Sacrifices, Harry Potter Year 5

25. The Beetle at Bay

Lilly's POV
I woke up early and said to Neville as he came down the stairs, "I'm sorry..." He asked, "What are you sorry for?" I looked at my feet saying, "When Bellatrix Lestrange was sentenced to Azkaban, I was at the trial and I typically decided her fate and the people who helped her captured your parent's fate... Last night, something terrible happened. Antonin Dolohov, Augustus Rookwood, and Bellatrix Lestrange escaped Azkaban last night..." He demanded, "Did you know about this before hand?" I nodded. He shouted, "Why don't you tell me these things? Why don't you stop it? Why?" I said, "I am telling you and I can't stop it because it was going to happen one way or another." He sighed and I went up to him, holding his face in my hands saying, "Look, I know this is going to be hard, I know this is going to be tough, but I will be there for you. I will never leave your side unless you send me away. I'll help you though this, through everything." He nodded and kissed me holding my hands. I threw my arms around him and he held my waist. I pulled away needing air. I felt his hot breath on my ear as we tried to slow our breathing. He said, "Lilly, no more telling me last minute, no more not telling me, no more, princess..." I looked up at him, staring into his eyes saying, "I promise, I'll do my best..." He kissed me, but I pulled away quickly asking, "Princess?" He chuckled saying, "I thought you would love a nickname..." I said, "Very cute, but I prefer Lilly, Nev." He said, "Nev?" I giggled saying, "I thought you would love a nickname..." He chuckled, pulling me into another kiss. We were like that until I heard people coming down the stairs. I pushed him back and Seamus and Dean came down. Seamus said, "Oy, get a room." I replied, "We do have one, but you walked in." He rolled his eyes and I stuck my tongue out as he walked by. Neville chuckled and said, "Such a daring girl, no wonder the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor." I giggled saying, "I was actually going to be put into Slytherin, but the hat later decided on Gryffindor." He smiled and kissed me once more. We went to breakfast when Harry, Hermione, and Ron walked down. They found out the prisoners escaped and that Fudge was blaming my dad... Then, they found out that Bode had been killed and then Hagrid said he was on probation. I dropped my head on the table with a thud groaning... Neville asked, "What's wrong?" I groaned, "How much more bad news can I take?!" He rubbed my back soothingly.

Everywhere when I passed the hall ways, I had people muttering and whispering. Just like the third year. Fudge was getting on my case when it came to finding Sirius, my justification was that he knows my powers and he knows how to block me from tracking him. He was starting to think that was a load of dung, but it was the best excuse I could come up with with everything else on my mind. Umbridge is starting to ask even more questions and I think my trust is wavering with her, but I don't really care anymore. I just want this year to be over!
All Divination and Care of Magical Creatures classes were under the watch of Umbridge, she kept on inturrupting Trelawney and asking her to prove herself. Hagrid told us to stop sneaking into the forrest. Harry and I put all our energy into DA, everyone, even Zacharias Smith put even more work into it, given there are now ten Death Eaters on the lose. Neville worked harder than ever. Hermione mastered the Shield Charm and then Neville mastered it. We sometimes stayed up late in the common room practicing. He was doing fantastic! Harry was getting better and better at Occlumency, though Ron thinks that Snape is making his mind wider...

It was my birthday, February fifth and Neville had gotten me a few new books from Flourish and Blotts. They were about the history of the Wizarding World with a few sweets. I smiled he asked me to the next Hogsmeade day and then Angelina came up to me the next moment asking for full day practices. I said, "Um... Okay..." Neville said, "Go ahead." I said, "Nah, how about I split myself further. We can have an amazing Valentines Day and I can still practice with my team." He smiled kissing me. Neville was really the only person, besides Hagrid and my dad, to remember my birthday, it was okay though, everyone else had huge problems to worry about anyway.
Ron saw me with a small gift in my lap and asked, "What's the present for?" As Hermione and Harry sat down, I replied, "It's my birthday..." They froze, their eyes widened, and started apologizing immediately. I motioned for them to stop and said, "It's okay guys, you've had a lot on your minds lately. Trust me, I didn't expect anything. Hagrid baked me a cake, dad just talked to me this morning, and Neville got me a few books with sweets. It's okay, really..." I smiled weakly and said, "Now, Neville and I are going for a small stroll before curfew..." Neville looked at me surprised, but took my hand. We walked hand in hand with my head on his shoulder to the Kitchens. He said, "Am I really the only person beside your dad and Hagrid to remember your birthday?" I nodded and we entered the Kitchens. We sat down by the fire and we ate some cake with tea. He said, "They're your best friends, they should have remembered." I shook my head saying, "They've been busy, you know. A lot on their minds..." He said, "The people who remembered your birthday has a lot on their minds as well. They still remembered, why aren't you the least bit upset?"
I stared at the fire, took a sip of my tea saying, "The thing about them Neville, I don't really expect them to really remember stuff with me. I'm not that close to them and such. I refuse to get my hopes up, if you don't hope, you don't get hurt..." I stared at the fire again.
He pulled his arm around me saying, "No offence, but that's a terrible way to think..."
I nodded, put my head on his shoulder, and said, "It's the only way I know... I hope for a lot of terrible things not to happen, but they always turn out to happen..."
I looked down at my tea. He caressed my cheek and turned my head to look at him. He said, "Lilly..."
I said, "It's know, I shouldn't be depressing like this, especially on my birthday-"
He pressed a small kiss to my lips. I smiled and said, "That will always make me smile..."
He said, "It's okay, Lilly. Things will turn out perfect."
I smiled and kissed him softly saying, "Thank you, Neville."
He smiled saying, "Happy Birthday, Lilly..."
He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I smiled into the kiss and put my hands on his chest. The house elves saw us talking, when we in reality snogging. My hands on his chest, his other arm went around my waist. I sighed happily into the kiss. We pulled away after a few moments. After a bit of talking we snuck back into the common room and went to bed.

Hogsmeade came around and Harry had a date with Cho, the only problem was that he was meeting Hermione and didn't say to Cho that he had no interest in her. Quidditch was tiring. Harry got an interview from Rita Skeeter and it was going to be published in the Quibbler.

Thanks for reading! Vote please! :)
-Lilly :)