wanderlust ☆ n.longbottom

.:31:.

"How can you all just go home and pretend like none of this is happening?!" Neville was screaming at Hermione, Harry, and Ron, who were waiting for the Hogwarts Express to arrive on the platform.

"Neville, I understand that you are upset but this really isn't the way to go about it," Hermione said, anxiously counting the number of spectators the ruction had collected.

"How would you recommend I 'go about it' then, huh? Write a snappy letter to Bellatrix herself demanding an apology?" Neville's response roared even amongst the busy and excited crowd. Ron disguised a snicker with a cough.

The bushy-haired brunette flushed slightly. "Well obviously not, that would be ridiculous-"

"What would be ridiculous," Neville interrupted Hermione's mumbling. "Is if we just sat around doing nothing."

"We're not sitting around," Harry spoke up calmly, sensing that Hermione would just make things worse if she kept going. "We will resume the DA after Christmas. I'm sorry Neville but we deserve a break. We're still doing something. We're just not being idiots about it."

Neville folded his arms and pouted but Harry gave him a quick hug and all the tension seemed to dissipate. Neville had stopped shouting and slid into a compartment with Daisy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron. He was quieter than usual, his eyes glued to passing trees. Daisy was just relieved he had calmed down.

By the time the train had crawled into the station, Neville's grandmother was standing waiting for them at the platform. Neville charged ahead, leaving his grandmother and Daisy to fall into step with one another.

"Have you heard?" Daisy whispered anxiously.

His grandmother nodded and matched her hushed yet urgent tones. "Saw it in the mail. An awful thing to happen."

Neville turned around, fire lighting in his eyes. "You don't need to whisper about me!"

"We weren't," Daisy snorted.

"We're just worried about you." Augusta took a more gentle approach.

"There's no need to be," Neville scoffed. 

When they returned to the Longbottom household, Neville stormed upstairs and even slammed his door. Daisy offered Augusta a feeble, awkward smile.

"Come sit," the wrinkled witch said, beckoning her into the kitchen. Daisy sat, confused, as Augusta waved her wand and prepared two cups of tea. The steam snaked its way into the room, heating up the frosty tension Neville had caused.

Wobbling into the ornate wooden chair, Augusta started asking Daisy questions about her term at Hogwarts. This was unusual and Daisy replied as politely as she could. The inquiry came to an abrupt halt.

"I'm worried about him."

Daisy nodded her head of dyed black hair. Daisy's concern deepened after discovering Augusta was as worried as she was. Small tears slipped out of the corner of Neville's Grandmother's watery blue eyes. 

"He's always so calm. I'm scared for him. What if she comes after him?" Her voice wavered and it caused a lump to form in Daisy's throat. She didn't particularly like Augusta, but she didn't want to see her upset; especially about Neville. 

"I think Bellatrix has more on her mind than chasing after a teenage boy."

"He's friends with Harry! He's their main target!" Augusta began wailing now. Daisy went to pat her back, but decided against it and folded her arms. Should she lie, or tell her the truth about the DA? No, it was up to Neville if he wanted to tell her. 

"We barely see Harry." She swallowed, as though the physical action separated her from her lie. "Neville's been too busy with his new girlfriend anyway." She tried her hardest to inject her voice with a jovial tone, but she couldn't keep the bitterness out. 

"Girlfriend?" Augusta's tears stopped. "His girlfriend is you, no?"

Daisy had taken a gulp of tea before Augusta spoke, but now she had spluttered it across the table. She attempted to disguise it as a cough. 

"Me? No. Why would you think that?" Daisy asked, wiping up her spilled tea under Augusta's look of dismay. 

Augusta shrugged slightly, her fur jacket sliding slightly off her shoulders. Daisy longed for her to elaborate. She was desperate for Augusta to detail all the ways they would be perfect together. All the little exchanges Augusta had noticed between them that she had deemed young love. 

"So, who's his girlfriend?"

"She's called Vivienne. They've broken up now. I had hoped that would've been the only thing to upset Neville this Christmas."

"And your happy that they've split up?"

Daisy flushed. Was it that obvious? "Yes," she answered without thinking. "But only because she was bad for him."

"I see. That makes sense." 

Daisy was unnerved by the slight twinkle she swear she saw in her eye before it was overcrowded with another tear. 

"Vivenne's related to Malfoy, who's related to Bellatrix. They're surely all bad news." Daisy felt the need to defend her happiness about her best friend's break up. 

Augusta's expression darkened. "What?" she spat.

"I know. Neville swears she's changed, and nothing like her family, but I was never convinced."

"I don't like you very much. But I'd certainly rather he dated you than a death eater."

"I'm charmed."

Surprisingly, the duo laughed and the sadness seemed to dissipate, just for a little while. 

"Maybe I was too quick to judge you," Augusta said. "You're not that bad. I think you're a good friend to my grandson. He really likes you. You're important to him, and I know you will continue to be throughout this difficult time."

"You're not too bad either. And Neville and I will be friends forever. I promise you that." If Daisy could survive watching him fall in love with someone else, their friendship could survive anything. She had loved him from afar for a while, she can do it a while longer.  "Should we go and check on him?"

"He would prefer you to."

Daisy smiled at the old lady and she smiled back. They had bonded about their unconditional love for Neville.