He almost missed Gran's Howlers. Sure, they were mortifying and tended to shame him, but they were quick and to the point. Easy to be upset by, but also easy to forget.
This was different.
Neville stood up from his chair, putting his pumpkin juice down and tucking the paper under his arm. He didn't want questions, he wanted... well, Neville didn't know quite what he wanted. He just knew he needed to be alone.
And yet he could hear the whispers.
"Wait, the paper says Longbottom... that kid's last name is Longbottom..."
"My Mum told me about them, I think, she did mention they had a child..."
"Neville?"
Neville kept walking, assuming he was hearing more gossip.
He wished he'd gone home. McGonagall had given him a chance when she'd met him in her office the other night, a scared looking Gran at her side.
"Neville," McGonagall said, "we understand if you want to leave."
"You are leaving," Gran corrected him. "How can you ask him to stay?"
"It's his choice," McGonagall replied.
"And I'm sure Dolores Umbridge will do a terrific job of protecting him," Gran scoffed.
"Augusta, Umbridge and I may have our... differences," McGonagall began, "but I have no reason to believe she'd allow Lestrange-"
"-who she thinks is doing this as part of an elaborate joke!" Gran finished.
"And that's why I have to stay," Neville said quietly.
Gran turned. "I beg your pardon?"
"To begin with, it's obvious if I go home. It's what they'll expect, isn't it? Though they probably wouldn't get much out of me if they-"
"Don't," Gran gasped, her face going white.
"-But that's not all of it," Neville finished. "Umbridge is still here. I leave, one more person who knows the propaganda for what it is leaves."
Neville didn't know when he'd become so good at standing up to her. It had almost scared him a little, as though he didn't recognize the boy not following her words.
Part of him regretted the decision now. He also realized exactly what Harry had gone through most of his life - the stares, the whispers, the points all because his parents had been targeted.
"Neville?"
Neville looked up. An Auror with pink hair was walking towards him.
"You shouldn't be walking alone," she said. "I'm Tonks, by the way."
"Neville," he returned. "Tonks... that last name sounds familiar."
Tonks was staring at him with a strange look on her face.
"I don't need more pity," Neville said quickly. "Please."
"No, I know," Tonks said. "Believe me, I know. It's just... you shouldn't be walking alone. Not now."
"Do you think they'd come here?" Neville asked. He was thinking, of course, about the three of them. The monsters who didn't go away when Gran woke him up from a bad dream.
Tonks sighed. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you, but I don't know. I just know that you have to be careful. Do you want me to walk to the Common Room with you?"
"That would be... okay," Neville said. Truth be told, he didn't mind having company. At least she wasn't whispering.
They walked together, making awkward small talk. When they reached the Portrait, Tonks gave him a smile that looked a little strained.
"Well, you're here," she said. "Be careful."
"I will," Neville promised.
Tonks's face fell. "And... Neville, listen to me. I'm so, so sorry."
"You didn't do anything."
"I know," Tonks said, "But still. I'm sorry."
"Why?" Neville asked. "It's not your fault."
"Your parents would be proud," Tonks continued, ignoring his question. "They were brilliant people. Family isn't always blood, Neville, remember that."
"You knew -"
Before Neville could finish, he saw Umbridge coming their way.
"I'd better go," he said, and he crawled through the hole.
Neville wanted to know who she was, but he supposed he'd have to wait. In the meantime, he had his friends. If you could call them friends.
Friends or not, he was fighting alongside them. For them, really.
Tonks was right; family wasn't always blood.
They'd work through this, and it would be okay. Bellatrix Lestrange didn't know what she was up against.
Neville stood up when Harry, Ron and Hermione came in, and started to discuss the next DA meeting.
Oh, this is excellent! I love him standing up to his Gran like that and his quiet determination. And I really love the way it seamlessly blends right into canon. I can totally see this happening.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 06:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 10:57 am (UTC)He almost missed Gran's Howlers. Sure, they were mortifying and tended to shame him, but they were quick and to the point. Easy to be upset by, but also easy to forget.
