Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This story is meant purely in tribute to the original work.

Neville set his box of personal effects down on his new desk. A part of him still wasn't quite sure if he belonged here and another part of him looked forward to the new assignment. The office spaces certainly did not look any different from those of his probationary branch but there was just something different in the air. He could sense it.

"You're the new one?", voice called from behind Neville. He turned to face an older, obviously veteran auror with greying hair at the temples and what Neville thought were rather tired looking eyes.

"Yes", Neville extended his hand, "Neville Longbottom, pleased to meet you."

"Peter Whitfield, likewise.", the older man shook Neville's proffered hand. "Welcome to the Herbology Branch, Narcotics Division, Potions and Controlled Substances Dept, Auror Service, etc. Looks like we'll be cubicle-mates. At least for the next few months. I retire in May."

"Congratulations", Neville replied. "Have you been in this branch for long?"

"Two years. I was in Burglary for fourteen."

The math didn't add up in Neville's head. "Beg pardon, but are you retiring early Mr. Whitfield?"

"Pete or Peter. Mr. Whitfield is my father. And yes, I am retiring early. I feel like I've done all I can do here."

"Are things that bad here?"

"Goodness, no. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you there Neville. It's not much different from other auror assignments. It's tough all around. Personally, I think we really do make difference here and the work is rewarding."

"Is that why you're retiring early?"

"Maybe you'll find out someday.", Peter answered cryptically. Neville again noted the tired eyes. "Have you been in to see Seb yet?"

"Do you mean Inspector Chen?"

"You'll find he likes being called that as much as I like being called Mr. Whitfield. C'mon, I passed him on the way in. Best to let him know the fresh meat is here." As Peter guided Neville into the hall, Neville could not help but notice a bottle on Whitfield's desk: Anti-ulcer medication.

Inspector Chen welcomed Neville to his new assignment, reviewed their mission, expectations, and duty schedule. Neville could still not believe where some of the assignments were taking aurors in his branch. Chen nodded at Neville's skepticism. "It turns out that not all Death Eaters were as fanatical about blood purity as others. Some are quite pragmatic. As long as working in the Muggle world or with Muggles will keep money in their pockets, keep them alive and ahead of us, they'll do it. They won't be too picky."

"I never knew for a long time there was a narcotics division."

"There wasn't. Not until we noticed the product going back and forth between our world and the Muggle one. That makes it especially touchy. Narcotics hasn't been around for that long. The Herbology Branch has existed for even less time. It wasn't until the Powers That Be realized help was needed to identify, process, store, and destroy the plant sources for these drugs. It was too much to expect the aurors handling narcotics to do it all."

"Do we do any undercover work?"

"No, strictly the purview of narcotics. Don't worry, we won't be taxing your Transfiguration skills." Neville flushed slightly. Of course his branch chief had seen his dossier. "We will be testing your nerves though. Have you ever heard of or seen a methamphetamine laboratory in the Muggle world Neville?" Neville shook his head. "I didn't think you'd have much reason to. A lot of these drugs are made in makeshift labs. A lot of the equipment is jury-rigged and slapped haphazardly together. And then the operators are not very skilled or under the influence of the product. A lot of the ingredients are volatile and open flames are involved. This happens for magical narcotics as well. And the explosive results have been observed in the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. We're at risk because we go in with the narcotics boys after the explosive experts to secure as much evidence as possible. Some of the plants are quite dangerous and we don't need the narcotics boys taking casualties from them either."

"Sounds like some interesting times we live in."

"Bloody right it's interesting times. Any other questions?" Neville shook his head. "Well, I'll let you finish getting settled in. We're a small branch and we try to take care of each other. If you have any other questions, my office door is always open. " As Neville returned to his cubicle, he could not help but wonder what he had gotten himself into.

One Year Later

Neville smiled as he opened the invitation. "Ron and Hermione finally set a wedding date", he thought, "It's about bloody time!" Both he and Harry had thought it had taken far too long for Ron to propose to Hermione. He had finally popped the question right after the completion of their probationary year. Almost everyone expected the engagement to be a long one since it had taken so long for Ron to propose. Neville was as surprised as anyone else that the wedding date had finally been set. Included with the invitation was a separate note from Ron asking him to be a groomsman. Neville knew this would involve wedding attire fittings and probably at least a rehearsal dinner. He speculated that there might be other parties involved, he just hoped his schedule would allow him to attend. Neville's train of thought came to an abrupt halt as his brain attempted to free itself from his skull through brute force. At least, that's what it felt like. Neville fumbled for a small bottle on his desk and shook out two small, green pills. He stuffed them into his mouth and washed them down with a swig of water. After a few minutes lying limp in his chair, the pain subsided. Neville realized he was sweating and breathing raggedly. He glanced at his wristwatch. "Missed a dose. I still need to get used to the damn dose schedule!", he fumed at himself.

