Little Brave Hearts || Neville Longbottom

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

"There she is!" Ron excitedly announced as he saw Maykha coming towards them in the Great Hall.

There she also saw Harry and Hermione, and much to her surprise Neville was also there. She tried averting her eyes from the boy as she sat next to Hermione.

"Hey, what did I miss?"

"A lot, mate! You missed a lot!" Ron said.

"But before that," Hermione interrupted Ron who was already prepared to tell the story. "Why were you absent? You did not even inform any of us, and when Hagrid, well, Professor Hagrid asked for your attendance, none of us knew what to say."

Scratching the back of her head, Maykha gave her friend an apologetic smile, "I wasn't feeling well earlier, I'll just inform Professor Hagrid next class. So, what happened?"

Sensing that it was finally his time to speak, Ron smiled with enthusiasm. "It was wicked, Maykha! Hagrid introduced us to a hippogriff earlier, and I've never seen a prouder creature than that in my whole life. Harry even flew around the castle on its back, right mate? Tell her how it felt."

"It felt great! Even though I'm quite used to flying on a broomstick, flying on the back of a hippogriff felt a lot different. It felt, I don't know, free?" Harry answered. It brought a smile on Maykha, seeing that they enjoyed their class.

"It wasn't even the best part," Hermione whispered and winked as they waited Ron to tell the next part of the story.

"To make things even better, it bloody attacked Malfoy! I swear I almost worship that thing earlier when it did that," Ron finished his story with something that delighted Maykha more than she wanted it to be.

"I feel bad for laughing, but I'm sure he deserved it," Maykha said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

What happened in their Care for Magical Creatures class would have probably explained why the Slytherin's table looked like a swarm of bees, whispering the news of what their housemate had faced. Running her eyes along the table, she saw Sienna Lore, who smiled at her and when their eyes met. Feeling happy by the girl's friendliness, Maykha smiled and waved back.

Bringing her eyes back on their own table, she saw her friends looking at her weirdly.

"What?"

"Are you really sure that you can trust that Slytherin?" Hermione asked.

Now, trust was a big word for Maykha. She did not trust the girl perse, it was more like she welcomed the idea of having a friendly interaction with the Slytherin girl.

"Well, she's friendly. It's not like I'd replace you guys for her, don't worry," Maykha said with a chuckle.

"You better not replace us with anyone. Merlin forbid you to any other best friends than us," Ron said with his mouth full of food, making some of its pieces fly on the table as he spoke.

"As nasty as he is, I have to agree with Ron," Hermione said.

"Chill, guys. Any more than that and I'll start thinking you're afraid to lose me."

Maykha tried her best to sound fine. She ate and laughed as she normally would, but little did others knew, she was trying her best to fight the urge to look at Neville who stayed quiet throughout their conversation.

...

It was already late at night when Maykha decided that it was her opportunity to catch up with what she missed on their Care for Magical Creatures lesson. With her book for the class, she sat on her favourite arm chair in the common room as she read about the hippogriff.

True enough, hippogriffs were proud creatures, proud enough that it demanded a proper etiquette of bowing and showing of respect before it allowed someone to have a touch on its fur. Offending a hippogriff may result to a painful attack. Without the need of any more explanation, Maykha immediately knew that Malfoy had no one to blame for what happened other than himself.

A sound of foot step made Maykha turn her head, and saw Neville. Feeling as if she did not have enough energy to deal with him, Maykha stood up as soon as the boy sat down next to her. However, Neville seemed to have a different plan as he grabbed her hands and pulled him towards him. Surprised by the boy's sudden action, she did not have enough time to balance herself and ended up landing on the boy's lap.

Maykha could only grip her book against her chest as her heart and mind were in a state of panic.

"W-what do you want?" She asked in an attempt to sound fine, only for her voice to end up sounding weird.

She could feel the warm breath of Neville as he buried his face on her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her. Maykha had no idea as to why the boy was acting that way, it was only this morning, he could not even brought himself to look at her.

"I'm sorry."

Maykha let out an exasperated breath, "Why? Why are you acting like this, Neville? Why are you being so difficult? Did I do something wrong? Did I do something to offe–"

"No," Neville answered immediately, not letting her finish her sentence. "Goodness, no. Merlin knows how you could do nothing wrong to me, Maykha. You can never do anything wrong in my eyes."

Unfamiliar with how the boy sounded with his deeper voice, Maykha stayed silent. With each second that passed by with them staying in that position, the more her heart became frantic. It was as is someone had casted a spell on her heart to have it race so much it scared her that it might escape from her ribcage.

"It was me. I-I was...my mind had been a mess. Remember when I told you I wanted to try flying again?" Maykha nodded, "It was because I thought overcoming my fear of flying would be the first step of me becoming brave. Maykha, I wanted to become brave for you, but whenever I am on a broomstick, meters above the ground, I'd get pale and scared. My Great-uncle told me to take it easy and give it time, but as the coming back to school approached, I grew more and more impatient and frustrated by my lack of improvement."

Maykha, who had her back turned against Neville, turned around to shot the boy with a confused look. "So? I don't understand how that would explain your behaviour."

With a sigh, Neville continued, "It was because of what my Great-uncle told me, that I-I cannot tell you yet, but it brought chaos within myself. I thought I was too weak, and I was too coward for you. While I was having these thoughts, I did not realize how much it affected my behaviour towards you. And I'm really, really sorry, Maykha."

His words felt like oxygen that brought Maykha to finally breathe easier. The suffocating feeling that lingered in her chest immediately vanished, replaced by relief that made her eyes water. She had no idea what she would have done if Neville was indeed mad at her, or worse, if he did not want her to be his friend anymore. He was exactly what she needed, it was his presence that she craved during those times when she did not know where to hold onto anymore.

Still with a frown and tears strolling down her cheeks, Maykha hit Neville's chest repeatedly, "I hate you. I hate you, I hate you."

The boy simply held her in his arms and let her hit him until she was satisfied.

"I know, Maykha. I know," Neville whispered, "but
try not to hate me for too long, I might not handle that."