Neville's POV
"Neville, we're going to be late!"
"I know! Sorry!"
He let her into the Gryffindor Tower, still clad in his robe. They had agreed to meet outside the Tower at nine a.m., but Neville's alarm did not go off until nearly 8:45. He managed to shower and fix his hair, but he wore only underpants and a robe. At ten past nine, when he was still not ready, he decided he better go downstairs and explain to Lenore why he was running late. She had not been pleased to see him unprepared in only a blue and white striped robe. Neville invited her upstairs so she could wait with some company.
Blustering cold and freezing rain would no doubt plague the skies before the day's end. It was unusual for the middle of October to be this positively polar, but the weather forecaster on the radio had said this winter would be brutal. Lenore came prepared in thick black leggings, a black fleece jumper, warm grey socks, brown waterproof ankle boots, and a puffy basil-hued down vest. Her long golden brown hair fell down her shoulders in thick layers and she wore the prettiest shade of lipstick that complimented her eye color.
Meanwhile, Neville stood in his robe picking through his dresser as if he had all the time in the world.
"Neville!" she clapped her hands on each syllable of his name. "Let's go! The carriages start leaving at nine-thirty! It's Nine-fifteen!"
"They start leaving at nine-thirty. They don't all leave until after ten."
"Yes, but it's supposed to start sleeting later. I don't want to be in the carriage when that mess starts."
Neville continue to stare down into his dresser. He had no idea what to wear. Finally, he decided on navy trousers, a a light blue dress shirt with a slightly darker blue jumper vest, and a dark indigo peacoat. Lenore stood in the bathroom while he changed, then he called her back.
"You look good," she grinned.
He stammered out his appreciation.
She sat on the edge of his bed as he put on his socks. "So, since we're going to be late anyway, how has your week been?"
"Good," he said as he realized his socks did not match. He got up to select a new pair and he saw Lenore clench her fist, which amused him. "I passed that Potions test."
"Did you?" she exclaimed. "That's great!"
"How'd you do?"
"I… got an Outstanding," she said with a hint of hesitation in her voice.
Neville grinned. "Wow. Why are you embarrassed?"
She shrugged. "I don't like telling people my grades. I like to set the bar low, so when I do the bare minimum, people are still proud of me."
He laughed. "That's nuts. If I got grades as good as yours, I'd tell everyone."
"That reminds me," she said, "I failed my Transfiguration quiz last week!"
"You didn't!"
"I did. McGonagall took me out in the hallway and asked if everything was okay. I had to tell her I forgot to study."
"You never study," Neville pointed out.
"Yes, but she doesn't have to know that."
Neville smiled at this beautiful girl sitting on his bed. She returned the gesture, which made his heart do a little dance. It had been a six weeks and one day since the first time he kissed her, but with each passing week, his admiration only grew stronger. This was the first time they were visiting Hogsmeade together. Lenore had originally planned to go with her friends, but they urged her to arrange a date with Neville, so he gladly accepted. Today was mostly unplanned however, minus the exception of lunch with Derek and Margaux. They had plans to ride down to the village with Seamus and Terry, but those hopes might be dashed unless Terry was also running late.
Lenore checked her watch. "So, what was the highlight of your week?"
Neville thought a moment. "Probably when Seamus called McGonagall 'Minnie' behind her back and she heard him."
"What happened?" she gasped.
"She gave him detention last night."
"So that's where he was. You know, I almost bet I could call Slughorn 'Horace' and he would still love me."
"But could you do it with Snape?"
"I'd be scared to. But I don't think he'd give me detention. I think he would just make a rude comment and tell me to stop being stupid."
"Does he call you stupid?" Neville asked.
"No. Lazy. But not stupid," she smiled. "What does he call you?"
"Stupid," he said, as a grin appeared on his face.
Lenore laughed. "You're not stupid. At least not in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He has to realize that."
"Good to know I'm 'not stupid' in 'at least' one class," he teased her.
She flung a hand to her mouth. "Merlin, sorry. Did I really say that? You're not stupid in any class."
"It's okay," he smiled. "Except now two teachers know I'm dreadful at Potions."
"Now two teachers know I'm great at Potions," she played.
"Alright," he said, "quit bragging."
Lenore smiled. "If Professor Sprout had a club full of conceited wankers like Slughorn does, I'm sure you would be her crown jewel."
Neville wrapped his arms into his thick navy peacoat. "Thank you, that means a lot to me."
"You should get her to start one. Call it 'Pom Crew,' for her first name."
Neville grinned and shook his head. "I'm pretty sure forming an exclusive club goes against everything Hufflepuff believes in."
Lenore faked a puking motion. "Yuck. I want to be in everything exclusive I can get into."
"Let's form our own exclusive club," Neville suggested.
"How would that work?" she grinned.
"It would be just the two of us, it's that exclusive. We call it… 'Club Nevore'."
Lenore laughed loudly. "And what do we do in this club?"
"Whatever you want."
"Can we just sit around and make out, with the occasional witty banter and wise advice?"
"Oh, that is preferred," he smiled.
Lenore stood up and kissed him on the lips. She pulled away just enough to say, "I now call this meeting of Club Nevore to order."
Neville chuckled against her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly. Her hands slid their way behind his head, as she played with the hair at the nape of his neck. The kiss was warm and impish, the type Neville enjoyed immensely. Lenore took his bottom lip in between hers and softly ran her tongue across his. He fully expected her to pull away after a short time, given her anxiousness to miss the carriages, but she did not. She continued kissing him with affection.
As their passion built, he felt her grow braver with her movements. Her teeth etched the inside of his lip for a brief moment, then she broke away. Again, on the next kiss, her teeth just barely brushed his bottom lip. He ran his hands up to the back of her head, holding her steady as he could not stop himself from releasing a small whimper.
Her fingernails dug into his skin, which sent a shudder down his spine. The kisses grew more wild, quickening the beat of his heart. He bit her bottom lip once and she did not seem adverse to it, so he tried again.
"Holy shit," she murmured against his mouth.
He smiled and repeat this motion. His teeth trailed her lip softly and lovingly. As they settled into each other's movements, she slipped her hands into the back pockets of his trousers and clutched his butt. He opened his eyes wide as she pulled him, by the arse, against her body.
He stopped kissing her immediately. Lenore pulled away and watched him open and close his mouth several times, as if too shocked to speak.
"Is this okay?" she asked. She wanted to make sure he felt comfortable.
"Y-y-yes," he stammered.
"Good," she smiled. "You can touch my butt, too, anytime you want."
"O-okay," he said, obviously still a bit shaken. "I-I'll leave my hands on your back for now."
"Alright. So, how about you kiss me again?"
He obeyed and his lips met hers once more. Every single one of her fingers gripped his fleshy bum and she giggled as she tightened her hold on his right cheek. Merlin, she made him feel things he had never felt before. He could tell she was stopping herself from giggling nervously, so he smiled against her mouth to give her the opportunity to laugh. Her laugh was one of the most beautiful and melodious sounds he had ever heard, despite how loud it always was. He did not mind one bit. Her laugh made him feel comfortable and warm inside. He would do anything to hear her chuckle, even if it was at his expense.
This laugh, however, was not because he was doing something wrong or funny or odd, it was because she was happy. Lenore laughed whenever she was happy, even if nothing was funny. While Neville tended to stick to simply smiling, when Lenore was truly happy, she became incredibly animated. Loud laughs and unrestrained squeals, huge grins and crazy gestures, she was not afraid to show happiness. Other emotions, however… if she wasn't happy, she could feel literally any other emotion and he would have no idea. The only way he could vaguely tell her mood was the looks of her expressive face, and those were more reactions. If someone said something stupid, her mouth flattened and she furrowed her eyebrows. When she showed sympathy, she pouted and tilted her head. But her own emotions remained a mystery to him, besides glee.
After a few moments of glorious kissing, Neville worked up the courage to allow his hands to travel down her back. He placed a single hand vertically on her left butt cheek, not clutching it nor holding it, but merely permitting his hand to rest loosely on it. She immediately stopped kissing him and began laughing.
"W-what?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just how nervous you seem."
He smiled softly. "Maybe because I am."
"It's just a bum."
"But it's the person it's attached to."
"Smack it."
His eyes widened. "S-sma—what?"
She was giggling quite a bit now. "Smack my arse."
"N-n-no!" he stammered, looking more shocked than ever.
"Why not?"
"B-because I can't hit you."
