* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART THREE
The Eighth Year
Chapter 49: Near to You, I am Healing
A/N: The chapter title is from the song:
Near to You by a Fine Frenzy.
After Sadie's birthday, the replies began to reel in, and everyone had good news. On one particular morning, while they were all tucking into a hearty breakfast, there was a large amount of mail which the eighth years ripped into anxiously.
Harry was most concerned for the girls on either side of him. Daphne and Hermione both had a letter. He felt like a meerkat as he quickly looked from one to the other for any sign of good or bad news.
"YES!" Daphne squealed happily. She promptly threw herself at Harry and hugged him tightly.
"You got in then?" Harry asked with a smile.
Daphne nodded, "See for yourself!" she said happily as she thrust the letter into his hands.
"Dear Miss. Greengrass,
Thank you for your application. We are pleased to inform you that you have conditionally been accepted into the course: Advanced Curse Breaking.
The conditions of this offer are that you receive an Outstanding Grade in the N.E.W.T level subjects listed below:
- Ancient Runes.
- Arithmancy.
- Defence against the Dark Arts.
- Charms
A high grade is also required for the subjects listed below (an Exceed Expectation is preferred, but Acceptable will be considered on an individual basis):
- Transfiguration.
- Potions.
A list of key textbooks and equipment is enclosed with this letter.
The course begins on the 9th of August, 1999. Accommodation is available in London; however, apparition points are available, and we are linked to an efficient floo network for those wishing to travel from home.
You will attend an induction on Sunday the 1st of August, 1999, to be introduced to your tutors and to key staff.
This will be held at your campus of study:
Gringotts Training Headquarters
The Tower of London,
London,
England.
Note: Please use the secret entrance at the back of the tower to avoid being seen by suspicious tourists.
We look forward to meeting you on the 1st of August.
Yours Sincerely,
William Weasley,
Head of Staff,
Gringotts Wizarding Bank."
Harry smirked at the fact Bill had written the letter and that Gringotts headquarters were in the Tower of London.
"Congratulations!" He said happily to Daphne.
Harry then turned to Hermione, who was grinning broadly, "So you got in too then?" he asked.
"Judging by the kiss I just got, I think so," Draco said with a fond smile towards his girlfriend.
"Oh hush," Hermione said with a smile, "Yep, see for yourself!"
Harry now found himself getting another letter thrust in his face.
"Dear Miss. Granger,
We would like to thank you for your application. We are pleased to award you a conditional place on the training course: Department of Magical Law Enforcement Development Programme.
A high pass (Outstanding is preferable, but Exceeds Expectations is acceptable) in the N.E.W.T level subjects listed below is a requirement:
- Defence against the Dark Arts.
- Potions
- Transfiguration.
- Charms.
- Arithmancy.
An Outstanding O.W.L grade (or N.E.W.T equivalent) in the subjects listed below is also a requirement:
- History of Magic
- Herbology.
- Ancient Runes.
We would like to invite you to a welcome day on Sunday the 1st of August, 1999. This will provide you with the opportunity to meet your tutor and the head of staff. This will be held in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement within the Ministry of Magic. Please use the visitor's entrance.
You will start your course on the 9th of August, 1999. You are expected to be fully prepared with the textbooks and equipment listed on an enclosed piece of parchment.
Yours Sincerely,
Roger Smithton,
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement,
The Ministry of Magic,
London."
"That's great, Hermione," Harry said happily. He was extremely happy for his friends because everybody was getting good news. It was both exciting and scary to realise that their life would be moving in such a different direction in a few short months.
Throughout the day, Harry heard more good news. Luna had received an offer to go to Brazil and work in a sanctuary for rare magical creatures run by Newt Scamander's grandson, Rolf. Ginny had gotten into an elite healer training programme at St. Mungos.
Melody was going to America with Lockhart to study teacher training at the Salem Institute for Talented Students. Melody would be studying to teach Ghoul Studies and History of Magic, and Lockhart would be studying to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts properly this time.
