Lavender Brown's Requiem

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: This is very loosely based on the movie Brown's Requiem with Michael Rooker and Tobin Bell and I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't wish for too much grief. Oh, and of course the Harry Potter charries belong to J.K. Rowling. Other than that, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 12: Point of No Return

July Thirteenth, a Hazy Summer

Have you ever been to an amusement park?

Better yet, have you ever been on one of those music rides where you're spinning around and around and then it slows and then you're going up and down, around and around, and backwards? They yell for you to scream to get it moving faster, and it speeds up so much that you feel like you're flying. You're in and out of darkness and lights are flashing all around you. You get the thrill of it all.

And then you start to fear if your car will unhinge and send you through a wall of spray-painted sheet metal. Or maybe you fear that the ride will end every time it slows down.

Take all of those emotions, multiply them by a thousand, and that's how I felt about the current situation with Draco.

I'd finally reached the point of no return with him. I didn't know I was going to inadvertently say that on that night, but…but he inadvertently said it, too. How was I supposed to know that we were going to fall in love with each other?

That night, that kiss seemed to last forever. When we'd finally broken apart, he'd chuckled a throaty chuckle (I loved that sound) and turned up the corners of his mouth (I loved that wry grin.) "Hard to say good night now," he'd joked (I loved that voice.)

I'd been the one with self-control, though. "Yes, but part we must," I replied.

He'd nodded and given me another quick kiss on the lips. However, he hadn't wanted to release me just yet. He'd held me for several more breaths, squeezed me tightly like he'd lose me if he let go, and then he went inside.

I'd remained rooted to the spot for another twenty minutes, at some point looking up at his window. When I did, Draco smiled down at me, making my heart flutter and my face crimson. Again, I can't believe I didn't Splinch myself when I Apparated home.

From that point on, I saw him everyday for lunch, and we tossed in some more dinner dates. Now, almost halfway through July, we'd been dating for well over a month.

This made things difficult for surveillance, so I ended up working in the morning. I'd only seen the brunette "stranger" once more since the second time she'd talked to Draco, but that didn't make me any less wary of her.

I hadn't seen Blackbaire at all since the thirtieth. That disturbed me. What if he'd had luck with Draco's orders to dive deeper into the Ministry of Magic? If so…

If so…then what? What could I do? I wasn't an Auror anymore –though I can still kick butt like I was. But who could I go to about the preemptive attack? Yes, my Auror comrades might listen, but I think it would be hard to convince Harry, Ron, and Hermione to cut Draco some slack a second time. Especially when my Draco had been the major brains behind the operation.

Shit. Look what love does to a defender of the law: It mixes up right and wrong.

Sigh.

But, also, could we last? My conscience reminded me of the possibility that we were only together because we were lonely and magical folk and had kinda known each other way-back-when. Meanwhile, my heart reminded me that he only ever looked at me, especially with that unnamable thing a lover gets in his eyes.

BIG sigh.

Where had my devil-may-care, my courageous attitude from Pansy firing me gone? I really wished it would come back. I pondered this as I lolled in my bed at home. To think this all began with my getting this case in the first place… No, that's not entirely right. My involvement had begun with this case. He'd been… He'd been planning for a long while.

My heart ached terribly at that idea, and my conscience again hounded me. How could I love someone who was turning Dark Wizard? But one thing rang in my memory while that question echoed:

"We love those people no matter what."

"We love them."

Okay, so this ended up being a quadruple-post, but I felt I needed to leave you guys with this little insightful tidbit. Short, but very telling, especially when you pay attention to the timeline. Hint: we're whizzing through this month, peoples…. Also, Lav's getting really confused about the situation and her feelings. Anyone else confused? For once, the author isn't, which is a miracle.

And so I take my bow for now. Until chapter 13, my dear audience, I bid you adieu and review.

-mew-tsubaki XD

P.S.-this chappie is dedicated to yellow 14. You're speedy reviews are encouraging! 13 is yours, too, okay?