Bronzed Wit & Golden Hearts ~ Harry Potter

[Mythical Beast XIII]

Life was a whirlwind, which was the best way for Mina to describe it. There was six months until graduation and there was so much to plan and decide. “I’m sure we could find a cottage,” Mina nodded in agreement. She smiled when he said summer would be perfect, “I think so too,” It made her happy that he wanted to go forward with this as quickly as he did. She’s watched Neville grow up over the last several years and he’d always been so quiet and timid. Seeing him making decisions like this showed her how much he’d grown. Mina was making a list of the things they would need to do. “So much to do,” she laughed. In no way was the Ravenclaw complaining, it was all so exciting and she couldn’t wait to share her excitement with her best friend. “I just want it simple and celebratory.” she told him. “I’m sure my parents would allow us to have it in the back yard in my mother’s gardens.” She proposed one idea, “While they like to travel, she still manages to keep a beautiful garden.” She thought with his love of plants and herbology that Neville might like the idea of it being held in the garden. There was a lot that they would need to plan if they were to get married over the summer.

On the morning that they were to return to school after the holiday Mina dressed warmly. She looked over at Neville and smiled kissing his cheek, “I’m excited.” When they arrived at the station she laughed a bit, “I’m sure that Lila is already actively seeking us out if they’re already here,” Mina joked. It wasn’t long after that she heard their friends. Mina smiled returning the hug, “Thank you!” Quickly they found Ron and Hermione then a compartment for the six of them.

Mina was bubbly, talking about what little they had planned. Her and Neville still could not tell the others about their news concerning the teaching positions that they had taken at school. “We’re going to have the wedding this summer, I’ve written mum about having it in her gardens.” She told Lila excitedly. “So soon?” Hermione questioned. Mina bit her lip, there had always been a weird competition among the Ravenclaws with Hermione Granger. “It is what is in the stars.” she replied simply, there was no other way to say it without giving away their secret. It was becoming harder not to let it slip to Lila about the opportunity that she had after graduation.

When they got back to the school they had to leave the two boys. Mina smiled at her friend, now that they were alone she had a question to ask her. “Lila, I really hope you’ll be my maid of honor.” She said as they made their way to Ravenclaw tower. She was excited and it was starting to bubble over. “We haven’t exactly set the date, we just know that we want it to be over the summer. But with this assistant teaching deal…. There’s just so much going on.” Mina pressed her lips together, she wished she could tell her best friend everything. When they got to their dorm she let Lulu out and then sat on her bed. “I hope you don’t mind helping me.” She bit her lip, there was just so much to do. “Lila…. I never saw this coming. He really surprised me.” Mina had been wanting to fill Lila in on all of the details since it had happened. Now that they were alone, she finally could. She started, telling her about how they had stayed up late and midnight had tolled when he pulled the ring box out. “Lila, you should have seen him. He was so sweet.” she smiled thinking about it. “Who would have thought any of this would ever happen?” At the beginning of school she’d wondered if Neville Longbottom would even notice her, and now here she was engaged to him.

At dinner it seemed that word had made it through at least the other seventh years. A lot of people were congratulating her and Neville. Mina went with Lila over to the Ravenclaw table where they were to have dinner. Others were asking her all sorts of questions. Mina was not used to being the center of attention like this.

After dinner Mina caught up with Neville, it might be their first night back, but they had lesson plans to go over. “Hey, tomorrow’s the big day. I figured we could go over our plans?” She asked. They had sort of neglected it over the holiday. She waved to Lila, “Don’t wait up,” she called to her friend. It was looking like it was going to be a late night. They had a lot to get together for the following morning. Mina had brought her bag down to dinner figuring she would head down to the office that she and Neville shared.

They worked for quite a while before Mina got up to stretch. She walked around behind Neville’s chair and wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his cheek. “We should probably call it a night… I’m not sure anything that I’m writing down is making much sense anymore.” She stood back up. They had to be up in a few hours for the first day of the new semester and their first day taking over more classes. “I don’t know about you, but I need some sleep before I face those Third Years again,” she half joked. Mina was still careful after everything that had happened when she’d gotten bitten by that snake. She moved back over to her desk and started to pile the papers together neatly. Mina hated leaving a mess and liked her desk organized. “We should also think about talking to McGonagall tomorrow about our plans. That way if we’re going to look for a place we can think about doing it during one of the Hogsmeade trips.” she suggested with a yawn. It was quite evident that Mina’s mind was going a mile a minute between planning for classes, wedding plans, and the plans for their future as husband and wife.

[Mythical Beast XIII]

Harry was ready to return to Hogwarts. It was going to be their last semester and that was a hard thing to swallow. He knew what he was going to do after Hogwarts, he would accept the position as an Aurorer with the Ministry of Magic. But Hogwarts had been his real home since he had discovered that he was a wizard and he hated to give it up. They had easily found Neville and Mina when they’d arrived at King’s Cross Station. After the quick congratulations they found Ron and Hermione before finding a compartment to share amongst the three of them. Mina was telling Lila the details of what little the pair had planned so far. When Hermione interjected with an opinion about the date Harry shot her a look. Why couldn’t she just be happy for the couple instead of questioning them. However, Mina’s response had him thinking that there was a lot more that the newly engaged couple wasn’t telling them. He’d talk to Neville later and see if he could figure it out. For now though, he was happy sitting and listening. Everyone was talking of their holidays but were excited to be returning to Hogwarts for their final semester. Harry thought about everything they had been through. This had been the first year when things had actually seemed normal.

The young hero had found himself lost in thought, pulled from it when they arrived at Hogsmeade. With his friends he disembarked from the train, smiling as he caught Lila’s hand. “That trip seems to get shorter and shorter.” He commented as they headed towards the Thestral led carriages. “Hey…. Did you get the feeling, when Hermione asked them about the date, that there was something that they weren’t saying?” he asked curiously. They were out of earshot of the other pair. It had just seemed a bit weird to Harry, but he was sure that their friends would tell them whatever it was when the time came. “I am happy for them though, they make a good pair.” Which was the truth. Harry couldn’t imagine Neville with any other girl. Mina had done so much good for his friend.

When they got to the castle they had to part ways from the girls, who had to go to Ravenclaw tower. He gave Lila a quick kiss, “I’ll see you at dinner.” Ron and Hermione had already headed towards Gryffindor Tower. Walking with Neville, he looked up at his friend, “Neville, I’m happy for you guys. That was great news to get the other day.” he told the other Gryffindor. “How did your Gran react when you told her what you planned to do?]/color]” He asked curiously. Harry wanted to ask why it seemed like the pair was hiding something, but he felt like it wasn’t his place at the moment. “So there’s a lot to plan over the next semester huh? Plus, aren’t you taking on classes by yourselves for that student teaching thing McGonagall has you doing?” he asked curiously as they came to the portrait that asked for the password, “Dragonsbreath,” he said as the door swung open and they stepped through. “You know if you need anything I’ll help you where I can,” he offered. Though Harry wasn’t entirely sure what that might entail, he meant the offer. “Plus, I’m sure if you don’t ask Lila will somehow drag me into helping her in anything that Mina gives her,” he chuckled as they headed up towards the boys dorms.

