Impossible Love

Author note - this is set in the 2006/07 school year. It features some familiar faces from J.K Rowling's masterful novels, but it is more original in content and characters. I'm basically having fun with the world J.K Rowling built. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1 – Back to Hogwarts

Lara Hepworth glanced at her reflection in the passenger seat mirror of her mum's Peugeot. Today was the day she had been waiting for, and she'd made sure to get up early to look the part. After all, there hadn't been a Hufflepuff Head Girl in who knew how long, and she was determined to do her house proud. Ever since Professor McGonagall's letter arrived confirming her appointment, Lara had anticipated the approaching school year with a nervous excitement, not unlike a child at Christmas time.

There is one benefit of being a Muggle-born, she thought to herself. I have a much better grasp of how to apply liquid eyeliner.

Lara was just slightly taller than your average 17-year-old girl and significantly curvier. Her hair was a dark chocolate brown and hung down to her shoulders with a natural wave to it. This messy waviness was something she despised when she was younger and every witch wanted poker-straight hair, but now she had learnt to live with it. Her hazel eyes were filled with eagerness as she leaned across the handbrake to give her mum a kiss.

"I've got to go now, mum. I need to be on the platform ready to give the prefects their instructions."

Joy, her mum, mock-scowled at her in response.

"But sweetie, this is the last time you're going off to Hogwarts. Can't I just come and see you off one last time?" she pleaded.

Lara shot her mother a look that said it all.

"No, mother, really you can't. Besides where are you going to park the car?" she questioned gently. "It's fine, really. I'm practically an adult now, and I'm more than capable of walking through a station and getting on the train."

"Ok, ok, if you insist," said Joy with an air of resignation, "I'll let you go now."

Lara stepped out of the car into the breezy September air. The sounds of central London bustled in the background, and Muggles hurried along the pavements, oblivious to the gathering of wizards and witches that was about to take place. She was dressed smartly in a denim skirt and light blue blazer, but not yet in her Hogwarts uniform.

"Oh and Lara," her mum called from inside the car. "I'm so proud of you, you know."

Smiling, Lara ducked her head down under the car door.

"I know, mum. Thanks for giving me a lift down. I'll write as soon as I can."

Gathering up her suitcase and mustard leather satchel, Lara weaved through the crowds in the station and walked briskly towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. She disappeared effortlessly through the barrier, without attracting a second glance from the busy commuters who filled the station.

Mercifully, platform 9 and 3 quarters was still quiet and Lara found James Burke, this year's Head Boy, waiting for her.

James, or Jamie as most of Hogwarts knew him, took an admiring glance at Lara's figure and smiled to himself.

"Well, well, well, the Queen of Hufflepuff has finally decided to join me to begin her duties. Seriously Hepworth, you're late. And I'm not impressed." James folded his arms as if to display his frustration.

Lara rolled her eyes. "Well, in that case Jamie, it's rather a good job I don't care about impressing you," she retorted with a smirk.

Jamie Burke's athletic frame loomed over Lara, in an attempted display of masculine dominance. His 6ft height was aided by a set of broad shoulders acquired through numerous hours of Quidditch practice no doubt. Eyes locked on Lara's, Jamie reached down and tugged her suitcase out of her hands.

"I'll take that, your Highness," he said softly and swung it away from her. "You take the platform and I'll head to the Prefects' Carriage?"

Lara raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Any particular reason for that? Nothing to do with scoping out the new female prefects, would it?"

Jamie's mouth opened in confusion.

"Err, of course not. No. When have I ever …?" he stuttered and then laughed, clearly fooling no one. "Well, you're better dealing with the parents than I am … especially the Muggles ones. So it's win-win."

And before Lara could protest any further, Jamie jogged down the platform with her suitcase, leaving her behind to organise the ensuing chaos.

The Muggle-born is better at dealing with the Muggles? Bloody typical Jamie Burke.

Half an hour later and a blur of parents' worried questions, lost pets and loudly reunited friends, Lara stepped onto the Hogwarts Express slightly frazzled but satisfied that she'd made a good start to her final year.

The whistle of the train sounded as the wheels slowly began to turn, pulling away from Kings Cross and towards the new school year.

Gazing out of the window as the urban sights of London began to fade behind them, Lara was dreamily contemplating the future. Before finding out about her magical abilities, Lara had loved history and had dreams of being an archaeologist. Now that she had 6 years of magical education behind her, she couldn't wait for more hands on magical history.

"Shhhh Charity, there's a random Professor in that compartment! We'll have to go back and sit with Henry," giggled a third-year Gryffindor as she brushed past Lara.

