Thicker than Water (Marauders Era)

19 May, 1982 - Apologies

It took Lavinia nearly two months to gather her courage and apologize to Severus. She knew she'd been awful and she hadn't so much as given him a chance and besides, Bertie had been right, as he so often was. Lavinia needed to apologize, if only because she couldn't bear any more unresolved guilt. She had plenty and it was already eating her alive.

So it was that on a cloudy afternoon in mid May, Lavinia decided she was finally going to do it. Not that she had even the faintest clue where to find Severus. So, rather reluctantly, she started by going to Dumbledore, figuring that if Severus really had started working for him, then the old man would probably know where to find her old friend.

If she was honest, this was part of why she took so very long to get around to seeking Severes out. Put simply, she just didn't want to see Dumbledore. The last time she'd encountered the Hogwarts Headmaster, she'd said some rather terrible things. And though she knew those things had been borne from a raging sort of grief... it didn't change the fact that they had been awful.

On top of her reluctance to face Dumbledore again, there was the issue of going back to Hogwarts. She'd been back only once since she'd graduated and it hadn't exactly been pleasant. It had been after an awful, awful day, the memory of which still made her skin crawl, and she had practically begged Dumbledore to help her. And he had. Which was strange enough, really and an odd almost positive that had been starkly offset by the events that had led her to the Headmaster in the first place.

But she'd also broken a promise that day. A promise to an old friend. And a promise she now had the chance to fulfill.

So, with that in mind, Lavinia's first stop upon entering the ancient castle wasn't the Headmaster's office, but rather, the kitchens.

It was the strangest thing to step into that room, to have her senses flooded with the smells of dinner preparation. Strange and yet... nice, in it's own way.

It was exactly like she remembered. All the little elves bustling this way and that, steam rising off of pots and dishes starting to accumulate on the four long tables that mirrored those in the Great Hall above. It was like... Like nothing had changed. Like she was still in school, still escaping the world by tucking herself into a corner of the kitchens to watch these elves lead lives that were productive and uncomplicated.

She stood, stunned, in the doorway for only a brief moment before the elves noticed that someone had entered and she was pulled from her thoughts and memories as a slightly slope-backed elf came hurrying up to her, beaming as he paused and bowed low.

"Miss Lavinia," the elf intoned, the slightly squeaky words full of suppressed joy.

Lavinia smiled down at the creature, something softening in her. Apparently, this too hadn't changed.

"Hello Dinser," she murmured, watching as he rose from his bow.

"Miss is back for a visit," the elf observed, beaming up at her even as he pushed himself to his fullest, and not very impressive, height.

"I did promise," Lavinia pointed out, though something squirmed in her, remembering that she had not made good on that promise the first time she'd stepped into this castle. Of course, she'd been distracted then and the world had been chaotic and now... now the chaos was confined to small parts of her head and she'd realized that chaos was no reason not to drop in on someone who had taken better care of her than she'd deserved all those years ago.

"Miss will have some tea," Dinser announced, now ushering her over towards the corner she'd spent so much time in. Lavinia laughed slightly, but didn't argue as the elf sat her down like she was some guest of honor and served her tea as he had perhaps a hundred times before.