It felt like she had been asleep for only minutes when an ear-splitting thunderclap made Parvati jump awake. She breathed heavily until the aftershock of being awakened so abruptly had passed.
She pulled her hand out from beneath the blanket to smooth back her dark hair – regretting it instantly. The fire must have gone out at some point in the night, since the air around her was freezing cold.
Nevertheless she sat up and opened the curtains of her four-poster bed, looking around if others had been awakened by the storm like her. She listened carefully for any movements but she didn't pick up anything.
Though, it was quite difficult to make out any noises apart from the hail and heavy rain drops drumming against the window, the wind howling around the Gryffindor tower and the window shutters creaking as if they would be ripped off at any given second.
Lightning illuminated the whole room for a second, instantly followed by another deafening thunder.
Seems like the storm was right above the castle, Parvati thought.
When she was younger, she had loved listening to storms with her father and sister, counting the seconds in between each lightning and thunder.
But right now, she didn't feel the excitement and the rush of adrenaline she had felt back then. Now it was just another reminder of how dark and frightening her life had become.
She was in the middle of pulling her curtains shut again, when she did hear a noise coming from one of the beds to her left. She cocked her head, listening intently. There!, she thought, was that...Lavender?
Bracing herself against the chilly January air, she slipped out of her warm blankets.
Still, goosebumps started spreading all over her body as soon as her bare feet touched the wooden floor. Parvati grabbed her wand from the nightstand and cast a quick Lumos, so she could cross the distance to Lavender's bed without stumbling over any of the books, bags or inkwells scattered across the floor.
'Lavender?' she whispered when she stood in front of her best friend's bed, 'Are you... are you alright?'
There was no answer but by now Parvati was a hundred percent sure that the noises were coming from her best friend's bed.
She slowly parted the curtains, just to find Lavender lying with her back to Parvati, arms slung around her pulled up knees, shaking visibly.
'Lavender!' Parvati exclaimed in a whisper, 'What's wrong?'
She sat down on the bed and began to stroke the blonde's head gently. She could feel the wetness of tears on her cheek and in her hair and tried to wipe away most of it with the sleeve of her pyjama.
Lavender shuddered even more at the touch, hiccupping loudly before pressing a hand to her mouth in order to stifle any further noises.
'Do you want me to... to stay with you?' Parvati asked, unsure if Lavender would rather be alone.
She knew from experience that Lavender didn't like losing composure in company of others and could get very angry after such an incident. But when she still refused to answer, Parvati decided she didn't care and would deal with her best friend's anger at a different time.
She extinguished her wand and put it next to Lavender's on the nightstand. Then she slid beneath the blankets, thankful for the warmth, and slung her right arm around her friend's waist, grabbing her hand. She squeezed it and was relieved when she felt some pressure being returned on her own fingers.
Though Parvati was a head smaller than Lavender, her body seemed to fit perfectly around her friend's.
As if we're made for each other. The thought hit her out of the sudden and made her whole body tingle.
Lavender hadn't stopped shaking, so Parvati tried to steady her by pulling her closer. Despite the grim situation the dark-haired girl couldn't help but blush at the sudden proximity to her friend.
She had never talked about her sexuality with Lavender. Not because she feared the blonde wouldn't accept her but because she was the object of Parvati's affection.
However, this didn't matter now.
Parvati slowly stroked the back of Lavender's hand with her thumb, all while making soothing noises. They stayed like this for a while, until the violent shaking of Lavender's shoulders had ceased and only uneven breaths remained.
'Do you want to tell me why you're crying, honey girl?' Parvati asked, using the affectionate nickname she had given Lavender back in their first year at Hogwarts.
The blonde had always reminded her of that sugary yet sticky substance, since just like it, Lavender could be overly sweet and just as clingy, which some people didn't like but was just right for Parvati's taste.
The silence spanned minutes and Parvati had already given up hope to receive an answer.
But then Lavender finally replied.
'I'm scared.'
That response made Parvati press her hand even harder.
'About the future?' she asked.
Lavender nodded slowly, hesitated, and then turned around at once to look at her friend.
Parvati was thankful for the darkness to hide the blush that bloomed on her cheeks when she suddenly came face to face with her crush, much closer than they had ever been before. Feeling somewhat daring – maybe it's the lack of sleep? Parvati wondered – she tightened her grip around Lavender's waist.
'You've read the paper this morning. Ten Death Eaters escaped Azkaban!' whispered Lavender, pressing her arms around her stomach, 'We're always told that nobody could break out of there but Black managed it two years ago and now almost a dozen of the most dangerous criminals have just disappeared! That means if Azkaban's wards aren't strong enough...who says Hogwarts' are? I mean Hogwarts isn't exactly safe in the first place! What will stop them from entering the castle and massacring us? And what if the war's still raging when we graduate? Where are we supposed to go? Will they expect that we join the fight right away? I know I signed up for the DA but we're students, not soldiers! We didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for this!'
The last part was said with a surprising amount of anger.
Parvati had listened to Lavender's whispered exclamation with increasing dread. Her best friend had just summarized all of her own feelings; feelings that she didn't want to admit; too afraid that she would lose her composure completely after confessing.
But she couldn't let Lavender know that she was just as afraid of what they might be faced with in the future as she was.
'Oh, honey girl' she breathed instead and pulled Lavender's head closer to the crook of her neck, 'If any of those bloody bastards wants to harm you, they will have to answer to me first. I won't let them hurt you.'
Lavender pulled back a little, so she could be eye to eye with Parvati. Though 'pulling back' was quite an understatement. They were still close enough that hardly a finger could fit between their noses.
Parvati drew in a shuddering breath and closed her eyes for a second, not able to withstand the searching, almost piercing look in Lavender's eyes. She tried her best to get her feelings under control. But when she opened them again she was sure that Lavender could see the emotions still warring in her eyes.
Lavender's croaked 'Do you promise?' was hardly audible in the dark.
Parvati smiled, somewhat sadly at her, and cupped her cheek. 'I promise you, nobody will hurt you as long as I am still standing.'
Tears started to gather in Lavender's eyes again, this time not out of fear for what might come but out of gratefulness and love for the girl across from her.
'Thank you', she whispered, voice thick and raw with emotion.
Parvati's throat had suddenly become very dry and she waited breathlessly for her best friend to continue.
But even though Lavender had opened her mouth as to speak again, she stayed silent.
The moment they had shared passed and Parvati started to pull back to give her friend – or herself? - some space.
Of course you'd interpret too much into it, you dumb girl, Parvati chided herself, feeling a little emptier inside with each second that passed.
She had already closed her eyes, pretending to be tired instead of wide awake, when she heard a sigh and a soft pressure on her lips made her lids fly open again in an instant.
Lavender had closed the last bit of space between their faces – between their mouths – and was pressing a gentle kiss onto Parvati's lips.
Her eyes darted over her best friend's face. Lavender had closed her eyes, the light blue of her irises now hidden underneath fluttering lids. She seemed content and at ease now, as if Parvati's promise was all it took to sooth her.
She didn't dare to move just a single muscle at first but when Lavender's lips remained on hers just as firm, she tentatively started to kiss back.
They stayed like that for a while, until Lavender pulled back far enough to breath 'I think I love you' against Parvati's mouth.
'I think I love you, too, honey girl' she replied, already touching her friend's lips with her own again before she had finished the sentence.
Her girlfriend's lips, she corrected herself and smiled into the kiss.