With a curious glance to where the girls had just come from, Lara decided not to investigate instead turned towards the other end of the train, her Head Girl duties, and the awaiting prefects.

"Oh, hello," a deep voice sounded out from behind her.

Lara turned to face the voice and was stunned. The 'random Professor' was more than a little attractive. Tall with dark hair pushed back off his face and a healthy dose of stubble, he wore dark blue jeans, a casual white shirt and a grey wool cardigan with the sleeves rolled up. On anyone else, the cardigan would have looked like something borrowed off their grandfather, but here Lara couldn't help but think he looked like a resplendent God of knitwear. His blue eyes crinkled up at the corners as he smiled and held out his hand by way of an introduction.

"I'm Neville, well Nev to my friends," he explained as he grasped Lara's hand and shook it. "Minerva didn't mention that there'd be another teacher on the train. You can come and sit in here if you'd like?" he gestured to the compartment behind him. "I've just managed to clear off a couple of giggling girls, so would appreciate the company."

Lara stepped almost involuntarily into the carriage. He thought she was another teacher, and she thought he was divine. For once in her life she was rendered speechless and sunk into the seat opposite him; her eyes fixed on her hand that had just been released from Neville's grip.

"So … you are?" he inquired patiently.

Lara blushed and looked up from underneath her lashes. She really needed to pull herself together, fast.

"I'm Lara, Lara Hepworth," she answered with a flicker of a smile. "Are you taking over from Professor Spr-Pomona, then?"

Neville's eyes lit up as he enthused about Herbology; a subject that Lara had never really found interesting until now.

"… so it wasn't until I was in about fourth-year that I really started to think about Herbology seriously. That was the year they held the Goblet of Fire here. Oh but I'll bet you remember the tournament anyway? What House were you in? We probably have some friends in common."

Neville had talked for a good few minutes without seeming to come up for air. Whether it was through nervousness or supreme confidence, Lara couldn't tell but was startled at the pause and Neville's waiting expression.

"I'm in Hufflepuff. I mean, I was a Hufflepuff," she hurriedly corrected herself.

Why am I lying to him? It's not like he won't find out the moment I step off the train and into my Hogwarts robes. Get a grip, seriously.

"Sorry Neville, err Nev, if you'll just excuse me. I need to go, somewhere. Errm I'll be back, soon."

Lara stood up and stumbled as the normally smooth train went over a particularly bumpy piece of track. Reacting swiftly, Neville was quick to catch both her arms and steady her. He was close enough to feel her heartbeat racing and seemed to hold on a fraction longer than he needed to.

"Don't be too long, eh," he joked. "The giggling school girls might come back."

Lara shut the compartment door behind her and walked down the carriage, before stopping and holding her hand to her mouth. Shit. What am I doing? Letting out a nervous laugh (not unlike that of a giggling school girl), she carried on walking down the train, stopping silly behaviour (of which there was an abundance) when she saw it.

A blonde ponytailed head popped out of one of the compartments ahead and glanced to the right and then left down the corridor. Upon seeing Lara, the girl let out an excited shriek and bounded down the corridor.

"Where have you been?!" she shouted as she hugged her tightly. "I mean it though, spill. I've had Burke in here twice looking for you. He did not look happy last time he left. Grumbling something about irresponsible leadership and never trusting a Hufflepuff?"

Hestia was small and pixie-like in her proportions, but her diminutive size was more than made up by her loud personality and sharp grasp of defensive spells.

"Ahhh bollocks," Lara replied sheepishly, looking at her best friend. "Look, I'll tell you later, I promise. I best find him before he sets a bludger on me."

The prefects' carriage was the very first one on the train and was a hive of activity with prefects coming and going to patrol the corridors. Once inside, Lara was greeted by a chorus of hellos, congratulations and even cheers as well as a few warnings that Jamie didn't seem happy when they'd last seen him.

"Our illustrious Head Girl returns," came a sarcastic voice behind Lara.

She turned round to face a red-faced, and slightly panting, Jamie Burke, wand out.

"Jamie," she replied in a sing-song voice. "Do you plan on hexing me with that?"

"What?" his eyes followed hers down to his wand. "Oh … no of course not. Where have you bee-"

"Where have I been? Well someone left me on the platform to deal with the parents. Meaning I got on at the end of the train, have dealt with students all the way up and entertained a professor too."

"A professor?" James queried. "Who is it? I didn't think there were any on the train this year."

Lara was sure she could feel herself blushing, again. Why on earth did she have to mention her encounter?

"Oh err, I didn't actually get his surname," Lara answered hurriedly, not noticing Jamie's eyes narrow when she said 'his'. "He's the new Herbology teacher though."

