A/N: Lavender/Parvati slash, if you've just wandered into this story. For the uninitiated this means you'll be reading scenes of girls kissing other girls so if you're not up for that turn back now. But really, this is "slash lite" so nothing too intense.
I believe it was the ever-curious Bookcat who asked if this story is connected to my others - no, they're all distinct and unconnected. More notes after you've finished reading…
DEMON LOVE PART 4
Lavender slid out of bed and walked to the open window, where the filmy curtains shimmered in the night breeze. Leaning against the sill, she stared out across the blackened countryside and thought about everything that had happened so suddenly. It felt like months since she'd been at Hogwarts, although in fact barely two weeks had passed.
Biting her lip, Lavender turned slightly and watched Parvati sleeping. That night she'd first kissed Parvati had been so carefree - she'd had no idea their being together would result in an ancient magical creature coming to visit. Lavender sighed gustily. Sleeping didn't help drive away her fears and neither did standing by the window. If only she could stop worrying, stop thinking so much. Self-reflection wasn't her strong point.
"What's wrong?"
Lavender turned away from the window and saw Parvati looking at her. "I couldn't sleep."
Parvati tossed back the sheets and joined Lavender at the window. "Are you worried about what Lupin said?"
"No." Lavender shook her head. "I was just thinking…"
Parvati stood behind and wrapped her arms around Lavender. Leaning her head on Lavender's shoulder she asked softly, "What were you thinking about?"
Lavender kept her back turned for a few moments, pondering the thoughts and images that had just been running through her mind. She couldn't think of any way to talk about them and instead she simply turned, held Parvati's gaze for a moment in the darkness, then leaned forward and kissed her.
"I guess we were thinking about the same thing," whispered Parvati a few minutes later. She looked at Lavender in surprise. "So you're…okay with everything? With us, I mean?"
"Yeah." Lavender nodded. She wasn't okay, not completely. She still worried about what everyone would think, worried she was choosing a path that could only lead to sensible shoes and unfashionable haircuts, but most of all she worried something terrible was going to happen to Parvati and she didn't know how to tell the other girl how much she cared about her.
But Parvati looked so alluring by moonlight, with her hair falling past her shoulders and her long lashes blinking nervously at Lavender it was easy to forget about unpleasant things and focus only on the girl standing in front of her. If she couldn't tell Parvati how she felt she could at least show her, decided Lavender, and she set about doing just that.
Finding herself flat on her back on one of Lavender's twin beds was by no means an unpleasant situation, reflected Parvati, still a little stunned at the sudden ferocity shown by her girlfriend. Lavender's fingers, with a touch as swift and soft as the paws of a kitten, traced their way across Parvati's bare skin. Parvati wondered fleetingly if Lavender had somehow been infused with a bit of Durga's legendary energy after handling all those weapons that afternoon. This seemed unlikely, but how else to explain Lavender's sudden lack of inhibition?
Parvati soon had no desire to question the origins of Lavender's passion; indeed, almost every thought flew out of her head for the next hour or so.
"Tired?"
Lavender's eyes gleamed in the dark in a way that almost alarmed Parvati. "No," she shook her head. "I'm not tired at all - in fact, I could stay up all night. Don't let me fall asleep."
Parvati frowned and was on the verge of saying something, but Lavender suddenly got a second wind and Parvati did her best to make sure her girlfriend would have no cause for falling asleep any time soon.
**
The sun was bright and it was after eleven when Parvati woke up. She might have slept longer except for the noise that drifted from across the fields and through the open window. Crawling out of bed, she made her way to the window and peered outside.
"Lavender, wake up!" Parvati turned and called to her friend. Outside, the herd of cattle that grazed next to the Brown's place was being rounded up.
"What's that smell?" Lavender wrinkled her delicate nose in disgust and pulled on her nightgown.
"Look!" Parvati pointed out the window and Lavender joined her.
"Oh no…" Lavender suddenly felt very awake. "It's happening, isn't it?"
