Autumn Carrow wandered the hallways of Hogwarts alone, always conscious of her mothers escape. In fact since her fathers admission two weeks prior she had always been on edge, not that she'd told anyone what happened while meeting with her father.
She had made up some rubbish about buying more jewellery and being told off, something that somewhat explained her bruised face which had calmed itself down since.
The idea of her father leaving a mark over something like that hadn't seemed unusual to Draco, Pansy, Daphne nor Blaise.
She had been making her way to the courtyard of the castle, hoping to get some alone time.
She had been babied by her friends recently after her visit, she appreciated that they cared of course but it had gotten to be too much. She just wanted to relish in her own thoughts. The front court yard would be an excellent place to do so, it was a Friday and everyone would be busy partying and whatnot.
She would be alone.
It was near Christmas time now and the sky had darkened even if it was only 4pm.
Walking out and feeling the cool breeze she sucked in a breath, walking around the trees to the wooden bench which she planned to sit on.
Stopping abruptly as the bench came into view, "oh" the word slipped out gaining the attention of the boy sitting alone, looking down at his feet. Watching him quickly shuffle to sit up and paint a smile on his face.
"Autumn, I can head out, I was just uh-" the boy scratched the back of his neck, "I didn't realise you-"
Autumn stepped toward the bench, "it's quite alright Neville, I'm just happy to see you're not one of those pesky Slytherin's who've been tracking my every move" she smiled referring to her friends watching the boys face screw up as she spoke, "May I sit?" She nodded down to the empty spot beside him.
Neville slid over to the wooden arm of the bench to make room, far more room than what was necessary, he'd left practically two thirds of the bench.
"Of course!" He smiled up at her, confused at her statement, not her kindest.
Autumn had been kind to Neville before, not that anyone knew much of it, in fact it was back in their fourth year after Mad Eye had forced him to sit through the three Unforgivable Curses, she'd seen how upset he had been and sat in this exact spot with him after noticing some of the other older Gryffindors picking fun at the rumours that had spread of Neville crying and other exaggerations. He hadn't really cried an awful lot in the class but he had certainly let out a few tears while sitting alone in this very bench. Autumn had came up to him, expecting her to make fun of him he was surprised when she'd asked if he was alright. So surprised he sat in silence with his mouth agape for 42 seconds. She had explained to him how they frightened her too and that she didn't enjoy watching the helpless animal being tortured. He had recalled asking her how she seemed so calm in that class if that had been the case, she explained to him how he could to some extend hide how he felt when necessary. When he'd told her he wished he could hide a lot more than just his feelings she'd told him off, told him she thought he was great, though if he told anyone of her kindness it ruin her reputation which was partly a joke, even if it wasn't entirely.
She sat down on the bench and relaxed her body while Neville pondered what he could possibly say, unsure what was wrong but knowing she was stressed or upset. Something of that sort.
"Are you alright?" His words made him smile, knowing that was exactly what she'd said to him the first time they'd spoken.
She let out a sigh and looked his way, "you don't even know the half of it Neville"
Her hollow laugh afterward told him that she was using the tricks she'd told him about, trying to hide her emotions. He cleared his throat while he thought of what to say, careful not to be pushy.
"You can tell me about it if you'd like" he panicked at her raised eyebrow, "you don't need to of course I just figured it may help to, you know, get it off your chest perhaps" she then looked ahead at the stone passageways and he started to worry more, "that was stupid of me to say, I'm sorry Autumn"
Autumns head snapped his way, "do not apologise for being kind to me" her words had been rather aggressively spoken but it made him smile at the thought behind them, "I may be going through some family troubles at the moment" she looked at her own feet this time, something she did not regularly do, "I assume you've heard the stories of my mother?"
Neville again cleared his throat.
"I have" he confirmed, "are they true?"
"You don't already believe their authenticity? After reading the countless stories?" She smirked at the headlines of her mother being a murderer.
"I will believe what you tell me" he smiled her way, his innocence being so utterly pure.
The world believed all the rumours, whether they were true or not. Neville had in fact been the first person to say something of this sort. To believe her over everything else.
Whether it was true or not.
"My father tells me of her antics" Autumn nodded, "tells me of the crimes she committed".
"Do you believe him?" Neville was unsure if his question had been too personal, but asked knowing she'd refuse to answer if it had been.
"I can't say, but I expect you can tell?" He tilted his head before nodding at her words, "I also trust you wouldn't tell anyone what you think I believe?" Again he nodded, she trusted him, "if I speak on this you must promise not to say a word to another soul, am I clear?"
Neville held his pinky up to pinky promise, realising what an idiotic move it had been and shaking his head, ready to pull his pinky away before feeling hers lock in his.
"Good" she sat straight, "according to my father my mother has somehow made an escape, she is no longer imprisoned in Azkaban" Neville's eyes widened at that, "there had been no news coverage on this so I can't be certain, although I would imagine they would try and keep it hidden" she looked his way, "in fact I had noticed the excess of dementors lurking not far from my fathers property, I wouldn't want to get on their bad side" she let out a chuckle.
