The Forgotten 7th Year

Leaving for Easter

Warning, this chapter consists of cringy fluff, and a little bit of PDA.

Neville's POV

It was the morning before the beginning of Easter Holidays by the time they were discharged.

Madam Pomfrey complained loudly that they weren't well enough, and she was proved right when Padma had a difficult time standing upright. Michael put his arm around her, and then that worked better.

"I have to admit, I could live with this arrangement." He smiled cheekily.

Parvati slapped his arm. "Next time, I punch your face." Michael didn't say anything to that.

Seamus and Anthony could both walk fine, but people still insisted on carrying their trunks.

I saw Jason walking with a little girl who shared his dirty blonde hair. But unlike him, her blue eyes were piercing.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around.

"Hey."

"Why do you always do that?" I leaned down and kissed her lightly.

"Don't you like surprise kisses from your girlfriend?" She stuck out her lip in a mock pout that just looked so adorable, I just had to kiss her again.

"Actually though, I wanted to tell you something." Her tone lost some of it's levity. "Remember last time when you just kind of showed up?" She paused, and I nodded. "Could you do that again?"

I was confused.

"I want you to meet my parents, just not as a friend this time." I could feel my eyes widening.

"Do they know we're... together?"

"Nope! I'll tell them once I get home, and tell them you're coming. Give dad a few days to cool off. Then, once he's stopped wanting to kill you, you come."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is!" I gave her a look.

"Easy for you to say, your life's not in danger." She snorted.

"What?"

"It's just, you've looked the Carrows straight in the eye, and and told them how ugly and stupid they are. You've held your ground against Bellatrix Lestrange of all people. And you're scared of my dad?"

I nodded fervently

"You never cease to amaze me."

I tried to help Hannah load her trunks onto the train, but she gave me a I can do it myself look.

We sat down in an empty compartment, and waited for people to arrive. It was only a few moments, until I noticed just how close she was to me. Her hand was centimeters from mine; our pinkies almost touching.

My hand suddenly felt very heavy. My brain screamed at me. Just grab her hand. I forced my fingers up and across. They laced with hers, and she squeezed. She scooted closer to me, and her honey-like scent enveloped me. My hand wasn't nearly so heavy this time as it moved to the small of her back.

And suddenly, I don't know how it happened, we were kissing.

My slid to her waist, and her hand was in my hair. It was intoxicating, my brain was alive yet wiped of all thought.

This was not where I thought holding hands would go.

But one thought forced its way up, and made me pull away.

"Are you sure this is ok?" I murmured in her ear. "Kissing like this, I mean. Is it ok with you?" She paused for a few seconds, considering.

"Yeah, it's great."

We stayed wrapped around each other for I don't know how long. It was perfect; everything in the world felt right. But eventually the inevitable happened.

The compartment door slid open.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" Ginny practically cackled. I felt a flush rise in my cheeks, but Hannah glared.

"If you couldn't see, we were busy!"

"Oh, yes. I have eyes. But as much as I want to see where this would have gone, Dumbledore's Army is waiting.

Hannah sighed, and I disentangled myself.

Ginny's smirk remained firmly on her face until we reached the compartment. She pushed the door open, and the moment Hannah and I crossed the threshold, Michael began to speak and my heart plummeted.

"I trust you two were having fun." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Padma walloped him with a rolled up newspaper. Susan's eyebrows shot up her forehead. Her eyes found Hannah's, who turned a deep red, and shook her head violently. I could feel my own cheeks flush.

Michael turned to Ginny.

"Any details you care to tell us?"

"Can we talk about something else?" I begged. "Literally anything else."

Sally-Anne took pity, and changed the the topic. After a moment, I gazed out the window, and watched Hogwarts slip into the distance.

For the first time, I wouldn't miss it