Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Fourth Year // Chapter 9

The Great Hall erupted in small whispers of concern, anger, and disbelief. I craned my head around Seamus and Hermione to get a look at Harry, his face was pale, his bright green eyes were now dull and filled with a mix of shock and fear.

"HARRY POTTER?!" Dumbledore yelled again. Now everyone in the Great Hall was facing the Gryffindor table. Many of the faces were filled with fury, a few were amazed. Hermione was arguing with Harry and shoved him forward out of the seat. I felt a sort of terror rise in my heart, the boy who I could technically view as another brother was facing a place of death. He walked forward his head facing down at the ground at people as students started yelling.

"HE'S NOT EVEN SEVENTEEN YET!"

"HE'S A CHEAT!"

Harry got to the staff table and McGonagall patted his shoulder and aimed him towards the door where the three champions went through. He glanced back at the table and I made eye contact with him. The shock was gone from his eyes, they were now only filled with fear. I smiled weakly at him as he disappeared through the door. I took a sharp breath and ignored everything around me until I heard Ron start to spit out horrid things.

"Well, he did this to himself!" Ron snapped. I turned to face him.

"Ronald, what on earth are you talking about?"

"He put his name in the Goblet, didn't he? How else could his name have been drawn?!" Ron shouted.

"You think he wants to be in that bloody tournament?! Of course not! He is only FOURTEEN!" I shouted. Everyone was leaving so only Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Fred, and George stayed behind.

"This isn't going to be good, is it?" Neville whispered to Fred.

"No. When they fight ..." Fred started.

"They fight!" George finished.

"You're his best friend for Godric's sake! You think he would risk his life to enter a tournament?"

"He is Harry Potter, the boy who lived! Winning would just increase his fame!"

"Ron quit acting like a prat," George said as he approached us.

"Taking Lori's side, aren't ya?!" Ron shouted. I gasped at how he was acting.

"Ron! Do you even hear yourself right now? You're acting like a complete and utter git!"

"You don't get to call me a git!" He shouted stepping closer to me.

"Ron! Shut your mouth!" Fred said stepping in front of me. I pushed him aside and approached Ron.

"Stop being a self-absorbed version of yourself and listen to the words coming out of your mouth! Harry is your best friend! Quit acting like you barely know the boy!"

"You're the person I barely know. How are you not angry at Harry?! How are you not trembling over the fact that Cedric's in the tournament?! How are you not as angry as I am?!"

"Because I AM BEING LOGICAL, RONALD!" I quickly slapped him across the face and started to walk away. However, I quickly turned back and spoke to him. "I sure hope you stop being such a selfish git and understand that Harry didn't want this! I can understand if you're jealous of Harry, but you don't have to be such a prat."

As I left the room I heard him bellow out after me.

"SOMETIMES I WISH YOU WEREN'T MY TWIN SISTER!!!!!"

I choked back tears as I ran up the stone stairs to the Common Room, just needing to put as much space between everyone as I possibly could. 

***

I had been sitting in the Common Room for hours. Just staring at the burning fire, and rubbing my hands together while fighting off all the emotions I could. I was so entranced by the fire in fact, I didn't even register when everyone walked through the room. Not until someone came over and sat down beside me.

"Hey, Nevy," I mumbled quickly wiping a few tears that fell. 

"You don't have to wipe the tears for me, Lori. You don't have to block me out." He said scooting closer and pulling me into a hug. Before I knew it, I was literally sobbing into his shoulder. He just hugged me and rubbed my back, and lightly hummed into my ears. 

"I don't know what to do, Nevy. My boyfriend is in a deadly competition, my twin hates my guts for defending his best friend who is ALSO in the bloody tournament. I mean, it's just ... I can't seem to figure out how we're getting through this." I buried my head deeper into his shoulder.

"Lori, it's going to be just fine. We're all going to be just fine. Now, let's get your mind off of the tournament for a few moments ... Wanna sing a song?" He said smiling at me. Singing was my weakness. 

"What song?" I asked leaning up a little bit.

"How about ... Friend Like Me?" He said flicking his wand at the record player in the room. It instantly started playing the beloved tune from Aladdin.

(For those who may not know the lovely tune)

As we sang we started to dance a little bit and before we knew it, we were basically putting on a little show for two pairs of eyes. Neville spun me around in a circle as we went into the ending dance break before we both crashed onto the sofa in a laughing and smiling pile. Suddenly some clapping came from the stairs and we both sat up straight to get a look at who was clapping.

"Well done, you two," Seamus called as he stepped down from the stairs. 

"We've finally got friends who are stars, Seamus," Dean added as he too, stepped down from the stairs.

"We aren't stars, boys," I said rolling my eyes. "Trust me, you are probably the only two that are thinking that." I grabbed a pillow that sat on the sofa and held it close to my chest. As I did that, all three boys just sighed and surrounded me. 

"Lori, Ron didn't mean anything," Seamus said.

"Yeah! He's just jealous of Harry." Dean added.

"He's just jealous of how well you are handling everything." Neville finished as he grabbed my hand. His thumb lightly rubbing the top of my hand.

"He's my twin brother, though. We've fought all the time but ... he's never wished for me not to be his twin!" I laid my head down on the pillow. "He's NEVER said that before ... and now that he has ..."

"Lorrinda Maye Weasely!" I looked up in shock as Neville used my full name, and he squeezed my hand tighter. "Forget about Ron. He's just being an immature little crybaby. He's jealous of Harry, and he probably terrified at the same time. Those emotions mixed together can bleed through a lot of lines."

"Yeah, once everything is done. Ron'll probably kick himself in the arse a thousand times before he can even look in your direction." Dean said kneeling down beside me. 

"Trust us, Ron adores you. Really!" Seamus said.

"I don't know if I can ever look at him the same way, though ..." I mumbled.

"C'mere, Lori." Neville pulled me over into a hug and I basically cuddled in my best friend's lap. "You may never forget what he said, but one day you will learn to forgive him." He lightly kissed my forehead. 

"Thanks, Nevy."

"Anytime, Lori. Just know, through all the pain your heart may bear ... I'll be here, right beside you. Through it all."

Dean and Seamus then pilled onto the sofa and we sat in a lump hugging and just talking for about another hour before McGonagall poked her head in and told us all to head to bed. As I got ready for bed, all I could hear was Ron's bellow going through my head. I was about to cry when I just suddenly heard, Neville's voice clear as day.

"Just know, through all the pain your heart may bear ... I'll be here, right beside you. Through it all."

So, I smiled and climbed under my covers and stared out of the window at the starry night sky. For the first time that night, I felt truly at peace.