When you room with someone for 2 and a half years it's hard not to grow fond of them. Even if said person doesn't seem to hold the same care to you.
Lavender Brown found herself concerned for Granger. She noticed a distinct lack of self care after the Christmas broom incident with Potter. Her hair stopped being frizzy and started being a little too tangled. Lavender may even say matted a bit. What's even worse is she has no clue what to do with her hair. It has so much potential to be cute but no, that's clearly something she doesn't care about.
Lavender knew she needed to do something to stop this crime against nice hair. The easiest way to have less knots if she's going to keel not brushing it is to braid it. Lavender really doubts Granger can braid hair let alone her own nicely enough to Lavenders high standards. This must mean she has to do it herself.
Lavender and Parvati were sitting in the dorm with magazines when Granger walks in.
Lavender smiles brightly, "Granger! Can you do me a favor?"
Grangers walls immediately go up. She looks like a deer in headlights. "Which class do you want to copy my homework in?"
"No silly, I was going to ask if I could braid your hair, I want some practice," giggles Lavender.
"Why me and not Patil?"
Lavender looked at her best friend who was just has confused as Granger. Lavender sent a mental apology to Parvati for the next comment, "I prefer beading textured hair like mine instead of straight hair, wavy and curly hair bends into shapes while straight hair just doesn't."
Thankfully, Parvati didn't look offended and more importantly Granger seemed convinced. "I'll let you braid my hair but I'm going to shower first, it's a little oily and I don't want you touching it until it's washed."
"I can wait, I still want to do it before bed though." Lavender felt like such a little schemer using Grangers need to help others to help her. Even got a shower out of it too!
When Granger leaves to room, Parvati turns to Lavender. "What's the real reason you want to braid her hair?"
"I think Granger has been a little depressed since she's not talking to Potter and Weasley at the moment, she hasn't brushed her hair and it's starting to matt, I want to help her a little bit, that's all." Lavender makes a mental note that Granger can seriously neglect her maintenance if distracted enough.
"She'd never do this for you in return if the situation was reversed." Parvati didn't particularly like Granger and demeaning Lavenders interest in divination didn't make her endearing to her either.
"No, she would, it'd just look like tutoring offers instead of this, it may look different but the care is still there."
"You can't care for everyone, not everybody is worth the effort." Parvati has a smaller list of people to care for and she likes it that way.
"She's our roommate and we've known her for years, plus, I like braiding and do want more practice." Lavender giggles again happy she was getting something out of the exchange as well.
Parvati rolls her eyes and still ends up smiling. As long as Lavender keeps giggling, all is right.
Granger eventually came back out with damp hair and pajamas. "Where do you want me to sit?"
Lavender grabbed her pillow and dropped it on the floor next to the bed. She motioned to it with a smile.
"Why did you drop a pillow?"
Lavender giggles before asking, "Would you prefer to sit somewhere else, it'd probably be better to sit on the trunk anyways."
"Okay, I'll sit on the trunk." Hermione sat and started cracking her knuckles. They pops were loud and even after she got all of them, she continued bending her fingers.
Parvati cringed at the sound. "Hermione, if you need something to do with your hands, take this magazine, I've already read through it."
"Oh, okay, thank you." She spread her fingers in a rapid movement in an attempt to shake off the feeling cracking left in her knuckles before taking the magazine. "How long do you think braiding my hair will take?"
"Not a clue, we can time if though if you want for future reference." Lavender went to grab an alarm clock for easier view.
"Future reference?"
"Yeah! I want to do some experiments to see which braid lasts the longest and how quickly it falls apart and was hoping you'd let me after this, we can make charts and everything." Lavender threw the chart bit just for Granger because she doubts this will be the last time she'll need help with hair maintenance while at Hogwarts.
"That sounds actually sounds really fun! I'd love to help you with your experiment, do you have an hypothesis?" Granger turns her body to speak with Lavender directly.
"What's a hypothesis?" Hook, line, and sinker for her plan.
"It's an if and then statement to try and be proved or unproven," Granger said in her teacher voice
"Never heard of it, must be a muggle thing, can you give me an example?"
"If water is a liquid than ice is a solid."
"If hair is braided than there will be less knots to deal with." Lavender was proud of her quick thinking.
