Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter One Hundred Thirty Five

If everyone thought it was hard to keep Kefira still on a normal day, on the day that the other two schools were to arrive, even Neville seemed at a lost on how to keep Kefira in one place. Her excitement to see the other schools definitely got the best of her and she was getting yelled at throughout the day to keep calm. McGonagall was already stressing enough and Kefira wasn't helping the situation by being fidgety. The school was decorated, especially the Great Hall when they entered the day before Halloween.  Ginormous silk banners were hanging off the walls, one for each other four houses. The Gryffindor one was red with a gold lion, Hufflepuff  was yellow with a black badger, Slytherin was green with the silver serpent and Ravenclaw was blue with the bronze eagle. 

The only time that Kefira was still was to admire the banners, but it was only for a few seconds before she was back to her active ways.

"Can't you get her to stay still?" Seamus groaned. "Just watching her is making me dizzy."

"She's excited." Neville sighed. "And if she's making you dizzy by watching her than look away!"

Seamus as well as Dean looked at the boy in surprise. It was rare to hear irritation in the boy's tone and they wondered if Kefira's hyperactivity that morning had finally worked it's way on his nerves.

"You alright, Neville?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine." He said. "I'm just tired is all. All the professors have been working us ragged. I keep getting things mixed up in class and with all the professors in knots themselves...I feel like I'm going mad!"

The boy was pulling at his hair until Seamus and Dean leaned forward and pulled his hands down gently. 

"That's not going to solve anything, mate." Dean told him. Neville just allowed his head to fall onto the table with a small groan and whimper. 

Kefira skipped over with a bright smile, oblivious to the stress that Neville was feeling as she plopped down.

"This is great, isn't it? The school looks even more magnificent, if that were possible. The other schools are coming, it's going to be like a big party in Hogwarts!"

"It's a party everyday with you." Seamus said with a shake of his head.

"Aww thank you, Fire Ant." She said.

"I didn't mean it in a good way-"

"Well, I took it in a good way...so mission failed. Good luck next time." She winked in his direction before turning to Neville, who hadn't said one word since her arrival.

"Hey Nevs, are you alright?" She asked him, nudging his side. He mumbled something that she didn't understand before she looked up to the other boys in concern. "Is he alright?"

"I think all of the tournament preparation is getting to him, that's all." Dean reassured her.

"Besides the fact that you won't stay still. That's definitely taking his toll on him...and the rest of us." Seamus added.

Dean shoved his elbow into Seamus' side as Kefira frowned. 

"Oh," she said her body suddenly became quite still and all evidence of her excitement vanished from her face. She quickly tucked several of her curls out of her face and cleared her throat. "Sorry."

Suddenly, Neville lifted his head up from the table and looked in Seamus' direction with a hard glare. 

"That has nothing to do with anything, Kefi." He said, still not looking at her. " If you're excited, you have every right to be. You don't have to be sorry about anything."

Seamus scooted down the bench slightly, new to the wrath of a cranky Neville.

"Come on, Kefi," Neville said standing up and walking away from the table. She glanced back at Seamus and Dean in confusion before standing up and following him.

When the two were gone, Dean busted into laughter. "Ooooh, Neville told you, didn't he, Seamus?"

"Shut up, Dean!"

Kefira actually had to put a little pep in her step to catch up with Neville as he left the Great Hall.

"Neville, wait hold on...slow down." She grabbed the back of his robes and pulled back, bringing him to stop. Although, Neville was a lot strong than she remembered as she tripped forward by his force and fell to the floor.

Neville came to a quick stop and turned around to see her on the floor, he made his way over with a fretful look.

"I am so sorry!" He said in a panicked tone. "I didn't mean-"

Kefira let out a small laugh. "Goodness, you've gotten quite strong, Neville. Tapping into your inner lion, are you?"

Casually remaining on the floor, Kefira propped her head up, by resting her chin in the palm of her hand and looking up at the boy. 

"So...you come here often?" She asked him. 

Much to her relief, Neville let out a laugh, bringing her to smile.

"Well, there's the Neville, I know. I was wondering where you went."

Without a care in the world, Neville sat down across from her on the floor in the middle of the corridor.

"I'm sorry," he said, " I've just been feeling so stressed out lately. I feel like I can't do anything right in any of the classes."

"That's not true, Neville. It's not your fault. All the teachers are uptight. Even I'm getting yelled at more than usual and that's saying something. It's not just you. "

"I'm behind in a lot of classes...like Transfiguration."

"Well rather than sulking about it, why don't we work on it?"

"I don't think I want to ask Professor McGonagall for any extra help-"

"Then we won't ask her. We'll just work on it together. Sound like a plan?"

Neville smiled at her before giving a nod. "Only if you want to."

"Of course I do. We'll get started after the schools arrive."

During the evening, the Head of the Houses had all the students gathered of their house to welcome the schools. McGonagall was demanding perfection after telling Ron to straighten his hat and scolding Parvati for having a decoration in her hair. 

"I have no idea why I'm so pumped about this but I am!" Kefira whispered to Neville, not wishing to experience McGonagall's deadly look.

"If you keep bouncing around like that, Professor McGonagall is going to come after you."

"But I can't stay still," Kefira said. "I feel like taking a lap around the Black Lake."

"Well, that would certainly be a way to greet the schools. Interesting way. But I don't think they would understand."

"I bet if I like fire in my hands or something-"

Neville suddenly grabbed her hand. "We just need to be patient for a little while longer."

The boy wasn't wrong as Dumbledore made the announcement that the delegations from Beauxbatons had arrived.

Kefira spun around in place. "Where?"

Neville quickly moved her hand to look up. 

"There."

"Whoa."