Not to mention, she still had some color around her eye. It wasn't as bad as before, having had two days to heal, but it was fading slowly. Too slowly. She'd sat in the back of the courtroom, cosmetic charm in place, specifically so no one would notice it. Her cosmetic charms were rusty and she had the feeling that they only covered it up for a bit. She'd tried her best, even layering a sticking charm on top, but still felt that it was exposed.

She pushed open the door to the Leaky, feeling her warming charm drop as she entered. Her eyes scanned the place, her mouth smiling briefly towards Tom as he waved.

Justin was watching from a darkened corner. He moved towards her as she waved at Tom. The black dress was lovely. He wondered where she had gotten it. Tom was smirking at him as Justin moved up behind her.

"I hope you don't mind a booth in the back. It was crowded when I got here, but also, I prefer to see the whole room."

Lavender turned slowly, trying to ignore how her heart sped up a little at the sight of him. He was dressed in a black button down shirt and black slacks, but it looked casual. She was glad. She would have hated to be out-dressed by him. She smiled, knowing that it probably looked a little nervous. It was just one kiss, you silly cow. "You Unspeakables. You're never off the clock. I don't mind the back."

Justin smiled. Everything Hannah, Susan, Olivia, and his mother even said about how to treat a lady was running through his head. He held out an arm. Tom was looking at them with a very smug look. Justin led Lavender to the booth and waited until she was sitting to take a seat. He ordered her red wine and ale for himself.

Then he bristled.

"I hope that's okay. Wine, that is."

"It's fine. Really. I don't really drink anything else." He knows what I drink. You already knew that. He knew that before you kissed. Stop thinking about the kiss. It was just a kiss. "How are you? I haven't seen you in a bit." Well, I've seen you because I was in the back of the courtroom, but I haven't seen you, seen you. "Is everything... alright?" Are you really doing small talk? Really? Really?

"Well, I..." Justin scowled. "What happened to your eye?"

Lavender blinked, bringing a hand up to her eye. There was no way the charm had fallen already. She'd just done it before leaving. Fuck. Did adding the sticking charm make it fade faster? Negate the other charm? Fuck. "What? Nothing. Why?" She really didn't want to explain to him what had happened. She was surprised Susan hadn't owled Justin the second she'd left her flat on Wednesday, even after making the girl promise.

"That doesn't look like nothing, Lavender," Justin said as he got up and moved to her side of the booth to get a closer look. "It looks like someone punched you in the eye. Who did this to you?"

The last bit had come out a bit snappish.

She leaned back in the booth when he reached out to touch her face, scooting across the bench. "It's nothing," she snapped back. "It was... I didn't... Iwasmugged," she blurted. Lavender blinked. Where did that come from?

"What? Where? All right. No, I know where. Probably near your flat. That's it. We are finding you other living arrangements. That place is not safe."

His hands twitched a bit. Someone had dared to mug her, hit her. Justin was very upset right now.

"Actually, it happened in Hogsmeade," she bit out. Him bringing up her moving had brought back the memories of meeting with little Hannah Abbott. And her perfect little shop of sweets with her perfect little apron and her perfect little sandwich. "It doesn't hurt anymore. It's fine. They didn't get anything. I wasn't carrying a bag."

She was lying to him. He could tell. "You're lying. Why don't you want to tell me who did this? I won't hex them... much."

Lavender toyed with the idea of telling him that Mac had beaten her without warning, but it wouldn't have been true. Lavender had just been lucky the girl hadn't gotten to her sooner. "Maybe I'm a little embarrassed about the fact that I got punched, and that's why I don't want to tell you. It hurt." She frowned. She sounded so pathetic. Here he was, Unspeakable who did Godric knows what, and she was complaining about a black eye. "It doesn't matter anyway. I had it coming."

"I don't care if you had it coming or not. It's not right for a man to hit a woman. I don't care what she did. Unless she's some crazy bitch like Megan Jones, you don't hit a girl. You just don't."

