You'll be the Death of Me

Chapter 43

"Neville." Neville looked up from the door of the greenhouse to see Professor Sprout standing beside him. "It appears that you won't be having a partner for this week. I was thinking you could work with Miss Granger and Miss Abbott until Miss Malfoy returns."

"H-Have you spoken to her?" Neville asked hopefully. Not having any idea what was going on with Graces.

"No, I spoke with her head of house," Professor Sprout explained somberly. "It appears her family was very close with the Higgs and she will be helping with the funeral arrangements. She won't be returning until next Monday."

Neville nodded his head and turned towards his desk, no longer bothering to watch the door if Graces was not going to be appearing.

"It's such a tragedy. I can't imagine how Thomas Higgs is taking the news," Professor Spout sniffed, dabbing her eyes with an old handkerchief.

Neville placed a gentle hand on the Hufflepuff's shoulder as she began to cry a bit more freely.

"I always knew Terence would marry Arella," she continued, after blowing her nose loudly. "He was always pestering her in class first and second year. He would hex her hair loose from her braid, push her chair when passing, blow on her neck when she was pruning, all kinds of silly things young boys tend to do when they want attention."

"He just adored her. I was so thankful when he grew out of his childish ways and began behaving properly. I hated giving him so many detentions for being a nuisance. Most of the time I just ignored it, but I can't ignore such behavior all the time. Anyways, he asked her out in my class. It was the most adorable thing. They were especially young, I think just 4th years, and they were standing right over there working on some project when Terence asked."

Professor Sprout began crying harder and Neville moved his hand so that it was wrapped around her rather than just lying against her.

"He was so n-nervous. It was so unlike him. He's such a cocky thing, b-but he was nervous," Professor Sprout blubbered. "I remember it like it was yesterday. I don't even need a pensive to remember it. It took him half the class to tell her he liked her. He would start and stop. Start and stop. The whole time I could tell Miss Graham knew too. She kept trying not to smile. It was amusing to watch. I knew she liked him; it was obvious, but she let him fumble. I think she rather enjoyed how unnerved he became. Anyways, he finally told her he liked her and Miss Graham, the little tease, just smiled and said 'I know.'"

"Well, Terence had no idea how to respond to that, so he said nothing for the rest of class. I was beginning to wonder if he was going to say anything else, and then at the end as she was leaving he called out after her and started sputtering out how he wanted to formally court her." Neville tensed as his Professor turned and began crying into his cloak. "I c-can't b-believe they're both gone."

Neville just continued awkwardly holding his Professor while at the same time trying to figure out if he should say something.

"Professor Sprout."

"Miss Malfoy," Professor Sprout rasped, quickly trying to dry her eyes as she turned towards the clearly worn girl in front of her. "I didn't expect you to be here. Professor Snape said that you wouldn't be back till Monday."

"I just wanted to drop off Thomas' and my work," Graces said quietly, handing over a stack of papers.

"How are you doing?" Professor Sprout asked, placing a kind hand on Graces shoulders. "Have you slept at all? You look—"

"I need to go," Graces cut in, already turning around to leave.

Neville watched as Graces weaved in and out of the entering students and disappeared through the greenhouse door. He hadn't said a word to her. People she loved had died and he hadn't said a thing. He quickly dashed out of the greenhouse after her, not caring what anyone thought.