The Sixteenth of October
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Counselling: (Task 2) Write about loss.
W.C (399)
She should've known that nothing good was going to happen on the sixteenth of October.
A tear dropped onto the letter, leaving a wet patch in the middle of the parchment. Usually, she looked forward to hearing from her mother, but today was not one of those days. Poor Binky was gone, and Lavender would never see him again. He was only a baby and a beautiful one at that. More tears followed, making her mum's words almost unreadable. She set the letter down and sobbed into her pillow.
"Lavender?" Parvati called softly. "Are you okay?"
The blonde wiped her eyes and tried to pull herself together enough to answer her best friend. "It's Binky! He's dead!" She pulled open the drapes and headed over to her friend. Straight away, Parvati wrapped her arms around her and let her cry it out on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Lav."
The two sat down on Lavender's bed. Lavender's muffled sobs were the only noises to break through the silence. Images of Binky's soft white fur haunted her. A fox got him, and she couldn't stop herself from picturing the scene of the massacre. "He was killed by a fox. It's just like Professor Trelawney predicted."
She looked into Parvati's eyes and saw a flicker of realisation. "The sixteenth of October. That thing you've been dreading."
Lavender nodded, holding back the tears and taking a deep breath. "Why did she have to be right about this? I want Binky back!"
Parvati rubbed her back soothingly. "Do you have pictures of Binky? Maybe we could have a memorial for him later."
This was why Parvati was her best friend; she always knew the right thing to say. "I'd like that," she answered with a nod. "Thanks, Parvati. What would I do without you?"
The raven-haired witch smiled and handed her some face wipes. "Now," she said in a firm voice, "We've got a classroom to get to."
Lavender gathered up her favourite photograph and stuck it in a frame. It was the day she brought Binky home. He was so tiny. Her excitement at having a new pet was evident, and her eyes shone with adoration as she stroked him and placed him on her knee.
"Goodbye, Binky," she said as she lit her candle.
Parvati followed suit. "Bye, Binky. You were a much-loved rabbit."
Another tear fell down Lavender's cheek.