InsaneJournal

Fic: Lavender & Someone in the afterlife
Characters: Lavender Brown & ...?
Summary: Lavender isn't sure who would be waiting for her.
Rating: PG. Maybe. Just to be safe.

By the end, she'd watched nearly everyone she knew die. Sometimes, it was only dream death, in her head. It had finally been too much for her, and Susan Bones had been the lucky recipient of Lavender's cowardice. The blast that took her life had altered the outcome very little, and it was possible that she'd only spared Susan for a few moments, but it was enough for Lavender.

There hadn't been any pain, for which she had been thankful for. Lavender could barely stand a too-hard tug on her hairbrush, let alone anything more permanent. But the truth was that she had no idea who, if anyone, would have been waiting for her in the afterlife.

The station was empty. There wasn't even a train yet, or perhaps one had just departed. She had Seen Simon's death only a short time before her own. She thought it might be possible that there was only one train running, but with the state of things, there really ought to be several. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Oliver, Simon, Padma, Parvati... The list was too enormous, daunting to even ponder.

As she stood waiting, Lavender closed her eyes. Faint footsteps preceded a breeze that fluttered through the station, and with it came the scent of freshly cut grass and wood -- specifically broom wood. She remembered flying lessons at Hogwarts, every single time she had to borrow a broom, painting her face for Gryffindor Quidditch matches, and --

"Oliver!"

She spun around, only for him to catch her in his arms immediately. Lavender tried not to laugh, but the happiness was too great, and the knowledge that Oliver had been waiting for her when he could have waited for anyone else in the world set her free. There was no pain anymore, and even when she thought of her previous life, she couldn't feel any remorse or guilt or worry for anything that happened. A giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she thought she could fly.

His arms should have been crushing her, but the tighter her held her, the happier -- elated even -- she felt.

"I didn't mean to be late," he beseeched her quietly, kissing the side of her face over and over again. "You weren't scheduled to be here for a while."

"You couldn't have known," Lavender whispered in return, resting her forehead against his. She could taste salt on her lips, and realised she must be crying. Oliver cupped her face with his large hands, his thumbs wiping away the tears.

"But you did, didn't you?"

Oliver had never quite believed in her Sight, but he'd always been fairly silent on it, choosing to be there for her during the episodes, even when she awoke from the blood bath of a nightmare that prefaced You-Know-Who's return. "...yes."

"Lavender, I'm sorry..." he pleaded, catching her gaze and not letting go. "I'm sorry I didn't believe--"

"Don't be daft," she laughed. "I didn't even believe me. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes, I do. I should have told you that I loved you. I should have told you every day."

Lavender took his hands, tilting her face to him and kissed him softly. "We have all of eternity to make up for it now."