Courage {Neville Longbottom} (ON HOLD)

Chapter Seventy

"Maybe we should have eased into that a little better, Kefi."

"I didn't know he was going to faint!"

Neville and Kefira stood over Seamus, after the boy had let out an ear piercing scream, he went down faster than Draco did after he was "attacked" by the hippogriff in third year. Immediately, Kefira left her lioness form and reached her friend's side along with Neville to help him sit up. But Seamus was a limp lump for a few moments before he finally came to. Seeing the same green eyes from before staring down at him, he let out another scream but Kefira quickly covered his mouth.

"I'm gonna need you to stop doing that."

He pushed her hand away in a frantic manner before pushing himself back along the ground for a few moments. Finally, after staring back and forth between the two quietly, it dawned on him what had just occurred. It had slipped his mind from the previous term that Kefira had been training to become an animagus. He and Dean had been let in on the secret with the promise to not tell anyone. He had certainly kept his promise as he had completely forgotten about it. But it was all suddenly quite clear that she had completed her training. 

"You...you did it?" There was a sudden happiness to his voice. A happiness that he hadn't felt in weeks and a happiness that his friends hadn't heard in awhile either. Was it a sense of pride that he felt or was it just pure delight that she had managed to do something so great? It didn't matter, while the two were known for their bickering, Kefira had become like a sister to Seamus over time and he couldn't help but be thrilled. He quickly stood up to his feet and pulled her into a hug.

"When...when did all this happen?"

"At the beginning of the summer, just when Neville got back from the Department of Mysteries," Kefira informed him.

"And you didn't tell me? Either one of you!" He clapped his hands to his chest before looking away with a mournful expression. "My own friends...keeping secrets-"

"Oh stop it, Seamus," Kefira chuckled. "I was waiting for the right opportunity to tell you and at the same time show you. Hogsmeade was the best time to do it."

"Has Dean seen it?" Seamus asked her, bringing Neville to raise a brow. Was it suddenly a competition to Seamus and Dean who could remain n the best standings with their friends? It was like going back and forth between divorced parents all of a sudden.

"You don't see him here, do you?" Kefira countered. "Outside of Neville, my family, and McGonagall, you're the only other person who knows about the full transformation. Keep it that way or I'll break your fingers off or something."

Seamus made a face before holding all of his fingers close to his body. "Alright, alright, no need to get so violent, woman. I'll keep quiet about it, but only if you do one thing for me?"

"What?"

"Do it again!"

Neville watched in pure amusement as Kefira sighed heavily and made her way back to the wood to transform again. Seamus was practically squealing at one point as Kefira allowed him to pet her, although it was the most unenthusiastic lion expression that he had ever come to see. When Seamus went for the tail, he ended up getting smacked in the face with it before Kefira tucked it in at her paws. 

"Only she's allowed to touch her tail," Neville told Seamus as the boy was rubbing the center of his face.

"Thanks for the warning, Neville."

"You're welcome!"

"I was being...never mind."

When Kefira was back on her regular two feet, she straightened her clothing and attempting straighten her hair before she, Neville, and Seamus decided to actually go to Hogsmeade like they were supposed to.