Crystal Ball

Crystal ball

A small red headed boy crouched in the grass, his tiny fist clutched around his father's wand. He giggled gleefully as he watched the tall man looking around frantically, a girl trailing behind him, slightly taller than the boy. Her hair was the same blazing red as that of her father and younger brother.

Lavender smiled contently as she watched the young family in the crystal ball. There was Ron, and their adorable little children, now she just needed to see her future self for the perfect scene to be complete..

The man was panicking now as he called for his young son. "Hugo?" He was gasping in fear as he broke into a run, completely missing where the boy hid. "Hugo! Where are you?"

The boy snickered but other than that, ignored the calls.

Laughing gently herself, Lavender rested her chin on her palm and studied her son's profile. He was just as she had imagined.

The larger child stood still, her head cocked to one the left. Her brow furrowed as she listened intently to her surroundings. Suddenly, without warning, her face broke into a huge smile.

Lavender found herself also smiling, though she didn't know why.

The girl tiptoed silently to where the boy was situated and bent down. She smiled gently at her brother and offered him her hand. He shook his head furiously and pouted. She chortled and ran after their father. "Daddy!" she trilled. "I can see Hugo!"

He turned and closed the distance between them in two short strides. "Where?" he demanded.

The girl pointed in the boy's direction, jumping up and down in her excitement. Her thick, bushy hair waved up and down...

SMASH!

Lavender stood up with angry tears streaming down her face. She should have known! It wasn't her family, it was Granger's!

Sniffing, she grabbed her wand from the desk behind her and muttered the repairing spell. She had always known, even from the start, that it was Hermione Granger that Ron really wanted. Yet, for some unknown reason, she had allowed herself to believe in this... fantasy.

Her heart ached for her to turn and flee, but her legs had frozen in place. She reached for the crystal ball once more and pressed her face right up against the cold glass, willing the future to change in her favour, but knowing that it wouldn't. She closed her eyes briefly, letting the tears flow.

A strange urge came over her and she opened her eyes. She could not stop now. She was in too deep. She had to know her fate...

She was engulfed in darkness. There was an emptiness and she felt like she should know what this was, but she was ignorant to this feeling.

Then there was pain. A searing, tearing pain that shook her body. Blood trickled in her mouth. All she could taste was metal and sweat. She could feel herself slipping away...

The last thing she was aware of was a blinding light and a face swam in front of her eyes, before they closed and she was floating in the darkness once again.

A strange gurgling noise filled her ears and she realised it had come from deep in the back of her throat. She swallowed and tried to stand, but swayed gently like a daisy in the wind.

*

When Lavender's head hit a pillow in the Hospital wing an hour later she recognised that feeling. It was death. There was only one thing left to do. Turn her back on Hogwarts. Her fate. Death.