Written for:
Hogwarts: 365 Prompts
Prompt - channel
Hogwarts: Funfair
For the dog show: Trick 2: Lavender/Parvati
Hot Air Balloon: (theme) darkness
Bingo: object - glitter
Saving Lavender
Parvati stares at the tub of glitter. She remembers the times she and her best friend would play with it, smearing it around their eyes. Lavender always said the yellow glitter looked amazing on Parvati, while Parvati said red glitter was the way to go for Lavender.
That time seems so far away. Now she's eighteen years old. Parvati had fallen in love with her best friend. She had fought in a war and survived. And so did Lavender.
And Parvati hasn't seen Lavender in weeks. The last time they saw each other, there was darkness in Lavender's eyes. The attack by Fenrir was brutal, and Lavender is a shell of the person she once was.
It breaks Parvati's heart. She misses her vivacious best friend. She misses her soulmate.
Parvati takes a deep breath. No more. She isn't going to lose Lavender to the darkness. She is going to channel all of her energy into bringing Lavender back from the brink.
She leaves her parents' house and Apparates to Lavender's dwelling. She doesn't knock when she gets to the door. She simply goes in.
Lavender lies like a lump on the couch and it stirs sadness, as well as a bit of anger, in Parvati. All Lavender lost was her perfect skin on her face. Many people lost much more in the war, and she's tired of Lavender's self-pity. Lavender is better than that!
"Get up, take a shower, and get dressed!" Parvati orders.
"Go away," Lavender mutters, burying her head in a pillow.
"Get over yourself, Lav. Who cares that you no longer have the perfect face? It's just looks. There are more important things. Ron lost one of his brothers. Susan lost her aunt. Harry lost his whole family. Your looks are small in comparison. Don't you think?"
Lavender wearily sits up but kept her head down, and her long dirty blonde strands hide her face from Parvati's view. "You don't get it."
"Then explain it to me," Parvati urges. "Please tell me it's more than just your pretty face. I'd hate to think I'm in love with someone so superficial."
"Would you still be in love with me? We bonded over our shared enjoyment of fashion, makeup, all of that. We've always been two pretty girls who love each other. Now it's one pretty girl and one… well… me. So, could you still love me?"
Parvati moves to her and sat down next to her, trying to not take it personally when Lavender shies away, still keeping her face obscured by her hair.
"Of course I could still love you. Do you honestly think the only reason I love you is that I think you're pretty? You said it yourself. We have a lot in common. It's more than your looks that attracted me. And who says I don't find you're pretty still?" Parvati brushes Lavender's hair away and cups her cheek, rubbing a soft finger against the angry red mark. "When I look at that mark, do know what I see? I see how you're a survivor, and this mark proves it. It proves that you were strong enough to survive Fenrir's attack. And you're strong enough to move past it. I love you, Lav. I loved you in the past, I love you now, and I'll continue to love you in the future."
Lavender's eyes water. She places her hand on top of Parvati's that still rests on her cheek. "I love you, Parvati."
Parvati smiles. "Good. And I say this with the utmost love and respect. You stink so go take a shower."
Lavender's smile is small, but at least it's a smile, as she gets up and walks to the bathroom.
There's still a long way to go, but it's a start, and Parvati will be there every step of the way.
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(word count: 640)