Flaming Red Hair

Author's Notes: Okay, I'm not very good at writing (not stories, anyway), but considering my Harry Potter obsession and addiction to fan fiction (OMG that rhymes!), I decided to give it a shot. Now remember, this is only my first story... well, the first one I try to post, second one I try to write (the first one's not quite done yet), so if it's not very good, I'm sorry, this'll probably be my last one if it, like, totally stinks. But this plot bunny kept pestering me, BEGGING ME to write it. And I must say, I'm actually kind of proud of it. I actually put myself in Lavender's shoes and thought of exactly what she could have been feeling and wrote it down the way I thought would happen. I don't think it's that bad for my first try, actually.

Anyway, here goes... (sorry for trailing off like that!)

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Flaming Red Hair

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He dumped me. Ron Weasley dumped me!

I can't believe it. Why? Why did he break up with me? I mean, is he the only one who hasn't noticed that any other boy in Gryffindor -- no, in all Hogwarts, maybe even Durmstrang -- would kill to have been in his place?

But I don't really think I could be dating any of them. For the past few months -- okay, since last summer, and all year long -- I've had my eye on him. He's funny, a great Quidditch player (once he gets over his nervousness), he's a little lazy but actually quite smart, and most importantly, very sweet. Not to mention the fact that he'd matured a fair bit since last year, when I, and most everyone else, saw him as "Harry Potter's friend". No, now he stands out a lot more. I'm not only talking about the way he literally does stand out from his peers, as he's the tallest in our year, and I don't just mean his flaming red hair, which would direct anyone's eyes toward him in a crowd.

Although, I did always love his hair. Like a rose among thorns.

There I go again, thinking about him. But I can't help it! He just dumped me. Oh, I can still hear his words ringing in my ears. If you'd call them words... he was more like choking them out.

'Er, I, uh... I like you a lot...'

Yeah. Right.

'But I think... I think we... um...'

I remember him wincing. He even backed off slightly. I guess he thought I was going to attack him, which I would have done...

'Maybe it would be-- I don't know....b-best if we were... just friends?'

... If I wasn't so shocked. Hurt. I did push him, as hard as I could, but only just. It was to push him away. I couldn't let him see me cry.

Not that I was so hurt as to cry--I was hurt, but my tears weren't really for him. Not out of sadness, anyway. I was angry. Very angry.

He'd told me he fancied me! I really thought he did. I remember him calling out after me, "I-I didn't mean to hurt you! Lavender?" If he didn't mean to hurt me, why would he dump me?! That-- that--!

Oh, what's the use? I'm not even supposed to be thinking about him, you know, since the break up. Parvati's told me a million times in the past few hours to keep him out of my mind. Actually, she's telling me right now. I'm just not listening.

"Lavender? Are you listening?"

No.

"Lavender? Look, you can't stay like this, not over that Weasle-git! He's not worth it, he's not worth your time..."

I'm not trying to ignore her, honest, it's just that how can I listen to her at a moment like this? Has she ever been dumped? I don't think so. I'm not trying to ignore her, though.

As a matter of fact, why would I? She's been nothing but wonderful to me since I pushed past Ronald to run into the common room and burst into the girls' dormitories in tears. She looked up from her book and must have known what happened, because the first thing she did was hug me and start bad-talking Ronald. Just what I need at a moment like this. Actually, we're still in the same conversation. Well, she is.

Oh, bless Parvati. She really is the best friend a girl can have. Looking back, I was horrible to her ever since Ron and I started dating. I blew her off to be with him. I spent Galleons on his Christmas gift, and only a couple of Sickles on hers, while she got me this extraordinary bracelet. A friendship bracelet. What did I give her? A wand case. It had rhinestones... but I really have nothing to compare. I took his side when she started telling me that I was too good for him, or how I should break up with him. I didn't listen. And here she was now, treating me like a sister again. I even think she's been nicer to me about my being dumped than when it happened to Padma. I don't think she likes me better than her own sister, I guess it's just because different Houses don't really interact as much with other Houses. Anyway, I shudder to think what would happened to me if I didn't have Parvati.

"...Really,. Lavender, you were too good for him anyway..."

But I'm still not listening! I'm too lost in my own thoughts...

