...Lie Prep…
I stared at Neville for a full minute before turning away blushing. "You're too cute." he chuckled wrapping his arms around my waist. "Don't you have to take care of the plants in the greenhouses?" I muttered trying to compose myself. "Why don't you pick a few books and join me." he looked off into a corner while he spoke. I hopped out of his lap and he followed behind me as I scanned the books. "I need your help. I need to know more about tropical plants before the trip so I can streamline the songs we're going to use." I mumbled running my fingertips along the spines of the books.
Neville smiled and bit his lip before leading me to the correct section. I stuck my tongue out at him while had his back turned. "I know what you just did Lis." he mumbled while still looking through the books. I stared at the ceiling ignoring his words. I skipped beside him as we went down to the greenhouses. He put my books down on the table and I sat down to take notes. "What's wrong with the plants?" he wondered as he worked. "Some of them are sick. Others are new plants that they're trying to grow in the area. I think it'll be a well-rounded trip. Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey already asked us to take lots of notes on the different species of flora, fauna, and wildlife." I smiled and then jumped.
The baby Niffler from the other day had run into my leg. "Why hello there!" I held a hand out tentatively. It sniffed at my hand and then sat comfortably at my feet. "The Niffler is back." I informed Neville who was staring at me in concern. "Ah, it must really like you. Someone has good taste." he chuckled. "I must be highly irresistible." I sighed dramatically. "You certainly were last night." he laughed to himself. I bit my lip and went back to writing notes.
The Niffler had climbed into my lap and was watching me write. Neville went up to the Great Hall to get us food and even brought treats for the baby Niffler. I nibbled on my sandwich and Neville picked up the Niffler and started playing with it. "You like Lis, don't you? Is it her voice? Is it the way she treats you? Is it just because she's pretty?" he questioned the Niffler as it ran in happy circles around the table.
"Darling leave the baby alone. Just tell the baby to stop teasing you." I mumbled flipping through the book. They both stopped and looked at me. I froze when I realized what I'd said. A nervous laugh of sorts left my lips. I tried desperately to focus on reading, but they wouldn't stop staring at me. "My apologies. It sort of slipped out without warning." I mumbled using my hair to hide my blush. The baby Niffler made its way over and nudged my arm. I pet it softly and went back to studying.
After returning the baby Niffler to its nest we walked hand in hand up to the castle for dinner. "I didn't ask earlier but what you uhm said earlier… I uh was wondering…" I put my hand over his mouth to stop him. "No, don't even go there." I shook my head. "We should talk about it at least talk about it." he mumbled. I removed and shaking my head went into the Great Hall. I flopped down beside Pansy and took a sip of my drink.
"What happened?" she asked as I pushed my food around my plate. "Nothing, I was just studying today." I shrugged. "Really, then what was that scene outside?" Theo smirked sitting down. I shot him a look and went back to pushing my food around on my plate. "Did you fight with Neville again?" Daphne asked. "No, we didn't fight." I mumbled. "Are you sure? He looks like you guys fought again." Pansy nudged me and nodded at the Gryffindor table.
I looked up and saw Neville with his head down on the table. "We didn't fight!" I insisted. "So why does he look like that?" Theo leaned closer. "I recklessly said something stupid, and he wants to talk about it, but I don't. Now he's pouting and waiting for me to talk to him." I tsked and took a bite of my food. "What'd you say that was so bad?" Pansy mumbled. I shuddered and formed an x over my lips with my hands.
"I can't imagine saying something that embarrassing." Daphne shivered. "Oh please! Try saying one thing that would embarrass you so badly you won't be able to look at him or make eye contact for fours!" I whined. Pansy put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder and nodded along. I looked at Neville who was now being poked by his roommates. "What'd you say that was so bad?!" Theo wondered. I shook my head and shuddered.
Theo got up and went over to talk to Neville while I whined to myself. Neville looked up as Theo sat down and I saw Theo pointing at me. I flagged Katrina down and pointed at Theo until she went over to get him. She held her stance for a while but ended up sitting down once Neville started talking. The people around them leaned in to listen and I put my head down on the table.
Theo sat back down and looked at me in confusion. "You need to go talk to him." Katrina smiled as she sat down next to Theo. I shook my head defiantly. "What you said was off the charts adorable as fuck!" Katrina insisted. Theo raised an eyebrow and turned to Blaise who had been mumbling to Draco the entire time. "Ah! Before I forget I saw you and Neville walking around this morning. What was that all about?" Katrina snapped her fingers and stared me down.
"What are you talking about? Lis said she was star gazing." Daphne smirked and put a hand on my shoulder. Katrina looked at her lap and said nothing. I chuckled nervously and started to get up. "I think I better go too. You know since I don't know anything. Bye!" Katrina and I took off at the same time leaving our friends sitting there dumbfounded. Katrina ran back to her table and I hid just outside the hall trying to figure out what my plan of attack would be.
A shadow fell over where I was sitting, and I looked up into the angry face of my brother. "Common room. Now!" he growled. I put my head down and went back to thinking. He knelt down tapping my head, but I didn't respond. People were beginning to leave the hall, so he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I pounded his back with my fists and yelled and screamed all the way to the common room.
He threw me on the couch and crouched down in front of me. "Where did you go the other night? Why is Katrina saying she saw something totally different from the story you gave? Why is Neville completely silent on the subject?" Draco spoke so quickly I barely had enough time to register his words. "You talked to Neville. Oh, that's not good. Oh, that's not good at all." I hopped up and ran from the room. I made it in time to see Neville leaving the hall talking to Blaise and Theo. I waved and he walked over.
"Di… Did you ta… talk to my… my brother?" I gasped trying to catch my breath. "Did you run all the way here from the common room?!" Daphne giggled. Blaise guided her in the direction of the common room turning back to grab Theo by his collar and drag him too. "He came over to talk but I never answered any of his questions. I thought you came back to talk about this afternoon." Neville whispered pulling me to the side.
"Oh, that's good. Katrina saw us this morning and our stories weren't the same. Draco got all weird saying we were…" I took a breather. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his friends waiting at the top of the stairs. "I'll deal with my brother, but if he asks, I was star gazing the other night. All night and that's why I didn't go back to the dorm. I'll talk to you about what I said this afternoon later." I spotted Draco talking to Blaise and Theo at the end of the hall. "Star gazing? You told them you were star gazing. You were seeing stars all night in a closet with me." he smirked.
I gave him a look and he held up his hands. I kissed his cheek and waved him up the stairs. I was about to hurry down then hall when I heard him call me. "Star gazing! Really?!" he mouthed and winked before running after his friends. I walked over to my brother and led him back to the common room by his collar. "Stop asking Neville questions. Also stop trying to get him to fix our relationship. That's not his job Draco! It's not right." I pushed Draco onto the couch and stormed off to the dorm.
