Little Brave Hearts || Neville Longbottom

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

The train ride back to London was not as exciting as Maykha wanted it to be. Not with Professor Dumbledore successful in throwing her thoughts in disarray. There were so many things that she needed to get an answer to, and leaving Hogwarts was not going to help her with what she needed.

Besides, that would also mean being away from Hogwarts and separated from her friends. Her mind did not like that idea, especially after their closer bond throughout their second year.

But on the brighter side, she would finally take a break from all sorts of troubles that could cause her her life. She did not believe it herself but she started to realize how being put in a life and death situation was not as fun as she thought it would be.

"What's with the silence?" It was hermione who nudged her side, not realizing that she had been staring out of the window for a long time.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that I will miss you during the break," Maykha said, looking at her friends. Harry and Ron stopped arguing the moment they heard her speak, and Neville looked up from Trevor to her.

Hermioned placed her head on Maykha's shoulder and hugged her from the side, "Aww, my baby's going to miss us."

Maykha chuckled and let Hermione embrace her like that, it was not everyday her friend shows this side of her. Her life at Hogwarts was a complete opposite to what she had back in her muggle school. She had always wondered how it felt like to have a friend, and there they were. Four best friends that she had formed a very close relationship with.

Maybe it was the relief of getting out of the petrification situation that made Maykha a bit more sentimental than usual.

"Hey! Don't leave us out!" Ron exclaimed, but before the boys could even scoot over their way to surround Maykha, Hermione raised her feet, threatening to kick the three if they ever come close to them.

All these things made Maykha laugh. She would definitely miss this chaotic group and could only hope that their break would be over with just a blink of an eye. Although they haven't gotten that far from the Hogsmeade station, she already cannot wait to go back and go for another adventure.

...

After they arrived at the King's Cross Station, Maykha greeted her friends' families, and as much as she did not like to play favourites, Molly was definitely the parent among the list whom she was the happiest to see once more. Her friends did the same to her parents, who gave Neville a very meaningful look that she swore made the poor boy feel uncomfortable.

Before they separated on their ways, Maykha felt Neville tug the sleeves of her shirt as he excused her from her parents and led her away from them. Confused as she was, she just let her friend take far enough that she could not see the others anymore.

"What's up, Nevy?"

The boy bashfully scratched his head as he looked down on his toes, "Well...I did not have you all by myself during the train ride and...and...I-I don't know."

"Huh?"

"I...I'm g-going to miss you," he blurted out that Maykha almost did not catch what he said.

Something inside Maykha's chest warmed, and her heart started beating so loud she even thought the boy might hear it. Her mind tried to tell her that the boy probably did not mean anything by what he said beyond the boundaries of friendship. and it was just her stupid heart reacting weirdly who should be blamed.

"I-I hope you did not take it weirdly...I just felt like we hadn't spent much time with just...the two of us lately because of what happened during the school year. You know...you're my best friend."

The warmth Maykha felt suddenly ceased as if it was thrown a bucket of cold water, and she suddenly felt disappointed. Even she questioned herself as to what was she disappointed by?

She tried to swallow down her thoughts and forced a smile at Neville, "Oh, Neville, I missed you too! I never quite thanked you enough for showing up in the chamber and for staying by my side while I was in the Hospital Wing."

In the guise of friendship, she leaned onto Neville and kissed his cheeks. An action she regretted as soon as she realized what she did. With a face as red as a tomato, Maykha ran away from Neville and quickly snatched the hands of her parents to step out of the platform.

...

"Don't look at me like that, please." Maykha begged her parents after they stepped out of the station to walk to where their car was parked.

The couple looked at her, playing innocent."Oh, I don't know what you are talk about, do you, Herbert." Her mother now asked her father as he looked at her playfully.

"Mum!"

"I also have no idea, dear ," It was Herbert's turn to play innocent.

"You were look at me like I did something!"

They continued their argument once they were done putting the child's luggage away and went inside the car.

Her father looked from the driver's seat, "Well, I suppose there is nothing wrong with looking at my child who came back looking like a red tomato. Right,  Maddie?" He looked at his wife for approval and the woman smiled and pinched his cheek lightly.

"Right you are, Bertie. So, is it really this Neville boy whom you fancy, love?"

"I do not fancy anyone, for the love of Merlin's white beard!" She exclaimed and buried her face inside her hands.

"That being said, who the hell is Merlin?"

She did not respond to her father's question.

Maykha cannot believe that her parents were still going on with the idea that she fancied Neville. Of course, denying it did not make it less true, but she did not feel like it was the right time to have this kind of conversation yet. She remembered how awkward and uncomfortable it felt like when she had those feelings eat her whenever she was alone with Neville. She had this feeling buried underneath her heart, and she planned on letting it stay like that, watering it and nurturing it until it grew so big that she could no longer hide it from anyone.

As of now, not yet.
...

Throughout the car ride, Maykha tried to open some topics of discussion inside their car to help her divert her mind from Neville. They asked her about her education and her life inside the castle. She answered truthfully, but careful not to mention anything about the petrification of the students, and especially her encounter with the younger version of the Dark Lord himself. She knew the moment her parents knew of the events that had happened in her second year, she would be locked up inside her room and they would never allow even a single strand of her hair to reach the wizarding school at all.

Up until this day, Maykha was being honest if she said that she still could not quite grasp the horror Voldemort's existence had brought to the Wizarding World. She knew it was him who killed Harry's parents, but as much as she hated it, murders do happen in the world of muggles as well. Although, the difference could be their methods and of course, the existence of magic. Maykha then concluded, that muggles or with magic, evil has its way to infiltrate one's mind to do the unspeakable.

Hopefully though, they could get a rest from this whole Voldemort-trying-to-kill-Harry situation, even just for their third year.