It seemed by the time they headed down to dinner, word of the engagement between the two seventh years had made its way around the school. “News travels fast I guess.” He chuckled. Harry knew that Neville wasn’t someone who was used to being the center of attention. Actually, he was pretty sure that neither of the pair were used to it. People kept coming up to Neville congratulating him.

After dinner him and Neville made their way over towards the Ravenclaw table where the girls were. He shook his head when the other couple decided to spend their first night back jumping right into work. “We’ll see you guys later,” he said with a chuckle before putting his arm around Lila’s shoulder. “So, what do you want to do? It’s our first night back. We could be like our friends and do some work.” He joked. Then again, they did have some things that they needed to work on with Dumbledore’s Army for their Defense Against the Dark Arts project. Neither of them had really thought much about it over their holiday. Things had been going so well with it before the holiday though. “Or, we could just hang out in the common room,” Harry suggested before he’d really thought about it. They were from two different houses, so that wasn’t exactly an option for the two of them. “Or the library…” In a way it felt a bit weird trying to figure out a place for them to hang out after having had the past two weeks without it being a major issue.

They ended up in the room of requirement where they held Dumbledore’s Army. Harry sat back on the couch that was in there and was looking at his notes from before vacation. “I think with the upper years maybe we should spend this half of the year working on Patronesses?” he asked looking over at Lila. With the Dementors back under control of the Ministry of Magic, it wasn’t as much of a threat, but it was still a great skill to have. Plus it was one of the hardest defense spells that a witch or wizard could have. “It’s too advanced for the lower years, but the upper years might be able to tackle it. Some of them already know it from when we had Dumbledore’s Army in the past. They can help with those who weren’t involved. Now that it’s not something that could get them in serious trouble, we’ve had a lot more interest in the group.” Harry was interested to see how this would be carried on after they graduated. Of course, neither of them had any way of knowing that their friends would be able to see that it was carried on.

[xxxle mars lievre]

Lila could hardly believe that their time at Hogwarts was rapidly drawing to a close. It had been wonderful that they had been given the opportunity to finish their schooling but soon it was going to be over. They would graduate and that was both exciting and nerve-wracking to the Ravenclaw student. It was still months away at this point and she was more focused on catching up with her friends. She was excited to see them once more and to be heading back to school. She was well suited for Ravenclaw House; she loved to learn and she didn’t plan on stopping simply because they had graduated from school. It didn’t take long for them to locate their friends and find an empty compartment on the train. It was strange to think that this was the last train ride to the school that she would be on. Unless they decided to leave for the spring-break as well. That was all beside the point. Instead she was excited for her friends as she listened to the details that Mina and Neville had already figured out for their wedding. She did get a feeling that they were hiding something, though she didn’t question it. They must have some reason for it and she wasn’t going to pry to figure it out.

It didn’t feel like much time had passed but they soon arrived at the Hogsmeade station and were getting ready to disembark and travel back to the castle. She smiled as Harry took her hand, “It really does.” Back when she had been a first year, arriving at Hogwarts for the first time, the train ride had felt like ages. That was probably because she had been so excited and nervous, not really knowing anyone quite yet. But that had been years ago and she had grown quite a bit since then. She allowed the memories of her first year to slip out of her mind as they approached the carriages. It was strange to think that until recently, she had always assumed that the carriages had been enchanted to move on their own. But now she was able to see the thestrals and she knew that they were the ones that carried the carriages. Her attention was back on Harry as he asked if she had thought it seemed like their friends weren’t telling them everything just yet “Yeah, I thought so as well,” she replied. There was probably a reason for it and she figured that they would eventually tell them if it was something major. She nodded as he mentioned that they were good together though, “I really can’t see either one of them with someone else.”

Once they were on their way to their own dormitory, they were able to talk a bit more about the situation away from the rest of their friends. “Of course, I would be happy to,” she said, meaning it. She was rather excited for her friend and everything that was going on for her and Neville. “I’m really happy for you two,” she said with a smile. Within moments, they were back in the Ravenclaw common room and were heading up to the dorm rooms. “I don’t mind helping at all,” she replied, looking over at her friend. There seemed to be more to the situation than she knew but it wasn’t her place to ask. She listened as Mina explained that Neville had surprised her. She could only imagine no one could have seen that coming. But it seemed to suit them as well, at least in her opinion. She listened to the details of their holiday with the Longbottom family. It did sound incredibly sweet to her. “It is a surprise, but a really good one,” she commented. She would never have guessed that Neville would be proposing to Mina at the beginning of the year but it was a very nice surprise.

Word had apparently gotten out to the seventh years at least as people were coming up to congratulate Mina on her engagement. She didn’t think that he friend was used to all of the attention that she was getting. But everyone sounded positive, so she figured that Mina probably didn’t mind all that much. After they had finished with dinner, they met up with the boys. “Have fun,” she said to Mina and Neville as they went off to begin work on their lesson plans for tomorrow. “Well, I am a Ravenclaw student so getting an early start on my homework does appeal to me,” she said with a bit of a laugh. She was joking, though it didn’t really sound like a bad idea. Perhaps not the most fun one though. It was a bit odd to try to come up with a spot to hang out after not having to do so while on their holiday. They could work on their plans for Dumbledore’s Army but they first needed to pick a place to hang out in. It was still too cold to go outdoors, though that could be cured with a warming charm, it was already dark so it didn’t matter much anyway. After some thought, they ended up in the Room of Requirement, discussing Dumbledore’s Army.

She listened to him as he brought up an idea for the upper level students to work on. She liked it, it was a very useful skill to have. While the dementors were back under the control of the Ministry, she didn’t think it would hurt to have the club work on creating a patronus. “I like it,” she started, “It’s a great skill to possess and I think it is something that really should be taught in school more often.” It was very advanced and tricky, but she thought it was a great idea. And she had a feeling the students would like it as well. At the very least, being able to create a full patronus was good for the bragging rights. “I’m glad that the club has taken off as it has,” she commented. There wasn’t really a doubt that it would, but she was still surprised at how many students had been interested in it. She hoped that it would continue on. Surely there were students that were capable of maintaining it in the future. Their friends would be able to ensure that it would, but they weren’t aware of that quite yet. “I’m really enjoying this project,” she added in.

“Good night, Harry,” she said, moving to kiss his cheek before heading to the Ravenclaw Tower. Mina still wasn’t in yet, but she wasn’t worried about it. She figured that she and Neville had a lot to work on. As she made her way through the dorm, she thought some of the voices hushed as she walked by but she didn’t really think much about it. She changed into a pair of pajamas and fell asleep, not giving it a second thought. She woke up early the next morning, mostly because Cat had thought the best thing to do would be jump onto her and meow at her until her eyes opened. “All right, I’m up,” she said as Cat proceed to wait patiently for her to pet him. After a bit, she sat up, got dressed and then headed down to the common room with a book in hand. There was still some time before breakfast and she needed to pass the time. As she found her seat, she began to read. Another group of girl walked down the stairs and either didn’t notice her or thought that she wasn’t listening. “Well, I heard that they’re expecting. Like, why else would someone do that?” one of the girls laughed.