"Neville," she rolled her eyes, "that's not hitting me."
"A smack is definitely a hit."
"Come on. Smack my arse."
"W-why do you want me to?"
"Because, I think it's funny. Neville Longbottom. Smacking a girl's arse."
His face burned bright red and Lenore kissed his lips. She broke away to continue giggling. "You don't have to—"
But she was cut off by Neville's left hand stinging her butt cheek. Her mouth fell open when she saw his anxious face and realized he had struck her.
"Oh my god!" she shrieked with laughter. "You actually did it!"
"H-h-how was that?"
She kissed him once more, attacking his lips with her smile. Both of his hands lightly cradled her bum. He was still obviously nervous to be touching her there. After a bit of snogging, he lowered his right hand from its position resting on the top of her butt. He cupped her cheeks from below and pressed his fingers tight against her skin. Lenore began giggling against his mouth, so he released his firm grasp.
"No," she murmured, "you can do that. That's not why I'm laughing."
He pulled his face away and returned the chuckling. "Why are you laughing so much?"
"Because," she collapsed into his chest in a fit of amusement, "you're so sweet and innocent, but when I tell you to do these things, you're actually really good at them."
"O-oh," his eyes widened. "T-that's good."
Lenore glanced up to see him cringing. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed his collarbone. "Come on, we've got to go or the carriages will leave without us."
He nodded and allowed her to take his hand and lead him out of the Gryffindor Tower. The pair were quiet, until Neville broke the silence. "So… does this mean I can touch your bum anytime I want?"
She laughed. "Yeah, as long as I'm in the mood for it, I want you to."
He reached out and touched a hand to her butt, then instantly pulled away and smiled like a little kid on Christmas.
"Quit," she laughed. "Not in public. I hate when couples do that."
"So do I," he smiled. "But now that I am one of those couples, that might change."
"It's not going to change. We're not that annoying."
He shrugged.
"So help me God, if you touch my ass in public, I will beat yours."
"That's kind of hot."
She punched him in the arm. "Do not try me, Longbottom. Speaking of which, you don't have a long bottom. It's actually quite round and perky."
He flushed red and she immediately laughed. "That shut you up, didn't it?"
"I-it did. Thanks a lot."
"You know I don't like P.D.A.," she smiled. "Especially today, don't do it in front of my sister. That's too weird."
"I won't. But you don't like any P.D.A.? None at all?"
She thought a moment. "Definitely not kissing or hugging for more than a few seconds. Nothing even remotely like snogging. I don't even like when couples look at each other for too long. But if I want to hold your hand or if you want to put a hand on my back, I'm not adverse to things like that. Just think about what makes you uncomfortable when couples are near you."
"So, touching is okay, but you want it to be discreet?"
"Discreet, yes! That's a good word. Oh hey! Seamus is over there."
Lenore pointed towards the courtyard, where they had been expected to meet Seamus about fifteen minutes ago. The boy gave a short wave.
"Hey!" he said. "Why is everyone late today?"
"Where's Terry?" asked Lenore.
"No clue. I told him to meet me in front of the Great Hall, but then he wasn't there, so I figured I'd wait here. But I haven't seen him yet."
At that moment, Terry appeared in the courtyard with his dorm mates Anthony Goldstein and Michael Corner. Seamus's frown grew deeper, which Neville noticed immediately. The boy did not seem to want to be mates with the other two roommates.
"Shea!" called Terry as he held up an arm for their intricate high-five.
"Ter!" the Irish lad returned the enthusiasm.
"Why not 'Ter Bear?'" smirked Lenore.
"A bit much, isn't it?" Terry smiled. "How ya doin' Lenny?"
"'Lenny?'" she laughed as she returned his hug. "I didn't know we were that close."
He shrugged. "Anthony calls you Lenny."
The blonde boy blushed as he also hugged Lenore. "Yeah, sorry. Alicia refers to you as that, so I must have picked it up from her."
"That's perfectly fine! Hi, Michael."
He smiled and swept his long black fringe from his face. All the boys greeted Neville with a handshake.
"So," asked Seamus, "are we all riding down together?"
They all agreed and climbed into an empty carriage. Seamus still looked a bit perturbed that he was not alone with his new mate, Terry, but he eventually got over it and struck up a conversation that everyone participated in. The ride was bumpy and cold as chilly, wet winds whipped around the five students. Lenore's cheeks burned bright red from the brisk breeze, which made Neville smile, even though he was sure his cheeks looked even worse.
The back wheel of the carriage feel into a deep rut and Lenore bounced up on the seat. As the cart rumbled violently, Neville put and arm around her to steady her as he firmly planted his feet. Lenore held onto the sides of the carriage, until she realized that exposed her bare fingers to the cold, so she instead opted to let Neville hold her tighter.
Michael interrupted Terry's story about his trip to the lake and said, "Wait. Are you two… together?"
They both nodded as Lenore said, "Yep."
"No way!" Anthony exclaimed. "No fuckin' way! Neville, look at you!"
Neville's shoulder took a punch from Anthony and he smiled uncomfortably.
"How long as this been going on?" Michael asked.
Lenore waited to give Neville the opportunity to answer, but he realized this too late, so she continued. "About six weeks."
"Cool," both Michael and Anthony said while nodding.
"How are things with you-know-who?" Lenore smirked as she stared Anthony directly in the eye.
"With Voldemort?" Michael grinned.
Lenore laughed and said, "No, I think we all know who."
Anthony obviously did not enjoy being put on the spot. "I—er—well— you know, I'm sure."
"I actually don't," she smiled innocently. "Are you two talking or what?"
"We're… I don't know."
"Have you snogged her?" Terry asked.
"Okay, wait," Seamus interrupted. "Who are we talking about? Not Voldemort?"
Neville nodded along. Anthony waited for Lenore to answer, but this time she kept mum. "Alicia Spinnet," he finally blushed. "And no, we haven't… snogged."
"There was a pause!" Terry said. "They did something other than snogged!"
"No! Honest to god, we haven't even kissed. She… I can't tell how she feels about me."
"I heard she was a lesbian," Seamus said.
Lenore whirled her head around to Seamus instantly. Neville could tell she knew something Seamus did not. "No," Lenore said. "She's not a lesbian."
"Maybe lesbian wasn't the word I heard," he tried again. "What is it when you fancy boys and girls?"
"Asexual?" tried Michael.
"No, you idiot, that means you don't feel any sexual attraction."
"Bisexual," offered Terry.
"Yes! Susan Bones told me Alicia was bisexual."
"She fancies… girls?" Anthony gapped as his eyes widened. "Oh Merlin, I can't compete with girls!"
Everyone tilted their heads in slight agreement.
"Even you agree, Lenny?" Anthony asked.
"I mean… I'm not bi, but… logically, girls are better. We're nicer, cleaner, prettier, softer. Based on logic alone, everybody should fancy girls. But that's not what happens."
Anthony groaned.
"So, you fancy girls?" Seamus said to Lenore with a wicked grin.
"No," she stared him down. "And don't act like bisexual women are only there for you nasty males to have threesomes with. That's not how it works."
Seamus shrugged. "I'm not judging anyone. Everyone's sexual preference is valid."
Lenore rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine, Anthony. No matter who she fancies, I'm sure you could be in that equation somewhere."
"I hope so," he said quietly.
"Seriously," Lenore said. "Just make a move. She'll most likely say yes."
Seamus continued to snicker. "And you," she turned to Seamus. "What about you and Katie?"
Seamus leaned back in his seat. "I fancy her, but not enough to not snog other birds in the meantime."
Lenore rolled her eyes yet again and pursed her lips. "Okay, there's actually not anything wrong with that."
"And what about you and Neville?" Seamus grinned in retaliation.
"What about us?" she said.
"What have you two been up to lately?" he smirked again.
Cooly, she replied, "We actually fucked on your bed this morning."
Neville's eyes grew as wide as Seamus's. Even Terry, Anthony, and Michael were clearly shocked, although they laughed like maniacs, tumbling over each other and punching Seamus in the arm. Seamus choked on a sputter as he attempted to come up with some words.
"She's kidding!" Neville interjected. "Merlin, she's joking."
He looked down at Lenore, who sat with her arms crossed, smiling in satisfaction. "I am. But that'll teach you to be a wanker."
"You are the worst," Seamus finally laughed. He turned to the other three boys. "You know they started a relationship without hooking up first?"