I yawned tiredly and put my head on the table unable to eat anymore. "Just how long are you going to sit here?" Pansy scoffed. "I was trying to wait until he left but I swear he's more stubborn than I am sometimes." I chuckled. I put my bag over my shoulder and started up the stairs to my first class. "So, when do you want to talk about yesterday?" Neville hurried after me with a smile. "How about never?" I smiled at him as we rounded a corner.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side of the hall. "It was embarrassing, and I don't really want to talk about." I whined and put my arms around his neck. He looked away pouting and I took a deep breath. "Fine, what did you want to talk about darling?" I gave in. "I thought what you said was cute. No, adorable. I just don't want you to feel awkward when you say things like that." he whispered.
"I don't know if I can do that. It was really embarrassing." I mumbled. "What can I do or say to make you feel better?" he tucked my hair behind my ears. "I don't know. you don't have to say anything. I'll try and get over it." I muttered rolling my eyes. "Oh no. That won't do. That won't do at all. I don't want you pouting because you said something adorable and got flustered." he pulled me close hugging me tightly and kissing the top of my head. "Better?" he asked. "Not quite." I whispered. I stood on tip toe and kissed him. "Now I feel better." I hummed softly in a happy daze. "We're going to be late for class." I mumbled but didn't move. After another minute of standing there, we separated and went to class. Thankfully, the teacher wasn't there yet so we weren't counted as late.
I sat at the Slytherin table going over my notes for the trip when Katrina and Jessie sat down. "How on earth did you find all this information?!" Jess gaped. I pointed at Neville and opened another book. "I'm so happy you looked this information for us!" Katrina grabbed my hands and smiled lovingly at me.
There was a commotion and I turned and saw several owls carrying a giant box and squealed in delight. "My package is here!" I shrieked excitedly as the owls placed the box in front of me. I paid the owls and gave them treats. "Merlin's beard what did you buy?!" Draco scoffed. I laughed slyly and nodded to Daphne and Pansy. With their help we carried it to the dorm.
Gasping they fell onto my bed. "What'd you buy?! An entire store?!" Katrina panted. I opened the box and shook my head. "I bought clothes for our trip." I shrugged holding up a two-piece bikini and looking in the mirror. They sat up quickly and started going through the box. A multitude of skirts, swimwear, and everything and anything necessary for a trip to the tropics poured out of the box. They turned to me with a look of absolute shock. "Would you believe me if I said I was able to get a huge discount?" I asked and the look of shock turned to one of adoration.
We spent the rest of the afternoon trying on the items in the box. I spun around in my bikini and posed in the mirror. There was a knock at the door and Pansy hopped off the bed and opened it in her monokini. The second year at the door stared in shock. We were all in different swimsuits. I waved and sipped on my butterbeer as I adjusted mt top, so I wasn't falling out of it. She took off for the common room faster than a speeding bullet.
I sighed and wrapped myself in a sarong and hurried after her. I put my hands on her shoulders and smiled. "Who sent you and what did you need?" I asked sweetly. Her eyes went wide, and she ran to the common room and hid behind Draco. I walked over and put my hands on my hips. "Is that Polyjuice Crabbe?" Pansy scoffed. I took a closer look and growled. Crabbe ran to their dorm followed by the snickering of the Slytherin common room.
"What if we'd been changing?!" Daphne smacked Draco's head. One by one we smacked his head as we went back to the dorm. "I can't believe we fell for that!" Pansy shuddered as I slammed the door behind us. I shivered and changed into my pajamas. "I should've done more than just smack him!" I growled throwing a light jacket over my pajamas.
I was still livid by dinnertime and every time Draco looked at me, I growled. "What happened and why did Theo and Blaise tell me to come over?" Neville whispered as he sat down. Draco opened his mouth to speak, and Pansy smacked the back of his head. "Daphne won't say anything, and neither will Katrina or Jessie." Blaise muttered. "Oh, why don't you ask that one over there!" I scoffed pointing at Draco.
Draco and Pansy took turns explaining what happened earlier. "You didn't." Theo slammed his hands on the table making people stare. "I just told him to go see if they were planning something then he came running out and hid behind me." Draco frowned and turned to Crabbe. "Why did you come running?" he wondered. I smacked my hands on the table making them all jump. "Yes, tell them so I can go over there and kick your ass with their permission." I growled.
Neville wrapped an arm around me keeping me from lunging across the table. Crabbe blushed and stammered. "I knocked on the door and Pansy opened it. I didn't expect them to all be in there trying on swimsuits. I also didn't think Lis would be a-adjusting hers." Crabbe kept his head down and motioned with his hands at his chest. If looks could kill, Crabbe would've died right there and then from the looks the four boys were giving him.
"Do I have permission to kick his ass now?" I asked hopefully. Neville's grip on me tightened. Theo jumped up to check with Katrina if Crabbe's story was correct. "Let me hit him just once." I begged. Neville's grip tightened again, and I tilted my face and saw he was as livid as I was. "Crabbe, when you say you saw my little sister adjusting her swimsuit what do you mean?" Draco spoke through clenched teeth.
Snape and McGonagall came down from the staff table as Draco grabbed Crabbe by his collar. "What seems to be the problem here?" Snape looked around. "All of you my office now. Professor Snape would you mind getting Theodore, Katrina, and Jessie. I have a feeling they're apart of this too." McGonagall gave all of us a stern look before separating Draco and Crabbe.
I stayed close beside Neville as we waited for Professor Snape. He kept clenching and releasing his fists. I put my arms around his waist and put my head in his chest. I waited until I felt his arms wrap around before relaxing and looking at him. "You should've let me punch him!" I mouthed. Neville raised an eyebrow and looked away. Professor Snape swished into the room followed by Theo, Katrina, and Jess.
"Where shall we start?" McGonagall looked at us like we were troublemakers. I turned around but stayed in Neville's arms. I nodded at Draco and both teachers turned to him expectantly. He began to explain and then turned it over to Crabbe. Neville's grip on me tightened whenever Crabbe motioned to his chest with his hands. "How on earth is it that you managed to get into the girl's dormitory Crabbe?" Snape glared.
"I dressed up and just walked in." Crabbe muttered unable to make eye contact. After a thorough scolding from both professors about our behavior at dinner everyone except for Crabbe and Draco were sent back to their dorms. I grabbed Neville's hand and led him up to the alcove. He slumped against the wall and stared out the window. "Are you mad at me?" I whispered. Neville groaned and put his head on the wall.
"I'm not mad at you. You didn't know it was Crabbe. Honestly, I'm more upset that Draco thought it was a good idea. You were in a bikini?" he blinked rapidly as if it had just dawned on him. I nodded. "We were trying on different swimsuits. Didn't you hear that part? I mean I'm not actually going to wear a bikini on the trip." I added the last part when he shot me a look. I bit my lip as I waited for him to speak.