Her frown deepened. He was still leaning over her, peering intently at her face. She couldn't help but look into his eyes. She couldn't lie to him. Dammit all to hell, why can't I lie to him? "It wasn't a man, if you must know. It was not one of my finer moments and I'd like it very much if we didn't dwell on the event."

Lavender's eyes flicked to their left when Tom brought over their drinks. He set them both down on the table with a knowing smile before heading off. She looked back at Justin, trying to gauge his reaction.

Hogsmeade. Not a man. MacDougal. Has to be Mac. She was the only women he knew of that could set someone to bruise like that. Well, that and she also lived in Hogsmeade. Made sense. She was likely doing it on Neville's behalf.

"Not that I recommend trying to fight Mac MacDougal, but I can teach you to avoid or block a punch. If you like."

He put his arm on the booth behind her. He should move, but he could not quite make himself do it.

"I don't need to learn how to defend myself. I don't plan on putting myself in danger like that again soon anyway. I'm going to avoid Hogsmeade whenever possible." She reached out for her drink, ignoring how she could feel the heat from his body even though they weren't touching. "Well, I'll try to avoid Hogsmeade. Seems that's not possible when people are owling me with housing options I wasn't aware I was in need of." She sipped her wine, not looking at him.

"Hannah spoke to you already. Good. When will you be moving in then?"

Lavender turned, the glass in her hand poised halfway to her lips. "I won't be." She gave him a look that clearly said his question had been ridiculous.

"Lavender..."

"Don't 'Lavender' me, Justin. I have a flat. A flat with very good wards that you insisted be put on it. Why would I move somewhere else? Especially there?" Her face fell a bit. Is that why he'd asked her out in the first place? To convince her to move in there? This wasn't a date after all. He just wanted her to move and was buying her off with food and wine. Stupid, Lavender. Stupid. You should have seen this coming.

"I swear you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met. Is it so wrong that I want you living in a safer place? Is it? Fine. Stay in your flat. Be prideful. I didn't come here to talk about that anyhow. But... why especially there? What's wrong with there? I've seen the loft. Once it's fixed, it'll be very nice. If it's that you don't want to be above the bakery, I'm sure there are charms you could use so not to smell the stuff."

Because I don't particularly like the idea of living above something of Hannah Abbott's because for some insane reason, I'm jealous of the little perfect blond. "It's not 'stubborn' to not want to move somewhere because someone else thinks it's necessary." She frowned. She was going to avoid answering his question about why moving there didn't make her happy. She was his friend. "Why does it matter so much to you?" Her face looked honestly confused. She really didn't understand him sometimes.

"Do you really think I want anything bad to happen to you? Do you think I'll stand by and let anything happen to anyone else if I think I can prevent it?"

Lavender wasn't sure what to say to that, so she turned and looked at her drink, swirling it around the glass for a second before turning back to him, blinking when she realized how close he was. "I told her I'd think about it."

"I hope you will."

He was all but loomed over her and did not know how to move exactly.

"I'd sleep a little if I wasn't worried something would happen."

Lavender turned to look at him, opening her mouth to say something when Nancy came over, interrupting her train of thought.

"Are you two able to see over here? It's awfully dark." When none of them said anything, she smiled. "You two ready to order?"

She looked over at the woman with a frown. "I'll have the stew. Wait. Are there purple things in it today?"

Nancy grinned. "Nope. Just chicken noodle."

"Perfect."

Nancy turned to look at Justin, ready for his order.

"Roast beef sandwich with crisps. No lettuce. Just tomato and mustard."

Nancy grinned knowingly and headed off.

Justin swallowed nervously. He shifted a bit on the bench. His thigh bumped hers. Justin's eyes widened a bit. He really was too close.

Lavender hadn't felt this on edge since the first time she'd been with Cat and Steven at the same time. She knew when he'd brushed against her that her dress had moved farther up on her thigh, but she wasn't exactly sure how to push it back down without drawing attention to the fact that it was riding up in the first place.

