Little Brave Hearts || Neville Longbottom

CHAPTER FIFTY

"Are you going home for Christmas?" Neville asked as they spent their free time in the common room, sitting by the fireplace as the Christmas winter started to get a little colder than usual.

Maykha shook her head, "No, mum and dad told me they might have to spend Christmas in the hospital, the head of their department seemed to be getting demanding day by day. I hate to say I'm quite relieved, actually. I still don't know what to tell them when they interrogated me about how my second year was going so far."

Hogwarts was no longer safe to say the least. It was bad enough that she had almost forgotten about her birthday if not for Neville who gave her flowers again that year, three stems of yellow tulips that Maykha did not even know Hogwarts had planted. The flowers Neville gave her on her last birthday sat inside the vase that rested on the bedside table in their dormitory, still looking fresh and new. She never really had a green thumb, and due to the demands of their schoolworks and the opening of chambers, she had always forgotten to tend to the flowers. So, it made her wonder how it stayed fresh even with minimal care.

Still, she was thankful that those flowers did not wilt on her. She would be more than happy to have it with her for as long as it can stay alive. Much to her delight, three yellow tulips would be added to her vase with the same hope that they would also stay fresh like the rest.

"I might stay too," Neville said, playing with her hands that rested on top of his, "I did not want to lie to gran and tell her everything was doing great here. I mean, I can't lie even if I wanted to."

...

The morning of Christmas came and it was the first Christmas Maykha had to celebrate away from home. Her parents sent her letters almost everyday for a week, expressing their sorrow for being away with their daughter on such joyous occasion. They even cursed their profession, saying that of one more patient came into the hospital, her mum would retaliate and throw a bomb inside the office of their department head.

Their letters only made her miss them even more, and felt guilty for sending a response that contained lies. She told them she was fine and everyone was safe, but only she knew none of those were true.

"Happy Christmas, Maykha," Neville greeted he sat in front of her in the Great Hall, followed by Harry and Ron who said their greetings as well.

They sat in the Great Hall to have their Christmas breakfast. Despite the decors and the feast that would have made their eyes twinkle in delight, the shadows of what was happening around them were visible in the faces of the students.

"Happy Christmas to you three as well," she said, but her eyes trailed off behind them, "Where's Hermione?"

"We were about to ask you the same question," Harry said, bringing a toast inside his mouth.

"She was no longer in her bed when I woke up."

Just then, the girl came running inside the hall, "You guys, the potion's ready."

She sat next to Maykha and instructed everyone to lean closer. "We just need a bit of who you're changing into."

"Easy, I'll be Crabbe," said Ron.

"I'll be Goyle, then," Harry said.

"Uh, Blaise Zabini?" Neville said.

"Uhh," Maykha thought of a girl from Slytherin that she wanted to be, but aside from the fact that she was bad with names, she could not think of anyone she wanted to transform into.

"You're already set, Maykha. I got you," Hermione winked, "You'll be Pansy Parkinson and I'll be Millicent Bullstrode. I've got some of their hairs with me already, it's a good thing that they're always together."