wanderlust ☆ n.longbottom

.:12:.

Vivienne and Neville talked long into the night. She listened intently with a surprisingly sympathetic ear. He unravelled; telling her things he had never even told himself. They had a mutual trust considering he was keeping their Herbology meetings secret. He finished his monologue and the silence became almost deafening.

"Do you want my advice?" Vivienne offered softly. Her violet eyes were creased with a tentative nature that eased the tension in Neville's shoulders. Neville nodded, slowly but firmly, his mop of dark curls falling into his eyes. "Move on, Neville."

"I was worried you would say that," he laughed bitterly.

Vivienne sighed. "I know, it's hard. The hardest thing ever but I promise you it is worth it. You and Daisy just aren't meant to be."

"Have you ever experienced unrequited love?"

"I have never been in love." She smiled but it was tinged with slight sadness.

"Don't you love your current boyfriend?" Neville's brows knitted together in confusion.

"No. I don't even like him."

"How can you be with someone you don't even like?"

"It's complicated. Enough about me, we're talking about you and this love triangle." She placed a calming hand onto Neville's shoulder. "She is happy with Dean. If it was supposed to be between you two, it would've happened already. I know it's hard to hear."

"It's just hard to let go."

"I know, you clearly love her. God, I wish someone would look at me the way you look at her."

"Everyone looks at you."

Vivienne shook her head. "Not like the way you look at her. No one looks at me like they would do anything for me. Like they'd love me no matter what. Sorry, I'm rambling again"

"No, no go on, I've been talking long enough about my problems."

Vivienne tutted in dismissal, signalling that she didn't want to delve deeper into her troubles. "What I'm trying to say is, you're a catch. Any girl would be beyond lucky to have you."

Neville flushed a deep shade of red. "Oh...erm...thank you, I'm not sure that's true," he mumbled.

"Why are you acting like no one has ever said that to you before?" she chuckled. "You've had a real glow up over the summer."

"Glow up?"

"Yes. It means like you've improved. Got better looking."

"Oh, well, thanks."

Vivienne was right. Neville had left Hogwarts a hastily assembled set of bones and returned broader and about a foot taller. His hair had grown to the length were it curled effortlessly and his once youthful, cherubic face had chiseled out into defined features. His voice was deep and smooth, almost as calming as his glistening eyes.

"It's true! You're funny and kind and good looking, why wouldn't a girl want you?"

Did Vivienne Truro just call Neville funny and kind and good looking?

"You are also really pretty," replied Neville quietly. He couldn't quite look her in the eye and stumbled to locate the right words. "But that's not even my favourite thing about you."

"Do go on, I love compliments!"

"You're smart. Like really smart. I don't even mean book smart, though you are that too. I can just tell that you really know what's going on around you, does that make sense? And you're a really good listener."

Vivienne turned away from Neville and didn't respond, leaving the boy feeling like he had said something wrong. When he raised this concern, she muttered something about him being a nerdy freak and stormed out of the greenhouse. Neville was left alone and confused, scrutinising everything he had said. He thought him and Vivienne had formed some kind of friendship and was hurt by her sudden change in demeanour, followed by her disappearance.

Vivienne was striding through the castle towards the Slytherin dungeon. She slammed her heels across the floor, desperately trying to drown out her whirling thoughts. No one had ever said anything like what Neville had just said to her. She always thought everyone just saw her as the pretty girl, nothing else. She didn't think boys like Neville existed. Boys that wanted to get to know her brain, not just her body. Her mind wandered to what it would be like if she hadn't befriended Veronica. She could chose her own friends, who to date, what subjects she did, what she could wear. All that freedom! How many other nice boys like Neville were there? How many opportunities had she missed because she was so desperate to impress Veronica? She was suddenly revolted by her thoughts. She couldn't lose her popular status! It was all she knew. But then again, Neville and his friends always seemed happy enough being considered unpopular.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the dungeon door swinging open and revealing Veronica. She sported a sour expression across her spotless pallor and her perfectly manicured hand was placed on her hip.

"There you are! We've been looking for you all over! Where have you been?" she cried.

"I was just, erm." Could she tell Veronica that she was spending time with Neville and actually enjoying it?

"I don't care!" Veronica implored, making Vivienne's decision for her. She dragged her fiercely into the common room. "So much has happened! Blaise told Marcus who told Draco who told Pansy who told Velma who told me that, apparently Parvati Patil wets the bed!"

Vivienne's eyes were suddenly lit up with the excitement of gossip. "I simply must tell everyone!"