I remember the day he asked me to be his girlfriend. I remember being at Slughorn's Christmas party, and pulling him in for a kiss. Everything was going great for a few weeks. I remember taking walks by the black lake. Going to Hogsmeade together. But he was just leading me on. Getting me so high only to bring me back down, and squash me like a Blast-Ended Skrewt. If you can squash those. I guess they can be squashed when they're small...

All that, all those memories... they have to go away. He'd been so nice to me, and I'd been the best girlfriend I could be, and this was what it led to. I'm still so angry at him, for dumping me after all that, so I feel ashamed to say he hurt me. I'm supposed to be mad. I am mad. But the questions keeps popping up: Why did he dump me? Was it my fault? Didn't he like me?

Or was it someone else?

I think I'd have to learn the Cruciatus Curse if I found that was the reason. I'm not kidding.

"... and besides, he's not that good a Quidditch player! He's a fair Keeper when no one's looking at him, but what's the point if no one's around to see the game? Everyone knows his little sister is better for Gryffindor than he is! Speaking of Gryffindor, have you noticed his hair? Just because a students' hair matches their House doesn't mean--"

That's when the portrait hole swung open. I wish it wouldn't (or at least that it wasn't that painting); the Fat Lady breaks into people's thoughts and concentrations every time someone tried to come in, with her horrendous singing.

And lo and behold, the four people I least wanted to see at the moment coming in, walking right past us, laughing at something the redhead was saying.

"...She can't sing at all!"

"Yeah, she sings almost as bad as you, Ron!"

"Does not!"

"Sure, you inherited it from mum! Harry, Hermione, you've heard her impersonation of Celestina with 'A Cauldron of Hot, Strong Love', tell me Ron doesn't sound like that when he saw the Weird Sisters appear in Trelawny's 'crystal ball'! Sounded almost as bad as Phlegm, actually!"

"It's true, mate!"

"Shut up! I wasn't singing, I was... hiccoughing," said Ron as he walked right past Lavender, failing to notice his ex-girlfriend's presence. They'd just broken up that morning, how long had to taken for him to be over it?

"Well, it's a wonder you aren't dead, Ronniekins, because that 'hiccoughing' sounded like a--"

"Ginny, that's enough," Hermione interrupted, a suddenly serious look on her face, "We... we have something to do, remember?"

Whatever that something is, they must be anxious to get to it, because they're all calming down at once, though I could still hear Harry chuckling a bit, Ginny nudging at his side while she giggles, mumbling something incoherent while looking back at Ron, who's running upstairs to the boys' dormitories saying, "I'll be right back."

Hermione, unsurprisingly, has her nose in a book, and she has a rather serious look on her face, apparently trying really hard to understand something she couldn't quite get before. Right, like that could ever happen. Hermione understands everything. She finds the solution to any problem. Decipher any code. No one understands why she's in Gryffindor, because from the first time anyone sets eyes on her, they can see she belongs in Ravenclaw. Parvati, who'd gone silent as soon as they set foot in the common room and given them all deadly looks (they haven't noticed, however). Must be a Seer. She read my mind.

"Look at Granger," she whispered and nudged her head in Hermione's direction, "Doing homework on a Saturday! She'd get along great with Padma. I bet she's only in Gryffindor because her hair looks like a lion's."

I discreetly look over to Hermione again. If she'd heard what Parvati said, she's hiding it well, though I'm almost sure she didn't, because all she did was turn the page and continue reading.

True, it wouldn't hurt one bit for her to try a Straightening Charm or something on her hair, but to tell the truth, she's not ugly. She's actually rather pretty. Amazing that she's bright enough to get O's in everything, but too clueless to know that there are, in fact, more blokes than just Viktor Krum who have their eye on her. Seamus, I suspect, has taken a particular liking to her, but he's never done anything about it. Although I hate to admit it to myself, I refuse to, I think I know the reason.

Ron.

I can't stand to look at her any more, so I look away, anger boiling in my veins. She couldn't possibly be the reason Ron broke up with me.

Yes she was.

