Briar watched him with curiosity as he shuffled closer. He stumbled when he neared her but managed to steady himself before he fell. He slightly blushed and stuck out his hand with the dandelion in it. He murmured, "For you."
She felt something odd...
"Magical plants can sense what we're feeling, and if those emotions are powerful enough, some plants can reflect those emotions," Neville explained as he reached a hand out towards the plant. It perked back up immediately when he got close. He didn't look at her as he whispered, "I'm sorry you're so sad."
Briar spluttered, "What? What are you talking about?"
He pointed towards the plant and gently pointed out, "When a plant droops like that, it's reflecting a deep sadness."
"Well, the plant must be confused because I'm fine."
Neville just stiffly nodded as he began to water the plant. Briar was standing awkwardly behind him when she noticed some red scratches and bruises on his now exposed forearm. She immediately stepped forward to examine them more closely. She whispered, "What happened?"
He stayed completely silent and grew still as she looked down at the red outlines. She looked up at his awkward expression and noticed for the first time that he had the outline of a bruise fading on his cheek. She exhaled suddenly at the sight of it. She lifted up her hand and almost touched it when she realized what she was doing. Neville seemed to let out a breath when she pulled away, and his cheeks were flaming as he avoided her eyes.
Pieces began to come together in Briar's mind, and she began to feel sick. She questioned, "Did someone hurt you, Neville?"
He didn't answer her question and just sprang into action, watering and caring for all the nearby plants.
Her breath caught in her throat before she demanded, "Was it Malfoy?"
Neville's body stiffened slightly at that name, but he didn't try to deny it. He began to scurry around the greenhouse to act as if he just didn't hear her, but Briar knew he had heard.
Briar's eyes flashed to the exit as she growled, "I'm going to kill him."
Neville's head snapped up as Briar stormed towards the door. He protested, "Wait, no, Briar! I'm okay, really. It wasn't-"
It was too late. Briar knew from his refusal to even acknowledge her questions that her suspicions were correct. She stormed across the school grounds with a scowl.
Briar passed Daphne and Millicent at one point and demanded, "Where is that useless, blonde git?"
Both girls just widened their eyes and shrugged. After she stormed past them, they made worried eye contact, knowing that Malfoy was in some serious trouble if Briar's rage was any indication.
Briar finally found Malfoy in an otherwise empty corridor with Goyle. She stormed down the hallway, the rage mounting at the sight of him. He turned towards her pounding footsteps and mocked, "What's got your knickers in a twist-"
He didn't get to complete his thought because Briar had reached him at that point and had slammed him up against the wall.
Malfoy stared at her and screeched, "What is your problem?"
Briar fished her wand from her pocket and held it under his chin. She gripped him by the collar of his robes with her other hand, and he remained fixed in his place by the vehement glare she was casting at him. She growled in his face, "If you so much as lay another finger on Longbottom, I will personally break every last bone in your body until you wish you were never born."
Goyle tried to step forward to get Briar off Malfoy, but she just snapped, "Goyle, if you move even another inch closer to me, you'll be next."
He gulped and shuffled a few steps away from her.
Malfoy was whimpering with the wand at his throat, and Briar couldn't care less. She was seeing red, and she was after blood. From behind her, Goyle shakily piped up, "Why do you even care about Longbottom so much, Davies? It's not like you're even friends."
Hearing Goyle's comment gave Malfoy a moment of foolishness. He laughed, "Yeah, he's just a loser. He-"
Without warning, Briar punched Malfoy square in the nose. Malfoy groaned and grabbed his face instantly.
Briar was angrily huffing at him from a few steps away as Professor McGonagall entered the corridor. Professor McGonagall placed a hand on her cheek and murmured, "Oh, oh! What is the meaning of this?"
Malfoy's nose was crooked and bleeding. He had lifted his hand to hold his broken nose, but blood was pooling in his hands.
Professor McGonagall tutted, "Oh, this is unacceptable! Look at that blood! Miss Davies, you have detention for the rest of the month. Go to my office immediately while I usher Mister Malfoy to the hospital wing." She turned back to Malfoy to promise him, "Madame Pomfrey will be able to heal this easily."
Briar was already cooling down and calmly made her way to Professor McGonagall's office, ignoring the whispers of her classmates who had seen Malfoy with a broken nose and who were now noticing the new wounds on Briar's knuckles.
She raised her eyebrows at any Slytherins who dared to look at her. She knew she should feel bad for hurting Malfoy, but she just couldn't.
It felt so good.
———
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