She cleared her throat, finishing the glass of wine and setting it down with a satisfying thud on the table. "I saw you at the trial," she said, eyes widening. Yes, let's bring up the trial about the woman who'd killed his best friend. Perfect way to break the tension.

"I didn't know they'd have you covering it." He wanted to tell her she could have sat with him, but that would have been weird. Yes, let's watch the murder trial together. What a fascinating outing.

Justin shifted again and his arm brushed across her back. He really needed to move. He didn't mean to invade her space, but he didn't know how to withdraw without being offensive. Also, he didn't mind being here, as odd as that was for him.

"I didn't want to, actually," Lavender said, keeping her eyes straight ahead. With as close as he was, if she turned her head to look at him, she'd be looking right at his lips, and to date, she hadn't been very good at keeping her lips to herself around him. "I was kinda... forced into it. Sorta. I mean, I could have said no, but-" he offered me money "I'd rather write it then have someone else cover it and be unfair."

Justin nodded. Nancy saved him from having to find something to say by bringing their food. She was still smiling knowingly. Justin immediately started shifting his food. Making sure his sandwich was dispersed evenly and arranging his crisps in the order they'd be eaten.

Lavender watched him situate his food out of the corner of her eye, stirring her soup with a spoon. So, this wasn't exactly what she'd thought it'd be. They'd talked about her taking a beating, him thinking she needed to move, and the killer of his best friend. Now that they were here, she wasn't exactly sure what to say. She bent forward, blowing across her soup. It's easier when we're yelling at each other. Great.

He became completely distracted by her leaning down and blowing on her soup. He didn't eat yet - he just watched.

She hated when her tongue was burnt. It made food taste differently for days afterwards, and Lavender enjoyed food. "So you like roast beef better than turkey?" She remembered Hannah asking her if she'd like turkey or roast beef on her sandwich yesterday. She looked over at him, the spoon pausing in it's path to her mouth when she realized he was staring. "What?"

"Nothing," Justin pointedly looked back down at his sandwich. "No. I just felt like beef. It seemed like a beef sort of night."

He systematically started eating his crisps. When he was totally finished with them he started on his sandwich - only to find her staring.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, forcing herself to look back down at her soup. He licks his lips before he eats. Soup. Eat your soup. Stop thinking about his mouth. Working on her soup, Lavender smiled up at Nancy as she came and replaced their drinks with new ones. She couldn't help but notice that every once in a while, Tom would stop talking to whoever he'd been chatting up to toss a look towards their table. She had the urge to flip him off a few times because of the look on his face, but he probably would have just laughed. When she was full, she pushed the rest of her soup towards Justin.

She froze after doing so. It was habit. She almost never finished her food, and whenever she'd eaten with Steven, she'd just pushed whatever was left towards him, as he would finish everything she hadn't. She thought about grabbing the bowl and pulling it back towards her, but that would have made the action even more odd. So she did nothing, dropping her hands into her lap and trying, discreetly, to push her dress down.

Justin grinned. He took her spoon and started picking all the carrots out. He cut a bit of his sandwich off and held it out to her.

Lavender shook her head. She really was full. The fact that he'd offered was nice though. She grabbed her glass of wine, unsure of what to say. Since he was eating still, the silence could be seen as politeness. She didn't want to talk to him because she didn't want him talking with his mouth full. The truth was that now that they were here, actually eating together, on a date, she was at a loss of things to talk about. The trail was out. Jones would be sentenced tomorrow, and depending on what she received, he'd either be in a good mood, or a bad mood. Lavender was a learned pessimist, so she wasn't preparing for the best.

She took another sip of her wine, smiling at him as he finished his food. A movement near the bar caught her eyes, which instantly narrowed. Tom was making a kissing face their way. Her glare hardened when Tom did nothing but smile at her death stare. Bloody smug prat.

"You didn't eat much," Justin offered with genuine concern.

