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Onwards to Chapter 2
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Lavender Brown jumped with a start as her best friend apparated next to her. A few of the customers around her looked take aback surprised at the witch's sudden appearance, but then looked away as if realizing that it was not such an uncommon experience. Lavender was in the middle of a cafe in Diagon Alley just like she promised she would be so Parvati knew where she could go if things went south. Parvati had practically begged her best friend to be available for the first few hours that Parvati had arrived at the Burrow.
"Lav please!" Parvati had begged a week before. "I barely know them. . . I mean I know them. . . but come on Lav."
"I don't even know why you agreed," Lavender said rolling her eyes as they browsed through the racks of Madame Malikson's Robe Shop looking for a dress. "I mean you know Harry a little I suppose, but Ginny?"
Parvati gave her best friend a helpless look remembering how Ginny had asked her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Apparently her brother from Romania owled her last minute saying he could go and be in the wedding, requiring one more bridesmaid for Ginny. "What was I supposed to say? She's one of Hermione's best friends," she glanced uncomfortably around her as if it were the robes that were making her feel awkward. "You should have been there when she asked me. I mean, honestly, I don't know who felt more out of place: me or her? I was lucky Hermione was there to diffuse the tension."
"You should be happy about this," Lavender pointed out. "Hermione's trying very hard to include you in her life. She obviously had something to do with it, I mean why else would Ginny ask you to be a bridesmaid? It was a last minute decision and I'm sure the Maid of Honor made some suggestions."
Parvati sighed. "Including me after she is insistent on keeping us a secret? She was on edge the entire weekend I visited her parents with her. I swear Lav, she wouldn't look at me if they were in the same room."
"Those were her parents. These are her friends. Maybe she's planning to get them warmed up to the idea of you and then telling them," Lavender reasoned pulling a dress gown off the rack and examining it. "I'm not sure if I can pull of this color. It's coral. . . I've never worn coral too much."
"You look good in every color except lime green and orange," Parvati said distracted. "Seriously, though, I'm really scared this might blow up in my face. And, then I'll be all alone in the Burrow with no where to go. . ."
"Fine," Lavender declared.
Parvati looked at her hopefully. "You're serious? You'll hang out somewhere so I know where to go if-"
"Fine," Lavender repeated. "That's the adjective you would use to describe me in this dress, right? I'm not going for beautiful, that's way to sentimental; but I'm not going for hooker either because I want to look like I respect myself. Looking fine would suggest classy one night stand with a girl that is sexy and respects herself, right?"
Parvati gave her a dumbfounded look. "Are you kidding me?"
"Tell me Parvati, you like women, what would you think of me in this dress?"
Parvati sighed eyeing the neckline and the fit of the fabric. "It'll make your boobs look fantastic and it'll hug your hips in the right places. Although I would try it on before you buy it, sometimes what's good in theory isn't always so in application."
Lavender rolled her eyes at the evidence of Hermione's influence on Parvati's word choice. Theory, Application? Really? "Yes, but what will it make you want to do to me?"
"Shag your brains out," Parvati answered dully.
"Fine," Lavender said again.
"Yes you'll look fine," Parvati replied scowling, not feeling very attended to.
"No, I mean fine I'll wait at that one cafe in Diagon Alley for a few hours, so you know where you can go if things don't go well."
Parvati broke into a grin. "Really?"
"Yes, I probably wouldn't have been invited to the wedding anyway if it wasn't for you. Besides, I like Hermione and I hope things with you two work out. Granted, I haven't always liked her, but I am definitely warming up to her."
"Oh that's okay," Parvati replied feeling freshly perky. "I haven't always liked her either."
A week since that conversation Lavender frowned at the place where she had promised Parvati she would be. Although she had not wanted to sit in a cafe for a couple of hours for no reason, she had hoped for Parvati's sake everything was going well and it had been for no reason.