When he didn't, I grabbed his hand and let our joined hands swing in between the two of us. "I'm not actually planning on wearing a bikini on the trip. I'll something that covers more skin like a tankini, a retro bikini, or a one piece!" I smiled sweetly. "Why do I get the feeling you're going to end up on the cover of the Daily Prophet again?" he groaned. I let out an excited squeal as I jumped into his arms and peppered his face with kisses. "I promise you won't regret this one bit!" I whispered.
I kicked the ground beneath my feet as I waited for Katrina and Jessie to meet in the Courtyard. I sat on my luggage as the other students passed to board the train. Neville came out and waved me over. "Do I really have to wait to open my present?" he pouted. "Yes, love you have to wait." I ran my fingers through his hair and adjusted his scarf. He looked down at my outfit and smiled. "When did you get this?" he tugged the jacket I was wearing.
"Ah, you noticed. I had one of your roommates bring this take this for me and have three more in my bag." I patted my bag happily. He put his hands on hips. "Where's my gift?" I asked looking around. He cupped my face and kissed me softly. I wrapped my arms around him pulling him into the kiss. "I have to go Lis. I gave your gift to Jessie. Behave yourself." Neville kissed my cheek before going down to the carriage. Leaning against a wall I watched him until he disappeared from sight.
"Hey girlie! Ready to go?" Katrina skipped up beside me sporting a cluster of hickeys on her neck. I tapped her neck and she squeaked as she tied a scarf around her neck. Jessie ran up carrying both hers and Katrina's bag. "Why are you late?" I wondered. "I forgot my homework." Jessie panted. I threw my arm around her shoulder and we walked down to the portkey with Katrina who was still trying to cover her hickeys. The trainees were already there with their bags.
"We'll be going to the airport so make sure you have everything before we leave." Jessie reminded them. They looked for their tickets and passports and we left. I cuddled up in Neville's jacket as the plane took off. "No way! Do you miss him already?" Jessie scoffed. I pointed to Katrina who was sniffling and quietly crying into one of Theo's sweatshirts. Jessie wrapped an arm around her, and I put my feet up nearly hidden in Neville's shirt. The Stewardess stared at us and came over. "Are your friends, ok?" she asked Jessie.
Jessie nodded. "They just miss they're boyfriends. They'll probably need some hot tea though." Jessie observed us carefully. The Stewardess gave her an understanding smile and looked at us sympathetically. I played with my promise ring as I thought of Neville. I sipped slowly on my tea and tried to focus on the assignment. My legs shook and Jessie put a hand on the top of my head.
I flopped onto my bed after taking a shower. "I can't with you two." Jessie scoffed. "Let me guess you haven't realized you're the only one without your boyfriend's clothes?" I sniffled. Jessie flopped onto her bed and her sniffles joined ours. "I miss him so much!" Katrina wailed. Jessie and I shared a look. "But you're always fighting with Theo." I laughed. "So, what! That doesn't mean I can't miss him from time to time." she buried herself in her blankets and Jessie pulled out her camera. After a multitude of photos of Katrina bawling, we sent the photos to Theo.
In the morning we had wash our faces to get rid of any traces of crying from the night before. I rolled my shoulders back and took a deep breath. "Ok, we can make it the next two weeks without thinking about our boyfriends. This'll be a walk in the park." I stated confidently. "So, you don't plan on opening your gift from Neville until the last day of the trip?" Katrina teased. "No, I plan on having a great time with my friends while we work." I put on my sandals.
They stared at me in shock. "Come on. We can do this." I strode to the front door. After a quick walkthrough of the facilities, we settled in and started warming up. The trainees stumbled in tiredly. "Late night?" I asked. They nodded and flopped down beside me and rubbed their eyes tiredly. I handed them each a water bottle. "We're just doing a quick warm up and then we'll start." Katrina smiled. Jessie and I carried the trainees to their room because they were worn out.
We rejoined Katrina in the hotel lobby and went out to explore the city. We'd been shopping and sight seeing for 5 hours when Jess pulled us into a tattoo and piercings shop. I perused the binders of tattoos and piercings while Jess waited patiently in a chair. "Does Charlie know you're doing this?" Katrina mumbled. Jessie threw her a look and I laughed quietly to myself. "I think that means Charlie knows nothing." I giggled. "Did you tell your boyfriend or your brother before any of things you did?" Jess pouted.
"Our Jessie is perfectly capable of making her own decisions without telling her boyfriend just like you Kat, right?" I nudged Katrina. She nodded and Jess smiled and laid back. I continued flipping through the binder and settled on a new piercing and tattoo and handed the binder to Katrina for her to choose. After an hour, I had a peacock tattoo on ankle, Katrina had hers and Theo's initials in a heart, Jess had a dragon tattoo and multiple ear piercings.
I laid on the beach needing a break after swimming in the ocean for half the day. "There you are!" Jess called running over. I groaned and sat up. "What happened?" I muttered tying a sarong around my waist before standing. Katrina came running down the beach holding the Daily Prophet. She handed it over breathlessly and my eyes went wide when I saw we were on the cover again. Kat was in a tankini, I was in a skirted bottom swimsuit, and Jess was in a bikini playing beach volleyball with some local boys while Kat and I lay on towels a few feet away watching. "Do I even want to read the article?" I wondered.
"You know that thing you've been hiding from your family. Well, we might've been overhead in the shop the other day." Jessie laughed nervously. I read as fast as I could. I laughed nervously and began pacing. "Are you ok?" Jess asked. "No! No, I am not. Fuck how I am going to explain the whole boyfriend thing to my family. How am I going to explain the cover photo to Neville, my boyfriend? You should be thinking of how you're going to explain it to your boyfriends too." I whispered to them before grabbing my things and racing back to the hotel room.
Neville sent all my letters back unopened, and I whined as I rolled around on my bed. Charlie was livid, Theo sent back Kat's letters as ashes in a vial. "This is terrible!" I groaned and put my face in my pillow. There was a knock on the door and Daphne, Luna, and Pansy walked in. "What is going on?" Daphne muttered. One by one we updated them on the situation.
"I'm really sorry to call you guys while you were on vacation." I sniffled. "Have the guys said anything?" Kat blubbered from where she sat curled up under a mountain of blankets. "You did not call us in from the beach for this did you?" Pansy scoffed. I let out a wail and flopped back down on my bed. They spent the rest of the day trying to cheer us up.
They went back to their vacations and we went back to work. We focused on singing instead of our relationships. The night before we had to return to school, I opened Neville's gift. It was a picture of us and the Niffler in a small picture frame. I tucked it safely inside my bags and wrapped myself in one of his jackets before bundling up for the cold weather we had to return to. I dragged Jess and Kat from their beds, and we hurried to meet the others in the lobby and left for the airport. "Is it too late to stay here? We can all drop out of school!" Kat pleaded desperately.