In fact, there was only one person who hadn't heard back yet, and that was Lilly. She had applied to a training course at St Mungo's, a very similar training course to that which Ginny had applied for. Lilly was slightly worried about the fact that Ginny had heard back when she hadn't. She knew healing magic was one of the most challenging fields to break into, and she was reasonably sure she hadn't gotten in. It probably had something to do with the fact she and Neville had blackmailed the head of St. Mungos.
It was the final breakfast before the Easter holidays when the good news came. They were all planning on going their separate ways for the week. Draco and Hermione would be off to France with their parents, and Harry and Daphne would be spending the week with Andromeda and Teddy in Cornwall. They had promised Molly that all four of them would spend Easter Sunday at the Burrow, though, and Harry was looking forward to seeing Ron again.
Sadie and Theo were spending the week making their first preparations for their wedding with Sadie's Mother. Neville and Lilly were a little lost as to what to do. Neville had decided to spend the week at Longbottom House. The renovation of Potter Manor had inspired him to assess the state of the house, which hadn't been lived in since his Grandmother was young. Lilly was going home to the Muggle world, but they were meeting to go to the circus as Lilly had promised.
Harry had to hide a smirk when he found out that Ginny was taking Blaise back to the Burrow for the week to meet her family properly. He had no idea what the Weasley brothers would make of Ginny's boyfriend, but he suspected it wasn't going to be the most leisurely week for Blaise.
On that morning, Lilly had given up hope of getting a reply before Easter, but an official-looking letter was dropped down in front of her when the post came. Lilly ripped it open right away, and her eyes scanned the letter anxiously.
"Dear Miss. Moon,
I regret to inform you that the course you applied for (Healing Magic: A Practical Apprenticeship) is now full. However, I am pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a conditional place on your second choice of course: Trauma Healing in the Field.
This course will run for a year, just as your first choice would have done. You will study for six months at the Training Centre for Trauma Healing in Amiens, France. Upon completion of the initial six months, you will be employed as a trainee Trauma Healer at the Alastor Moody Trauma Hospital within the Auror Training complex in Greater London for a further six months.
To take your place on this course, we require you to have achieved the highest possible grade in the N.E.W.T subjects listed below (we will accept nothing less than an Outstanding in these subjects):
- Potions
- Herbology
- Transfiguration
- Charms
- Defence Against the Dark Arts
- Arithmancy
We also require you to achieve an Outstanding grade in the subjects listed below at O.W.L level (we will equally accept an Exceeds Expectations at N.E.W.T level in these subjects):
- Study of Ancient Runes
- History of Magic
You will also be submitted to a physical test prior to starting this course. You will be required to partake in a mock duel and run 800 metres in 3 minutes or less. This is to ensure that you are of the fitness level we expect of our Trainee Trauma Healers.
Your induction will occur on the 1st of August, 1999, at the Training Centre for Trauma Healing in Amiens, and the course will commence thereafter. You will meet your tutors and fellow trainees, and you will be allocated accommodation. Please ensure you are fully equipped with the textbooks and equipment required (enclosed is a list).
We look forward to meeting you.
Yours Faithfully,
Alixandra Luce
Head of Recruitment
Training Centre for Trauma Healing
Amiens, France."
"Did you get in, Lilly?" Neville asked from where he was sitting opposite of her.
"Not exactly," Lilly frowned, "My first choice was full, but I got a conditional offer for my second choice...Trauma Healing in the Field."
"Seriously?" Harry asked in surprise, "Well done, Lilly! That's one of the hardest programmes in Europe to get into!"
"I know," Lilly said as her frown deepened, "And I'm not in yet. I mean, don't get me wrong, this is amazing, six months at the centre in France and then six months as a trainee at the hospital attached to the Auror training centre...it's an amazing opportunity."
"But?" Hermione said as she bit her lip.
"But the conditions to get in are really hard to meet," Lilly said quietly, "I've already got the grades they need at O.W.L level, but I need to get an O in every single one of my N.E.W.T's to get in."
"Including Defence," Neville said as he caught her eye.
Lilly nodded, "And it was the one class I flunked at O.W.L level. My practical was fine, but my written exam let me down, and I only got an E."
"Only," Harry said with a slight smile.
