Lavender Blooms

Chapter One ~ Seeds of Change

The Hogwarts grounds were empty and quiet. Pearly moonlight softly illuminated the expansive lawns and intricate gardens. The surface of the lake rippled gently as the giant squid stretched in its sleep.

Lavender walked slowly, absentmindedly weaving a strand of ivy through her hair. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

The cold sharpness of the early autumn air made her sneeze. She pulled her scarf up over her nose and mouth and buried her hands in the deep pockets of her purple dressing-gown. Her slippers muffled her steps as she followed the meandering path back towards the castle, past the Quidditch pitch and the greenhouses.

A cloud passed in front of the moon, blocking out its light. Suddenly a chilling cry rose from the Forbidden Forest. Terrified, Lavender broke into a panicked sprint.

She finally reached the safety of the Entrance Hall and raced up the stairs. Moments later she tumbled into the Gryffindor common room and collapsed on the floor, dishevelled and gasping for breath. She laughed at herself. "I'm such a coward - it was probably just an owl!"

Suddenly she realised that she was not alone. She jumped up to find Dean Thomas staring at her, eyebrows raised. He was sitting in a leather armchair on the other side of the room, with a sketchbook in his lap and a pencil poised in his left hand.

"I, er, couldn't sleep," Lavender explained as she straightened her pyjamas. "So I decided to go for a walk. Well, it ended up as a run. I heard this screech and got a bit scared and..." She saw that Dean was grinning and broke off, flustered. "What's so funny?" she snapped.

"You look like a wood-nymph." He laughed.

Lavender realised, mortified, that she still had that strand of ivy in her hair. How embarrassing for Dean to see her looking so ridiculous - gorgeous Dean, on whom she had lately developed such a crush! "Oh, gosh..." Lavender fled from the room.

She paused outside the Seventh Year girls' dormitory to try to untangle the ivy from her hair. Through the heavy wooden door she could hear her best friend Parvati Patil's unmistakeable whine.

"She doesn't care at all about my feelings, Ginny" Parvati was moaning. "She really doesn't think twice about promising to give me a French manicure and then going off on her own instead!"

"Well, I think you're overreacting." Ginny sounded exasperated. "I'm sure Lavender didn't mean to upset you. She just went for a walk in the grounds. She'll be right back."

"When she comes in I'm going to tell her exactly what I think of her," Parvati continued, on a roll. "I'm going to let her know that she is the most uncaring, cruel, disloyal, pathetic, and downright ugly--"

That was too much. Lavender threw open the door with a resounding slam. Parvati was perched on the window-seat next to Ginevra Weasley, who was trying to calm her down. (Lavender noticed that Ginny looked pale and strained. This was not surprising since over the summer Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger - Ginny's brother, ex-boyfriend, and best friend respectively - had all disappeared without trace or explanation.)

"How dare you call me ugly!" Lavender screeched at Parvati. "You're certainly not one to talk! You look like a Banshee!

"A Banshee!" yelled Parvati, going red. "Your face reminds me of a Blast-Ended Skrewt's backside - no wonder your love life is as flat as a pancake!"

"At least I've had a real boyfriend."

"Ron Weasley - big deal! He'd date anything with long hair and boobs."

Ginny sprung to her feet, flushed with anger. "How dare you insult my brother!" she roared. "Aguamenti!" A jet of water streamed from the tip of her wand.

"Impervio!" screamed Parvati, deflecting the charm with a waterproof shield. She pointed her wand at the younger girl. "Engorgio!"

"Protego!" shouted Ginny at once. The curse rebounded towards Parvati, hitting her squarely in the stomach.

"My figure!" she shrieked, staring in horror at her swelling middle. Enraged, she pounced on her adversary. Parvati already had doubled in size and weight, and though Ginny kicked, bit and scratched fiercely, she was soon crushed into submission.

