Written for the Pairing the Character Competition on HPFC.

***Planning to expand this one! There's more that needs to be explained.***

Warning: Femslash. Daphne/Parvati.

Summary: Parvati confronts Daphne about their relationship, and comes to a realization.

All That Remains

"Are you ever going to tell your family about us?"

Daphne and Parvati sit on the damp grass by the Black Lake, clutching their cloaks around them. Parvati shivers, but Daphne doesn't seem to notice the cold.

Daphne is silent for a few minutes, and Parvati trains her eyes on the lake, afraid to look at her. Afraid that the answer will be written plainly on the Slytherin's face.

"I can't answer that right now," Daphne says at last.

"Why not?" Parvati turns back and finds that she has erected an emotional wall.

"Because...some things are complicated."

"Are they?" Parvati's temper begins to uncurl. "Or is that just another one of your excuses?"

"Parvati."

"Padma was right," Parvati whispers, angry tears springing to her eyes. "She was absolutely right about you."

"Your sister?" Daphne laughs bitterly, and Parvati flinches at the sound. "Your sister, for all her brilliance, is remarkably narrow-minded."

Parvati's fingers find purchase in the grass and she begins to rip it from the earth. It feels good to focus on something other than her wounded heart.

"No more so than your family," she retorts. "And at least Padma accepted me liking girls! She's even grown to accept me liking you."

The full force of Daphne's blue-eyed gaze hits her and Parvati forgets the surrounding world. It's just her and Daphne. The other girl's eyes swirl with an emotion Parvati can't quite identify, and she waits for her to speak.

"'Liking me?'" Daphne echoes, her voice soft. "Of course. What a fool I've been."

Parvati tilts her head and stills her hand. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I thought you felt more than that."

Parvati stares at her. "You know I do."

"Then how come you've never said you love me?"

"How come you haven't?"

The two girls glare at each other for a moment.

"I guess this is why," Parvati finally says. "We're both so headstrong, defiant. Destined to fight, not to...last."

"Perhaps you're right," Daphne says quietly, reaching out to tuck a strand of Parvati's hair behind her ear. "Perhaps this is nothing more than a schoolyard romance. But I'm willing to give it my best shot."

Parvati smiles sadly, ignoring the euphoria Daphne's words brought. "You always know all the right things to say, Daph, but I wonder...I wonder how much of that is genuine and how much of that is just you clinging to the one good thing in your life however you can."

"You think highly of yourself."

"I know you." Parvati's voice is gentle. "After all this time...I finally understand you perfectly. And I'm not willing to be a secret anymore."

She rises to her feet, her plait swinging with the movement, and looks down at Daphne, who suddenly looks very small huddled on the ground.

"I wish this could have gone differently," Parvati murmurs. "I really do."

She turns and walks back to the warmth of the castle, her heart clenching painfully in her chest.

Word count: 500

A/N: let me know how I did! I'm new to writing drabbles, and this one had to be a maximum of 500 words, so I couldn't describe as much as I would have liked, but hopefully there's a decent enough balance of prose and dialogue.