10 YEARS LATER

Throughout our time at Hogwarts Neville had always shown an aptitude for Herbology and I'd never quite imagined that he would end up becoming the Hogwarts Herbology professor. But the role certainly suited him. He had only been in the position for a few months but he'd already fit the position perfectly. Neville had moved into the caste during the term time and I was left alone our shared apartment. It was extremely lonely and so I'd brought a kitten to keep me company.

Neville had no idea.

Buttoning my coat up and tying my scarf around my neck, I picked up the small sleeping kitten and put her inside of my coat. She curled up against my chest and I cast a warming charm over the pair of us. Once I had made sure that I had everything, I apparated us into Hogsmeade. I was supposed to be meeting Neville at the castle and I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce him to our daughter.

I looked around the street, gathering an idea of my surroundings before heading off towards the castle. The walk, one I'd made so often whilst at school, had long become a memory and I was glad to have been able to do it again. It was a Saturday and so the students were walking to and back from Hogsmeade, looking curiously at me as I walked through the campus. They had no idea who I was and would probably recognise my name more than my face – after all I did write their charms textbook.

"Professor," I called out to the woman who was watching the students as they left. Professor McGonagall turned at the sound of my voice and greeted me with a small smile when I came to a stop in front of her. "Or I should call you Headmistress now, shouldn't I?"

"You may call me whatever you wish," she responded, peering down when my kitten peeked out from behind my coat. She brushed a finger over the cat's head and raised her eyes to mine. "I take it that you're here to see Professor Longbottom?"

"Yes professor."

"Well I won't keep you from him," she said dismissively.

I bid her a goodbye and headed further into the castle. Making my way towards Neville's dorm, I stopped every now and then to engage one of the portraits in conversation – they still remembered me. It surprised me; the portraits had seen thousands of students enter the school and graduate from it and still they remembered each of them.

When I eventually reached Neville's dorm, I knocked on the door and waited for him to open it. The kitten started to squirm from not being able to move so much and I shushed her soothingly.

"It's alright sweetheart," I said gently, running my fingers through her fur. "That's it Angel, just a bit longer and then Daddy will open the door."

Sure enough, Neville opened the door mere seconds later, beaming at the sight of me. I couldn't help but smile back at him as he stepped aside to let me into the dorm. Before I could get my coat off, he had shut the door behind me and leaned down to press a lingering kiss to my lips. He pulled away with a smile and I grinned up at him.

"Merlin, I've missed you," he admitted as I stepped away from him to take off my coat. Before I unbuttoned the coat, I took Angel out from my coat and put her on the side table. She tucked her tail in around her, staring around the room in fascination.

"I missed you too Neville," I said from over my shoulder as I took my coat off.

Neville stepped around me, eyes focused on Angel as he crept towards her. He looked back at me curiously before crouching down slightly so he could offer his finger to her. Angel patted his finger away cautiously as Neville turned to look at me over his shoulder.

"And who is this?"

Making my way towards Neville, I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and put my chin on his shoulder, "This is our daughter, Angel, she's been keeping me company while you've been away from home."

"Have you been very lonely?"

I rolled my eyes at his concern and shook my head, "I was just a little lonely but it turns out you can be easily replaced by a kitten."

"That's good," he admitted, rising to his feet and making my eyebrows shoot up. "I don't want you to get too lonely without me – you might get bored of me otherwise and leave."

"That's rubbish Neville."

His smiled widened at my words and he approached me with his arms held out for a hug. I stepped into his arms instantly, wrapping my arms around his middle, "That's good, I don't want my fiancée growing tired of me so quickly."

"We've been together for 10 years now," I said pulling back to look at him, "If I was eve going to grow tired of you then I would have done so a long time ago."

"You know," Neville started cautiously once I had pulled away from him to look back at Angel who was decided to rip some of Neville's work to shreds. I fixed the paper with the wave of my wand. "The position of the Charms Professor is opening up at the end of the year."

I straightened up, looking at Neville. "And?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Maybe you should consider taking it? I mean, you've always wanted to teach at Hogwarts and you clearly know you're stuff if you're writing the course textbook. And you know, you wouldn't be so lonely if we were both living here together. Besides Professor McGonagall thinks you're a shoo-in for the position anyway. That's if you apply that is."

"Neville, sweetheart," I said, cutting off his ramblings. I reached out to squeeze his hand, "I'll think about it. I mean, you're right, I have always wanted to teach here."

"Then let's do it together." He interlinked our fingers, using our joined hands to pull me into his side. "Besides, you already know that Hogwarts will let our daughter live with us."