The Promise
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It was the morning after the battle when she was strong enough to be moved. Hermione was dressing one of Neville's many wounds when they carried her in. Ghastly pale and covered in blood, she would've been unrecognizable if It hadn't been for the signature bow that was still held limp in her hair. Hermione leaned over to Madame Pomfrey, who was healing Terry Boot's broken arm.
"Is that...?"she asked.
"Lavender Brown? Yes. She was attacked by Greyback. We don't know if she's going to pull through." She sighed." Would you mind sitting with her for a little while?" Lavender Brown. Her sworn enemy, center of her teenage jealousy. Her dorm mate. She looked at Madame Pomfrey, who seemed to have aged thirty years in one night.
"Of course" Hermione tiptoed past the sleeping figures till she reached the last one.
She mustered a "Hello Lav." before she got a good look at her. She was the prettiest girl in Gryffindor house. But you couldn't see that now. You only saw blood and slashed skin. Her hair, her crowning glory, used to be a gorgous chestnut colored. It curled and reached her waist. Now it was so knotted and matted with blood you couldn't tell what color it was. Hermione settled herself in the chair and took Lavender's hand. It was ice cold. Lavender stirred.
"Hermione?"she whimpered. Hermione smiled.
"Shh. Not now. You need your rest." And with that, Lavender slipped into unconsciousness.
Hermione sat with Lavender all day. Her sleep wasn't peaceful either. It was full of what Hermione assumed were relapses from her attack. Just as the sun was setting, Lavender woke up again.
"Why are you here Hermione?" She asked. "You should be with your friends and family." Hermione was surprised.
"You are my friend."
"Yeah right," she scoffed, "you couldn't stand me last year." Hermione turned red as they lapsed into silence.
"I still love him. Ron, that is." Lavender murmured. "I never stopped."
"Oh Lave-"
"No Hermione. Let me finish. I never stopped loving him, and I never will. I know that. I also know that I'm not going to make it through the week. You will. You were made to lick this rotten life. But I need you to promise me something. Take care of him for me. If he's going to go off and be noble with Harry make sure he's safe.
"I will." Hermione whispered.
"But most of all, please don't let me die in vain. Make sure you children know the truth about the horror I died for. I'll never get to make a difference in the world. Make sure your children do.
"I will Lavender. I promise." Hermione murmured.
Lavender hung on for one more week, before she died on the morning of May 9th 1997.
she and Hermione forged a friendship in that week that they couldn't forge in six years. Throughout the rest of her life, Hermione tried to keep her promise. She never once fell asleep without knowing Ron was safe in bed. She wrote speeches, and gave them every year at Hogwarts. So the younger generation would never forget. But most of all, she saw her children grow up and change the world.
She saw Hugo make laws that ended discrimination against halfbreeds. And she saw Rose walk across the stage and become Madame of Magic, and she remembered why she gave Rose a flower name. It was in rememberance of the bright, beautiful, funny, young woman who indirectly changed the world.
"I kept my promise Lavender."
A/N: Well that was difficult. Virtual chocolate frogs to anyone who notices A Tree Grows In Brooklyn quote! Remember: If there's enough blue in the sky to make a pair of jeans, rain will clear up! Also, the review fairy has an excess of gifts to give out:)