Disclaimer; Anything you recognise does not belong to me. I am just borrowing these characters and do not own anything.
For the HPFC Dialogue Wheel, 'everybody lies'.
It was a warm and sunny afternoon and Parvati had no plans. She was glad, all she wanted to do was relax; the past week had been extra tiring and Parvati was in need of a break.
She had to hand in two essays, complete a practical exam for Potions class and plan a party for Lavender's fifteenth birthday. Just thinking about it made her feel even more exhausted.
Parvati walked up the stairs to her dorm, her legs aching as she did. Her head was spinning; all she could think about was getting some sleep. Soon enough she reached her bed and instantly she just collapsed. Her head had barely reached her pillow before she was out.
She woke up to a light sob erupting from a nearby bed and her heart racing. After calming herself down and realising everything was fine, she rubbed her eyes and sat up. She looked around without really seeing anything; her eyes were still adjusting to the light and everything was blurry. When her eyes finally started to focus, she looked out the window. The sun was only just starting to set; she mustn't have been asleep for that long.
Another sob echoed around the room, it was a lot louder this time, a lot less concealed. She glanced around the room; only one other bed was in use. Parvati waited a few seconds before going over to the source of the noise, Lavender's bed.
"Lav, are you alright?"
There was no response. She wasn't sure what to do, Lavender was her best friend and she knew her like the back of her hand, but she had no idea what was wrong. She thought back to the last couple days, she couldn't recall anything that happened that could make her react like this.
The only way to find out what was wrong was to ask her. She gingerly opened the curtains, careful not to make any sudden movements; she didn't want to scare her. Once she opened the curtain, she was faced with the sight of a distraught Lavender.
Lavender's long hair had gone from sleek to unruly and her eyes were red from crying. It was weird to see Lavender so out of control, so vulnerable. Lavender always seemed untouchable, as if nothing could break her tough exterior. But it finally seemed as if something had.
"Lavender, what's wrong?"
Lavender only shook her head and covered her face. She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to talk about it to Parvati.
Parvati sat down on Lavender's bed and crossed her legs. She grabbed Lavender's hands and looked her in the eyes.
"Lav, you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, it won't matter."
Lavender yanked her hands away and took a deep breath as if to calm herself. Her face, which only a second ago had been pained with sadness and covered in tears, had turned angry. Lavender looked pissed.
"My mum didn't even send me a card Parvati. She hasn't for years. She doesn't care enough too."
Lavender was getting angrier by the second; her voice was getting louder and she was talking a lot faster.
"Whenever we talk, or whenever Dad forces her to call, she always says that she loves me and she misses me and that she can't wait to see me. But that's a lie, it's always been one huge lie! And I don't know why I expected differently because everyone lies, that's just life, so why should my mum be any different."
Parvati's heart broke for Lavender, sometimes she forgot that not everyone had parents like she did. Lavender's mum, Ana, left Lavender when she was only three years old, and she never told her why.
Whenever Lavender and Ana spoke -which was only a few times a year at random times, never on birthdays or special occasions because Ana never bothered to remember important dates- it always did more bad than good.
It reminded Lavender that she was missing something and as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, her mother wasn't around enough, physically or emotionally, for her to count as a mum.
"Lavender, trust me when I say she isn't worth your tears. You deserve so much better than this, and I know it may not seem like it but it will get better.
Just because she hurt you, it doesn't mean everyone will. No one is perfect but those who truly love you will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.
That's how you can tell who is your family Lav. Not by who looks like you or who talks like you or who has the same DNA, but by who loves you unconditionally and who is there for you when you need them."
Lavender nodded and smiled weakly. Parvati grinned back and without a moments pause, Lavender leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Parvati's waist. She held tightly and pressed her face into the nook of Parvati's neck.
"You're the best Parvati, you really are. I couldn't ask for a more supportive friend."
Parvati felt the warm tickle of Lavender's breath and smiled. Everything was going to be okay.
