Written for Round 1 of season 10 of the Quidditch League.

Team: Chudley Cannons

Position: Chaser 1

Main Prompt: A broken mirror – Write about a relationship (platonic or romantic) breaking apart.

Optional Prompts: (1) word — tomorrow, (4) setting — Astronomy Tower, (8) dialogue — "What's the deal with you always wanting to ruin your own life?"

WC: 1444

Ugly

Lavender Brown had a horrible habit of self-sabotaging.

It had started after the war, when she had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback and woken up a month later at St Mungo's with horrendous scars across her face and a sensitivity to the full moon.

She wasn't a werewolf, they had said, but she may feel some of the symptoms, and if it got too much, she could always come back.

The day she left the hospital, Lavender's world changed forever.

She was ugly. She had never been ugly before. Until that fateful day, when Harry Potter had returned to Hogwarts, she had been pretty. Maybe even beautiful. With olive skin, curves in all the right places and wavy brown hair that flowed all the way down her back, she drew attention wherever she went.

Beauty was her pride and joy, all she had in her life, because she certainly didn't think herself intelligent. Not Hermione Granger intelligent, anyway. (But then again, who was?)

She had also been popular, befriending Parvati Patil the moment they were both sorted into Gryffindor. Parvati was also pretty, and they liked the same things. They'd become instant best friends, sticking together through thick and thin.

Parvati had been there when she woke up from the attack, apparently having barely left her side. The joy on her friend's face had brought Lavender to tears, but that was before she'd looked at herself in the mirror.

After she saw herself, the scars covering her face, Lavender locked herself away.

Her family took her in, showering her with affection and relief that she was okay. But it was out of pity. Lavender could tell. Whenever they looked at their daughter, their sister, they felt pity. They had an ugly relative, and they were ashamed. They were looking after her out of duty, not love.

After the war, Lavender was lonely. Her family despised her, and she hadn't seen her friends in a long time. She didn't leave the house, so she had no idea what was happening in the outside world apart from snippets she heard her parents tell her.

"They're cleaning up Hogwarts…"

"Parvati stopped by…"

"Did you know Harry Potter is set to become an Auror?"

"They're talking about a memorial for the school…"

"You should really talk to Parvati, she came by again…"

"Hiding like this isn't good for your health, sweetheart…"

"Parvati sent a letter…"

A whole year went by with Lavender not leaving her home. She only left her room to use the bathroom, eat with her family, and then return to the dark bedroom with all its mirrors covered.

Six months in, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and had been horrified. The scars hadn't healed at all.

Then, one year later, her mother came into her room. Lavender's mother had a gentle nature, so seeing the stern, determined expression on the woman's face startled Lavender.

She sat up in her bed, eyes wide. "Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," her mother answered as she plonked herself onto the end of Lavender's bed.

Lavender's heart raced. It had been months since her mother mentioned Parvati. Lavender assumed her old friend had become tired of her, and moved on to better friends. But what if something had happened…

"This is not healthy, Lavender."

"What?"

Her mother gestured around the room. "Locking yourself up like this. It's not good for your health. Your father and I have been talking, and we've made a decision."

Here it was, Lavender thought. They'd decided they didn't want her anymore; she was a burden on their family. Their one quarter werewolf daughter.

"We are going to the memorial service."

"What memorial service?" Lavender asked.

"It's been a year, sweetheart. A whole year…" Her mother's expression softened once more to that kind, gentle one Lavender remembered.

Oh.

"No."

"Yes, and that's our final answer. If you are going to live with us, then you are going to live. You're beautiful, Lavender, and you have nothing to be ashamed of."

Lies. So many lies.

Lavender opened her mouth to protest again, but her mother shook her head. "Tomorrow. Be ready." And she left before Lavender could argue.

Tomorrow. Oh, how she dreaded that word.

…

Tomorrow came. It was here like a punch to the gut. Lavender woke up sick to her stomach. She hadn't slept at all the night before, dreading all the inevitable stares she knew she was going to receive. All the looks of horror when people saw the once beautiful face now damaged, irreparable.

