Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Twenty Seven

Kefira was riding on Rosemary's back, who had taken it upon herself to bring Kefira back to King's Cross Station. The eldest daughter had offered and their parents agreed knowing there was an extremely close bond between the oldest and the youngest Walsh daughters.

"Kefi, stay clear of that three-headed dog and all possible dangers, you hear me?" Rosemary called back to her.

Kefira looked down. "So I can't go and play fetch with it?"

"Kefi!"

"I'm kidding. I'm not stupid, I don't think those dogs are very friendly by the looks of it. But for all we know they are in a desperate need of a belly rub."

"Please, do not go and give a giant three headed dog a belly rub."

"I won't I won't. Come on Rose, you're beginning to sound like Mum."

"You're lucky Mum doesn't know about this. She wouldn't be letting you go back."

"This is only staying between you and I, right?" Kefira asked her.

"Of course, just as long as you stay safe." Rosemary said.

"This is why you're the best!"Kefira told her before kissing her sister's cheek and sliding down her back.

Rosemary looked all around, unable to tell who was a wizard or a witch because they just seemed to blend in so well. Looking at Kefira, she always knew her little sister was special but she would have never suspected that Kefira was a witch. But it didn't change anything between them, if anything, it made the sisters closer with Kefira confided in Rosemary that she wouldn't tell their parents.

She didn't understand the wizarding world and she didn't know anything past what Kefira had informed her, but even though many would immediately alert their parents of a giant three headed dog, Rosemary hoped that the school was safe enough that no student would be harm. Then again, trouble seemed to follow Kefira like a shadow.

"Hey there's Neville!" Kefira pointed through the crowds. "Can I go?!" she tugged on Rosemary's shirt.

"Of course, do you have everything you need?"

"Yup! I'm all set."

"Can I at least get a hug before you disappear for another six months?"

Kefira smiled before running and tackling Rosemary in a hug. "I'll write!"

"You better."

Rosemary's eyes followed Kefira as the girl ran off and suddenly, in a blink of an eye she was gone.

"Neville!" Kefira ran up to the boy. Neville turned around and smiled. 

"Hey Kefi. Did you have a nice Christmas?" he asked her.

"Of course. How about you?"

Neville looked down to his shoes. "I-I did actually. I saw my parents and showed them the book you made for me."

"Really?" her eyes lit up. "Did they like it?"

"I think my mother really liked it."

"Well, that's great!" Kefira clapped her hands together before hopping onto the train.

Neville followed her until they found an empty compartment. He quickly dug into his bag and held out a package to her.

"This is for you." he told her. "I'm sorry I didn't get it to you on Christmas."

Kefira looked at the wrapped package in front of her before she gently took it from him.

"Neville, you didn't have to get me anything."

"Yes, I did. I really liked your gift, and well, I wasn't sure what to get you, but I thought you could get some use out of it."

Kefira began to peel the paper off and then found a book in her hands, the book specifically covered the plants they were studying in Herbology.

"It actually goes over the taste of all the plants too. That way...you know somewhat of what the plant will taste like before you eat it."

Kefira laughed before setting the book aside and hugging him. "Thank you so much. I will definitely keep this with me especially when we're in class. So I don't have another Moly incident."

If Seamus, Dean and Faye were on the return train, they must have been in a separate compartment, because Neville and Kefira found themselves only in the company of each other for the entire train ride.

"Hey Neville, I have a question and you don't have to answer if you don't want to..." she said swinging her legs back and forth as she played with one of her curls.

Neville looked over from the window to her.

"What's your question?"

"If your parents are alive, how come you live with your grandmother?" she asked him.

He immediately averted his eyes and his entire demeanor changed in an instant.

"You don't have to tell me Neville. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable-"

"N-no, it's okay. It's just no one asks me about it." he ran his hand through his hair. "My mum and dad...they can't take care of me right now. They'll probably never be able to according to Gran. But I like to think there's a chance that they'll get better one day."

"I hope they do." Kefira said.She felt bad for asking her question in the first place, she didn't dare ask her next question, why couldn't they take care of him?

Neville's good mood was declining before her very eyes, but she wasn't about to let her dear friend to feel bad for the remainder of the trip.

She opened her book and turned through several of the pages.

"Say Neville?"

"Yes?"

"What do you know about Hellebore?"

The smile soon returned to Neville's face. 

"Probably too much."