Apparently the Admin for the challenge I was writing this for went MIA so I'll be completing this in my own pace. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the works of J.K. Rowling mentioned in this story.

2.

"They're gone, aren't they" Lavender muttered , the image of herself opening the ominous letter flashed in her mind. How long ago was that anyway? She looked up to face him.

"H- How long was I—?"

"Two days, almost three." Harry replied, adjusting his glasses on his nose. There was a light cut near his nostril. Now that she noticed, there were a lot of healing wounds on his face and hands.

She looked down at her hands and traced the fading cuts on her palms with her finger. She looked up to see Harry Potter looking at her expectantly, as if expecting an answer, but she had not been listening.

"I'm sorry?" she said.

"I said, do you know any living relatives you would like to contact?" He asked, almost cautiously as if he was afraid that he might break something inside her. She wished she had something to throw at his scarred face. Didn't he realize that she was already broken?

"No. No one." She said instead, looking around the white room. So neutral, but yet so gloomy. "When will I be out?"

"As soon as the Healer gives the OK." He said.

She rolled her eyes. No shit. She wanted something more specific but the boy in front of her didn't seem to know, so she let it drop. Or should she call him a man? He seemed to be in an awkward stage of neither. She continued to eye her surrounding, eye herself and eye her classmate who was standing in front of her, probably trying to get himself to say something that would apply to common grounds to both of them but nothing that would resurface unwanted memories.

"Parvati came to visit a few times before you woke up." He said.

Lavender merely glanced at him. The last thing she remembered about her friend was watching her run to help her sister. These kinds of moments made her wish she had siblings, so that she had the privilege to know they would have her back at all times.

"She's leaving for India next week to visit her family there." Harry continued.

Lucky, lucky Parvati. She had a family. Imagine that! A luxury Lavender didn't have any longer. She didn't realize a stray tear had begun to travel down her cheek until Harry started sputtering apologies.

"Harry." She stopped him in midst of his ramblings. Her voice was strong despite her sad eyes. "Please…um, leave. I would like some time by myself, if you wouldn't mind." She said politely, but watched him wince at her bluntness.

Harry Potter nodded and thankfully fled from the white gloomy room, and she remembered the way his feet turned and the way his robes swished discreetly as if it didn't want to attract attention or get caught in anything, and remembered how identically he moved during the war.

She saw flashbacks. They said it was expected. After all, she had survived a long traumatic event. She didn't have as much as nightmares as she had expected, but then again one has to sleep to dream.

So she saw flashbacks.

She saw blood flying everywhere when the Healer came and told her that she was fine except for the wounds on her arm. She saw Greybacks bottomless eyes when the Healer explained they weren't sure if she was infected, and she had to stay at St. Mungos for another week to experience a full moon and identify if she was contaminated, as if she had some sexual disease. But wasn't it almost alike? She probably would never have normal children. Ha, she would never have a husband, let alone children from what she saw from the reflection of her breakfast spoon.

She saw Seamus lying unconscious by some rubble when Dean came to visit her. They talked about what was happening now, the reconstruction of Hogwarts, the reconstruction of laws, lives and emotions. Dean kissed her cheek before he left. Apparently Seamus was still unconscious in his bed.

She saw Hagrid walking in with Harry dead in his arms, making her heart shatter in million pieces when Professor McGonagall and Hagrid came to visit. The professor told her she would be testifying against the Carrows in court. Lavender shuddered.

She saw professor Trelawney stumble as a spell hit her square on the chest when Parvati came to say goodbye. Her best friend cried, apologized for not being there for her and promised to be in touch. Then they fell in to a conversation that almost made her feel like the war may not have happened, that Parveti was visiting her after a minor accident in potions class and they would all be going back to Hogwarts to worry about their NEWTS.

She saw students getting crucioed when Neville came to visit. He hugged her tight and they sobbed for a bit. They were the only ones who understood each other and what the past few weeks before the Battle of Hogwarts felt like. His house was now apparently a wreck after being destroyed by the death eaters. He was now staying with the Abbots with his gran.

