Neville ran for his life as the band of Death Eaters chased him across the bridge. There were hundreds of them and only one of him. But the weight of the many people was just too much for the ancient structure, magic or no magic.
He could see them, the group who had gathered at the end of the bridge beside the castle. Ginny, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Cho and Lavender were there. And there were others too. And at the very front, watching Neville's progress intently with an expression of severe concern frozen on her pretty face was Guinevere Montgomery.
Suddenly, the stones cracked beneath his feet and most of the bridge was sent down into the depths of the ground below. Neville had almost made it when he felt himself being shot downwards. It was the scariest thing he'd ever experienced and he was sure he was over.
The group was shocked. One minute, it looked as if he was going to make it and then just like that he was down. No one reacted. It was too shocking. Too sudden. Then, two grimy, bloodied up hands gripped onto the edge as they climbed out of the pit. A wand was thrown up and it rolled slightly before stopping in the safety of the solid part of the bridge.
Ginny began to stalk forward but Gwen held her back with one shaking hand. Ginny got the message. You don't know who it is.
But then Neville emerged. No one moved. He climbed his way to a standing position, shaking with decreasing adrenaline. He looked at Gwen, her lips slightly parted, her big, grey eyes shining with un-spilt, unacknowledged tears. Her black and white hair had been partly wrenched out of its braid and a long gash ran down her cheek and into her jaw line. Her dark blue nail polish was chipped away to specks and her converse shoes were ripped very slightly.
He stood there with his arms limp when she moved. Starting at a walk, she picked up to a run until she was bolting at him, closing the gap between them. He raised his arms expecting one of her signature hugs. Instead, he found her lips upon his, arms thrown around his neck. Surprised, he kissed back.
Memories flashed through his mind: asking her to the Yule Ball, the earmuffs she'd purchased for him after asking him to Hogsmead as a thank you for taking her to Yule Ball and the way she'd had them embroidered "To Neville Love Gwen". The way she'd kept the rose he'd given her that day. As far as he knew, she still had it hidden away somewhere. Them together in the Department of Mysteries, what he'd smelt in the Amortentia 6th year - moist earth, apple pie and her citrus body lotion. He thought of all those nights she'd stayed up tutoring him. Helping him find his toad when he'd first met her. Singing ridiculous songs to him to cheer him up after the Sirius Black incident. How his Boggart had been her telling him that she didn't want anything to do with him and the way that she'd hugged him and told him it wasn't true. The way she always looked for him in the crowd at her Quidditch games and how she always found him after. The way they began to hold hand's part way through the 6th year and the way she'd told him that they couldn't make anything of it because she wasn't returning to Hogwarts after Dumbledore's funeral.
She pulled away and smiled at him, but it was quickly pulled from her lips as she saw the magical barrier around the school begin to disinagrate. They heard McGonagall yelling herself hoarse for all students to get inside the castle. The group took off, Gwen with it. She gripped Neville's hand with an intensity as they ran as fast as they could to the castle.
They jumped over bodies and ducked under spells and dodged around students. Gwen was ahead with Neville only a few paces behind. But a panicked Hufflepuff ran in between them and their grip was broken. They knew that they had to keep running and they lost each other.
Upon entering the castle, Neville found Harry. He was talking about something or another but all Neville could hear was his burning question. He grabbed Harry by the shoulders, stopping him mid sentence.
"Have you seen Gwen anywhere. I have to find her and tell her I'm mad about her since we'll both be dead by dawn."
