white roses // neville longbottom

six

everyone sits in spells class with professor flitwick. i sit next to seamus. "one of a wizards most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly. do you have your fathers?" flitwick asks. most of us nod but hermione raises hers up. "good. now, don't forget about the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. swish and flick. everyone." flitwick says. we all pick up our wands. "the swish and flick." we all say copying the professors hand movements. "good. oh, and enunciate. wingardium leviosa. off you go then." flitwick says. "wingardium leviosa." i say. it doesn't work. ron says it and swishes his wand around. "no, stop, stop, stop! you're going to take someone's eye out. besides, you're saying it wrong. it's leviosa not leviosar." hermione says. i nudge ron with my elbow. "here, look. wingardium leviosa." i say and my feathers begins to lift into the air. i smile. it flies almost to the roof. "well done! see here, everyone, miss lestrange's done it!" flitwick exclaims. "splendid!" he adds. "wingardim leviosa." seamus says. "wingard." he tries to say again but it explodes. everyone looks over to him. his hair is frizzed up and there's black stuff on his face. "i think we're going to need another feather over here." harry says.

-later-

"it's leviosa, not leviosar!" ron mocks hermione. "she's a nightmare honestly! no wonder she hasn't got any friends." ron says. "well i like her." i say. hermione shoves past us. "i think she heard you." harry says. i hit ron in the back of the head and catch up to hermione. i see she's crying. i put my arm around her shoulder. "it's ok. i know. it's ok." i say and walk with her to the bathroom. we walk into the bathroom and she lets out a loud cry. "it's ok hermione i wouldn't listen to them." i say. she walks into a bathroom stall and sits on the lid. i close the bathroom stall and crouch down infront of her. i lightly rub her shoulders. "i actually thought they liked me." she says and hangs her head in her hands. "i'm sure they do 'mione. there just jealous that you're so much smarter than them." i say. hermione slightly smiles. i try and wipe her tears. "i'll stay in here if you'd like." i say. hermione nods and slightly smiles at me. she hangs her head and starts to cry again. i sit on the floor and lean my head on her knees. "it's ok. let it out." i say.

"y/n? hermione? is that you in there?" i hear parvati patil say. "yes. and once you leave can you tell ron to suck a fat log?" i ask. hermione slightly laughs. "don't tell him that." she says. i smile up at her. "tell the boys we aren't coming out." i say. "oh. ok." parvati says and walks out.  "suck a fat log." hermione says smiling. i laugh. "we're probably missing dinner." hermione says. "ah, it's ok i could lose the extra calories." i say. hermione lightly hits the top of my head. "shut up, you're beautiful." she says. "you're beautifuler." i say. "that's not a word." she says and wipes her nose.

"i think i'm ok now." hermione says standing up. i nod and push myself up. i unlock the stall and we step out. hermione wipes her eyes. "uh, hermione." i say and look up at the ugly beast infront of us. a troll. the troll grunts. hermione grabs my arm and we slowly step back. she pulls me into a stall but the troll breaks them. we screech and duck. harry and ron bust in. "hermione, y/n move!" harry shouts. hermione takes my hand and we army crawl across the floor. the boys begin to throw things at the troll. "help! help!" hermione shouts. "hey! pea brain!" ron shouts. hermione crawls out from the debris to under the sink. the troll tries to hit her but barely misses. harry runs up and grab the trolls club. the troll swings him and harry lands on the trolls shoulders. the troll looks confused and swings harry around. harry sticks his wand up it's nose. the troll finally grabs harry and holds him upside down. "do something!" harry shouts. "what!" ron asks. the troll swings at harry with its club but misses. "anything!" harry says. the troll swings again but misses. "hurry up!" harry says. "wingardium leviosa." ron says. the trolls club lifts into the air. it drops and hits the troll in the head. it drops harry. it sways around for a bit before falling onto the ground. harry runs over to me to help me up. i hug him and quickly go to hug hermione. "is it..dead?" ron asks. "i don't think so. just knocked out." harry says. harry takes his wand out of the trolls nose. "ugh. troll boogers." ron says. a bunch of professors walk in. "oh! oh my goodness! explain yourselves, all of you!" mcgonagall says. "well what it is-" "it's my fault professor mcgonagall." hermione says cutting ron harry and i off. "miss granger?" mcgonagall asks. "i went looking for the troll. i thought i could handle it. but i was wrong. if harry, ron, and y/n hadn't come and found me..i'd probably be dead." hermione says. "be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. i expected a more rational behavior snd i am very disappointed in you. five points will be taken from gryffindor. as for you three i just hope you realize how fortunate you are. not many first years students could take on a troll and live to tell the tale. five points will be awarded to each of you. for sheer dumb luck." mcgonagall says. professor quirrel waves us to him. "perhaps you ought to go. it might wake up." he says.

"good of you to get us out of trouble like that." harry says. "mind you, we did save her life." ron says. "mind you, we might not have needed saving if you hadn't insulted her." i say. "what are friends for?" ron asks. hermione smiles