Author's Note:
Word Count: 500 - 1000 (998 not including AN)
Prompt: Loneliness
Betas: thank you to all those who beta'ed this story, you know who you are and I appreciate you all!
Some would say it was stupid to go on the Hogwarts grounds at this time. The weather was freezing, and the sky looked bleak, but that didn't bother one lone boy sitting by the lake. His blond hair was windswept, and his baby cheeks, that he hadn't grown into, were rosy-pink from the harsh breeze. A toad sat next to him, chirping away. His only true friend.
He sighed. "Trevor, do you like me?" he whispered. He got his answer when the toad hopped onto a lilypad away from him. "That answered the question," he muttered.
Why did everyone else have friends? Why did everyone overlook him? It was the same at home too; it didn't matter that he loved the greenhouses or was doing great in his tutoring lessons. He had to have magic—he had to be like his parents. He had to live up to their standards even if it meant not being himself. Which wasn't… he didn't think his parents would have wanted that. But what would he know? He never got to know them. Not personally. Just heard stories.
Neville licked his lips, wiping away a single tear that had fallen without his knowledge.
He heard some laughter echoing from the castle. He wiped his eyes and sniffled, an unsettling feeling forming in his stomach. Now, he was jealous, too. He wanted to laugh with his friends. To understand the process of checking if his friends were alright. To share his feelings with them. To know that they cared about each other. He wanted to be happy and excited for his first year. He did talk to his dorm-mates, but it had only been a few days and they all focused on Harry Potter more than anyone else. He could see why, but it didn't help him feel any better.
Neville looked onto the lake and failed to spot Trevor. He knew it had been too quiet. Just as he decided to get up from the rock, a drop of rain fell on his nose. Overhead, the sky had turned almost black, and as he looked, the rain started falling hard. He frowned; they hadn't had a drop of rain in weeks, just gorgeous sun but then, he supposed they were in Scotland, so rain was to be expected. It just matched how he felt.
Unfortunately, the rain reminded him of what he had lost. It always did. Dozens of pictures at the Longbottom Manor were all filled with smiling faces and proud eyes. There was one of his parents dancing in the pouring rain with bright smiles on their faces from before he was born. Perhaps, if he wasn't born, things would be different. Why couldn't he get to know his parents like other people did? Why did he have to be so alone? He loved his Grandmother, but it wasn't the same.
It was at that point he heard a familiar chirping sound coming from the centre of the lake, and Neville shook his head in disappointment. How was he going to get Trevor back now?
"Trevor!" he shouted. Large raindrops plopped into the lake where Trevor sat on the lilypad, clearly enjoying himself.
He debated how to get the toad back. He could accidentally fall into the lake, but nobody would know he was there and nobody would be there to save him. Although, he was a Gryffindor. He had to discover his bravery some time. Maybe this was his chance, and no one would suspect anything else. He had to get Trevor; without him, Neville had no one. He stood back on his rock, looked around, making sure no one was watching, and then dived—more like plunged—into the freezing lake.
He couldn't believe that he had actually done it. Everything went dark; he couldn't see for a moment. He tried to get his head above the water, flailing his arms around and organising himself into a pathetic front crawl. He headed to the middle of the lake but didn't get far though as he found himself already out of breath. He couldn't quite get up again. Am I going to drown?
Suddenly, without warning, he felt something underneath him; it was squidgy and strange. He was being dragged, and he couldn't help but laugh. It tickled!
He was brought to where Trevor was still chirping away happily, and Neville scooped up the toad, holding onto him tightly with both hands. Once Trevor was back in his possession, the thing moved Neville with speed over to the field. Neville climbed off the creature and waved goodbye to it.
This would be a story to tell his friends—if he ever made any.
As he started to walk towards the castle, he froze. He looked up to the sky and frowned. The sun had come out. Not a sign of rain anywhere. He hummed, looking down at Trevor. "Do you think the sun is from Mum and Dad?" Neville whispered, a small smile appearing on his face.
Two boys ran in his direction, probably towards the lake now the sun was here. One boy had bright ginger hair and the other had jet-black hair. Neville's eyes widened when he recognised them.
"Neville!"
He recognised Harry's shout. Were they running to see him? When they reached him, Ron put his finger up, each trying to get their breaths back. Ron recovered first.
"Fred saw you fall into the lake!" he exclaimed.
Harry cried, "George said he saw you with the Giant Squid! Did it feel weird? How was the fall? Did you get hurt?"
Neville looked at them for a second. Did that mean Ron's brothers had seen him dive? But then, why would they lie for him? He needed to thank the twins later. "I was so nervous..." Neville told the story to them excitedly.
Perhaps... just perhaps he wouldn't be so lonely anymore.
He hoped.