white roses // neville longbottom

twenty-four

"welcome! welcome to another year at hogwarts. now, id like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. first, i'm pleased to welcome professor R.J Lupin." dumbledore booms. "just do it mate!" i hear whispers from behind me. i feel a hand touch mine and i look down. i look back at neville to see him seriously blushing. dumbledore continues to talk. i intertwine my hand with neville's and take them off the table. "potter. potter! is it true you fainted? i mean you actually fainted?" i hear draco ask harry. is my hand sweaty? oh god please don't tell me my hand is sweaty. what if it feels weird? why is he holding my hand? does he like me?

"hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the dementors of azkaban. until such a time as sirius black is captured. the dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. now whilst i've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities. a word of caution. dementors are vicious creatures. they'll not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. therefore i must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. it is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving. but you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. if one only remembers to turn on the light.

-walking to the common room-

the fat lady sings so loudly we can hear her two flights of stairs away. "fortuna major." seamus says as we reach the door. she puts her hand up and sings again. "here, listen. she just won't let me in." seamus says. "fortuna major." harry says. "no. no. wait, waaiiitt." she says. she sings and starts to yell in a highpitched voice. i cover my ears. she smashes the glsss in her hand against a wall. she gasps. "amazing! i did that with my voice!" she says. "fortuna major." i say. "yes, all right. go in." she says annoyed opening the door. "thank you." i say ready to just get inside. "she's still doing that after three years." harry says. "she can't even sing!" him and seamus say at the same time. neville reaches for my hand again. "why don't you come into the boys dorms with us? we're trying out a new candy that makes us sound like animals." he explains. "won't i get in trouble?" i ask. "no one will tell." dean says and grabs my other hand. they bring my into the boys rooms and i sit down on a random bed, just so happened to be nevilles.

"green. that's a monkey." ron says handing seamus a candy. seamus eats it and begins making monkeys noises. "what is that?" harry asks laughing. "you call that a monkey?" neville asks. seamus pulls his ears and puffs out his cheeks. i laugh loudly and roll over on nevilles bed. "do not give him one again!" ron says. "hey, neville, try and elephant." ron says and gives neville a candy. neville begins to make the noises an elephant would. "ron catch." seamus says tossing ron a candy. "i will." ron says. ron takes it and starts roaring like a lion all the boys clap. "i think we have a winner." i say smiling and kicking my legs as i lay on my stomach. "oh don't try one of them! oh, no." ron says as harry eats a candy. his face scrunches up and steams blows out of his ears.

"i better head to bed boys." i say. "aww y/n give us a goodnight kiss!" seamus says. i roll my eyes and walk over to him. "a big wet one right here." he says and points to his lips. i laugh and peck his lips. "goodnight seamus." i go to dean. "goodnight dean." then to harry. "goodnight harry." and then to ron. "goodnight ron." lastly i turn to neville. i kiss his cheek. "night neville." i say. i close their door and i hear them cheering as i leave. "oh yeah neville!" seamus says.