Closed; Christmas at The Browns & Roger Davies
This was the first Christmas Day Lavender had been home for in the last six years. In the past, like most family events and weekends, she had made lame and dodgy excuses only the hole herself up in some remote hotel watching Christmas reruns and drowning herself in take out. There were some years that she made it for dinner, popping in the chaos of the day, while others she debated with herself for hours until finally giving in to show up just in time for dessert but that hardly counted. Most holidays she skipped all together, not gaining the strength to face her family or risk the run of bumping into Roger, who she was sure would be right next door.
It was lonely and quiet but Lavender had gotten used to that sort of life. Traveling wasn't nearly as exciting as she had expected it to be and after a few months everything turned into its own sort of routine. She tried not to think of the people she was missing out on or the memories that were being made with out her. After all, she had a sister-in-law that was basically a stranger to her.
The day started off slow but Lavender's mother wanted to make a big show of her daughter being home again. She had invited both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all of her cousins for an early dinner. By early afternoon the entire house was buzzing with family, presents were scattered all over the living room, and wine glasses had been properly filled. She had even spent a good part of the morning huddled in the corner with Rachael, telling stories and throwing baby names back and forth. It was as if Lavender had never missed an event at all.
After dinner had been cleaned up Alex came up to pull Lavender aside.
"Happy Christmas, sis," he said, hands in his pockets. "Look, I wanted to apologize."
"Alex, we don't have to do this here, not today," Lavender told him, shaking her head. Everything had been going so smoothly today she didn't want to have this conversation. When it came to Alex and their track record of late, things could get heated pretty quickly even if they started with the best intentions. There was a deep tension between the siblings and Lavender knew it would take more than a few dinners to work through it.
"No, we really do. I was wrong-" he sighed. He dropped down onto the sofa and began to fidget, foot tapping nervously against the carpet. "About you fucking up, I mean."
"I don't need the clarification, I remember," she assured him. She took up the seat next to him. The memory still stung, maybe only hurting by the truth in his words.
"Yeah, but you're not and that's the point. I heard you met Lily-" he went on. Lavender nodded, sighing heavily, and offered a tight smile. "Are you doing okay with it?"
"Do I have any choice? If I want to be with Roger, I have to figure it out."
"It's a big deal, Lav, Roger letting you meet her. She's always asking about you from your pictures and I know Roger tells her but it used to kill him. He wasn't the same after you left."
If anyone knew Roger the way Lavender did, it was Alex. They had grown up together, born one year after another, and became family. Roger wasn't just the kid next door, especially not after his father had died. The Browns took special care to look after him, as well as his sisters, and check in on Mrs. Davies. Alex looked at Roger as if he had his own brother. Even once they were in school and Alex had fallen into his own group of friends, he had written home about Roger joining his house as a Ravenclaw.
"I know it's a big deal and honestly, it freaks me out. Every day. But I have to push through it," Lavender sighed, placing her hands to her temples. Her voice was tired and strained at the idea of it. It was overwhelming and scary. Roger was a father and Lavender had spent a good portion of her life being tied down to nothing and nobody. "But she's adorable a she's his. And I can't lose him again. I love him."
The doorbell rang and they could hear they could hear somebody shuffling towards the door. Everyone got a little bit quiet, most likely straining to see who it was.
"Lavender! The door is for you!" her mother sang out, cheerful and more than a little bit tipsy.
"Speak of the devil, right?" Alex laughed as they both stood up. He threw an arm around his sister and pulled her in for a tight hug. When he pulled away he was smiling again and caught her eye. "Listen. The way I see you - you both hurt each other. Maybe in the worst way you could and I'm sorry, for both of you. But maybe now you can at least start over."
With a final nod, Lavender went to the front entry way and Alex went to find his wife. She took a deep breath, Alex's words turning over inside her head. Drinking had always done odd things to the siblings, bringing them closer together with moments of clarity and wisdom. And it felt good to be able to talk to her brother again.
"Hey, neighbor. Merry Christmas," she mused, finding Roger at the door and she smiled brightly up at him.
Lav's Christmas Outfit by alyssaanagram featuring super skinny jeans
It was lonely and quiet but Lavender had gotten used to that sort of life. Traveling wasn't nearly as exciting as she had expected it to be and after a few months everything turned into its own sort of routine. She tried not to think of the people she was missing out on or the memories that were being made with out her. After all, she had a sister-in-law that was basically a stranger to her.
The day started off slow but Lavender's mother wanted to make a big show of her daughter being home again. She had invited both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all of her cousins for an early dinner. By early afternoon the entire house was buzzing with family, presents were scattered all over the living room, and wine glasses had been properly filled. She had even spent a good part of the morning huddled in the corner with Rachael, telling stories and throwing baby names back and forth. It was as if Lavender had never missed an event at all.
After dinner had been cleaned up Alex came up to pull Lavender aside.
"Happy Christmas, sis," he said, hands in his pockets. "Look, I wanted to apologize."
"Alex, we don't have to do this here, not today," Lavender told him, shaking her head. Everything had been going so smoothly today she didn't want to have this conversation. When it came to Alex and their track record of late, things could get heated pretty quickly even if they started with the best intentions. There was a deep tension between the siblings and Lavender knew it would take more than a few dinners to work through it.
"No, we really do. I was wrong-" he sighed. He dropped down onto the sofa and began to fidget, foot tapping nervously against the carpet. "About you fucking up, I mean."
"I don't need the clarification, I remember," she assured him. She took up the seat next to him. The memory still stung, maybe only hurting by the truth in his words.
"Yeah, but you're not and that's the point. I heard you met Lily-" he went on. Lavender nodded, sighing heavily, and offered a tight smile. "Are you doing okay with it?"
"Do I have any choice? If I want to be with Roger, I have to figure it out."
"It's a big deal, Lav, Roger letting you meet her. She's always asking about you from your pictures and I know Roger tells her but it used to kill him. He wasn't the same after you left."
If anyone knew Roger the way Lavender did, it was Alex. They had grown up together, born one year after another, and became family. Roger wasn't just the kid next door, especially not after his father had died. The Browns took special care to look after him, as well as his sisters, and check in on Mrs. Davies. Alex looked at Roger as if he had his own brother. Even once they were in school and Alex had fallen into his own group of friends, he had written home about Roger joining his house as a Ravenclaw.
"I know it's a big deal and honestly, it freaks me out. Every day. But I have to push through it," Lavender sighed, placing her hands to her temples. Her voice was tired and strained at the idea of it. It was overwhelming and scary. Roger was a father and Lavender had spent a good portion of her life being tied down to nothing and nobody. "But she's adorable a she's his. And I can't lose him again. I love him."
The doorbell rang and they could hear they could hear somebody shuffling towards the door. Everyone got a little bit quiet, most likely straining to see who it was.
"Lavender! The door is for you!" her mother sang out, cheerful and more than a little bit tipsy.
"Speak of the devil, right?" Alex laughed as they both stood up. He threw an arm around his sister and pulled her in for a tight hug. When he pulled away he was smiling again and caught her eye. "Listen. The way I see you - you both hurt each other. Maybe in the worst way you could and I'm sorry, for both of you. But maybe now you can at least start over."
With a final nod, Lavender went to the front entry way and Alex went to find his wife. She took a deep breath, Alex's words turning over inside her head. Drinking had always done odd things to the siblings, bringing them closer together with moments of clarity and wisdom. And it felt good to be able to talk to her brother again.
"Hey, neighbor. Merry Christmas," she mused, finding Roger at the door and she smiled brightly up at him.
Lav's Christmas Outfit by alyssaanagram featuring super skinny jeans