wanderlust ☆ n.longbottom

.:11:.

It was the next day and Neville was preparing to leave for his tutoring session. Him and Daisy had began speaking again since their argument last night but their exchanges were still laced with frostiness. "And where are you going?" demanded Daisy. She had paused her make out session with Dean to make her enquiry about Neville's departure.

"It's not like I ask you where you are at every minute of everyday."

"Actually, yeah, you do and you'll also nag me about biting my nails."

"Well, you shouldn't. It's a bad habit. Anyway, I'm going to go and help people with their Herbology homework, if that's okay with you? Sprout has said it will earn me loads of extra credit. It's not like I'd be missing much here is it?" He still continued to lie about the identity and amount of students he was helping as that's what Vivienne had requested. It really bothered Daisy that the boy was lying for her. She should be grateful he was offering to help her. She didn't deserve his benevolence one bit.

Daisy raised her eyebrows. "Fine." She scowled, watching him collect his stuff together and leave the common room.

"Remember!" Hermione called over to Daisy, who was now just staring off into the distance. "I'm always here if you want to talk, it appears you and Neville haven't patched things up yet-"

"It's a wonder you dropped Divination, Hermione, with that intuition of yours," Daisy drawled, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"Diviation is based off nothing but wild guesses!" Hermione replied hotly, her lips pursing as though Daisy had gave her the worst possible insult.

"It's Neville's fault anyway! Did I tell you what he said about Emmeline?" chanted Daisy, whipping around to face Dean.

"Only about six times," Dean grumbled tiredly. "He's allowed to see other people."

Daisy's eyes darkened. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You can't expect him to enjoy sitting next to us whilst we snog, can you?"

Daisy sat back. She fell silent, as though she was thinking about something. Vaguely, she could hear Hermione congratulating her for discussing her problems and Ron and Harry exchanging outlandish stories they could include in their Divination homework. Suddenly, she rose to her feet with enough speed to knock her dizzy.

"I'm going to see Neville." She answered Dean's puzzled expression.

"But I thought we agreed to spend tonight together?"

"Get a grip, Dean. I'm your girlfriend, not a pet."

Daisy found Neville just passing the Great Hall on his way to the greenhouses. Daisy called after him, laughing as the boy almost jumped out of his robes from the shock. She asked him if he wanted to skive his tutor session and go for a walk with her around the lake. He declined, leaving her feeling disheartened and like he was chosing Vivienne over her. He denied this accusation, suggesting she joined them in their academic endeavours.

"I don't need to study, Neville, I wanted to spend time with you," she argued.

"And you are. I think you could benefit in some studying."

"I don't need good grades."

"Of course you do! You need to get a good job and provide for your family."

Daisy spluttered. "Me? A family? Can you really imagine me as a wife, with kids?"

"Yes," he answered honestly.

"I want to be great or nothing. I don't want to settle as someone's wife, someone's mother. I am my own person."

"You'd still be your own person."

"I suppose that's what you want, is it? To get a good job and get married and raise children?"

"Isn't that what everyone wants?"

"Not me, it sounds like a waste of life. Dying with no one knowing your name. Dying when you haven't achieved something great."

"I don't need the world to know me, just a few good people. And I don't need to conquer the world to feel fulfilled, as long as I'm happy."

"Bullshit."

"Just because my dreams are different to yours doesn't make them any less important. You can't just wander through life expecting to get somewhere."

"Not all those who wander are lost."

Without realising, they had reached the greenhouse. Daisy halted at the door, as though there was some kind of forcefield preventing her from going in.

"Neville!" Vivienne had turned round the corner, her black heeled shoes struggling to stabalise her through the mud.  "What's panda eyes doing here?"

"It's eyeliner! And don't worry, I'm leaving."

"I thought you were staying?" Neville said.

"Maybe another time, eh? Enjoy your weed club, nerds," Daisy scoffed as she began trampling back to the castle.

"You're not going to tell anyone about me being here, are you?" Vivienne called after her. Daisy's response was flashing the two an obscene gesture. "Is she always this rude? I honestly have no idea what you see in her."

"What?" Neville was taken aback as they entered the greenhouse.

"It's obvious you fancy her and now she's with that lanky boy. So you're extremely jealous. Without realising, you're taking out your frustrations on her and she's sensing that and getting angry back. Or maybe she's just always that aggressive."

Neville was speechless. His heart was pounding. How could she tell all of that? How had she had time to study their dynamic that prescisely? Or, was Neville's internal battle just that obvious to everyone?

Vivienne's heart shaped face bloomed with the most sincere smile Neville had ever seen her do. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. We may as well make these meetings more interesting because, no offence, but you're really rather boring. So, come on, take a seat and tell me everything!" For some obscure reason, Neville found himself obeying Vivienne's instructions and filling her in on his current crisis. It felt strangely natural, and really relieving for him to finally tell an eager listener exactly how he felt. Maybe admitting and discussing his feelings about Daisy would be the first step to getting over her.