Hannah ate like a damned horse, Ernie had too. But both were so active. Hannah was always fluttering about, and Ernie had liked to run and bike and any number of active things. He wouldn't bring up Hannah if it could be avoided though. He'd noticed last time that seemed to make Lavender especially upset, but he honestly didn't want her to be like Hannah. So maybe he shouldn't comment that she didn't stuff herself to the gills like his little blond sister-like person did.

"Please don't be not eating on my account. I am not one of those blokes who thinks a woman is disgusting if she enjoys her food. I'd rather have you satisfied."

Then he realized how that last part had probably sounded and blushed a bit. Well, that too, but it might be a bit early to be talking about it.

Lavender's cheeks flushed pink at his words. "I'm full." When she realized how that had sounded, she blushed anew, looking down at the glass in her hands. Goosebumps broke out on her arms, like they usually did when she blushed, and she was sure her face was flaming. Ridiculous. "I like to eat. My mum says that my eyes have always been bigger than my stomach, though. When I lived in Paris, the meals were small enough that it was perfect. Here, they give you so much food. I just don't think my stomach's big enough for it all."

She had goosebumps. Was she cold? He didn't want her to be cold.

"Are you cold," Justin asked as he ran a hand up her arm.

It had been far, far too long since Lavender had been touched voluntarily. Well, if you didn't count last week, that is. Either way, his hand on her arm drew a shudder from her, her eyes fluttering closed for a second before she realized they were in the booth in the Leaky. They were in a dark booth in the corner of the Leaky, to be exact, but they were still in the Leaky. Where Tom was probably watching their every move. The thought was a little too much like having your mother or father watch you. She turned to Justin, trying to keep the heat out of her eyes. He only touched your arm, girl. Your arm. "Are you done eating?"

Great, now you sound like all you want to do is take him back to your place and have your wicked way with him.

Oh, no there's an id-

First date! First date!

Technically we've had dinner quite a few times before. And that blind date actually counted, so this is your second date.

Meaning what, he gets to feel you up?

He is feeli-

"Did you get me a plant," she asked, blurting the question out before he could answer the first. "Because I got a plant, bamboo actually, and it's interesting. I've never had any before, so I did a little research. Did you know that some species of the plant can grow four feet in a single day? It also has the strength of steel. It releases almost thirty-five percent more oxygen than normal trees, and it can be grown in almost any climate without impacting the environment." Lavender blinked. Had she really just been talking about the properties of bamboo?

Justin was grinning. She'd just rambled about bamboo. It was completely adorable.

"I am finished eating, yes. Why do you ask? Do you have other plans? Someone else to meet?" Better not. He carefully avoided the question about the plant. It was something she wanted but would probably never buy for herself. He was going to sneak in this weekend and leave her hamper and glasses. He had not found any chairs he thought she'd like as of yet. He had to be sneaky to get her things.

"What? No!" She cleared her throat, not liking how loud that had been. She continued in a lower, softer voice. "I mean, no, I don't have other plans. I just..." She glanced over at the bar, which Tom was leaned over, chin in hand, staring at them. "Tom's staring and it's really starting to unnerve me."

"Come on then," Justin tossed some money on the table and got up and held a hand out for her.

Lavender finished the wine in glass before trying to scoot across the bench without flashing everything. She grabbed his hand, using it as leverage before reaching down with her other and smoothing the dress around her thighs. She hadn't brought a bag, figuring they wouldn't be going anywhere. Not to mention he'd already made fun of her penchant for large bags full of odd things. She smiled at him, the fact that she hadn't dropped his hand yet registering in her mind.

Justin tucked her arm in his and hurried for the door before any rude comments or sounds could be hurled their way. It was still a bit chilly out. Justin apparated them quickly - near what used to be the lake house his parents rented in the summers. He had never been here with anyone except his family, Ernie, and Hannah. He cast a warming charm around them.

"What are your thoughts on bodies of water?"

