Wow! Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, and alerted. Seriously.
Thank you so much for the feedback: bec2277, Andreathewriter, skinsfan, mUfF MuNcHeR, maudsfeather, Super Tash, jaxicen, and Zulu. It is greatly, greatly appreciated.
Just a bit of an add-on to my author's note at the end of Chapter 3. Here is a bit of a cheat sheet for anyone not as much of a Harry Potter dork as I am. A list of the different characteristics each house values:
Gryffindor: courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry.
Hufflepuff: hard work, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play.
Ravenclaw: intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit.
Slytherin: ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness.
Emily's perspective. Please let me know what you think!
I do not own Skins or Harry Potter, or anything else quite so magical.
Chapter IV:
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Emily paused right before she turned the bend in the corridor. There were familiar voices speaking. An involuntary smile crept across her face.
"So where we going anyway?" Naomi asked.
"To see Fredds." Cook answered as if it were obvious.
Naomi stopped.
"Cook." She stated.
"What?"
"I'm a prefect." She said incredulously "I can't be coming with you on your little drug deals."
"Aw I'm just going to have a bit of a chat with my favourite herbologist." Cook feigned innocence. Freddie Mclair was a fifth year Hufflepuff who had a propensity for herbology. He had a way with plants of both legal and illegal variety.
"A bit of a chat my arse." Naomi retorted.
"Oh come off it." Cook groaned. "Don' tell me this is how it's gona be now. Wha' you got that badge and all of'a sudden you're all fookin' prim and proper?"
"You know that's not true." Naomi said in a softer tone.
"Bollocks its not." Cook shot back. "No' even day one o' classes an you're already bailing on fun."
"I am not bailing on fun." Naomi said in an exasperated tone. "You going to a drop and smoking a spliff down by the kitchens is not what I call 'fun.'" She added using air quotation marks with her fingers to emphasize her point.
"You used to!" Cook bellowed. "before you got all high and mighty with your prefect duties."
"Fuck you Cook!"
"Anytime ya like darlin'" Cook threw back.
Emily stood still enwrapped in the two friends argument. It wasn't until she heard the loudening approach of footsteps and a mumbled "Fucking Tosser." that she realized Naomi was headed her way. Fuck. She darted into the nearest classroom.
Leaning against the door she shut it behind her with a quiet snap. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The last thing she needed was Naomi thinking she was spying on her. Which she may have just been doing, but it was purely happenstance.
"Ah, Ms. Fitch," A man's voice said from inside the room.
Emily jumped. Her eyes shot open to find the kind eyes of Professor Longbottom smiling at her.
"Can I help you with anything?" he asked. There were stacks of parchment and books at the desk he sat behind.
"No, no, Professor," Emily stammered out. He had startled her. "Sorry to be a bother."
"Emily, you know you're never a bother." He smiled putting his quill down. He was an older man, same age as her grandparents. He had grey hair with a few stubborn brown strands left scattered sparingly amongst his head and his shortly trimmed beard which covered part of his weathered, kind face.
The two sat in silence for a moment.
"And how is your Grandda' doing?"
"He's well." Emily replied politely.
"Give him and your Gran my regards."
"Yes, Professor, I'll be sure to."
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..
"Where the hell have you been?" Katie asked annoyed.
"I was caught up with Professor Longbottom." Emily said, simplifying the reason she was late to meet Katie.
"Classes haven't even started. Over achiever much?"
"Fuck off Katie." Emily said turning to leave.
"Alright, alright." Katie said quickly, "I've just been waiting is all."
Emily looked at her expectantly. She hadn't informed her why it was so important that they meet.
"So I've been thinking about the team." Katie started, "And I've got some ideas."
Emily groaned. "Katie classes haven't even started yet. Don't tell me you already want to hold a practice?" Emily loved Quidditch, but Katie was a fanatic.
"Well we're gona be needing to hold tryouts."
"It's too soon." Emily interjected.
Katie waved her off. "I know, I know, but I thought the two of us could go round the pitch a bit later?" she questioned, "I've got some new drill ideas I want to have a go at."
Emily sighed, while the thought of going for a fly sounded lovely, the thought of doing countless drills with Katie did not. But she also knew how much it meant to her sister. This was Katie's first year being Captain. Fifth years weren't usually selected, but with the Captain last year being a seventh year and Katie being the loudest on the pitch anyway, it made sense. "What time?"
Katie beamed. "Brilliant. Straight after dinner. We've got loads to do!"
"Great." Emily said to herself as Katie walked off.
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Emily lay in the back garden enjoying the crisp night air, a reprieve from the hot day. Though nothing seemed to quell her feverish mind. She watched the stars sharpen as her eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness.
Emily heard a distant pop followed by footsteps. It must be nearing midnight, she hadn't realized it was already that late.
