As Lavender Brown's body lay amongst the ruins of what was once her home, she watched a family grieve the loss of one of their own, wondering why fate had so cruelly dealt them such cards. From a young age, all she wanted was to love and be loved in...
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»»» LAVENDER sank to the ground.The music muffled into a suffocating collection of nonsense. It didn't matter that Merlin had disappeared, his deal was ingrained and repeating in her head like a broken record. Lavender blinked at the blurry sight of her trembling hands, turning it around to see the sixth additional line added to her collection.
Her eyes burned as she stared at the sight, the rational side of her mind attempting to make sense of what had just happened. A sharp ringing became the only thing she could hear. She was barely aware of the hot tears that had started spilling from her eyes. How could she have not seen this coming? Somehow, she had naively believed Fred when he claimed they could have a night away from all of their drama and prophecy.
Lavender balled her hand into a tight fist, one corner of her lip turning into a scowl, a low unknown growl emanating from her chest. Everything had led to this, and with all the cards laid bare, she only felt anger. For one stupid naive moment, she had convinced herself that there was hope for them both. Yet the truth was, she was never deserving of any redemption after all. Considering how she had lived her life, it shouldn't have been a surprise.
Shaking her head, Lavender wiped away the tears and took some deep shaky breaths. The music was still barely comprehensible over the sound of her heart pounding. As someone who was well versed in the art of preparing for the worst, she understood what was required without having to think about it too hard. The choice was clear.
Two brown eyes met hers as a concerned face knelt down in front of her. Lavender widened her eyes and attempted a smile. Neville Longbottom regarded his old friend, concern scrawled in his deep frown lines. He scanned the room, his gaze resting on Fred who was still preoccupied with his brother. Having come to a decision, Neville sat on the floor next to her and offered his hand.
Not needing to explain herself, Lavender wove her fingers in between his, a shaky exhale escaping her before she could stop it. She pressed her other hand against her dress, but not before noticing Neville raise his eyebrows at the tally printed on her palm.
"So I suppose the whole dying thing doesn't fix your two left feet," Neville commented, breaking the silence between them. Lavender paused, the sight of Fred throwing his limbs out wildly momentarily making her forget all her worries. "But I guess that doesn't matter when you've got bucketloads of confidence" he continued, shooting a sideways glance at her.
Her mouth parted at his tease, before she giggled at the absurdity of the statement. Here she was, pondering whether her life's purpose was to be a puppet and Neville was admiring Fred's ability (or lack thereof) to command the dance floor.
"I thought you would have taught him some moves by now. Or is that what you were doing in the courtyard?"
"Neville!" Lavender spluttered, as she nudged him lightly with her shoulder. He chuckled and shook his head at her. Scoffing at him, Lavender leant her head against his shoulder, her chest considerably lighter.
