Purple Rain.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

"Hey," Neville's voice greeted quietly. (Y/n) looked up from the plants she was repotting.

"Hi, Nev," (Y/n) greeted equally as quiet. She took off one of her garden gloves and slid off her headphones to give Neville her full attention.

"I heard about your breakdown in Defence Against the Dark Arts," Neville said. "If that's what you can even call it, I mean. Everyone's saying you told the new professor off for calling... Cassius's death an accident." Neville seemed quite hesitant to even mention Cassius's name to (Y/n) due to being frightened she might snap at him or cry. "But, um, I don't really see how that's a breakdown, I mean, it sounds like you were just telling it how it is and people are criticizing you because heaven forbids a girl from speaking her mind even if it's the truth and even if she's got every right to be upset," Neville rambled. (Y/n) cracked a smile.

"You're so cute, Nev," (Y/n) said. Neville's face flushed and he hit it in his robes.

"Why aren't— Why aren't you at lunch?" Neville asked.

"I dunno. I'm not hungry, I guess," (Y/n) said. "I think my loss of appetite is back now that we're here at Hogwarts." Neville pursed his lips. "I haven't seen him yet, but I'm absolutely dreading it. It's one thing to be able to wallow up in your own self-pity and it's another to go to school with your boyfriend's ghost." Neville grimaced over (Y/n)'s bluntness. When (Y/n) fell into silence, Neville opted to try and change the subject.

"What're you listening to?" Neville ventured to ask.

"Kate Bush," (Y/n) answered. "Hounds of Love has been the only thing getting me through the summer and it will be the only thing getting me through the school year." Neville grinned and (Y/n) couldn't help but smile back.

"Who's Kate Bush?" Neville asked.

"The queen of alternative music," (Y/n) emphasised. "She's a Muggle artist that my... favourite teacher was a huge fan of her." Neville nodded. "Hey, Nev, since I'm trying to stay out of the castle as often as possible, want to meet here more often?"

"Always," Neville said. "First choices, remember?"

"First choices," (Y/n) promised.

"What kind of moron gets detention?" (Y/n) jeered, following Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the Gryffindor common room.

"Yes! What kind of idiots land themselves in detention on the first day back!" Hermione fumed.

"Uh-oh," (Y/n) whispered, quickly slipping on her headphones to avoid any further scolding Hermione would instigate.
As the trio started on their Potions homework, (Y/n) started on her History of Magic essay. Her reading glasses were halfway down her nose by the time Hermione's fury directed at Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had finally boiled over. (Y/n) had been listening to the twins' and Lee's conversation with the first years for quite some time. She knew plenty well that the twins were testing their products on a group of first years but she so no problem in the matter due to the fact that the first years were giving their consent.

"No, I'm sorry, they've gone too far," Hermione said, standing up and looking positively furious. "Come on, Ron, (Y/n)."

"I— what?" Ron asked, plainly playing for time. "No— come on, Hermione— we can't tell them off for giving out sweets..."

"You know perfectly well that those are bits of Nosebleed Nougat or— or Puking Pastilles or—"

"Fainting Fancies?" Harry suggested quietly. (Y/n) smirked at him and Harry grinned back.

One by one, as though hit over the heads with invisible mallets, the first years were slumping unconscious in their seats; some slid right onto the floor, others merely hung over the arms of their chairs, their tongues lolling out. Most of the people watching were laughing; Hermione, however, squared her shoulders and marched directly over to where Fred and George now stood with clipboards, closely observing the unconscious first years. Ron rose halfway out of his chair, hovered uncertainly for a moment or two, then muttered to Harry, "She's got it under control," before sinking as low in his chair as his lanky frame permitted. (Y/n) seemed quite interested in the twins' experiment and had followed Hermione to check things out.