SOFIA | ❨ NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM ❩ UNDER MAJOR EDITING!

Chapter Thirty Three.

Neville quickly took Sofia back to to the castle, so she could recover from all the emotions that had ran through her.

He felt happy. He loved her, and she loved him back. The whole time they walked back to the castle, he kept praying that it wasn't some sort of lucid dream. He had hoped so bad that it was real.

It was.

When they arrived back to the common room, a lot of people had already began leaving the school.

"I can get back up on my own. You're going to be late if you don't hurry and get your trunk, Neville."

He laughed, thinking of how cute she looked being so concerned about him.

"It's okay, Sof. The carriages can wait a few extra moments."

They quickly stormed to Neville's dorm, and he grabbed his trunk. Sofia had attempted to help him, but Neville insisted that he could hold everything on his own.

They then went back to Sofia's dorm, per Neville's request.

He set his things on Sofia's bed, and slowly walked up to her.

He placed the palm of his hand onto her cheek, and stroked it softly.

"I really hope I'm not dreaming." Neville thought aloud, making Sofia giggle. Oh, how his heart exploded when he saw her smile.

"You're not. I promise."

Neville then remembered something that he had wanted to ask her,

"Before I leave, I need to ask you a favor. Would you mind feeding Trevor? I usually always ask Harry to do it at times like this, but I think he tends to forgets sometimes. Plus, he doesn't try to keep him company or anything like that. Would you mind?"

Sofia chuckled and nodded her head,

"Yes, I will keep your slimy companion company, Longbottom."

Then there was silence between them. A very comfortable, but odd silence.

"I don't want you to go..." Sofia suddenly muttered, making Neville frown a bit.

"Sof... I'll be back in a few days. It's Christmas break you should worry about." Neville joked, attempting to make her laugh. But, she didn't.

"I don't know, I just feel like—I don't know... never mind. It's not important."

"No, Sof. Tell me."

She sighed and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her eyes made their way upwards to look at Neville,

"We just haven't spoke in a while, and of course when do start talking again... you have to leave."

Neville in some aspects understand how she felt. He had missed Sofia so much, and now he couldn't see her for a little while. But, he knew they would be alright. They always made it.

"Like I said, I'll be back very soon. Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble. If something happens and I'm not here—"

"I'll be fine, Nev."

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink from the nickname she had always called him.

"Alright. I should get going, then."

Sofia nodded as he began to grab his stuff once again. He started to walk towards the door, until Sofia stopped him.

"Neville?"

He turned on his heels to face her, and ran up to him. She threw her arms around his neck, and Neville chuckled.

"Kiss me, Sof." Neville whispered in her ear.

She obliged with no questions asked, and they passionately kissed for a good 15 seconds. When they pulled away, he placed a kiss on her forehead,

"Goodbye, my love..."

And with that, he left. He didn't even give Sofia the chance to say goodbye back.

But, Sofia felt a bit better than she had earlier. She was embarrassed of the huge breakdown she had in front of Neville, but she knew that he wouldn't judge her. He would probably never even mention it again unless she had decided to bring it up as a topic of conversation.

She already started to feel empty without him. She started to wish she hadn't let herself become so attached to the boy. But, she loved it all at the same time.

As she walked over back to her bed, she noticed a paper sitting on her pillow.

How had she not noticed this before?

She grabbed it, and slowly started to open it. Sofia was a bit afraid of what it might be, but she was too curious just to set it back down.

As she opened it, another little piece of paper fell right back on her bed. She picked it up and read it,

Drew you like you asked me to a
while back. It was your birthday
picnic. I'm not too fond of it, but
you might be. We need to talk. I miss you.
You can write me, or wait until I get back.
Your choice. Have a good Thanksgiving.

- Lily

Sofia quickly opened the larger piece of piece of paper, and she gasped.

It was a beautiful sketch of her sitting by Black Lake, looking onward. She was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing on her birthday. Sofia had wondered why Lily had taken her sketch book that day, but she never bothered to ask about it.

Lily was so talented, and she didn't even realize it.

Looking at the sketch made Sofia miss her friend quite a bit. It also made her want to cry again, but she couldn't. She had cried too much already, and she honestly didn't have the energy to sob anymore.

Sofia pondered on if she was even ready to speak to Lily again. She was still a bit hurt by everything that had happened, but she had started to get over it. Hanging out with Ginny so much made her realize what she had loved about the friends she had made so far at Hogwarts.

Sofia felt the need to speak to Hermione first. She felt like it was the only morally correct thing to do. And, she honestly felt like the conversations she wanted to have with the two girls should be in person, not over a letter. She wouldn't be able to get her points across the way she wanted to.

Sofia folded the papers up like they had been before, and put them in the drawer next to her bed. She then laid back on her bed, staring at the canopy. She started to mindlessly play with the locket her parents had sent her for her birthday. She simply just laid there, and let her mind take over her body.

Sofia felt like there was so much to retain. She honestly thought her brain was too small for the amount of emotional capacity she had to endure.

She was relieved though, considering there was no classes for the next few days. Maybe the staff would let the kids go to Hogsmeade or something over the break, for the simple fact that they pity the children who are unable to enjoy the break with their families due to certain circumstances.

Sofia once again began to think about Neville. She missed him so much already. She started to convince herself that she had made it a couple weeks without him, so she surely would be able to make it through a few days. But, it was just too different now.

They both had released some very pent up feelings, and it just wouldn't be the same. She had sealed the deal. There wasn't any going back now.

Sofia was in it for the long game.