"Vati," Lavender started reaching out to her friend, but was quickly put off by a jerk of Parvati's arm from her grip. Lavender knew her best friend too well to consider this normal behavior. Parvati liked contact. She loved linking arms with her best friend when they went shopping, she loved resting her head on someone's shoulder while reading long chapters of the potions book, and she loved being openly affectionate with previous boyfriends. Boyfriends. That was the difference. But, it was not Parvati's sexuality Lavender was having a problem with, it was Hermione.
"Parvati," Lavender reached out again, knowing that her rejection before was in response to her friend's feelings towards Hermione not her. This time Parvati didn't flinch away and was quite surprised in herself that she had just a moment ago. Parvati looked at her friend, fighting tears and pulling her in a hug. "It's okay," Lavender murmured smoothing out her hair with her hand and resting it on Parvati's cheek. "C'mon let's get out of here and get some fresh air." Lavender dropped some sickles on the table and they left the little cafe to walk among the other wizards in Diagon Alley.
"It's like she's ashamed of herself. She's so intent on no one finding out," Parvati began as she linked arms with the girl next to her. "As if someone finding out that we're together is the absolute worst thing that could happen-"
"Her losing you is the worst thing that could happen to her," Lavender cut her off already getting angry at Hermione. If Lavender thought Hermione was insufferable in their first year when Granger's collective knowledge of the course material and loud-mouthed answers in class knew no bounds, it was nothing compared to this. Hermione should be thrilled to call Parvati her girlfriend. More thrilled than telling Snape what is produced when you add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood.
"That's not-" Parvati started flustered, "I'm not. . . getting at that I'm just frustrated Lav! I missed her! I haven't seen her in weeks and she doesn't want to be anyway near me if there's someone else in the room. I just want to hold her hand," Parvati said as if she was trying to reason with herself. "I want to kiss her on the cheek in a public place without her hyperventilating. . ."
"Vati-"
"I want her to be happy she's with me!" Parvati choked out spontaneously. Her eyes started to water and her voice cracked. "What's wrong with me Lav? What's so wrong with me that she can't stand the fact that she's with me?"
Lavender did not say anything for a moment, as she steered her friend off the main road towards the sidewalk. Parvati rested her head against the lamp post and waited for the supportive speech. What Lavender said instead, however, surprised Parvati.
"What's wrong with you, Parvati is that you like women," Lavender explained in harsh voice. She gave her friend a degrading look and let her lip curl in disgust. "I don't even fucking get it. You walk into a bar and nine times out of ten a fairly good-looking wizard is gonna buy you a drink of firewhiskey or two. It's not like women are your back-up. And, Granger? C'mon Parvati, we spent more than a few good years at Hogwarts making fun of her hair alone. Remember our second year we were baffled at how the basilisk didn't get petrified by her? Besides, she's insufferable. Remember S.P.E.W.? For Merlin's sake she was probably hiding some houselves in her hair. . . and in class? She was a know-it-all, hated divination since it was the only thing she wasn't good at, and a well-spent Friday night for her was in the library studying-"
"Lavender, what's wrong with you?" Parvati demanded. For one, Parvati could not believe what she was hearing. Never had Lavender once expressed disdain for their relationship since she had told her. Now when she needed support more than ever she was attacking her and her girlfriend. She felt bubbling anger rise up in her, comparable to how a dragon must feel before it spat fire. "You don't get to talk to me like that! Forget the fact the fact that you were insulting me," Parvati shot furiously, "But you don't ever insult Hermione! She's smart, she's brave, and considerate which is more than enough to give any guy a run for his money. No one has ever made me feel this way, and I know some people won't like it, and some people will think it's bloody gross, but that doesn't matter because at the end of the day I really don't give a damn what they think- I love her!"
Parvati glared and waited for her friend to retaliate ignoring the strangers on the street who were giving her odd looks at her sudden outburst. But instead of shooting back, Lavender gave her friend a small smile and asked wonderingly, "How can a girl with so much fire, date someone that is the complete opposite?"
Parvati stopped glaring daggers and relaxed her clenched fist, lowering her guard but not completely. "I- I don't-"
"You need to give Hermione some of your fire, Parvati," Lavender reasoned calmly as if the arguing and glares before had never happened. "Don't let her lack of it put yours out. You say Hermione is brave and by all means I believe you, but coming out is a bit different from facing Voldemort, isn't it?" Lavender brushed her friends cheek and reached out to squeeze her friends hand reassuringly.
