geek pride - wow - learning a new skill
496 words by gdocs
Lavender hates Divination. She wants to like it so badly, because she loves Professor Trewlany, and she loves Pavarti, and they both love Divination, but the truth is: she hates it.
It's nothing against the subject itself, actually. It's just against the fact that Lavender sucks at Divination. She supposes that that's what she hates, actually. She hates that she's bad at it. Pavarti looks into her tea leaves, and she can tell her all sorts of things about Lavender's future. Lavender thinks it's absolutely fascinating, but when she looks into Pavarti's tea leaves…
Well, she just sees leaves.
It comes to a head when Lavender's trying to do her moon charts with Pavarti. She can't remember what all the planets mean, and she can't think about what her future is going to look like. When she slams her Divination book down, Pavarti looks up.
"I have to go speak to Professor McGonagall," Lavender says. Pavarti looks like she doesn't really believe her, and Lavender isn't telling the truth, but she nods anyway. Lavender scoops up her Divination work and heads out of the common room.
She doesn't go towards Professor McGonagall's office, instead heading to the North Tower — to Professor Trewlany. She doesn't know why she lied to Pavarti, but she wants to go alone. She knows that Pavarti would have wanted to go, and it's embarrassing to know that she needs help.
When Lavender gets to the trapdoor, it instantly opens for her, like Professor Trewlany knew she was coming. Unlike herself, Professor Trewlany is good at Divination, so Lavender figures that she probably did know.
Professor Trewlany's sitting in her desk chair when Lavender enters the room, and she turns to look at her with her big eyes.
"I had sensed that you would come," Professor Trewlany says in her sleepy little voice.
"Do you know why I'm here?" Lavender asks. She's suddenly very nervous. She wants to become better at Divination, but for some reason, admitting that she's having a hard time is embarrassing. Professor Trewlany doesn't answer. "Can you help me?" Lavender says after a few moments of silence. She offers out her Divination book to Professor Trewlany and Professor Trewlany takes it in slowly.
"My dear," she replies. "All you needed was to ask. I can help you practice Divination, if you wish."
Lavender nods, and her stomach buzzes with excitement and apprehension of finally becoming better at Divination.
So, Lavender practices. She comes to Professor Trewlany's room every day during her free time, and she practices. She drinks so many cups of tea that she loses count, but slowly, the clumps of leaves start to look like symbols. She peers into crystal balls until her eyes are straining, but there are figures moving around, she's sure of it.
There are times when she thinks she's not so good, or that she's failing, but at the end of the year, Lavender thinks she's pretty good at this Divination thing.