"No way," Terry said. "Is that even possible?"
"It's rare to hear that," Anthony agreed.
"But Michael never hooked up with Ginny, so—"
"Do not talk about her around me," Michael interrupted.
Lenore asked, "Why?"
"She's fucking insane. I dated her for six months last year. Lenore, she's batshit crazy."
"Why? What did she do?"
"She's possessive. And cranky. And… I don't even know. She plays with your mind, Lenore. She gets in there and roots around until you're so confused that all you can do it agree with her. She's psycho."
"Okay," Lenore said, "but is she actually, or is this another bullshit line men use when they did something to warrant a bird acting 'crazy?'"
"No, Lenny," Terry said. "He's right. She's got issues."
Anthony nodded along, but Neville kept quiet. He was not sure how to feel. One one hand, Ginny was his good friend. She had always been nice and caring towards him. On the other hand, he witnessed the way she treated blokes she dated. Especially Dean. Michael was definitely right about how she got into her date's brain. Dean was wrapped around her finger, no matter how much he resisted. It was obvious by this point that Dean did not actually fancy Ginny, but rather he simply wanted to move on from Margaux.
The group departed the carriage and went their separate ways— Seamus and Terry towards a sweets shop, Anthony and Michael to the Three Broomsticks, and Lenore and Neville walked aimlessly down the street without a plan. Neville opened the door for her at each shop they visited, and after four shops, he garnered the courage to touch a hand to her back as he followed her inside. The first time, as he pried open the heavy wooden door to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, she did not react, so he figured she either did not feel it or she was ignoring his touch. He brushed his fingers against her jumper under her puffy vest once more in the doorway to The Magic Neep, a grocery store, and she turned around to smile.
"That's the second time you've done that, so now I know it's on purpose."
He nodded, avoiding her eye as he checked out the organic turnips for sale. Nothing caught their interest in the grocery store, so they moved on to a robes shop. This time, she held the door open for him.
"After you."
He returned her grin and her fingers tapped his lower back, just as he had done to her. He had expected her to mock his movement, but what surprised him is how good it felt. The gesture was simple, but it sent electrifying shivers up his spine and made him feel warm and appreciated.
"I love equality, don't you?" she played.
"Yeah," he smiled.
She giggled and said, "This is probably our last shop before we meet Margaux and Derek."
Neville glanced down to his watch. "Oh wow. I didn't even notice it's nearly noon."
Lenore was about five steps ahead of him, checking out the shelves in Zonko's Joke Shop. "Time flies when you're scheming ways to sneak in P.D.A."
She smirked at him over her shoulder, then continued walking with a bounce in her step.
Neville could not believe they had been dating a month and a half and she was still doing things that surprised him. He knew she was gorgeous. He knew she was sarcastic. But something about her in that exact moment, when she combined her charm with her sass and threw her head back to smile radiantly at him, made him melt. He quickened his pace to catch up with her and replied, "It really does."
Her joy twinkled in her eyes as she grabbed his hand. He gave her limb a quick squeeze and assumed she would let go, but she still held on to him. Even when he loosened his grasp, she held tight and continued walking. "Are you… okay with hand holding?" he asked.
"Right now I am," she smiled. "Because you're being cute."
"I'm being cute?" he widened his eyes.
"Yeah," she smiled.
Neville shook his head. "Len, I would never, ever have guessed you'd be this mushy in a relationship."
"Mushy?" she exclaimed as her smile turned into a demanding frown. "How?"
"I can't explain it. You like the little things and I would never have guessed that."
She circled around the back of the shop, Neville in tow, and started down the other aisle towards the door. "What do you mean?"
"You… you seem to enjoy the little things about this relationship. Like having someone to smile at, or do homework with, or even just to talk to. And I don't know… I kind of thought I would have to do more to impress you, you know?"
"Are you saying I have low expectations?" she laughed.
"No! Well… maybe. You're just not one for big romantic gestures. You like little sweet things. Right?"
She nodded. "I liked the flowers you give me. I think that's a big gesture."
"You think flowers are a big gesture?" he raised his brow.
"Yeah? Do you not?"
"No. Not at all. I consider that little."
"Then what's a big gesture?"
He thought a moment. "Like writing poetry or painting or buying you things."
"No," she shook her head. "That stuff is dumb. Well, not dumb, I just don't expect it. Or want it. Especially you buying me things, definitely do not. I just like spending time with you."
She gave his hand a squeeze. "And being close to you."
His heart fluttered and he gave her a smile.
"Do you want big gestures?" she asked. "I can write you a poem, but I'd turn it into a joke."
"No. No, I like little things, too. Maybe one day I'd like to see your write that poem, but…"
"I can do it right now," she said as she pushed open the door to the street. The air was much colder already and thundering clouds appeared overheard, despite an absence of rain. "Roses are red, violets are blue, you're about as jumpy around me as a young kangaroo."
He laughed. "Not awful."
"You try."
"I try?"
She nodded.
"Alright," he thought a moment. "Roses are red, violets are blue, you're about as loud as a noisy kazoo."
A laugh escaped her mouth, but she quickly covered her face with her hand. "I'm not loud!"
"You are," he smiled.
"No!"
"You're quite loud now actually."
She glared at him, but still grinned. "I am not."
"People were staring at us when you laughed."
"Maybe they were staring because we've done too much P.D.A.," she said as she pulled her hand away from him.
"I don't think so. But you're definitely not loud in a bad way."
"Wow, thanks."
Neville opened the door to Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop for her, and the second his hand touched her back, she spun around, in the middle of the doorway, and said, "Don't."
For a split second, Neville was scared, until he saw her amusement. Relief swept over him and he smiled. "S-sorry."
"No you're not."
"Len, get inside, you're letting all the heat out."
She stepped inside the ornately decorated tea shop and stood by the door. "Where should we sit?"
Neville suggested a booth near the back of the shop, so Lenore followed him inside. He took his place on the bench and she slid in next to him, which surprised him. He expected her to sit across from him, but instead there she was, her thigh occasionally brushing his in the close quarters.
"Derek and Margaux should be here any moment," she said. "But we are a little early."
"That's fine," he replied. He tilted his head towards two younger Hufflepuffs making out in the corner booth, then whispered in Lenore's ear, "I see why you don't like P.D.A. This is uncomfortable."
"Very," she agreed. "Merlin H. Wizard, they're just going at it, aren't they?"
"I'm pretty sure he's full-on grabbing her boob under her shirt."
Lenore cringed. "Yuck. Not in public."
She glanced around and he followed suit. "Almost everyone in here is snogging," he said.
Lenore counted, "There are nineteen tables filled and twelve of them have couples making out or touching each other."
Neville placed his hand on top of hers on the table. "Thirteen."
She rolled her eyes, but laughed, then slid her hand out from underneath his. "Twelve."
Neville smiled and picked up a menu, until Lenore's fingers snagged his chin and urged him to face her once more.
"Thirteen."
Her lips touched his for one short kiss, before she separated herself from him. She grinned at his obviously surprised face.
"Neville!" called a deep voice behind Lenore. "And Lenore! How are you guys!"
Neville tore his eyes away from Lenore to witness Dean hurrying towards them, Ginny not far behind.
.
Dean's POV
Thank. God.
Lenore and Neville would save him from Ginny. The girl had been yammering on and on for two hours and Dean's mouth had not cracked open in the last forty minutes at least. It almost hurt his lips to finally open his mouth and speak. Bless Neville and bless Lenore, they would make this frilly tea shop date a little less weird.
Dean and Ginny were not the "date" type people. Each of their dates began with Ginny talking for an hour, and then Dean snogging her to shut her up. He did not hate Ginny, but he did resent her just the tiniest bit. She could be annoying, but he never got the impression she abused him, despite what Seamus argued. Dean knew he would have to put up with some things bad things in a relationship, but he did not know what bad meant. His last girlfriend, Mary Moretti back in third year, could hardly be considered a girlfriend. Fourteen year old loves are never actual love, especially considering he and Mary only kissed twice and the entire relationship lasted a couple months.
Ginny was Dean's first real girlfriend, so he had no idea what to expect. He knew she should not be as annoying as she was, but he did not consider her "abusive," as Seamus had called her. No, Ginny was persistent and strong-willed, but she was never cruel to him. Mostly.
"Mind if we sit down?" Dean asked.
"No," Neville said. "Go ahead! We're just waiting for—"
"Is smells a bit odd in here doesn't it?" Ginny interrupted.