The professor pushed us towards the plane, and we whined quietly all the way back home. We were ahead of schedule by the time we landed so the professor let us go to Diagon Alley to restock on anything we needed for the second term. "Where are you going?" Kat asked I grabbed my purse. "I am going to pick up some more ink and get myself a pet." I hurried out the door and down the street. They caught up with me at the pet store where I'd busied myself with choosing between two cats. I ended up choosing a black and white kitten and naming it Maria.
We stopped by Florean Fortescue's shop for some double scoop cones before rejoining our group at the Leaky Cauldron. "Someone is here to see you, Jessie." One of the trainees walked up and pointed at the bar. Charlie leaned against it with a blank expression on his face. We still had a few hours before the train was supposed to leave so Jess grabbed Charlie's hand and led him into an empty corner to talk. I played with Maria until it was time to go.
Jess skipped into our compartment looking better than ever. "Charlie isn't mad anymore!" she smiled and flopped down beside Katrina. "Oh goodie! One down two to go!" Kat smiled sarcastically. They bickered playfully all the way back to the school. I stepped out of the carriage and took a deep breath before heading up to the castle. Draco was waiting in the Courtyard. "Did you have a nice vacation?" he sneered. I pouted and moved past him with my bags.
"I'll see you guys later." Jess sang as she skipped away. Kat was desperately trying to get Theo to talk and look at her much to no avail. Draco grabbed my things and I picked up Maria's cage and followed him down to the common room. Draco had Pansy put my bags in my room and I took Maria out of her cage. "Did you need something brother dearest?" I asked innocently. "Mother and aunt Bellatrix are very upset about that article. Just thought I'd warn before the end of term. How is it that you got caught little princess?" he smirked.
Maria hissed at him from my lap. "It's ok. that's just mean old uncle Draco who has a stick up his ass 90 percent of the time." I picked her up and went to my dorm. after rolling around on my bed for an hour while Maria got used to her new bed and surroundings I hopped up and went to look for Neville. I ran into Luna during my search. "Before you ask Neville's in the greenhouse and he'd like to talk." she smiled. I winced and shivered. "That doesn't sound good." I mumbled. She pushed me out onto the grounds until we reached the greenhouse where Neville sat inside.
I knocked on the door and entered as Luna took off for the castle. I rocked back and forth on my feet as he turned and looked at me not saying a word. "I guess you're still mad." I whispered looking at the ground. "Lis come here." he spoke calmly. I looked up for a moment then back down. "No. No, I'm not moving from my spot. You didn't answer any of my letters sir." I grumbled turning to the window. Neville stood up and walked over until he was in front of me.
"Do you know what my gran asked me when the story came out?" Neville put a hand behind me and turned me around, so I was looking at him. "I don't know. How am I supposed to know? I just want to know why you sent all of my letters back unread darling." I pouted. Groaning he looked up at the ceiling. "No, I don't know what your gran asked. I've spent every single day since that article came out trying to figure out how to get you to forgive me for letting our relationship be leaked without warning." I mumbled.
"My gran knows were friends and now thinks I know who it is that you're dating. She doesn't even think I'm an option. She specifically said and I quote 'Do you know who the little princess is dating? You're her friend, right? It's probably some guy from a Quidditch team.' My gran barely even registers me as your friend." Neville muttered. I wrapped my arms around him and put my head on his chest. "You register very high on my list. I haven't even started to worry about what my family is going to do." I admitted.
"Lis, I need you to give me a little time to think properly. I don't want to transfer my anger with my gran to you." he finally looked at me. I nodded and he took a step back. "When you say a little time how long is that exactly?" I grabbed his hand before he could leave. "A week. Maybe two. Now let my hand go." he sighed. I shook my head and grabbed his other hand too. "Little flower let go." Neville turned his head.
"Fine but I haven't seen you in two weeks so can you kiss me before I let go?" I whispered. "One kiss and then you go to your dorm and figure out how to deal with your family who are probably frea-" I pulled him into a kiss, and he wrapped his arms around me. "I missed you so much!" I smiled kissing his face. He picked me up and deepened the kiss. "Are you really sure you want to go another two weeks without this?" I mumbled. Neville put me back down and kissed me softly. "I know I can, but I don't think you can." he smirked.
"Oh, I can go for a month, but you darling, you'll give in within a week." I scoffed running my fingers up his arms. He grabbed my hand and led me up to the castle. "It's time for you to figure out how to deal with your family." he smiled. I groaned and turned to go back the way we came. He dragged me to the Great Hall where everyone was getting caught up. Theo still wasn't talking or looking at Katrina.
"Me and Lis already decided to drop out and go live at our house with Maria. All we have to do is wait for Jess to graduate since Charlie already forgave her." Kat scoffed and pouted. Draco stopped talking to Blaise and turned to Kat. "What'd you say? Who's Maria?" he questioned. "You met Maria already." I smiled and shook a finger at Kat. "Forget the rest of that! When did Charlie forgive Jess?" Daphne gasped and started shaking Katrina.
"Charlie showed up at the Leaky Cauldron this morning when our group stopped there before getting on the train. I have received forgiveness and Lis bought a kitten." Jess smiled throwing her arm around Daphne. "See! You'll have someone to keep you company for the next two weeks possibly a month." Neville whispered in my ear. He ruffled my hair and left.
I glared at Jessie who shrugged and started talking to Daphne and Pansy. "Why are you so down?" Draco mumbled as I flopped down. I quickly explained what happened and the two-week wait. "I really have to thank you Jess for telling him about Maria." my voice dripped with sarcasm. Draco patted my head. "You know mother's livid that she had to hear about you having a boyfriend from the Daily Prophet, right?" Draco smirked. "Yeah, but here's the thing. I'm more worried about my relationship than mother. I have a few months to figure out how to deal with her." I waved him off.
Classes resumed and I busied myself with my studies often finding myself in the library. The trainees had just left after a quick tutorial session to see how they were faring with their workload when Neville sat down. "Aww, look how hard working my little flower is." he smiled and leaned forward. "Am I your little flower?" I muttered flipping through my book. He put a hand over mine and slid the book towards him. "Yes, you're my little flower." he whispered. humming I put my things back in my bag and held out my hand for the book he took.
He grabbed my bag and stood up. He nodded for me to follow and I hurried after him. He turned around and grabbed my hand pulling me to his side. "Lis, stop being stubborn." he whispered as I tried to move his arm. I stopped walking and he picked me up. Despite my feeble attempts to get him to stop he didn't put me down until we reached the alcove. "Aren't you supposed to be taking a little time?" I folded my arms and stared outside. "Lis, I'm done taking time. It's been like three weeks." Neville chuckled. I shot him a glare and sat down on the steps.