She looked up and over at them, having a bad feeling about what they might be talking about. “Hey, what are you talking about?” she said, moving over to them. At first they were a little evasive but they eventually spilled and stated they’d heard a rumor that Mina was pregnant. “And you just believed it, with no proof? That’s not very Ravenclaw-like,” she said. Mina would have told her if that was the case. She needed to talk to her friend about it, but she didn’t want to ruin her day. But she didn’t want her to just hear the rumor either. Sighing, she decided it was best to get it over with. She would want Mina to tell her straightaway if it was the other way around. Walked back up to the dormitory to see if Mina was awake yet. She didn’t know if she was or if she had heard yet, but she knew that she had to tell her.

[xxxle mars lievre]

Neville was sure that their friends were already looking for them if they were at the train station already. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for them all to meet up with each other. Once they had met up, they found their seats and prepared to go back for the last semester of school. He and Mina would return next year, but they wouldn’t be students. Instead they would be teachers and in charge of teaching the next generation of witches and wizards. It was very exciting and he was looking forward to it, as well as his life with Mina. He was slightly nervous that his friends were going to question their decision to get engaged and married so young, but they were all extremely supportive. It was nice. Hermione did start to say something about the date but it was completely dropped within a moment. He was happy to be spending time with his friends though he couldn’t really tell them the full story about what the future had in store for him and Mina. It was a little odd to try to keep it from them when all he wanted to do was tell them, it was incredibly exciting news. He was sure that Mina knew exactly how he felt about it.

Once they had gotten off of the train, they made their way to where the carriages were waiting to take them back to the school. This year was easily turning out to be the best year that he’d had at Hogwarts. It was still odd to think that it was also his last year as a student, but he hoped that there were still many more years in store for him as a teacher. He did want to share that good news with his friends, but since they were told not to, he couldn’t. The ride to the castle seemed to go by quietly and they were all getting ready to part ways until dinner. “See you later,” he smiled at Mina before going to walk away with Harry to go back to Gryffindor Tower. “Thank you,” he said, “She was a little surprised. But she was also supportive.” He figured that was the best way to put it. He had actually expected for her to resist the idea but she had been supportive instead. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit in agreement with what Harry was saying. “It is quite a bit of work and planning,” he said. And they were also working out their plans for the future as well, but that wasn’t something that he would talk about quite yet. Not all of it at least.

He waited while Harry said the password to allow them into the common room and then followed his friend inside. “Thanks. It is a lot going on,” he said. It was quite a bit, but he was sure that they could handle it. He didn’t realize how much their actually was when it came to planning a wedding though. He smiled as Harry mentioned that Lila would probably drag him into helping with anything that Mina gave her. He didn’t doubt it for a moment. He was glad that he could count on his friends for help, although he couldn’t yet reveal everything to them.

Word had already begun to spread around the castle by the time they began to walk out to the Great Hall for dinner. “I guess so,” he replied. He still wasn’t really used to being the center of attention. He wasn’t sure that he would ever get used to it. It had started after he had stood up to Voldemort last year and he still wasn’t used to the attention. He wondered if Harry was still uncomfortable with the attention, though he had been dealing with it for far longer. But he was happy, so he didn’t mind the attention too much as it wasn’t the most important thing on his mind at the moment.

When they had finished eating, they made their way over to the Ravenclaw table where the girls had been eating. “I think that would be a good idea,” he said as she suggested that they work on their lesson plans for the next day. It wasn’t something that they had given much thought to while they were on holiday. They had had other things on their minds to deal with, though they probably should have given more thought to their schoolwork. It didn’t really matter now. “Bye,” he said to the others before they head off to their office to begin their work on the lesson plans. They had both been thinking ahead, so they had brought the materials they would need with them to dinner. He was excited for the next day. He found that he was enjoying being a teacher, far more than he had initially thought that he might. He was grateful for the opportunity that they had to stay on as full-time teachers. It was one of the things he was looking forward to in the coming months. He was a bit nervous as well, but far less so than before the very first lesson he had taught. He looked to Mina as they discussed their lessons and bounced ideas around.

They worked for a good while, but he was confident with everything that they had planned for their lessons. He smiled as Mina wrapped her arms around him, “You’re right. I didn’t even realize the time” He had definitely lost track of it as they had been working on the lesson plans. She wasn’t the only one that could use some rest. While his students hadn’t accidentally attacked him with a snake, he did think that they could try to take advantage if they knew he was sleepy and not really paying attention. “That would make sense, I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to do that,” he said. McGonagall might even have some suggestions for them regarding housing in Hogsmeade. He was excited and looking forward to the next trip, especially if they were going to begin looking for a place to live. He was sure that their friends would want to help with that as well. Though he wasn’t sure if they would be able to do that without explaining why Hogsmeade over another village somewhere else. “I’ll walk you back to Ravenclaw,” he offered after they had cleaned up a bit.

Neville wasn’t aware of the rumors that were beginning to circulate around the castle about why they were getting married so quickly. But with the rate that it was spreading around the castle, he was going to hear it sooner or later. He woke the next morning with his focus being on the lessons for the day. He and Mina were going to be taking on more classes and he wanted to be sure that he was prepared for it. It was difficult to keep the reason why they had been given so many classes from his friends though. He was sure they were all curious as to why they were taking over teaching classes rather than taking on more classes as students. But as far as he knew, no one had even suspected that they were going to teachers at Hogwarts the following year. “Morning,” he said as he spotted Harry and Ron. “Can you believe this is the first day of our last semester of our seventh year? Sometimes I still feel like a first year student,” he said with a bit of a chuckle. Back when he had tried to stand up to them. It had backfired on him but it had worked out in the end. It was strange to think that they had become friends as they had when he had tried to stop them from before.

Once everyone was ready, they headed out to the Great Hall to eat before their classes would begin. He thought that there were people staring, but he figured that it was merely do the engagement. What he didn’t know that it was because of the engagement that there was a rumor rapidly spreading throughout the school about himself and Mina. He did notice some of the looks coming from Ravenclaw in particular. It was then that he noticed Lila and Mina were missing from the Ravenclaw table. “I wonder where they are,” he said, though he didn’t give it much thought. They could still be sleeping for all he knew.

[Mythical Beast XIII]

After they had cleaned up their office space Neville walked Mina back to Ravenclaw tower. She smiled standing at the bottom of the steps, her arms loosely around his neck. “Goodnight Neville, I’ll see you in the morning at Breakfast.” She kissed him softly with a smile, “I love you.” Letting him go she pulled away and walked up to the steps, prepared to answer the riddle that the knocker would be asking her. Mina was blissfully unaware of the rumors that were spreading around the school like wildfire. When Mina got back to her dorm she saw that Lila was already asleep, so she quietly fed Lulu some cheese from supper before changing into her night clothes and crawling into bed.

