Lucy Riddle and the Boy Who Lived

Hermione is Number Two

Chapter Twenty

Lucy had an Occlumency lesson with Professor Snape that evening. He had sent a note to her just before dinner by sending a messenger by the name of Neville Longbottom. She still remembered the awkward little dude who handed her, her death wish.

She was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with a book propped open. She was still on the search for more information on her biological parents, only to be disappointed. Lucy was hoping that 453 would be the magic number.

It wasn't.

As she was turning the next page, a scrawny boy came up to her with a roll of parchment in his hand. He stood before her, trembling a bit. She wondered if it was cold. Lucy wouldn't be able to feel it since she had a cold heart. Haha! Lucy thought. I'm too funny.

The boy — whose name was Neville Longbottom, and she knew because he was always hanging around Harry and Ron — probably wasn't shivering because of the cold.

"Neville?" Lucy said.

He shrieked. "S-sorry, Lucy, it's just . . . y-you're, uh, you're —"

"Is it because I'm Voldemort's kid?"

He let out another squeak and said, "N-no! It's because . . . well, you're really pretty."

Lucy couldn't help but blush. She didn't know how to react to this confession. But, she was really flattered. There was only one person who called her pretty and that was Fred Weasley but then again was also whom had said, "Accio condom!" for a whole week.

"Thanks, Neville. I'm really flattered." She smiled at him. Lucy hoped he wouldn't do anything too rash . . . like faint on the common room floor just a few feet away from her.

Lucy didn't know what to do then. She had never experienced someone passing out, and it was really terrifying her. Then there was also the countenances on the other students faces when they saw what happened, and it didn't take a N.E.W.T student to figure out that they were accusing her of doing something to poor ole Neville.

Okay, so she was a main factor, but it wasn't because she physically done something to him. All she did was smile and, bam! He was on the ground. Which you don't do to Lucy Donavon who was attending Hogwarts for the first time and hasn't been on a friendly outing for . . . well, forever.

"Er, Neville?" She loomed over him, trying to figure out what to do with the boy. He wasn't responding at all, but the good thing was his eyes were open and he was breathing.

Right?

"L-Lucy?" he responded to her, using his elbows to support his body. More people were circling the two. "Sorry for that; I'm really shy."

She could hear the people whispering. What's he talking about? Is she using her You-Know-Who powers on Neville? Should we take him to Madam Pomfrey? Will Madam Rosetta laugh at my jokes?

Lucy held out a hand to Neville, which he gladly took, and, luckily, didn't faint again. He handed her the piece of parchment and scurried away. She thought he would avoid her for a while, only she didn't know that she'd see him earlier than she thought.

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She was really dreading the lesson.

Harry had told her after dinner that he was booted. Professor Snape didn't want to teach him Occlumency anymore for reasons Harry wouldn't say. Lucy didn't want to force it out of him. He didn't want to say it, so she wouldn't try anything.