Courage {Neville Longbottom} (ON HOLD)

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Now how in the world did you manage something like this, Neville?" Kefira asked as the two of them were sitting outside the Longbottom home. After the trip to St. Mungo's, they didn't bring her home right away and when they arrived at Neville's home, Augusta went inside quietly. They couldn't tell if the woman was upset with them for standing up or if she realized that she was in the wrong for what she had said back at St. Mungo's. However, it was the perfect time for Neville to give Kefira her Christmas present.

He handed her a box with holes poked through the top of it, which confused Kefira, but certainly left her curious.  She became startled when the box moved and as she inched her ear closer to have a listen, she could hear something moving around. Neville couldn't but laugh at her expression before he encouraged her to open it. Opening up the box, an excited squeal escaped from the girl as she dug into the box and pulled out a small lion. However, it was not just a toy, it acted and move as a real lion.

"What...how...Neville!" She laughed as the miniature lion tried to bite at her finger as she went to pet the small mane. "How?"

"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck with a tiny grin. "It's similar to the Draconifors spell that we learned back in third year, remember? But I had Uncle Algie help me with this one and he certainly came through. I thought you might like this a bit more than a dragon. It won't last forever, but I know you've talked about having your own lion and while I don't think you can get a full grown one..."

Neville didn't have to suffer through his awkward rambling any longer as Kefira cut him off with a kiss. "It's amazing, thank you."

He didn't respond with much, only a giddy smile as he sat back and watched as she played with the little lion. No matter how many times it attempted to bite her, she only laughed, enjoying every second with it, until the spell wore off.

"Do you think I was too hard on Gran?" He suddenly asked her after a few moments. "She did look quite upset when we got back."

"I don't think you were too hard on her, Nevs," Kefira said as she looked up from the lion. "I think it's time that you asserted yourself with her. "

"Did you mean what you said back in St. Mungo's...you know, about not having to be like my parents?"

"Of course I meant it," Kefira nodded to the point where all of her curls were shaking and bouncing all over the place. "You don't have to be exactly like your parents, you should be happy to be yourself. Sure, you might want to have a few of their traits, but you shouldn't want to be exactly like them...you need to be yourself. I don't think it's right for people to want you to be like someone else when I think you're perfectly fine the way you are. There's no one like you and it's a good thing."

Neville sighed contently before looking over at her and reaching out to play with one of her curls. He allowed the red strands to coil around his finger before pulling down on it briefly and letting it bounce. 

"You know, I think you really cheered my mum up today," he told her. She glanced up for a second, with a look of disbelief.

"Me? How?"

The boy didn't have to say anything before he reached into his bag where he carried his newest book that Kefira had given to him. He opened it up and allowed the blowing gum wrappers to fall out onto the table they were sitting at. 

"It's snowing wrappers!" Kefira laughed before picking them all up into her hands. "She put them all in the book?"

"And the final one that she gave us before we left. Did you hear her humming as we were leaving? I think she was feeling a lot better. I'm really glad you could go and thanks for distracting Lockhart so I could spend some time with her."