Morning came quickly considering how late she’d stayed up working with Neville. Finally Mina got out of bed and freshened herself up for the day. She dressed in her Ravenclaw uniform. When Lila came up to their dorm she was rolling her wool knee socks up her leg. “G’morning Lila, you were up early.” She commented. Right away though Mina could tell something was wrong. Mina’s smile faded, “What’s wrong?” Mina’s dark eyes settled on her friend. Hearing what Lila had heard caused Mina to feel sick, “People think that I’m pregnant?” rumors like this could not be flying around school, not with the positions that her and Neville were supposed to be taking in the fall. She ran her hand through her hair and shook her head, “Lila, you don’t believe these rumors…. Right?” she watched her friend as tears were welling up, “Right Lila?” Mina knew that the fact she’d been hiding something from Lila might make her friend be suspicious, but what she was hiding was not a baby. “I’m not pregnant Lila…”

Chewing her lip nervously, she shook her head at her best friend, “There is no way that…. Neville and I have never even done anything.” She felt her cheeks flush. Mina had never been with anyone before, even Neville. It was physically impossible for her to be pregnant. The auburn haired Ravenclaw felt sick to her stomach, “It hasn’t exactly come up… We spend a lot of time alone but…” She felt embarrassed. “Do you think we should? I mean… before we get married?” This was not something that Mina felt comfortable talking about, even with her best friend. If anything she felt awkward. She knew that she needed to talk to Neville. How was she even supposed to talk to him about this though? Had he heard the rumors?

By the time they left their dorm breakfast was over. Walking through the corridors Mina was hyper-aware of the other students staring. They got to the entrance of the Great Hall just about the time the boys were coming out. She was hugging herself when the boys spotted them, “People are saying….” Neville already knew though. Mina felt some relief in his arms, but she was still quite aware of other students walking past and staring. “How am I supposed to teach a class when they’re all looking at me like this Neville?” she asked quietly. Today they were supposed to be taking over more classes. It was likely the first and even the second years might not fully comprehend the rumors that were going around. But the third and fourth years probably would. Mina let Neville lead her to her Charms classroom, she squeezed his hand before going in to face her class. Thankfully her first class were second year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The Ravenclaws were quiet and the Hufflepuffs wouldn’t say anything.

The morning went by quickly. Teaching her classes kept her mind off of the rumors that were going around. When lunch rolled around Mina still wasn’t feeling too hungry despite having missed breakfast. Mina decided to go down to the office she shared with Neville. Now that she had a few moments to think, she found her mind drifting to what she’d told Lila that morning. That level of intimacy had never exactly come up between her and Neville. Or her and any guy for that matter. Mina jumped when she heard the door open, but relaxed when she saw that it was Neville. “How did your classes go?” She asked. “Mine went okay… I’m not going to lunch, I’m not exactly hungry.” Sitting up, she looked at him, “Maybe we should go see McGonagall.” She suggested.

In the headmistress’ office Mina played with her engagement ring, twisting it on her finger. McGonagall looked at the pair, “What part of what I am hearing is true?” She finally asked. Mina let Neville answer for them, sitting quietly twisting the ring still. “Cosmina, are you alright?” Mina looked up at the Headmistress, “Yes Ma’am. It’s just not how I expected our news to be received is all.” The Headmistress nodded, “You two do not need to worry. Everything will settle down. Congratulations on your engagement, I am sure your parents are very proud of all that you have planned for your futures. However, I believe this leaves us with a discussion of your living arrangements come fall.” Mina was relieved that the headmistress believed them and didn’t question the rumors any further. She nodded, “Neville and I thought that maybe Hogsmeade would be a good option. Unless you preferred for us to live on campus?” McGonagall gave them a small smile, at least what passed as a smile for the old witch. “I think that would be the best option. While you will be working for the school you will be wanting to settle into lives as newlyweds as well. Maybe during the Hogsmeade trips you could look into your options there.” Mina felt a small smile as she nodded. “As for the rumors, myself and the other professors will do our best to squelch any that we may hear.”

The rest of the day went as well as the first half had. Mina met up with Neville I the office to go over their journals for the day. She sat in one of the plush chairs, her feet tucked under her as she leaned over looking at his notes. “Neville… all of this has made me think… I mean… about what people are already assuming about us.” Mina brushed some hair behind her ear as she looked at him. “Should we…?” She paused biting her lip nervously, she could feel the heat in her cheeks as she suggested it, “be together?” Her voice was soft, clearly she was anxious. “I mean…” she dropped her gaze, embarrassed for even bringing it up. She smiled shyly at Neville, “You’d… You’d be my first.” she told him softly. Mina nodded, “We can… I want to…” She told him, “Not because of the rumors,” it was a partial lie. She smiled leaning across the arms of the chairs kissing him. “Maybe we can sneak off this weekend,”

[Mythical Beast XIII]

Harry too was enjoying the project that they were working on. He could only hope that it would stay in place after he left, that the younger classes would continue running it. At the end of the year, he and Lila would elect two new seventh years to run the group the following year. After working for a while he walked Lila back to Ravenclaw tower, “I will see you at breakfast.” he smiled kissing her. Once he was sure that she was through the door he turned to walk back to Gryffindor. Upon returning he saw his other friends, but Neville was not back yet. “Where’s Longbottom?” Ron asked. Harry shrugged, “I think he and Mina were going to get ready for their classes.” he said as he changed into a pair of lounge pants.

The following morning Harry was down in the common room when Neville came down. They had been getting tidbits of the rumors but Harry had shook his head at Ron, “I don’t see it.” he said. Of course, they were only getting tidbits. Ron half believed he’d dreamt them when he’d gone to Harry with what he’d learned. Harry looked up seeing Neville, “Morning. Yeah, it is a bit weird, isn’t it.” They had all come such a long way over the past seven years. They all headed down to the Great Hall, Harry was aware of the people staring at Neville. Settling in at the Gryffindor table, he’d noticed that the girls weren’t at Ravenclaw. It was Neville that voiced their absence. “I don’t know… it’s not like them to be late.” He frowned, curious what might be holding the girls up. Harry noticed that people kept looking at Neville. Finally he shifted in his seat and looked over at his friend, “Neville, I think… look, I heard some things this morning… Maybe it’s the reason the girls aren’t here… People are saying that you and Mina are rushing the wedding because she’s pregnant.” Harry had been able to piece things together.

Looking at his fellow Gryffindor Harry sighed, “Neville, you two have been acting a bit weird. Like you’re hiding something… If she is… you should talk to McGonagall.” Harry frowned realizing how he sounded, “I’m not saying I believe the rumors. What I am saying, is if they are true, you shouldn’t try to hide it until the end of school.” Harry wanted to be supportive of his friend with whatever was going on. Like he’d said, he didn’t believe the rumors. “I believe you.” Harry said when he was informed that Mina couldn’t be pregnant. The dark-haired boy didn’t ask for details, he figured if Neville wanted to talk about it, he would.

