Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Fifth Year // Chapter 16

Once Bill and I got inside Grimmauld Place I immediately went upstairs to get ready for dinner, figuring everyone else would be down pestering Mum over the food. However, as soon as I opened the door into my room, my hand got yanked and the door slammed behind me. 

"EEK!"

"SHHH!"

"Do you want us to get in trouble?"

I looked around and saw everyone from Fred and George to Harry and Hermione sitting around the room, looking at me eagerly. I leaned over on my left hip and crossed my arms in front of me, glaring at each and every one of them.

"She gets that look from Mum," Ron muttered, to Harry and Hermione. I heard and snapped back in reply. 

"No, I got this look from looking at your sorry face each day." 

"Oi!" Ron cried.

"Nice one, Ri Ri!" said Fred extending a fist, I leaned forward and fisted him, while George just nodded with approval.

"Not nice, Lorrinda!"

"I know, Ronald." I said glaring back at him, "Now what are you all doing up here?" 

"Waiting for you, duh!" Ginny said jumping over and taking my hands. "Now, what did you and Neville do all day?"

"Oh for the love of Merlin!"

***

The rest of the night was me just telling my siblings and friends over and over that all we did was go to Diagon Alley, drink Hot Chocolate, have a snowball fight, and joke around. After hours and hours of back and forth arguments, they finally gave up and accepted that nothing happened. 

Now it was the day after Christmas, Ginny and I were up in our room, waiting for dinner to be ready. I was laying on my bed reading a book, while Ginny was skimming through the new addition of Witch Weekly. Everything was going perfectly fine until Ginny opened her big mouth.

"Sooooooo, what's really going on with you and Neville?" 

"Ginevra! Not another word!" I snapped slamming my book shut. "We're not starting that up again."

"Oh, c'mon Rinda," Ginny whined. "Admit it you fancy him!"

"I do not! He's my best friend!" I lied through my teeth. 

"Lorrinda."

"Ginevra."

"Admit it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Then why are you constantly hiding that necklace?!" Ginny stormed over and pulled the chain up out of my shirt. As she revealed it, my heart skipped a few beats as the stone was still a bright shining ruby. "Now will you admit you fancy him?"

"FINE!" I shouted getting up and taking off the necklace, stuffing it in a small drawer in my trunk. "Alright, I fancy Neville!"

CRACK!

"Freaking finally!" said Fred as he high-fived Ginny.

"Damn it Ri Ri you couldn't wait twenty more minutes?!" shouted George as he forked over a few sickles over to Fred. I glowered at the three of them with my arms crossed.

"Do you two know any privacy?! And did you honestly bet on how long it would take Ginny to break me?" I asked accusingly. They both giggled before Fred spoke up.

"First off, no we don't know privacy. Secondly, not only that but we have an ongoing bet that by the end of the first Quidditch match when we are back at Hogwarts you'll be dating dear old Nevy."