Being around Sirius and the twins made me feel like I was back at Grimmauld again, back at home.
Sirius had found an old fire place in the building, started a fire and had charmed an old box into a fridge to hold some of the cooler items Molly had sent. While we still had to sit on the floor, we had the relief of being warm, and with the food Molly had given, the fortune of not having to talk with empty stomachs. While I had been unwilling to talk much about life at Hogwarts at first- It just got really depressing after awhile- a deal had been struck up where if I answered a question, I got to ask one.
We were winding now after about half an hour, the questions turning less intensive and more fun, more playful and personal.
"Least favorite subject?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts and Muggle studies." I answered easily, shrugging. "Did Ginny try to hex anyone when you told her she wasn't returning to Hogwarts?"
"Nah, but she wanted to." George said, a small grin on his face. "What's your favorite class, then?"
"Probably Transfiguration. McGonagall's the best." I said as I picked apart a cookie. "What's Caiden up to these days?"
"He's spending most of his time at Andromeda Tonks's house. She takes good care of him. He's happy. He misses you, though." Sirius said kindly. His smile changed from innocent to mischievous though, and it made me wary as he voiced his next question.
"Any cute boys?"
I rolled my eyes. "Not really a priority right now."
"But there must be someone who's caught your eye. At some point. " George teased good-naturedly. I scoffed. They wanted answers? Fine. I'd give them answers. I let out a sigh, slumping my shoulders as if in defeat.
"Fine. Ernie MacMillian and I have secretly been seeing each other since Christmas." I lied, feinting seriousness. All three looked ready to vomit, and Fred shook his head, looking bewildered.
"You're not serious."
"Of course I'm not!" I scoffed, frowning at them. "Merlin, guys, give me some credit. I have some taste." I said, crossing my arms tightly in front of me. "Like I said, boys haven't really been a priority right now- Unless they're injured, at least."
"Do you think that could be your type?" Fred was asking, an eyebrow raised. "Injured and sickly boys, line up-"
"Fred!" I berated sharply, and with a smug expression he stopped, shrugging innocently as he leant back. I was a little pleased to see Sirius was glaring at him as well. It was nice to see him take sides with me.
"I think that's enough questions." Sirius decided, throwing his arm over my shoulders. "Let's give the girl a break, eh?"
"I suppose she deserves one." George said jokingly, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes, resting my elbows on my knees.
"Thanks, George." I said amusedly, leaning back into Sirius's side.
"I think it's time for us to go soon." Sirius said after a moment, giving a small sigh. "It's late, and somebody still has school tomorrow."
"Sirius." I groaned, hanging my head. I'd rather do almost anything other than think about having to go into class tomorrow. But Fred and George were both nodding, and the fire was dimming as if to signal the end of our time together.
"I'm going to miss you guys." I sighed, and Sirius rubbed my arm comfortingly.
"It's alright. We'll try to keep it from being months again." He told me, smiling. "I need to see you more anyway, for the sake of my own mental health."
"Can't have you losing that." I chuckled quietly, nudging his ribs with my elbow. "Twelve years of Azkaban? No problem. Can't see me for a few months-"
"End of the world." Sirius said with a small nod. "Exactly."
"You're ridiculous."
"I'm Sirius." He corrected, and I rolled my eyes.
"As fun as this has been, Sirius is right- We do have to go soon, Flower." George said with a small grimace. "We've got a radio show to host- Which, by the way, we would be more-than-pleased to have you on. You'll have to let us know if you locate a radio."
"It'll be one of the first things I do when I get back." I promised, smiling at the idea. That was something to look forward to, at least.
Sirius helped me up from the ground, pulling me to my feet as George killed the fire. It left us in darkness with the sole exception of the light from our wands, all quickly lit.
"We'll disapparate the same place as before- Lily, you have a place to go from here?" Sirius asked, brows furrowed in concern as he looked to me. I nodded once, the port key still tucked away in the pocket of my coat.
"I do." I said. Sirius smiled, a little sad-looking.
"Then this is the part where we say goodbye." He told me, his hand on my shoulder. I moved past it though, closer so I could hug him properly and hiding my face in the fabric of his robe.
"I'll miss you." I mumbled. I could hear Sirius sigh, could feel the way his chest moved and how his arms seemed to squeeze just a little tighter around me.
"I'll miss you too, Flower." He told me, pressing his lips to my forehead. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay." I said quietly, pulling away to smile at him. He smiled back and let me go.
