The Dangers of Love

Like many other young witches of the day, she wanted to be a star. The next singing sensation of the wizarding world. Bruno, the boss of a club, had said she could be and hired her on the spot. It wasn’t until later she found out he hired every young, pretty girl that would work on the spot. He had an act where they all danced. It was quite silly really and attracted quite the wrong sort of crowd. She hadn’t even wanted to be a dancer; she wanted to be a singer. She was a singer. Five years ago when she was in her last year at Hogwarts with such huge dreams, she’d never have fathomed being here.

The club, Bruno’s club, was dark and dusty. The brick front was weathered from time, cracks and stains covering what used to be a beautiful, beckoning front. The sign on the front proclaimed it was Horntail’s which the girl thought was possibly the shadiest name she’d ever heard. That made her think of names. Her name hadn’t been Laverne de Montmorency when she’d arrived. It was just Lavender Montgomery. Bruno had played with it. He said it made her sound rich and important. Not at all similar to where she really came from; a wizarding orphanage, abandoned by Pureblood parents who’d had children too young and wanted to see the world. She had wanted to see the world too. It didn’t look that was going to happen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, “Excuse me, but can you direct me to Bruno?”

She turned. There in front of her was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. His eyes were a deep blue like the sea, and his dark brown hair waved around his head like a serpent in the sea. He should not be here, that much she knew. He was far too handsome and probably far too talented. Or perhaps, like her when she’d come, he was naïve, unknowing of the consequences. Not knowing that this was not a place that made you a star, just one that took away your dreams.

“What are you looking for him for?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

“He’s giving me an act.”

“Oh really? I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Why not?”

“Let’s just say he doesn’t always live up to his word.”

“Even when it’s in contract?”

She stared at him, her mouth opening slightly. Contracts were rare to begin with in the club business at the time, and to get one with Bruno? It was completely unheard of. The man in front of her must be incredibly talented or incredibly smart. Maybe both. There was nothing for it, her stomach was doing somersaults.
“Well, you are smarter then most then.” was what she finally managed to say when she regained her train of thought. She wasn’t inexperienced in the field of love, she could hold her own with men, at least she hoped so. “I’m Lav by the way.”

“Just Lav?”

Laverne screwed up her face, “Well Bruno calls me Laverne Montmorency, but I hate it. Real name’s Lavender. Lavender Montgomery. Just call me Lav.”

“I’m Red. Red Harnett.”

“Really?”

“Ron Harnsman,” he said with a laugh, “club owners do have a knack for changing names don’t they? I’m quite fond of mine though. Call me Red if you don’t mind. I think it’s rather mysterious.”

She giggled. Then she slapped herself inwardly. Honestly, giggling in front of this man, could she sink no lower? She wasn’t like those girls in Hogwarts who’d go around throwing themselves at every boy who came by and she was not going to act like them. Speak of the devil, as she thought this, one such girl walked by. Hilda, blonde bombshell, and Lavender’s sworn enemy. In Hogwarts they’d played prank after prank on each other, ending up in the Headmaster’s office several times, and earning his ire. Oh Merlin, she was coming this way.

“Lavender, you left your corset on the stage after we changed there yesterday. Everyone saw it.” She threw the offending corset her way. “Quite disgusting too.” The blonde girl turned her hair swinging and she walked out as quickly as she’d come.

“Sorry about that,” said Lavender, but Red didn’t seem to be paying attention his head still focused on the place where Hilda had stood. Lavender seethed. How mortifying! She was sure Hilda was the one who had put the corset there in the first place. Besides to come in when she was with a man! She could have waited. It was because of actions like that that she considered Hilda her enemy. Since Hogwarts she had been doing things that went beyond pranks. They made Lavender want to hex her back to whichever awful little corner of the world she had come from. Lavender sighed.

“Well Bruno’s up that way.”

“Good. I’ll see you around then?”

“Perhaps.”

“Lav, it’s time for us to go out!” came a high pitched voice from
above.

“Well I’m off then, good luck with Bruno.” With that Lav rushed onto the stage. Her dance was tiring and silly. She spun and did charms with the other girls. The audience clapped politely or stared lewdly- mostly the latter. She did cartwheels and somersaults, without a bit of individual praise. It was rather complicated, but it didn’t even matter. The audience was not especially impressed. She shouldn’t even be here. She hated it. She loathed it. She…

“You did good out there.”

It was him. Of course it would be. She blushed. Damn her fair skin. She managed to mutter a soft, “Thanks, it’s a silly dance.”

“I don’t think so, looks quite difficult to me.”

“What do you do anyway?”

“I sing. You know with a guitar, silly songs mostly.”

“I doubt that.”

“You’ll see tomorrow.”

They fell into silence for a bit. Lav shifted on her toes, her mind reeling and her stomach hurling. Why did he have this effect on her? She’d heard the other girls whisper he was handsome and was quite relived that at least she wasn’t alone in thinking this. However, she was quite sure she was alone in these violent reactions. Hilda would’ve made endless fun of her.

“So, do you also think going out for dinner is silly?”