Before Parvati could answer, Hermione banged on the door. "Are you two up yet? There's something going on I think you need to see."
Grabbing the quilt that covered one of the beds, Parvati draped it around herself before running to open the door. "We already did. What's happening?"
"Just come downstairs right away. Professor Lupin and I have been reading all we can about buffalo demons. And do you know you're wearing a bedspread?"
"Yes. I only put it on for your sake," said Parvati grumpily. She closed the door and turned again to Lavender. "What do you think I should wear? I didn't pack anything for the apocalypse."
**
Attired in shorts and tank tops, Lavender and Parvati soon joined Hermione and Professor Lupin downstairs. The hand zipped around the kitchen excitedly.
Lavender discovered she had an appetite and as she wolfed down a thick sandwich, Parvati drew Professor Lupin aside. "Um, do you think there's anything, er, different about Lavender?" she whispered worriedly.
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Parvati glanced back at her girlfriend. "I think she might be possessed. She didn't want to sleep at all last night and now she's eating enough for five men. It's like she's got this…unnatural energy."
Lupin laughed. "I don't think she's possessed by a demon, if that's what you're worried about."
"And I doubt a demon is responsible for her not sleeping last night," added Hermione sarcastically.
Parvati looked suddenly to her right. She hadn't noticed Hermione standing nearby. "None of your business, is it?" she snapped back.
"Girls, please," begged Lupin. "Let's try to stay focused on our common goal rather than become distracted by petty jealousies."
"I'm not jealous." Hermione crossed her arms.
Parvati smirked at her then turned and walked back to the table and took a seat next to Lavender. "So tell me, Hermione," she asked once Lupin left the room, "who would you want keeping you up at night?"
Hermione blushed. "That's none of your business."
"Oh, come on." Parvati grinned at her in a genuinely friendly way. "If you've got a crush, spill it."
Lavender had finished her sandwich now and looked up. "Ron?" she guessed.
Hermione blushed harder and shook her head.
"Harry?" Lavender gaped.
"Oh, what do you care?" muttered Hermione and turned away.
Parvati had been watching her silently. "Is it a student or a teacher?" she asked shrewdly.
"Parvati! Some things are private!" Hermione had never looked so uncomfortable and after giving both girls an outraged glare she fled the kitchen.
**
Nobody was teasing Hermione a few hours later when the girls gathered again at the table and inspected the illustration she'd found in an old volume of Professor Lupin's entitled The Illustrated Guide to Demons: 101 Colour Plates from Antiquity to the Present. The book was open to a picture of a buffalo demon and beneath the grisly illustration was the motto: Quod me nutrit me destruit.
"What nourishes me destroys me," said Hermione, tapping the illustration and fixing Lavender and Parvati with a meaningful glance.
"So?" Lavender raised an eyebrow and gave Hermione a doubtful look.
"It's obviously the key to eliminating this demon," she replied impatiently.
"If it's so obvious then what are we supposed to do - starve it to death?" snapped Lavender.
Hermione flushed. "I haven't figured it all out yet," she scowled, "but I think it's safe to assume this is not a literal suggestion. We've got to read between the lines."
"We could poison it," offered Parvati, trying to be helpful.
However, Hermione seemed to take this remark as yet another joke at her expense and simply glowered at Parvati. "That's too obvious."
Lavender walked away from the table and plopped down on a nearby sofa. "We're obvious, Hermione. Shallowness and surface. Get used to it."
"Girls, please."
They all swiveled around to see Professor Lupin enter the room, looking displeased at their bickering.
"Hermione is right - we need to think beyond the literal here. And Lavender, " he continued, quelling the comment already on her lips, "I think you've already shown us you are more than mere surface. Whatever we discover, you and Parvati will be integral in eliminating it."
Parvati had seated herself at the table with Hermione and now spoke up. "How do we even know where the demon is? All the livestock in the area are being gathered up - surely there's not a demon in every one of them."
