Before Percy's Wedding

The morning of Percy's wedding to Penny rapidly arrived and Hermione still had nothing to wear. She had browsed through several boutiques before and after work, but had been unable to find anything which she felt suited her.

"I can just wear the same dress that I wore at Bill and Fleur's wedding," She wearily told Ginny over breakfast. The younger girl had been hounding her about the dress situation for some time.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione," Her friend chided. "Everyone's already seen that dress." Hermione gulped at the realization that Ginny probably expected her to have a different outfit for each of the many weddings they were scheduled to attend that summer.

"You know, I might be able to help," Hermione and Ginny's heads shot up to acknowledge Lavender who had disengaged herself from a conversation with Ron to address the two other girls. "I have lots of dresses and I'm guessing we're about the same size. Hermione, why don't you come over to my house and have a look at some? I'm sure I have something you'll like."

"That's fantastic Lavender," Ginny gushed before Hermione had a chance to respond.

"I'd really appreciate that, Lavender," Hermione answered with a nod. She had been slightly surprised by the other girl's friendly tone, especially considering the two had never particularly gotten on. Hermione hadn't always had the kindest words for Lavender; at times in their sixth year she had been outwardly mean to her classmate. As a result, she didn't overly relish the idea of spending extended time with the girl who was now her ex's fiancée, but if Lavender couldn't find her an outfit for her, no one could.

Lavender's large room in her parents' house – Hermione had to concede that estate was probably a more appropriate term – lived up to her name. The room was painted soft purple and the upholstery matched. A hammock of stuffed animals hung in one corner and pictures of her Hogwarts friends, parents, and two older sisters covered the walls. Lavender's room was neat and well-coordinated, but the sheer number of knickknacks would have driven Hermione insane if it had been her room.

"My dress is on the bed, so you can't wear that one" Lavender indicated to a magenta number Hermione wouldn't have likely chosen laid out lovingly on her bed beside the accessories she was clearly pairing it with. "Help yourself to anything else." She led Hermione into the large walk-in closet. Without having to sift through any of the numerous hanging dresses, Lavender deftly picked out one of a shimmering midnight blue fabric, "This is the one you're going to want though" She spoke with certainty and took the dress and put it beside her own.

Hermione riffled through Lavender's closet, impressed with the size of it; Lavender clearly liked her dresses, particularly those of bright, obvious colours. Rejecting the ones with crinoline, bows, and polka dots, she tried on a couple, but nothing caught her fancy. Finally she decided to cede to Lavender's expertise and try the midnight blue one. The dress was fantastic. It was simple in the front: boasting a modest sweetheart neckline. The torso fit her body snuggly in a series of complicated folds and ruches. The skirt skimmed her hips, flaring into a gentle bias. The hem line flirted with her knees. The skirt was light enough to feel fanciful but structured enough that Hermione felt comfortable in it. The true marvel of the dress, however, was found in the back, in that it barely existed at all. The back of the dress came to a low point, just grazing the small of Hermione's back. The whole thing was held in place with tiny straps which looked easy enough to snap, leaving Hermione exposed. She had never experienced an outfit of such daring elegance or one that fit her so lovingly. How Lavender had known that this was the perfect dress for her, she didn't know, but she felt a surge of gratitude for the other girl's fashion prowess.

"Mione!" I want to see!" Hermione's trance was broken by her host's impatient shriek.

"Ok, but be nice," Hermione retorted and emerged from the closet. Lavender's approving smile told her the dress was the right choice.

"I'm never wrong," The girl stated with a slight boasting tone to her voice. Hermione groaned inwardly, knowing that Lavender might try to claim credit for the look. She figured it was a small price to pay though for feeling so stylish. "That really works for you, Hermione. You can keep it if you like." This generosity elicited a gawk from Hermione.

"Are you serious?" She squeaked, her voice resembling the pitch so frequently employed by Lavender.

"Yah, it never really felt like me. Besides, I don't feel comfortable wearing it anymore…not since…since." Her voice faltered uncharacteristically. Hermione gave her a poignant look, beckoning her to continue. Lavender turned to face the opposite direction and lifted the hem of her shirt to her shoulders, revealing her back. The girl's pale skin was ravaged by four, violently red scratches, running in parallel, diagonally down her back.

"Merlin," Hermione winced. The sight of the scars brought back the painful memories of the war and she recalled an image of Lavender collapsed on the Hogwarts battlefield, Fenir Greyback greedily hunched over her. "Lavender, I had no idea."

"It's not so bad," Lavender shrugged and pulled her shirt back down. "Sure it looks pretty gruesome. But, lots of people get a bit howl-y during full moons, right," she joked feebly.

"You know, there's-there's stuff you could use to cover that." Hermione offered, thinking of her own scars. She started to tell Lavender about the Weasley's product which would allow her to wear dresses like the midnight blue, backless number, but Lavender interrupted her.

"I don't know why, but I don't want to hide them. I know this is silly, but sometimes these scars are what I'm proudest of."

"You're what…?"

"It's like, if you had told me years ago that I would have been able to fight like that and survive this, I would have thought you were being daft. But now, it's like, I guess I just know I can do anything. I never felt particularly brave before. I guess it's nice to have a bit of reassurance that I was meant to be a Gryffindor."

"Lavender…I-I," Hermione couldn't find words to describe the respect and admiration for Lavender's courage or a way to formulate how sympathetic she was for the other girl's suffering. Hermione found herself in awe of her companion's perspective. A new light shone on Lavender. Hermione had always thought of the other girl as silly and clueless, and yet, here she had somehow acquired a wisdom of which Hermione was envious. Hermione flashed the other girl a look that she hoped conveyed understanding and gratitude.