"I'll head out first." He announced, walking towards a corner of the room. He turned, smiled at me one last time, and I watched him disappear with a sharp crack. I frowned.
"How was he able to apparate-"
"From inside?" Fred asked, and I nodded.
"We've got everything in this place warded, spare for a small circle of place in that corner we use for getting in and out of this place. It's a rather smart idea- The Death Eaters'll never think to look for it." George told me, then sighed. "I suppose I'll go next- C'mere, Flower, I want a hug."
I rolled my eyes but obliged, my arms tight around my friend.
"Be safe, alright?" I said as I stepped back, smiling faintly. "Say hello to Ginny for me, and everyone else."
"Yes ma'am." George promised with a grin, and he gave me a small wave before he too disappeared. And then I was alone with Fred, and he looked at me with a kind of helpless expression and a shrug.
"I don't suppose I might get a hug too, eh?"
I rolled my eyes. "I suppose." I said with a false sigh, and I couldn't help but grin when his arms wrapped around my waist, hugging me tight.
"I've missed you, Fred."
"I guess I've missed you." He sighed as he said it, stepping away. "It gets boring around the house sometimes. Very crowded."
"I don't see how I would make it any less so." I pointed out, and he grinned.
"I suppose you've got me there. You're a smart one, Flower. Nothing gets past you."
I smiled back, a little chagrinned. "So I've been told."
Fred looked a bit amused. "I'm sure." He said, then shook his head. "I should go."
"Yeah. You should." I agreed, nose crinkling when he lifted his hand up and ruffled my hair.
"Give the Carrows hell for me." He said, and I rolled my eyes.
"Will do- As long as you say hello to Ginny for me."
"I guess I could mention it." He said, stepping away from me and towards the apparition spot. "You'll be alright on your own?"
"I have been since August. I think I'll do alright." I promised, and he grinned at me, a light in his eyes.
"Alright, Flower. I'll see you."
"Not if I see you first." I said back, and his laughter was the last thing I heard before he disappeared, leaving me alone. I didn't hang around long after that.
While spending time with Sirius, Fred and George had been wonderful, but it ended up putting me in an off mood for the rest of the week, leaving me a little dazed and very out of it.
I was constantly torn between missing them, and wanting to be back with them, then feeling guilty about wanting to leave, and then annoyed that they interrupted my current pattern of life, throwing a wrench into it- It was easier to not think about them when I wasn't constantly dwelling on the memories of spending time with them not even a week ago.
But all the same, it had been a weight off my chest, to see them, to know- They were okay, at least. My family was alive and healthy. Never safe, but alive. I could deal with a few days of depression to know that.
About two weeks later, I managed to conjure up an old radio from the Room, and after a couple good smacks and some talks from Nigel about how that is apparently not how you treat such a radio, I got it to work.
I was quick to tell Sirius, to let him know- And in a week's time, I'd be speaking on Potterwatch, which sent a spark of thrills down my spine every time I thought about it. It was horribly distracting, and I found classes fading out of my thought process as the days went on. With so much happening, it was hard to listen to Binns talk once more about how the Wizards won the battle of nothing interesting this one time super long ago.
"You're going to be in so much trouble come testing." Neville warned me as we sat in the common room, curled up on the couch by the fire- Or rather, I was. He was content on the floor, books and papers splayed out on the coffee table. He poured over it meticulously, and with a determination I admired but could not find in myself at the moment.
"I'll deal with it when it comes." I sighed, closing my eyes. Along with so much thinking, it had begun to bleed into my sleeping hours- I was used to not sleeping, had become accustomed to it since Draco had left and worry would flow through my veins, but this was entirely different- Not only was I awake, but I was vehemently so. Every waking hour I had was spent planning, preparing, and worrying. It was nearly spring, after all. Almost May.
"Well, the first day of testing comes tomorrow morning in Amycus Carrow's classroom." Neville pointed out, scribbling something out on a piece of paper. "So you're gonna have to deal with it then."
"And I will! Please, Amycus can't do anything to me they haven't already-"
"We've been pushing our luck for weeks now. You don't think they won't take the opportunity to get rid of you? Even the smallest thing." Neville had set his quill down and was looking up at me, lips pressed together. I grimaced. He had a point.
"Okay, fine- What're you studying?"
He handed the book up to me, and I grunted slightly at the weight of it.