"You are such a stubborn brat." he scoffed. I kicked out at him and he grabbed my leg. "You said two weeks. You're evil. What a terrible boyfriend I have!" I pouted and threw my hair over my shoulder. I tilted my head to look at him. His eyebrows were raised with a faint trace of a smile on his face. "Are you done pouting now?!" he smirked. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back to the window.
Neville sat down beside me and pulled me onto his lap. "I missed you dummy!" I sniffled throwing my arms around him. "Ah, there you go. I missed you too!" he kissed the top of my head. I buried my face in his neck and refused to move for 30 minutes. "You must've really missed me little flower. Didn't Maria keep you company?" he mumbled. I kissed his neck working my way up to his jaw and then his lips.
"I missed you more than you will ever realize. I don't care what other people think. I only care what you think. So, I want you to promise never act like you aren't good enough for me. I only want you by my side for the rest of my life. You are the only person I can see myself with for the rest of my life." I smiled at him and brushed his hair from his face. "Are you proposing?" he gasped. I smacked his shoulder and he laughed.
"Did you figure out what to tell your mother?" he asked. We were watching the sunset and I was in his lap with my head on his shoulder. "Of course. I'm going to tell her that I broke up with my boyfriend, so she stops asking questions." I giggled. Neville coughed and I patted his back. "That's what you came up with!" he spluttered. I shrugged and nodded. "My family already knows that I kissed Pansy, Blaise, and Theo at the beginning of my fourth year. So, me breaking up with someone in less than a year won't be shocking." I smiled proudly.
A frown was slowly appearing on his face. "How did your gran react when she found out you changed your career course?" I clasped my hands together as I tried to change the subject. Neville shook his head but wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer. "Nice try Lis!" he smiled and kissed me softly. "One more time." I mumbled pulling him into another kiss.
It was well past midnight when I made it back to my dorm. I stumbled in still kiss drunk. Maria meowed and pawed the air when she saw me. "Oh, I'm sorry! Were you bored or hungry?" I scratched behind her ears and made sure she had enough food and water before I crawled into bed.
I sat on the floor in the Great Hall watching everyone attempt to apparate. I smiled as Draco fell through his hoop while acting cocky. "Just because you already got the hang of this does not mean you can sit there and laugh at me." he scolded. I smirked and motioned to Pansy that'd he fallen again. She choked back a laugh in time for him to turn to her with a disapproving look. "I could do this no problem. Apparating isn't that difficult." he scoffed.
"Interesting! So it isn't that hard to do, and you can even apparate farther than I can? If the great Draco Malfoy says it is so easy than you can do it no problem." I goaded. Draco rolled his shoulders back and glared at me. "Of course, I can apparate farther than you. I can do it no problem. I could apparate all the way back home if I wanted or even to the countryside." Draco scoffed. I hopped up with a sly smile. "That's exactly what I thought! How about this if you can apparate farther than I can I'll do whatever you say. Vice versa if I win. Deal?" I stuck my hand out.
Blaise and Theo were desperately telling Draco not to do it and I nodded for Kat and Daphne to intervene. "Unless your scared of your little sister?" I smirked and turned away to laugh. A growl of sorts exited his gritted teeth, and he shook my hand. "We have a deal. After all there is absolutely no way you can beat me." he sneered. I waved for him to go first and he made it halfway across the room and motioned for me to go next. I cracked my knuckles and rolled my shoulders back.
I apparated all the way to the windows and back. I sat down like nothing happened and examined my nails. Draco knelt down in front of me with an irritated look on his face. "You are one evil little brat!" he growled. I smiled and patted his shoulder. "As per our deal you have to do whatever I tell you to do!" I booped his nose before getting up to join my friends. "Wait! What is it you want me to do?!" he called. I shot him a smile over my shoulder and winked before turning to talk to my friends.
Draco kept pestering me the rest of the day trying to figure out wat I was going to make him do. "My dear sweet brother. I will let you know when the time comes, but for right now if you don't stop pestering me, I'm going to slap you!" I smiled innocently but my words came out in a half-growl. "Honestly Draco, Lis wouldn't make you do anything bad right?" Pansy put a hand on his shoulder. Draco shrugged and I smiled evilly.
"I would never make this precious brother of mine do anything bad!" I sang sweetly. Blaise and Theo shared a look and I pouted. "You're not planning on having Draco help you lie to your family about your relationship, are you?" Blaise seemed confused. "No, I hadn't planned on it, but now that you bring it up that's an even better idea than the one I came up with. Thank you, Blaise! Draco tell Blaise thank you." I nudged Draco.
Draco shot daggers at Blaise and I patted his head. "Mother would really believe my story if you helped back me up!" I giggled and clapped my hands. "Blaise, I'm going to kill you." Draco grumbled. "Aww, come on Draco! I already got permission from Neville and hired one of my music classmates, Jason, as a fake boyfriend to distract mother from my real boyfriend." I ran through the plan again in my head while they stared at me.
"Run that by me again." Draco tapped his fingers on the table. "What about what I just said made no sense? I hired a fellow student to pretend to be my boyfriend so I can tell mother we broke up. Then she'll drop this entire thing and leave my real boyfriend alone. You remember the incident at the beginning of fourth year." I rambled. Pansy covered her mouth and looked away. "You tell me. will mother believe that I dumped my "boyfriend", or will she think I'm lying?" I asked Draco. He thought about it for several minutes.
"Think about it. Out of all the crazy, stupid, reckless things I've done without permission mother, father, and our dear aunt will forgive everything. I know what I'm doing. I just need you to pretend like what I'm telling them is the truth. Can you do that?" I pleaded. "I don't know if I can." Draco sighed. "You made a deal! You said you would do whatever I told you to do! Why are you going back on your word!" I whined shaking Draco's shoulders.
"When you say you hired someone to pretend to be your boyfriend… What do you mean by that? Who'd you hire?" Daphne leaned over Blaise and tapped my hand excitedly. He stared at her, but she ignored him. "Do you see that guy over there?!" I leaned over the table and pointed at a seventh year Ravenclaw. He was tall, charming, sculpted, and sexy with his chocolate brown hair and green eyes. He was exactly the type of guy most parents would hope their daughter would bring home.
Apparently, Daphne and Pansy were staring too much because both Draco and Blaise cleared their throats to get their attention. "He's one of the seventh years that went on the tropics trip with us. It'll be very easy to get mother to believe I dumped him." I waved when he noticed I was looking at him. He smiled and waved back before turning to his friends. "And Neville's ok with this?" Draco mumbled. "Well… I haven't exactly told him who I hired to be my fake boyfriend yet." I laughed nervously.
