Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter One Hundred Sixty Seven

"You spent an awfully long time with Professor Flitwick," Neville said after Kefira returned to the Common Room. "Did he answer all of your questions?"

Kefira made a slight face as she looked at the boy and shook her head. "I might have...maybe...sort of...gotten completely distracted from going to see Professor Flitwick. I didn't even speak to him."

"Then where were you all this time?" Neville questioned scratching the top of his head in confusion.

"Well, I didn't really plan on it, but I heard some singing in the corridors and of course, it turned out to be Godric. You should have heard him, Nevs, his singing...well...let's just say we should be thankful he picked up dueling as an early career and not as a singer," She laughed as she sat beside him on the floor. 

"He was singing? Why?"

"He was apparently very excited that today was his day of death," she said.

"Why does everyone around here seem so excited over such a thing?" Neville shook his head. "First Nearly Headless Nick and now Godric, it just seems to be such a sad and dark thing to celebrate."

"Well, in Godric's explanation, he said it's one of the days that he reflects on all the things he did in his life. All the cherished memories that were placed into his portrait. It sounded weird at first but as he was telling me all the stories, it kinda made sense. He's happy that he was able to live his life to the fullest and on the day of his death, he remembers all the great things he was able to do. I like it, Sir Nicholas does the same.  I like the way they think, you know, Death isn't just about dying...it's also like a celebration of life."

Neville looked over at her as she had a small smile on her face before she looked over at him.

"Did you two discuss anything that wasn't as morbid?" He asked in a hopeful tone.

She chuckled with a nod. "Actually, turns out that Godric and I share a birthday. How cool is that? You learn something new every day. Anyways, I'm gonna go shower before dinner. Hopefully, no one is being a water hog today, I'm freezing right now."

"Do you want me to grab you one of my jumpers for dinner?" He called after her as she walked towards the stairs.

"Yes please!"

After dinner, it was routine for Kefira and Neville to talk amongst their friends until one by one they headed upstairs to their respective dorms. That evening, Kefira was the first to fall asleep, leaving everyone partially confused. Ginny agreed to help her up the stairs and make sure she got into bed as they wished the boys goodnight. 

Kefira crawled into bed, just feeling incredibly cold as she climbed beneath all her covers. She wore layers of clothing including several pairs of socks but she still felt chilled. Burying herself beneath every blanket she owned, she finally fell back asleep.

It was later on that evening that Hermione brought herself up the dorm, she was heading over towards her bed as Lavender and Parvati were still up, sitting on Parvati's bed with a copy of Witch Weekly. They quickly hid it underneath a pillow as the girl approached and tried to appear nonchalant.

However, Hermione's focus was not set on the other two girls in the room, instead, her eyes fell upon the shaking pile of blankets that were lumped on Kefira's bed. She walked over quietly and placed her hand out to feel Kefira shaking before she lifted the blankets up. 

Kefira had her back facing her as she was curled up into a tight ball wearing as many layers as possible, yet she was still shivering as if she were cold. 

"Um, have you two noticed how long she's been shivering like this?" Hermione asked them. Parvati and Lavender looked clueless as they stood up from the bed and made their way over.

"How can she be cold?" Lavender asked. "It's been boiling up here for days."

"Well, if she's sick it isn't going to make much of a difference," Hermione told her. "I'm not sure how you two missed a heaping pile of blankets shaking across the way."

"What's going on here?" The girls turned their head to see Faye entering the dorm with a confused look on her face.

"Hermione thinks Kefi is sick," Lavender said. 

"Sick with what?" Faye asked with a frown as she grew closer.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "I was only suggesting it because it's hard to imagine her being this cold with this many layers on."

"Maybe we can give her a couple of blankets?" Faye suggested. "It might help."

"If she's been this cold under all this, I don't think any more layering is going to help," Hermione told them. "I think it's best if she goes to Madam Pomfrey."

"What? No," Faye said shaking her head.

"Why not?" Hermione asked her with a suspicious look.

"Because....well, she's not going to want to head to the Hospital Wing, it'll probably just make her upset. If she was really feeling ill, I'm sure she would have already gone."

"What?" Parvati shook her head. "We all know Kefi is too stubborn for that. She's tough and she acts tough under all circumstances. She's not going to get help on her own, I agree with Hermione, we should get her to the Hospital Wing tonight."

Faye attempted to argue but none of the other girls listened as they shook Kefira awake. The girl looked up at them with a dazed look in her eyes.

"What...what's going on?" She asked them, they could see and hear her teeth chatter.

"Come on, Kefi, let's get you up," Lavender said. 

"Why?" The girl seemed incredibly confused.

"Because we think you're sick," Hermione said. "And if you're not, well it's better to just be sure."

"I'm not sick," Kefira argued sleepily. "I'm just cold that's all."

"You shouldn't be this cold, Kefira," Parvati said. "Hermione is right, you might be sick. Now come on, we'll all walk you there."

Kefira didn't feel like she had enough energy to argue with them as she pushed herself up from the bed with Hermione's help. She grabbed a blanket from her bed and wrapped it around her before following the girls out of the dorm.