"Hermione?" - Lavender's voice was questioning – "I know we're not…I know we've never…well, I'm sure you'd rather get ready with Ginny, or someone else, but I was wondering, do you want to hang out here and get ready for the wedding with me?"

"I'd like that Lavender." Hermione hadn't actually considered getting prepared for the wedding; she had assumed she just primp before hand while Ginny was with the rest of the bridal party. The prospect of spending the time with Lavender, however, seemed appropriate and maybe even pleasant. Another advantage, Hermione realized, was that relying on Lavender guaranteed that she would look her finest.

-o-O-o-

After returning to her street clothes, Hermione made her way down the Brown's formidable central staircase to find Lavender in the kitchen, preparing grilled cheese sandwiches for the girls' lunch. The two ate in silence, unsure how to explore the prospect of a tentative friendship.

"How come you have this?" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, picking up a dog-eared copy of her favourite book: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. "I never see Muggle books at Wizard houses!"

"Surely you don't think only Muggle girls can appreciate Mr. Darcy, Hermione." Lavender grinned distantly. Hermione responded with a sigh before realizing that it shouldn't surprise her that she and Lavender had a fondness for the same type of men; after all, they both fancied Ron. "And my mum's Muggle born. It's always been important to her that me and my sisters know about Muggle books and traditions and stuff." Hermione nodded; she felt the same way about her heritage.

"Well, should we get tackled on your hair?" Lavender asked, clearing away the lunch dishes and setting out the necessities for tea.

"We're not expected at the Burrow for hours," Hermione retorted glancing at her watch.

"I know! We better get a move on!" Lavender hurried Hermione out the door. She led the concerned brunette to a lavish washroom and started rummaging through shelves and drawers of beautifying products. Feeling overwhelmed, Hermione settled onto a stool as directed to do so by Lavender. From therein she zoned out while the other girl took charge. Running her hands through Hermione's bushy hair, slathering it with clear gels and hair sprays, and inserting a significant number of pins, Lavender expertly shaped Hermione's hair into a contemporary and fashionable style. The end result was impressive: her hair was styled in a series of ringlets piled onto her head. The curls were held snuggly in place by hair pins with pearl-like endings, which gave the look a mythical and nighttime feel, perfectly coinciding with the effect of the dress Hermione had chosen earlier. Several loose tendrils curled around Hermione's face, creating a delicate frame. The hairdo looked slightly precarious, but with a quick shake of her head, Hermione felt confident that she didn't have to spend the entire event worrying about the curls falling out.

"Thanks, Lav. It looks awesome," Hermione smiled.

"Yah, yah, I know." Lavender had already set to work on her own high-set, slicked back pony tail. The girls set to their makeup, both taking the time to play with various options from Lavender's wide array of eye shadow and lipstick colours. Finally, they returned to Lavender's room to change into their dresses. Clad in the midnight blue dress and a pair of Lavender's silver, high-heeled sandals, Hermione waited for the other girl to emerge in her retro-style outfit. With its full skirt and bright pink colour, Hermione was certain that her companion's dress would stand out amongst Percy and Penny's more conservative group of friends.

"You look fabulous!" Hermione exclaimed, hoping the other girl appreciated the compliment. She spoke honestly; Lavender really was beautiful in her fanciful dress.

"Likewise," Lavender flashed Hermione a grin that glowed with genuineness and kindness. "Well, shall we?"

Hermione bobbed her head, feeling excited about the prospect of seeing everyone in their finery and sharing in Percy's special day. Two girls found their way to the Brown's garish, bronze-plated walk in fire place and swiftly travelled to the Burrow to join the celebrations Hermione hoped weren't yet underway.

-o-O-o-

Emerging into the Weasley's modest living room, the first people Hermione saw upon entering were Harry and Ron. The two of them were already dressed in their dress robes. Harry was wearing a dark charcoal and Ron the simple, black robes Percy had selected for his groomsmen. Hermione felt a surge of pride when she noted that Harry had managed to tame his normally messy, black hair for the evening, although she was certain that all credit needed to go to Ginny for insuring her fiancé looked presentable.

"Hermione! There you are!" Harry sounded relieved. Hermione quickly apologized realizing she hadn't told anyone of her plans to stay at Lavender's. "I think everyone's already outside," Harry informed them while at the same time Ron excused himself to join the rest of the groomsmen. Hermione noted that Ron seemed slightly down-turned and that he failed to make eye contact with either her or Lavender. While she hadn't expected him to great her open armed, she had hoped for a friendly welcome from her former boyfriend. She wondered if Lavender felt equally put off by the cold reception, but one glance at her new pal indicated that Lavender was far too swept up in wedding excitement and it was likely that Ron's chilliness hadn't even registered with the other girl.

"Well, shall we make our way out there?" Hermione asked, trying to shrug off her Ron-related concerns. Harry grinned widely and offered an arm to each of the dolled up witches. Leaning on her best friend for support – Hermione was certain she would never grow accustom to walking in heels – the three made their way into the approaching twilight to join the festivities.

Author's Note: Sorry for a shorter, purely filler chapter. Hopefully the next will be up soon. I'm very excited because I know how my story will end AND I've already decided on the premise for my next story which I'm looking forward to writing [it will definitely be another Hermione/George story – my very favourite pairing]