"He doesn't look like the type to be dumped. He looks like he'd dump you." Daphne murmured. "I corrected one of the tests he took last term and when the professor handed it back the answers, I'd given tripled his original score and now he wont talk to me as much as he used too. If I'd known his pride was so easily damaged, I wouldn't have helped. Now he's in denial and keeps saying 'There's no way a Slytherin is smarter than a Ravenclaw.' Thus, the reason we 'broke up'." I tugged Draco's sleeve.
"It's a well thought out plan but you didn't tell Neville yet. Are you forgetting how he reacted after what his gran said?" Draco raised an eyebrow when I broke eye contact. "I told him I'd tell him the full plan before we get off the train." I muttered. He shook his head and looked around. "Tell him after dinner and don't come back after midnight like you did the other night." He ordered. I nodded along until the last part. "How do you know when I got back if you weren't back either?" I questioned. Draco opened his mouth to reply when Blaise shook his head.
"Am I the only one who doesn't know?" I whined and stared at Draco with puppy dog eyes. When he wouldn't look at me, I had my answer. "Why did mother tell me to look after you this year?" I asked suddenly shocking even me. "Mother did what? Does she think I need some kind of babysitter?" Draco was obviously hurt by mother's lack of trust. "I don't really think so unless you agreed to do something stupid and reckless which is my genre!" I scoffed in disbelief.
"What exactly is my genre then Lis?!" Draco whispered angrily. "I haven't completely figured you out yet." I sighed sadly. Theo burst out laughing. "Aren't you two twins? Shouldn't you two know each other better?" Theo chuckled. Draco and I looked at each other in confusion. "Should I be completely honest? Draco is a bit more like mother and I… I'm a bit of a rogue." I laughed at Draco's horrified expression.
"I don't think I'm like mother. I think I'm like father and your more like grandmother." Draco ruffled my hair. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off when he turned to talk to Pansy. As everyone went back to their common rooms after dinner, I waved Neville over and pulled him into an empty corridor. "What is it? I saw you and Draco talking earlier." he whispered. "I don't have much time, so I need to talk to you in the morning before breakfast, ok?" I whispered hurriedly.
Neville looked at me with a curious expression. "Just agree to meet me in the courtyard before breakfast." I whined and jumped up and down trying to get him to hurry up. "Why are you so impatient?" he wondered. "Draco gave me a curfew. He knows I got back to the dorm after midnight. I have 10 minutes until I have to be in the common room." I was now hopping in place. Neville smiled and bit back a laugh at my behavior. "Ok love. I'll meet you in the courtyard." he kissed my cheek. I led him to the stairs and waved as I headed for my common room.
I felt him wrap his arms around me and I turned to find myself against Neville's chest. "One kiss and I'll let you go." he whispered. I smiled as he kissed me gently. "I should really go. I don't want to get in late." I whispered deepening the kiss and putting my hands on his shoulders. I walked into the common room 40 minutes later than my curfew and snuck along the wall to the dorm. Luckily, Draco was distracted talking to Theo about something, so I made it to my dorm unnoticed.
I waited nervously in the courtyard for Neville to show up. I was tapping my feet nervously when he wrapped his arms around me stop my tapping and making me smile. "What did you want to talk about?" he whispered as he sat down. "You know how you told me to find a way to deal with my mother. Well, I did. I just don't want you to get mad when I tell you the full plan." I waited for him to give me the go ahead. He nodded and I watched his expression carefully as I told him the pan in its entirety.
He was angry but it wasn't showing on his face. I grabbed his hand and played with it while I waited for him to speak. "Say something darling." I pleaded. "What do you want me to say. You literally chose someone who was the exact opposite of me. Frankly, I'm pissed off love." he grumbled. I looked down at the ground. He sighed and pulled me onto his lap. "I'm really sorry! How can I make it up to you? I'll do anything you want!" I wrapped my arms around him.
His eyebrows shot up and I tilted my head. "I'll give you until lunch to figure it out and it better not be what you were just thinking mister!" I ordered. Neville hmmed and ran a finger along my leg. A smile tugged at my lips and I tsked at him. "Time to go eat." I smirked jumping off his lap and grabbing my bag. I hadn't made it several steps when he hugged me from behind and kissed my neck. "Your friends are waiting for you." I mumbled.
He smiled and the sight of it made my heart do back flips. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" he whispered as we got closer to the students filing into the Great Hall. "No! Of course not! I'm stopping myself from jumping you." I whispered in his ear and ran over to my table leaving him standing in the doorway near his friends. "What'd you say? Is he mad about your plan?" Daphne wondered as I slid in beside her.
"He was, but I told him I'd do anything he wanted so that he wasn't upset anymore." I answered as I started in on my breakfast. Draco, Blaise, and Theo coughed and choked on their food and I stared at them innocently. "What were you three thinking about? Get your minds out of the gutter." I scolded. Pansy nudged me and pointed at the Gryffindor table. I looked up and saw Neville talking to his friends and a slightly upset Hermione. I tsked and went back to my food.
"Why would you tell him you'd do anything?" Draco muttered clearly upset. "I thought he would say something along the lines of help me with my homework or help me with the plants in the greenhouses." I shrugged and looked over at Neville again who was now pointing at Jason. I quickly wrote Neville a note and shot it over to him without interference.
"Ah, my poor innocent little sister." Draco shook his head sadly. "I know. I must have too much love for you and Neville in my heart. My two favorite people." I sighed. Draco smiled and ruffled my hair before leaving for class. "Ok! The guys are gone now. What'd you send in the note?" Pansy asked poking my arm. "Nothing. I just reminded him to figure out what our deal would be by lunch." I murmured making sure everything was in my bag. She pouted and kept eating. "I made plans to meet him after class before Draco can enact a new curfew." I teased as I raced off to my first class.
I was reading through some reports for music class when a pair of hands covered my eyes. "You should really pay attention to where you're going little flower." Neville whispered in my ear. I smiled and he turned me around and examined the stack of papers I'd been reading. "Just how much work are you doing Lis?" he gasped as he flipped through the stack. "I may have quadrupled my course work for my music class, and I also agreed to help the art classes with their exams too." I rocked back and forth on my heels waiting for his response.
He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly trying to find a response. I put the papers in my bag and grabbed his hand. "Are upset or something? I finished a lot of my work early, so I was just on my way to lunch." I nodded towards the Great Hall. I started to walk towards the hall when I was tugged back. "I feel terrible. I didn't even know you were working so hard." Neville hugged me and kissed the top of my head. "It's not a big deal. Did you figure out what you wanted?" I asked as we walked down the corridor.
