Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Twenty Eight

When they arrived to Hogwarts, Neville followed Kefira back to the castle and into the Great Hall as they were back just in time for dinner. However, Kefira told him that she would right back as she left him at the table. Apparently, there was something she had to do before sitting down.

Neville sat down after greeting Harry and Ron, he glanced over to see Kefira making her way over to where the professors were sitting. He held his breath and many other students watched as Kefira approached Professor Snape.

"Uh, does she have a death wish or something?" Ron asked Neville. "She's approaching him willingly."

"I don't know what she's doing." Neville answered.

"Hello Professor Snape!" Kefira said as she reached the table where the professors were lined up, enjoying their own meals. Professor Snape glanced over at her and immediately his expression fell back to the usual flat tone that he took with Kefira. Professor McGonagal and Dumbledore both exchanged glances while they watched in slight amusements.

"Hello." Snape finally responded dryly.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" she asked him.

"Considering the halls were mainly empty. Yes." he answered.

She grinned at him. "I had a fairly nice Christmas too!" she said.

"Good for you."

"I wanted to thank you." she told him.

"For what?"

"My mum and dad told me you were the one that helped them get me an owl."

Professor Flitwick choked on his drink while Professor Sprout patted him on the back.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Professor Snape said looking away from her, despite his poor attitude, Kefira continued to smile.

"Well, since you helped me get my gift, I thought it would only be right to get you a gift as well."

Severus was confused, why couldn't this little girl take a hint and go back to her friends? Instead she was pestering him with her loud little voice and now she had gotten him a gift. Merlin only knew what she had gotten him. She reached up and dropped a box on the table, looking at him, waiting for him to open it.

"Aren't you going to open it, Severus?" McGonagall smirked.

The man looked down to the young girl that waited patiently, bouncing up and down which made her hair bounce up and down. Her eyes were fixed on him, a hopeful gleam that he would enjoy the gift.

He sighed heavily and opened the box to see a small book.

"What is this?"

"It's a joke book, Professor. Seeing as you don't find my humor very funny, I figured there might be something in there that you would like. You know, to get you to laugh and smile...so you can be happy."

All the professors smiled except Severus who continued to just stare at Kefira.

"You should read page three hundred and ninety four. My dad couldn't stop laughing when we were in the bookstore. But then again, my dad finds a lot of things funny that most people don't. Oh well, I hope you like!" she said before hopping off the ledge and returning to the Gryffindor table.

On the way leaving the Great Hall, Kefira was walking beside Neville talking to him about one of the stories in his book, when they were both shoved aside as Draco walked through them, his goonies following close behind.

"Excuse you!" Kefira growled at him grabbing Neville by the robes as he nearly fell over. "Come back here!"

Draco stopped and turned around.

"You're not talking to me like that are you?" Draco sneered at her.

"Of course I am, you're the rude one who barreled his way through two people talking."

"That's because you didn't make way for me."

"Uh, didn't see the need to considering you're no one special." Kefira said. "Perhaps, if you have used the term excuse me like normal people, Neville and I would have been more inclined to move to the side. Instead you were completely rude. No one has to make way for you! You're not above anyone here at the school."

"That's where you're wrong. I am. I am a Malfoy."

"I'm glad you know your surname," Kefira replied with an eye roll, " but that means nothing to me."

"Of course it wouldn't mean anything to you, you're just a muggle-born."

"Muggle-born or not, your name means nothing, it's who you are as a person that matters. And you, you're just a nasty rude little git."

"You tell 'em Kefi!" Seamus chuckled until he was nudged by Dean. "What? She might punch him!"

Dean pondered the thought for a moment before he started cheering Kefira alongside of Seamus.

"You should apologize for being rude." Kefira said folding her arms, even when Crabbe and Goyle tried to intimidate her using their size and height.

"I'm not apologizing to the likes of you, or Fatbottom-"

"His last name is Longbottom!" Kefira snapped at the blonde pushing Crabbe and Goyle aside. "Don't make fun of him!"

Draco took a step back.

"Whoa, Kefi's scary." Dean whispered to Seamus.

"A sickle says she pops him in the mouth by the end of this." Seamus said.

"Two sickles says Draco cries by the end of this."

The two boys started to snicker as they shook on it.

"I will do no such thing!" Draco said turning his nose in the air.

Kefira hated people like Draco, he reminded her of the boys that she grew up with in her neighborhood, always trying to come up with reasons as to why they were superior and why she wasn't good enough.

It just infuriated her beyond belief and the fact that he insulted her best friend, made it so much worse.

To add to her fury, Draco pulled out his wand as if challenging her to a duel.

"Get your wand out and make me apologize." he smirked.

 Kefira wasn't all that experienced with her wand and she wasn't sure of what Draco was capable of.

But she sure as hell knew what she was capable of.

Draco opened his mouth looking directly at Neville to throw another insult the boy's way to make Kefira angrier so she would pull out her wand. 

But before he could even gather a thought, he felt all the air being knocked out of him.

He gasped for air and held onto his stomach.

"I don't need my wand." Kefira told him rubbing her hand. "I can problem solve on my own without it. Don't insult Neville, he hasn't done anything to you."

Dean and Seamus bumped fist as Draco let out a pitiful squeak.

"What do we have here?"

The students turned to see Professor Snape, Kefira sighed wondering what her next detention was going to involve.