She couldn't go.

She wouldn't.

And yet, somehow, there she stood among everyone. Her old teachers, old students, her old boyfriend.

They all stared in disgust. Their faces didn't show it, most feigning happiness to see her, but she could tell. Even Seamus, the boy she'd kissed a few times as they hid in the Room of Requirement, gave her a tight hug. The more people crowded around her, telling her how pleased they were to see her, the tighter Lavender wrapped the scarf around her face.

Once the service was over, she escaped.

The Astronomy Tower had always been a peaceful place for her. It was where she and Parvati had gone to study the stars after Trelawney's classes. They'd searched for signs in the sky to help predict their future. Their tomorrow.

How she wished she'd seen this life. It would have been such a help to know that all the tomorrows she dreamed of were never meant to be.

Tomorrow, she thought in disgust. How naive they'd been back then.

"I'm not so sure I believe in the stars anymore."

The air around Lavender turned cold as a warm body sat beside her. She pulled the scarf over her face and didn't say anything.

Parvati didn't speak either, and they both gazed up. Just like they used to.

It could have been a minute, an hour, a day, or forever that they sat in silence. Lavender didn't know and didn't care. She just wanted her old friend to leave. And yet, Lavender couldn't bring herself to be the one to get up.

"Can you believe it's been a whole year since… everything?"

Lavender bristled at the question. How could Parvati ask her such a thing? It had felt longer than a year for Lavender — it had been an eternity of living with the hideous scars, of being alone.

Finally, Parvati's gaze fell upon her, prompting Lavender to wrap her scarf even tighter to hide her face. The last time she'd allowed her ex-friend to look at her was when she'd woken up in the hospital, not knowing how she appeared.

"Come on, Lavender, we haven't spoken for ages," Parvati said. "We're best friends."

"We're not friends!" Lavender hissed.

She felt Parvati recoil at that, as if she hadn't known their friendship had ended when Greyback attacked Lavender.

"What?"

"We're not friends," Lavender repeated coldly. "Not since… I have no friends."

"What are you talking about?" There was hurt in Parvati's voice, and Lavender realised in that moment that Parvati genuinely hadn't known they weren't friends anymore.

"We aren't friends," Lavender said for a third time, "and we never will be again. I'm ugly now; I don't deserve friends."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Parvati said. "And, you're not ugly."

"Oh, don't lie!" Lavender snapped. "I've seen myself. I know how I look. I'm damaged, the one thing that got me by… my looks… they're gone."

There was more silence. Then Parvati said, "That is possibly the most vain and egotistical thing I have ever heard you say. You think your value is in your looks?"

Well, no… in truth, Lavender didn't think that. But everyone had always told her how beautiful she was, and it had brought her a lot of good fortune in the past.

"What's the deal with you always wanting to ruin your own life?" Parvati pressed. "Even before what happened, you thought the most horrible things about yourself — you freaked out if a hair was out of place or a boy looked at you wrong."

She wasn't ruining her life. Greyback had. This…this deformity had.

Lavender sighed. "Just leave me alone. You're right, we haven't spoken in a year. So why start now?"

"Because we're —"

"We're not anymore." Lavender spoke with such finality that it rendered Parvati entirely speechless.

"I'll just go then." Parvati stood. "Enjoy your lonely life, Lavender. I hope you find happiness eventually." And without another word she was gone, and Lavender was alone once more; just how it had been for a whole year.

Just how she liked it.

And we are back for another year of Quidditch. Once again, I am part of the Chudley Cannons, because I can never not play for Ron's team! It feels good to be inspired again, and I really enjoyed writing this. Lavender is actually one of my absolute favourite characters, and I was glad to be able to come up with something for her. My actual head canon of her post war (because she lived dammit!) is a lot happier than this one haha!

Also, a little self-promo. I have started a small side-gig of stationery and bookmarks. If you'd like to check them out, please join my private Facebook group Lavender and Plum Designs (I won't know who you are I promise).