Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter One Hundred

Kefira helped Ron to the Hospital Wing and upon entering the area, it caused Madam Pomfrey to alert all the faculty members. Kefira thought about heading back to the Gryffindor Tower, but she knew Madam Pomfrey would be quick to tell the headmaster about her presence in the situation. She remained by Ron's side before Dumbledore arrived, but it didn't take long for Hermione and Harry to arrive either. They all seemed confused by Kefira's presence, but she just pointed to Ron.

"Did you really expect him to make it back to the castle in this state?"

"You've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man!" Hermione called out to Dumbledore.

"Sirius is innocent."

"It was Scabbers who did it!" Ron added.

Kefira continued to sit looking on wildly confused as she rubbed her forehead trying to grasp what the three fellow Gryffindors were saying.

She noticed Dumbledore walk over towards Ron, but rather than listen to anything he was saying, she was far too distracted as she watched the man tap Ron's healing leg. She flinched every time, Ron whimpered in pain.

Before she understood what was happening, Dumbledore had left the room and Kefira watched as Hermione pulled out some sort of necklace out around her neck and placed it around her and Harry.

"What's going-" she didn't get to finish before the two were gone.

"What just happened?" she asked looking to Ron.

"I don't even ask anymore." Ron told her.

"Miss Walsh, is it safe to say that you were involved in this incident as well?" Professor Dumbledore turned to the girl. Shortly after Hermione and Harry left, the bearded man returned to speak with the two. So much had happened in such a short span of time that even Kefira couldn't keep up with it. Somehow she had found herself lost in the chaos that seemed to follow Harry Potter and his friends. She sighed to herself, all she had wanted to do was help a starving dog and nothing more.

"I guess?" she shrugged. It was the best possible answer she could come up with, knowing she was going to be in trouble either way for being out of the castle past curfew hours.

"Professor, Kefi really wasn't-" Ron went to defend her but she pinched him causing him to howl out in pain as he jerked and caused his wounded ankle to hurt even more.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to say more, but the Weasley family arrived to see their brother. Ginny looked over at Kefira wanting to hear an explanation, but Kefira just sat back in her chair and blew some of her curls out of her face.

"Neville was right, I probably should have just stayed in."

She went to ask if she could leave, but a question popped into her head as she stood up. "What about Professor Snape? Is he alright? He sort of vanished on me after he told me to head back to the castle?"

"Professor Snape is fine, he is currently in his office right now...with a bit of a nasty headache." Professor Dumbledore told her with a kind smile.

He motioned her to come closer to him.

Kefira looked up to the tall man before her, giving him her undivided attention for the moment.

"I trust that you will not repeat anything of what you saw tonight to anyone outside of this room, is that clear?"

"You got it, Professor. Not a soul." she made a zipping motion with her fingers to her lips. "But um...can I go now? I think someone's been up waiting for me."

Sure enough, Kefira returned to the Gryffindor Tower to find Neville half asleep in one of the armchairs staying true to his word that he would wait up for her to return. She walked over to him as he dozed off and sat down on the arm of the chair.

'Neville.." she whispered to him, giving his arm a slight nudge. As if she smacked him with fire, Neville jumped up from the chair, knocking her off the arm onto the floor.

"Kefi!" he said. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

Kefira laughed. "Neville, it's fine!" she told him."Nice reflexes though."

Neville helped her up to her feet quickly before glancing around in search of the time.

'It's late. Trust me when I say that." she said.

"I thought you said you weren't going to be long."

"Well.." as much as she wanted to tell Neville everything she had witnessed and heard during the night, she had been sworn to secrecy and she couldn't break that.

"I got caught." she said. "And found myself in a bit of trouble. Nothing major but..yeah, I get held up."

"But you're okay, right?"

"Of course I am. I'm standing right here in front of you, aren't I?"

He smiled. "Well..I ....I got a bit worried when you didn't come back ...I thought maybe you had been caught but..I couldn't be sure."

"It's alright, Neville. I didn't get into that much trouble. Just a slap on the wrist, not even if a detention."

"Really? Who were you caught by?"

"Uh..Dumbledore."

"Wow..I'm glad it wasn't Professor Snape. Then you really wouldn't have been here until much later. I still would have waited for you though. Just to make sure that you were okay."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly sweet, Nevs?"

"I um...only you." he said looking down at his feet. "But really I just-"

She took a step closer to him, watching him fumble with his hands nervously.

"Hey Neville," she called to him softly.

"Y-yes?" he glanced up at her.

"Thank you." she smiled at him. "You're the absolute best and there's no one in this castle that can compare to you."

"You really think that?" he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course I do, I wouldn't have said it otherwise. Silly." 

"Tha-" He went to thank her but instead he was cut off by Kefira giving him a little innocent kiss on the lips.

"You're welcome." she said. "Go to bed, Neville. We both need our sleep. It's been a long day."