"The Dark Arts: A Legal Companion." Neville informed me, looking a little amused at my disgruntled expression. "Start with chapters 3-5. The first two are basically pointless- Four has a lot of definitions that'll be useful for tomorrow. But I'm really only guessing. I'm probably wrong."
"You're probably right." I corrected, flipping open the book to the desired pages. "I used to be so on top of these kinds of things- Well, on top-ish." I grimaced. "What happened to me?"
"We got thrown into a war zone." Neville sighed, leaning back against the couch. I grimaced, and nodded once.
"True."
"Unfortunately so." Neville said in a chipper tone. "I'm gonna head off to the kitchens. You want anything?"
"To come with you?" I asked hopefully. Neville laughed.
"I don't believe so. Study. I'll get you some hot chocolate." He amended, and I grinned.
"That's a reasonable substitute." I decided, and Neville rolled his eyes as he rose up from his spot on the floor, brushing himself off. I sunk into the couch, curling up and pulling the blanket behind me around my shoulders. It was easy to get lost into the book, and around an hour later I realized I was halfway through the book with no hot chocolate in my hands, and no Neville by my side.
It was thirty minutes past curfew.
I closed the book, trying to ignore the anxiety in my chest. Something had happened, then. Maybe he had run into Hannah, and had just gotten distracted. Maybe he had realized it was past curfew and ducked into the Hufflepuff common room for the night.
Hanging my head, I knew that it wasn't going to be that simple, and there was only one way of finding out.
Untangling myself from the blankets, I slipped into my shoes and rose from the couch, walking from the common room without much of a second thought. Walking around after curfew wasn't a complete abnormality anymore, and the Carrows were more often nearer the Ravenclaw tower than the Hufflepuff Den around this time of night.
I didn't get very far down the hallway though until I ran into a person, and I had to bite back a scream as I was pulled behind one of the many statues Hogwarts provided.
"What the hell, Theo?" I snapped, jerking my wrist out of his hold. Theo rolled his eyes.
"You'll be fine. I assume you're looking for Longbottom."
"I- Yeah. I am." I said, nodding once as all thoughts of chewing Theo out for startling me left my head. Neville was the focus of my current situation.
"That's I thought- I can't think of another sane reason you'd be running around the halls at this time at night." Theo said, almost a little scoldingly. I crossed my arms.
"What do you know, Nott?"
"Okay, enough with the glaring- He ran into the Carrows on his way back. They grabbed him, seemed pretty damn pleased about it too." They told me with a grimace. My eyes widened.
"They- They have Neville? Damnit, Nott, you should've gotten me- They're gonna kill him!" My voice rose above wise pitch for someone trying to avoid being caught, but I couldn't help it. The idea that the Carrows might have Neville, might be hurting him-
I moved to step out, to hightail it to the Headmaster's office because damn it if they took Neville they were taking me too- But Theo grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me back, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Will you let me finish? He got away."
"He's- He got away?" I paused, relief shuddering through my body. "Where'd he go?"
"That I do not know. But he definitely got away- Disarmed both Carrows, grabbed his own wand and got out of there. I didn't see where he went, but the Carrows are still prowling about the castle looking for him. I, being the incredibly brilliant person I am, figured you, being the incredibly reckless person you are, would be out looking for him."
I slumped back against the wall, nodding slowly. "Yeah, you're right." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. Neville was fine. That was all that mattered. "Thanks, Nott. I think I know where to look for him- I'll check tomorrow. You should get back to your common room."
"Like I trust you to actually go back- Come on, Brownie. I'm taking you back myself." Theo said, and I stared at him in protest, open-mouthed as he grabbed my elbow and pulled me forward, carefully checking around the corner of every hallway before walking down it.
"Nott, I'm fine. Let me go." I groaned, attempting to pull my arm from him repeatedly and frowning when I failed.
"Don't count on it. Your boyfriend made me promise to keep an eye on you,and he's more likely to hex me than you are. No offense- I'm sure you're a wonderful hexer- but I'm not risking anything. I like my face where it is." Theo hissed, his grip only beginning to loosen when we neared the portrait. I rolled my eyes.
"I won't hex you, but I will hit you if you don't let me go." I warned, pleased when I was finally able to jerk my arm out of his grip. Theo grimaced.
"Okay, Fine. At least I'll know to duck." He sighed, then gestured to the portrait. "Alright, Brownie. Get in."
