Just Another Year (Completed)

Feelings

Classes progress as normal, for once it seemed all was calm, well as calm as a school for witches and wizards could be. Evie however was still dealing with the problem that has been nagging her nearly the entire year. Or should she say two problems.
There was no denying that Cedric Diggory and Viktor Krum were handsome men, each in their own ways, where Cedric was lean while Viktor had muscle to spare. Cedric's angelic face that made many of the girl swoon, and Viktor's well defined jaw and molten chocolate eyes. But there was just something so punchable about the both of them. It was hard to explain, especially to others when they asked who she would choose. She didn't really like either of them as anything more then friends, yet they still perused her.

She sat next to a window in the library watching the students below. She saw couples holding hands and friends hanging out and playing games. Her heart ached, she never really got the chance to have carefree fun. While she had excelled at quidditch every game seemed to put her life at risk. Evil professors, rogue house elves, dementors, just to name a few. Even then she wasn't exactly close to her teammates, not like they were with each other.
She heard the approaching footsteps and silently prayed to what ever deity that would listen begging that it was anyone else but Cedric or Viktor.
"Evie?" She sighed in relief. It was Neville.
Turning around she gave a small smile. "Hey Nev, did you need something?"
"You seemed lonely, I wanted to see if I could join you." He seemed sincere. "Unless you would rather be alone!" He said quickly waving a hand in the air. She gave a chuckle and patted the seat next to her.
"I would love some company." She turned to look back out the window. "Hey Nev..." her voice was soft and the volume was barely above a whisper, but she had his full attention. "What is love?" He looked at her shocked. But she waited patiently for him to answer."
He took his time to think. "I think it's giving them the last piece of cake even though it's your favorite and you haven't had any yet, or eating the food they cooked even if it's a little burnt. It's about caring for some one so much that their accomplishments make you proud to even know them and when they are sad it's helping them and trying to get their smile back on their face. Love is something that you don't really know what your missing until you've experienced it." He looked out the window. "It giving your all so that your both happy, healthy and together. Through the high and the lows, life and death. Some love so much they sacrifice everything for the ones they do love. Anything to give them a better future whether they are in it or not. Love is sacrifice, it's friendship, the ability to love is engrained  into our very souls." A silent tear ran down her cheek.
"Thank you." She whispered. Grabbing his hand she gripped it tightly as they sat in silence.
She knew his words weren't all their was to love but she knew that even if she grew to like the two older boys as more then friends she could never truly love them. Now all she had to do was make it to the end of the year and they both would be out of her hair.
"Why the interest in love?" He asked her. She tilted her head slightly and looked at him. She mentally debated wether or not to tell him the truth, after a minute or two she decided there was no since in lying.
"I don't know what love is, I know that I care for some people but love... I know that I like Diggory and Krum but I could never be more then friends. I can't see myself being the dutiful house wife or trophy wife of a famous quidditch star. I cannot see myself willing giving up anything to make them happy, or to sacrifice something for them, just like I can't see them doing anything like that for me." She twirled the emerald ring on her finger. "I..I don't have anyone I would do any of that for."
"You have people who like you, and care about you a great deal. Maybe you haven't let yourself love anyone so that they can't hurt you if something happens to them. Merlin knows we both have had enough loss to last ten lifetimes." He closed his eyes as Evie squeezed his hand. She knew he was thinking of their parents. Hers dead and his alive but trapped in their own minds.
"Have you thought about what you want in a girlfriend Nev?" She asked taking his mind away from the sad thoughts.
"I.." he seemed to think. "I want someone who will love me for me, not the Longbottom name. I want someone kind but fierce, someone who won't be ashamed of me when we are together. Someone smart, gotta give the kids a fighting chance in the future. Loyal, sweet, honestly I wouldn't mind if they had a bit of a temper either as long as it was aimed at others. Looks would only be a bonus." He joked with a grin.
"Oi Potter!" She internally groaned but ignored her ex friend. "Guess you really are a slag, first diggory and Krum then Wood now squib Longbottom! Guess what the papers say about you is true nothing but whore..." Ronald didn't get the chance to finish as he was currently knocked out on the floor a furious Neville stood over him.
Evie looked on in shock and awe as she could feel his magic straining against some invisible force. Her eyes trailed to the Weasley on the floor, he looked to have a broke nose and a black eye was forming. Increased whispers drew her attention to the crowd that had formed when Ronald had come over. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose this would be all over the school in hours.
"What is going on here?" A stern voice said from the back of the crowd.
"Longbottom knocked out Weasley!" An excited 2nd year Hufflepuff told the stern librarian. The woman made her way to the front of the crowd, shooing the other students away.
"Is that true Mr. Longbottom?" She asked her lips thinned.
"Magic isn't allowed inside the library, Madame Pince. I didn't know of another way to silence him without breaking the rules he was saying some pretty awful things about Evie, such lies should not be uttered in your halls of wisdom." Evie had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.
"Is that true Miss Potter?" The pale green eyes of librarian stared into emerald green.
"Yes Madame Pince, we were minding our own business when he approached, the last word out of his mouth was him calling me a whore." The woman's eyes narrowed as she looked at the boy on the floor. She never liked having him in the library.
"I believe in this instant Mr Longbottom's reaction was quite measured. You two go on about your day, I will make sure Mr. Weasley gets to the hospital wing."
"Yes Madame Pince." They said together before they left the library.