I don't know what I've just written.
January Event: Ginny Weasley/Neville Longbottom [Medium Pairing]
Chocolate Frog Card: (Silver) Ashwinder: Challenge: Write about a fire.
Gringotts: The Forbidden Forest [HP Location] - White [Colour] - Boulder [Nature Words] - Clouds [Nature Words] - Sanctuary [Nature Words] - Warmth [Nature Words] - Wildlife [Nature Words] - "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?" / "Yes dear, you are." [True Blood Dialogue] - "You need protection." / "She has me!" / "You're not good enough." [True Blood Dialogue] - Breathed [Instead of Said] - Agreed [Instead of Said] - Began [Instead of Said] - Informed [Instead of Said] - Interrupted [Instead of Said] - Remarked [Instead of Said]
Both Neville and Ginny agreed that accepting the gingerbread biscuits from Seamus was a bad idea. He was known for spiking things or receiving things that were spiked but they were stupid enough to trust him. Trust him enough to eat spiked biscuits that made them so high that they both decided they needed to see the moon.
Of course, then, once they were out there, standing by the Black Lake, the view wasn't good enough for them and they staggered into the Forbidden Forest. They had no clue why because that only served them the purpose of seeing more clouds than moon, but they carried on.
And got lost.
"Damnit," Neville cursed, kicking some pebbles with his foot. The effects from the biscuits had promptly worn off and now he was coherent enough to realise that he was going to punch Seamus when they got back.
Ginny was perched on a large boulder, her legs brought up to her chest and wrapped by her arms, resting her chin on her knees. "Neville," she breathed. "I'm scared." He sighed, looking at her over his shoulder before moving around the small clearing that they'd entered and picking up wood to create a fire. He didn't answer until the flames were strong and steady and the pair were sat around them.
"So am I," he agreed. He looked at her, smiling gently when he saw the moonlight breaking through the crowds and tops of the trees to shine brightly onto her face and the ground around it. It gave her a white glow and she looked beautiful. "This place is incredible," he began, trying to distract her. "It's a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife; plants and animals of different varieties just live in harmony. It's incredible."
Ginny smiled at the look on his face and huddled closer to the fire for warmth, listening as he started babbling about the different names of the plants that he could see and which ones they could get food from.
Ginny jerked awake, not even aware that she'd fallen asleep. Neville looked at her, smiling slightly. "I tried to send a patronus last night," he informed. "At first I couldn't send it but I managed to get one out. Harry said that he's spoken to McGonagall and she's sending out some sort of search party. We should probably head back the way we came to help, or-"
"Or we stay here and pray that we don't get eaten," Ginny interrupted. She sighed. "Do we even know which way we came from?" Neville chewed his bottom lip and shook his head in the negative. "Well, okay."
They both sat quietly, chewing over their options before a cackle interrupted their musings. They both stood, wands at the ready, and were immediately defensive when a hag wandered into their small clearing.
"You don't belong here," she remarked, tilting her head to get a better look of them. "And I'm not hungry, luckily, so I'll help you."
Ginny and Neville exchanged uneasy looks.
"This place is dangerous. You need protection." The hag pointed a bony finger in Ginny's direction.
"She has me!"
"You're not good enough," she cackled. Neville pouted but the hag ignored him, turning to Ginny. "I was like you once. Beautiful and young, but I got lost in here and never left. I have my moments where I don't wish this upon anyone." She pointed a crooked finger to their left, through some trees. "Go."
The two students exchanged a look before walking tenderly towards the direction she'd pointed to. It looked relatively safe and so the two walked slowly, wands clenched in their hands. They made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest quicker than they'd imagined possible and gave each other a quick hug, relieved that they were safe at last.
"That was crazy," Neville mumbled, cutting his breakfast up. "I mean, Seamus, what the hell did you put in those biscuits?"
"It was just the usual batch," Seamus defended. "It's not my fault you fell asleep and dreamt up the most horrendous scenario."
"I've fallen asleep after eating your biscuits before, Seamus, and nothing that weird has occurred before. Tell me the truth."
"I am," Seamus chuckled. "Maybe it was a combination of my biscuits and alcohol but nobody else experienced it and we all ate them." Neville chewed on his bacon grumpily before exchanging a look with Ginny and nodding to the door. They both left, clearly annoyed that they imagined a matching scenario together with no explanation.
"Are we ever going to tell them that we gave them combined daydream charms?" Lavender asked, resting her chin on Seamus' shoulder. "I mean, we were just trying to bring them closer and it clearly worked."
"No," Seamus replied. "If I did that then I'd have my balls handed to me on a silver platter." He paused. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"
"Yes dear, you are," Lavender confirmed. "But they don't have to know that."