The temptation to stick my tongue out and make a run for it was too tempting. But it was late, and the idea of sneaking out to the Room now was exhausting. With a sigh, I nodded, and made a point of whispering the password to the Fat Lady, who rolled her eyes and opened up.
I made to climb into the portrait when a thought struck me, and I turned, just in time to see Theo walk away.
"Nott- Theo- Wait." I hissed, waving him back towards me when he raised his eyebrows. Remarkably, he followed instructions.
"What is it?"
"Luna-" I began, ignoring him when he rolled his eyes, "Is alright. I know where she is."
"Lovegood's state of well-being should be of no concern to me." Theo said sharply, but his had softened, and he nodded his head once. "But thank you"
I smiled a little. "It's no problem."
_
"Neville? Neville, where are you?" I asked, the Room of Requirement seemingly empty of people as I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. The Room had been changed since I had last been in it, and I looked amusedly at a single hammock that hung from the high ceiling, swaying faintly with the weight of the person it held. If I listened closely, I could hear snoring.
"Neville.." I sung lightly as I approached the hammock. My friend was curled up in the fabric, appearing quite content. I pushed the hammock.
"Neville. Wake up."
He snored, and I rolled my eyes and bent down a little so I was closer to his ear.
"Neville. Neville!"
"What- LILY." Neville's voice broke out, and I stepped back in time to keep from being hit by a flailing arm or foot as he fell out of the hammock and landed on the ground with a rough-sounding smack. I grinned, more than a little amused.
"Morning, star shine."
"Ugh. Morning." He grumbled, rising up from the floor.
"Sleep well?" I asked amusedly. Neville nodded sleepily, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it out.
"Yeah. Sorry I never got back to you last night."
"It's fine. I worked it out on my own." I lied. Neville wasn't one-hundred-perent away of how well I had gotten to know Theo, and I wasn't too keen on informing him. Neville sighed.
"Well, I'm glad you found me. I don't suppose you brought good?"
"Nah. I missed breakfast to come check on you." I admitted, brows furrowed. "I suppose you studied all night for nothing. Sorry about that."
"I wasn't signing my name anyway." Neville sighed, rubbing at his face. "It's all under your name- You can turn it in. They won't bother to double-check the handwriting."
I scowled at him. "Neville Longbottom! You cannot just turn homework in for people-"
"When your friend is at the top of the Carrow's hit list, I can." Neville said. "Don't think they wouldn't use the excuse of not doing homework to get rid of you."
I grimaced. "Point taken. But I can take care of myself, mostly. Thanks, though. I'm unappreciative. Just.." I frowned. "Don't put yourself in danger for me. Don't do that. Clearly, you're in enough danger just trying to get hot chocolate."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I was worried." Neville sighed, looking genuinely apologetic. "You're like a sister to me, Lily. I was just trying to help in the smallest way I could."
"And get yourself hurt in the process, you idiot." I said fondly, brows furrowed. "Though I suppose now I'll have to turn it in, since you can't yourself anyway."
Neville shrugged. "I'm sure you'll survive."
"Yeah. Probably." I agreed, pursing my lips "How'd you get away last night, anyway? It was both of them- That couldn't have been any easy feat."
Neville grimaced.
"It was purely adrenaline- They were going to kill me then and there. They knew I'm a leader of the D.A. Hopefully, they think I'm the only one. But it wouldn't be surprising if they started paying attention to you, now that I'm technically gone."
"That's great." I snorted, crossing my arms over myself to avoid pulled him into a hug. I feared if I gave in now, I'd start crying and freaking out. The idea of losing my best friend wasn't a pleasant one. "I'm glad you got away." I forced a small smile. "I'd hate it if you were killed while trying to fetch me hot chocolate."
Neville shrugged, trying to appear casual about it. "We're in a war. Even getting hot chocolate is a life risk." He said it with a grin, but there was weariness in his tone, a sigh. It was confirmed for us; The Carrows obviously weren't opposed to killing students, and now it was much more than a possibility. I doubted Severus had much control over them anymore, not when they could report to Voldemort and complain that Severus was keeping them from 'teaching' students.
"Still- I'd like to have you by my side for a little bit longer." I mumbled, running my fingers through my hair. "I'll have to explain to every I can- And you'll be able to keep the Carrows out of here, right?"
"Of course." Neville nodded once. "I'll be fine here. A little bored, maybe, but alive." He said with a weak grin. "I don't suppose you could sneak some food in later?"