She blinked at their surroundings. It was dark, and she could hear the calls of some type of bird not far off. The moon was waxing, getting ready for the full. Even after all this time, divination and moon cycles still were interesting to her. "As long as there aren't any lobalug's around, I should be fine." She paused, looking out at the lake. "Or merpeople," she said, turning to look at him. Her speech paused for a second, giving her enough time to appreciate his face in the moonlight before she finished, "I've never been particularly fond of merpeople."

"I'm not particularly fond of house elves myself, so there you go. My parents used to rent a house here for the summers. We're in the Lake District, near Ambleside. That's Lake Windermere."

"Abbott told me about you not liking house elves," Lavender said distractedly, her eyes combing the top of the water. She really didn't mind lakes so much, though not being able to see the bottom was a little frightening. She was afraid of going into an ocean, however. First, she didn't like the salt water. It got in your eyes and your mouth. Second, it was just so huge. Who knew where you'd float off to if you were swept away by the current? "So this is where you, Hannah, and Ernie stayed?"

"Not here exactly, and my sister was always with us. Olivia loved the water."

He moved closer to her without even realizing it.

"I haven't been here since she died. No one else has been here except my family." He counted Ernie and Hannah as his family.

Justin just stared out as the water. He wasn't sure what to say. It was quiet here. They could talk. Tom wouldn't be watching them, and how ironic was it that he was considering talking? Justin trekked down the shore a bit until he found what he was looking for - a log that someone had rolled down near the water. He took his handkerchief from his pocket and transfigured it into a blanket. Justin sat down and waited to see if she would as well.

Lavender wasn't sure what to make of him sharing this with her when he hadn't shared it with anyone else. She followed him, albeit a bit slower, as her shoes weren't exactly made for hiking. She sat next to him on the blanket, toeing off her shoes and tucking her feet under her, smoothing the dress over her legs. She was silent for a moment, just taking in the lake and the sounds before turning to look at him. The light from the moon was enough so she could see his features, but it also cast shadows on his face. She ignored how her stomach, and lower things, tightened at the effect. "How long has it been since you've come here," she asked, her voice soft.

"Almost seven years. The last time was the summer before sixth year. By spring of my seventh, Olivia and my father were dead. Hannah's mother was long gone, and her father died not too long after my father. Mister Abbott had gotten hurt trying to save his wife. After my father... he um," took his own life "Our parents were friends. Muggles, and all. Muggle with magic kids. Hannah's father and my dad got to be friends, and Mr. Abbott couldn't stand it when the Death Eaters killed him, too."

He didn't know why he was doing this. He rarely spoke of his father or Hannah's. Not with anyone who wasn't Hannah or Ernie. Only their trio knew what had really happened.

"Don't tell anyone about Hannah's Dad. It was ruled an accident. Ernie's dad arranged it so the Muggles... he fixed it with the Ministry and they... no one knows."

She was struggling internally. She'd never been good at comforting people. She didn't want to say she was sorry, because she knew hearing it didn't help hide the pain. Lavender felt a pang of guilt, remembering how annoyed she'd been with Hannah the day before. She had no idea what it would be to lose a parent like that. Or a sibling. But she knew that pain. She knew it intimately. She looked back out on the lake, battling with herself before letting out a breath.

"When I was in France for three years, I met someone. Someones, actually. Steven, the man who left that note for me, and Cat. We were... together." She put emphasis on the word. She wasn't ashamed of being with them. She would never be ashamed of them. "It was... perfect for a while. One night, I was at work. I had to work late, into the night. It was Cat's birthday. We were supposed to go out and celebrate, go a muggle club. They were muggleborns, and Cat always dragged me and Steven to them. She loved to dance." She trailed off, smiling to herself, before her face hardened a bit and she looked back out at the lake.

"When I got home, they weren't there. I figured they might have stayed somewhere alone. A hotel. It wasn't uncommon. We were great together, but sometimes it was nice just to be alone. When I woke up, they still weren't there. I didn't think anything of it. Didn't worry. I went in to work. That's when I saw the news."