Seven Months Later

"The male mind can only distinguish a limited range of colors. The female mind can distinguish an infinite range of colors. For example, you show a guy red, he'll say it's red. You show a woman red, she'll say you're wrong. She'll say it's vermillion, or it's scarlet, or it's crimson. And it will drive you absolutely out of your bloody mind!", Ron ranted. Harry and Neville did their best to not laugh at their friend's theory. This meant the results were less than successful. "Laugh now while you can, this will be your nightmare soon old friend!"

Harry raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm really laughing with you Ron. I plan on just nodding my head through the whole ordeal."

"That strategy doesn't work. They want you to be 'involved'", Ron objected.

"You're joking."

"Welcome to my life."

"Just be glad Harry didn't propose at your wedding.", Neville offered.

"Nev, give me some credit. I may have been raised in a cupboard but I HAVE learned some social graces."

"Listen, I'll leave you two to commiserate. I'm going to get another drink, you guys want anything?" Ron and Harry shook their heads as Neville walked toward the kitchen. As he approached he heard the female voices talking in lowered voices. Apparently, they did not want their conversation to be heard and Neville normally would have obliged their privacy until his ears caught a certain word.

"…Luna will be there?", Ginny asked.

"I still don't have a definite answer from her. You know her and her schedule. Not to mention her punctuality."

"Are you still planning on having her as a bridesmaid?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then we'll just have to have a back-up. I know it seems terribly rude but I don't know what else to do. I know Luna would understand."

"You know that Ron asked Neville to be a groomsman?"

"I remember. You're not planning on pairing them to walk down the aisle are you?"

"Heavens, no! I haven't completely lost my senses Ginny!"

"Is he going to be alright?"

"I think so. He's become much more…resilient."

Neville chose to step away at that moment, he had heard enough. Memories that had been pushed far, far away returned to cloud his mind. He and Luna had kept in touch and were civil and polite in their correspondence. Just after he finished his probationary year he received a letter from Luna updating him on her latest trip and her work. She also talked about her boyfriend that she had been seeing for a couple of months. His name was Rolf Scamander and he was the grandson of the famous magizoologist, Newt Scamander. Rolf had apparently decided to follow in his famous ancestor's footsteps and it was not surprising to Neville that he and Luna would cross paths. In subsequent letters, Neville learned that Luna had brought Rolf home to meet her father. Neville supposed things were very serious between them and the next step was only a matter of time.

As for himself, Neville had met a former classmate from Hogwarts, Hannah Abbott. The former Hufflepuff and Neville were not close friends but were acquaintances from their time at school. He was pleasantly surprised to find her working at The Leaky Cauldron one evening when he and some co-workers came in to decompress after a difficult and long day. They went on a few dates but the relationship never really became serious and they broke it off by mutual consent. Hannah was a nice enough girl and quite pretty. But both she and Neville knew that their feelings for each other just did not run deep enough to continue the relationship. Deep down, on nights when his mind was clearest, right before he fell asleep and his subconscious could surface to voice his innermost thoughts and feelings, Neville admitted to himself that the real reason the relationship failed was because she wasn't Luna. He wondered if Hannah had known. Neville figured that she probably did. Hannah didn't give herself enough credit in the intelligence department and she was probably just too nice to call him on it. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and was sure to make some noise before approaching the kitchen again to allow the women to change the subject.

Five Months Later

Neville looked up as Harry exited the bathroom. "He going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I think so.", Harry answered. "You don't want to go in there right now though." The sounds of Ron emptying his stomach came through the door again. "Well, I suppose it's normal to be a little nervous."

"That sounds pretty serious for normal."

"This IS Ron we're talking about."

"Good point. Think he'll be alright in time for the ceremony?"

"Absolutely. I'll make sure of it." Harry continued in a much smaller voice, "Because Hermione promised she'd do very painful things to both of us if I didn't."

"I wish you the best of luck-"

"Ginny promised to take care of you."

"-because I'll be right there beside you.", Neville finished.

"Your enthusiastic participation is duly noted.", Harry deadpanned.

After few moments of silence, Neville suddenly asked, "Was there a window in the bathroom?" Both men stared at each other for moment before dashing through the door.

Meanwhile

"You need to breathe Hermione. And when you do, do try to slow it down.", Ginny advised her friend while fanning her with a notepad.

"I know, I know. Easier said than done.", Hermione nervously smiled. "At least if I know I'm this nervous, it means Ron is probably more so."

"I'm pretty sure my brother is praying to the porcelain gods right now."

"I can't really picture any deity appreciating that form of worship.", a light and airy voice from behind them commented. Hermione turned to face her old friend.

"I am so glad you were able to make it Luna. I really, really do appreciate it."

Luna managed to arrive two hours before the ceremony and thankfully the measurements had been accurately recorded and her dress fit perfectly. "I'm very flattered you asked me to be a bridesmaid. Was there ever any doubt I would be here?"

