On time!

You could credit it all to being on the rebound.
Having been harshly dumped by Susan Bones the week before, Lavender was truly dreading the trip to Platform 9 ¾ that day. Susan had never dated a girl before and feared the information becoming public knowledge, and concluded that the affair had to end before school started. Lavender, who had thought their summer relationship was the real thing and had bought them matching bracelets to wear as secret markers of their love, which she planned to present to Susan when she asked her to lunch in Diagon Alley, had been left sobbing over a triple chocolate peanut butter brownie sundae in a booth in Florean Fortescue’s ice cream parlour.
Then again, it may just have been how goddamned glorious she looked, lit from behind by a dart of sunlight lancing through the fog into the station, the way her hair brushed the small of her back and her midriff showed bare under her purple sari as she danced, arms over her head while her sister laughed. Her limbs seemed somehow longer and leaner, her bearing more confident. She turned in her dance and smiled. She ran towards Lavender, holding her skirts out of the way, then stopped short with her palms pressed together in front of her breasts. “Namaste, Lavender-ji,��? she said, bowing her head, then leaped forward to envelope her in a hug and plant a platonic kiss on her cheek. Her skin was soft, the embroidered silk of her wrap coarse and scratchy, and she smelled strongly of sweet incense and exotic spices.
Maybe it was fate or maybe it was pheromones, but whatever it was, Lavender Brown found herself suddenly head-over-heels in love with her best friend. “Hello, Parvati,��? she gasped, returning the embrace. “Had a good summer?��?
“Incredible,��? the other girl replied, releasing her. Gold bangles clacked together at her wrists. “India was soo hot, and I met about a hundred cousins I never even knew I had.��?
Parvati’s twin Padma reached them, pulling both their luggage. “You forgot you trunk.��?
“Sorry, Padmini, thanks for bringing it.��?
Padma was generally more sombre than her sister, and was dressed in more English Muggle garb, though she too wore numerous hoop bracelets. “Are your parents still here?��? Padma asked Lavender.
“Oh, yeah!��? she said, turning to wave to her mother and father, who waved back and left the platform through the magical barrier.
“Our mum and dad already left,��? said Parvati, “but I wanted to wait for you before boarding.��?
“That’s nice of you,��? said Lavender.
“You kidding? You’re my best friend!��?
They’d barely communicated over the summer, Parvati being too busy with her cousin’s wedding overseas to write much and Lavender too preoccupied with her romance with Susan to reply. In fact, they’d each been so distracted they hardly spared each other a thought. It was almost eerie how easily they reconnected, they were able to pick up exactly where they left off.
“Have you seen Harry or Hermione?��? Parvati asked.
“Or either of the Weasleys?��? Padma added.
“We want to ask about—“ she hushed her voice conspiratorially and her hot breath tickled the fine hairs on Lavender’s cheek, “—the DA.��?
“No, I’ve not seen any of them,��? she said, brushing the away residual moisture as Parvati pulled back.
“Hm. Probably on the train already, I guess, and either way we’d better find somewhere to stow this stuff soon. The platform’s emptying out.��? Parvati pulled her trunk to the nearest door and pushed it up the steps ahead of her. When she grasped the handrail to haul herself up after it Lavender saw that her hand was covered in reddish ink, in swirly, vaguely floral designs. She looked over her shoulder as she mounted the steps herself and saw that Padma’s hands were likewise stained.
“What’s that stuff?��? She asked, dragging her trunk down the narrow corridor as they looked for vacancies.
“What stuff?��? Parvati looked back and Lavender nodded at her hands. “This? It’s henna. It’s this green pasty stuff, you draw the designs on with that, and then when it dries it flakes off and leaves this orangey colour, lasts a couple of weeks. Actually this has stayed rather well, hasn’t it Padmini?��?
“Too well. I was hoping it would fade before term started.��?
“Just don’t try spelling it off. Remember what Auntie Chitra said.��?
“I remember. There’s Ginny.��?
“Oi, Gin!��? The youngest Weasley stood in an open compartment door, passing a caged owl to her taller brother inside, who put it in the overhead rack. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom were already seated. Ginny stepped inside to allow the girls to enter and all eight exchanged friendly greetings. Parvati addressed Harry, “I’m sure you’ve already been asked at least ten times today, but we were wondering, now Umbridge is gone, if you planned on restarting the club?��?
“We thought, even though Dumbledore’s back in control, it would still be really important to get as much practice as possible,��? Padma added, “given how they’ve, y’know, gone public.��?
“We were just talking about that, actually,��? said Hermione, “we haven’t scheduled anything yet. You’ve still got your Galleons?��?
They nodded and Lavender pulled hers from her jeans pocket to show.
“Good. Keep checking them, they should show a date by the end of the week. Pass the message on.��?
“Sure thing. Thanks. Did you all have good summers?��?
“Considering the state of things, yeah,��? Ron answered. “Are those real nose rings?��?
“Oh, yeah,��? said Parvati, touching a finger to the tiny, sparkling stone set at the base of her [left] nostril, which Lavender had somehow failed to notice. “We got real fancied up for wedding, this was a permanent souvenir. And I know I look mad, walking around in a sari like this, it’s just so pretty I wanted to wear it as much as I can.��?
“It was your cousin who got married?��? Hermione asked.
“Second cousin. Anjani.��?
“And where all in India did you go?��?