She closed her eyes, the headlines burned into her memory. "There'd been a fire. At the club. The muggle police were investigating it. They said it had something to do with the pyrotechnics. Something had sparked, and with all the chaos, very few people had gotten out. Except... there weren't any pyrotechnics. I had a friend who covered the story, a friend on the police force that fed me stories from time to time. He didn't know how to explain it because he was a muggle, but he got me access to the ruins. There was no accelerant. A few of the doors had been charmed shut. Charmed. By wizards. There was no accelerant because they hadn't needed any. It was a form of fiendfyre. After it had burned for a bit, had done it's job, it just... went out. Only a few people escaped, and the ones that did were purebloods. Every single one of them." She opened her eyes, blinking back the tears. She started playing with the hem of her dress. "The French Ministry didn't do anything about it. They said it was a muggle accident and that they had no reason to believe wizards were involved."

Lavender turned to look at him, her eyes more angry than anything. "If I had been there, I could have gotten them out. I could have saved them... but I was working late." She tightened her jaw before turning to look back out at the lake.

"That was not your fault. You couldn't have known."

He'd be distracted by the fact that she'd been with a woman later.

Justin put an arm around her and tried to be comforting. He sucked at it though.

"Did you ever think that if you had been there, you might be dead as well? It was a muggle club, yes, but didn't you just say Cat and Steven were muggleborns? Pureblood is no indication of power, and even the handiest wizard with a wand can make a fatal mistake. I've seen it happen."

Justin hugged her a bit.

"Remember the past, but do not dwell on it. Only things that have not yet passed can be changed."

Remember the past. It'd be easier if she didn't visit me in my dreams all the time. "Maybe if they were with me, they would have been safe. The one time my being a pureblood might have mattered. The one time I would have let it mattered." They were quiet for a bit, Justin letting her deal with the memory, and Lavender trying as hard as possible to get her emotions in check. She looked over at him when she was confident her tears wouldn't spill over. "You sound like a fortune cookie."

"And you just sounded like Ernie with that last bit. He used to have me make up what he called mis-fortunes. We'd switch them for Hannah's real ones. She'd get so mad. Like... you have many gifts... and they should all be returned. Olivia, too, and Mum. Mum thought it hilarious. Olivia would pretend to be offended." He could hear his mother laughing. Oh Lovely, you're so wicked. Don't be mean to your sisters. Hannah was her daughter too, Ernie her second son. Both his parents had adored his friends. Justin had not had friends until Hogwarts. He was too prickly as a child, too serious.

Lavender tried to relieve herself of the darkness that always enveloped her when she spoke about Cat and Steven and the events surrounding their deaths. She hadn't really dealt with it completely yet, unable to grieve fully after leaving France so suddenly. Trying to escape their memories. Seemed, whether in dreams or notes, they didn't want her to escape at all.

She turned in his arms, looking up at him with a smile that was only a little forced around the edges. "It sounds like you had some good times here."

"We did."

Justin made the mistake of looking at her. He was going to kiss her. Again. There was no stopping it unless she hexed him. It was all the water's fault. The lake had a strange effect on him. There was moonlight and water, and he was helpless against their pull.

"I'm probably going to kiss you now, so if you don't want me to, I'd shove me away and stand up or something. Just a warning."

He kept asking her for permission to kiss. It was endearing. He was giving her a choice, not that she exactly had one. Not lying on a blanket, on the shore near the place he'd spent his childhood summers. Not after he'd just shared all of that with her. After she'd shared things with him. She didn't make the mistake of believing she knew him that well yet. She knew things, yes, but not everything. She didn't think she'd be able to know everything, really, not with him being who he was. Which was fine. There were parts of her that she'd rather keep hidden as well.

She nodded, letting out a small breath.

He put one hand on her cheek and kissed her lightly. No need to be aggressive. Besides, he was sort of wanting to take his time with her. Learn everything. Unfortunately for that part of Justin, he sort of liked the kissing a bit too much. He had before, but now there was no work to call him away. Nothing to stop his other hand from settling on her waist and sliding around to the base of her spine. Nothing to stop the hand that had been cupping her cheek from slipping around to the back of her neck.

