The Light in the Dark | Neville Longbottom

Chapter 81: Birds and Bells

*CW: Violence*

August 1st, 1997

"DAWN, ARE YOU READY TO GO?" Remus called from the bottom of the stairs.

I had just finished my hair when Remus announced that it was time to leave. Today was the day of Bill and Fleur's wedding, and although I thought I was staying home, Remus insisted that I went. He felt that it was safer to have me by his side than to leave me at the house by myself. However, I wasn't skeptical about the wedding because of a potential attack, I was worried about Voldemort attacking the wedding because of me. It took Tonks reassuring me that I'd be okay if there was an attack since the entire order, and plenty of Ministry workers, were going to be at the wedding for me to comply.

"GIVE ME A SECOND, WOULD YA?" I shouted, rolling my eyes.

I hastily grabbed my pajamas and threw them into my closet. I was nowhere near ready to go and had been expecting a call from Neville all morning, but he hasn't called. The last time I talked to him was before the cave situation (nobody knew about this). Remus sent his gran a letter the day I came back and told him I couldn't make it for his birthday. I didn't exactly have a present for Neville, so I sent him the "I Love London" sweatshirt I stole along with Remus's letter.

We haven't heard back since.

As worried as I was for Neville, I was panicking, trying to pack my bag for my night at the burrow. I only packed some pajamas, an outfit for tomorrow, and my cosmetics, but I tore my room apart looking for the bracelet Neville gave me back in June; I wore it every day.

"WHERE THE HELL IS IT?" I shouted, looking through my bed sheets.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Tonks stood in the doorway. She looked at me concernedly as I frantically looked around my room for the bracelet.

"HAVE YOU SEEN A PURPLE BRACELET?" I questioned loudly, continuing to look around my room.

"It's downstairs next to the telephone... where you left it," Tonks chuckled, " Now, c'mon, the Weasleys are expecting us in a couple of minutes."

I sighed in relief, grabbing my trunk and heading out the door. I was at the edge of the staircase when Tonks laughed again.

"What?" I asked, turning around to look at her.

"Are you forgetting something?" Tonks asked, pointing at something in my bedroom.

I walked back over to my bedroom and saw my black wedges for the wedding lying in the middle of the floor. I huffed loudly as I stormed over to where they were, slowly bent down to grab them (so I wouldn't have ripped my dress), and walked back over to the stairs, mumbling curse words underneath my breath.

I grabbed my bracelet off the telephone dresser before meeting Remus and Tonks in the main room with all our luggage. I longingly glanced back at the telephone as Remus checked the time once more. I wished and wished that the telephone rang, but it never did. It was almost like Neville knew what happened and refused to talk to me.

"We'll each apparate to the burrow, and reconvene there," Remus shrugged, "See you two in a moment."

And with that, Remus disapparated from the house, leaving Tonks and I alone in the main room.

"Alright, you go first, Dawn," Tonks instructed, "Just to make sure-"

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Every sound in the room dissipated, and the only thing we heard was the telephone. My gut told me that Neville was calling, and everything in me wanted to answer it. I wanted to apologize for missing his birthday. I wanted to apologize for not talking to him for a few days. I wanted to apologize about becoming a deatheater, and betraying the whole order - but I knew I couldn't tell him that.