Neville closed his mouth, looking vaguely dejected, and allowed the girl to speak.
"Like they've burnt something? Every time I come here, they burn my food. I send it back every single time."
Lenore placed her menu down and looked at Ginny. "Then why do you keep coming back?"
"I like the atmosphere."
Lenore laughed genuinely. "You just said the atmosphere smells like burning food."
Ginny shrugged. "Normally it doesn't."
Silence lulled over the group and Dean had to think of something to say before Ginny inevitably ushered him out of the booth and back to their own little isolated world.
"So, you said you were meeting other people?"
"Yeah," Lenore nodded. "Margaux and Derek."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Those two have been hanging out quite a bit, haven't they?"
"Wait," Dean said, "isn't Derek…?"
Lenore nodded as Ginny smacked his arm and screeched, "I wasn't insinuating they were together!"
Dean rubbed his shoulder. "Ouch! I just figured by your gossip-y tone…"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "No, I'm just saying, they've been excluding me a lot lately."
"Well, you are with Dean quite a bit," said Lenore.
Ginny ignored her and gestured for the waitress to pay a visit to their table. The older white haired woman took each of their orders. Lenore ordered for Margaux and Derek, both receiving a warm vanilla latte to warm them up before a light lunch. Ginny and Dean ordered as well, which Dean knew would only confuse the waitress when they moved tables. And they would be moving tables. Ginny would not want to sit by Derek and Margaux, especially after she talked bad about them only two minutes ago.
"You like green tea?" Lenore turned to Neville after the waitress left.
"Yeah," he said. "Why?"
"Because when I made you some at lunch last week, you told me you didn't like green tea."
Neville cringed. "Maybe… I just didn't like… your green tea."
She laughed, "Thanks a lot."
"What was wrong with it?" asked Ginny.
"I…" Neville glanced at Lenore. "I don't know. It just didn't taste right."
"How do you mess up green tea?" Dean smiled.
Lenore shrugged. "I must have managed."
"No," Neville sweetly, "i-it was fine. I appreciate it. It was just… really strong."
"Because you basically drink off-colored water!" she giggled.
"No!" he argued. "I-I like to save the tea packets for more than one cup."
Lenore rolled her eyes. "Okay, you penny pincher."
"Penny pincher?" he raised his eyebrows.
Lenore looked around the table. "Yeah… penny… the American currency."
"And why do you pinch them?" Dean asked.
"Because… I don't know! Forget it. It just means he's being cheap."
Neville smiled and wrapped an arm around her lower back. Ginny examined them, then turned to Dean. This would not be good.
"Why don't you hug me like that when we're in public?" she demanded.
"I—er— what? Why would I do that?"
Ginny folded her arms. "Because we are dating."
Neville released his hold on Lenore, knowing the trouble it caused the couple across the table.
"I don't like public affection, remember?" Dean said.
"I don't either," Lenore chimed in.
"Bull," Ginny said. "That's just an excuse because you're embarrassed to be with me."
Lenore and Neville were visibly surprised at her sudden change in mood, both taking on a frightened look.
Dean scooted away from Ginny to face her head on. "Ginevra, you know I'm not."
"Don't use my full name," she squinted at him.
"I'm not embarrassed to be with you, that's absurd! Lenore, you aren't embarrassed to be with Neville! Tell Ginny why you don't like P.D.A.!"
Lenore glanced over at Neville. "I don't like it because it's awkward. It makes the couple the center of attention and I don't want all the focus on us. I think if we receive any attention, it should be as individuals. P.D.A. makes other people uncomfortable and I'm not a touchy person, anyway."
"You are definitely a touchy person," Neville whispered.
"Not to anyone besides you," she scoffed. "I never hug people."
Ginny, her arms folded, examined Neville as he gave Lenore a short nod and quieted down. She tilted her head towards Dean and said, "Dean here doesn't listen to me for shite. Lenore, you've got Neville so well trained."
Neville crinkled his nose, but Lenore slung an arm around his shoulder. "He did pass obedience school with flying colors. Didn't you, boy?"
She tapped a finger to his nose and cooed at him, as if he were a dog. He laughed, knowing she was only kidding, but she still gave him a reassuring squeeze.
Ginny, however, appeared greatly offended. "Well, that was a bit much."
"'A bit much' is training another human being," Lenore pointed out as she removed herself from Neville.
Ginny pursed her lips and turned towards Dean. "Okay, well, I'm over it. What was it you wanted to talk about, babe?"
Dean was utterly confused. "I… what? Did I say something before?"
At once, Ginny attacked his lips. She pushed him into the corner of the booth and Dean heard Lenore make a low noise of annoyance. Ginny ran her hands up his jumper and began to undo the buttons, which was more than uncomfortable for him, but he still returned her passionate kisses. What else could he do? If he pulled away, she would get angry. His jumper was now completely undone and Ginny snaked her hands underneath his shirt to his bare hips. This was beyond weird. He had no clue why she was acting this way suddenly, until he heard a small, "Hi," from the end of the table.
Ginny pulled away and Dean's eyes opened to revealed a shy Margaux and a wide-eyed Derek Davies standing at the edge of the booth.
Ginny wiped her face off with her sleeve and said, "Oh, hi there, Mar! Didn't see you come in!"
It all made sense. Ginny had seen Margaux entered the tea shop and so she attacked Dean to make Margaux jealous. The only problem was, they had discussed the fact that making Margaux jealous would not work. So, who was she doing this for?
"Hi, Ginny," Margaux said quietly. "Hi Dean."
He nodded towards her, his face no doubt illustrating his mortification.
"No hello for me?" smiled Derek.
They all said hello to the fifth year Ravenclaw as Margaux placed her shopping bags on the table. Dean expected Ginny to say her goodbyes and leave the booth, but she remained seated, so there was no way for him to coax her away.
Dean met Lenore's eye and she stared at him with all the judgement she could muster. He knew she was disappointed in him, especially after their conversation to be low-key with Ginny. She was also probably annoyed that two people snogged right in front of her and her sister, but she soon broke Dean's eye contact and began warmly welcoming her sister and Derek.
Margaux looked absolutely stunning today. Short golden blonde hair carefully placed behind her ear, full pink lips smiling, and rosy cheeks from the bitter cold winds outdoors. She seemed to be in a good mood today, along with Derek. Dean was almost jealous that they were having a fun afternoon at Hogsmeade and he was stuck with Ginny.
"How are you today, Dean?" she smiled brightly at him.
His heart gave a single pang. "I'm great, why do you ask?"
"You're being quiet," she teased. "And you look miserable."
Dean could feel Ginny's glare burning his face.
"I'm perfectly happy," he returned her smile.
Her eyes twinkled as she watched him for an extra moment, before turning her eyes on her coat. Margaux slipped her arms out of her dark green peacoat and revealed a black buttoned down V-neck shirt underneath. Dean could feel his eyes nearly pop out of his head when he caught sight of her. No matter how hard he tried, he could not take his eyes off her round, perky, oh-so-perfect breasts in that tight black shirt. He had to stop. He knew he had to stop before she noticed. Or worse, if Ginny noticed. She would go mental and yell at him. Ginny's hand gripped his upper knee and he tore his eyes over to his girlfriend.
Shit. She saw him. And she did not look happy. Her ginger eyebrows furrowed in disgust and her jaw clenched. Thankfully she remained silent. Dean had expected her to yell, but she was quiet. That's what scared him the most about Ginny: her unpredictability.
"I bought candy for everyone!" Margaux smiled.
Dean managed to place his eyes on Margaux's face, rather than her spectacular body, and smiled. She really was the most kind and thoughtful person he knew. She reached into a cloth bag and pulled out a handful of candy.
"Derek already ate what I bought him—"
The boy groaned. "Not this lecture on patience again."
Margaux smiled and ignored him. "So, I have milk chocolate for Lenore… Dean, you can have this white chocolate… gummy candy for Neville… and sourballs for Ginny!"
Everyone thanked her, except Ginny, who pursed her lips and said, "I don't like sourballs."
"I…" Margaux looked around the table, obviously surprised at Ginny's haughty tone. "Oh, I'm sorry! It's Luna who likes sourballs, isn't it? Here! I've got some other flavors!"
She opened her bag even wider and Dean could see her breasts jiggle as she searched frantically for something to appease Ginny. Merlin, he had never seen her dress this way. Usually, Margaux was quite modest, but today… She must not have realized what she wore, or she was trying a new look. And boy, did she pull it off well.
