I Love Plants {a Neville Longbottom story}

An Order Member

Deathly Hallows

Adjusting to living in a home without Neville was hard to say the least. Not only that but the home was dark and cold. I felt suffocated inside of it. Malfoy mansion at least had gardens outside to walk around but here I had a simple window I could sit in that would welcome me with fresh crisp morning air.

Days were long, I wasn't given any tasks as of yet. I was just told to practice my defensive spells, occulemcy, and telekinesis. Kingsley said these would come in handy in the future.

Kingsley was a very kind man. I mostly enjoyed his spunk and sarcasm. He didn't visit often but when he did we had a good time messing with Moody and Lupin. Another person I had grown fond of was Tonks. She was equally as spunky as Kingsley was but more of a trickster and joker, she reminded me of the Weasley twins. We got along instantly when I told her I was a Hufflepuff, we talked all night that evening about missing the common room and not missing the assumptions people make.

I had noticed Tonks had to use the loo very often and and when she got up at 1am for cake one evening I was the one who caught her.
"Pregnant?!?! Tonks you can't carry out missions with precious life in you!" I exclaimed.
"It's ok, there are many protective spells on this here belly! Nothing can harm him even if we tried!" Tonks replies jokingly patting her stomach. I smile bigger now.
"A boy!??" I say.
"Damn, I am so bad at secrets." She sighs.
"Well let's make it fair then shall we?" I add.
Tonks looks at me slightly confused. I lift my hand with the engagement ring on it. Thankfully I had many rings on my hand so no one has questioned it yet.
"This here is an engagement ring." I say.

Tonk's eyes go wide and a smile grows on her face.
"Woah Longbottom did that!?! Didn't know he had it in em!" Tonks exclaims.
"Yeah a lot of people say stuff like that about him." I say. I fiddle with the small simple ring he had placed on my finger that day. It was a beautiful gold and textured like it was made of wood. It held a gorgeous ruby on the top of it.
"You are good for him ya know, I've never seen him so happy and sure of himself. When Augusta would visit he always seemed so timid an sacred, I wasn't sure what would become of him." Tonks explains.
I look down at my ring and smile thinking about me being good for someone.
"He was always like this, just needed someone to believe in him I guess." I reply.

Today the air feels stuffy, well more stuffy. I drag myself out of bed earlier than I normally do. When fixing myself up so I don't look like I've been in a wrestling match with Cornish pixies, I hear multiple voices downstairs. Then I hear Molly raising her voice and my curiosity forces me out of my bedroom. I make my way down the steps swiftly but then I pick up the pace when I hear Neville's voice in the argument as well.

"No absolutely not!" Neville yells.
"Moody, Dumbledore suggested against it I don't think it's the right choice." Molly tries to de-escalate.
"We do what's best for Harry Potter and this is what is best for Harry Potter!" Moody shouts.
I enter the kitchen and it seems, despite the constant yelling, they weren't expecting me.
"What is best for Harry Potter?" I ask. Everyone looks to me in surprise. Neville runs to me and pulls me into a kiss.
"Serenity love I've missed you." He exclaims.
"I've missed you too, but what's going on?" I ask.
Neville just looks back at Moody angry.
"Serenity, we need you to return to Malfoy Manor." Moody finally says.

"No, she will not be." Neville spits.
"Neville I know you care for the girl very much but what makes you think you can speak for her all the time?" Moody fights back.
"Because she is my fiancé, are you daft!?!? Of course I don't want her walking back into a death trap!" Neville yells. Everyone looks at Neville and I in surprise and shock. I just gently rub Neville's arm in attempts to calm him down.
"What? What is everyone staring at?" Neville asks angrily.
"You two are engaged?" Molly asks.
Neville gets hit with the reality of what he let slip and he looks at me with worry.
"Neville it's ok it was an accident." I say to him.
"Yes we are engaged, and I think both of us would like to keep it that way so if I could not die that would be simply grand." I say jokingly.

The argument settles down and after about 10 hugs and glass cracking sequels Molly has given Neville and I we are seated at the kitchen table ready to discuss the situation like civilized witches and wizards.
"This may be confusing but hopefully you can understand." Lupin starts. I nod to signal I'm ready to hear what they have to say.
"We know that he who must not be named probably doesn't trust you all that well at this point. He is probably expecting you to join us. What he isn't expecting is you walking in and telling him exactly what he wants to know. The date and time we are transporting Harry is information he has been digging for." Lupin says. I continue to nod, understanding so far.
"Serenity, if you were to return to Malfoy Manor and tell them the real date and time would they believe you?" Moody asks. I think about it for a moment.
"No probably not." I reply.
"Exactly." Moody says.

"That doesn't change the fact that Draco and Dumbledore both said not to have Serenity return to Malfoy Manor. Don't you think that maybe that's because she would be in danger doing so?" Neville asks.
"If not in danger doing this, we all will be the day we transport Harry. If we give them a false tip we may be able to get passed with less death eaters, possibly none!" Moody yells back.

"Ok I'll do it." I say. Everyone turns towards me.
"Ren Cmon, you don't actually think this will work?" Neville asks.
"It might though, either way it's worth a shot." I say.

"It's done then, you will return tomorrow, give them the tip. Hope they take the bait." Lupin says.

"Can't wait." I say sarcastically.