"I"ll try." I promised. I'd tell him about Aberforth later. For now, my main concern was surviving the first round of practice tests today. I had both Carrow classes this morning, and most certainly would be getting a headache as a result.
"Thanks." Neville said gratefully, smiling at me when the door to the Room swung open and Seamus stood there, eyes wide and his unnaturally white. His school shirt had blood stains on it.
"There you are- you've got to come. It's Lavender." He said, and my heart stuttered. What happened? I had only been gone for about half an hour.
Where?"
"We're moving her to the common room- It's important, please, can we go-" Seamus sounded panicked, his voice cracking. I nodded, stepping away from Neville. I was halfway out the door before I turned back to him, brows furrowed. He would be by himself for awhile.
"I'll be back." I promised, but Neville was already waving me off.
"Get out of here. I'll be fine- Go." He urged, and I smiled weakly before taking off after Seamus, struggling to keep up with the boy's speed. By the time we arrived at the common room portrait I was winded, and I let Seamus fill me in as we hurried in through the portrait.
"The Carrows were looking for Neville- shoving us around and what not, and Alecto smacked one of the second years- Lavender just lost it, started chewing them out." Seamus said, somehow managing to sound admiring and concerned at the same time. His tone dropped though as he continued. "They didn't take it well at all."
"Of course they didn't." I said with a sigh, shrugging off my cardigan as I approached the crowd of students in the center of the room, all centered around the couch. I didn't react visibly as I took in Lavender's situation- Blood and bone I was used to now, even on friends. But it was still hard to see her so broken-looking, and my blood ran cold.
"Hey- Everyone back up, please." I ordered, kneeling down by the couch. Lavender was clearly unconscious by now, closed eyes already puffy-looking and purple but that wasn't my concern. My concern was the large gash across her neck, blood slowly oozing out. I grimaced.
"Okay, someone get me a towel, and some water; Parvati! Go up to our dorm, open my bedside drawer- A blood replenishing potion should be there. It's the only red one. Grab that and hurry back. Okay, everyone- Seriously, back the hell away! I've got a student to heal."
Taking a deep break, I rolled up my sleeves.
_
I ended up missing all my classes for the day.
Lavender required more attention than I had initially believed, and it was a full three hours later that I finally found myself content with her state, that I felt like she would really be okay. I hadn't deal with many neck injures before, and the cut had been so deep...
"I've brought you some water, Alecia." Seamus said to me, setting a glass of water down. I nodded gratefully, not realizing ho much I had needed it until I had drained the glass.
"Thanks, Seamus- Can you go steal some food from the kitchen for Neville? I promised him I would, but don't feel comfortable leaving her alone quiet yet." I said quietly, brushing strands of hair out of my face. In between healing Lavender, I had talked to Seamus and some of the others, had told them the news- Neville was in hiding now.
Seamus nodded once.
"Alright- Have someone fetch me if anything changes."
"Will do." I promised, going to back in one of the padded chairs. I relaxed, sinking in and enjoying the way the cushions felt on my stiff back and arms. I had been keeled over Lavender for too long, had exerted too much energy- I was all but praying that no one else would have any injures for the day, because I was certain I was going to pass out at anytime.
"You look horrible." A meek voice came from my right, and my head snapped up- Lavender was watching me through narrowed eyes, a faint smirk pulling at her upper lips. "You need to redo your makeup."
"I'll get to it later." I promised, leaning forward. "How're you feeling?"
"Not my best. What time is it?"
"About two. You've been out for awhile." I said, smiling sympathetically. Lavender's eyes widened, and she moved to sit up before abruptly paling and falling back down to the couch.
"Oh." She hummed quietly. "That's interesting. The room is spinning."
"That happens sometimes, when someone's almost bled out." I pointed out, and Lavender rolled her eyes.
"I don't need your sass."
"But you do love it."
Lavender rolled her eyes at me again, but this time she was smiling faintly. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by her own name.
"Lavender?" Seamus's voice came from the portrait, and we both turned to see him standing there in the entryway, staring at her with wide eyes. Lavender stared back at him, looking a little reproachful as she moved to carefully sit up on the couch.
"Seamus."
"You- Bloody hell! What the hell were you thinking? Yelling at the Carrows like that!" Seamus broke out, and I moved to I wouldn't be stepped on when he walked forward, hands in fists at his sides and shoulders tense.
"I-I wasn't going to let them treat her like that! She's just a kid-"
"You're just a teenager!"