"I know," Neville chuckled, "It sounds crazy, but this isn't one of the best programmes in Europe for nothing. Look, Lil, I'm already into Auror training as long as I perform well at selection which I'm pretty sure I will. I have a bit of time on my hands, and I'll help you for hours every night if that's what it takes for you to get into this programme."
"Really?" Lilly asked, her eyes lit up hopefully, "Because I have to be able to pass the practical test too, Neville. My duelling is okay but not up to their standard yet, and I have to run 800 metres in under 3 minutes."
"Lilly, calm down," Neville said, "We'll start jogging around the lake as soon as we get back from the Easter holidays, and I'll start training you up in DADA as of tonight. Alright?"
"Alright," Lilly said as she blew out a breath, "Gosh, I have to write to my Dads about this! Thanks, Nev. I owe you like a million amazing birthday presents!"
Lilly got up from the table and left the hall swiftly.
Harry smirked at his best friend, "Just friends?"
"We are just friends," Neville said as he poured himself some pumpkin juice.
Draco snorted, "Do 'just friends' help each other train to get into an elite programme? Because that seems more like a boyfriend thing than a 'just friends' thing."
"Oh shut up, you two," Daphne said, "Who cares whether it's a 'just friends' thing or an 'I really wanna screw you' thing or even an' I'm sorta in love with you' thing. It doesn't matter; it matters that Lilly is lucky enough to have a friend like Neville, who is willing to help her like that."
"Thank you, Daphne," Neville said with a slight smirk.
Draco and Harry shared an amused look but said no more, as instructed by Daphne. They were both thinking the same thing, though. Whatever reasons Neville had for helping Lilly, however noble they might be, the two of them clearly weren't 'just friends' as Neville kept insisting.
"Neville, why are you doing this?"
"Because you need to be better if you want to get into that programme," Neville replied as he leant against a wall in the Room of Requirement.
Lilly wiped the sweat from her face with a towel for the umpteenth time. He had been putting her through her paces, she was tiny at 5 foot 2, but she was a little pocket rocket when she got going, "That's not what I mean," she said a little breathlessly, "I mean, yes, you are killing me here, but I meant why are you helping me at all?"
"Because you're my friend, and I want to help you get into the programme," Neville replied as he threw her a bottle of water, "And I think we should leave it there for tonight."
Lilly took a deep drink of the water and flopped down onto a beanbag next to the spot where Neville was standing, "I just don't want you to mess up your own exams because you're helping me."
"Believe it or not, Lil, I was always good with the theoretical stuff," Neville said as he slung his backpack on, "It was the practical stuff I struggled with. As soon as I got a new wand for sixth year, I could do the practical stuff, so I'm not that worried about the exams."
"Still," Lilly said as she pulled her cardigan on, "Don't forget about your own studies just to help me out."
"I won't," Neville promised, "But at the risk of sounding like Draco did when he was still Draco Malfoy, who is going to refuse me into the Auror programme after the war?"
"Ooh," Lilly teased as they stepped out of the Room of Requirement together and started walking towards the eighth year common room, "I forgot you were Neville Longbottom, the snake slaying God! I still think of you as Neville Longbottom, the guy who got lifted onto a chandelier by Cornish pixies."
Neville grinned, "Not my finest moment, I have to admit. How do you even know about that? You weren't in that class."
"Everyone heard about that, Nev," Lilly laughed, "Draco Malfoy, the prick that he was, took it upon himself to tell anyone who would listen and even those who wouldn't."
Neville laughed, "Yeah, well, I'm a bit cooler now - oomph."
Lilly grinned down at him, "Cooler, huh? That's funny cause it looks like you still can't walk up the stairs without falling through the invisible step."
Neville rolled his eyes. His cheeks were a bit pink, "Yeah, alright, point taken. Help me up now?"
Lilly laughed but grabbed his hand and pulled him out.
"Were you trying to brag to Lil when you fell through the invisible step earlier?" Theo asked his friend with a smirk in the common room that night.
Neville rolled his eyes, "Is anything a secret round here?"
"Nope," Harry grinned, "You haven't done that in ages Nev. What had you so distracted?"
"Was it the beautiful blue-eyed brunette you've been training up?" Draco asked as he popped up from behind the other two.