"How about this raspberry thing?"
"No," Ginny replied.
"Do you like peanuts?"
"No."
"What about white chocolate?"
"Yuck."
Dean was starting to get annoyed with Ginny. When someone offers you something out of the goodness of their heart, you take it gratefully, whether you like it for not.
Margaux finally came up with black licorice for Ginny. The red haired girl once again looked over at Dean, who kept his eyes on Margaux's face this time. Still, Ginny did not appreciate not being the prettiest girl in the room. Dean knew she would never admit to that, but it was true. Ginny was easily threatened, which made no sense to him. He did not feel threatened by other men and he guessed most girls did not act that way around each other, but Ginny was insecure and it transposed as cruelty towards other females.
Her nose turned up in the air and her lips once again puffed out in to a sneer. She turned to Margaux and said, "I don't know how you keep your figure eating like that."
Everyone whipped their heads around to Margaux, who had her second piece of candy on her lips.
"What?" she asked quietly.
"The way you eat, you should be about three stone more than you already are."
Dean moved his eyes on everyone else at the table to verify he was not reading too much into this. Derek's mouth opened wide. Lenore, whose facial expressions were always obvious, flattened her brow and glared at Ginny. Even Neville shifted in discomfort.
"Oh," was all Margaux said.
Her face radiated sadness and Dean wanted to say something, but he was scared of Ginny. Finally, Lenore spoke up.
"Why is it any of your business how she eats?"
Dean swung his head around to Lenore. He loved when she got this way. The twinkle in her eye begged for a fight. Lenore arguments were always fun to watch, especially when she was defending her little sister. He recalled one time in their fourth year, an older boy made fun of Margaux's new haircut and Lenore completely obliterated this bloke by taunting him about his bald patch. Dean could not wait to see what she said to Ginny to take her down a peg.
"It's not my business," shrugged Ginny. "I'm just commenting."
"Mmm," said Lenore as her white fingers gripped her teacup with force. "Well, maybe keep comments like that to yourself before you give someone an eating disorder."
The entire table hung onto her every word. Dean and Derek made eye contact as they held back a squeal of excitement in anticipation of Ginny's reply.
"It's okay!" Margaux interrupted. "You're fine, Ginny, don't worry about it!"
Dean hung his shoulders. There would not be a fight today.
"Thank you, Mar," Ginny said as she pushed her licorice away from her.
"Do you not want that?" pointed Lenore.
Maybe there would be a fight. Hostility still sparkled behind Lenore's eye and Dean sat up again in hope.
Ginny looked up and down Lenore, as if checking her body over for imperfections. Dean was appalled. He made a note to speak with Ginny about that look later, but he forgot as soon as Ginny sneered, "Why, do you want it?"
"Me?" said Lenore. "Oh no, I don't want to deprive you of the opportunity to throw it up later."
Derek began laughing wildly. Neville gave Lenore a look that seemed to beg for her to calm down.
"Oh honey," Ginny smirked. "I'm not the one who used to be fat."
"Okay!" Margaux shouted. "Stop! Please!"
Margaux was the non-confrontational type, which was odd for a Gryffindor. She did not enjoy arguing nearly as much as her sister did.
"Please stop," she begged. "It's fine. Really. So, has anybody read any good books lately?"
Lenore's face shifted from anger to her usual calm self with a single blink, which vaguely frightened Dean. "Neville is reading a good book right now, about a famous Herbologist. I pick it up and read it when he's doing his homework."
"What book?" Margaux smiled kindly.
"I-it's called The Heartlessness of Humankind," he said.
Neville's eyes shifted between Lenore and Ginny. It appeared Lenore was over this fight, but Ginny still had a look of bitchiness on her face that almost never went away.
"I-It's an autobiography of Eloween Oberon, a Kenyan witch who travelled all over the word to discover a cure for what is essentially a rare form of wizarding heart disease. She finally found it in a tree root that grows in Argentina, but her discovery was stolen by an American man, Roger Finn, who took all the credit. The scientific community didn't figure out it was Oberon who discovered the cure until about forty years after it was mass produced as medicine. Everyone thought she was crazy and Finn effectively silenced her in the scientific community. She wrote this autobiography on her deathbed, when she found enough proof of her discovery to discredit Finn. But she didn't live long enough to see herself receive credit."
"Wow," Margaux said with wide eyes. "That's incredibly interesting. I'll have to read it."
The table fell silent as the nodding from others died down. Unfortunately, it was Ginny who decided to fill the silence. "Dean here doesn't read."
"What?" he exclaimed. "Yes, I do!"
"Not real books," she scoffed. "They've all got pictures."
Dean could not believe she was tearing him down this much. "Ginny! Those are paintings. It's a book about ancient Greek art."
"I've seen them," Margaux said quietly. "He reads books about famous artists and different art forms, right?"
Dean smiled appreciatively. "Yes."
"Sounds dumb to me," Ginny said.
"And what's the last book you read," Lenore asked, "Go, Owl, Go?"
Her reference to the children's book— not unlike Go, Dog, Go, which Dean's littlest sister loved— did not go unnoticed. Again, Derek laughed loudly and Dean tried his best not to crack a smile. He forced a hand over his mouth but Ginny was too busy glaring at Lenore.
She forced her eyes to turn to Margaux. "Are you going to let you sister talk to your best friend like that?"
Margaux looked around. "I… Um… Well…"
"Or am I not your best friend anymore?"
Passive-aggression was one of Ginny's strong suits. She could twist her way through your brain with only words, like a bullet to the head. Everyone waited in silence for Margaux's reply.
"I… didn't realize we were that close," Margaux hesitated.
Ginny clenched her jaw. "Then who is your best friend?"
Margaux pointed to Derek. "Him and Luna."
Derek high-fived Margaux, until she continued. "We used to be really close, and I don't know what happened."
"I do!" Lenore cut in.
Dean moved his eyes towards the brunette sister as she said, "You're too focused on your boyfriend."
Ginny clutched her chest and gave an indignant scoff. "Well, at least boys at this school actually want to date me, unlike this muggle whore."
"GINNY!" Margaux shouted. "I can't believe you'd say that to me! After all we've been through!"
"Not enough to be your best friend."
"I've always been so kind to you while you treat me like shit!"
The two girls were now going at it so loud that the entire restaurant was glancing over at them. Dean wanted to take Ginny's arm and lead her out of the restaurant, away from where she could hurt Margaux, but there was no time to interrupt.
"You've been kind because that's all you have to offer!" Ginny shouted. "You're not smart, or fun, or even funny, Margaux! Blokes only pay attention to you because you're pretty and they think you'll put out if they talk to you!"
"Ginny!" interjected Dean.
He felt so helpless. He needed to protect Margaux from Ginny. She was positively insane tonight and Dean could not figure out why. He caught Margaux's eyes begging him for help, but all he could do was stare back at her forlorn. Her eyes welled with tears and she pouted her lip. Not a single word escaped her mouth, so Lenore took over.
"Ginny, you are the biggest bitch I've ever met," said Lenore cooly.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Am I?"
"You are. You're mean to other girls because you're jealous and you're mean to blokes to scare them into staying with you. You do all this for attention and at the end of the day, Ginny, you have no real friends and you have had no real relationships."
"Oh, so you're the relationship expert now?"
"No, all I'm saying is that Neville and I treat each other with respect. You trample over men and expect them to bow down to you, when in fact they only bow because you've broken their knee caps."
"That's not true!" Ginny shouted.
It was true, Dean thought.
"It is true," Margaux said through tears. "You trample over your friends, too!"
"Margaux, you're being a real cunt lately!" squealed Ginny. "You're jealous of me and Dean. Jealous that we're together and you don't get to flirt with him anymore!"
"I never flirted with Dean!" she screeched. Her light green tear-soaked eyes met his. "Dean, I never flirted with you."
His heart nearly stopped in confusion. He was conflicted. Part of him wanted to believe—no, pretend— that Margaux had flirted with him. Every so often, he still saw the little spark behind her eye that told him one day she could fancy him, the way he fancied her. But reality always ripped that spark away. And right now, as Margaux stood at the end of the wooden table, staring at him with flooded eyes, he knew she had never flirted with him.
"No," he said as his throat dried up. "No, you didn't."
Ginny glared at Dean, before turning back to Margaux. "When you wear a shirt that low-cut, you can't expect me not to call you a slag."