Lavender's hands were pressed against his chest as he pulled her closer. The same fluttering she'd felt in her stomach from the first time he'd kissed her was back, and the air she'd been holding in her lungs came out, accompanied by a breathy sigh that she'd been unable to hold in. One of her hands gripped at the front of his shirt as the other slowly moved around to his back, flexing against the muscles she could feel under the fabric.

She'd been distracted by kissing before, but this was new. She should have been cold, as they were sitting next to a lake in the middle of March and she was wearing a dress with no sleeves with a hemline around her thighs, but she wasn't. She actually felt a bit hot, her skin flushed at the bodily contact. She'd forgotten how good it felt just to be touched.

The little sigh would be his undoing. It had been quite a while, and she was not doing anything to discourage him. Still, he didn't want to push her, no matter how much he was starting to want it. She had lost people, and Justin recalled reading of the fire she was speaking of in one of his French papers. It had been barely six months ago, if that. The wound was still fresh. It had to be, and he was terribly worried about being a rebound. Not that he minded that, but a part of him didn't want to be. A part of him wanted her there because she wanted to be, not because she thought she needed someone right now.

He pulled back a bit and just held her - a foreign concept. He never pulled anyone close to his body. Usually not on purpose. Sure, he did so with family. It was expected, but she was not family.

When he'd pulled away, Lavender tried not to be disappointed. This was only their first date. Second, if you count the double-date with Susan and Michael. Fifth or so if you counted the other dinners at the Leaky. Shut up. She knew he'd shared a lot with her tonight, bringing her here when he hadn't done so with anyone else. That actually frightened her a bit as well. She liked him, she did, but they were sharing things she wasn't sure if she was ready to share yet. Of course, her brain didn't care about this, as she'd been blurting private things about herself to him almost since the day they'd shared their first meal. Maybe that's why he made such a good Unspeakable. He had the ability to make other people say things they normally wouldn't.

She curled against his side, situating her legs so they were curled against him too. She was able to hear the sounds of the lake again, now that she wasn't preoccupied, and she closed her eyes, listening. She didn't feel the need to talk for once, like she normally did. What would you say?

The silence here was nice, not that he'd have been put-out if she had wanted to talk.

"Promise me you'll really think about moving into the loft. I know you're safe where you are. I tried to make sure of that, but you'd be safer in Hogsmeade. I'd worry less." I've lost too many people. It's why I follow and do rounds and check wards. Everything in its place.

Lavender frowned and tilted her head up to look at him. She wanted to ask him questions. Why didn't he move in there? Why did he think Hogsmeade was any safer? Hadn't the Dark Mark been thrown up in the sky there only a few months prior? She'd heard about it, read about it. It didn't sound like a prank to her. When he looked down at her, she smiled slightly. "I'll think about it. I still have a few weeks on the lease at my flat."

"For my peace of mind at least, yeah? I'll go to an estate sale and get you a sofa. That way we have something besides the bed to sit on for our talks. Not that the bed isn't nice. Um..." Great. Let's just turn the talk to the bed. Yes, that's helpful.

Justin kissed the tip of her nose, unable to help himself.

"You're very stubborn. I know you don't want to accept help from anyone, but what if we, if I, want to help you just because. Not out of anything but a genuine desire to see you happier, more safe. I don't like to see anyone I care for suffer. Though, I may not be as friendly as Suse or Han, I am dedicated to those I care for. That's not different for any Hufflepuff. Not even Jones."

Lavender almost asked him if he thought she was too stubborn to be put up with, but she was finding that she might be afraid of the answer. Maybe she was being too stubborn. It's not like he'd be paying for her rent or anything. She'd still be paying her own way. He would have just given her a good tip on some nice property. Yes, whose owner he happens to know very well.