"Holy shit," Neville muttered, "What is this, the Spanish inquisition?"
"Well, nobody expects it," Harry joked.
"What?" Theo asked in confusion.
"Something in a film I showed Neville once," Harry said in amusement, "You two are really missing out on our film nights."
"I don't think we are after that one you forced us to come to," Draco said distastefully, "A creepy doll that stabs people and a giant singing plant. I mean, really?"
Neville barked out a laugh, "I loved "Little Shop of Horrors". I'm going to put a big TV in one of the rooms of Longbottom House once I've restored it. Lilly reckons we should all watch "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" once it's done."
Harry snorted, "Good luck trying to get them to watch that," he said as he nudged his head in Draco and Theo's direction.
"What's it about?" Theo asked, "Because, for the record, I didn't mind the giant singing plant. I thought that was kind of funny. But the doll one was fucking creepy, man."
"Uh well, it's a musical," Harry said thoughtfully, "About two young people who get trapped in a house with a transvestite who is building himself his perfect man."
Draco looked at Harry as if he had gone mad, "Not selling it very well, are you, Potter?"
"Anyone care to tell me what a transvestite is?" Theo asked in amusement.
"A man who dresses up in women's clothing," Lilly said matter of factly as she perched herself on the desk Draco was working at, "My Mum and Dad met in the theatre at a production of Rocky Horror. Look at this."
Lilly pulled her purse out and showed them a photograph of a man wearing red lipstick, a wig, and a corset, "That's my Dad."
"That's your Dad?" Theo asked in disbelief.
"Yep," Lilly said as she put the photograph away, "Not that I see him much anymore. He and my Mum are divorced. He lives in Japan with Simon these days."
"Simon?" Draco asked with a frown.
"His boyfriend," Lilly replied, "Are you really surprised he ran off with a man? I mean, did you see the photograph that I just showed you?"
"Your Dad's gay?" Theo asked in surprise.
"Yep," Lilly said. She didn't seem at all embarrassed by this.
"And hilariously camp," Neville said in amusement, "Do you remember when he got drunk a few Christmases ago and sang that Culture Club song on the karaoke?"
"Yeah, Karma Chameleon," Lilly laughed, "Don't get me wrong, he can be such an embarrassment at times, but I wouldn't change him."
"You knew?" Theo asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, of course, I did," Neville replied, "Lilly and I have been friends for years."
"And you've spent Christmases together?" Draco prodded.
"I took Neville to a Christmas concert in London once," Lilly said as she narrowed her eyes at them, "We were like 13. What's the big deal?"
"No big deal," Harry said as he shot the others a warning look.
"Is there anything you two don't know about each other?" Theo asked in amusement.
Lilly shot Neville a grin, "Not much...I don't know if you can do the time warp, though."
"It's just a jump to the left," Neville said in answer to her question.
"And a step to the right," Harry chuckled.
Draco and Theo looked at each other in alarm, much to the amusement of their muggle minded friends. Although he was a pureblood, Neville was massively into muggle culture, similar to Arthur Weasley. Harry had loved introducing him to classic films over the course of the year. The Slytherins were less keen, but Hermione was slowly getting Daphne obsessed with romcoms.
"You three are mental," Theo concluded, which of course, only made them laugh more.
"Come on, Lilly! We're not even halfway around the lake yet!"
"If you make me run any further, Neville, I am going to fucking puke!" Lilly huffed from where she was lying on the grass, covered in dew and breathing heavily.
Neville jogged backwards just to show off and stopped when he was standing above her, "We have a lot more work to do than I thought," he said as he dropped down next to her.
"I'm never going to manage it," Lilly said, a little tearfully, "I can't run! How the hell am I supposed to do this in under 3 minutes?"
"With a lot of practice," Neville said simply, "I ran every day in the summer. It's the only reason I'm fit enough to get through the selection process of Auror training. We've got until May, don't we?"
"Yeah," Lilly said as she stared up at the cloudy blue sky.
"You'll be running that distance easily by then," Neville promised her, "You just need to train hard. It's going to suck, but it means no chocolate over Easter and cutting back on alcohol. And running every morning."
