Strong as she wanted to be on the No Boyfriend rule, she couldn't help but feel smug. Boys would fall all over themselves for her? What a comforting thought. Maybe she could get a date for Hogsmeade–
–But she didn't really want one, not with just any old random guy. A new thought crept into her mind, an ugly seed that festered there: why did Seamus ask Parvati? If he was looking for a girlfriend, why didn't he look to her? Lavender pushed the thought away, but didn't forget about it. She already knew it would eat away at her until she gave it some real thought, later on when she was alone. For now, there was dessert with her best friend, and that was all.