Chapter Seven: I'll Wait

"Hey mate, can I talk to you?" It was early afternoon and I was reading at the desk in my room. Well, not my room, I was staying with Ginny in hers, but she was outside with everyone else. I was surprised George wasn't with them.

I furrowed my brow as I snapped my book shut. "No problem, what's on your mind?"

"Mind if I sit?" I nodded and motioned to the bed. "I wanted to talk to you about Neville." Instantly, my heart shot into my throat and my palms got sweaty. Regardless, I took a breath and turned the chair around so I could face him. George was my friend, he wouldn't get angry with me; would he? Suddenly he started to chuckle. "Sara, your face just turned red; you don't have to worry." I let myself exhale, but continued to hold my breath once my lungs emptied of air.

"Okay, sorry – go on."

"I think it's becoming apparent that Neville is starting to fancy you..."

"You talked to Ginny, didn't you?" I smirked nervously. That girl never could keep anything to herself.

George smiled. "Yeah, she told me."

"Lovely." My sarcastic tone made him laugh, which I smiled at correspondently.

"Sara, Fred's gone now." The news was obviously not new to me, but the pang of hurt still coursed through me when he said it. "He loved you a lot."

"I know..." Tears surfaced, but I forced them down. "What are you getting at, George?"

"Please don't cry – I can't take anymore crying..." He laughed as his own eyes began to water. "Dear Merlin Sara, please do not cry."

I chuckled and wiped my eyes. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"My brother loved you and he would have done anything to see you happy. You're still young – he wouldn't have expected you to wait around your life all on your own." I could see where this was going, and by this point, my heart was doing somersaults. "If you want to be with Neville, go ahead."

"Thanks George, that means a lot..." And it did. But something else was on my mind. "Why does no one take into consideration the fact that relationships are a two-way street?" By the look on his face, he understood what assumption he'd just made, but I had to finish. "I mean, no one asked if I wanted to start anything with him – just because he fancies me doesn't mean I fancy him; and this is all Ginny's theory, he may not even fancy me at all!" I wasn't shouting, in fact I was quite calm. I was just getting into the heated discussion.

"Bloody hell, I just realized... I didn't..."

"Don't worry, mate – I'm just letting you know! No need to get that wand of yours in a knot!"

A knock at the open door drew both of our attention. Neville stood there, uneasily taking a step back as we both looked at him. "Hey, are you two busy or were you planning on coming outside later?"

George raised his eyebrows at me. "I probably won't go outside until after dark."

"Perhaps we can go for a walk after dinner?"

"I'd love to!" George blurted out, fully aware that he was unwanted.

Neville's cheeks turned rosy. "Actually, I just meant me and..."

"I know," George slapped his back and left the room. "I'm just joking, mate."

I was unsure what kind of meeting Neville had planned, but I didn't back down from my commitment. I said I'd be outside after dark, and I was. The lake was warmer than the air that night which created a thin, wispy mist over the water. Moonlight gave me all the light I needed to find my way to the dock and slip my legs over the edge.

Not long after, I heard a familiar, "Hullo."

"Neville!" His voice frightened me a little, but I didn't jump. "How are you?"

The boy sat to my right and let his legs dangle off the dock – luckily he'd taken his shoes off, because his feet were slightly submersed in the water. I'd forgotten how much he'd grown. Even his round face had elongated and his short, straight hair had gotten wavier with length. "I'm alright. You've been fairly quiet since we've gotten here, yeah?"

"Have I?" I turned my torso to face away from him. "I didn't notice."

"Sara, come off it. What are you doing?"

There was no way around it; I'd have to tell him. "I think I know what's going on here, Neville."

I looked him directly in his deep brown eyes. He swallowed loud enough for me to hear. "What?"

"I heard... Err, someone told me..." I had to prevent the actual words from coming out of my mouth. "I think I know how you feel."

"Oh no."

"What?"

"Don't take it the wrong way Sara;" Did I just embarrass myself? "I mean, I care about you and all, but I understand that Fred just passed away and I wouldn't expect you to..."

My heart could not stop pounding. I instantly wished I'd been eating properly – maybe I wouldn't feel so dizzy. "Yes, yes."

"Sorry." There was an awkward silence before Neville tore his eyes from the still lake to look back at me. "But um, did you... err, do you at all have any feelings... No, you don't have to answer that."

"Neville, I care about you a lot."

"But..." He smiled. He knew me too well.

I smirked and my hand found his that was helping to support him. The touch must have thrown him off, because he jumped backward and ended up falling on his back. Both of us laughing, I finished his sentence. "But I'm not sure if I'm ready, y'know?"

"No worries," Neville smiled sheepishly. "I'll wait."

"You'll wait?" I wasn't even sure if I reciprocated his feelings and he was claiming he would wait? I didn't understand.

He nodded as he sat back up, this time resting his elbows on his knees. "I care about you more than anyone. I'll wait – it'll be worth it."

It was at that moment my epiphany had come: Fred was gone. Saving myself for him would only result in me wasting my life away. He would have died for nothing. Neville cared about me – to what degree, I wasn't sure, but I knew he cared for me very much. And I knew I trusted him. I could at least give it a shot.

"Just tell me when you're ready. I'll be here."

Suddenly, in one sweeping motion, I leapt into his lap and tightly wrapped my arms around his soft figure. Neville took the hint and his breath hitched before he moved his face ever closer to mine. Before I knew it, he touched our lips and I pulled back quick enough to say, "I'm ready."

"Are you su...?" But I interrupted his question with another convincing kiss.