Jamie looked at her sceptically as if trying to figure out whether she was lying to him.

"Hmm, well I'd better make my way over there at some point. If he's met the Head Girl, then it's only right I introduce myself too," he stated with easy confidence. "I'm going to head up to see the lads for a bit … 'bout time you did some work, isn't it?" Jamie said with a chuckle.

Lara parodied an army salute at him and watched his swaggering walk out of the carriage. He might be a Slytherin and have an outwardly arrogant attitude, but Lara knew he wasn't all that bad. And so did McGonagall, she thought … otherwise why pick him as Head Boy?

Since the war ended 8 years ago, some things had changed at Hogwarts undoubtedly, but others remained resolutely the same. The Slytherin superiority complex was definitely still present, even if inter-House relations had softened significantly since the school days of the saviour of the wizarding world, Harry Potter.

After hours of managing the team of prefects alone, Lara's frustration with Jamie's continued absence reached its peak.

"Right, I'm off to find Burke," she announced sternly. "You'll need to start telling everyone to get changed into their uniform in about 20 minutes, ok?"

The prefects left in the carriage nodded their assent, and Lara left them to it. She wanted to find Jamie of course, but she needed to speak to Neville and clarify a few things … before it was too late. She wasn't taking Herbology at N.E.W.T level, yet somehow she suspected he might notice her absence in the staffroom and penchant for wearing school uniform and a Head Girl badge.

Lara flicked her hair back, finding that its tangled waves had caught on her badge, obscuring it from view. Well that goes some way to explain why he didn't realise she was in fact a student. Extricating her badge from the clutches of her hair, Lara made her way down the train to face Neville. She both desired to see him again, yet she dreaded revealing the truth.

Having walked the length of the train and not met Jamie on the corridor, Lara gently rapped her knuckles on the compartment door containing Hogwarts' newest professor.

"Come in," called Neville from inside.

Let's get it over with.

"Oh Lara, it's you!" he exclaimed. "I'd wondered where you'd disappeared to."

Neville's face grinned at her and Lara found that she couldn't look away from him. There was something vaguely familiar about him, like Lara knew him already, but at the same time this feeling that coursed through her body was something different entirely.

Lara wasn't a stranger to flirtation with the opposite sex. In fact, in her home town it seemed as if a quarter of her old school classmates already had children themselves. Plus, when you consider that every school holiday as a Muggle-born she returned home as the exotic 'boarding school' student in the eyes of her former friends. Life as Muggle-born was often a complex balancing act filled with lies to cover up the magical truth, and the last summer Lara had taken a particular enjoyment in playing the Muggle. His name was Rick, he was a drummer in a local band and was studying to become a mechanic. As summer flings went, he had certainly helped to pass the time.

But this, this was unlike anything she'd felt with Rick. Call it magic, chemistry or whatever … she was certain there was a spark between her and Neville. And perhaps he felt it too.

Neville motioned that she should sit next to him (rather than opposite) and it was then that Lara noticed something horrifying.

"So I was just explaining to Burke, the Head Boy, that there were two professors on the train that he needed to introduce himself to, and then here you are," Neville beamed at Lara. "Mind you, I'm the new member of staff, I imagine you already know James here…"

"Oh she knows me alright," said Jamie under his breath.

Lara froze.

"Err, yes. I do know Jamie already. You see…"

Before Lara could finish her sentence, Jamie decided to do it for her.

"Lara? A professor?" Jamie laughed incredulously. "Sir, Lara's the Head Girl this year. See she's even got the badge to prove it."

Jamie stood up and walked towards the door, half opening it before turning back to the dumbstruck pair - his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Well Professor Longbottom, it was great to meet you and welcome back to Hogwarts. Lara, I'll see you outside in a second."

Silence reigned in the space between them as Neville's eyes flitted from Lara's pained face to the Head Girl badge gleaming on her breast.

"Professor, I'm so sorry. I should …" she began to explain.

"… Yes, you should have." He interrupted tersely. "Merlin, I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I thought that you … that we might sometime … I think you need to go now, Hepworth."

Lara's eyes threatened to fill with tears, but she held her resolve and, with as much dignity as she could muster, left the compartment.

Jamie was lingering in the corridor outside, waiting for her to reappear.

"Lara … I'm …" he began.

"Don't. Just don't say anything to me."

He grimaced. "That bad, eh? Well come on, we best get on with it. We're nearly there now."

And with a sympathetic (and muscular) arm slung across her shoulder, the pair made their way down the train. This year at Hogwarts was certainly off to a rough start.