Astronomy•Neville Longbottom

Chapter 4: I promise

"Nev, it won't be that bad, I promise." I held the boys sweaty hand as we walked toward the transfiguration classroom.

"That's what you said yesterday, Ro, and it was bloody awful." He groaned as he tried to pull her back, no matter what he tried, nothing was going to stop me from getting him to class.

"Neville, if we're late, I'll make sure that you get detention for an entire week," when Neville didn't speed up I added on "with Snape." I smirked as the boy sped up until I was being pulled behind him. He pulled me behind him the rest of the way to class,

"Nev," I pulled back on his hand harshly, "slow down."

He slowed a bit but not too much, I wasn't too upset at the speed he was going, it wasn't awful, and I wasn't being tugged along anymore.

"Why are you so scared of Snape, he's just really grumpy, that's all." I shrugged my shoulders as Neville nearly shivered at the sound of his name.

We approached the classroom and Neville nearly froze,

"I can't do this, what if I'm really just a squib that had a sudden burst of magic, I'll be a joke." Neville turned red as he stood before the door.

"Breathe Nev," as he exhaled I shoved his back hard, he stumbled into the nearly empty classroom.

The only occupants being a few Ravenclaws and a cat that sat perched on the desk.

"Why is there a cat?" Neville leaned over whispering into my ear.

I rolled my eyes at the boys daftness,

"That's McGonagall, Nev." I took my seat at the nearest table, and Neville sat next to me.

"Are you sure, that's a cat, not a teacher." Neville whispered in my ear not paying attention as McGonagall transfigured back to her normal state.

"Mr. Longbottom, I propose that you should begin to listen to Ms. Pines more often than not." Neville paled in the face before turning around to face her,

"Hello, p-professor" I giggled at the shy boy before responding,

"How are you this morning?" I smiled at the older woman, "I'm Rosalie Pines."

"Good Morning Ms. Pines, I hope that you will do well to keep Mr. Longbottom in line." She turned swiftly and walked away.

"Thank you." Neville let out a deep breath as he banged his head on the table.

"It could have been worse," I waited for him to lift his head off of the table, "are you alright." The sides of his face were a bright red, when he looked up.

"I'm fine, just wanna lay here forever, that's all." Neville looked at me through the corner of his eyes as he slowly raised his head from the table.

I turned away to face the front as Neville rested his forehead on my shoulder, he let out a loud groan as he pulled his body upright to face the front.

"Welcome to transfiguration, I am your teacher, professor McGonagall, I will not tolerate any nonsense from any of you, even you Mr. Malfoy," she cut her eyes at a blonde headed boy that I had befriended before at dinner parties with my parents. "I expect the very best from every single last one of-"

She was cut off as Harry and Ron Weasley walked into the classroom, both boys looked sheepish and embarrassed.

"May I ask why you two are late on your very first day." She raised her eyebrow at the two boys that were looking frantically at each other for an excuse.

"We, um, we, we got lost and had to find our way down here from the great hall but then we got st-" Ron rambled but stopped short as McGonagall turned her back at the two boys.

"If this happens again I will not hesitate to give the both of you detention." She said sharply as she walked back to her desk.

I giggled as they grumbled their way to their seat, Ron rolling his eyes at the back of her head.

"Mr. Weasly, I'd advise you not to roll your eyes unless you want them as a decoration instead of a body part." She eyed the jar next to her desk that contained some animal eyes.

Ron sat wide eyed behind me as Neville looked like he was the one being embarrassed. His blushing cheeks were bright red along with Ron's, they nearly matched his hair.

"Neville, why do you look almost as mortified as Ron does?" I placed my head in the palms of my hands as I watched professor McGonagall explain how to transfigure a button into a quarter.

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