Ron always hated the smell of St. Mungo's. It's that horrible, sweet, sickening miasma that fills your lungs with every breath. And if you pay close enough attention, the smell the fools running this place are trying to hard to mask is there. It's the wretched stench of death and decaying flesh. He wished that they would stop trying to mask the smell, and pretend like this was some sort of place for happiness. Because the overwhelmingly syrupy scent was almost always worse than anything that you knew you where supposed to hate.
And the people, trotting around in their lime green robes like everything was so peachy-keen, where the worst. They gave no indication of the death and horrible injuries they had to deal with on a daily basis. Occasionally you'd spot a witch or wizard with a troubled expression, but the moment he or she saw you staring, it snapped back to a calm and collected expression, just like it had been trained.
All things considered, Ron was not keen on returning to St. Mungo's, and if the circumstances had been different he definitely would not have. But, he gritted his teeth as the door opened, and let Hermione enter before him. There was no turning back now. He grasped on to Hermione's hand.
"How can I help you?" The woman at the front desk flashed her pearly white teeth from between her coral-pink lips.
Hermione paused for a moment as though she was going to look at the grand sign before them-the sign listed what floor would be the correct one to visit, depending on one's needs, but Ron pulled her forward. He knew already which floor they would need to visit; the First Floor. He'd been they're two times before- for his father, and his oldest brother Bill.
From that point on, he was pulling Hermione along with him, as quickly as they could go without creating any suspicion. When they reached the door to her room, Ron took in a deep breath of determination. He tensed his arm muscles, with the intent of rapping on the door in front of him, but his arm wouldn't move. He turned to Hermione with a pleading look, and let out a small sigh of relief as her creamy hand delicately tapped for him.
"Come in," came Lavender Brown's doleful voice.
He was nervous. How would Lavender react to seeing him again, especially with Hermione? When they'd first broken off, they'd barely been able to look at each other. When they'd seen each other again, shortly before the Battle of Hogwarts she'd given very little indication of noticing him. But they'd known each other since their first year at Hogwarts, and he felt it was only right to come see her.
As they entered, Ron braced himself, unsure of what he would see. On his side Hermione let out a little gasp.
Reclining against a mound of pillows it was clear that Lavender had the same waist length hair she'd had since third year, her sandy mane framing her heart shaped face. Her blue eyes, usually so bright, where filled with a hopelessness that neither Ron nor Hermione had ever seen in their classmate. Her lips, which were famous for their goofy, but endearing grin, where in a straight line, turned down slightly at the ends. They had both seen her in hysterics before, but this was a side of her they'd never seen or thought they would see.
But this wasn't what had shocked them both. A long, deep scar marred her creamy skin. It had healed into a thick pink line, crossing from the end of her eyebrow, and slicing down to the edge of her chin.
There was a moment of silence during which Ron almost forgot why he was standing beside her bed in the first place. He felt Hermione give his hand a small squeeze, snapping him back to reality. He opened his mouth awkwardly, "Er…"
Before he was forced to say anything substantial Lavender spoke. "Thank you," but it wasn't Ron she spoke to. Her blue eyes met Hermione's brown, "I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."
Hermione looked shocked by the way Lavender was speaking to her. It was clear that she had expected some sort of open hostility. And though she was rarely at a loss for words, it took a moment for her to reply, "It… it wasn't- You're welcome."
Another moment's hesitation before Hermione spoke again, "I'll go wait outside." Before turning to leave she gave Ron a meaningful look, as if to remind him that she was only a few meters away.
As the door shut softly, Ron sat down on the edge of her bed. Again, she spoke, "So, you and Hermione?" It was clear that she meant this to be a light question, but her voice shook with defeat.
"Erm…" Ron didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to cause her any more distress, especially in the condition she was in now, "Yeah… yeah I suppose so."
Lavender closed her eyes, letting this sink in. As she did so Ron took in the full extent of her injuries. Her shoulder was wrapped up, in stark white dressing. It had just been changed. Both arms where bandaged, as was her side.
"Why are you here?" Lavender asked suddenly. Ron was shocked to hear such a forceful voice come out of her.
"Because I care about you."
"Even after all the happened?"
"Er… well I'm not here to talk about that…" Ron trailed off awkwardly, "I'm here to make sure that you're going to be okay."
"Oh sure, Ron. I'm fine. Perfect actually. Everything's just wonderful." It was a moment before her detected the bitterness in her voice. Silent tears where starting to flow down her cheeks.
"Lav…" Ron wasn't sure what to say. He reached out his arm and gently placed his hand over her much smaller one.
"Don't call me that," her voice was shaking as she spoke, her voice becoming hoarse, "You can't just act like everything is normal. Like it's just school again. You can't just act like I'm normal."
"What d'you mean?" Ron's head turned slightly to the side. Wasn't she just like Bill? Bill was attacked by Greyback, but isn't a full werewolf, because it wasn't the full moon. Ron had always assumed that Lavender was the same.
"Don't you get it, Ron? I'm a monster. I can't just be a part of normal society anymore. I'm a freak, an outcast." She was sobbing now. Ron draped his arm gently around her shoulders, as she sat hunched over, bawling into her hands.
"That's not true; you can live a normal life like Lupin did." Lavender raised her head, and looked at Ron with pure venom. But it melted away quickly into desperation again as she leaned against his chest, her sobs now moving both of their bodies.
"How can you be so blind?" Lavender's words were now muffled by Ron's tee-shirt, "He couldn't live a normal life. He left as soon as everyone found out. He HAD to."
Ron was stunned. He'd completely forgotten why Remus had stopped teaching. And he needed to come up with a way to calm her down. It was awful seeing Lavender so upset. "He had people that cared about him, people that didn't give a rat's arse about it. And so do you."
"But don't you get it? I'll never be able to have a real job, or a real place in society. I won't be able to go anywhere. Do you know what people like me do? They kill babies- innocent defenseless babies." Lavender's sobs where becoming more and more forceful. Ron tightened his grip on her, and began rubbing her back soothingly.
"You aren't like that, Lav. You and I both know you wouldn't ever do that." Ron's voice had dropped to a slow murmur.
"But what if I am? I won't be able to control myself… what if I hurt someone?" Her sob's where becoming less violent, and her vice-like grip on Ron's shirt started to loosen, though she stayed against his chest.
"Wolfsbane potion, just take the potion, and nothing bad will happen."
"But, look at me. Everyone… they'll know what I am. They'll know." Lavender's voice was barely audible, her desperate cry almost lost in Ron's breast.
Ron stopped rubbing her back abruptly. He grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her head up so that she was eyelevel with him, "Listen to me. There is nothing wrong with you at all. You are beautiful."
Lavender's lips twisted into a goofy grin as she squeezed Ron. They broke apart just in time, as Hermione opened the door.
"Seamus is here, Lavender."
Ron may have been a bit insensitive sometimes, but even he didn't miss the way Lavander's eyes lit up at the Irish man walked in. Giving her a quick half-squeeze, Ron stood up and started towards the door.
He put his hand out for Seamus, "Be good to her, mate." Ron murmured so that Lavender couldn't hear. For a moment Seamus looked taken aback, but he shook Ron's hand with his familiar goofy grin.