The girls didn’t make it to breakfast. Harry was walking out of the Great Hall when he spotted them just outside. Walking over with Neville he watched the engaged couple and let out a sigh. “We need to get to class.” he told Lila. While he knew that Lila wanted to take care of her friend, right now the only one that could really take care of this situation was her fiancé. It involved the two of them. “The only thing we can do is when we hear the rumor, tell people it’s not true.” He told Lila as he put his arm around her waist to lead her away. “I still think they’re hiding something, but I believe Neville when he says that Mina’s not pregnant.” He told his girlfriend sincerely. He knew that now Mina was with Neville she’d be okay. “Don’t worry, Neville will make sure she’s okay.” he reassured Lila. However, Harry did feel bad about it all. Even he had fallen victim to the rumors, indirectly questioning Neville about it. But that was because he knew the other Gryffindor was hiding something, he just didn’t know what.

Morning went by and Harry had a free period. He was sitting in the library waiting for Lila, they were planning to walk down to lunch together. Harry was looking at his Potions book, even in his Seventh year the class still gave him troubles. Harry sighed resting his head down on his book. When Lila came up though, he sat back up looking at her, “Oh, hey, you ready to go grab lunch?” he asked. Closing his book and throwing it into his bag he stood. “Have you caught up with Mina at all?” He hadn’t seen Neville, “Oh, well, maybe they’ll be at lunch.” he walked down to the great hall with Lila, lunch was less formal so they could all sit where they wanted. Walking with his Ravenclaw girlfriend, he spotted his friends and lead the way. There was no sign of Mina or Neville though. “I saw them going to McGonagall’s office.” Ron said before Harry could even state his question. He nodded sitting down, “I hope these stupid rumors don’t get them into trouble.” He muttered as he grabbed a sandwich off the tray in front of him. “So, Lila and I have been talking about the next lesson or the upperclassmen, we were thinking Patronouses. You guys want to help us out with that?” Right now talking about Dumbledore’s Army at least kept their group from talking about the rumors that were floating around about their friends.

The rest of the day went by without anything crazy happening. They had their first DA meeting with the upperclassmen. Harry walked in with Lila and when they did, they could hear people talking about their friends. Harry had already had enough. “I do not want to hear anyone talking about Neville Longbottom or Cosmina Sparrow.” He said, his voice had an edge to it. “They are our friends… they are your friends, and to be spreading rumors like this….” he shook his head. A fourth year went to say something, “Mina is not pregnant, and…. And if I hear any of you spreading the rumor, you will be asked not to return to our meetings here.” He said. Everyone looked at him, “If you hear anyone spreading the rumors, as their friends you should tell people the rumors are not true.” He paused looking around, “Is everyone clear on that?” the others looked at him and murmured, nodding their heads.

Harry looked over to Lila, it wasn’t much, but at least they could start helping their friends this way. The introduced the patronuses to the class but didn’t exactly start working on them. Harry showed he class his, the majestic stag. He sunk down into a chair after everyone had left, looking over at Lila. “This is going to be a long semester.” He leaned back. “Are you excited for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year?” he asked. He liked taking the trips out of the castle and even thought his was only their second day back but those trips to Hogsmeade would be something that he would miss when they left Hogwarts. “I sort of called Neville out on hiding whatever it is they’re hiding…. He wouldn’t tell me though.”

[xxxle mars lievre]

Lila hadn’t thought that the rumor would take off, after all she thought it was completely ridiculous. But she still wanted Mina to be aware of it just in case there had been a few other students that had heard it. Or made it up. Waiting for Mina to get up was a bit awkward but she didn’t need to wait long before her friend woke. “Good morning, Mina,” she said with a bit of a smile though she was sure that Mina could tell that something was wrong. She explained that there was some sort of rumor going about that she was pregnant and that was the reason that she and Neville were getting married so quickly. “I don’t think that,” she said as Mina asked if she believed the rumors. She knew that mina was keeping something from her but she thought that she would have told her if she was expecting. “Mina, I don’t think that you’re pregnant,” she said with a smile, hoping to reassure her. She felt for her friend, it was a horrible rumor that was going around the school. She listened as Mina continued. “If that’s what you’re comfortable with. You should do what makes you comfortable,” she said to her. If that was waiting, then that was the right thing, if it wasn’t, then that would be right. It was all dependant.

It was after breakfast when they left the dormitory and headed out to the Great Hall. She felt bad that she couldn’t do more to help her friend as she felt like she should be able to. She had an arm around her for support that she hoped was comforting in some way. She spotted the boys walking out of the Great Hall as they made their way over to them. She noticed the amount of people staring, finding it to be rather annoying. How could they believe such a silly rumor? She moved a bit to give Neville room as he pulled Mina into a hug. Sighing, she looked to Harry, “I know.” But she still felt like she should be able to help Mina. She walked with Harry. “I know, but she’s my best friend,” she said. She was sure that he felt the same about it. She didn’t like seeing her friend hurting. Throughout the morning, she told people that the rumors weren’t true when she heard people talking about it. She wondered if was actually helping at all. But there were other things that needed her attention, so she tried to put the worry out of her mind as much as she could as she walked to meet up with Harry.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could actually learn through osmosis?” she said with a bit of a laugh as she walked up to him. “Yes,” she smiled at him and then stuck close to him as they began to head down to lunch. “I haven’t, I hope their classes are going well,” she was worried about the both of them, but Mina in particular. They headed for the Great Hall together, able to sit together since lunch was less formal. As they neared the table, she noticed that Mina and Neville were missing from the table. Ron had answered them before Harry had even been able to ask where their friends were. “McGonagall won’t believe the rumors,” she said. She didn’t think that she would believe them so hopefully they wouldn’t be in trouble. They were all technically adults by wizard law at any rate so she didn’t think they should be in trouble regardless. The conversation shifted to the DA. She was looking forward to resuming the club, though she knew that it was going to be a lot of work. Perhaps a little bit too much for just her and Harry to handle on their own. She thought it would be nice if they would want to help them out a bit.

The rest of the day went by quickly and it was soon time for them to have their first DA meeting with the upperclassmen. It was going to be an interesting first day and she hoped that they would be able to avoid the rumors, though she figured that was merely wishful thinking. “Ready?” she asked him before they walked into the Room or Requirement, She could hear the hushed voices of people discussing their friends. It was tiring and she was glad when Harry spoke up about it. The group seemed to look as if they wanted to question it but it seemed to sink in that pushing the issue wouldn’t be a good idea. Once that was settled, they were able to move on to introducing the patronus charm. It was something that they appeared to be excited about. They didn’t actually get started with attempting it just yet, but everyone was excited about the idea of being able to cast the charm. It was an extremely useful skill to have. “It is,” she said in agreement as she sank into a chair. “I am. I know it’s silly, but I still love going to the village,” she said with a smile. After all, there really wasn’t much in the village but she enjoyed it for some reason. Perhaps it was just the tradition of going to Hogsmeade.