"No, I don't think there is." Lupin frowned. "That's why this motto is so important. Once we figure it out I suspect we'll be able to identify the demon animals."
"But there's nothing that would keep you alive but also kill you," protested Lavender.
Hermione had been pacing the room ever since Lupin's arrival. Now she stopped and looked up at them, eyes shining. "I think I've got it. The motto isn't about a thing, it's about a concept: a consuming passion. Something you become obsessed with and keeps you going. Something that animates all your energies yet chokes everything else out."
"What, like weeds?" asked Lavender.
"No. Like love." Everyone turned and looked at Parvati. She continued, "Consuming passion, like Hermione said. The demon feeds on love in various forms but ultimately love could undo something so evil."
Professor Lupin nodded and everyone tactfully ignored Hermione's chagrined expression.
"You may be right, Parvati," he said slowly.
Only Lavender failed to be impressed. "If you're right, I still don't see how love is going to help us tell which cows contain a demon. Are we just supposed to go out there and commune with the animals and be able to tell which ones are evil?"
Parvati shook her head. "No. I think it's only the ones that have been pastured nearby, the ones who've been feeding off us." She looked meaningfully at Lavender.
"Eeww. That is so disgusting! Those cows have been sucking my psychic energy?"
"Erm, I wouldn't say psychic, exactly," blushed Parvati. "Just, you know, think about last night. How you couldn't sleep."
"Oh." A wave of understanding flashed across Lavender's face and she blushed bright red. Then she went back to looking annoyed. "I feel so…violated. Do you think those cows were watching us?"
"Lavender, I really don't want to have to think about the picture you're painting for us all," growled Hermione between clenched teeth.
"Oh, just because you're not getting any -" started Lavender but once again Professor Lupin hastily intervened.
"I think we've all got the main idea," he announced, looking rather embarrassed himself. "At this point it may be too late to be able to identify the local animals. We've got to find out where they're being taken and deal with it from there."
As they prepared to go out Lavender complained to Parvati, "I still feel so used. How could they tell how I felt about you? The one time I finally get the courage to -"
"Shh." Parvati held her fingers to Lavender's lips and smiled. "I don't care. I'm just glad you finally acted on your feelings."
**
"This place smells like a troll convention," complained Lavender, picking her way carefully across the stockyard. Countless animals - cattle, pigs, sheep, goats - milled in small pens.
"You'd think You-Know-Who would pick a better place to gather up his latest minions," agreed Parvati, treading delicately.
"No, this is ideal." Lupin glanced around them. "The stench is enough to drive off any passers-by and this stockyard is isolated - nobody to see him descend and conjure the demons from their hosts, especially once it's dark."
"You mean we have to stay here until nightfall?" cried Lavender in alarm.
Hermione shuddered, but not at the thought of more hours in the smelly holding pens. She'd worn sturdy shoes and had sharp enough eyes to avoid stepping in anything unpleasant. Instead, she was thinking about the possibility of seeing Voldemort. She knew Harry had confronted him before but personally she'd always been very happy to have avoided face-to-face encounters.
The afternoon heat melted away with the disappearing sun and a cool breeze rattled through the stock pens. Lavender, Parvati, Hermione, Lupin and the hand sat quietly at the edge of the area, upwind from the animals but facing the wooded area that bordered the paddocks.
Lavender kept running through the scene she'd glimpsed in the crystal ball at Hogwarts. Nothing here felt familiar. She wondered if she'd been wrong. Everything in Professor Trelawney's class felt so hazy anyway - it was only once her teacher provided an authoritative explanation that Lavender could really make sense of anything she saw.
She caught her breath as flashes of light disrupted the peaceful darkness that had settled over them. Was You-Know-Who really going to make an appearance?
Everyone sighed with relief when the shimmering ceased and a large snake appeared before them. Normally they would have been disturbed by a large reptile dropping from the sky but it suddenly seemed much better than a vision of Voldemort.