When Ron Weasley came with Hermione Granger, she saw Carrow's hands looming over towards her, his hands whipping against her cheek, her clothes, her skin. She offered them polite smiles and they made even polite conversations. She saw how they glanced at each other, conversing with their eyes, with perfect sync. They obviously were in love.

"You could stay with us. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to—" Hermione started.

"Oh, no." She said. "I'd prefer not to be inconvenient."

She thought Hermione seemed slightly relieved about the fact. But her ex-boyfriend bit his lips. She didn't remember how they felt against her lips anymore, just the way his lips had curved in agony at the sight of his brother's body.

"Merlin, Lav," Hermione grimaced ever so slightly, but Ron did not notice. "It's not an…. Inconvenience…merlin! Why would you say that? I want to help you; We want to help you." He said.

She appreciated the passion. And she could see that they both were sincere, at least to a certain degree. But she was done allowing people to put up with her. They clearly had their own problems. Didn't they all? They were all mourning with their families.

And family was what Lavender did not have. She would stick out like a sore thumb. More likely a werewolf's sore thumb, if she was contaminated.

"Thank you, Ron. I really do appreciate it. But I'll be fine. After all we've all lived through hell, how hard could this be?" She laughed hollowly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She sounded insane, she thought. She watched her two classmates eye her with pity, and with guilt in Ron's case.

The Healers diagnosed her. She was a werewolf. She had lost control as soon as the moonlight hit her skin. When she had woken up, she had found herself wrapped in a blanket, her clothes hanging in shreds on her frail body. She was shivering, panting and was very exhausted.

They told her that she was surprisingly mild. If she drank a Wolfsbane potion, she would most likely be only dealing with mere symptoms like craving meat during full moon nights, instead of turning in to a werewolf. That was good news, right?

She sobbed that night. She was a monster. She had no family, no friends that were going to care for her any longer. She was terribly alone in this terrible, terrible world.

One day she cut her wrists with her breakfast knife. She watched with fascination, the way the blood trailed a crimson river against her skin, before she blacked out. A healer came just in time to treat her for her blood loss. Her sheets had to be changed because they were drenched in blood.

And ever since, she was watched.

They kept her for another week. Mental instability, they called it. Who the fuck wouldn't, when they were stuck in this asylum?

Neville came to visit with Hannah Abbot. Lavender couldn't speak freely because of the Hufflepuff girl's presence, but when she saw how Neville touched Hannah's hand, she lost all appetite for conversation. She felt terribly, terribly alone in this terrible, terrible world.

One day, a healer came to tell her that she would be discharged in two days' time.

Was she happy? Not really.

Was she glad to leave St. Mungos? Very, very much.

But then a thought occurred to her. Where was she going to go? Where was she going to get her belongings? Would she stay at Leaky Cauldron? But for how long?

Nervous thoughts attacked her mind. She was after all, alone to face the post war world.

And where was her wand anyway? She hadn't even thought once about her wand during her stay at St. Mungos. But as soon as she realized it, she felt emptiness against her right hand.

"Hello, Lavender." A baritone voice greeted her. She looked up from her scars to the familiar bespectacled face.

"Oh, Harry. Hello." She said, completely surprised that the war hero was visiting her again. Maybe he visited all the war victims every month or so, she concluded. Like some charity event, she wanted to sneer.

"I know the Healer's didn't tell you this, but I thought it was better that I tell you myself." He seemed to be getting straight to the point.

"I don't think I'm very comfortable about speaking about my health with you." She instantly said firmly, drawing walls around her. She will not be a spectacle for pity.

"No….no, it's not that. It might eventually lead to that, but regardless…" He rambled, his hands twisting against his scarf he was holding. It was crimson and gold. He took a deep breath. "You see, I came to take you home."

"Home?" Lavender asked, confused. How would he know where she lived? And how could he know that she intended to live there any longer?

"Home, well, temporal home. With me. Till you find a place." He said, and avoided her eyes for a while before bringing his green eyes firmly on to hers. She would've refused.

But he was completely sincere, she could tell.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I would appreciate reviews so I could improve on this further. Thank you