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Baskets and field guides in hand, they prepare to set out. Lavender and Parvati pair up, as they always did before the war.
“Look for those pink gills and hollow stalks, eighth years!” Professor Sprout exclaims. “And remember, sugarcaps are more potent during the full moon, so we’ll forage again next week.”
They trudge in silence for a while, as they usually do now. Lavender sniffles and kneels to examine the gills of a dewy, sweet-smelling toadstool. Mushrooms: another thing she’ll never experience under the light of a full moon again.
“I’ll save you some of my caps next week,” Parvati offers.
“Thanks.” Lavender can’t quite steady her quivering lips into a smile. “I’m just being silly; I’ll be fine in a minute.”
Parvati sets the basket down, takes Lavender’s soil-damp hands in her own. “You’re not silly. You’re lovely.” The fierceness in her voice and tenderness in her gaze make Lavender flinch.
“Aww, I dunno…” She blushes pink as the sugarcaps.
“I do,” Parvati says, pressing their foreheads together. Lavender cannot look away now, can see her own budding feelings reflected in her friend’s eyes. The next time the full moon separates them, she hopes she'll dream of this.