Lilly groaned, "That's going to be impossible. I'll undo all our hard work over the Easter break, you know me, I have no self-control."
Neville frowned slightly as an idea began to form, "Have you got anything planned for the holidays, Lilly?"
"Not really," Lilly admitted, "It's going to be pretty boring, actually. I mean, my Dad is the cool one, and he's still in Japan, so I'm going back to Mum and her cat for a week. The only thing I have planned is the circus with you."
"Why don't you spend Easter at Longbottom House?" Neville asked her out of the blue.
"Isn't it practically a ruin?" Lilly asked in surprise.
"It's not a ruin. There's no glass in the windows, it's flooded, and there is hardly a roof in some places," Neville said with a sheepish grin, "But it's not a ruin. I'll be sleeping in a tent for the first couple of nights until I can get it watertight, and then the first thing I'll be doing is getting rid of the lead paint."
"Definitely a good idea," Lilly chuckled, "Although you're not making it sound very appealing. Sleeping in a tent?"
"It's a cool tent," Neville grinned, "Haven't you ever seen a wizarding tent?"
"Nope," Lilly replied in amusement.
"Well, mine has two stories," Neville laughed, "And a kitchen and a living room. Don't feel like you have to come though. If you want to see your Mum, I understand."
"No," Lilly said thoughtfully, "It could be kinda fun renovating a house."
"And we could jog around the lake every morning," Neville said as he glanced over at her, "I could keep training you up in the garden once it's fixed up."
"Do you think it would make a big difference for the programme?" Lilly asked.
"It would definitely help you get into the programme," Neville said as he got to his feet, but his smile faltered very slightly.
If Lilly noticed, she didn't say anything, "Alright, a week renovating Longbottom House and training my arse off, it is! But we're eating popcorn and candyfloss at the circus. I'll fight you to the end on that one!"
Neville laughed as he pulled Lilly to her feet, "Deal," he said simply.
"It's so not about the programme."
"You're staying at his house for a week."
"It's about the programme!" Lilly exclaimed as she shoved clothes into her trunk while her friends crowded her, "He's going to help me get into it."
"By playing house with you?" Daphne grinned, "Come on, Lil, this all started with those creepy little dolls in family planning week. Now you're going to his house and taking him to the circus."
"You've got to admit that this has nothing to do with the programme," Hermione agreed.
"Okay, fine!" Lilly snapped, "It has nothing to do with the programme! I like him, in a more than friend's way! I don't know how it happened; I don't know when it happened. I don't know when I went from seeing him as this cute boy who did nice things for me to seeing him as this amazing, handsome, sweet guy who offers to train me up so I can get my dream job-"
"- was it around about the snake beheading time?" Hermione asked in amusement.
"I don't know," Lilly said loudly, "But it's clearly happened! And it's freaking me out, alright? I've never dated a nice guy, I've only ever dated arseholes, and Neville probably thinks of me as a friend, and I'm probably totally misreading all of the signs! But you're right; this has nothing to do with the programme."
"You invited her to your house?" Draco asked in disbelief.
"For the whole week?" Harry added.
"And you're still insisting you're just friends?" Theo finished.
"We are just friends," Neville said irritably as he threw socks into his trunk a little too violently.
"Just friends who spend a week together at your house. Isn't it a ruin anyway?" Theo asked conversationally.
"It's not a ruin, but we'll be sleeping in a tent for the first couple of nights," Neville replied offhandedly.
"Woah," Harry said, "Hey, take it from me, Nev. Don't sleep in a tent with someone you claim to be 'just friends' with. It doesn't end well."
"Harry," Neville said in exasperation, "You and Hermione had sex in the middle of a war because you both thought you were going to die! I'm taking Lilly to the house to get her ready for the programme. I'm not going to sleep with her!"
"Ah, the programme," Draco grinned, "Come on, Nev. Admit that this isn't about the programme anymore."
"We all know it," Theo added.
"But you just won't admit that you like the girl," Harry finished.
"Alright, I like her!" Neville said irritably as he snapped his trunk shut, "I like her way too much! She's the most perfect bloody girl I've ever known, and she was in front of me for years, and I never saw it-"
"- probably because you have to look down to see her," Theo joked.
