A Necklace Decision (Ernie Macmillan, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil)
Title: A Necklace Decision
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing: Ernie Macmillan, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil
Summary: I'd never read a story that addressed the Lavender's Christmas gift to Ron so I thought I'd give it a try.
"Ernie! Could you please come over here," Parvati whispered quickly with a noticeable wave of her arm. Ernie rolled his eyes at what Parvati probably considered inconspicuous and unseen by Madame Pince. Still, Lavender was with her and Parvati was his best friend's girlfriend so he didn't see any reason to deny her request.
" 'lo," he said, feeling rather awkward all of a sudden. Lavender was after all dating Ronald Weasley and it wasn't like he was terribly close to either of the two girls. Though he'd certainly like to try to get to know Lavender better.
"We need a male's perspective on a Christmas gift for Ronald," Parvati said as she pulled him over to a chair. "We thought you might be able to give us one."
"Certainly, what are you thinking about getting him? A quaffle? New Cannons poster? He mentioned to me that he still had the 89 team on his wall and it might be nice for him to get a more current team up there."
"Oh, anyone can get him those sorts of things. I got him something special," Lavender said with fierce pride.
"Sorry then, what was it you got him?" Ernie asked curiously. Perhaps she had gotten him a nice pair of cufflinks for his dress robes or baked him a pie. He'd heard from Seamus that Lavender was a rather good baker when she put her mind to it.
"This," Lavender said as she handed Ernie a simple brown wooden box.
Ernie looked at Parvati who seemed to be on the edge of her seat and then at Lavender who was merely smiling as if she already knew what his response was going to be. Carefully, he opened the box and found a rather thick gold chain with what appeared to be a series of letters hanging from it. "May I take it out," he asked as he couldn't help but wonder what the letters might spell.
"Of course, just be careful with it. It cost me my savings from the summer." The last had been said with a humility he'd never noticed in her before and for a moment he seriously considered giving up on ever winning the hand of Lavender Brown. Ron had to know he'd picked well and if he was a smart man he'd never let her out of his sight.
Pulling the chain out by its two ends he saw the individually hung letters slide towards the middle to form a single phrase: ‘My Sweetheart’. He immediately bit his tongue and held his head down until he was certain any urge to laugh was completely gone. When he finally regained sufficient control of himself he looked up and saw Parvati was looking at him expectantly. Even Lavender seemed a little curious as to what he might have to say about the gift.
He needed an answer for the unspoken question and fast, but for all his efforts his mind remained a complete blank. As a Hufflepuff he was technically supposed to be honest, but he didn't see how he could do that in this situation and a) not hurt Lavender's feelings and b) retain his semi-friendship with said girl. He looked at the necklace one last time and then back at the girls. "It's very thoughtful Lavender," he said with complete sincerity.
"Do you really think so," Lavender said with a bright smile. Oh, how he'd grown to like that smile. It was one he often saw in his mind just before falling asleep at night and one he had often pondered seeing in the future when he awoke. That was all before the whole Ron Weasley debacle.
"Of course, Lavender. Do you think just any girl here at Hogwart's is going to spend an entire summer's savings on a Christmas gift for their boyfriend? No, your sacrifice is a rarity in this school I'm afraid." He wasn't being dishonest. Many of the girls he knew often bought their boyfriends rather simple gifts, so as to save their money for nice dresses or small presents for themselves.
"You're right Ernie," Parvati said happily. "Ronald will love it, Lavender."
Lavender, however, seemed to be a little embarrassed and Ernie took that as his sign to leave.
"Well, if you girls don't mind, I have some studying to do," he said kindly as he stood and pushed his chair back under the table.
"Oh certainly, and thank you again Ernie," Lavender said, seemingly recovered from her earlier daze.
"You’re welcome. If I should miss you two on the train tomorrow, do have a good holiday, won't you?"
"You too Ernie," the girls said as they turned back to their own homework.
Satisfied Ernie walked to the back of the library and plopped himself down at an empty table. Beauty, tender affection and sacrifice, Ronald Weasley had quite a bit to be thankful for. Merlin help him if he screwed it up.