An unseen voice spoke, so chilling they all knew who the speaker was. "Nagini," it commanded the snake, "fetch my waiting demons."
The snake, which had been hovering above ground, dropped to the dry grass and slithered forward. Lavender clutched at Parvati's arm and watched, wide-eyed, as the snake made her way towards the livestock.
Parvati glanced at Lupin, then at the bag of weapons they'd brought. The hand was quivering with excitement, or perhaps outrage, and Lupin quietly held it in his own two hands to keep it still.
They watched breathlessly as Nagini wended her way among the pens, ignoring some areas altogether and finally stopping at a group of Holsteins. She raised herself up and began swaying like a charmed snake. Rather than incite a stampede, her presence merely resulted in three demons detaching from the cows and emerging beyond the fence rails in their solid, demonic form.
Although she had seen the illustration, Parvati recoiled at actually encountering the buffalo demons: they swaggered on powerful, thick hind legs yet walked upright. She stared at their red, scaly arms and hands and their over-sized buffalo heads topped with short, curved horns.
Once released the creatures made their way to the point where Nagini had first appeared, moving as if in a trance. The snake continued on, now pausing at a group of sheep and freeing another demon. She slithered past a flock of goats, which held no interest for her, and cruised towards a group of Guernseys and eventually some Polled Herfords.
By now a dozen demons stood assembled by the wood. Lavender felt increasingly nervous and wished she had a spear or sword in her hand - anything that would protect her against the hideous creatures. Parvati seemed to have the same idea, for she reached out almost instinctively to the weapons bag but Lupin laid a restraining hand on her arm and shook his head warningly.
The chilling voice now addressed the demons. "Once I assert my rule, you will no longer have to hide yourselves in these inferior beings, but will be free to roam as you once did, aiding me in the elimination of the useless, the impure and the disloyal."
Lavender and Hermione winced at his words, especially the way he placed special emphasis on "impure." Parvati placed a protective arm around Lavender and pulled her close.
"Demons, you have cleverly found an energy source and restored yourselves with strength enough to appear before me. There is a magical presence before you - eliminate it and you shall double your strength - and my appreciation."
The demons, which until now had stood like zombies, became suddenly animated and turned their large, shaggy heads in the direction of Lupin, Hermione, Parvati and Lavender.
"I think now would be an appropriate time to put your training to use, girls." With a pointed nod at the weapons, Lupin released the hand and Parvati drew open the bag.
Hermione and Lupin held their wands aloft, ready to strike. Lavender, meanwhile, felt confused. Lupin had said they wouldn't need anything but their wands but now he was giving them significant weapons looks. Deciding to play it safe, she drew out her wand and seized the shield for extra protection. She may have been able to hit an oak tree in her garden but she didn't feel ready to spear an enormous demon.
Darting around the large, slow-moving creatures the hand soon became a blur of action as it wielded its own blade. Parvati held one of the jeweled daggers, but as the demons bore down upon them, the weapon suddenly seemed much too small and inadequate to stave them off. Perhaps a good stunning spell would work better.
She never got a chance to find out. Lupin and Hermione beat her to the punch, crying out "Impedimentia!" in an attempt to retard the demons' progress. While a few dropped back, most continued, picking up speed as they approached.
Terrified, Lavender stuffed her wand back in her pocket and reached for a sword. Lupin glanced over his shoulder and saw the two girls standing with their weapons raised. "Drop your arms!" he called.
Puzzled, Lavender lowered her arms until they both hung at her sides. She didn't see how she'd be able to defend herself very well, but if Lupin said so she was willing to try it.
"No! Get rid of the weapons!" he shouted frantically before turning back to issuing another stunning spell.
Parvati locked eyes with Lavender, nodded, and they both let their swords fall with a clatter. "What nourishes me destroys me - we've got to turn it back on them," she whispered to Lavender, and as the stampeding demons drew nearer she pulled her girlfriend close for a passionate kiss.