"I mean it, Theo," Neville said as he flopped down onto his bed, "She's a tiny little pocket rocket, but she's fiery, and she's hilarious. She's been my friend for years, and look at how that went down with Hannah! I don't want to screw up my friendship with her by dating her because dating seems to be something that I'm pretty incapable of doing at the moment!"
"Hannah was a bit crazy, Nev," Harry pointed out, "She was a bit of a glory hunter. You know Lilly isn't like that. She still thinks of you as the boy who lost his toad every 5 minutes."
"But she also thinks you're a hardcore Motherfucker," Theo said, "She was there for your war days. What does she call them again?"
"The General Longbottom days," Neville said with a slight smile.
"See? You have the best of both worlds. She likes you for you, but she also appreciates your valiant war efforts," Draco grinned.
Neville groaned, "Stop joking around. You're right; you're both right. This has nothing to do with the programme. I'm helping her with it to spend more time with her."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, the programme is pretty handy," Lilly said sheepishly, "Although I've been downplaying how bad I am to spend more time with Neville..."
"Lillian Moon, you sneaky little vixen," Daphne grinned, "I knew there was a reason that I liked you."
Lilly laughed but shook her head, "Ugh, what in the name of Rowena am I gonna do?"
"Here's a crazy idea," Sadie smirked, "Snog the face off of him and tell him you fancy the pants off of him?"
"Oh, like you can talk," Daphne snorted, "Little miss 'I love you, Theo, but you don't notice me', huh?"
Sadie raised an eyebrow at her, "I kissed him during the war, if you will remember."
"I remember how pleased you were that you made him speechless," Daphne grinned, "But the stupid boy still took months to ask you out after that."
"Well, he's not the most emotionally mature, is he?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.
The other girls snorted in amusement, and Daphne said, "Sadie has a point though. Maybe kissing him will be the catalyst he needs to realise you're a girl."
"Kiss him and have him say sorry, Lil, but we're just friends?" Lilly shot back, "I don't think so."
"He won't say that, and you know it," Hermione pointed out, "You know he's been crushing on you lately. He's always hanging about in your room."
"Yeah, doing Herbology work with me or helping me with DADA homework," Lilly replied.
"Uh-huh," Daphne smirked, "And now you're going to renovate his house with him? Where are you even going to sleep? I thought Longbottom House was a ruin."
"It's not exactly a ruin," Lilly yawned as she snapped her case shut, "It just needs a bit of TLC. But we're sleeping in a tent until we can get the roof fixed and the lead paint replaced."
"A tent?" Hermione asked in disbelief, "Honestly, Lilly, that doesn't end well. One minute you're just dancing, and then you're sleeping with your best friend."
Lilly snorted, "What is it about a tent that forces you to sleep with your best friend, Mione? You must have wanted to do it in some form."
"I don't know what it is about tents," Hermione admitted, "I think it has something to do with the fact there's nothing to do. It's not like a house where you have loads to do and lots of places to go. You're just sort of stuck there with each other, then you talk, and then you dance and then you're in bed together..."
Daphne raised an eyebrow, "You literally have no idea how you and Harry ended up sleeping together, do you?"
Hermione laughed weakly, "I really don't. I think I blurred it from my mind."
"It was that traumatic?" Sadie laughed.
"There were bugs, and it was cold," Hermione said with an upturned nose, "Don't have sex in a tent Lilly, it's never romantic."
"I'm not going to have sex with Neville in a tent or a house," Lilly said as she got to her feet, "Look, as much as I like him, I can't ruin our friendship. It means way too much to me-"
Lilly cut herself off as the door opened, and Susan walked in. She frowned when she noticed that the room had fallen silent, "Were you talking about Neville?"
"Uh," Sadie floundered, "Well we were-"
"-we were, yeah," Lilly said simply, "He invited me to spend the week at Longbottom House."
"Did he?" Susan asked calmly, "To help you out with the programme?"
"Yeah," Lilly said truthfully, because it was kind of the truth, "To help me with the programme and in return, I'm going to help him fix up the house."
