A/N: Hi again, hope you all had a lovely Christmas! Thanks for coming back for Chapter 2.

Thank you to: Cassia4u, Smithback, Cosplay, firefly, Nynaeve80 and Slytherin Rose Weasley for your lovely reviews and feedback.

Here's Chapter 2, I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think by leaving a little review at the end, cheers!

'Champions, can I have your attention please?' A rather agitated Professor McGonagall chirped. 'You will line up with your partners and follow me into the hall.'

Parvati took a deep breath as her nerves tingled with excitement. She looked up at Harry and noticed his face had turned a light shade of green, which was emphasised by his bottle green dress robes.

She smiled encouragingly at Harry to try and reassure him, but he wasn't looking at her. With a small twinge of annoyance, Parvati noticed he kept glancing over to where Cedric and Cho were standing.

Parvati had always known that she wasn't Harry's first choice of partner, the rumours that Cho Chang had caught the eye of the two Hogwarts champions had spread like wildfire. Padma told her that Marietta Edgecombe had practically announced it to the whole Ravenclaw common room.

Still, thought Parvati, Harry could have made a little more effort. He was standing about a foot away from her, looking completely in the opposite direction.

'Psst, Harry!'

'Wha-'He turned towards her, looking as if he had been deep in thought.

'Everyone else is holding hands!' She nodded over to where the other couples were standing.

'Oh, um-' Harry looked very uncomfortable.

'Champions follow me please!' Professor McGonagall called.

Parvati grabbed Harry's arm and linked it with her own. Harry gave her a grateful smile which she gladly returned.

As champions entered the hall, they were greeted by the sound of applause. Parvati beamed and walked with her head held high as they made their way to the top table. She waved enthusiastically at the faces she recognised, as well as those she didn't. She took in the scene, savouring every moment. Parvati knew that almost every girl in the room would kill to be in her place and she couldn't help feeling a little smug.

Parvati glanced at Harry and saw that his face was arranged into a polite smile which, from her angle, looked more like a grimace. He was always so modest and seemed to shy away from the limelight wherever possible.

Parvati supposed that was the difference between them.

'You always want what you can't have!'

Her mother's words came flooding back to her as she considered the difference between Harry and herself. She knew that Harry would do anything to slip under the radar, get lost in a crowd and lead a normal life. Unfortunately for him, he was thrust into the spotlight time and time again and tonight was no exception.

Parvati, on the other hand, had spent her whole childhood desperately craving attention. She had found herself in constant competition with her twin sister, a mirror image of herself. She knew that their parents loved them both equally but she hated being constantly compared to Padma.

'Parvati?'

She was brought crashing back to the present by the sound of her name. Everyone else at the top table had taken their seats and Harry was looking up at her with a concerned expression.

'Excuse me.' She mumbled, hurriedly taking her seat and feeling a little embarrassed.

Percy Weasley quickly struck up a conversation with Harry and leaving Parvati alone with her thoughts. She cast her mind back to her Sorting, the first time she had set foot in the Great Hall…

xxx

Parvati stood in line with the other first years, waiting to be sorted. She could feel her hands trembling and she saw her own fear mirrored in Padma's frightened expression.

'Patil, Padma.' Professor McGonagall called.

Parvati squeezed her sister's hand reassuringly and watched in anticipation as she sat down on the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed onto her head.

In what seemed like no time at all the hat announced-

'Ravenclaw!'

This came as no great surprise. Padma was incredibly sharp, not to mention witty. And besides, both of their parents had been Ravenclaws.

'Patil, Parvati.'

Parvati took a deep breath and made her way to the front. For a brief moment she saw hundreds of faces staring at her expectantly and then everything went dark.

'Interesting, very interesting…' A voice pondered in her ear.

'What's interesting?' Parvati thought.

'I always enjoy Sorting siblings,' the Sorting Hat mused, 'But twins are always fascinating. Many years ago, we had a set of triplets and every one of them was in a different house, strange how it happens…'

Parvati didn't know what to make of that, so waited patiently for the hat to come to its conclusion.

'Yes, you and your sister are remarkably similar in some respects, yet completely different in others.'

Parvati was aware fully aware of this, of course and had been for some time. Still, it felt strange hearing it from hat…

'There is a great deal of ambition,' the Sorting Hat continued, 'Though you are a great deal bolder than she is, a touch more rebellious too I might add.' The hat chuckled softly.

'So, with that in mind, I'd say…Gryffindor!' The hat roared for the whole hall to hear.

xxx

Parvati had always been grateful to the Sorting Hat for placing her in Gryffindor. She felt like she had been given a fresh start, a chance to be her own person and not just 'one of the Patil twins'.

Parvati knew that she could be immature, silly and a little selfish sometimes, but she also accepted that was just part of who she was. She didn't take herself too seriously, or anyone else for that matter and that was the way she liked it.

She had also learned to seize every opportunity that came her way. So when the time came for the opening dance Parvati took a deep breath, straightened her dress robes and took to the floor, practically dragging Harry behind her.

As the bright lights hit her and the music started to play, Parvati breathed in the moment and prepared to enjoy her time in the spotlight.

A/N: So...any thoughts? I know this chapter was a little shorter than usual and a little more serious than I intended, so apologies for that! I'll make up for it next time with something a little more light-hearted.

Anyways, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter so leave me a little review! It can be my Christmas present :)