Bittersweet
Rating: R, probably.
Pairing: Hermione/Lavender, implied Lavender/Parvati
Spoilers: Nah
Warnings: More angst, kinda; immanent non-monogamy.
Notes: More threesomes possible on the horizon. *Everyone gasps in surprise* Quiet, you!
Summary: Parvati finds a boy, and Lavender goes looking for a girl. Hermione gets involved, and complications ensue.
It was funny, Hermione thought. On the surface, her life seemed as it had been before. She still spent most of her time
with Harry and Ron, still spent hours a day in the library with her books, still helped Lavender with her homework when
Parvati had gone off to Ravenclaw. But now, Hermione found herself preoccupied with the curve of Lavender's cheek, the
way her hair became gold in the sunlight, the shape of her lips as she unconsciously chewed the end of a quill. Though
nothing had changed, nothing was the same. When they were alone together in the room they shared, all thoughts of
studying flew out the window, swiftly as a golden snitch. Because they were kissing instead of studying and studying
instead of sleeping, Hermione's eyes were perpetually heavy and sore, and her body ached dully. She found bruises in
curious places-one that she noticed on her thigh baffled her until she realized where it must have come from, and barely
managed to stifle a laugh in the middle of Transfiguration lecture. Ron looked at her curiously, but under the stern eye of
Professor McGonagall, he didn't venture to ask her what was so funny. A small part of Hermione realized that Harry and
Ron were probably worried about her, but she did her best to ignore it. She felt that she existed in a precarious
equilibrium, but was nevertheless managing to balance. And still...
And still, there were times when Hermione couldn't stop herself from thinking of certain things. Sometimes, she noticed
Lavender looking over at the Ravenclaw table where Parvati was laughing, with a wistful expression on her soft face.
Seeing that gave Hermione an odd feeling of hollowness. She knew what the bond between Lavender and Parvati was,
what good friends they had been. But it was bittersweet, regardless. It made Hermione aware of the fragility of what
was between them. And then Lavender would turn back to Hermione and smile. But there would be sadness in the smile
that had not been there before.
One evening, Hermione and Lavender were working in the Gryffindor common room. It was the usual barely controlled
chaos, with some students studying, some talking about Quiddich, and some simply loafing in front of the fireplace. The
latest Arithmancy problem set was trying even Hermione's focus, and she was currently engaged in peering over
Lavender's Divination, trying to spot any errors in the astrological calculations. "It looks right to me," a voice came from
behind the two girls. Hermione blinked. It was-unaccountably-Parvati. Pushing her shiny black hair out of her face, she
leaned over the chart. "Sorry I haven't been around to work on Divination homework lately," she continued. "D'you want
to do a bit of that this evening?" "Um, sure," Lavender managed. Parvati pulled a chair over, and the two were soon
buried in the minutiae of Mercury retrogrades and Saturn returns. Hermione turned back to her Arithmancy, mind awhirl
with strange emotions that she preferred not to identify.
After an hour or so, Parvati got up and gathered her papers. "I'd better go," she said regretfully. "I told Terry I'd help
him-he has trouble with Divination. He's a bit like you, Hermione," she added, "He thinks it's awfully imprecise, but he
can't drop it now so he's got to suffer through." She slung her bookbag onto her shoulder jauntily and walked away.
Lavender and Hermione looked at one another, then away. The very air seemed charged with questioning. "Hermione,"
Lavender asked carefully, "Would you mind going up to our room? I think it's a bit loud to concentrate in here." She
didn't meet Hermione's eyes.
As soon as they had reached the tower room, Lavender practically launched herself at Hermione. Taken aback, Hermione
responded as best she could. Before long, though, Lavender's fervency had her swept up in desire. The two girls
toppled onto the bed, kissing feverishly. Lavender entwined herself around Hermione, as if trying to bury herself in the
other girl. Lavender raised herself up on her arms to feverishly push her long brown hair out of her eyes, then returned
to Hermione's circling arms. That small persistent part of Hermione's mind was protesting that they were doing this for all
the wrong reasons, but feebly. When Lavender moaned helplessly in response to Hermione's touch, Hermione was lost
to her own senses, could do nothing but touch more and more, cupping and kneading and holding Lavender against her.
The universe was minute, bounded by the edges of the bed. The only thing left in the world was the two of them, and
the desperate desire between them.
chapter 3