"Lil, you don't have to walk on eggshells around me," Susan said with a slight smile, "I'm not Hannah. If you're totally excited about it, then don't downplay it...you don't know how I'm spending my week."
"How are you spending the week?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Well, Percy is working," Susan said with a smirk, "He's got a couple of international bounties. He offered to let me tag along to Bulgaria and Denmark with him."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly, you two are as bad as each other! Lilly is going to Longbottom House and on a romantic circus date with Neville and insisting that they're just friends! Now you are going off to Bulgaria and Denmark with Perce and saying you're just friends!"
"I never said we were just friends," Susan said in amusement, "Just that nothing sexual had happened between us. We're kind of dating."
"Well, Neville and I are just friends," Lilly said calmly, "And while I am excited about this week, I'm also worried. If anything were to happen between Neville and I... well, I would have to deal with Hannah, and he would have to deal with Ron."
Hermione scoffed, "Neville can handle Ron, don't worry about that."
"And as for Hannah," Susan said in amusement, "If she tries anything, we'll get her back."
"Whatever happens, happens," Lilly said as she half-heartedly glared at them, "We might come back hating each other or..."
"Glowing with happiness?" Daphne smirked.
"Oh shut up, Daph," Lilly said as she threw a pillow at the blonde girl.
"So what are you going to do about your little crush on Lilly?" Theo asked Neville calmly.
"I don't know," Neville sighed, "I won't seduce her in a tent, that's for sure," he said with an amused glance at Harry.
"I didn't actually mean to seduce Hermione in a tent," Harry pointed out, "It just kind of happened."
"Bullshit," Theo coughed.
Draco rolled his eyes, "Can we not talk about the fact one of my best friends has slept with my girlfriend, please? It's kind of awkward."
"It's not that awkward," Neville said, "Harry and I both slept with Ginny."
"And that's awkward," Draco said slowly.
"Nah," Harry shrugged, "We compared experiences."
"You compared – oh sweet Salazar, fucking Gryffindors," Draco scoffed. He glanced over at his best friend, "Thank Salazar we've never slept with the same person, Theo."
Theo nodded, but a strange look passed across his face, "Yep," he said.
Harry turned back to Neville, "Neville, you've just got to bite the bullet and tell Lilly you like her as more than a friend."
"And have her say, oh, I'm sorry, Neville, you're a really sweet guy, but I just don't see you that way?" Neville said. He had imitated Lilly very badly with a very high-pitched tone of voice.
"Neville, that really won't happen," Draco grinned, "Because she's totally got the hots for you."
"She's nowhere near as bad as she's pretending to be at DADA," Harry said in amusement, "I saw her duelling in the final battle. She put arrows into the carotid arteries of four Death Eaters."
"And I've seen that girl run," Theo added, "She's a pocket rocket like you say. There's no way she would give up halfway around the lake."
"What are you lot saying?" Neville asked with a frown.
"We're saying that she's pretending to be worse than she is to get more time with you, Neville," Harry said in exasperation.
"Not to mention the eye sex you two have been having for weeks," Theo said in amusement, "You have literally been eye-fucking."
"Eye-fucking, what the hell Theo?" Neville asked in disbelief.
"Fucking with your eyes," Theo said slowly, "Like when you say something, and then Lilly says something similar, and you stare at each other for hours."
"It's not hours," Neville scoffed.
"A-ha!" Draco exclaimed, "But you admit that you've been doing it!"
"I didn't know it had a name," Neville snorted, "Eye-fucking, honestly?"
"Seriously," Harry grinned, "Come on, Nev. You've got to make a move this week."
"If the opportune moment presents itself, then maybe I will," Neville said firmly, "But I'm not ruining a friendship without thinking it through first. Alright?"
"Deal," Harry agreed, "That's a very sensible decision. I'm proud of you."
"You're not my bloody father," Neville laughed.
"No, but I'm practically your brother," Harry pointed out.
"Yeah, and I'm older than you, so I should be the proud, protective one," Neville said in amusement.
Harry snorted, "You're a day older!"
Draco sniggered, "The point is, don't let the opportune moment pass you by."
"I won't," Neville promised, "Now can you lot bugger off so I can go for a bloody shower in peace?"
* ~ TBC ~ *