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing: Ernie Macmillan, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil
Summary: I'd never read a story that addressed the Lavender's Christmas gift to Ron so I thought I'd give it a try.
"Ernie! Could you please come over here," Parvati whispered quickly with a noticeable wave of her arm. Ernie rolled his eyes at what Parvati probably considered inconspicuous and unseen by Madame Pince. Still, Lavender was with her and Parvati was his best friend's girlfriend so he didn't see any reason to deny her request.
" 'lo," he said, feeling rather awkward all of a sudden. Lavender was after all dating Ronald Weasley and it wasn't like he was terribly close to either of the two girls. Though he'd certainly like to try to get to know Lavender better.
"We need a male's perspective on a Christmas gift for Ronald," Parvati said as she pulled him over to a chair. "We thought you might be able to give us one."
"Certainly, what are you thinking about getting him? A quaffle? New Cannons poster? He mentioned to me that he still had the 89 team on his wall and it might be nice for him to get a more current team up there."
"Oh, anyone can get him those sorts of things. I got him something special," Lavender said with fierce pride.
"Sorry then, what was it you got him?" Ernie asked curiously. Perhaps she had gotten him a nice pair of cufflinks for his dress robes or baked him a pie. He'd heard from Seamus that Lavender was a rather good baker when she put her mind to it.
"This," Lavender said as she handed Ernie a simple brown wooden box.
Ernie looked at Parvati who seemed to be on the edge of her seat and then at Lavender who was merely smiling as if she already knew what his response was going to be. Carefully, he opened the box and found a rather thick gold chain with what appeared to be a series of letters hanging from it. "May I take it out," he asked as he couldn't help but wonder what the letters might spell.
"Of course, just be careful with it. It cost me my savings from the summer." The last had been said with a humility he'd never noticed in her before and for a moment he seriously considered giving up on ever winning the hand of Lavender Brown. Ron had to know he'd picked well and if he was a smart man he'd never let her out of his sight.
Pulling the chain out by its two ends he saw the individually hung letters slide towards the middle to form a single phrase: ‘My Sweetheart’. He immediately bit his tongue and held his head down until he was certain any urge to laugh was completely gone. When he finally regained sufficient control of himself he looked up and saw Parvati was looking at him expectantly. Even Lavender seemed a little curious as to what he might have to say about the gift.
He needed an answer for the unspoken question and fast, but for all his efforts his mind remained a complete blank. As a Hufflepuff he was technically supposed to be honest, but he didn't see how he could do that in this situation and a) not hurt Lavender's feelings and b) retain his semi-friendship with said girl. He looked at the necklace one last time and then back at the girls. "It's very thoughtful Lavender," he said with complete sincerity.
"Do you really think so," Lavender said with a bright smile. Oh, how he'd grown to like that smile. It was one he often saw in his mind just before falling asleep at night and one he had often pondered seeing in the future when he awoke. That was all before the whole Ron Weasley debacle.
"Of course, Lavender. Do you think just any girl here at Hogwart's is going to spend an entire summer's savings on a Christmas gift for their boyfriend? No, your sacrifice is a rarity in this school I'm afraid." He wasn't being dishonest. Many of the girls he knew often bought their boyfriends rather simple gifts, so as to save their money for nice dresses or small presents for themselves.
"You're right Ernie," Parvati said happily. "Ronald will love it, Lavender."
Lavender, however, seemed to be a little embarrassed and Ernie took that as his sign to leave.
"Well, if you girls don't mind, I have some studying to do," he said kindly as he stood and pushed his chair back under the table.
"Oh certainly, and thank you again Ernie," Lavender said, seemingly recovered from her earlier daze.
"You’re welcome. If I should miss you two on the train tomorrow, do have a good holiday, won't you?"
"You too Ernie," the girls said as they turned back to their own homework.
Satisfied Ernie walked to the back of the library and plopped himself down at an empty table. Beauty, tender affection and sacrifice, Ronald Weasley had quite a bit to be thankful for. Merlin help him if he screwed it up.