day.

Perhaps Lavender and Padma had a point…ew…she never thought she'd say that in the same sentence. Things really had to have hit rock bottom for Parvati.

"Have you even tended to your garden?" Padma questioned, a hand on her hip. The look on her face showed that she already knew the answer, but she expected Parvati to answer anyway.

That expression and the truth made Parvati wince. She had been so caught up in her sadness and self-loathing that she neglected her garden. It reflected herself after all.

"I can't revive it," Parvati mumbled, bringing the mug to her lips.

Padma looked at her quizzically. "What did you do, Vati?"

Parvati glanced away from her sister. That disappointed look on her sister's face reminded her too much of the times their parents gave them the same look. Lavender had even given the expression to her once or twice since her emotional decline. It stung to see because she was supposed to be the carefree sister, the one who adored fashion, gossip, and Divination.

She hated her ex for doing what he did. His infidelity rocked the foundation Parvati built after the war and trying to rebuild had been an absolute bitch. She had given up using her magic a month ago.

"I didn't do anything. I lost the motivation," Parvati answered. "None of the spells worked anymore."

"It's possible it's because of how you've allowed your emotions to dictate the intensity of your spells," Padma explained. "Using what we learned in Herbology isn't going to help you."

"Why are you here?" Parvati asked, hoping to divert her sister's attention away from 'helping' her again. It never worked.

"I've found a spell from Mother's journal that explains a lot about emotions and gardening. I believe that if you can perfect it now, you'll get your garden back and hopefully some sense to get over that sod."

Parvati's brows lifted in interest as she stared at her sister; and a small, warm feeling erupted in her chest. Was that hope? "Are you positive that this will work?" she questioned.

Padma rolled her eyes. She gave her sister a curt nod. "Of course, I'm sure," she said. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I had doubts."

Parvati couldn't help but eye her twin warily. She adored her, really, she did; but Parvati had thoughts of what it would be like to be an only child.

Taking a deep breath, Parvati looked at the barren land before her. Her eyes swept to Padma, who was looking at her expectantly. Rolling her eyes similar to the way Padma had done moments prior, Parvati pursed her lips.

"Fine, we'll try it," she said. She then pointed a finger at Padma. "If something goes wrong, I'll sic Lavender's tailor on your robes."

Parvati watched as Padma's right eye twitched and her jaws clenched. "Using the friend card when you've pushed her away too? You wouldn't," Padma said.

Parvati lifted her chin slightly. "Wanna bet?"

"Just close your eyes and hold your hands out with your palms facing the ground," Padma ordered with a scowl.

A feeling of victory flushed through Parvati before she did as she was instructed, closing her eyes and holding her hands out with her palms facing the ground.

"Now concentrate," her sister had said, her voice becoming louder.

Parvati guessed that her sister had gotten closer to her. She attempted to concentrate, moving any distracting thoughts out of her mind so she could focus on her garden.

"Try connecting with the earth," Padma continued. "It will help the magic you'll be using."

Parvati opened one eye to glare at her sister. "How am I supposed to connect to the earth?" she demanded. "Play in the dirt?"

"Looks like you have already," Padma muttered.

"You're one to talk," Parvati retorted with a snort, having heard the mutter.

Padma pinched the bridge of her nose. "We're losing focus here, sister. Try thinking about the things you do in your garden or what you will be doing once your flowers have grown," she explained. "Think about it as if you were doing it right now."

Parvati nodded and closed her eye. She knew better than anyone that arguing with Padma would be a never-ending cycle; and it was a cycle that Parvati participated in more than she'd like to admit. Blame the pride that was engraved into her soul.

Regardless, she did as she was told and tried 'connecting' with the earth. Images of her digging into the dirt to rearrange flowers the Muggle way flashed in her mind. She could feel the coolness of the dirt between her fingers. The gentle breeze caressed her cheek underneath her sun hat, and the earthy smell of the grass and dirt reached her nose. Buzzing from the bees and singing from the birds filled her ears.

Parvati felt a smile growing on her face as her eyes were still closed. A surge of happiness warmed her bones, and hope filled her body. She hadn't felt this amount of positivity since the beginning of her emotional turmoil. She had to admit, the feeling was quite nice. Without losing that feeling, Parvati could hear her sister's voice drifting through her imagery.

"Picture your garden the way it was before it died," Padma said, her voice echoing in Parvati's mind. She did as she was told once more, picturing the primroses, fuchsia, and willow tree full of life. She saw her mossy lawn and ivy-covered fence. She could see the pristine stone path and patches of sunflowers smiling with brightness in front of her.

"Now repeat after me," Padma said. "Badhane."

Parvati recognized the word, but she couldn't lose focus now. Not when she was so close.

"Badhane," she repeated.

"Jeena," Padma said.

"Jeena," Parvati repeated.

"Rahana."

"Rahana."

"Say those three words in that order three more times, Vati. Be precise and mean it. Show your ex that he couldn't break you so easily. Show us who the real Parvati is."

Parvati took another deep breath, keeping her vision alive of her garden as she chanted the words her sister gave her. The first sequence was a simple repetition. The second time around Parvati's fingers opened as she felt the words get stronger. On the last sequence, Parvati felt the power rush through her that she said the three words with such conviction that she surprised herself.

"Badhane, Jeena, Rahana!"

"Open your eyes, sister," Padma said.

When Parvati opened her eyes, she choked out a sob and covered her mouth. Her garden was no longer barren and lifeless. The flowers were in full bloom, and everything she pictured was right there in front of her.

She couldn't help but walk along the stone path, allowing her fingers to graze the petals of her flower beds as she walked by them. Her breath hitched, and tears trailed down her cheeks when her eyes met with the bright yellow hues of her sunflower petals. They were the heart of her garden, and they were beating the life back into her with each sway from the wind.

A hand squeezed her shoulder, and Parvati turned around to look at her sister. Padma's expression was soft, eyes full of that sibling love she hadn't realized she missed.

Parvati engulfed Padma in a hug, wrapping her arms tight around her sister. "Thank you," she said softly, voice full of emotion.

"I'm supposed to look for the answers to the problems, remember?" Padma said with a small grin as she returned the hug. "You're welcome."

Parvati buried her head in her sister's shoulder as she continued to cry. In the two months that she had lost hope in humanity because of that horrid ex, Parvati had lost herself. In doing so, she had lost her pride and joy: her garden. She would chide herself later for falling in such a funk because of a man, though she had a feeling that Lavender would do that very thing when Parvati called the witch later on.

It didn't matter at that moment because her life was moving back on track. She had her sister to thank for that. Once she had taken one look at the sunflowers waving their petals at her, Parvati knew that hope was not lost on her anymore. That fire that burned inside her was forever lit, and it would remain that way.

She'd show it to the rest of the world in her garden. Particularly those sunflowers.

A/N: Written for The Houses Competition and HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)

(THC) House: Hufflepuff; Year/Position: Year 7; Category: Themed; Prompt: [emotion] sadness

(HSWW) Assignment #10 Wizarding Languages: write about a traditionally ugly sounding language being beautiful and/or used for something beautiful. (Hindi language was used)

Badhane = grow, Jeena = live, Rahana = remain

Word Count: 2,088