Courage {Neville Longbottom} (ON HOLD)

Chapter Forty

Neville had gone to bed far past midnight after staying up late and studying for all of his classes, while everyone else went to bed. Normally, he would have been happy to hear Kefira calling his name from the stairs of the dorm as she raced up, but that particular moment, he wanted to sleep in for as long as he possibly could. However, with Kefira as his girlfriend, he definitely was not going to get the chance. He tried to bury himself under the covers, but it didn't save him as Kefira pounced onto his bed, not even out of breath from running up the stairs. Her voice didn't lose any of its excitement either.

"Nevs, come on, wake up!" She said shaking him. "Please! I have something to show you!"

Ignoring her wouldn't make her go away and even if it did, it would just leave him feeling guilty for driving her away in the first place. With a small sigh, Neville pushed his covers off of him and sat up in his bed, to see Kefira holding a package in her hand. The smile on her face was trying to contain all of her excitement that he could see building up inside of her.

"Kefi!" He laughed. "You look about ready to burst, what is it?"

She nearly knocked him in the face as she thrust the package into his hands and bounced up and down in place. 

"Open it! Open it!" She chanted.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"Just open it and you'll see!"

Neville decided not to torture the girl any longer as he pulled the string of the parcel and opened it up. Inside, he found a book, leaving him extremely confused. 

"Kefi, I already have this book," he said leaning over and digging into his bag to pull out the same textbook by the author and Herbologist Tegwen Gittins. He held it up along with the copy he already had, just to prove it. But Kefira only laughed and lowered his hands back down. She took his old copy and placed it behind them.

"I know, Nevs, but will you just open up the cover!"

The boy did as he was told but nearly dropped the book to the floor as he stood up abruptly. He managed to catch it before it hit the floor, but his face was full of shock as he read over the note that was addressed to him on the inside of the cover.

To Mr. Neville Longbottom,

From one Herbologist to a future one, I hope this book finds you and offers you plenty of information during your time of schooling. But from what I heard, perhaps you don't need my book, but maybe you need to write your own one day. I'll be on the lookout for it and then you can send me a signed copy. It would be greatly appreciated. Best of luck to you and your Mimbulus Mimbletonia!

Tegwen Gittins-Scamander

Neville forgot how to breathe for a moment as he continued to read over the note to him over and over. Kefira couldn't help but watch him in pure amusement before he finally lowered the book from his face and looked directly at her.

"Is this real?" He asked in a small voice.

Kefira nodded. "It it! You see, you were supposed to get it for Christmas but she didn't respond by that time, so I had to hold off on that idea and I made you the other book. But in came in this morning and I wasn't going to wait to give it to you until your birthday or this Christmas, that would have been too long. So see it as a Valentine's Day gift or something!"

She waited for him to respond, but she became awfully confused as the boy set the book down gently and left the dorm room to the bathroom. Kefira had to wonder if Neville had gotten too excited over the book and had an accident but she doubted it. Especially when he came back a couple of minutes later.