"I want to save it for later." he smiled, and I stopped walking. "You should use it now. Why save it for later?" I pouted. "Should I? I don't want to. I want to wait and use it in the future." he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. I hurried my steps and stopped in front of him. "Why do you want me to use it so badly? Is there something you want me to ask?" he walked until my back was against the wall. I shook my head and bit my lip. "I just don't understand what you're thinking right now. I'm really curious. What's going on in that mind of yours?" I ran my fingers through his hair.
He stared at me for a minute before sighing. "Anyways time for lunch and then I have to go back to organizing and filing these reports." I ducked under his arms and headed towards the enticing smell of food. Neville picked me up and put me over his shoulder. "We weren't done talking." he carried me back the way we came and put me down on a bench. "Are we picking up where we left off last night before my curfew?" I stared into his eyes. "Aww, you'll get in trouble and then you'll get grounded again." he teased.
I crawled into his lap and put my hands on his shoulders. "You're worth it." I whispered leaning closer. Our lips met and he wrapped his arms around me keeping me in place. I skipped back into the music room and started working. Katrina and Jessie came in at the end of lunch with some food for me. "We saw Neville heading up here and thought you might not show up." Kat smirked as she flipped through the papers I'd handed her.
I ignored the subtle hints and jabs and finished the rest of my assignment. "Don't forget to review these for our meeting with the agency. We should be getting our first assignment in a week and then we'll start having regular meetings." I reminded them as I put my things away. "Where are you going?" Jess grumbled. "Draco is upset because she keeps staying out late with Neville, so he enacted a curfew." Kat answered before I could. Jessie snickered and tried to reign her laughter back when she saw how sad I was about it.
There was a knock on the door, and I turned to see Neville. "I'll see you guys later!" I called over my shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me as we walked down the hall. "Is Draco, ok?" he whispered. I blinked at him in confusion. "I passed your brother on the way here and it looked like he was really pale. I just thought something might be wrong with him." Neville shook his head like he was trying to figure something out. "I'll ask him tonight." I assured him.
I examined Draco at dinner, and he did seem paler than normal. "Are you ok Draco?" I whispered when no one else was paying attention. He nodded and I noticed he'd barely touched his food. I started to frown and poked Draco. "I'm eating. Stop worrying Lis." he mumbled. I watched him until he'd finished half his food and then went back to the debate Daphne and Theo were having.
After dinner Pansy nudged me and I nodded at Draco. We'd both noticed how differently he was acting. I kept an eye on him all the way back to the common room. "Lis there is nothing wrong with me. You can stop watching me now." Draco ruffled my hair. "No, there's something wrong with you." I pouted. The common room was slowly emptying as tired students stumbled to their dorms. "Amaryllis I'm fine. Go to bed and take Pansy with you." Draco nodded at Pansy who'd fallen asleep on his lap.
"Fine then but I know something's wrong with you." I picked Pansy up and put her on my back. Half dragging half carrying I got Pansy into her bed and tucked in for the night. "I really don't understand why you like my brother, but I have to admit you're one stubborn girl. Still, I think you deserve better." I brushed her hair from her face and made sure she was asleep.
Maria was asleep on my pillow so I moved her over slightly so I could crawl into bed. She curled up next to me and I tucked her blanket around her as I drifted off to sleep. I opened my eyes to find both Pansy and Daphne had joined me in my bed. I smiled and rolled over. Maria was scratching at my trunk, so I picked her up and put her in the basket I'd created and designed for her.
She meowed at me and I put her blanket inside the basket. "What is so interesting about my trunk that you're scratching at it?" I sat up and started going through my trunk. The baby Niffler was rummaging through my jewelry. I put my hands on my hips and cleared my throat. It dropped the peacock necklace. Daphne and Pansy stirred on my bed and gasped in shock when their eyes focused on the Niffler.
"Give me back my jewelry!" I demanded. The Niffler shuffled backwards, and I scooped it up and turned it upside down over my bed. All the money I'd won in bets and my jewelry cascaded onto my bed. I held the Niffler in my arms as I dressed and let it play with my mood necklace and ring while I packed my schoolbag. I put my jewelry in a safe before picking up the Niffler. "Naughty child!" I scolded. I passed the Niffler over to Daphne while I fed Maria and made sure she had enough water.
Daphne and Blaise took the Niffler back to Hagrid's and explained the situation. I hurried to the Great Hall with Pansy. We sat on either side of Draco and made sure he ate. "Ah, it was bad enough having one person worrying about me now, I have 6 people worrying about me." Draco muttered. "So, what. We care about you dummy!" Pansy slapped Draco's shoulder. I snickered while Draco stared at Pansy in shock.
"You tell him like it is." I cheered her on. Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed a piece of toast. "Where'd Blaise go this morning?" Theo asked as he sat down. "Maria found the baby Niffler stealing my jewelry this morning, so he and Daphne took it back to Hagrid." I explained. "Maria must've been so happy to find a Niffler." Draco mumbled. "No, she was upset because Lis wouldn't let her at the Niffler." Pansy corrected. A tired looking Blaise and Daphne sat down.
"That Niffler of yours is a piece of work!" Daphne grumbled. "I don't own the Niffler. That's like saying I own a unicorn." I scoffed and started tearing apart a bagel. I had a mini mountain of shredded bagel on my plate within minutes and Draco nudged me. I dumped the shredded bagel onto his plate and put my head on the table. Something tapped my leg and I looked down to see the Niffler was back. "Did you guys make sure the Niffler was actually back in its nest?" I asked.
They shared a confused look and nodded. I picked up the Niffler and turned it towards them. "Does this look like it's back in it's nest?!" I picked up my bag and ran down to the Niffler nest before class. I sang the Nifflers a lullaby and were well asleep before racing up to my first class.
I was organizing the files for the next trip when I heard something rattling around in a drawer. I wondered if it was another Niffler as I got closer. I opened the drawer slowly and the room fell into darkness. A figure walked towards me in the darkness and walked as fast as I could towards the door. There was a cracking sound and I turned back to the dark figure.
Neville and Draco were lying on the floor being tortured by some unknown person. Their screams echoed around the room and I was suddenly locked in a giant glass birdcage. There was another crack and my friends and family appeared one by one being tortured by persons unknown. I slid to the floor crying and trying to block the screams. Their tortured bodies hung in front of me, and the cage grew smaller until I was in the fetal position on the floor crying and I passed out.
I came to in the Hospital Wing. "Ah, you're finally awake Ms. Malfoy!" Madam Pomfrey hurried over. I tried to sit up, but she put a hand on my shoulder. "You need to rest a bit longer. Peeves convinced several boggarts to hide in the music room and you found them. Your energy levels must be really low. You were on the wrong side of a really bad prank. Your friends left you some cards and if you need anything let me know." she offered a kind smile before going back to her office.
