Entwined

'Professor' Neville Longbottom

Entwined

A Neville Longbottom Love Story

           

            Neville Longbottom had never thought he would get to be a teacher. His love of herbology had always been a hobby, not a lifestyle. But now…now he was going to be a teacher! After training for four years he had been asked by Minerva McGonagall to be the herbology teacher at Hogwarts. Hogwarts of all places!

As Neville stepped out of the taxi cab he looked up at Kings Cross Station, just like he had at eleven years old, on his way to Hogwarts for the first time. Now he was twenty-two, and about to start his first teaching job ever at his old school.

He loaded his trunk onto a trolley and wove through the crowd, excitement building up inside of him. The station was busy, and he tried not to run anyone over as he broke through the barrier, his toad, Trevor, giving a slight hiccup.

“Its okay, boy.” He said, sticking a cricket through the bars of the toad’s cage. Grabbing hold of his trunk, he boarded the train and searched for a compartment. Already he was longing for his small green house at home, deep in the country side. Full of rare and beautiful (sometimes deadly) plants, Neville spent most of his day there.

Finding a compartment, Neville loaded his trunk and settled back for the long ride. He opened the book he had been reading about mandrakes and scoffed; it was all wrong, details missing and some even fake. He would have to send a letter into the author.

He put the book away and instead closed his eyes, hoping to catch a bit of sleep before they arrived. As he slowly drifted off, the familiar feeling of coming home overwhelmed him, making slumber come much easier.

~*~*~*~

            The train rumbled to a stop, hissing and giving off clouds of smoke. Neville shook awake, his compartment empty except for himself. Had he really slept the whole way? He felt much to nervous to have done that…

He hurried out of his compartment, dragging his trunk behind him. He caught sight of Hagrid and waved, giving the grounds keeper a big smile. “Hey Hagrid, good summer?”

He giant smiled, hardly noticeable in his big bushy beard “Alright, and its good to see you back here, Neville!”

“Good to be back,” he said goodbye to Hagrid and found an empty carriage, glad to be alone for a little while before he had to sit in front of a hundred or two students. His students.

The carriage brought him up to the front steps and he gladly stepped off, heading for the great hall, excitement building up inside of him. Was he really here, about to teach? It was like a dream; a wonderful, long dream.

He took place at the head table, finding his name on a creamy card written in loopy writing. Professor Longbottom it read, sending shivers through him. It was just like head dreamed, and he was going to make it the best first year-ever. He was aware he sounded like he had eleven years ago to this day, but it was true.

“Welcome everyone, to a new wonderful year at Hogwarts!” McGonagall said standing and opening her arms wide. “We have a long year a head of us, and I hope you all learn as much as you can, but enjoy yourselves as well. I would like to welcome our new teachers, starting with Mr. Longbottom, a previous student of ours and our new herbology teacher. Welcome back, Professor.” The room burst into applause, and Neville stood, giving a small wave.

McGonagall smiled “Yes, yes, now for our new Potions teacher, Ms. Devine.” The clapping was not as loud, but some students where very enthusiastic. Strange, he had never heard of a Ms. Devine before. “Ms. Devine has come to us all the way from Canada, where she taught at an amazing school for gifted witch and wizards for a year, isn’t that right, Ms. Devine?” he looked over at the dark haired lady as she nodded.

Neville’s breath caught in my throat, she was so beautiful. Her dark brown hair was swept up in a high ponytail, bits of it framing her exquisite face. Silvery-blue eyes were framed by dark lashes, and her lips were pink and full. Looking at her was like watching the sunset, or something equally majestic. She was just like her name; divine.

“Now,” the professor said, clapping her hands “let’s eat!” silver platters piled high with food appeared and the room erupted into chatter, the students digging in along with the teachers. He put some chicken onto his plate with some salad and a few veggies and forced himself to eat a few bights before looking over at Ms. Divine again.

He leaned over to Hagrid “Hagrid, what do you know about Ms. Divine?”

Hagrid took a big bight of turkey leg before answering “Well, she’s from Canada, ‘ye know that. She spent a lot of her life traveling and studying; even made this spectacular potion that the ministry wants to buy-but no one knows what it is!”

“Hmm, if the ministry is interested it must be quiet amazing then.”

Hagrid nodded “And valuable.” He took another bight of turkey “I was talking ‘te Harry the other day, and he said the Ministry is offering bucket loads of money for it; a family fortunes worth-more, even!”

“Then why did she turn it down?” he mused.

“Dunno, Harry doesn’t either.”

Hagrid went back to his dinner and Neville tried to as well, but couldn’t stop looking over at the new potions professor; she really was a beauty, but there was more. She had an air of…mystery about her, as if she had a secret, and wasn’t going to tell you. If you think about it, she does.

 

When supper was finished, the students were led out of the great hall; he caught sight of Ms. Divine’s emerald blue robes disappearing behind a tapestry. Bidding goodnight to McGonagall, he quickened his pace, hoping to catch up to her. He pushed away another tapestry and nearly tripped over a crack in the floor-falling right on top of the new potions professor.

He stared down into the beautiful silvery-blue eyes he had been admiring only a few minuets before and blushed “Oh, I-I’m so sorry!” he quickly removed his body from on top of hers and got up, crushing dirt from his green silk blazer. He reached down and Ms. Divine took it, sending warmth up his arm.

She dusted herself off and looked up, setting her mesmerizing eyes on him “Hello professor Longbottom, my name is Jazzmyn Divine.”