Well hello, I'm sorry that I haven't updated this story. I know that people like this story—and I do too, I just wish I could type faster—but I also have my other one (Imaginary) that people love, too. So, I really am sorry.
Also, one of my closest friends died this year and I had ACT and AP classes and collage crap so this year wasn't the greatest year for me. I know you guys don't want excuses for taking so long but I hope you can forgive me.
This story will get a chapter every now and then (now that its summer it might be more now than then) but it's not going to be my main fanfic for a while. Sorry if that disappoints anyone. Though, I will continue with this story. So do not worry that it will disappear or go onto hiatus because I promise you it won't.
Now then—on word!
~this is a line break~
Neville groaned and dropped his head down onto the table as the hall broke out into objections; of course, the louder and ruder coming from the Slytherin/Gryffindor table. Though, as he turned his head after he banged it, he swore Dumbledore was onto something. Because all the way at the other end of the table, the first years—being very surprised and scared at their older house mates outburst—just timidly looked at one another, smiled, and politely introduced themselves to one another in hushed voices.
Maybe this was what Hogwarts needed. The war was over, Voldemort defeated, but there would still be house prejudisum between the houses; especially between Slytherin and Gryffindor. But, he had to say, Slytherin gets the most crap out of all the houses because most of their families worked for You-Know-Who; even though he knew for a FACT that there were a few Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and even some Gryffindors who sided with him. If keeping the houses separate that meant even the first years would fall into their categories and they had nothing to do with the war!
Yes, even though he didn't like the fact it was probably for the best.
When Neville came back from his musing the sound of people yelling angrily came rushing back into his ears and he groaned once again. Looking back up, he prepared himself to see a very angry Blaise Zabini either screaming and glaring at Dumbledore or at the seething glare be directed at himself but when he looked completely up the coffee colored Slytherin was just sitting there calmly and looking at him with a cool gaze; his eyes only showing that their current predicament both annoyed but amused him.
For some strange reason, that cool gaze that his new housemate was giving him made him turn red in embarrassment; no one ever looked at him like that. Hell, it was rare that someone even LOOKED at him, let alone like how the Slytherin was.
Bowing his head a little (mentally smacking himself afterword because it made him look like he submitted to Blaise) to hide the red tint of his cheek, he looked at the empty plate that would soon be filled with food and squirmed under the gaze.
"Hello Blaise." He had to speak rather loudly because of the yelling still going on around him but it barely, just barely, reached the others ears but not anyone else's.
~This is a line Break~
Blaise raised his eyebrows a bit when Longbottom lowered his head to the table; was it just him, or did that look like a very submissive pose? He remembered half of the death eaters did it when Voldemort looked at them but he thought it was out of respect, now that Neville did it in front of him he wasn't so sure anymore.
But why in the world was the idiot Gryffindor blushing? All he was doing was looking at him—it wasn't any different than it was on the train. Ever since first year, it was Draco who did all the talking and Blaise just gazed out the window but this year he had something else grab his attention. The whole ride to Hogwarts he just gazed at Neville and the scenery outside of the train. More than a few times he was tempted to ask what muggle book the boy was reading because of the faces he made at different points in the book but kept his mouth shut like normal.
So why now? Why was Neville blushing now when he looked at him almost the whole train ride there?
"Hello Blaise." The soft whisper reached his ears (or maybe it was too loud in the great hall) and he saw the small Gryffindor fidget under his gaze and it dawned on him that Neville never looked up once from his book in the train so he didn't even know that Blaise had been looking at him. So he was nervous when he knew that Blaise was watching him? What did that even mean?
He shook himself from his Gryffindor induced trance and mentally shrugged. Whatever, it's not like he cared anyway.
"Hello Neville." He responded in a coolly but, unfortunately, it came out more breathy then anything because Draco bumped him as he stood up angrily to reach across the table for Harry Potter to rearrange his face.
"SILENCE!" The booming voice flowed throughout the room making people cringe and sit down. Draco let go of Potter's robes and vice versa at Dumbledore's order and-very reluctantly—returned to their seats.
"Now," The headmaster started to speak again when a pin drop could be heard in the great hall. "I said you will be spending the rest of the year with the person across from you, not that it will be the ONLY person you will spend your year with. I promise you this, the houses will not be merged; you will still be in the house you've come to grow to love." The room gave a sigh of relief but Blaise didn't react at all—he could hear the 'but' coming in Dumbledore's speech; his mother used to do this all the time.