"You mean we have to kiss in front of all those demons?" faltered Lavender.
Parvati placed her arms around Lavender, as if she hoped to shield her with an embrace. "Yeah." She glanced over Lavender's shoulder at the approaching horde. "Talk about performance anxiety."
"Good thing we're not boys, then," said Lavender. Remembering what Professor Lupin had told her, that Parvati might be in danger if she didn't do her part, Lavender leaned forward, closed her eyes, and kissed Parvati with all her might.
As she did so, another light appeared on the horizon, crackling like an electrical storm. The girls broke apart at the intense brightness and saw, for the second time, Durga. This time she appeared riding an enchanted lion, and as she came within range the weapons flew to her many hands.
Parvati knew what she needed to do. She allowed herself a quick glance into Lavender's dark, frightened blue eyes before seizing the girl in her arms and trying to convey all she felt for her in just one kiss.
Pointing his wand at them, Professor Lupin shouted "Amorati!" The girls both felt something hit them, something that made them catch their breath. Parvati clutched Lavender to her fiercely and buried her own face against the other girl's shoulder. The force of the spell had nearly knocked her off her feet and only the precarious balance of their bodies against each other seemed to keep them upright.
Meanwhile the disembodied hand had rejoined its mistress. It followed proudly alongside Durga's lion and the sight sent the demons scattering. In their panic, many of the creatures stampeded past Lavender and Parvati. Those who did so fell to the ground, clutching at their eyes. Durga and the hand moved in for the kill. Neither Lavender nor Parvati dared open their eyes or break their embrace but from the sound of it, the field was becoming rather littered with demon parts.
"Run for it, you two!" The girls broke apart and looked about wildly at the sound of Hermione's shrill voice. She and Lupin were dashing towards an open shed while Durga now turned her attention to Nagini and her master.
Parvati grabbed Lavender's hand and together they ran to join the others, slipping and splashing across the grass which now sparkled with demon blood. "What happened?" Lavender's voice quavered and Parvati could feel her trembling.
Nobody answered. They were all waiting to see what would happen next. Nagini raised herself and hissed at the lion, which answered with a roar. The snake next struck out at the demon hand, which had been bobbing irritatingly around her and taking jabs with its sword.
"Enough!" Nagini dropped to the ground at the sound of her master's voice and coiled herself defensively.
"So it is you, Durga. You have sent these…these children to do your work?" sneered Voldemort.
"They are my daughters," she replied. "Only the loyal, only the pure of heart could have provided a force powerful enough to repel the evil fiends you tried to call your own."
"There are others like them to be found. You may have thwarted one plan but rest assured, I have many others incubating."
"Then we shall meet again," promised Durga. A clap of thunder signaled Voldemort's withdrawal. All eyes remained on Durga. The girls had never seen her in her full glory, conveyed by the magical lion and with all her weapons at the ready.
She turned to the girls, her three eyes focused on each of them, and the severed hand waved vigorously. First Parvati, then Lavender waved back. Durga's image shimmered and she disappeared with her faithful servant. A few echoing rolls of thunder rumbled in the distance, reminders of the powers that had just clashed before them.
Silently, the foursome made their way back to the Brown home. As they turned down the narrow lane Parvati remarked to Professor Lupin, "We didn't even get to use magic - and after you got us special permission!"
"Actually, in a way you did," he replied. "The Amorati spell only works if, as Durga indicated, the love is sincere and intense. You two provided the essential alchemy that enabled me to cast the spell which in turn both protected you and blinded the demons that came near you."
Lupin's expression was both tired and proud as he surveyed them. "You've all demonstrated enormous courage tonight. Gryffindor house should be proud of you - all of you," he added, drawing Hermione into the circle with his kind eyes. Then he turned and opened the door and walked inside.
As they lounged in the living room, it was clear everyone was exhausted but beyond the point of sleep. Professor Lupin went into the kitchen and conjured up some food. Lavender's newfound appetite was not in the least diminished by her recent encounter with the demons and she eyed the platter of food appreciatively.
