Potter

Chapter 87

On June third, I found myself standing beside Theo on the doorstep of a surprisingly normal house, four thoughts running through my head on a continuous, mildly stressful loop.

First off, it had been over a month since the battle took place. It was weird, but it was true; life was beginning to move on. Hogwarts was halfway to being rebuilt, and the school was already sending out applications to potential eighth years. Draco and Blaise had sent their positive replies back this morning.

Second, Draco's birthday was in two days. I knew what I was going to give him, but no idea what to actually do for the day itself– it had been an equally amusing and distressing realization that we had never spent our birthdays together, as one of us had either been dead or undercover.

Third, I had finally turned in an application to Saint Mungo's training center. It had taken me awhile to even consider submitting it, but after requesting a letter from Poppy– who had sent in a letter of recommendation without any delay– and realizing my herbology grade had been much better than I had remembered, everyone in Grimmauld had been adamant that I send it in.

Of course,  I had only actually done so when Theo had silently shoved his own filled-out application in my hand. It was the sort of silent encouragement I had needed: the knowledge that at least I wouldn't be going through it alone. The applications were sent in nearly two weeks ago, and we were waiting anxiously to hear back.

Fourth, I was about to join Lavender Brown and Theodore Nott in search of a place to live. 

Because we were going to be roommates. 

The decision to move out from Grimmauld had been made not long after Theo and I had sent the Saint Mungo's applications in– it had started as a joke, but realized that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. And asking Lavender to join us just felt like a natural thing to do, once I had learned she didn't intend to return to Hogwarts for eighth year.

Sirius hadn't been thrilled, but seemed to realize the need for independence. When I had told him I'd constantly be over at Grimmauld anyway, and that all three of us had enough in our bank accounts to manage our own place, he had relaxed and given full approval, and had even offered up a few suggestions.

The amount that could happen in a month was mind-blowing.

I jumped when the front door finally opened, revealing a round-faced man with the same blue eyes as his daughter. 

"You must be Lily and Leo," he greeted kindly. 

"It's Theo, actually–" Theo began, interrupted when Lavender's father beckoned us inside. Unlike the outside of the house, the inside showed obvious signs of magic– pictures moved in frames that were lined down the hall, and a vacuum was currently moving itself around the living room. Mr. Brown turned it off with a flick of his wand, then looked back to Theo and I kindly.

"I'll go let Lavender know you're here," he told us, before disappearing up a stairway. I watched him until he was out of sight, then turned to Theo with a wide grin.

"I'm gonna call you Leo from now on."

"Don't you dare, Brownie."

"Sure thing, Leo."

"Oh, for–"

"Lily!" It was Lavender, heading down the stairway. I smiled as I saw her, arms already lifted up before she crashed into them and hugged me tightly; I hadn't seen her since Parvati's funeral, and she had been too busy crying to hold much of a conversation(not that I blamed her).

"I've missed you," I said honestly, smiling at her when she pulled away. Lavender hadn't changed much since I had last seen her, though the smile on her face appeared relatively worn.