“I don’t know what they’re hiding either. Mina didn’t mention it,” she said. She did wonder what it was but she figured that it was something that would reveal in time. But she used to sharing everything with her best friend so she was curious about what it was that she couldn’t say. “But I’m sure that they will tell us eventually,” she figured it was only a matter of time. “I can’t believe how quickly that rumor spread around the school,” she sighed, amazed that the students had been so willing to believe the information. Although their close friends hadn’t believed it, there were still people that they had called friends that had. But she wondered if that had to do with the fact that they were still in school. If they had decided to move on without attending this year, perhaps it would be different. But that was a debate that she shouldn’t waste her time with. “The school will probably have moved on to something else soon though,” she said. Or so she hoped. Instead she glanced toward the clock, wondering what time it was. She wondered what their friends were up to, but she didn’t feel like getting up just yet. “I think everyone was excited for the lesson,” she commented.

“It’s getting late,” she sighed. They probably should return to the dorms before they missed curfew. That was one thing that she wasn’t going to miss about being in school. Though she was still a bit worried about school ending, she was also excited to begin a new life. She couldn’t believe that their friends were going to be getting married and beginning a life together. That was exciting as well. She gathered up her things before standing to walk with him out of the room, though she found herself wishing that they didn’t have to leave. Naturally, she was sure that the room would change to allow them to do so. “I wish we didn’t have to go,” she had commented. She had gotten used to being able to be close to him as they had been on their holiday.

[xxxle mars lievre]

He had been unaware of the rumor that was rapidly spreading across the school, so Neville’s only worry was on the fact that they were going to be picking up more classes to teach that day. It was exciting but it was also something that was somewhat nerve wracking. He thought that it was a bit odd that the girls were missing from the Ravenclaw table. And then there was the fact that people were staring at him. It was still annoying to him to be constantly stared at. He looked at Harry as he began to speak and explain that there was a rumor circulating around the school. “That’s ridiculous,” he said. It was a ridiculous thing to say and it wasn’t true. It was also entirely impossible seeing how they hadn’t done anything. It was true that they were keeping something from their friends but that wasn’t it. Harry continued to speak and it sounded as if he thought the rumors were true. He was surprised, he didn’t think that his friends would believe something so ridiculous. “Harry, it’s not true,” he said to him. “It’s not possible,” he added in. It wasn’t something that he thought they should talk about in the Great Hall, but he didn’t want his friend believing the rumors. “You’re right,” he said.

As they were exiting the Great Hall, he noticed the girls in the hall. He quickly made his way over to them and pulled Mina into a hug. He felt miserable, seeing how upset she was. He couldn’t blame her, he was upset as well. “I’ve heard,” he said softly as she started to bring up the rumors. He was fully aware of the fact that people were staring at them as they walked by, but he didn’t really care about them. His main concern was on Mina and how she was doing. Obviously, they knew that the rumors were false. He hoped that the school would soon drop it though. “It’s not going to be easy,” he commented. But he didn’t think that it would help any if they decided to ditch out on their classes. “But we’ll get through it,” he said to her. They didn’t have much of a choice. He knew that they should talk with Professor McGonagall as well. She might be able to better guide them in terms of what they should do to handle the situation. He led her to her classroom. “It will be okay,” he promised her, giving her a reassuring smile as he squeezed her hand. They would be okay, he was sure of it.

Teaching proved to be a good distraction from everything that was going on around them with the rumors. The morning went by quickly and without too many problems. He headed for the office they shared, wondering if he might find Mina there. As he opened the door, he realized that he had startled her. “Sorry,” he apologized to her as he walked closer to her. “They went fairly well,” he said, wondering if they might have gone better had the rumors not occurred. They were completely ridiculous, but he supposed that no one really knew about their relationship. It wasn’t something that had come up between them, not yet at any rate. He nodded as she said that she wasn’t hungry, “I think that would be a good idea.” He didn’t know if she would be able to help or not, but he figured that it should be brought to her attention as it was something that could potentially impact their ability to teach. Some students were already annoyed given their ages. Naturally no one knew that they were going to become true teachers next year. “Let’s go,” he smiled at her, offering her his hand before they exited the office. Although it had been two years since the murder of Albus Dumbledore but it was still odd to have a new Headmaster, or Headmistress.

While they had done nothing wrong, he still wasn’t quite used to being inside of the headmistress’s office. “It’s true that we’re engaged,” he said to her as she asked if there was any truth to the rumors. It was the only bit of information that was true in the entire rumor that had spread like wildfire. “The rest is made up,” he said. He listened as Mina spoke up about how she was feeling about the situation and then as McGonagall continued to speak to them. He was glad when she congratulated them on the engagement. They then moved to talk about their living arrangements. They wanted to stay in the village, but they would live on campus if that was what the headmistress thought would be the best. Fortunately, she seemed to believe that their staying in the village would be the best option. He was looking forward to the life that he and Mina were going to build together. The village seemed like the best place for them. And he was happy that they had her blessing in looking for a house in Hogsmeade. “Thank you, Headmistress,” he said to her as she stated that she and the other professors would help to deal with the rumors.

The rest of the day went well by without too much of a problem for them and before too long, they had found themselves in the office to work on their journals together. They sat together as they worked. His attention went to her as she started to say something. He wasn’t sure what she was talking about at first, but he soon realized. “Oh,” he said, feeling as anxious as she was. It wasn’t something that had come up with them before but he knew that it was something that they should discuss. He listened to her as she continued to explain what she was talking about and he could feel himself blush. He didn’t think want her to think that he was in anyway rejecting her though. After all, he loved her. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked her. He wasn’t entirely sure that was what he wanted, not that he didn’t want it though. It was a tad confusing. He returned her kiss. Perhaps he should say something. “I think,” he started to say, trying to gather his thoughts. “Maybe we should wait,” he said, feeling embarrassed about even bringing it up But perhaps that didn’t matter as much, since they were both in love and would be married.

He found that he was nervous about what she might say. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to,” he said somewhat awkwardly. He didn’t want her to think that he was rejecting her or anything along those lines as he certainly wasn’t. It was just a bit of an awkward subject. “You’ll be my first as well,” he said, clearly as anxious as she was. But that probably wasn’t much of a surprise. He hadn’t really dated anyone before they had gone out together. He hadn’t been all that popular, but she had liked him even back then so perhaps he was over thinking it all. The conversation they were having was awkward but important to have and he hoped that he hadn’t accidently ruined what they had between them. That was the reason he didn’t mention that they should be heading to their respective dorms, because he didn’t want to leave on an awkward note.

[Mythical Beast XIII]

It was an awkward enough conversation to have, but Mina hadn’t fully expected what Neville had said. “I want to be with you….” She told him when he asked if she was sure that it was what she wanted. Neville returned the kiss, but when he pulled away she bit her lip hearing what he said. Suddenly Mina felt embarrassed. Quietly, she nodded, “Of course, yeah…. No… that makes more sense. We shouldn’t rush something like that.” Mina could not help the embarrassment she felt. It was not just embarrassment, but almost a feeling of rejection. However, she tried to hide it. Mina felt awkward now, she knew she’d only been acting because of the rumors. Now she’d gone and completely embarrassed herself. Pushing up from her seat, she shifted a bit and moved to grab her things. “It’s getting late, it’s been a long day. I think I’m going to go back to my dorm and try to get some sleep.” Before Neville could even get up or offer to her to walk her back to Ravenclaw tower, she shook her head, “That’s okay Neville, I know you still have a few things to finish up. Don’t worry, it’s alright.” His redheaded fiancé didn’t even give the chance for argument as she shouldered her bag and disappeared through the office door into the corridor.

