AN: I'm so sorry that its just being posted now! But I've been workign on high school applications and stuff. Anyways, here it is now.

Derkhen: Well, don't worry, there will be more chapters. I agree, there need to more stories about characters like Lavender, Parvati, Seamus, and the others.

Nestrik: Noooooooooo! Please, Kirsten, stop with the Spanish! I'm not even sure what I should say in reply to your review, because I can't understand it!

Xela: Thanks Xe, better not let IT hear you saying that! (Sorry, private joke)

Chapter One: Return to Reality

Fifteen-year old Lavender Brown pushed her brown hair away from her violet eyes and looked out the window of her muggleborn father's car. Her mother, a pureblood witch, was seated in the front passenger seat.

"Lav, hon, are you sure you want to do this?" Mrs. Brown asked, "Beauxbuttons doesn't start until next week, you could switch schools."

Lavender sighed. "Mum, I know, you've told me. I'll be fine."

She rested her elbow on the window button, accidentally opening it a bit. She quickly closed it-

/Lav/nuthouse/Beauxbuttons/therapy/

Her mother, whom had been a Beauxbuttons student up until her sixth year, when she had transferred to Hogwarts, wanted her to attend the school where she had first learned to fly, where she had first learned to charm her dirty blond hair to a lighter blond, where she had first learned to transfigure teapots into mittens, Lavender knew. Lavender was not at all blind to the fact that her mother was superficial, and at times, a snob. Still, Lavender knew that her mother was only trying to help her. Well, help her by sending her to a school where people would not stare at her because she had gone mental the year before.

But Lavender didn't want to attend Beauxbuttons. She wanted to stay at Hogwarts, with Parvati, Seamus, and the other Gryffindors.

Mr. Brown knew this and, as usual, came to his daughter's defense. "Dear, if Lavender wants to transfer, she'll owl us. There is no reason for people to be wary of her, the doctors said that she's fine now. Lav hasn't heard any voices for weeks."

Mrs. Brown frowned, but they arrived at the station at this time. Lavender jumped out of the car, slammed the door closed-

/mental/transfer/reputation/Hogwarts/

-and grabbed her trunk-

/pack/robes/mental/stupid thoughts/Beauxbuttons/

Lavender knew that her father was wrong in saying that she hadn't heard any voices for weeks. She had merely told the doctors that so that she could get out of the nuthouse. There was still something wrong with her, but she wanted to put the weeks she spent in the mental hospital behind her and get on with her life.

After she hugged bid her mother ("Now, dear, if you want to transfer just give us a call…") and her father ("Don't listen to your mother, everything will be fine…") good-bye, she pushed through the barrier to the Hogwarts Express.

Lavender pushed her trunk through the train, searching for a familiar face. As she reached out to push open the door to one of the last compartments, she heard part of a conversation between its inhabitants.

"So you haven't heard from her all summer?" asked a surprised voice.

Lavender froze. It just might be…

"Wasn't she supposed to be, like, your best friend? And she hasn't even owled you? I mean, the nuts are allowed to write letters, aren't they?" another, slightly higher voice chimed in.

"Well you see…" a voice that Lavender immediately recognized as Parvati's trailed off.

The first voice cut in, "That is just so…so…rude!" Lavender now recognized the speaker as Mandy Brocklehurst, a Ravenclaw friend of Padma's. Lavender and Mandy had never been best friends or anything, but they had always been at least cordial.

Parvati began again, "Look, give her a break. I mean…"

The high voice cut in with an airy tone, "Who cares if she's mad? She should still write, shouldn't she? I mean, if she still knows how to, of course."

A voice very much like Parvati's, yet an octave or two softer spoke up, "Honestly, you guys, let Pav speak!" It wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out that the speaker was Padma.

Lavender, however, had had enough. She didn't want to hear what Parvati had to say about her. It could ruin their already dented friendship.

Lavender pushed open the door-

/Lav/freak/insane/please/why/Mungo's/

-just as Parvati began to speak, "Lav is…" Parvati stopped short at the sight of her best friend- although at this point Lavender wasn't sure the title was so appropriate.

"Hey, long time no see," Lavender said with a pasted-on smile and all of her old confidence. She flipped a strand of auburn hair out of her face. She then relaxed her posture slightly, as if she were as calm as she could possibly be.

It was all an act and everyone in the compartment knew it. Well, Hannah Abott, whom Lavender assumed was the owner of the high voice, probably didn't realize it. The Hufflepuff girl had long blond hair and a brain to match.

Parvati jumped and wrapped her arms around Lavender in a hug. "Lav! I missed you!"

Lavender nodded and drew back. The hug had been very gentle, as if Parvati had been afraid that her best friend would break like a glass vase. And if she had missed her so much, why hadn't she come to see her more than once?

Padma, whom Lavender was closest to after Parvati, smiled brightly- too brightly- and fed Lavender a line that was so carefully, so intricately constructed, Lavender thought that it might break. "She's right. We're all so glad you're back!"

Susan Bones, a sweet girl whom Lavender noticed had not spoken earlier, hugged her, just as delicately as Parvati had.

Lavender looked over Susan's shoulder to see Mandy Brocklehurst staring at her, a distasteful sneer twisting the raven-haired girl's face. Hannah, who was seated next to Mandy, was staring at her. A "not-here" exoression was stretched across her pretty features.

Once Susan released her, Lavender sat down next to Parvati, trying her best to appear relaxed, yet seeming even more jumpy all the while. She glanced at Padma, and noticed a sparkling locket hanging from her neck. "That's a pretty locket, Padma. Where'd you get it?" she asked the girl.

Padma jubilantly launched into a description of a guy she had met over the summer.

Although Lavender had initiated the conversation, she felt as if she was being left out from it.

As she was pondering this thought, the flew open to reveal three familiar beings.