"Well sometimes that doesn't matter. She was a little girl. I was going to protect her- I'm a Gryffindor. That's what we do. You should know that." Lavender was staring at Seamus stubbornly, and Seamus was staring back. I opened my mouth, going to speak and try to stop the fight from happening further when Seamus moved forward and down and suddenly they were kissing. I pursed my lips, brows furrowed.
"Guys-"
I was ignored, and tried again.
"Just- Be careful, around the neck." I said, grimacing as I gestured weakly to my own. "The bandages and stuff need to not be moved- Okay? I'm just gonna assume you heard me. Okay. Bye now." I said, rising from the ground and leaving the room. I'd really rather not ever be caught in the middle of that, and I was sure I'd hear enough from Lavender later on.
I probably should've gone back to the dorm- I'd be able to get a change there, get out of my blood-and-sweat-stained clothes and into something clean. But I wanted to see Neville, and maybe find something to eat myself.
Knocking twice on the door that would lead me into the Room, I waited patiently for a moment before stepping. I almost frowned at the way the Room had changed since I had last been there.
"Having fun?" I asked curiously, stepping towards where Neville stood alone on a platform, a map spread out along a wooden table. He was leaning over it, both hands placed firmly on the wood. He looked up at me when he heard my voice, surprise in his features before he smiled.
"A little- Come here, I want to show you this." He encouraged, and with raised eyebrows I stepped up onto the platform, looking over at the map he had been reading. To my surprise, it wasn't unlike the Marauder's map, with the exception of the constantly-moving footprints. Instead, the map seemed to refresh itself. Every few seconds names would move from one hallway to another, traveling as the person did.
"How did you come up with this?"
"I remembered Harry had a map. I never really saw it at a lot, but it seemed useful. I tried to mimic it in my head, and the Room provided. Spectacularly, might I hard." Neville said it with a small grin. "It'll make planning easier, if we can keep an eye on the Carrows. I'm trying to think of a way we can communicate from here, keep others updated on where they are. Will make things easier for me too." He added as a last thought. I grimaced.
"You really think you're going to have to stay here for the rest of the year, don't you?" I asked with a sigh. Neville raised an eyebrow.
"You're the one from the future. You tell me."
I rolled my eyes. "We've had this discussion- The future changes, has changed- But," I sighed when his expression didn't waiver, "You're right. You'll be here for awhile. I do have something to make it easier though."
"Then please, let me know- Don't think I'm entirely thrilled that this is my new home." Neville grimaced. I nodded sympathetically, stepping off of the platform.
"It's over here, I think." I said, walking towards the back wall of the Room. It was a bit fuzzy, trying to remember things from a book I hadn't had access to in years. But I remember enough that I knew what I needed. I frowned.
"It's a doorway- It'll lead to the Hog's Head. The bartender there, he'll be willing to give us food. We just have to step out and change the room and voila- Instant food source."
"We'll go later then." Neville said, stopping me before I could walk out and attempt to change the Room. I frowned as I looked at him.
"Why?"
"Well, for one, it's the middle of the day. It's bound to be somewhat busy at the pub." Neville pointed out, looking rather amused. "And second, you're wearing blood-stained robes. I may not be startled by it anymore, but I'm fairly certain taking someone by surprise looking like that won't do us any favors. We want him to like us."
"Oh, he will."I waved it off, but grinned sheepishly. "But I see your point. How about instead I sneak to the kitchens and bring back some snacks? We can chill out here for the day. Quality one-on-one-cousin time."
Neville frowned. "Don't you have classes?"
I shrugged, already halfway out the door. "Not anymore!"
His half-exasperated cry of "You can't just do that!" was cut off by the door closing, and it was with an amused grin that I continued on my way towards the kitchens, glad to have an afternoon of relaxing in front of me. Perhaps it wasn't a good thing, to consider hiding away with my now-fugitive-best-friend in a secret room relaxing, but that was reality right now.
Spending time with Sirius, Fred, and George had made it easier to forget that ther was a war going on, and that ha been nice. But it wasn't true. I needed to stay grounded, stay aware.
That didn't mean I couldn't indulge in the occasional hot chocolate, though.
_
I felt a bit ridiculous, but getting to sleep was much harder when Neville wasn't as close by anymore.
I didn't like it. And it shouldn't matter to me, it's not as though we were ever even in the same room. But it felt different, didn't feel as comfortable. And being as insensible as I could be, I figured a walk might help calm the nerves.