"Reducio!" cried Lavender. Parvati rapidly deflated as though punctured, and Lavender shoved her off of Ginny. "Can you breathe?" Lavender asked the younger girl worriedly.

"Yes. I'm fine, honestly." Ginny smiled shakily. "Thanks, Lavender."

"You're welcome." Lavender turned to Parvati. "I'll have you know that my relationship with Won-Won - I mean Ron - was far more meaningful than you may think."

"You wish!" scoffed Parvati. "Everyone knows that he only snogged you to make Hermione jealous!"

"That is not true!" choked Lavender. "I loved him!"

"Well, he certainly didn't return your misguided affection. Neither, incidentally, have any of the other guys you've fancied - for all your mooning after Dean Thomas you can't even get him to ask you out!"

"As if you could do better!"

"Bet I could!"

~*~~*~*~~*~

The following day began miserably for Lavender, who found that without Parvati's expert assistance her mascara smudged and her eyeliner looked completely asymmetrical.

At breakfast she nearly burst into tears when Parvati snuggled up to Dean and insisted on feeding him his toast.

Ginny squeezed onto the bench beside Lavender. "What a bitch!" she exclaimed, glaring lethally at Parvati. "I can't believe what she said last night about Ron! Nobody insults a Weasley within my hearing range and gets away with it." She touched Lavender gently on the shoulder. "I didn't realise that you honestly cared for Ron. I'm sorry I underestimated your feelings towards him."

Lavender bit her lip.

Ginny stuffed three pieces of toast into her pocket. "I'm going to go to class via the Owlery. Want to come?"

"Alright," agreed Lavender. She didn't feel much like eating anymore - watching Parvati fawn over Dean had killed her appetite.

Twelve staircases and a ladder later, Ginny and Lavender scrambled into the Owlery. Ginny stuck two fingers between her lips and whistled shrilly. A cinnamon-coloured school owl promptly flew down to her from its perch. Lavender glimpsed the name scrawled on the sheet of parchment Ginny tied to the bird's leg.

"You're writing to Hermione Granger?" she gasped. "What happened to her, and to Ron and Harry? Where are they?"

"I'm not giving anything away," Ginny said firmly. "Especially not to the Hogwarts gossip queen."

"I'm flattered, but Parvati's the gossip queen - I'm only the gossip princess," Lavender grumbled. "Gin... If you ever need someone to talk to, I am here for you," she added.

Ginny nodded. "Thanks, Lavender." She smiled slightly.

"But right now I have to run to Charms or I'll be late!"

~*~~*~*~~*~

Professor Flitwick snapped his fingers. "I'd like everybody's attention, please!" He cleared his throat and stepped onto the stack of textbooks he used as a podium. "Before I dismiss you I will put you into pairs. For the next three weeks you and your partner will work together to devise a charm that will make you completely undetectable to those who seek to harm you. This project will involve very difficult complex magic, but once you have perfected your spell and successfully tested it you will be able to use it to great advantage."

Please don't put me with Parvati, Lavender prayed silently, PLEASE!

Professor Flitwick looked down at his clipboard and read out: "Miss Bones with Miss Padma Patil; Miss Greengrass with Mr Nott; Mr Smith with Miss Brown..."

Lavender breathed a sigh of relief - Zacharias Smith was undeniably a smug git, but at least he wasn't Parvati.

"... and Miss Parvati Patil with Mr Thomas. That is all, students - you may go!"

Damn the lucky cow. Lavender slung her book-bag over her shoulder rather violently and marched out of the classroom in a huff.

She was startled out of her sulk by a deep, mellow voice. "I'm looking forward to working with you," drawled Zacharias Smith, grinning suggestively.

Aha! thought Lavender. Here's an opportunity to convince Parvati that I don't care what she does with Dean. One point to me!

She gazed into Zacharias's bright brown eyes and flashed him her most brilliant smile. "I'm looking forward to working with you too," she purred. "Very, very much."

~*~~*~*~~*~