"I don't know," she said, turning to look back out at the lake. "I kind of like having only a bed. It makes talking much more interesting." She smirked, glad he couldn't see it.

Justin grinned. "I'll buy you a bunch of deck chairs then. You can fold them up and hide them when I come over."

"Interior decorating by Mr. Finch-Fletchley. I think you should look into doing that full time. Enough with this Unspeakable nonsense. Your real calling is matching throw rugs to drapes." It was nice to be able to joke with him, even after all the emotional baggage they'd dumped on each other. Lavender was trying not to let her losses define her, and it was easier with him.

"Throw rugs and drapes are supposed to match?"

She snickered, and Justin started laughing. His laugh was rusty.

Lavender decided she liked his laugh. She had the feeling it didn't get used enough. She pushed herself up on her elbow, looking down at him. "Yes, and sometimes even pillows, sheets and comforters are all done in the same colors. It's called an 'ensemble' look. Brings the whole room together, I've heard." She grinned as his laugh faded until he was left with a just small smile on his lips. "Thank you for bringing me here, Justin," she said, tracing one of the buttons on the front of his shirt with a finger. She didn't look at him when she said it. She didn't say 'thank you' very often, and she was afraid she'd look a bit too vulnerable right then. She didn't like being vulnerable... but she was with him. Very much so.

He put a hand over hers to keep her still. She was not enhancing his calm with the button-tracing. He was not thinking appropriate gentleman thoughts right now. He wanted to insist she move in at the bakery, but knew pushing the issue would only make her dig her heels in. Maybe he'd get Hannah to send her some baked goods so Lavender would know what she'd have. Hannah would feed her. She was that sort. Justin just wished he knew why Lavender seemed so iffy about Hannah. If she knew her... maybe he needed to put them together a few more times, so she could get to know Hannah.

Justin sighed. They should probably go soon, but he didn't really want to move.

Lavender frowned when he sighed. His mind was probably on other things. Normally, this would have angered her to no end. She was a very selfish creature by nature, and it would have hurt her confidence if he was thinking of other things... however, she knew what was going to happen tomorrow, and she couldn't exactly blame him. She'd be a little distracted if the person that had killed Cat and Steven was being sentenced. She pulled out of his embrace, feeling the loss of heat already. "We should go. We both have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Yeah," Justin said in a deadened tone. The sentencing was tomorrow.

He got on his hands and knees and grabbed her shoes. Justin put them back on her feet, and if she knew how gross he thought feet were, she'd been impressed by his control there. Justin helped her to her feet and transfigured the blanket back to a hankie. He held out his arm.

"Do you want me to take us to your flat or would you like to?"

Lavender grinned. She liked that he kept giving her choices. "You can go ahead." She wrapped her arms around his stomach, leaning into him. I just need to be close for apparation. It's not that I'm hanging onto him because he smells good and is warm. No. Apparation precaution only.

Justin smiled down at the top of her head and popped them into Knockturn Alley near her flat. He kept his arms around her tightly and glared at anyone who dared look their way. They made their way to her door. The logical part of him was saying to go and let her rest.

She dropped the wards with a whisper of the password, turning back to look at him with a smile. The night may have started a little awkward, but she thought it'd turned out nicely. Susan will be ecstatic. She tried not to think about inviting him in, but the second she thought about not doing so, her mouth decided to do the opposite. "Did you..."

Justin leaned forward and kissed her.

"Yes, but I won't. You need rest. I'll see you tomorrow. Set the wards."

Lavender nodded. She understood. Apparently he had more willpower than she did, however, because she would have gladly welcomed him in. She rose up on her toes and kissed him, her hand pressed against his chest before she pulled back. Turning, she opened the door, leaning against the frame as she closed it. "G'night," she said with a smile, before closing the door and setting the wards.

Justin sighed before turning away. Sometimes being responsible and controlled sucked.


Summary: Justin and Lavender have their first (Second? Fifth?) date. They manage to avoid the spying eyes of Tom by escaping to lake, where several things are revealed.