“We stuck mostly to Varanasi.��? Padma said “That’s on the Ganges, in a province called Uttar Pradesh, in kind of the north central part. It was really astonishing. So much history. We brought back all sorts of stuff.��?
“It didn’t take long for the news about You-Know-Who to get there, either, and people are pretty divided over it.��?
“Most of the kin I talked to are worried, some even said they’d come here to fight him if it starts to go bad.��?
“Not everyone, though, unfortunately. Uncle [P.K.] said he couldn’t wait for You-Know-Who to take India. He said it would be like Ramraj.��?
“That’s “rule of Rama��?, a kind of mythical utopian period,��? Padma clarified.
“He did say it, Padma.��?
“I believe you.��?
“Ooh, I wanted to hex his ears off!��?
“You spilled a bowl of tamarind sauce on him and he was stung by a wasp, I think that’s pretty good.��?
“Yeah, that was funny,��? she grinned, “Oh, Harry! We saw a Parselmouth!��?
“At least we think he was a Parselmouth. We didn’t actually talk to him.��?
“It was coming back from the temple of Durga one day with prasad, there was this hardcore Shaivite ascetic guy—“
“Naked, covered in ashes, dreadlocks—“
“Not nice rows like Lee had but real filthy and matted, rosary beads and stuff knotted up in it—“
“Walking around with this huge long cobra around his shoulders. A lot of these guys with snakes, they sew the mouths shut and tourists pay to touch them.��?
“Not this one,��? Parvati waved her arm in a serpentine motion and mimed biting at Ginny, who flinched.
“No, this one was quite unaltered.��?
“Like Padma said, we didn’t talk to him. But I’d put money on it he was speaking Parseltongue, Harry, it sounded just like that crazy hissy thing you do.��?
“Wow,��? said Harry when it seemed clear the twins had finished their ping-pong storytelling, “Well, they said it was a rare talent but I didn’t expect to be the only one.��?
“Moving in herds now, are you?��? A cold voice cut from the corridor and they all turned to look. There was Draco Malfoy, looking tired but arrogant as ever and flanked as usual by his goons Crabbe and Goyle. “Mm, nice costume, Gryffindor Patil,��? he rolled his hips like a belly dancer, “you going to shake those papadums?��?
“I’d rather eat glass, thank you, Malfoy.��?
He sneered. “It’s a shame I can’t write you up for looking ridiculous.��?
“I’d call it lucky,��? Padma said, “you’d have to spend the entire year in detention otherwise.��?
“Oh dear oh dear oh dear,��? he said, scraping phony bows and chortling in a hammishly bad Hindi accent, “I’m so very-very sorry. I had better go pray to my cow for forgiveness.��? The three backed giggling up the hallway, still engaged in their pantomime.
“There’s one snake who ought to have his mouth sewn shut,��? said Ron, scowling.
Padma shook her head. “He’s been crying. Did you see his eyes?��?
“They looked a little red,��? said Ginny, “you really think he was crying?��?
“I can’t say I feel sorry for him,��? offered Hermione, “not unless he undergoes a serious attitude adjustment sometime in the next hour.��?
Lavender wondered about the state of her own eyes. She’d barely slept this week for periodic bouts of private tears over her break-up with Susan. How recently had Draco wept for it to be visible, if indeed he had been weeping?
A whistle blew outside, and Parvati broke the settling quiet. “Anyway . . . we should probably stop crowding you guys and find our own berths. See you when we reach Hogsmeade.��? There followed a chorus of see-yous and byes.
They found space with Padma’s housemates and fellow DA members Luna Lovegood (ensconced in a book and mercifully quiet) and Terry Boot and got their luggage safely stored as the train got under way. Lavender leaned her forehead against the windowpane and watched the quickening blur of gravel and railway ties below.
What right did Parvati have to get so beautiful all of a sudden? Not that she hadn’t been good-looking before: she and her sister were included on most reputable listings of the beauties of the school. Lavender had just never considered her this way before. Perhaps their long term friendship (since before their mutual decision that boys had cooties, long before the eventual revision, on Parvati’s part at least, of this estimation) had precluded that kind of fantasy. So what had changed? Was she just a duckling, orphaned by Susan’s rejection and imprinting on the first pretty girl she saw? Or was there really something different about Parvati, a fundamental change beneath the surface of raw silk, nose rings and henna?
Parvati nudged her when the concession cart rolled by, so she bought a pumpkin pasty and ate it without registering the taste.
“Are you all right, Lav?��? she asked, sipping her juice. “You seem awfully quiet today. Haven’t said ten words in a string.��?
“I’m fine.��? She smiled weakly. “Really. I just haven’t slept much the past few days.��?
“Yeah, you look tired. No offense. Your eyes are puffy.��?
“Who can blame you, way things are these days?��? Terry asked, picking through a handful of Every Flavour Beans.
“If you’re sleepy now you should try to catch a nap.��? Parvati resumed. “Don’t want you passing out in your pudding during Dumbledore’s speech.��?
“Yeah, I think I might. Thanks, Parvati.��? She took off her cardigan and rolled it up to use as a pillow. She shut her eyes with no intention of sleeping and tried to crack the secret of her sudden attraction to the girl on her right. She must have dozed off after all, because the next thing she realized it was almost dark and her companions were shuffling about taking their luggage down. She wiped an embarrassing tendril of drool from her chin and abashedly collected her own things. Lavender was separated from the Patils in the hustle of transferring to carriages, and heaved a sigh of confused relief as she rumbled towards the school.