Margaux glanced down at her chest, then covered her skin with her hands. "I… I like this shirt! I wear this for me, not for people to stare at me!"
"They aren't staring at you, honey! They're staring at your tits!"
Margaux began crying even harder and Lenore stepped in once more. "Ginny, why don't you go fuck off? You weren't even invited to lunch. Get out of this booth and leave us alone."
"Lenore, you can't tell me what to do!" Ginny slammed her hand down on the table. "I'm not leaving! Dean and I were Neville's friends before you!"
"I don't fucking care, Neville can leave, too!" shrieked Lenore. "But you better not insult my sister again."
Ginny looked at Neville, who clearly began panicking. "Alright, so what's it gonna be? Are you going to kick out your best mates or some girl?"
"Ginny!" Lenore cut in. "That's not fair to him! He's not involved in this in anyway."
"No," she shook her head. "Neville, decide. Who is leaving? Me and Dean or Lenore and the other two?"
Neville opened his mouth but no words came out. His scared eyes darted from Lenore to Ginny. He was not used to being around this much drama and the events of the last ten minutes must have taken a toll on him. After a split second, Lenore stood up. "I'll just go, Nev, it's okay. If you need me, I'll be with Mar and Derek. I'm not cross with you."
"No," he grabbed her hand. "Ginny is in the wrong."
Ginny's mouth fell open. When she whipped her head around to exit the booth, Dean nodded in agreement with Neville. "Sorry, mate," he whispered to Neville.
Ginny shoved Margaux as the exited the booth and Derek caught her under the arms before she fell on the carpet. Ginny was at the door before Dean could even react. He helped Margaux upright and their eyes met. She looked at him with all the sadness in the world and he said, without thinking, "Mar, I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry. I'll try to talk to her. Really, I'm on your side one-hundred per cent. I—"
"DEAN!"
Dean shot a glance towards Ginny. He gave Margaux a short hug, which he knew Ginny would kill him for. "I'm so sorry," he said as he felt her body heave with a shallow sob.
"DEAN THOMAS!"
He pulled away and met Margaux's betrayed eyes. One more final whisper of "I'm sorry," and he left her standing in the frilly tea shop, while the cold bitter winds of the outdoors surrounded his every sense.
.
Lenore's POV
Neville immediately turned to Lenore. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have hesitated. It doesn't matter who it was, she was cruel to Margaux and that wasn't right." He shifted his gaze to Margaux, who now had tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mar. Are you okay?"
Lenore nudged Neville's thigh and shoved him over in the booth. She held out her arms for her little sister to crawl into. Margaux hugged Lenore in a warm embrace and cried onto her shoulder. Derek silently took a seat on the opposite side of the table.
"Shh, honey," whispered Lenore, "it's okay. Really."
"No it's not," she whined. "Len, everything is going so wrong lately."
Lenore placed her cheek on the top of Margaux's head. "Why do you say that?"
"B-b-because nothing is going right. Ginny is being so awful. I don't even want to be friends with her anymore. Michael is also annoying and I want to break up with him but he loves me. And I just want to be friends with Dean again. He's being so weird ever since I kissed him. I assume he told you?"
Lenore nodded. "He told me."
Margaux screamed into her sister's shoulder. "I hate myself. I can't believe I did that."
"It's okay," she whispered. "It's fine."
Lenore debated whether or not to just come out and tell Margaux about Dean's crush on her. In some ways, it would be better, others it would be worse. As Margaux sobbed, Lenore leaned over to Neville. He placed his ear next to her mouth and she softly whispered, "Should I tell her about Dean?"
Neville shook his head vigorously.
She returned to his ear. "Neville, I really think it would help. And I could just say—"
"What are you whispering about?" Margaux whined.
"Nothing," she said, immediately moving away from Neville. "But Mar… Dean really values you. And when you kissed him… He got confused. You confused him. He wants to be friends with you again, to be close to you again, but right now he's exploring himself. I don't know why he thinks Ginny is a good way to explore himself. Do you know why she's acting like this all of a sudden?"
"It's been going on since last year," Margaux whined. "She thinks she's so much older than Luna and me, like she wants to pretend she's more mature, when the fact is, I've kissed more blokes than she has."
"She's jealous," said Derek, who had been unusually quiet during this exchange.
"No," Margaux argued.
"Yes," both Lenore and Derek said at the same time.
Derek continued. "She doesn't like that you get more attention from males. Ginny is beautiful in her own way, but you're beautiful in the traditional sense and she doesn't like that."
"It's because she wants to be beautiful in that traditional sense," said Lenore. "Trust me, I've felt it before."
"Guys, I'm not that pretty," Margaux said. "Can we just stop talking about it?"
"Mar," Lenore rolled her eyes. "You're blonde. You're athletic. You've got boobs. You're tan. You can open magazines and see girls who look like you. Tons of other girls can't."
"And that makes me boring. I don't stand out."
Derek and Lenore laughed with mockery.
"Honey," said Derek, "you could walk up to any single guy at Hogwarts and snog him within seconds."
"Everybody can do that," she groaned.
Derek grew quiet. "You think I can do that? You think I can walk up to any guy I want and start flirting with him? I would get punched in the face, Margaux. Hogwarts may be a pretty tolerable place, especially for purebloods like me, but I constantly have to watch my back. Masculinity is fragile and if I flirt with the wrong guy… People like me die every day for it."
Margaux sat up and looked at Derek. She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. "You're right. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright," he gave her a sad smile.
"Mar, you are gorgeous," Lenore said. "You can do whatever you want. You could do whatever you want even if you were ugly. Nobody is stopping you."
Margaux groaned. "I need advice. What do you think I should do?"
Lenore started to open her mouth, but Margaux cut her off. "No, I'm not asking you. Neville and Derek, what should I do?"
"Why aren't you asking me?" Lenore demanded.
"You don't give me very good advice."
"I give you great advice!"
Margaux ignored her with a small smile to Neville. "What should I do?"
"I… I think… I really don't like giving advice, because I never do anything right myself."
She sat up straight. "What would you do if Lenore had turned you down?"
He glanced at Lenore. "I-I would have tried to move on. B-but I don't think you need to worry too much about moving on, because you don't seem to really fancy Michael. I think you need to break up with Michael for the first step. You obviously don't fancy him and it's cruel to lead him on. A-and then I would explore people. Don't date anyone, but you know… snog people."
Lenore turned to him."If I hadn't fancied you, you would have gone on a snog-spree?"
"N-no, but Margaux seems like the type to want to do that."
"Are you calling my sister a slag?" Lenore laughed.
"No! Merlin, no. S-sorry. Margaux, I-I just meant you should go out and have fun. Whatever your definition of 'fun' is, do it."
Margaux laughed. "Actually, my definition of fun is snogging blokes, so he was right. What do you think Derek?"
"Neville is one-hundred per cent right. But more emphasis on the dating around. I want you to break up with Michael, today, and then go out and snog someone. Today."
"But he won't get the letter for a week!"
"Alright, next Saturday. This is perfect. I'm throwing a little party in my dorm room. You're going to snog somebody at my party next week."
"Who are you inviting?"
"Mostly Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. You two are invited, as well, if you want to come," Derek pointed to Lenore and Neville.
Lenore took her teacup away from her lips. "Oh… as much as I'd like to see my own sister seduce a man, I'm going to have to pass."
"Alright," Margaux sighed. "I'll do it. Derek, help me write the letter when we get back."
He rubbed his hands together. "Gladly."
Margaux sighed once more and leaned into Lenore's shoulder. She closed her eyes. "Why is getting older so much more difficult?"
"It only gets harder," Lenore said.
The three other people groaned, so she argued, "What? It does! You know it does!"
Margaux let out a low noise of annoyance. "I know it does."
She removed herself from Lenore and sat down next to Derek
"Miss Henry!"
The table of four shifted their eyes to Professor Slughorn heading towards their table.
"Bloody hell," Derek said as he hid his face.
"I believe I should clarify!" Slughorn said with a grin on his face. "The younger Miss Henry. Although, I must congratulate the elder Miss Henry on an eloquently written essay last week."
Lenore blushed and said a simple thank you.
"And hello Mr. Longbottom, how are you doing today?"
"I-I'm fine, sir," he stammered.
Slughorn gave a short nod, then turned his gaze to Derek, who was obviously avoiding his professor's eye. "Ah! Dagwood! Did you… did you ever complete the essay I gave you that extension on?"
