Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and settings from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Harry Potter and will not receive any money or other financial profit for presenting the work on this site. The story I tell here as well as certain original characters are my own invention, and are not purported or believed to be part of J.K. Rowling's story canon.

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Chapter 34

Neville sat on the windowsill of his bedroom, staring off into the night sky. He had been wondering the entire day if Snape had even informed the Carrows about their attempt to steal the sword. They seemed suspiciously indifferent towards him, besides the usual resentment they held against him, that is. Though it didn't make sense to him, there simply was no way. They wouldn't be this calm otherwise.

As his gaze trailed off the sky, down to the grounds of Hogwarts, Neville made out a suspicious source of light in the distance. It flickered ominously above the ground, moving further away towards the Forbidden Forest. The route it took, the way it bounced up and down just ever so slightly.. as if it was the light of the tip of a wand. The wand of a particular witch on her way to a particular meadow, to be precise.

They hadn't seen each other in what felt like forever. Lessons had been put on hold for quite some time, with the DA avoiding Sage in order to not raise any suspicions. If Neville was being honest though, prudence hadn't been the only reason the two of them hadn't crossed paths in a while. Last time they had met eye to eye, things had been rather difficult between them. Sage was upset, understandably so, but instead of sharing how she felt, she had opted for venting her frustration on him. He didn't blame her, never would have, but.. he wished she would have let him in a little. Not that he claimed that he would've been able to ease her pain, he probably wouldn't have, but at least they would still be talking to each other.

As the light faded more and more into distance, Neville wondered if he should follow her. A bit reckless, he had to admit, especially because he couldn't be entirely sure it was actually Sage making her way to the meadow. It could've been anyone, as far as he knew.

He went anyway.

Neville walked in the dark, by now quite used to hiding from anyone's sight. The cold night's air filled his lungs, stinging a little against his throat. Autumn had arrived in its full glory, as much was sure.

As he finally reached the edge of the meadow, their meadow, his gaze rested on the back of Sage's head, who was turned towards the floor. She seemed deeply sunken into her thoughts, obviously not having noticed him yet.

"A bit late to be picking flowers, don't you think?" he noted carefully, trying not to startle her. He tried for a smile, before registering that she probably wasn't able to see his face that clearly.

She turned to face him without any sort of hesitation, though her face didn't exactly give away any of her thoughts. "Maybe," she said, coming a bit closer towards him, "But I felt like I should be here right now."

"How come?"

"My head is bursting with thoughts.. not the good kind though."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"So am I."

Silence fell between them. They were awfully close, Neville staring into her eyes, despite the darkness surrounding them. He wanted to reach out to her, in more ways than one, but he hesitated. Things were just a little to difficult between them.

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Author's note: A bit of a shorter chapter today. Things are still kind of weird between Sage and Neville. Hopefully some talking will help.

Hope you are well and enjoyed this chapter. I'm struggling with a bit of a headache today, but in proper Lupin manner I'm hoping to fight it off with some chocolate. Tomorrow's chapter should be in proper length again.

I'd sincerely like to thank you for your continued support on this story. Receiving such lovely reviews on each chapter truly means the world to me. If you'd like, I'd love to read some more of your thoughts on today's chapter. Wishing you all the best!! :-)