As Lavender Brown's body lay amongst the ruins of what was once her home, she watched a family grieve the loss of one of their own, wondering why fate had so cruelly dealt them such cards. From a young age, all she wanted was to love and be loved in...
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»»» "IS that why you didn't want to answer the question earlier?"
Lavender fumbled with the bottle as the question left his mouth. She could sense the uncertainty and caution in his eyes.
"Which question-" she started but stopped abruptly when she noticed his raised eyebrow. It was quite clear the question he was talking about, however it was also something that she had never really admitted out loud. Shutting her eyes for the briefest of moments, she pulled up every ounce of courage she could find in her body and held it close to her chest.
It burned.
Before she could change her mind, she nodded.
"Yes," she said in a clear voice. "I have been in love - once."
Fred widened his eyes, a silent question clearly written across his face. Lavender shook her head.
"It's not who you think. I wasn't in lo- it's not him," she clarified quickly, heat rushing to her cheeks. It didn't help when Fred frowned, lips mouthing another name that made her boil with embarrassment.
"No, I told you, he's like my brother. I - stop guessing you prat, I'm trying to tell you," she said with a scowl, placing her hands flat against the table. "For me to fall in love with someone, I guess I need to know them truly and deeply. Build a connection that doesn't have foundations on need, but strengthens who I am by challenging and supporting me and so I was never in love with you know, because everything was based on infatuation."
Lavender pressed her hands down, ignoring the urge to begin tapping against any and every surface her body was connected to. She had known for a while now that she wanted to tell him, having already almost slipped up a couple of times earlier. Unlike most people, she was confident that he would be kind, but a part of her couldn't help but worry about what it would mean for their blossoming relationship.
Pursing her lips, she shook the thought out of her head.
If there was to be a relationship here, she thought, it needs to be based on honesty.
"I was in love with my best friend and I'm pretty sure there's going to be a part of me that will always love her," she rushed out in one go. Licking her lips, she dared herself to meet his gaze once more. Despite the way she could feel the blood pounding in her ears, she couldn't help the smile that played on her lips at the confused expression on his face.
"Her?" He repeated.
"Pavarti," Lavender confirmed in a small voice, knowing that there was no going back anymore. She had crossed a boundary that she never had the guts to do previously, almost costing her sanity in the process.
"But she's a girl," Fred stated, confusion still clear on his face. Lavender stared at him, wondering if there was anything else she could do or say that would help him come to the inevitable conclusion. "You dated my brother even though you were in love with someone else?" He asked, resting his chin against his propped up arm. There was no maliciousness in his tone, just curiosity.
