Elysia

Chapter One ~ Welcome Home

I snorted through my teary throat as I recounted my tales to Neville, telling him about my days in Paris, my brief visit to Australia, my time serving as an attendant at Katie's store. He smiled and watched me tiptoe around explaining that last night at the cottage, the night I spent on the bathroom floor.

We were in a cacoon of denial, ignoring our future and our past, focusing on the quaint little life we were living right now. I imagined us living in a home like this after school, all the time in the world to ourselves as we totted about.

There comes a point in ones life where they meet someone that they want more than a youthful bout of passion with, more than marriage and children, more than the material belongings; when you simply want to grow old with someone.

I yearned to grow old with Neville, to save and struggle in our early years, to bounce grandchildren on our knees. I wanted to watch our skin fold and crinkle, I wanted to watch his hair fall out and for mine to turn white and brittle.

"One day we'll have our own place, Nev." I mused as I drew a cake from the oven; I baked a cake.

"With a big garden!" He enthused, swiping his finger through the icing I had prepared.

"And I'll have my Muggle-Wizard hospital opened!" I burst, buzzing with enthusiasm.

"And we'll have a small army of kids." Neville added, pausing afterwards to see if he had said something wrong.

I placed the cake on the table, before turning my head to him and smiling, "We'd be badass parents."

The night I slept beside Neville, practically clinging to him, despite the fact that I physically could not have nightmares since they were blocked in my last visit to Mungo's, it was comforting. I slept properly for the first time in two and a half months, in the arms of Neville.

We were like kids playing dress-ups; this was simply too good to be true. Sometimes he'd make dinner, sometimes I would, and we begged his Grandmother to extend her stay, making all sorts of mad excuses to keep her away.

"Can you believe that in twelve months, this will be the rest of our lives?" Neville murmured, his arm wrapped securely around me, warmth kept by the blankets upon us.

In that one, little moment, the war flew away. I had been ignoring the Order's updates on their efforts, postponing the reality for as long as possible. Some part of me felt guilt for declining the offer to assist in the smuggling of Harry from Privet Drive to safety, ignoring my oath to Dumbledore.

"One more year." I said hopefully, resting my head on his shoulder.

"GET UP! BOTH OF YOU!" screeched the voice of Mrs Longbottom.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I listened as Neville awoke from a sleep as heavy as mine evidently. My trunks were packed; everything was ready for me to return to Hogwarts. I was scared, impossibly scared, maybe because I hadn't had any visions or warnings about the year to come.

I was lost in the dark, with nothing but Neville's hand clenching to mine for support.

Throwing my hair in to a messy bun, gobbling down my breakfast and scrubbing my teeth thoroughly, I left for school with the same apprehension as a first year, though for slightly different reasons. I was shaking violently as I saw the numbers of students at Kings Cross, usually well over 1,500 students reduced to at least 1,000.

The muggle-borns were obviously banned, I realised. Half-bloods were still permitted, though, I realised as I saw some of my fellow Ravenclaws. Neville pulled me close to his side as we realised how many people were missing from our year group; Harry, Hermione, Ron and Dean immediately struck me.