I looked at the clock and saw it was well after midnight. Groaning I rolled over and pulled the covers higher. When I woke again, I heard voices talking a few beds away. "This has happened before, so she just needs time to rest and then she'll be back in classes by tomorrow." Madam Pomfrey stated. "Peeves has been scolded thoroughly by the Headmaster." Snape spoke in his usual half bored tone. "Poor child. To be set upon by so many boggarts. Oh, there's her brother." Madam Pomfrey stopped talking as the doors opened.
Draco's footsteps got closer. "Is she feeling better? Has she woken up yet?" he asked sitting next to my bed. "She woke up briefly last night. She was extremely out of it and mumbling to herself all night poor thing." Madam Pomfrey sighed. I closed my eyes just in case they pulled back the covers. Madam Pomfrey and Snape's voices moved towards her office and I waited until the door closed to pull the covers back. "Good morning." I mumbled.
Draco jumped and turned to look at me. "Hey, how's my little sister doing?" he brushed my hair out of my face. My lip trembled and my eyes watered as the images came back to me. My breath caught in my throat and I knew he could tell I was freaking out. I pulled the covers over my head and tried to calm my breathing. "Scooch over Amaryllis." Draco whispered. I made room for him and he put my head on his chest. "Does mother know I freaked out again?" my voice was barely a whisper, but I knew he could hear me.
"Of course, mother knows already. She's worrying so much aunt Bellatrix sent a letter this time wondering if you were ok." Draco mumbled. I laid there for a moment. "Was it the same as last time?" I knew what he was referring to. Back in third year for our final exam the last part of the test was to take on a boggart and I failed miserably. "This time was the same as last time just multiplied. It was the worst. This time I got locked in a glass birdcage while the tortured bodies of my friends and family got closer shrinking the cage the closer, they got, and then I blacked out." I confessed.
Draco wrapped a protective arm around me until I had stopped shaking. "Why did you go near it in the first place?" he wondered. "I thought it was a Niffler. I didn't know!" I sniffled. "Alright, alright. Don't cry. Jeez, Lis! Seriously don't cry." he patted my back until I calmed down again. "Who'd you see this time?" he voice was strained, and I looked up to him fighting tears. I shook my head flat out refusing. "Tell me Amaryllis." he whispered. "You and Neville. My two favorite people in the world were tortured right in front of me and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even move I was paralyzed." a few tears escaped my eyes and he put my head on his chest.
I cried there for a little while until I fell back asleep. When I woke again Neville was sitting by my bed and playing with my hand. "Hey." I mumbled. "Hey, how are you feeling? Draco told me what happened." he leaned forward and brushed my hair from my face. "I feel a bit better. Did I worry you?" I sat up slowly and stretched. "If this was the first time this happened in the entire time that I've known you I would've been a lot worse, but I remembered that you ended up in the Hospital Wing a lot back in third year whenever you had to face a boggart." he smiled slightly at some memory and then scanned my face.
"So, Draco told you everything even what my boggart is?" I sighed and continued stretching. He nodded trying not to seem so obvious. "I'm sorry I made you guys worry. I should've been more careful." I mumbled scolding myself in the process. "I don't think scolding yourself is going to help you much. Is there anything I can do to help?" he was still watching me carefully. I bit my lip and thought for a while. "No, I cannot bring you your homework or any thing that might stress you out." he interrupted my thought guessing what I was going to ask for.
I smacked my lips and looked around. My bag which had been by my bed when I woke up the first time was now gone and in its place was a small pile of sweets. "Fine, you can tell me about plants." I poured the pile of sweets on my lap and started sorting them into piles. I listened carefully as he told me about his lessons with Professor Sprout and occasionally put one of the nastier sweets in his mouth to see his reaction.
After several minutes of my teasing, he stuffed a handful of random Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans into my mouth laughing when I spit them out. He helped me clean up the mess and then I pulled him onto the bed with me. "How worried were you guys?" I wondered as I put my head on his chest and he tucked the blanket around me. "Katrina found you first and ran to get help. Draco was so angry it took Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and Theodore to hold him back while the teachers tried to figure out what happened. I carried you here while Jessie stayed behind with Katrina to clean up the mess." he rubbed my arms and I hummed softly.
I rolled slightly into him and wrapped my arms around him breathing in his scent to keep me calm. "I love you Lis." he kissed the top of my head. I smiled and hugged him tighter. "I love you too darling." I whispered. We laid there talking until Madam Pomfrey rushed scolding us for staying up so late. I waved as he went back to his dorm and I curled up and went to sleep.
After the boggart incident Draco and Neville, both decided it would be better if I stayed with either of them when I had free time. I was studying in the library with Neville after classes. I had to organize the new sheet music and translate for the agency meeting. I rolled my head and yawned. "Tired? Do you need to take a break?" he whispered. I nodded and climbed into his lap resting my head on his shoulder. "What are you working on love?" I looked at the essay he'd been writing.
"A Herbology essay. I should be done in a little bit, ok?" he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I nodded. I traced tiny shapes on his neck and jawline while I waited. He stopped writing and bit his lip. "If you keep doing that, I can't concentrate little flower." he whispered. I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Don't make me put you back in your seat." he continued. Humming I turned in his lap, so my back was to him and started reading the essay. "Really Lis?!" he mumbled.
I ignored him and kept reading. He slid my chair closer to his and put me in it but kept my feet in his lap. I crossed my arms pouting. "Done. Stop pouting Lis." he was fighting a smile as he closed his books. I stuffed my things in my bag and left as quickly as I could. Neville kept up with me easily and hugged me. "Ah, you're upset because I moved you off my lap. How can I make it up to you? Do you want me to give you one of my jackets or a sweater?" he was teasing me.
I sat down on a bench and stared at the wall. "I'll wait here for Draco or one of my friends to come and get me." I crossed my arms and hummed while I waited. I didn't hear his footsteps leaving so I hummed louder and started stomping out a rhythm with my feet. "Lis. Lis turn around. Please!" he whispered in my ear. I turned to him with a sigh but refused to look at him. He put a finger under my chin and lifted my face so I was looking at him.
"You can't just wait here by yourself. Come here." he pulled me onto his lap. I put my arm around him and rested my head on it. "Why are you so stubborn Lis? What would make you feel better hmm? Do you want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend and get some sweets or a butterbeer?" he offered. I shook my head and put my face in his neck. "What is you want then sweetie? Use your words." he lifted my face again. "I don't want anything. I just wanted to sit in your lap earlier. That's all." I whispered.
He smiled and tilted his head back as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. I tapped his arm and he sat up. "I'm not mad I was just a little sad is all." I kissed his cheek and put my face back in his neck. "One more." Neville whispered. I smiled and sat up. Leaning forward I kissed him gently. "You could have just told me it made you sad. I would've let you stay on my lap." he mumbled. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Cupping my face, he kissed me and I shifted in his lap slightly.