THC

House: Ravenclaw

Class: Head of House

Category: Drabble

Prompt(s) chosen: [Location] Apothecary

Word count: 642

Notes: AU: unspecified time period/ setting (somewhat of a fantasy AU) not set in the HP universe

Jagged Glass

There was shattered glass all over the floor, shards embedded into the ceiling, ingredients and vials strewn around her. Despite this, Lavender was unharmed; but now with a debt that Lavender could not repay no matter how hard she tried. She'd be in debt the rest of her miserable life, and for what? Because she couldn't control herself? The Apothecary was ruined, and Lavender didn't know how she did it in the first place. One moment she was labeling all the outgoing products and the next, it exploded.

She didn't know if she should be thankful that there wasn't a scratch on her. If she was smart enough, she'd be able to find a way out and make it look like someone had done it on purpose. Unfortunately, she didn't think she would be able to pull that off. Her mother had always told her that it was lucky that Lavender was pretty because she didn't have anything else going for her.

That was why she ended up with a job at the Apothecary in the first place. She wanted to prove her mother wrong by showing that she could do something other than sit around and wait for her family to marry her off for money. Not that it mattered anymore since she would be completely useless in jail. Or worse, dead, if they found out what had truly happened. Lavender had thought it was all rumors. She hadn't expected for magic to be real. She thought back to all the people who had been killed on the count of magic and wondered if they were like her, or if someone made it all up. What if she was the only one like this? That all the rest of them were normal and died unjustly. Although would it be just to kill her? She did destroy the Apothecary, but she hadn't meant any harm.

But if this was an accident, who could say that the next incident wouldn't also be an accident? An accident that could take someone's life. Maybe it would be best for Lavender to turn herself in. That way she wouldn't destroy anything else.

Outside, the rain flooded the streets, and the wind pushed the water through the broken windows of the Apothecary. Windows that used to be decorated and filled with displays of what the Apothecary could offer. The water mixed with the broken glass and medicine that had spilled. Wooden shelves laid splintered in the debris. All the lamps had been blown out by whatever had happened, and the darkness was strikingly apparent.

There was no way to put it all back and pretend that nothing happened. Even if Lavender understood the magic that ran through her veins, she didn't think that was possible.

"I have to run," Lavender whispered to herself, "It's the only way."

The amount of glass on the floor meant that she had to take her time to leave the Apothecary. It caused her heart to pound in her chest with how long it took. She couldn't be sure how much time she had left to get away. The Apothecary wasn't that large, but it took her ten minutes to make it to the back door of the building. Lavender had no idea what she was going to do. She couldn't go home since her parents would ask questions, but she also didn't have any money. Her best bet was to run and not look back, hoping that she would end up somewhere.

She didn't make it far before she could hear shouts behind her. She didn't know who, but someone had come across the Apothecary. Guilt weighed Lavender down for a moment, but she didn't stop.

It was best for everyone if she wasn't around. That way she couldn't harm anyone or anything with the magic that she didn't understand.