She heard her granddad's voice at the back door. "Happy birthday my old friend!" he said warmly followed by silence elapse the time of a hug.
"And I shall return the well wishes in approximately…seven minutes mate." Said the jovial voice of Neville Longbottom.
"Have a seat."
"Thank you."
Emily did not move envisioning her granddad and Professor Longbottom sit in the rocking chairs on the back porch as they did every year since she was old enough to remember.
"So Harry, how've ya been?" Neville asked.
"Oh fine, been enjoying retirement." Her granddad answered.
"Rubbish." Neville laughed, "don't tell me you're not bored out of your mind."
Harry laughed as well. "Maybe a bit. But don't tell Ginny that, she'll find me plenty to do if she hears a whisper of it."
"If I hear a whisper of what?" Emily heard her Gran say as the screen door creaked open.
"Nothing dear, nothing." Harry said quickly.
"Uh huh," Ginny said disbelievingly. "Lovely to see you Neville. You're not trying to get him to come teach at Hogwarts again are you?" She asked placing two butter beers down on the small table between them.
"I'm here for pleasure not business." Neville said holding his hands up in innocence before adding, "Though Harry, you always know Hogwarts would love to have you."
"I think my time at Hogwarts has passed, the anniversary is enough for me. But I appreciate the offer."
Every year on the anniversary of the final battle her grandparents visited the monument commemorating those who fell in battle on Hogwarts grounds.
"Well I figured you birthday lads would enjoy a cold butter beer. This summer's been a hot one."
"That is has." Neville agreed, "Thanks a lot Ginny!" Emily could practically hear the smile in his voice.
"Care to join?" Harry asked, "I'm sure some old detention stories are bound to come up."
Emily heard her Gran's hearty laugh. "Oh I'm sure they will, but I'll leave you boys to it. Happy Birthday you two."
"You know Harry, that offer always stands." Neville said after the screen door swung shut. "And you know as well as the next that the Harry Potter will never truly be gone of Hogwarts."
"You sound like Dumbledore, Professor Longbottom." Harry laughed.
"Wise man." Neville said.
The two were silent a moment sipping their butter beers as Emily shifted on the lawn putting her hands behind her head.
"You never let Madam Pomfrey take care of those scars did you?" Harry asked.
Emily knew he was referring to the scars on Neville's face. Emily hadn't noticed them mostly at first, just the nick in his right eyebrow. His shortly trimmed beard covered the most of a long scar that went along the left side of his jaw. During his seventh year at Hogwarts when Voldemort was in power Neville, along with Emily's gran, had lead students in attacks against the Death Eaters that taught at the school. He had been the ringleader of sorts, and had the scars to prove it.
"Naw mate." Neville said, "Some things aren't meant to be erased. Scars are meant to remind you we're you've been."
"Yeah." Harry agreed. And for the first time since their arrival Emily turned to look at the two men. She watched her granddad absentmindedly raise his hand to his own forehead to where the scar, which Voldemort had marked him as his equal still lay. As he sat next to the one not chosen. How their lives could have been different. Yet how their lives were interwoven. The two boys from the prophecy smiled at one another, scars and all.
..
"Oh I didn't know anyone was here."
Emily jumped at the voice pulling her from her memory of earlier this summer.
"I'll go." Naomi said.
"No. Stay." The words shot out of her mouth faster than she could get to her feet.
She'd been lying on the Quidditch Pitch since Katie's little practice session had ended. She always enjoyed the drawn out evenings of summer. The sun was just now setting on the horizon. Golden yellows and sharp oranges blazed behind the mountaintops and trees casting shadows and throwing light.
Naomi was silent for a moment. "I'll come back another time."
"You don't have to go you know. Just cos I'm here."
"I better go." Naomi repeated, as if thinking better of it.
"The pitch is big enough for the both of us, you know." Emily offered.
"Wouldn't want people to think we were spending time alone together. What would your dear Katie say if she saw us fraternizing?"
"I didn't think you cared what people thought."
"I don't."
"Could have fooled me."
"Caring what people think and minding people telling lies about you are not the same." Naomi stated.
Emily was silent.
"What? Cat got your brave tongue Gryffindor?" Naomi quipped, Emily said nothing. "That's what I thought."
"—Naomi"
"Whatever." Naomi said as she swung onto her broom and kicked off into the air.
..
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**Author's Note**
Sorry for another one, this is just a bit of a cheat sheet for people who haven't read the books, or are a bit rusty.
In the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort, it didn't actually state that it was Harry. The description of "the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord" fit both Neville and Harry, being born July 30th and July 31st respectively. Voldemort chose Harry as he saw more of himself in Harry, thus Harry was marked as the chosen one.
And yes, Harry Potter and Ginny are Emily and Katie's grandparents.
Thanks for reading! :)
-kb
