Bravery
Written for 2 Week Drabble Wars; International Women's Day.
Task: Write your character overcoming a weakness that had previously overwhelmed or prevented her from progressing.
Dialogue Prompt: "Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it." Brave.
Entry for Word Prompt Express.
Prompt: (87) Brave.
The second wizarding war was starting any minute now, and Lavender Brown had never been so scared in her life. She tried to hide it from her friends, but her façade didn't seem to be working as well as she'd hoped. 'Some Gryffindor I am,' Lavender thought miserably. 'Everyone would be so disappointed if they knew it's taking all of my strength to not run out of here right now.' A familiar voice startled her out of her thoughts.
"Are you okay, Lavender? Well, as okay as you can be in this situation anyway." The voice belonged to her ex-boyfriend Ron Weasley, and as she looked into his blue eyes, she saw only kindness and concern staring back at her. The Horcrux hunt had helped Ron mature a lot, and he was no longer the immature boy that he'd been last year. This thought caused a strange mixture of happiness and disappointment to well up inside her, and she couldn't understand it.
"I'm fine, thank you, Ron," Lavender answered with a brightness that she didn't feel; however, Ron didn't buy it.
"You don't have to pretend; you know, it's not weak to show that you're scared of what we're about to face. In fact, I'd say it's the opposite of weak."
His sensible words startled her, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you afraid, Ron?"
He smiled slightly. "Yes, Lavender, I'm terrified, and not just for me but everyone here as well."
She feels her strength return slowly as she returns his smile. "I'm terrified too."
"You'd be a fool if you weren't, but you want to know what I heard recently?" Lavender nods her head, and he continues. "Our fate lives within us; you have to be brave enough to see it."
His words hit home, and determination fills her bones; this is their destiny, and she would not live in a wizarding world controlled by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Dying would be more tolerable than that; anything would be more acceptable than that. "Thank you."
He looks surprised. "For what?"
"I was halfway out of the door before you came and talked to me. You've helped me remember what we're fighting for."
Ron smiled at her. "You're welcome, but I doubt you would've left us, and if you did you would've come back."
"What makes you so sure?"
"I left Harry and Hermione for a while on the Horcrux hunt, but I came back as soon as I was able. It's something I'll always regret. Speaking of regrets, I'm sorry about how I treated you in our sixth year."
His confession and apology startled her slightly, but she was pleased to hear it. "That's okay, Ron; I was hardly an easy going girlfriend, was I? No wonder you ran off screaming after a while. I'm sorry too, for being so full on."
Ron laughed. "Water under the bridge?"
"I'd like that."
They shared a hug, bracing themselves for the battle.