This was different.
Neville stood up from his chair, putting his pumpkin juice down and tucking the paper under his arm. He didn't want questions, he wanted... well, Neville didn't know quite what he wanted. He just knew he needed to be alone.
And yet he could hear the whispers.
"Wait, the paper says Longbottom... that kid's last name is Longbottom..."
"My Mum told me about them, I think, she did mention they had a child..."
"Neville?"
Neville kept walking, assuming he was hearing more gossip.
He wished he'd gone home. McGonagall had given him a chance when she'd met him in her office the other night, a scared looking Gran at her side.
"Neville," McGonagall said, "we understand if you want to leave."
"You are leaving," Gran corrected him. "How can you ask him to stay?"
"It's his choice," McGonagall replied.
"And I'm sure Dolores Umbridge will do a terrific job of protecting him," Gran scoffed.
"Augusta, Umbridge and I may have our... differences," McGonagall began, "but I have no reason to believe she'd allow Lestrange-"
"-who she thinks is doing this as part of an elaborate joke!" Gran finished.
"And that's why I have to stay," Neville said quietly.
Gran turned. "I beg your pardon?"
"To begin with, it's obvious if I go home. It's what they'll expect, isn't it? Though they probably wouldn't get much out of me if they-"
"Don't," Gran gasped, her face going white.
"-But that's not all of it," Neville finished. "Umbridge is still here. I leave, one more person who knows the propaganda for what it is leaves."
Neville didn't know when he'd become so good at standing up to her. It had almost scared him a little, as though he didn't recognize the boy not following her words.
Part of him regretted the decision now. He also realized exactly what Harry had gone through most of his life - the stares, the whispers, the points all because his parents had been targeted.
"Neville?"
Neville looked up. An Auror with pink hair was walking towards him.
"You shouldn't be walking alone," she said. "I'm Tonks, by the way."
"Neville," he returned. "Tonks... that last name sounds familiar."
Tonks was staring at him with a strange look on her face.
"I don't need more pity," Neville said quickly. "Please."
"No, I know," Tonks said. "Believe me, I know. It's just... you shouldn't be walking alone. Not now."
"Do you think they'd come here?" Neville asked. He was thinking, of course, about the three of them. The monsters who didn't go away when Gran woke him up from a bad dream.
Tonks sighed. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you, but I don't know. I just know that you have to be careful. Do you want me to walk to the Common Room with you?"
"That would be... okay," Neville said. Truth be told, he didn't mind having company. At least she wasn't whispering.
They walked together, making awkward small talk. When they reached the Portrait, Tonks gave him a smile that looked a little strained.
"Well, you're here," she said. "Be careful."
"I will," Neville promised.
Tonks's face fell. "And... Neville, listen to me. I'm so, so sorry."
"You didn't do anything."
"I know," Tonks said, "But still. I'm sorry."
"Why?" Neville asked. "It's not your fault."
"Your parents would be proud," Tonks continued, ignoring his question. "They were brilliant people. Family isn't always blood, Neville, remember that."
"You knew -"
Before Neville could finish, he saw Umbridge coming their way.
"I'd better go," he said, and he crawled through the hole.
Neville wanted to know who she was, but he supposed he'd have to wait. In the meantime, he had his friends. If you could call them friends.
Friends or not, he was fighting alongside them. For them, really.
Tonks was right; family wasn't always blood.
They'd work through this, and it would be okay. Bellatrix Lestrange didn't know what she was up against.
Neville stood up when Harry, Ron and Hermione came in, and started to discuss the next DA meeting.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 04:28 pm (UTC)I like this different take you have on the Azkaban breakout and they way you worked in Tonks and McGonagall.
I thought you did a great job with Neville's pov and character.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 04:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 08:35 pm (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 08:36 pm (UTC)