Hermione and Ginny shared a look. "No, not at all", Ginny answered.

"You hesitated."

"Ummm….how was Brazil?"

Meanwhile

"Breathe Ron, breathe.", Neville advised. "C'mon, inhale, exhale. This will be over soon and then you can relax and enjoy the party."

"Welcome back Neville", Harry dryly observed.

"Did I go somewhere?"

"You tell us mate.", Ron said with a nervous smile. "You've been staring out that window for ten minutes."

"Sorry, my thoughts must have drifted."

"Is this about-"

"No."

"Alright, just asking." Ron paused. "You know that I had no idea Hermione asked her to be a bridesmaid when I asked you to be a groomsman."

"I know Ron, you've mentioned it before."

"And she made sure that you two weren't paired for the procession."

"Ron, it's alright! Even if she did, it wouldn't have been a problem. We're fine with each other, we can behave and be civil. I mean, we don't hate each other or anything like that."

"Neville", Harry began, "Does she know about the past year?"

"No."

"You didn't mention anything?"

"There wasn't any reason to. No need to bring her mood down."

"Any chance she knows from Ginny or Hermione?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I doubt it."

"We didn't tell her anything."

"Guys, it's fine. All I ever wanted was for her to be happy. She IS happy. I'm not going to do anything to disturb that."

"What about what you want Neville?"

"I'm alright. I'm making a difference aren't I? Who would've have thought I'd get even this far back at Hogwarts, right?"

"Is that enough?"

"Maybe I'll find out someday."

Harry and Ron shared a brief look. "Love, thou art a heartless bitch…sometimes."

15 Minutes Later

Luna couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. Although she and Neville had exchanged letters over the years, they had not seen each other since "That Night", as she had taken to calling it. As Harry entered the room to take his place next to the maid-of-honor, Ginny, she flashed him a quick smile. He smiled back and nodded in acknowledgement. Luna couldn't help but notice that Harry looked a little tired and that he seemed to have aged a bit more than she had expected. Neville was right behind him and Luna glanced over in his direction. Her heart skipped a beat but not for any reasons she had anticipated. In fact, she was quite sure her smile faded a bit and that she had gone pale. Neville looked like he had aged like Harry had with a few stray grey hairs amongst his dark hair. A long scar ran along his left cheek to just below the corner of his eye. What looked like scarring from a burn on his forearm peeked out from under his cuff. She had no doubt that there were mostly likely other scars hidden by his clothing. Most of all, Luna saw what was in his eyes. They looked so tired, like some of the light had diminished in them. She noticed that he smiled in her direction but she saw that it did not quite reach his eyes. Luna was seized with the impulse to grab him and ask what had happened. What had he not told her in his letters. However, she knew there was not enough time before the start of the ceremony. As her turn came to proceed down the aisle, Luna resolved that she would find out just what had happened.

Two Hours Later

Luna had discovered what just about anyone who has ever been part of a wedding party now shares as common knowledge: Pictures are a pain, take forever, yet everyone gushes over them afterwards. She never knew that just standing, sitting, kneeling, and posing could wear a person out. Luna gently massaged a foot as she relaxed on a chair in the reception ballroom. Although the dress had, mercifully, fit just fine, the shoes left much to be desired. Over the years, she would find this would, unfortunately, be the norm and not the exception. They certainly did not help her dance. After Ron and Hermione shared the traditional first dance, the floor opened up to include the members of the wedding party. "Maybe it was the way I danced that made these shoes so uncomfortable.", she thought. Her partner had certainly been confused as Luna had twirled in circles with her hands waving in the air. Ginny had looked on, belatedly realizing that she should have told Luna that the rest of the wedding party was supposed to JOIN the bride and groom in their dance and not…do whatever it was that she was doing. But then she thought better of it since no one seemed to mind and even if they did, tough! This was a wedding, people were supposed to have fun. If they had a problem, they were just too tightly wound and needed to lay off the caffeine a little. "Maybe if I had danced like everyone else, my feet wouldn't feel so uncomfortable." Luna pondered her thoughts for a moment. "No, that can't be it. Therefore, barefoot it is from here. I wonder if anyone would mind…"

Author's Note: I took some more artistic liberties as I really wanted to try to find a place where Neville could fit in and come into his own as an auror. I figure he has plenty of time before he moves on to a second career later in life. I don't think there is any mention of how long he spent as an auror or what his experiences were like in that job.

I've mentioned this before in some reviews I have written for other authors' stories: Part of the fun in writing about the supporting characters is that the original author did not spend as much time on their character development and storylines as the primary characters. That is to be expected. This leaves some more latitude to write about what the secondary characters may have been up to while the primaries are doing their thing. I'm having fun writing this and I hope that everyone reading is enjoying it as well.