Halcyon ; Harry Potter [3]

Chapter Twenty-One

Neville Longbottom was walking back from the D.A meeting, very pleased with himself when he heard quiet sobbing.

Although it was past curfew, he followed the noise until he came to find Robyn crying on the stairs outside, looking rather broken.

He approached the girl quietly, not wanting to startle her. They had become quite good friends over the course of this year and although Neville didn't know everything about Robyn, he had a pretty good guess on why the poor girl was crying.

"Hey," Neville said softly as he sat down next to her. "Dumb question, but you okay?"

Robyn looked up and sent the boy a watery smile. "I've been better." She admitted while wiping her nose on the back of her hand. Not the most attractive and hygienic way to handle it, Robyn had to admit but she didn't have a tissue.

"Here." Neville said, handing her a pack of tissues he always kept in his robes if there were ever an emergency.

"Thanks," Robyn smiled kindly. "Really."

"You wanna talk about it?" Neville prompted, giving the girl a nudge and sending her a reassuring smile.

Robyn looked away from Neville and watched the night sky, taking in the thousands upon thousands of beautiful shining stars. It made Robyn realise just how small the world was.

Robyn shrugged. "It's stupid really." She sniffled.

Neville decided to be brave. "Harry?" He guessed sending the girl a lopsided smile when she gaped at him.

"How d-"

"It's no secret that you like him." Neville said while sending her an amused look. "It seems he's really the only one not to know."

Robyn groaned loudly and put her head in her hands.

Neville winced. "Wrong thing to say?"

A beat of silence went by.

Neville sighed. "You know I look up to you right?"

Robyn turned her head, her head still in her hands, so Neville was able to see the redness that rimmed her eyes and the confusion that covered her face. "Huh?"

"You were so much like me. Or I was like you...Either way, I saw so much of myself in you. And then you met Harry, Ron and Hermione," Neville was smiling and Robyn lifted her head out of her hands.

"And at first you were still shy, you began to open up and showed them the true Gryffindor you are. Much like how I did with Dean, Seamus and Ginny when I got comfortable around them..."

Robyn shook her head lightly. "Nevs, I don't understand..."

Neville looked her in the eye. "Just wait, you will."

"So anyway, what I was trying to get at is that since you have met them, you have grown so much braver. So much stronger as a person. That's why I look up to you because you have conquered what I'm still struggling with."

Before Robyn gave it a second thought, she wrapped her arms around Neville.

Neville let out a small laugh. "I still haven't finished."

"Oh, sorry." Robyn flushed red and pulled away from Neville.

"So my point is, if you can overcome that hurdle then this little bump in the road will pass. You will get through it being the strong, independent Gryffindor you are."

Robyn felt her eyes fill up with tears again. "Oh, Neville-"

"Don't say thank you. Just speak. Letting it out might make you feel better."

And so Robyn told him everything, from her third year troubles to her current and biggest reoccurring problem; Harry.

The only thing she left out was the minor part where she was put under the Imperius Curse.

And after she let it all out, she let out a sigh, not so much feeling better but feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The bond between the two grew stronger that night.

Neville even decided to tell her about his troubles when the girl had asked.

In the end, they both ended up crying when Neville finished his story explaining what had happened to his parents...

That night they promised eachother they would get through this being the strong Gryffindors they were...

>>>

Hermione and Ron were in the common room, alone. Hermione was looking at the D.A list and Ron was playing chess by himself when Harry entered looking dazed, confused and guilty. Ron and Hermione looked at eachother.

"Hey, what kept you . . ." Ron trailed.

"Harry?" A sudden foreboding feeling overcame Hermione. She had never seen Harry like this.

Harry absentmindedly sat down.

"You look a mess, Harry?" Ron said with a wary look and Harry couldn't help but agree with him.

He had spent the last half an hour going over all what had happened while running a hand through his hair but the guilt he felt for rejecting Cho slowly dissappeared as all his mind would run back to was Robyn. 

"Was it Cho? Did she corner you?" Hermione asked, scooting closer to Harry when he nodded slowly.

Confusion took over Ron's features. "What? Why would she . . . oh!"

"Did you kiss?" Hermione questioned eagerly, even though her mind ran back to how Robyn would be heartbroken. Robyn must have been right. Maybe Harry hadn't gotten over Cho like he claimed. A guilty feeling overcame Hermione when she thought back to the hope in Robyn's eyes when she found out.

Harry looked up at them. "No..." Harry was searching for words. "I...err, stopped her."

Relief washed over Hermione's guilty conscience.

"Why?" Ron asked, already having a guess on what the answer was.

"Because...Because I don't like her anymore."

"And why don't you like her anymore?" Ron prompted with an amused look. Harry shot him a sharp look but sighed.

"Because...I think...No I know - err...I-"

"You've finally realised your feelings for Robyn." Hermione finished for Harry eagerly with a squeal.

Harry looked at Hermione. "Yes."

"I knew it!" Hermione exclaimed as both Ron and Hermione grinned.

Harry looked down at his lap. "But Robyn's with Noah."

Hermione and Ron's faces turned dark. "When was the last time you actually saw the two together, mate." Ron pointed out.

"Harry, there's something we've been trying to tell you," Hermione began. "Robyn did not kiss Noah willingly."

Harry wasn't sure he heard right. "What?"

"Noah came on to her mate, he forced himself upon her..."

Anger bubbled inside Harry.

"But before you do anything, it was already handled by Ron..." Hermione jumped on to saying when she saw Harry's face.

"What? How?"

Ron looked proud. "I punched him."

Through his anger, Harry couldn't help but grin. "Good one." He said while high-fiving Ron.

"There is something you can do though Harry." Hermione was smiling again.

Harry turned to her. "What?"

"Go and find Robyn and tell her, you might be surprised with the outcome..."

(It's coming guys. I'm so excited. Anyway,  hope you like. Until next time.)