A Good Life
Written for 2 Week Drabble Wars; International Women's Day.
Task: Write your character nearing/at the end of their life. Are they happy with the choices they made?
Dialogue Prompt: "Well behaved women rarely make history." Eleanor Roosevelt.
Entry for Word Prompt Express.
Prompt: (55) Be.
She'd never be perfect, but that was fine with her; who wanted to be flawless anyway? It sounded like a dull existence, and one thing Lavender could proudly say that she wasn't is dull. It was while she was putting pictures back on the mantelpiece after a polish that she started to think about the different stages of her life.
Her life before Hogwarts was a happy time, at home with her parents and younger sister Olivia. She knew all about Hogwarts and couldn't wait to get there, although she'd miss her family terribly; it would be nice to meet witches and wizards her age and make friends. The day Lavender received her letter was one of the happiest days of her life and one that she looked back on with fond memories.
The time finally arrived, and she found herself on her way to Hogwarts on the famous red and gold train. This was where she met her best friend, Parvati Patil, and they'd been close ever since; even as old ladies, they were still inseparable. Her days at school were full of fun, magic, and learning; unfortunately, they were also full of danger because of the threat of Voldemort looming over their heads. He finally returned in her fourth year, killing Cedric Diggory and nearly killing Harry Potter; Lavender and Parvati were sceptical of Harry at this point, which Lavender regrets deeply now. One thing she was proud of, though, was the fact that she participated in the Battle of Hogwarts; she liked to believe that this made up for her behaviour in her fifth year.
She also dated Ron Weasley in her sixth year, but the less said about that, the better; Lavender still cringed about that now, and she felt guilty about hurting Hermione during that time, but at least Ron and Hermione were happily married now. In some small way, she helped them get together.
Her husband Seamus attended Hogwarts with her, but they didn't get together until Lavender was twenty-two; they married quickly, both believing they'd wasted enough time. Her decision to marry him was the best one she ever made, and they were blissfully happy together until his death two years ago.
They had a daughter named Bryony, and a son named Connor; her children were the apple of her eye, and she couldn't imagine her life without them. Lavender thought that she'd never love anything as much as her children, then her Grandchildren came along and stole her heart. She had four; three boys and a girl, they were coming to see her today.
She smiled as she waited for her family to appear. Yes, she may be far from perfect, but Lavender had a lot to be proud of; her life had been a happy one, and she'd faced every obstacle head-on with great bravery. She could admit when she was wrong and take that on the chin.
"Well behaved women rarely make history," she murmured happily.