Perhaps it was a little bit reckless, wandering the halls after curfew- Merlin knows what would happen if the Carrows found me. But it was late, and even Death Eaters had to sleep at times, didn't they?
The moon shone through the windows as I walked down the hall, lighting my path as I made my way towards the Astronomy tower. I could remember walking the same path once on another sleepless night. But that was a long time ago.
Making my way up the tower, I only second guessed myself once before continuing on my way; It was still cold out at night, and I had neglected to put a coat over my sleepwear, thinking a cardigan would be enough. But I was already here, and it's not like I should really risk going back a coat.
Pushing the door open, I shivered as the wind greeted me first- And then I notched the people sitting on the bench, one with a blanket pulled over their shoulders. I froze,c curious to see who else had come here at this time. But really, it should've been obvious.
"You too?" Blaise was the one to speak first, and in the moonlight I could see him grimace. I nodded slowly, stepping forward. Theo looked over at me with a glum expression, pulling the blanket tight around his shoulders. I raised an eyebrow.
"I guess. What are you two doing out here?"
"Theo couldn't sleep, and, being the best friend I am, I refused to let him come up here by himself. The Carrows are less likely to punish as severely in pairs." Blaise said it with a shrug, then paused; "Well, for Slytherins anyway. They tend to not like Gryffindors in groups. Or on their own. Or just Gryffindors in general."
"Yeah, I've noticed." I said, walking over to where they sat. "Scoot over."
Theo, who sat closest to where I was, scowled at me.
"No."
"I swear, Nott, I have no hesitations when it comes to pushing you off." I warned, and Theo grunted unhappily before shoving Blaise over, and the two just enough that I was able to get a seat on the bench. Admittedly, it was a little close than preferred, but Theo was also comfortably warm with his blanket, so it was bearable.
Seated, I let out a sigh and the silence sink in for a bit before I spoke.
"So..." I began, knocking my knees together, "Any reason you're up this late?"
"Believe it or not, you're not the only person in the world with people you worry about." Theo said snidely. I frowned, nudging his arm.
"I know that."
"And so does he. He's just being grumpy." Blaise sighed, sounding almost fond. "He's like that sometimes. I'm sure you've noticed."
"Mmhm." I hummed quietly. "I'm sorry, Theo."
"Oh, don't apologize- It's a war, Brownie, we've all got some way of dealing with it. Mine happens to be not sleeping. And so is yours, apparently. I'm just sorry we've dragged Blaise into this. He turns awful when he doesn't sleep." Theo said this with a frown, and then looked to Blaise. "You can leave now. Shoo."
"And leave you two insomniacs to overthink yourselves into a depression? I'm afraid not." Blaise scoffed. "I'm rather content here, thanks. You can bring me tea in the morning."
Theo frowned. "Ugh. But you're so precise about your tea."
Blaise shrugged. "Which is why you better pay attention to what I ask you to get."
I nodded once in agreement. "He has a point-"
"Oh, shut up, the both of you. I came up here to relax in the quiet, not be bothered by the prattling of two children. Now shh, and let me enjoy my time with the moon." Theo said sharply, and Blaise and I quickly fell silent, taking in the cold breeze that blew our way. I couldn't bite my tongue for very long though, and I spoke with a small grin.
"You know, in Spanish, moon is Luna-"
"Merlin, Brownie, shut up!"
"Okay, okay, geez, I was just saying-"
"Say it again and I'll hex your tongue to the roof of your mouth." Theo warned. I rolled my eyes, grinned, and let my head drop to rest on his shoulder. He stiffened slightly, obviously surprised by the gesture, but didn't say anything. And soon he settled, and for the next hour or so we all sat there, under the moon and admiring the stars.
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**If you're reading this, this means you've come to the end of the weird glitchy chapter that for some reason cut out like 3/4's of the chapter when I first posted it! Yay.**
Thank you all for being so patient! Much appreciated.
Sorry if this is a quieter chapter, but I enjoyed writing it, so hopefully you all enjoyed reading it!
I'll try to get the next chapter out sometime in the next two/three weeks, depending on my schedule. I've got an important test coming up int he next month, and a lot of time is going to be dedicated to studying for that(yuck). Wish me luck!
As always, please let me know what you think by voting, commenting, or sending me a quick message! I always love to hear what you have to say. Please forgive me if there are nay editing/grammar mistakes! I try my best.
Hope you guys have a great week!
Luv ya,
-Lily