Thicker than Water (Marauders Era) PART II

21 December, 1996 - Platform (II)

Lavinia greeted the approach of the holiday season with more relief than she thought she would ever admit to. It wasn't that she particularly cared about the holidays themselves but with the approach of Christmas came the return of Harry and Jasmine and Remus. And Lavinia had missed all three of them.

Actually, she knew that wasn't entirely true, because she wasn't sure she could say she missed Harry. He hadn't been around her for so very long that she thought she could properly miss him, but she did very much want to talk to him. Ever since Dumbledore had told her about his theories about Draco Malfoy, Lavinia had wanted to talk to him. For multiple reasons.

First and foremost, she wanted to hear his thoughts from his own mouth. And she wanted to hear his reasoning. Because, of course, there was a good chance that he was right and the young Malfoy was already wrapped up in Death Eater business, despite his young age. Lavinia knew that perhaps better than most. But the other thing she wanted to hear from Harry's mouth was why. Why was he interested in the activities of his fellow student? Was it concern? Or was it the much more likely answer that Lavinia couldn't deny she rather dreaded hearing: Prejudice. Vengeance, even. The desire to catch someone he had already decided was evil and turn them in. And for what? Perhaps it was simply Lavinia's old sympathies acting up, but she couldn't help but think that all that would accomplish would be to truly and irrevocably push the poor Malfoy child over the edge.

Not that she was entirely certain that Harry would care about that. She hoped he would, but a part of her couldn't help but think that he might truly be, as Sirius had always claimed, just like his father. Of course, she knew there were difference - she had seen them herself - but on this issue.... Had Harry, like James, taken one look at the green ties and careful masks and decided, as so many had before him, that Slytherins were simply... evil? Arrogant and selfish and obsessed with blood purity and nothing else? Had he, like so much of the rest of the world, decided there was nothing deeper to them? Nothing human?

Lavinia huffed a breath, trying to push the thoughts away. They were useless thoughts and all they ever did was depress her. Because she remembered the way so many people at school had looked at her and her friends. How many people had never bothered to look twice. And she knew that was fair. No one had to look twice. She and all her friends had put a face forward that was off putting and she couldn't say it had been entirely accidental. But even so, she had always hoped, always wished, for just a little bit of understanding. A little bit of skepticism. A little bit of mercy.

Of course, she'd found it with the Marauders all those years ago. But she knew how lucky she'd been.

It made her wonder if Harry shared that side of his father too.

Actually, that was precisely why a part of Lavinia had hoped she would picking her godson up, just as she was picking Jasmine up. It would have meant she'd have an opportunity to talk to him all the sooner, to look into his eyes and try to see just how much of James might really be in there but... well. Apparently, seeing as how he was such a security risk, Dumbledore had arranged for him and the Weasleys to go straight to the Burrow via Floo Powder. Which meant Lavinia would have to wait until Christmas Eve, when Molly had invited her for dinner. And then she would have to hope she could find a moment to pull Harry aside and ask him about such things privately because she didn't suppose any of the others would much appreciate her asking. Or, given their backgrounds, even seeming remotely sympathetic towards the Malfoy child.

And then of course, there was the problem of what might happen if Harry asked her any questions in return because... well, if Dumbledore's request for her to lie to the boy was any indication of the others' general wish to keep Harry out of trouble, then she didn't suppose they would appreciate the truth she knew she would tell him if it came to it. Afterall, she didn't see the point in lying to the boy. She never had. But, of course, that hadn't stopped everyone else from trying to keep him out of the loop and she didn't suppose it would now either.