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Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word count - 1318

Perfect Moments

He was taking a risk and he knew it, but they didn't have a choice. Abe was doing amazing at getting food to them, but sometimes, it wasn't enough. The more the number of people in the Room of Requirement grew, the less food they each got when they shared it out.

Neville had voted himself to try and subsidise their diets from the Kitchens.

He slid through the dark corridors, his footsteps almost silent. At every junction or doorway, his heart jumped hard in his chest, and he wondered for a moment if he'd even make it to the kitchens before his heart gave up. He hated that he was so scared to walk the corridors of a place he'd considered his home.

He finally made it to the kitchen and slipped through the portrait hole, freezing when he saw the kitchen was already occupied.

Daphne Greengrass quirked her eyebrow at him. "We were taking bets on if you were still alive. You just won me ten galleons."

Neville blinked at her. He knew those words. He stared at those words nightly, wondering who would say them to him, and if he'd actually live long enough to hear them.

Too often, stories of vibrant silver words losing their colour as soulmates lost their lives were being whispered about. He'd hate to do that to someone.

And yet, he knew now that if he looked at the elegant scrawl on his arm, it would be the stunning gold of a soulmate met.

"Thanks for the concern," he replied dryly, and he watched understanding dawn on her face.

"Unexpected," she murmured, absently stroking her arm over her robe, as though she could feel the words change colour. "But… I'm not mad."

Neville's lips lifted in a small smile. Unexpected was a good word, he thought. He wanted nothing more than to sit beside her at the table and while away the hours with her, but he had a mission and he couldn't let his team, his family down.

He spoke to one of the elves quickly, and though they appeared nervous, they nodded and started filling the spelled bag he'd brought with him.

"Hungry?" Daphne asked, watching the elves with interest.

"I've got a lot of mouths to feed," Neville replied quietly.

"I can imagine. Classes are getting quieter every day."

Neville nodded and sighed, running a hand through his short hair. He wanted to ask her to come with him, to join them in the Room of Requirement, but he didn't know if he should. If he even could. He didn't have the first clue where her loyalties lay.

"Are you safe?" he asked instead, his head tilting to the side.

"As any of us are," she said, her brow furrowing. "I keep my head down and my mouth shut, and it keeps me out of trouble. I don't have a choice; Astoria is too young to be put into any kind of danger if I can avoid it."

The elves handed him the filled bag, and Neville checked his watch, wincing at the time. He really had to get back, he couldn't afford the others getting worried and trying to find him.

"I have to go," he said, apologetically. "But… if you need help…"

"I have plenty enough cunning to get by, Neville," Daphne said softly. "When this is all over… maybe I can be selfish then."

Neville smiled. "I look forward to it."

…

Neville flipped through the newspaper absently. He knew Seamus had already gone through it looking for news that would mean something to any of them, but it had been beautifully empty of anything serious for a change. It was a rare day that nothing happened, and each morning, the nervous nausea raised its ugly head until they were given the all clear.

A commotion at the door drew Neville's attention and he had his wand in his hand before he'd even fully cleared his seat.

Luna entered the Room of Requirement, hustling two figures with her, and it took Neville a moment to realise that Daphne was one of them, holding up a smaller figure.

"Daphne?" he asked, stepping forwards towards her.

She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears and her eyes a blaze of anger.

"They hurt her because she couldn't cast the Cruciatus," she snarled, helping the smaller girl onto the table. Only then did he realise it was Astoria, and Daphne's anger made all the more sense. "I wasn't sure where to go with her, but Lovegood found us and brought us here. It's… it's okay, right?"

"Of course it is," Neville replied, running a critical eye over Astoria. She seemed okay, if shaken. There was a cut running down the side of her face, but it didn't seem too deep.

"Seamus?" he asked, turning to look at his friend. "Can you heal her?"

Seamus nodded cautiously. "Are you sure we can—" he cut himself off awkwardly, but Neville saw the way his eyes slid to the green and silver ties still wrapped around their necks.

Neville nodded. "I'm sure."

He slid his jumper up enough to show Seamus the gold of his words, and Seamus' eyes widened in understanding before he nodded more certainly.

Stepping closer, Seamus drew his wand. Daphne narrowed her eyes at him, but Neville shook his head. "He's good at this," he promised her. "He's the reason I'm not full of scars already."

She stared at him for a moment, and Neville knew she was looking at some of the unhealed cuts and bruises. Neville rolled his eyes. "These are nothing. Trust me, I've had much worse. A lot of us have."

Daphne seemed to wilt, and she shook her head. "I don't understand what they're gaining from this," she admitted. "I thought Astoria would be safe. She's pureblooded, and she's quiet. She doesn't cause trouble."

"They like the ones that cause trouble," Lavender said, from her own bed where she was sitting with Parvati and Padma, a scroll of parchment between them. "It gives them an excuse to be cruel. Not that they really need one."

"Well, I guess we better hope that Potter can fulfill his destiny then," Daphne muttered. "Or we're all fucked."

Neville snorted, but his smile was genuine. "Harry can do it. Have a little faith."

…

"I can't believe it's over," Daphne said, leaning her head against Neville's shoulder.

Neville nodded. "I know. Seems unreal."

"You're unreal. I swear to god, Neville, if you ever scare me like that again, I'll be the one killing you! Standing up to him like that, what on earth were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that I don't like bullies," Neville replied, quiet but strong. "And I was thinking that I wanted to help make a world that was safe for you to live in."

She sighed and leant against him even heavier. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, ignoring the jolt of pain the movement caused.

"You owe me a date," Daphne said then, her voice muffled against his chest. "Killing monster snakes is impressive, but I'm a simple girl at heart. I prefer candlelight and roses."

"I'll save the big gestures for anniversaries, shall I?" Neville asked, chuckling.

He was so tired, but just for a moment, he wanted to enjoy this moment with his girl.

She snorted. "I don't think I appreciate your big gestures, Longbottom. They bring me too close to grey hair for comfort."

"Don't worry about it," he murmured. "There are spells for that."

The slap to his thigh was definitely worth the tired giggle she let out, and Neville smiled. The world wasn't going to be perfect, he wasn't an idiot. Perfect didn't exist.

Perfect moments did though, and he looked forward to creating many more of them with Daphne.

For now though, he was happy to live in this one.

Written for:

Romance Awareness, Day 16: Born with words on your arm which are the first words you soulmate says to you.

Romance Awareness, Extra: 45. Risk Taking

Galleon: 11. NevilleDaphne

365. 176. Cunning

1000: 359. Reading a newspaper.