They've been best friends since first year, but they bicker all the time. Still, everyone could see it. There's been... I don't know... a certain something between them. But they're both clueless about it. Even clever little Hermione. Ron, I think, did like me, but his friendship with Hermione wouldn't let him be with me. I think she felt a little left out, much like the way I'd left Parvati out (she's still glaring), and... Well, I'm not so sure exactly what was going through Ron's mind. I'm sure Granger had something to do with what happened, but I'm not quite sure what. I mean, she doesn't seem the type to simply go right up to Ronald and say, "Ron, I don't want you dating Lavender. Break up with her." I can't help but be mad at her, though. She ruined everything. Still, what can I do? Hex her for it?

I guess I was still looking at Hermione, might have glanced over again unconsciously, because she looked up looking a little surprised, and embarrassed, for some reason. Ronald's little sister saw and reached toward Hermione.

"Hermione --put the book down, you won't need that one--, I think we should go now," she's saying slowly, one eye on me the entire time, Harry's too, "Ron can catch up."

I always had the feeling Ginny didn't really like me. I don't think she hates me, or has anything against me in particular, but she must not have liked me for her brother. Every time he and I were together, and she passed by, she'd walk over to him and came up with some excuse to interrupt our conversation and take him away somewhere else or something. Whenever she was wandering around with Dean, she'd give me a sharp look. Not necessarily an... "evil" look, but... not the kind of look she'd give Hermione. Though Ginny, of course like Hermione better, maybe like a sister, even. Probably why she dislikes me so much. I was her brother's girlfriend.

Harry, on the other hand, never looked at me that way. He just gave us a strange look whenever he saw us together. I don't think he liked me very much either, but he was always nice enough. He probably just didn't think I'd be Ron's first girlfriend.

"No, wait!"

I spin around facing the stairs leading to the boys' rooms, ignoring Parvati's gentle kicks in my leg, and I find myself facing the source of the voice, which also happens to be my former boyfriend.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he's saying hurriedly as he stopped down the stairs with a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages under his arm. "Ready, Hermione?"

"I think so," she responds timidly. I notice her eyes shifted in my direction for a moment, and I look away from her. Ron must have just noticed I was in the room as she glanced over at me. He looked a little taken aback, and takes a step back. He must think I'm going to do what I hadn't done earlier, but I won't. But trust me, it's not for lack of temptation, but because I just don't feel like looking at him, even if he were under my foot. He just stares for a bit, before attempting a weak smile.

I looked away harshly. It was the least I should do. I cared so much for him, and still do, but I'd rather die before letting him know that. Instead, I think I'll get another boyfriend by tomorrow.

Typical Gryffindor, too proud to show my weak side, masking my hurt feelings with anger. I still feel like I can melt under his gaze, but I refuse to show it, and glare at him, my eyes daring him to turn away, daring him not to, if you know what I mean. I can't bare the sight of him right now, and my stare is telling him so. So his gaze falls to the floor, and he walks over to his little group anxiously, his ears growing red.

It's not long before I hear the Fat Lady's singing again, and I know they're leaving. But I'm looking straight ahead, trying not to acknowledge they were there at all.

"Harry, er, are you sure your broom is perfectly safe? I've seen it go pretty fast, and I don't think I should be getting on, not for training, and--"

"Hermione, you'll be fine," Harry's voice slowly fades, leaving his echoes around the common room, and I can tell they're almost out.

"Glad they're gone, right, Lavender?" Parvati is glancing over my shoulder to make sure they're completely out of earshot. "Honestly, couldn't they see we were right in the middle of something? So as I was saying..."

Just out of instinct, I look back, feeling something in my hair. I guess it was just me, but I regret looking back. They're still a few feet from the doorway. And who was looking back right at me but Ronald Bilius Weasley. I think he's still looking at me while I turn back to Parvati. Good. Look at me, Ron, and feel sorry for dumping me, because you can forget ever speaking to me again.

"Ron, can you help me?"

The last voice I hear is Ron's, distractedly saying, "Wha-- Yeah, yeah, sure thing, Hermione."

Thinking it safe to look back again (just to make sure they're gone, nothing else), I look over my shoulder, and the last thing I see before the hole swings shut is something flaming red.

I hate myself for still loving his hair.

Author's Notes: It's my first one, so I'd like to know what others think!