"You- you made up that whole thing?" Parvati asked unbelievingly, feeling her hand go limp as Lavender let go.
"Of course not, S.P.E.W. was unbearable remember? And, she was an insufferable know-it-all for the longest time. . . Still is actually, remember that time we went to lunch a couple of months ago and she lectured me on the twelve uses of dragon's blood? She sent an owl listing the sources where she read it the next day," Lavender jibed playfully.
Parvati cracked a smile for the first time since getting to Diagon Alley. "Yeah, she's that way," Parvati said fondly. "A terribly smart, beautiful witch. . . Why did you put on that whole ruse though? Just to make a point?"
"Well, sympathizing with you was getting nowhere, pitying you was getting dull, so I thought I'd verbally abuse you instead," Lavender said cheerfully. "Besides I was curious."
"About what?"
"How serious you were about her. I didn't know you loved her. . . and something tells me she doesn't know either. Now you know what to tell her the next time you two have a serious conversation about your relationship."
Parvati couldn't help but let another small smile play on her lips, stumped by her friend's conniving mind. "How come everyone at Hogwarts thought we were airheads? You, at least, are utterly brilliant."
"Because of Granger," Lavender replied in mock-annoyance. "We never stood a chance against her."
Parvati laughed and Lavender grinned.
Before Parvati decided to take off back to the burrow to reconcile with her girlfriend which was due any minute, Lavender offered her one last piece of advice. "Seriously, though, give her some fire. Book smarts can't help her on this one."
Hermione looked worriedly around her as if waiting for Parvati to apparate next to her as she had earlier that day. It was fifteen minutes to the rehearsal, and nearly everyone was making their way to the backside of the house where the altar and tents were neatly set. Hermione, however, stood in front of the house cursing as if that would somehow bring Parvati back.
"Hermione? What are you doing out here?"
Hermione didn't have to turn around to know that it was Ron, but she did anyway. He was wearing casual dress robes of black that fit his form nicely. Hermione had not seen him look this flattering since Bill and Fleur's wedding. That wedding, however, seemed decades ago. Hermione was not gushing over him now like she had back then and for some reason that made her sad. There was a nostalgic longing that came with the idea of liking Ron and being with Ron. Hermione could not help but play out in her head how much simpler her life would be if she was experiencing the same feelings for Ron that she did in the past.
"I'm waiting for Parvati. . . she went out for a bit and she said she'd be-"
"Parvati's already in the back with everyone else," Ron told her frowning. He walked up to her closing the small gap and put his hand on her shoulder softly, then let it wander up to her chin inclining her to look at him. "Are you alright Hermione?"
Hermione wanted to answer the question. She wanted to tell him all about Parvati and how scared she was that someone might find out, but how scared she was that Parvati would leave her if she kept this a secret much longer. She wanted to tell him how confused she was about being with Parvati and ask him if being with her was worth risking the approval and love of her family and friends. Hermione wanted to tell him all this, but noticed that Ron was looking at her with concern like a lover would rather than a friend and realized Ron had still not gotten over their relationship. Telling him about Parvati would just hurt him.
"Yeah," Hermione reassured him. "I'm sure it's just the stress from the wedding. . . all the planning you know. . ." she let her voice trail off uncaringly.
Ron smiled and let his hand fall from her chin. "It's okay, it'll all be over with tomorrow. C'mon let's go to the back, Mum'll have a fit with me if I'm the last one there."
Hermione smiled and walked with him towards the back.
Parvati was one of the first people she saw as Ron led her under the huge tent. The tent was set up almost identical as it was during Fleur and Bill's wedding, but she did not appreciate the set up much as there was a beautiful girl on the other side of the tent monopolizing her attention. What she was wearing was casual and simple like everyone else at the rehearsal, but she plainly looked stunning. She was wearing a flimsy white summer dress, exposing much of her back and shoulders. The hem went to her knee exposing a portion of her fit legs and matching white flats. Hermione felt like someone kicked her in the stomach when she saw her and she quickly realized she was not the only one noticing Parvati. George had trouble keeping his eyes off of her, the young photographer did not even try to keep his interest discreet, and Fleur kept shooting her dirty looks obviously envious of the attention she was getting.
