For the Hogwarts Forum
Writing Club, Showtime "Ten Duel Commandments" (hurt/comfort)
Roald Dahl Event, Lavender marriages (write about Lavender Brown)
Word Count: 401
Parvati takes a deep breath, nervously pacing the hallway. She wrings her hands together, only forcing herself to fall still when the Healer appears. "You're here for Miss Brown?" he asks.
She swallows dryly, nodding. "Yes."
"I won't lie to you. She's not well."
Parvati sucks in a shaky breath. She's assumed as much. She still remembers her girlfriend laying beneath that monster, still remembers the blood and screaming. "Can I see her? Please?"
The Healer hesitates. After a moment, he steps aside. Parvati assumes it's because St. Mungo's has been flooded with patients in the past few hours, with the war finally over. She offers him a quick mutter of thanks before stepping inside.
"Hi," Lavender says, smiling before wincing.
Parvati feels tears cling to her lashes. Her beautiful, wonderful Lavender is almost unrecognizable beneath the bandages. She doesn't want to see her like this, but she doesn't want to leave her girlfriend's side.
"Hey, love," she says gently, moving to Lavender's side, taking her hand gently and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "How do you feel?"
"Awful."
Parvati almost feels stupid for asking. Lavender has been attacked by a werewolf. No one knows what effect it will have on her in the long run. How could she feel anything else.
"Will you still love me if I'm infected?" Lavender whispers, and the helplessness in her voice is enough to shatter Parvati's heart into a thousand pieces.
"I'll love you forever," she assures her. "It doesn't matter. I'm here, Lavender. I'm not going anywhere."
Her girlfriend's lips quirk into a pained smile. She squeezes Parvati's hand tightly, almost like she's trying to keep her there, like she's so afraid that Parvati will run away if their fingers aren't entwined.
"What I transform?" Lavender asks with sniffle.
Parvati leans in, carefully resting her head on her lover's chest. "I'm not going anywhere. We'll figure this out together."
"Promise?"
"With all my heart."
Lavender closes her eyes. Her face seems to relax, as though that reassurance was all she needs. Slowly, she drifts off, her soft snores filling the air.
Parvati watches her, heart aching. She hates that the girl she has loved for so long is hurting and that she can't do anything to take her pain away. But she will do everything within her power to comfort Lavender. Love is a promise of forever, and she will keep it.