"Why not? Have you not been taught the Patronus Charm? I can teach you if you'd like" he spoke trying to help in anyway.
"I am familiar with the spell Neville, I indeed know how to cast it" she swallowed loud enough for the boy beside her to hear, "I just cannot cast the spell and so I wouldn't want to be face to face with one"
Neville's brows furrowed at that, "why wouldn't you be able to cast the Patronus Charm?"
Autumn let out a sad sounding laugh.
"I cannot conjure my Patronus" while he tried to understand she continued to explain, making it clear, "I do not have enough happy memories"
Those words hurt Neville, the thought she couldn't protect herself due to not having enough found memories? He wanted to console her but was stopped by the sound of another.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The voice making Autumns eyes roll automatically and instilling the smallest piece of fear in Neville.
Adrian Pucey stood before the pair, smirking.
Autumn stood, Neville doing the same shortly afterwards.
"What do you want Pucey?" Autumn met his eyes.
"I want to know why Longbottom here hasn't buggered off yet, I want time with you, just the two of us" the words making her want to gag.
Neville did what she hadn't expected and stood between her and Pucey, crossing his arms. Knowing he'd be absolutely petrified right now but still he tried to stand up for her made her smile.
"I won't leave unless Autumn asks me to, I know you did this to Ginny too" Neville spoke up.
"Ah yes, Perhaps I should speak to your friend, Luna is it?" Autumn knew Neville had a thing for Luna, it had been another one of his random omissions/questions through the years. Adrian obviously was trying to get to the poor boy.
Neville took a step forward only to be grabbed by Adrian and thrown down to the grass.
"Pathetic" Pucey spat down at the boy.
Autumn hadn't noticed the group of Gryffindors looking their way in passing, making their way to help Neville.
While Adrian turned to Neville, ready to continue his pounding Autumn stood between the two of them this time, giving Neville time to scrabble to his feet. Watching while she stood there firmly trying to protect him.
"Move Carrow" Adrian's eyes found hers.
"No"
The group of Gryffindors stopped in their tracks watching intently at what was going on between Adrian and Autumn, they had been heading to quidditch practice, Oliver and George had been the only two not there, not that Autumn had noticed any of them.
"Are you sticking up for yet another Gryffindor?" Adrian laughed, "if you don't move I will inform your father of his traitor daughter, the one who has now twice chosen a Gryffindor over those in his corner" he stepped closer brushing a hair out of her face, Fred Weasley stepping forward to be stopped by Lee who mouthed that she could handle this, "I do not think he'd be too happy to learn of your traitorous nature, now move and let me have a few words with Longbottom"
He waited a moment for her to move.
She stayed planted where she was, "are you threatening me again Pucey?" She watched his face fall, remembering her words the last time.
She essentially let on that she'd murder him, that she was indeed her mothers daughter and whatnot.
"You know I do not take well to traitors" Adrian tried to argue back.
"And you know I do not take well to threats"
His hands found Autumns cloak gripping it tightly while pulling her closer to him, behind down slightly so his nose sat directly above her forehead breathing in deeply and humming at the blissful scent that filled his nostrils.
Fred again tried to step forward wanting to help, Lee yanking him downward to whisper to him, "you realise, if you try and be the hero here, she'll kill you too" Fred glanced to Autumn who was smiling and Neville who looked very panicked, "if anyone can handle themselves, I'd say it's Autumn Carrow" Fred did back down.
He didn't think of her as a friend but whether his brother would admit it or not, he knew George had taken to the girl and so only wanted to help.
"I'll give you one more chance Autumn" Adrian had one of the creepiest smiles she believed she ever did see, "walk away, leave me to deal with our friend Longbottom here"
Autumn turned to take a quick glance to Neville who could see in the girls eyes she would not walk away.
Giving her a quick shake of the head to encourage her not to stay, knowing she didn't listen when she turned back to Adrian and simply said, "No".
Adrian let out a frustrated breath this time, throwing a autumn backward, hard enough that the girl just almost fell managing to hold herself up on her own to feet. This being the point she'd seen the other Gryffindor boys, shaking her head at them.
"I don't understand why-" Neville's voice pulled her back their way, Adrian grabbing his shirt collar.
"Adrian" she stalked their way again watching the boy raise his hand, Neville's eyes closing awaiting the contact, "don't" she stayed calm as she reached them, the Gryffindor boys watching in what seemed like slow motion while the girl pulled the Slytherin boy away from Neville.
Thankfully this meant Neville avoided a broken nose, only Autumn hadn't.
Adrian's fist collided with the girls face.
Hard.
Neville grabbing her as she fell backwards into him from the collision.
"Oh fuck"
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Hey guys! For anyone who celebrates any holiday, I hope you had a great time today!
I spent some time with my family and celebrated a lost loved one and her life, hence having a couple weeks of little to no updates but I'm back and I'll update as much as I can over the next couple weeks!!
Enjoy :)