Word count: 376
"You look different," Lily notes, nodding toward the burgundy-framed glasses on Marlene's face.
Her girlfriend scowls, letting out a huff. She grabs a rock by her foot and slings it, watching the stone skip across the surface of the Black Lake. "Bite me."
Not the reaction Lily had expected, honestly. She can't help but draw back, frowning. Clearly she said something wrong, but she isn't quite sure what. Is Marlene insecure about her glasses? Lily can only assume that must be it. Internally, she's kicking herself, frustrated for not realizing this sort of change might be overwhelming. Needless to say Lily won't be winning girlfriend of the year this year.
"You don't like them?" Lily asks, sitting next to Marlene. She takes her shoes and socks off and dips her bare feet into the cool water. "I'm surprised. They really suit you."
Marlene blushes, a soft pink staining her olive skin. Lily loves being able to make her girlfriend melt; it's one of her favorite pastimes, really.
"You think so?" Marlene asks, leaning forward and catching her reflection in the water. She laughs. "I'm a wreck, aren't I? As scary as the world is, I'm over here worrying that my glasses make my face look too small."
Lily leans closer, snuggling against her girlfriend. "You aren't ridiculous," she says with a chuckle. "If all we did was focus on the war, I think we'd all have lost our minds by now."
Marlene snorts. "Bold of you to assume I haven't," she says.
Lily just grins and shakes her head. They really are living in scary times. Sometimes she wonders if it might be best to just leave the country once she finishes Hogwarts. She won't, of course. That would be an insult to her House, and to Marlene who is the bravest woman she's ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Still, despite all the bad things in the outside world, there are moments like this with Marlene. Moments where the war is a distant memory. Moments where the only thing to worry about is a new pair of glasses. Moments that are so plain and seemingly insignificant to an outside observer, but mean the world to Lily.
And these are the moments she loves the most.