Thorn | Neville Longbottom

Chapter 35: Yes, Please

Briar and Neville were sitting in the Gryffindor common room after everything at the department of mysteries, but Briar hadn't said a word since her father apparated away. She was still in shock and completely petrified.

If Voldemort hadn't arrived when he did, she wouldn't be alive anymore.

From the relief the other members of Dumbledore's Army seemed to be feeling, Briar knew that she should be happy. She should be relieved that no one died, and everything was being set right in their world. Umbridge was being escorted from Hogwarts, many of the death eaters who were at the ministry were being sought out by aurors to be taken to Azkaban, and names were being cleared. Dumbledore was returning to Hogwarts; Sirius was a free man; and Harry was finally being trusted and respected again.

But Briar still felt as though a Hippogriff were sitting on her chest.

Neville tentatively reached a hand out and murmured, "Are you okay?"

He winced at his question, knowing that she wasn't, but he didn't know what to say to help. He had seen everything, but the purple-haired auror wouldn't let him rush back into the room to help her. He was there as soon as Voldemort apparated from the room, at her side to pull her in close, but she was limp and unresponsive to everything he said.

He couldn't imagine what it was like for Briar living with that man for 15 years.

Briar didn't respond to his question. She wasn't okay, but she didn't know how to tell him that. She still felt a horrible stabbing pain in her stomach and a haziness in her brain that made it hard for her to focus. Sitting on the couch beside Neville and staring into the crackling fire was helping, but it couldn't solve her problems or take away her trauma.

She blinked every so often and just stared into the dancing flames that threw their shadows around the room carelessly. She wondered what it would feel like to not have a care in the world. She wished she could know what it felt like to make a foolish decision and not worry about the outcome. She couldn't believe that some people just did reckless things for the sake of doing it. That was simply never an option for her.

The portrait opened swiftly, and Briar flinched hard at this. She didn't notice how she immediately reached for her wand at the noise, but Neville's eyes watered at the sight.

Professor McGonagall stepped into the common room and scanned the area before her eyes fell on Briar's slouched form on the couch. She looked at the other students in the room and announced, "All of you back to your beds at once."

She stepped closer to Briar and hesitantly murmured, "But not you, dear."

Briar just barely nodded at her Professor, her mind was still coming back to reality after the day. Her body was still starting to feel like her own again, and she knew that Neville's calm and patient presence beside her was helping tremendously.

So when Professor McGonagall tried to shoo Neville from the room, Briar croaked, "No. I'd like him to stay."

Professor McGonagall froze for a moment, but she nodded in understanding soon after. Neville was surprised that Briar wanted him to stay, but he was happy to do so.

Once the room emptied out, Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and explained, "I was sent to inform you that your father, Gideon Davies, has been..." She halted her words for a moment to look at Neville, but Briar nodded for her to continue. McGonagall hesitantly finished, "He's been captured and taken to Azkaban."

Briar let out a shaky breath, and she was shocked at how much lighter she felt with this news. Her breathing was a little easier, and the slight chattering in her teeth had started to slow.