"No, sir," Derek cringed. "Still… still working on it."
Another nod from Slughorn and an uncomfortable smile.
"Anyway," he perked up, "I came to ask Margaux a question. I noticed you seem to be down lately. I was wondering if I could give you a special task for the Slughorn?"
Lenore felt a twinge of jealously, although could not explain why.
"What is it, sir?"
"You… will be planning our Halloween party! Every member is invited, of course—" He tilted his head towards Lenore and Neville. When he saw Derek, his smile faltered once more as he said, "—as well as a date, if they so choose. This will be smaller than the Christmas party and much more relaxed. I daresay more fun, if you like that kind of thing. I was hoping to count you in on the planning, Margaux. You mentioned in class that you were thinking about becoming a mathematician or an event planner."
"Yes, sir, it would be an honor!" she beamed.
"Perfect!" Slughorn clapped his hands together. "We'll talk more on Monday. Until then."
He smiled at Margaux, then said. "Good day, Henry… Longbottom… Dagwood."
As Slughorn exited the tea shop clutching a blueberry scone, Margaux began laughing. "He calls you by your roommate's name?"
"I'm not fuckin' correcting him, that's for certain," Derek awed. "If he wants to think Dagwood is the incompetent one, that's fine with me."
"What does he call Dagwood?"
"Bukowski."
"Why doesn't he call you by your last name?"
"I'm not questioning the old geezer's mind. Maybe he thinks Dagwood is a last name."
The rest of the afternoon went off without a hitch. Margaux got to know her sister's… not boyfriend, but… kind of. Lenore had no idea what to call Neville. Sometimes she really wanted to ask him to define their relationship. The "B" word, meaning "boyfriend," had never crossed his lips and she did not know how to broach the subject, and besides, defining their status would most likely scare the piss out of her. She wanted to keep things casual for now.
The group braved the freezing sleet during a covered carriage ride back to the castle, where they parted ways— Margaux and Derek to the Ravenclaw tower and Neville and Lenore towards the Gryffindor common room.
"That was fun," smiled Lenore.
"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm worried about Dean and Ginny, though."
Lenore nodded. "So am I. I mean—"
But the was cut off by a screech of her name.
"LENORE!" Alicia emerged from the crowd of people, looking shaken and frantic. She grabbed Lenore's hand and shouted, "Come on!"
"What's wrong?" she shouted over the noise.
"No time!"
Lenore allowed Alicia to drag her through the hallways, her hand still attached to Neville, who followed the two. "What's happened?" Lenore asked.
"Katie!" was all she could shout. "Katie's been injured! She's in the hospital!"
Lenore blinked once and the room seemed to spin. "What? Did something happen at Hogsmeade?"
"I don't know!" Tears streamed down Alicia's face. "She spent today with Leanne. They are both in the hospital wing right now."
"Where were you?"
Alicia choked back a sob. "With Anthony."
Lenore looked at Neville, whose face reflected her own worry. "You don't know what happened?"
"Ask Leanne!"
"How bad is she hurt?"
"Apparently really bad. Leanne's brother had to come tell me and I ran into you on my way! Hurry up!"
The three rushed into the hospital wing, slamming the two large oak doors wide open. Alicia peeled back the curtains, and there, at the end of the ward, laid Katie Bell, white as a ghost and staring at the ceiling without blinking. Her mouth hung slightly ajar and she did not move. Lenore's heart stopped. She couldn't be dead, could she? No, that was silly. Katie could not be dead. It was just a simple trip to Hogsmeade, how bad could it have been?
The three grew closer to Leanne Kuang, who sat in a chair next to the bed and held Katie's hand.
"Is she okay?" Alicia shouted.
"Shhh!" A said through tears. "She's okay for now. She's in shock."
"Shock?" Alicia asked.
Leanne nodded. "That's what Madame Pomphrey said."
Numbness encapsulated Lenore's body. She felt nothing but her own heartbeat keeping her steady. Katie, ghost-white with lifeless eyes, did not move to greet her visitors.
"She—she's alive, right?" Lenore finally asked.
"Yes," Leanne said. "Barely, for a while there."
Lenore was now shaking, every limb of her body trembling, but she did not cry, unlike Leanne and Alicia. Leanne sobbed loud and powerful, each gasp telling Lenore the guilt she felt, but the reason was unknown. Alicia, who Lenore had only ever seen cry once, also gasped in between anguished sobs. Only Lenore was quiet, alongside Neville, who stood frozen, staring down at Katie, a blank look in his eye.
"Where's Madam Pomphrey?" Neville asked Leanne.
"S-s-she's gone to the storeroom for more m-m-medicine," Leanne stammered out as she wailed.
Neville shifted his gaze to Lenore, his eyes desperate to say something and Lenore knew it. "What?" she whispered to him.
"Lenore," he whispered as he crouched down to her ear, "I-I don't want to worry you, but… she looks like my mum."
"Like… your mum?"
He nodded slowly and Lenore finally realized what he meant. Katie looked like his mother in St. Mungo's hospital. His mother, who had her memory and intelligence and capability wiped from her brain. Lenore glanced down at Katie, her eyes relaxed and empty at she stared at the ceiling.
"No," Lenore shook her head. "No. That… that can't… Neville, oh god."
He gulped and laid a hand across her back on her upper arm. "S-she's just in shock, though. But she was hit with a curse like my parents. Maybe not the Cruciatus Curse, but something of that caliber."
"What do you think then, the Imperius Curse?"
Neville examined Katie. "I… I would guess something like that."
Lenore gasped, but before she could say anything, Madam Pomphrey swung open the doors to the hospital wing. As soon as her eyes landed on Alicia, Lenore, and Neville, she began screeching.
"You three! Get out! Miss Bell doesn't need prying eyes on her while she's like this!"
"But we're her friends!"
Madam Pomphrey "Dumbledore and Professor Snape will be in soon and I don't need you three in here while they are! Get out! It'll get me in trouble. Miss Bell will survive, I promise you. Miss Kuang brought her in here, but you three must leave. I insist."
"I am not leaving!" Alicia sobbed. "She's my friend!"
Madam Pomphrey crossed her arms. "I must insist you leave! Headmaster Dumbledore will not—"
At the moment, the doors to the hospital wing sprung open, revealing Professors Dumbledore and Snape.
"Poppy," Dumbledore directed at the matron, "we must be alone with Miss Bell. Professor Snape will analyze her mind."
Madam Pomphrey gathered a sobbing Leanne under her arm as she glared at Lenore, Alicia, and Neville to leave. The three obeyed and turned for the door, until Lenore gathered the courage to say, "Professor Snape?"
The professor's black hair swung over his shoulder as he turned to view Lenore, who managed to bite her cheek and look the intimidating man in the eye.
"Neville says Katie might have been hit with an unforgivable curse. Possibly the Imperius Curse or something of that nature."
Snape looked her up and down and she felt her nerve slipping away. "And how does Longbottom know this?"
Lenore glanced at Neville, who obviously disliked the attention from his most feared professor. "He… he said she looks like his mum."
Snape eyes almost seemed to soften, but only subtly and for a brief flash. He gave Lenore a single nod and turned back to Dumbledore without so much as a glance toward Neville.
The pair met Alicia in the hallway. She paced the corridor with heavy strides, tears still in her eyes.
"Are you going to wait out here?" Lenore asked.
The girl nodded absent-mindedly.
Lenore took a seat on the ground. "I am, too."
Alicia did not acknowledge her, but instead she turned on her heels and paced the other direction. Neville sat down next to Lenore. "C-can I wait with you?"
Lenore nodded. "But you don't have to. Don't feel obligated to stay."
"I… I don't," he said. "I want to be here for you. For Katie."
Lenore nodded and stared at a single crack in a tile between her feet. Alicia was now about ten meters away, pacing circles around a bench.
"Are you okay?" Neville asked gently.
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah. I'm… I'm just worried."
Neville tilted his head to get a better view of her face. "Are you crying?"
Lenore shifted her face toward his. "No," she said. "No, I don't feel anything right now."
"You don't feel anything?"
She shook her head. "Nothing but worry and numbness."
"Numbness?"
"Yeah. Like numbness in the brain."
Neville nodded as if he understood, but he was very obviously confused.
"I feel scared," she said. "And when I'm scared, I can't cry. I just shut down. I have to block everything from my mind and focus on how to solve this issue. I can't waste time crying."