"Although, you will have every class with the house seated with yours. The person sitting across from you will become your partner in everything that you do—such as potions and charms—and you will be spending two nights a week and two weekends a month in the other's common room. The quidditch teams will practice together and the houses WILL get along or everyone in that year will be serving a detention with BOTH your head of houses." Blaise groaned, knowing that it was his year that was going to be spending most of their time in detention and he had a sneaking suspicion he heard Neville groan as well but he could be mistaken because the cries of outrage started once more.
"I will have no argument here." But Dumbledore was louder. "The walls of Hogwarts are mourning at the prejudice between the houses and I believe the founders are rolling in their graves as well." The hall went considerably quieter at that. "This is not what the founders intended the houses to be. Yes, they were all for house pride but not for this. The houses were created to help friendships grow, to know that—in your first year—those around you hold the same qualities and interests as you. The houses were supposed to be a stepping stone into making friends of everyone in the school; but this…" He waved his arms out to the students—most of which were angry.
"This is not what they wanted and this is not what I'll have in my school." None clapped at the speech as Dumbledore retreated to his seat, none dug into their food as it appeared from thin air, no one moved, no one breathed; it was like heart of every person in the room was beating at the same time. But the spell was broken when a cheer was heard from one of the ghosts that floated in the back of the great hall.
The chatter started once again, some angry murmurs still floated about but most had quieted for the moment, as everyone in the room dug into their food. Of course, some dug in with more gusto then others but everyone ate none the less.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Nott looked over himself for a moment, wondering why he started eating, as he put his fork down back on the plate and looked over himself. Blaise, Draco and a few others—both from Slytherin and Gryffindor—looked over themselves as well.
He wasn't expecting an answer; no one was expecting an answer because if it wasn't Nott who asked it, somebody else would have; the phenomenon the just experience seemed like one that they needed to question. But even though Nott, or anyone else wasn't expecting an answer they got one, and it was the most unexpected person with a most peculiar answer.
Blaise watched as Neville slowly set down his fork and looked up at the bewitched sky and everyone looked to him after he spoke with surprised looks on their faces.
"That was Hogwarts."
~This is a line break~
Neville was full from all the dinner her just ate and his full stomach made his eyes sag; he hadn't been this tired since the night Harry killed Voldemort. All he wanted to do was go upstairs and go to bed—though he doubted that he could even make it up the stairs and he would be more that surprised if the boys let him go to bed without the welcoming back party they had for one another every year. Great, that meant he was going to be up 'till four in the morning and sleep until noon; his sleep schedule was going to be so out of wack this year. He stifled a yawn and settled for stretching his arms above his head.
When he put his arms back down next to him he reached for the after dinner coffee—he had to keep himself awake somehow—but it vanished before he could grab it. Moaning in despair he looked back up to Dumbledore who stood from his seat in the middle of the professor's table.
"I know this year is going to be a great year and I hope you all enjoy the rest of your night. Off you trot." He clapped his hands together, signaling that they were about to sing Hogwarts' song, and the room burst out into song—just as he predicted.
Neville, half yawning through the whole this, picked a slow beat but luckily wasn't the last one to finish as, apparently, this year it was a Ravenclaw third year who finished with a funeral march melody.
Feeling very greatful, Neville slowly stood like the rest of the great hall, as they headed out of the room and to their house dorms; the end of the traditional singing of the Hogwarts song meant they were headed for bed but apparently this year, that was not so.
A few seventh years reached the doors of the hall but Dumbledore waved his wand (along with a few other professors) and gigantic doors disappeared and reappeared on the side of the hall. Most of the hall just stood there gaping at their headmaster and head of houses but he and a few Gryffindors who were used to his games, just sighed and walked to the relocated doors.
When they pushed the doors open, however, Neville's mouth dropped as he stood gaping at the newly redecorated Hogwarts grounds. It sort of reminded him of the pictures that Harry and Ron showed him of tent city at the Quidditch World Cup. Tents upon tents stood ready for their occupants but they didn't look like the most comfortable things either.
"You all seemed to believe you would be sleeping in your dorms tonight." Every head in the room turned to Dumbledore who still had a twinkle in his eye—though darker and more cunning. "But as you can see, this is not so." He motioned to the tents.
"On this night, you will be sleeping in a tent with your newly discovered partner." Neville was wide awake now, along with everyone else, and grand for what felt like the millionth time that night. He had to share a tent with Blaise? And Ron had to with Nott? And Harry with MALFOY! He discreetly turned and banged his head on the wooden door he was leaning on.
Merlin help them all.
~This is a line break~
Hoped you liked!
Tifa 3
