Chapter Eight: I Miss You

The kiss didn't last as long as I thought it might. Neville pulled back with a hesitant demeanour. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy and everything."

"I'm confused."

"I don't want to get into this if I'm just someone you're with because you feel lonely, Sara."

That was kind of insulting. He was my best friend; I wouldn't want to be with him just to use him as rebound company. I'd be putting too much at risk. "Neville, you know I care about you. I wouldn't use you like that."

"I know; I'm sorry. I trust you. It's just, I really like you, and I'd hate to find out that you don't fancy me in return, y'know?"

I couldn't say that I did truly fancy him in return. I mean, he was cute and cared about me more than anything, but I wasn't melting over him. He was my best friend – my rock. I could rely on him to be there for me through anything, and I cared so strongly for him, about as much as I cared for Fred. I was in this to find if that was the difference between infatuation and love. "I think we have a really great potential, and I want to see where it leads."

Neville beamed. "I'm glad."

Ever since the war, George and Katie had been trying to get Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes back up and running. Finally, when the task had been completed, they invited the group of us to come and visit them. This would be the first time anyone would see Neville and I together and there were mixed emotions anticipating their reactions. I hoped everyone would be supportive, but it was fairly soon after Fred's death and someone might be opposed.

"Are we ready to go?" Mrs. Weasley shouted through the house, gathering everyone in the living room. "I've your Floo Powder..."

"Mum, we can all Apparate now. It's fine." Ron groaned. It's amazing how his mother still embarrassed him, even in adulthood. He had Hermione by the hand, tugging her after him.

"Ronald, would you relax?" She pulled her arm back, forcing him to stop in his tracks. "You're hurting me!"

His ears turned red. "Sorry Hermione. I just want to get out of here."

Hermione rolled her eyes and grasped his hand tighter. "See you all at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." Before the rest of us knew it, she had Apparated them.

"I see we're on our way then," I said, casually taking Neville's hand in mine. "Come on, let's go."

"See you all there!" Neville smiled and waved before we Apparated.

As soon as we landed on the front step of the Weasley twins' shop, Neville and I burst out laughing. "Do you think we confused everyone?" I asked.

"I don't know," he coughed through a laugh and instantly became straight-faced. "That could just have been two friends leaving together."

"Not for Ginny," I smiled. "She knows what's going on."

His giggles began to work themselves up again. "That girl..."

But he couldn't finish before Ginny, Harry and Luna Apparated behind us. "What happened there?" Luna's gentle voice asked.

Ginny winked at Neville and I then turned back to the others. "I think they're..."

"Yeah." If anyone was going to break the news, I wanted it to be me. "Neville and I are an item now."

Hermione and Ron must have snuck up behind us, because I did not expect to hear his voice. "Good for you, Nev!" The clap Ron planted on Neville's back ended up shaking me back and forth.

George and Katie greeted us happily, but the shop was packed so they were rather busy. I guess after the war witches and wizards everywhere needed a good pick-me-up. I didn't blame them – and I was actually happy they were going to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. George told me to come back to work when I was ready; I told him I'd be back by the end of the month. Things were starting to look up.

"Nice to see you all, but we have got a lot of work to do!" Katie was shouting over the volume of their customers. "Come back later!"

When the opportunity arose, Hermione took me book shopping at Flourish and Blotts. "I haven't been here in a while..." Hermione looked at me with her head tilted to the side as she held the door open for me.

"When was that?"

"First year at Hogwarts... The day I met Cedric, actually."

"Oh," she squeaked awkwardly. "I'm going to look around; you can..."

"I'll be around," I told her.

Searching the shop for nothing in particular was more fun than I'd anticipated. The book titles excited me to a point where I had a pile of eight or nine in my arms before dumping half the pile. When I reached the quills and parchment, I dropped my books on the floor and began inspecting the different types of ink. This may come in handy later on...

That night, Ginny told me not to stay in her room – she didn't want to wake up and find Neville sleeping there as well. She told us to stay in George's empty room. Maybe it was the memories of being in that room countless times before, but I fell asleep breathing in Neville's warm scent and woke up to a frightening sight. The arms around me were lanky, freckled and familiar. I opened my eyes and found myself gasping for air.

"Hey, sweetheart."

"What are you doing here?"

The man before me tossed his long, red hair and kissed my cheek. "I've missed you, Sara."

"Why did you have to leave?"

Fred chuckled and stroked the hair out of my face. "It was an accident; no one planned for this to happen. I've been watching, but it's not the same. I miss holding you like this."

"I miss you..." Then it hit me – I was just lying in bed with Neville. Had he seen that, too?

"I noticed you're with Neville now."

My throat went dry, but I couldn't back out now. He left me; George said I should be happy. I forced out a very small "Yes."

"I'm glad you could find someone. I was scared you wouldn't want to." His face was fading quickly. I tried to hold on as tight as I could, but he was slipping ever faster. "He's a great bloke. Be happy with him."

A jolt woke me up, for real this time, and I saw Neville staring directly into my eyes. "Are you okay, Sara? You were talking in your sleep."

I panicked. "What did I say?"

"Nothing I could pick out – just a bunch of nonsense."

Backing up my firm belief that a relationship cannot be built on lies, I sucked in my breath and looked at him weakly. "I dreamed of Fred."

"Oh?" He sat up and cradled my head in his lap. "What about?"

"He told me he knew about us; he told me to be happy."

Neville smiled down at me and stroked my hair just as Fred had done what felt like only moments before. "So I suppose I've got his blessing then?"

"I suppose so."