Mina got back to Ravenclaw tower. She felt a strange sensation of rejection, though she knew that Neville was only being the voice of reason. Her dorm was empty, Lila wasn’t back yet. Dropping her bag on top of the trunk at the foot of her bed, Mina sunk down onto the mattress letting out a sigh. She had needed a little time to think. But at the same time she wished that Lila was there. Someone that she could talk to about what had just happened. But Lila wasn’t there, and Lila didn’t come back at all that night. Mina had finally changed into her night clothes and crawled under the blankets. She’d pulled them up over her head, Lulu kept nuzzling her before finally curling up into a tiny ball on the pillow beside Mina’s head. The rat could tell her witch was upset about something, and this was the only comfort that she could offer.

When morning came Lila still wasn’t back. Mina got herself cleaned up and ready for classes. She still had to deal with running out on Neville the night before. Hopefully he understood she needed to sort through everything in her head a bit. On her way through the common room, she ran into Lila, “Are you….?” She trailed off as she looked at her friend. She knew the answer before she even finished the question. Lila was obviously just coming back in. “You spent the night with him?” Mina was careful with her tone. All night she’d been wanting to talk to Lila about what had transpired between her and Neville. But now? Now Mina knew she couldn’t. Not as she pieced everything together and realized Lila and Harry had done exactly what Neville had said they themselves should wait for. Them, the engaged couple. Mina wasn’t angry with her best friend. But she felt like there was a sudden barrier. She had needed someone to talk to. Now there was no way she could bring it up to Lila. “We uhm, we can talk later. I want to see Neville before classes.” She quickly stammered, feeling the blush across her cheek as she ducked away from her best friend. She quickly exited the common room to go down to the great hall for breakfast.

After breakfast Mina was walking with Neville towards her Charms class, “I know this puts pressure on you getting down to the greenhouses Neville, you don’t have to walk me to Flitwick’s room.” She smiled up at him. The interaction between them was as if the conversation from the night before hadn’t happened. Mina preferred it that way. But if it had come up, she’d get awkward and quickly change the subject. Outside of the class she smiled kissing his cheek, “I’ll see you later. Love you.” As the day went on, she occasionally bumped into Lila, but kept it to small talk. Which could easily be attributed towards everything that was going on with the planning of the wedding. As well as the much less known fact about the careers her and Neville would have after graduation.

The day had slowly wound to an end, but Mina spent long hours that evening in the office she shared with Neville. Flitwick had her grading the papers he’d had her assign the week before. She brought her head back, “Did we write this poorly when we were third years? Merlin’s beard!” She muttered holding out the particular paper that she was working on for Neville to look at. “I think next year when we have completely taken over, I’m putting a full day, no maybe even a week into how to write papers!” At least the papers were keeping her occupied because she didn’t want to think about how much she’d wanted to talk to Lila but couldn’t bring herself to.

A few days had passed. Mina kept herself busy. She was in the office until late at night. When her and Neville weren’t looking at their classes, their own coursework, they’d look at some wedding planning. It got to the point that Mina was only seeing Lila in passing. The rumors about Neville and Mina’s engagement weren’t dying down though. In fact, they seemed to be intensifying. In part, that could have been part of the reason that Mina had been seemingly so reserved even around her best friend over the past week. It wasn’t until a few days later at dinner that Lila would have even been able to corner Mina at the dinner table. Mina slid in next to her, “I’ve been so busy.” She explained quietly as she reached for some tea. “Hogsmeade is this weekend maybe we can all—” She’d feel better if it were the four of them and not her and Lila alone. That way the subject of whatever had happened (or in Mina and Neville’s case, didn’t happen) couldn’t come up. However, she found her suggestion interrupted.

“Good Evening everyone, I would like your attention before we all share dinner.” McGonagall was standing at the front of the Great Hall. “It has come to my attention that the students in our school, the place that is our home, have been spreading some rumors.” Mina felt her cheeks flushing, “No…” She turned around towards the Gryffindor table, catching Neville’s eye. “While, as a professor, but particularly as your Headmistress, I’d prefer to let this all fizzle out on its own. However, It is concerning two of your fellow students who have taken on a great responsibility here.” Mina bit her lip, this was not how she’d wanted Lila to find out. “There is a handful of Students that had returned to Hogwarts after the War so that they could properly finish their education. The Ministry granted them graduation for their efforts in the Battle of Hogwarts last year. Yet these students chose to return. Two of these students were pulled aside, at the recommendation of their professors. They have been working with myself, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout throughout this school year. Many of you have seen Mr. Longbottom in the greenhouses and Miss Sparrow in the Charms classroom. They have been working long hours into the night on this opportunity as well as on their own coursework. This is because at the end of this school year, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout have chosen to retire. They have handpicked and worked closely to train their replacements. I had hoped that all of these announcements could have waited. However, these rumors that are flying around like a snitch on a quidditch field have completely gotten out of control. Rumors can be the ruin for many good reputations, do not let that be so about your classmates. There is no truth to the words you spread since the return from Holiday.”

Mina could feel her heart racing as she turned to Lila, unsure of how her friend was going to be feeling. “We were only allowed to tell our families.” She said quietly. “If I had known McGonagall was going to make this announcement…. I… I would have told you Lila.” Mina was already so frustrated with everything else that was going on in her life. Now if had come out, quite publically that she’d been hiding something from her best friend. “Lila….”

[Mythical Beast XIII]

Harry sat on the couch in the room of requirement. This whole night had been about getting ready for their Dumbledore’s Army meeting. But they had kept trying to figure out what was going on with their friends, what were they hiding? It was something that neither of them seemed to be able to piece together. When she mentioned that they should go back, Harry nodded, “You’re right. I’ll walk you back.” He told her. Harry stood up, stretching. “I’ll walk you back to your dorm.” Harry figured that they needed to call it a night, unlike their friends, they still had to follow the curfew that the students had. Gathering up his things, he was feeling confident that they were ready for their lesson where they would go further with the patronous lessons. They had a lot to get through in this last half of the year, and in the end they would have to pick who would run it the next year. While the final semester was still fresh, picking out who would take over after them was something that they would really need to start thinking about.

At Lila’s wish that they didn’t have to leave the room started to change. Harry frowned a bit, they really should go, but now they were presented with the opportunity to stay together for the night. He knew going back to their dorms would likely result in more damage control with their friends. He knew Lila should probably be there for Mina, for whatever else had come from the day, but Harry found himself being a little selfish, not wanting to worry about their friends for a little while. Besides, they were hiding something from them. Obviously Neville nor Mina were going to tell them what was happening. Around them the room had gone from comfortable study to a more intimate locale. “Or… well… we could stay here.” he looked around. “I think the room heard your wish.” Harry chuckled lightly. “Would you…. Would you rather spend the night with me?” He asked looking back towards her on the couch. “I don’t want to pressure you or anything.” He quickly added when he realized how he might have sounded. Harry smiled though at her, moving towards her. Sitting back on the couch he reached over gently brushing some hair from her face.

