Thorn | Neville Longbottom

Chapter 41: Briar's Aim

"Seriously? Again?"

Briar heard a distant voice grumbling, and her eyes slowly fluttered open in response. There was a light filtering into the room that jarred her senses, so she had to blink a few times before she could even see anything.

Once her vision cleared, her dark eyes settled on the four other Gryffindor boys in her year. Ron and Harry were sitting on their beds, already staring at her while Seamus and Dean were standing closer to the bed and peering down at her previously sleeping face. When her dark stare settled on the two of them, they both flinched backwards slightly.

She raised an eyebrow at all four boys as if to challenge them, but Neville began to stir beside her, so her attention was abruptly dragged away from Neville's annoying roommates. Her eyes fell onto his face. It was peaceful and relaxed. His features were soft and absolutely adorable in Briar's opinion.

Her eyes roamed his face as he adorably scrunched his nose and stretched his legs out under the covers. Briar bit back a grin as the rest of the world faded away. She completely forgot that Neville even had roommates until Seamus coughed, "How does he get a love like that? S'not fair, really."

Neville's eyes blinked open, and his cheeks flushed red when he took in the scene too. Briar was in his bed still, and his roommates were all staring at them.

He cleared his throat and grumbled, "What are you all lookin' at?"

Ron and Harry glanced at one another with wide eyes, but Briar just smugly smiled at Neville. She didn't know where that sudden burst of confidence came from, but it made her heart speed up to hear him say those words.

She felt chosen. She couldn't believe she ever thought he felt embarrassed of her.

Neville and Briar intertwined their hands underneath the covers, Briar had to fight back a goofy grin as his thumb gently brushed over the back of her hand. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach at the feeling of his soft thumb against her skin, and she hoped the feeling would never end.

He looked over at her with a dopey grin that just melted her heart. She couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten with her shy, Gryffindor boy.

Ron glanced at the two of them briefly and groaned, "Well, are you two going to come to breakfast or what?"

Briar and Neville looked at one another with matching grins. Briar didn't look away from Neville's sweetly smiling face as she murmured, "Yeah, we'll catch up with you all later."

Seamus slumped towards the door and whined under his breath, "How does he get a girl like her?"

His voice was a little too loud, and both Briar and Neville heard it. Neville bit on his lip and wouldn't meet Briar's eyes after hearing the comment, which was the clear tell that he had heard the grumbled remark.

One of her eyebrows quirked as a cold expression settled on her face. She hung over the edge of the bed to grab one of her shoes that she had discarded there the night before. Ron saw what was happening and tried to warn Seamus, but it was too late. Briar threw the shoe, so that it thunked against the back of Seamus' head perfectly.

Seamus whipped around and stared at her open-mouthed.

Harry grumbled, "I told you not to say anything you'd regret," while Ron gaped, "Blimey."

Briar raised her eyebrows and pointed out, "If you acted more like Neville, then I wouldn't have had to throw that shoe at you."

Dean pursed his lips in an impressed expression as he nodded. "I'm definitely taking notes."

"On Briar's aim?"

"That too," Dean chuckled as he shoved Seamus out the door in front of him. Harry and Ron stumbled out after them, and Briar laughed at Ron's disturbed face as he pulled the door around.

In the silence that followed, Briar rolled over to face Neville, propping her head up on her hand. She beamed at him and joked, "Sorry for hitting your roommate with a shoe. I don't have the best...control."

Neville reached a hand up and gently brushed her hair away from her forehead. He murmured, "It's okay... They're right, you know. I can't understand how this happened, how a girl like you could ever like...me."

Briar rapidly shook her head and lifted her hand up to hold the side of his face. She murmured, "Nonsense. It's reversed, really. I'm so lucky to have a soulmate as sweet and handsome as you."

"You think I'm handsome?" Neville squeaked with round eyes watching Briar's every move with his hand covering hers, keeping her palm pressed gently against the side of his face.

"Yes. You are so incredibly handsome," Briar confirmed as she carefully snuggled into his side.

Neville's cheeks flushed. A silence fell over them for a moment until he murmured, "You're probably the only one to feel that way about me, but everyone feels that way about you."

Briar stared up at him with narrowed eyes and retorted, "You're barking."

He shook his head confessed, "All the boys here talk about how beautiful you are. Dean and Seamus told me that they think you're the best looking lass here."

"And I think you're the best looking boy, so we're a perfect match," Briar soothed. She placed her hand against his chest, and she noticed the way his breath caught in his throat when she did this. Neville had a faint smile on his lips again, and she figured that his insecurities had been resolved. Even if he didn't think he was good enough, Briar wouldn't want to be cuddled up beside anyone else. She looked up at him under her thick lashes and whispered, "I wish we could stay here all day."

Neville's mouth fell open at this confession. He choked, "You do?"

She nodded her head against his chest and draped her arm over his torso comfortably. He responded by wrapping his arms around her as well. It was warm, cozy, and most importantly, safe. As a result, Briar had no interest in leaving.

A few minutes ticked by of Neville gently trailing his fingertips over her forehead before he whispered, "Are you sure you'd like to miss Defense Against the Dark Arts with Snape?"

"We have that class today?" Briar questioned with a groan.

Neville just nodded. Another few seconds passed before Briar replied, "We probably should go, shouldn't we? My roommates will certainly be wondering where I am."

His smile was patient and happy as they both clambered out of the bed. Briar tugged on her robes that she had discarded last night and tugged on both shoes. She stepped into the hallway while Neville got dressed, and she was pleasantly surprised to see that no one walked past her while she was waiting, not as if she'd really have cared what anyone else thought though.

When he emerged from his room a moment later with his robes all crooked, Briar happily straightened them for him. Her hands lingered on the edges of his robes for a moment as they stared into one another's eyes with beaming grins.

How had Briar secured a love like this?

Breaking the silence, Neville wondered, "Are you ready?"

Briar nodded, so he intertwined their fingers and they left the Gryffindor tower hand in hand, ready to conquer their day.

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