They ate in silence for a bit, everyone too hungry to bother talking. Parvati was the first to speak.
"That Amorati spell - will you teach us how to do it?" She already had several uses planned for the spell once they returned to school, all centered on protecting Lavender from anyone who dared mock their relationship.
Lupin shook his head. "It's very complicated. Perhaps you'll learn it next year, however. For now, I think you'd all best get to bed. Lavender, I'll revive your parents tomorrow morning. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course." Lavender's hand stole over to Parvati's and they exchanged grins.
After promising Professor Lupin they would soon go to bed, the three girls remained downstairs. "Thanks for coming, Hermione," said Lavender. "We definitely couldn't have done this without you."
For the first time that day, Hermione looked back to her old self. "I'm just glad we all lived through that," she shuddered. "But I must say it's been very educational. Think of all the extra information you have about History of Magic, not to mention you should be getting much higher marks in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Demonology now."
"Absolutely," agreed Parvati, while thinking only Hermione would see this adventure as having value-added educational benefits.
"Well, thanks again for helping with the demons. And for understanding about the two of us," added Lavender with a glance at Parvati. "Do you want to come back upstairs to sleep? We could have a party."
Hermione smiled. "No thanks. I'd like to actually, um, get some sleep tonight."
Parvati and Lavender said good night to Hermione and went upstairs. "It's not that late," observed Parvati, looking at the clock. As the shock of their encounter wore off she found she still had a lot of adrenaline-inspired energy.
"I know." Lavender locked the door. "And there aren't any demons lurking outside tonight."
"So all your energy last night - it wasn't just from the demons?"
Lavender grinned and pulled Parvati close. "Only one way to find out, right?"
After allowing Parvati ample opportunity to determine the likelihood of possession, Lavender asked, "What do you think? Supernatural forces or my own?"
"Hmm." Parvati drew back with a smile. "At this point I'm not sure I care. I have only one request," she added, leaning Lavender back against the bed, "try not to wake up Hermione - the poor girl deserves at least one good night's sleep here."
Lavender smiled in the darkness and reached for Parvati. Maybe kissing your girlfriend while surrounded by hordes of evil demons wasn't the most romantic way to declare your love but she felt that after surviving that ordeal, she wouldn't be afraid of facing anyone at Hogwarts. There was just one more thing.
"Parvati?" asked Lavender.
"What?" Parvati struggled to focus on conversation.
"Remember how I wouldn't tell you what I saw in Trelawney's room?"
"Yeah," Parvati said between kisses, "but you already told me about that. It's all over now. Demons gone."
"There was one more thing I didn't tell you about." Lavender wriggled up into a sitting position.
Parvati pushed back her hair and sat up as well. "What?"
"I did see the scary stuff, but I also saw the two of us, together. But it was before we ever even kissed - I thought it was just my own wishful thinking."
"You saw us together, like this?" Parvati gestured at the two of them sitting on the bed.
"Well," smiled Lavender, "let me show you exactly what I saw." She pulled Parvati next to her and Parvati later had to admit she was very glad Lavender had not shared her vision with Professor Trelawney. Like Hermione had said, some things were private.
**********
A few last notes. I know I never revealed who was making Hermione blush - just one of those lingering ambiguities. Is she or isn't she? Only further fanfiction will tell… And the motto "Quod me nutrit me destruit" appears written under a portrait that hangs in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, not in The Illustrated Guide to Demons, in case you were wondering.
Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading this series: Amy S Farmer, cloudstrife 73, Keith Fraser, Wotan, Rug, Lunamew, William 212, Rosmerta, Bookcat, Rathera Mutemwiya, Lupinlover, Qwyneth, jj, stared out by a mad cow, Tessie, 12, Cassandra Claire, Celenae the Goddess of REVENGE, and Merlayne Q. I appreciate your readerly support!