Hermione took her eyes away from Parvati and followed Ron up to the altar where Harry stood waiting. He looked nervous and excited, similar to how he was before a quidditch game.
"I got her," Ron announced to him.
"Great. Blimey Hermione, you would have gave Mrs. Weasley a heart attack if you would have been late, not to mention Ginny."
"Sorry I was a bit preoccupied I guess."
Harry smiled. "It's alright- Oh I think that's the minister headed my way. I should go talk to him." He gestured for Ron to come with him.
As soon as they left, George came up and smiled at Hermione. "Heya, Hermione. Beautiful day for a wedding rehearsal isn't it?"
Hermione resisted the urge to just ask him what he wanted and humored him instead. "The best."
"And speaking of beautiful," George said seriously, "I understand that you're good friends with that wonderful specimen of the witch population over there." He gestured towards Parvati who was talking with Luna and Neville about twenty feet away.
"I am," Hermione replied not liking at all where this was going.
"Then perhaps you could tell me a way I could sweep her off her feet. You see I have these chocolates laced with love potion, but I would rather win her the old fashion way if you know what I mean."
Hermione knew exactly what George meant. Hermione could have told him to take her out to a cozy intimate cafe and bewitch the lights to flicker bright to dull depending on her mood. She could have told him to take her out under the stars and not smirk as she talked about astrology and read the future in the sky as he kissed her neck. If not those two things she could have told him to turn on the wizarding radio after they were done making love and whisper the lyrics of an old slow in her ear as he held her. Instead, she told him. "She's already taken."
"Ah," George replied sounding disappointed but not at all surprised. "So I guess I'm gonna have to use the love potion."
"George!"
"Sorry, Hermione. I forgot you have a moral objection to wrong-doing and rule-breaking. If you can just forget everything I just said I have to go in the house and grab something real fast," George winked and left Hermione standing on the altar alone.
George might have been disappointed he left so fast, because as soon as he did Parvati excused herself from Luna and Neville's conversation about magical plants and went to join Hermione.
"You know you shouldn't look so sad. Two of your best friends are getting married, that seems like plenty of reason to be excited," Parvati said as way of greeting.
Hermione bit her lip, a thousand apologies fighting to escape all at once that all she could do was stand there and look like she wanted to cry.
"Hermione," Parvati said slowly. "Don't apologize because I'm not apologizing either. We had a disagreement, we got upset, and we'll get through it. I wanted to come back soon and talk to you about this in more private quarters but I had to go home for a minute and gather some things."
"Parvati, I'm so sorr-"
"No apologies." Parvati stopped her. "We'll talk about it later. . . tomorrow probably, once all this wedding stuff is taken care of. I promise."
Hermione nodded slowly. "I want to share the bed with you tonight," she said blurted out awkwardly. "I really don't want to sleep on the floor."
"I would love to wake up to you next to me," Parvati said smiling.
Hermione smiled feeling extremely relieved, and then all of a sudden she had a sudden urge to kiss the Indian girl in front of her. To throw it all to hell, grab the girl in the white summer dress, and blow her mind. Instead Hermione felt her face flush red from the irrational thought which inquired a curious look from Parvati. Before she could ask, however, Molly Weasley was gesturing Hermione to come over to the side of the tent where Harry, Ron, and Ginny were.
"Looks like someone else wants you besides me," Parvati said with a grin.
"Oh believe me, people want you too. I would avoid eating anything George Weasley gives you as it has a good chance of being laced with a love potion."
Parvati laughed. "I don't think any love potion could combat with the spell you have me under." With that she gave her witch a quick peck on the cheek, and turned away leaving Hermione to join the soon to be newlyweds and the best man with a slight blush on her face.