"Ohhh, I like that, my hair always gets so tangled so quickly and I never thought of putting in a braid," Grangers eyebrows were scrunched together but her tone was bright.
"Yay, I hope you end up liking it then, do you want me to brush your hair with your brush or mine?" Lavender hoped she grabbed her own.
"I'll grab mine." Granger grabbed a brush with the thickest layer of hair on it that Lavender has ever seen. Granted, she always removed the hair after brushing and washed her brush regularly.
As sooner as Granger handed her the brush, she peeled off the hair and made it into a ball. She will admit to it being very satisfying. "Parvati, can you throw this away for me while I get started on Grangers hair?"
Parvati took it without complaint.
Lavender started at the ends and tried to be as gentle as possible with the still damp hair. The water made it slippery but that's okay. "I'll make the chart after this and have this be the damp hair observation day and count this as day zero."
"That's a smart move, do you want some help forming it, I love creating tables of information." Granger was rolling the magazine in her hands and feeling the paper stacked.
"I'd love that."
Lavender came to one of the tangles she's been keeping her eyes on. "Tell me if I tug to hard."
"Will do."
From there, Granger started talking about classes but mostly about the magic. Lavender happily listened as she worked through Grangers hair with all the gentleness and patience in her.
Parvati eventually left to go talk to Neville about an Herbology assignment leaving the two of them alone.
There would be an accidental tug here and there with Granger pausing her monologue. Lavender would whisper things like, you're doing great, thank you for sitting so still, and good girl. Granger would soak up these compliments like a sponge and go back to verbalizing her thoughts. She really enjoyed having someone just listen to her.
Lavender decided Granger would prefer one braid to two. Plus, Lavender enjoyed her own pigtails and didn't want to share.
She tried her best to keep the tight and the tension even. She wanted this braid to stay for at least two days.
Granger didn't complain because she was too focused on whatever she was talking about to notice it.
The wasn't perfect, it was lumpy and a little uneven. Lavender was not satisfied but she didn't know if she could do better at this moment.
At least Granger left it in the next few days like she asked. At the end, frizzy bits may have been flying but when taken out the knots left only took a few minutes to brush out Vs the 20 to begin with. Lavender was satisfied with that.
The experiment lasted just after Potter started talking to Hermione again and during that time Granger became Hermione to Lavender.
Hermione was sad and upset from missing Potter so much she couldn't even take care of herself. And Potter didn't even care. Lavender doubted Potter cared for Hermione much at all.
After that, Lavender started to have a one sided relationship of contempt with Harry Potter in the name of Hermione and then in the name of Parvati in fourth year after the ball.
Lavender would start seeking out Hermione during final exam time. She would spin some excuse of stress and saying she found braiding her hair calming. Well, she did but it was for Hermione who would so caught up with her stress about grades she'd forget about her hair.
After that though, Hermione insisted on helping her, and by extension Parvati, with studying and general workload. Lavender excepted the help with a giggle. She found how excitable Hermione could be to be very endearing.
With her help, Lavenders and Parvati average grades went to good. Both were very happy with themselves and Hermione only had good things to say as well. Lavender would bring snacks to their homework time to make sure Hermione ate enough. And for water, when her birthday rolled around she was given a self refilling water bottle customized just for her with some ladybug stickers.
Hermione eventually started to seek out Lavender instead of Potter to tell when she found an interesting fact. Lavender enjoyed becoming Hermione's favorite person and with that her urge to take care of her increased. The feeling was reciprocated by Hermione's urge to protect and defend her.
Their relationship somehow stayed strong once they both graduated even when others accidentally drifting with time and distance.
Hermione and Lavender went looking for romantic partners but never found somehow who was as comforting as the other. They moved in together and lived a very content life.
They eventually married because Lavender always dreamed of a wedding and Hermione was happy do it for her. Hermione ended up planning most of it and it was a beautiful day with Parvati as Lavenders maid of honor and Potter as Hermione. She will admit, he looked dapper in his suit.
Hermione looked better though. She found the dress of her dreams that made her feel like a princess and her veil even having a tiny crown.
As Lavender walks down the aisle, she just admires Hermione and holding back giggles from how giddy she is.
Both beamed as they said their vows and sealed them with a soul crushing hug. Both holding back tears of joy for their makeup. They were just so excited to know they would always have the other in their life.