"I-is there anything I can do to help?" asked Neville.
She shook her head. "Just give me time to think. And don't try to talk about emotions with me."
"Of course," he said at once.
"Can I sit closer to you?"
"Yes. Of course," he repeated.
Instead of sitting next to him, as he expected, Lenore scooted between his bent legs and rested her back on his stomach. She laid her head on his shoulder and she could tell she was making him nervous, but at this moment, she did not care. All she needed was the comfort of touch, like he had wanted when he placed his head against her thigh during his sick days. Neville wrapped his arms loosely around her and she tightened his hold on her, before crossing her own arms and clutching his forearms. He nuzzled his head next to hers and the pair sat like that, absorbed in each other's warmth for what felt like an eternity.
His chest rose and fell in even intervals, which comforted Lenore's own rapid inhalation. Neville did not try anything, which still surprised her. While other blokes may have used this as an opportunity to kiss her or feel up her body, Neville merely held her, filling her mind with security and assuagement. He did not move, nor attempt to speak, but rather he understood that all she needed was him, not his words nor his touch, but instead she needed to feel his soul next to hers.
Lenore knew that sentiment was gooey and mushy and overly romantic and the thought of it made her want to puke, but it was true. She needed to feel another human being next to her to know she was alive and this was real. After a long time, she kissed his neck once and whispered, "Thank you."
"For what?" he breathed.
"For always being there for me."
He wrapped his arms tighter around her and remained quiet, but Lenore knew her words had a great affect on him. His eyes closed and she could feel his warm sigh roll over her skin. Her heart gave a single violent pang when she realized exactly how much he liked her.
"I admire you," she whispered. "A lot."
"I admire you, too," he returned the quiet tone. "You're so strong."
"Thanks," she exhaled. "I wonder what they are talking about in there."
"Snape is probably using legilimency on her."
"I hope he can figure out who did this to her."
Neville rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I hope so, too."
Lenore closed her eyes and the pair sat in near silence for probably an hour, watching Alicia pace and basking in each other's comfort. With only a half hour left until curfew, Dumbledore and Snape finally emerged from the hospital wing without a word to the three teenagers in the hallway. When they turned a corner, Alicia sprinted through the doors with only one care in the world and Lenore followed.
Alicia knelt down at Katie's bedside and wept once more. Katie's eyes were now shut and she rested peacefully. She did not look as white as before and her face no longer showed fear. Lenore felt a tear well up in the corner of her eye, but she shut that down before it could hit her cheek.
"She'll be okay, right?" Lenore asked Madam Pomphrey.
The older woman nodded. "She needs rest."
"What happened to her?" Alicia demanded.
"She…" Madam Pomphrey glanced around, as if searching for eavesdroppers. "She was hit with the Imperius curse."
The girls gasped and Neville gulped. Lenore turned her gaze on him and frowned.
"I can't say any much more," Madam Pomphrey said. "But while under the curse, she touched an enchanted amulet. It was intended to kill, but only reached her through a small hole in her glove, so the charm did not have its full effect."
Alicia and Leanne wept harder. Lenore put on a brave face and nodded.
"You all sit with her and be quiet. I have some paperwork to fill out in the back. Let Miss Bell get some much needed rest. She will be moved to Saint Mungo's hospital tonight at ten-fifteen."
All three faces whipped up to the matron.
"How long will she be there?" Lenore asked.
Madam Pomphrey stared at the ground. "At this time… we don't know. It could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months."
"A few months!" Alicia shouted. "She doesn't look that awful!"
"There is always a chance for brain damage," Madam Pomphrey said sullenly. "And she'll have to relearn how to move her limbs. Miss Bell is lucky to be alive, that is for sure. In a few months time, she is expected to make a full recovery, but the road there will not be easy. She will have to fight. But she's a strong girl, I have faith she can do it. You all can stay with her until the healers are here. I'll write you notes for missing curfew."
With that, Madam Pomphrey disappeared into her office at the back of the wing. Alicia and Leanne continued to cry, but Lenore sat on the ground and gently clutched Katie's hand. She circled the girl's skin with her thumb and began to whisper to her.
"Hi, Katie," she whispered in the direction of Katie's ear. "I hope you're doing alright. That must have hurt."
Lenore kept her eyes on Katie's shoulder, but she could feel Neville watching her while the other two girls cried and discussed their feelings.
"I know it hurt," Lenore breathed to Katie. "But it's okay. You're alive. You're here. You beat that curse like the bad bitch you are. You beat it worse than when your quaffle hit Graham Montague last year and knocked him off his broomstick. That was one of the greatest games I've ever been to, even if Gryffindor dominated us. You're so strong Katie and I know you'll recover quickly. You have to. You're the best one of us. And you're my best friend. If something happens to you, who would I have to make fun of Pansy with? You'll be fine. It'll all be fine. I'm here for you, if I can do anything. I'll write you letters while you're in the hospital. I'll even visit you over Christmas break if you're still in there. I'll miss you so much. I'll keep you updated on the ridiculous things Pansy says. I love you, honey. You'll make a full recovery, I know it."
Lenore moved her eyes towards her hand, which adoringly circled the back of Katie's hand. She rested the side of her head on Katie's metal bed frame and closed her eyes. When Alicia began talking to Katie, Lenore moved away to give her some privacy. She moved to the foot of Katie's bed and coerced Neville to hold her once more. He hugged her from behind and the pair stood like that, talking with Alicia and Leanne about how to help Katie. They would write a letter to Angelina Johnson, decorate cards for Katie, and perhaps send her packages of goodies.
As the healers took Katie away on a stretcher, Lenore felt no tears. She felt nothing and she could not explain why. Actually, she could. She knew this is how her body handled stress: it simply shut down. She would cry about this later, but now was not the time. She focused her entire energy on memorizing this moment, so she would never forget the pain and sadness that she felt seeing her best friend carted off by healers.
She would not see Katie until at least Christmas Break, she accepted that. But what she had not accepted was that this was real. That if she had just been there with Katie and Leanne, instead of Neville, this may not have happened. Surely Lenore would have gone to the bathroom with Katie at the Three Broomsticks, as Leanne had told the story. Lenore and Katie went everywhere together. The bathroom was social hour. If Lenore had just been there…
"Lenore, are you alright?"
She snapped out of her daze and realized she was no longer in the hospital room, but rather she walked back towards the Slytherin dungeons with Neville. She nodded shortly in reply.
"Have you cried at all?"
She shook her head.
Neville bent down at examine her face, which stared at the floor. "Do you want to? I really think you should."
"Nev," she said quietly, "that's not how it works. I can't make myself cry."
"I think you could, if you really wanted to."
She flicked her eyes up to meet his. "But I don't want to, don't you get it? If I cry… then it's real. Then it's over. Then I've failed to find something to keep me occupied until I solve this problem. I can't cry. Not yet. I will soon, but not right now."
He merely nodded and scooped a piece of hair behind her ear.
She sighed. "Neville, you're so nice to me. Really, thank you for… thank you for just caring. I…"
She trailed off and instead wrapped her arms around him. He clutched her tighter than she had ever felt, but it was not his grip that was tight, it was the pure comfort the hug offered that was overwhelming. She felt like she was melting in his arms, and he was the only thing keeping her upright. She had never felt this much affection for the boy until tonight. He proved to her that he would be there for her even when things got tough. He was selfless, reassuring, and most importantly, understanding towards her and her emotions. Her sigh rolled over his shirt and she fell even deeper into his warm embrace.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for being so nice to me."
"It's alright, Len," he murmured. "It's no problem."
"I don't know what I would do if we weren't dating."
"You'd probably still come talk to me about it."
She smiled for the first time in what seemed like hours. "I would."
Neville clutched her tighter. "I know you don't want to talk right now, but if you ever do… I'm here for you. I'll drop everything whenever you need to talk about this. I don't want you to have to deal with this alone, like you had to with Raquel."
Lenore nodded into his chest. "I appreciate you."
After a moment of complete bliss, she pulled away. "I'm going to go back to my room and try to sleep. I… I think I need to be alone for a little while."
Neville nodded sadly. "Of course. Just remember, I'm here for you."
She smiled and kissed his lips tenderly. "Thank you."
With that, Lenore crawled into her bed in the Slytherin dungeons, placed a silencing charm so she would not hear her roommates, and drew her bed curtains. But sleep would be a rare commodity that night.