“No actually I don’t.”

“Well how about going with me, tomorrow at six, before the show?”

“That would be lovely.”

“Goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight.”

Lavender twirled and danced her way back to her bunk. Had he really just asked her out or had she imagined it? No it had happened. She felt a feeling of joy and elation as she had never felt before. She knew it was silly to feel all this over a man, but she couldn’t help it.

Six o’ clock couldn’t come quick enough and oh Merlin what should she wear? She tried on and discarded dress after dress before settling on a silk pink number that she thought complimented her complexion rather well. When six o ‘clock did come and Red knocked on her door, she was barely ready, even though she’d spent hours preparing.

This must, she thought, be what they called love. It was pesky really, she could hardly think, see, or hear. Her emotions took over and seemed to control every part of her body and make her say the silliest things. She’d never been a silly girl. Oh, some might say she had, wanting to be a singer, but really it was the only think she’d been good at. Well that and potions but women Potion-makers were rare. It could, for her, be really only a hobby.

So she opened the door and met him and they walked passed the girls, off to dinner. Lavender was secretly delighted at the scowl on Hilda’s face as they passed. The restaurant was beautiful, fairies decorated the walls and the napkins were charmed to dance. She had a lot of firsts that night, including the food she ate. The most important however was that she had never talked about so much with a man. They discussed from dresses to singing to potions.

“A woman Potion-maker?” he asked, “That would be kind of silly, good thing you’re a singer.”

Suddenly Lavender was annoyed, “A witch has become Minister of Magic, but we can’t make Potions?”

“It’s just that it’s a more male sort of job, honey. I mean would you even know what kind of potion to make?”

He had a point and she shook her head. They got back onto an upbeat conversation about Quidditch. He’d disappointed her, but just a little. Slowly the date wound down and before Lavender knew it, she was being walked to her doorway. She turned to Red; suddenly, there was only one thing she wanted to do. It was improper, she was a lady, but she had to. She kissed him, and he kissed her back. For a moment nothing mattered but the two of them and their love. And then…

“I have to go…” he said, “My act’s on in half an hour. Come see?”

“Goodnight,” she whispered

She went to see his act later that night. It was as beautiful as she’d expected. He sang of love and heartbreak. It made her want to go right up on stage and just kiss him and never stop. Which of course would be anything but proper. When he spotted her, he sung straight at her, and everyone stared. She wasn’t embarrassed, she was in love. It was the best night of her life thus far, there was no doubt in her mind.

Looking back on it years later, Lavender wished she could say the elation had lasted for years, a month, even a day or two. It hadn’t. It was only the next day that it all unraveled like a ball of yarn too carelessly thrown.

She was happy that day, whistling everywhere she went. The first thing she wanted to do when she woke up was go see Red. She knew this was impossible because she had a rehearsal to go to. So she practiced with the other girls, all but Hilda, who was suspiciously missing. She hated that girl. Not only was she a scarlet woman, she didn’t take her work seriously either. Not coming to rehearsal was a crime alike to murder in Lavender’s mind..

As soon as the rehearsal was over she rushed to his room. She’d bought him a tie as a sort of dinner thank you and was looking forward to seeing his reaction. She knocked. No one answered.

“Red?” she called.

No answer.

She was sure she could hear someone inside. So she opened the door. Rude maybe, but what if someone was breaking in? What she saw nearly made her heart stop. There on the bed, doing quite a bit more than kissing was Red. He was kissing none other then her sworn enemy, Hilda. It was enough to make her explode.

Yet, she’d never been one for confrontation. She managed to yell and call him a git, but not much more. He wasn’t even apologetic. She ran out of the room in tears. How could someone be so cruel, so cold, so…

Suddenly she knew what to do. She would prove him wrong. She would prove she could be a Potion-maker. She would prove it to everyone. She knew exactly what kind of potion she would make. She would make a Love Potion. She’d sell it to young girls whose sweethearts weren’t in love with them, so that no young girl would have this feeling she had in her heart. A feeling as if it were breaking into a million pieces. Then she’d give some to him. Not to make him love her, no she was long past being in love with him, but for revenge. She’d loathe him, and he’d love her, with all his heart. He’d spend his life loving her and she’d ignore him. He would feel the pain she felt. He would be sorry.

Nearly a century later a Famous Wizard’s Card honoring her would say, “Inventor of many love potions.” One wizard knew better. As Red Harnett read the card, finally freed from his prison of a love potion with her recent death, he realized she was so much more. She was incredibly naïve and sweet, but also capable of incredible evils. He wished he’d stayed away from her all those years ago. Red Harnett would go on to lead the fight to ban love potions. He told the press how he hated the girl who’d invented them. Hated her for imprisoning him. He didn’t really, in fact, he admired her and her capacity for revenge, but he’d get his revenge too- one day her legacy would be ruined. Love potions would be banned, he’d see to it. With a last smirk, he dropped the card in the nearest trash bin where it fell amongst bits of paper and tin as would the soon to be tarnished legacy of Laverne de Montmorency.