wanderlust ☆ n.longbottom

.:24:.

The Gryffindor common room was carnage. Harry had ripped the message board off the wall and was waving it around in fury. Ron was crouched in the corner, looking incredibly close to tears.

"What's going on?" Daisy asked Hermione as she watched Harry attempt to snap the board off his knee. He was unsuccessful and instead, brandished his wand and snapped it with a spell.

Hermione's face lit up, a combination of being pleased Daisy was speaking to her and her eagerness to help. "Umbridge has banned Harry from Quidditch."

"Right before the Gryffindor vs Slytherin match!" Seamus declared, shaking and turning more and more violet with each word he spat.

"Personally, I think you spend way too much time stressing about Quidditch when you could be focusing that energy into your studies...O.W.Ls are approaching," Hermione said.

The whole Gryffindor team turned to face Hermione, eyes like daggers.

"I don't understand how you can sit there and say such a thing!" gasped Katie Bell, wavering slightly as though she was about to faint.

"Can you not see that we are having a breakdown here?!" spat Harry.

"Yes you've been having a very loud one for about an hour," Hermione responded lazily.

"How can you have no respect for your team? We are a family!" Katie scoffed.

"Hermione I can't even look at you now. Remove yourself from the situation," Harry said.

"No! Harry I know you're upset but-"

"Upset!" Ron roared. "Quidditch is his life! And we have no chance without him...no offence."

Daisy and Neville exchanged a look tinged with humour as Hermione argued back.

"We're going to erm, go revise in the library," Neville announced to the group.

"Yeah, please don't kill Hermione," Daisy added.

"I would defend myself against these hooligans easily!" she declared proudly, thrusting out her chest in defiance.

Daisy and Neville erupted in a fit of laughter once they climbed through the portrait hole. Their laughs synchronised. To Daisy, it felt like everything was right in the world again. Like everything would be okay because she had Neville. It felt like she was home.

They stumbled into the library, the responsibility of their studies weighing down in their mind. They selected a table in the corner of the room. It was highlighted slightly by the soft glow of the wintery sun peaking through huge grey clouds. A slight breeze chilled the room, making it seem like there was a frost hanging in the air.

The duo made themselves comfy; arranging their work out in front of them - knowing deep down that they wouldn't get any of it done. Daisy picked up her quill, subconsciously mimicking Neville.
She watched his calloused, broad hands smooth out his parchment. She had known him for five years but seeing him in this light was new to her. Its newness made it feel wrong. But it strangely felt right, too: comfortable and like it was always supposed to happen. Daisy reckoned that made his attraction to Vivienne even harder for her to swallow.

She was mesmerised by him and she was enjoying just watching him study. She was shattered out of her state of awe because a blonde Slytherin had materialised by his side.

"Hi darling!" Vivienne drawled.

Nausea washed over Daisy and she was certain she was going to be sick. "Darling?"

"She calls everyone darling," chuckled Neville dismissively. His chiseled face was tinted pink.

"Only the people I like. And I mean really, really, like," Vivienne countered. Her glare targetted towards Daisy was as icy as it was outside.

"Well, I am honoured," beamed Neville.

Daisy frowned in disgust. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm allowed here aren't I? It's a free country after all!" The blonde released a tinkling laugh. "I'm just studying. I found some interesting spells I thought maybe Harry could go through with us in the DA meetings?" She waved a shabby brown text book in reference.

"Isn't it Harry's job to come up with that?" Daisy snapped.

"I'm sure he would love to hear your ideas," Neville said.

"Yes, you should probably speak to him about it," Daisy said coldly.

"He's busy at the minute," Vivienne retorted, not looking at Daisy.

"Really? Telepathic now, are we?"

"Actually yes. I know precisely what you're thinking and you know I do." Vivienne's face was a snarl and she turned to look Daisy in the eyes.

"Go on then," dared Daisy, firing up at once.

"Okay! Why don't we all revise together? How does that sound?"
Neville shouted in attempt to diffuse the tension.

"Like hell," Daisy grumbled.

"We finally agree on something. I'd absolutely love to stay and have a catch up, especially with Daisy, but I have to dash. Velma has detention with Snape and I promised I'd meet her because last time she got lost. Ciao!"

Neville waved and Daisy's version of a goodbye consisted of a glare.

"Ciao?! We're in Hogwarts not Venice."

"She was really trying with you there," Neville argued.

"She was being fake, are you stupid?"

"If stupid means being nice, then yes."

Daisy scoffed. "I'm not having this argument with you again."

"Good. It kind of felt like you were going to start one."

"I wasn't!" Daisy pouted.

"Yes you were!"

"Wasn't!"

"Were. Thought we weren't going to argue?"

"You started it."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did!"

Silence.

"Neville?"

"Yes?"

"I...erm...I" Love you. I love you. I love you I love you I love you!

"What?"

"Stinks."

Neville laughed. "Are you ten years old?"

She could've said it. She could've said it right then and changed the course of their friendship forever. But she didn't. She held on. And the feeling of unrequited love ached like a full body bruise.