They spent the night there in the room of requirement. Despite the crackling fire, Harry felt chilled, so he’d pulled the blankets up over them, “You’re okay?” He whispered. He didn’t want Lila to regret what had just happened between them. He wanted her to be comfortable with him and if she couldn’t be comfortable then what kind of boyfriend did that make him? He nuzzled in against her shoulder. “It’s well past curfew, no point trying to get back to the dorms now. We can stay here. I’m sure the others would cover for us if we’re missing one night.” He smiled softly.

When morning came, Harry found himself staring at the canopy on the bed thinking. He’d been awake for a little while. He knew that if Lila didn’t wake up soon then he’d have to wake her. They still needed to go back to their dorms and get ready for the day. When he felt her stirring, he looked down at her and smiled, “Morning.” He shifted a bit so that he was looking at her better, “I’ve been awake a little while. Been thinking about after graduation….” Harry paused for a moment before going on, “What do you think about getting a place together. Not like, buying a house or anything. Maybe renting an apartment? Or I still have the only Black place where the Order used to meet.’ He chuckled softly, “No need to jump for an answer right away, we have plenty of time to think about it.” He kissed her cheek before moving to get up. “We should probably head back to the dorms before going to breakfast. Our clothes are a bit… wrinkled.” he chuckled holding up his crumpled uniform shirt. Going to class dressed in the same clothes as the day before could definitely raise some interesting questions.

After walking Lila back to Ravenclaw tower, Harry headed back to Gryffindor. He managed to miss the others. He managed to clean up and head down to breakfast all rather quickly. When he got to the Gryffindor table Ron looked at him, “Where were you last night Harry?” Harry just had a smile and shrugged, “Lila and I got held up with Dumbledore’s Army stuff. Uh… fell asleep.” He looked over at Neville then back to Ron, “Nothing too major.” Hermione didn’t seem to believe him, or she picked up on the contextual clues that he’d dropped to his male friends. But before she could say anything Ron had already changed the subject to Quidditch finals.

Later, Harry had managed to catch up with Lila, “Hey, how are you feeling?” He asked. Harry didn’t realize that things had been a little awkward with Mina earlier. He walked with her to class though, “I haven’t said anything, but they might be able to put the pieces together. Might not be Ravenclaws, but they’re smart.” He sighed, “Don’t worry about it, no one will care. It’s our business.” He smiled kissing her cheek reassuringly.

A couple of days had passed and apparently, things were still a bit awkward between the two girls. Harry had tried to talk to Neville, but really didn’t get anywhere with it. Finally he decided that it was probably best that he just didn’t get involved. Let it all play out. However, things were about to take an interesting turn.

At dinner one night Professor McGonagall stood up calling attention from the students. Harry turned to look up towards the headmistress. He listened to what she was saying, soon realizing she was talking about the rumors that were swirling around Neville and Mina. Rumors still saying that Mina was pregnant. Harry had tried to help dispel them, he believed Neville when he said it wasn’t true, nor was it possible. What Harry found a little odd, was the fact that McGonagall was even addressing it. Usually she would let it die out or let the students take care of it. But as she went on, Harry frowned. There was a reason she was trying to dispel it in this manner. McGonagall started talking about how the pair were helping Flitwick and Sprout out. Then the headmistress said it. Professors Flitwick and Sprout were retiring and come the new school year Mina and Neville would be taking their places respectively. Harry frowned a bit as he turned towards Neville to question him, but Hermione beat him to it, “WHAT? She hissed looking at the other Gryffindor. Harry frowned too, he knew that Neville had been offered the same position as him with the Ministry back after the Battle of Hogwarts. “You’re turning down the Ministry’s offer for the Aurorer position?” It was something that none of them had really talked about while being at school. It was known that the offer had been there for the three boys. Harry took a moment to glance over towards Ravenclaw, there had already been a strange tension between the two girls and now he wasn’t sure what this might have done to their friendship. None of them had known about any of this. It had all been kept a secret.

[xxxle mars lievre]

While Lila hadn’t actually wanted to leave, she hadn’t really thought that the room was going to change to accommodate her wish. But that was silly, she should have known that was the nature of the Room of Requirement. Within moments, the room had changed from the DA meeting space into something more intimate. She felt a bit awkward because of the switch. But she still wanted to stay with him. The thought of leaving wasn’t appealing. Perhaps it was selfish. But she was allowed to be selfish sometimes, wasn’t she? “We could do that,” she said in agreement. The room certainly looked comfortable to her. She considered what he was asking. “I want to spend the night with you,” she said. She smiled as he said that he didn’t want to pressure into something. But he wasn’t. “You’re not pressuring me into anything. I want to,” she said before he moved to sit back on the couch with her.

She snuggled up close to Harry, feeling content to forget about the rest of the world outside of the Room for the brief moment. “I am,” she replied after he asked if she was okay. She didn’t regret what had just happened between them and she felt happy. “How about you?” she asked him. It was late and she didn’t really feel like making her way back to Ravenclaw Tower at the moment. And the room was particularly comfortable, and that was almost entirely due to the fact that he was there. “I think that sounds like a wonderful plan to me,” she said as he pointed out that they could stay there for the night. She figured that he was right that their friends would cover for them, even if it came up. She woke the following morning after he did. “Good morning,” she replied with a smile. She listened to what he had to say about after graduation. “I would like that. We could find a flat somewhere,” she said in agreement. There was still a lot of time to think about it as well. But she was sure that her mind wasn’t going to change about moving in with him. She said up and moved to grab her clothes, which were wrinkled. She was definitely going to need to change before going to breakfast or her classes.

“I’ll see you later,” she said to Harry with a smile before she answered the riddle to allow her into Ravenclaw Tower. On her way into the dormitories, she ran into Mina. Mina started to ask a question but it seemed that she figured it out and stopped herself. “I did,” she answered her friend’s question. It wasn’t as if she was going to hide what had happened from her best friend. She wasn’t ashamed nor did she feel as if they had done anything wrong. But she also wasn’t going to volunteer any more details. However, it seemed as if that wasn’t going to be an issue as Mina suddenly changed in her demeanor. She quickly said something about wanting to meet with Neville, which Lila thought was odd. Not the meeting but the way that it was said. But she didn’t question her friend. “Oh, okay,” she said softly as the other woman suddenly rushed out of the common room. “That was odd,” she muttered to herself as she walked into the dormitory. Once she was ready, she headed down to the Great Hall to grab something to eat. She was rather hungry and she needed a distraction from wondering why Mina had acted so strangely earlier. It was probably nothing but it bothered her for some reason.

Later on, she met up with Harry and walked with him to her next class. “I’m feeling fine,” she replied as Harry asked her how she was feeling. She thought about it for a brief moment. “Although something strange happened with Mina earlier,” she added with a shrug. She still didn’t think it was going to be a big deal and wasn’t going to until later when it would begin to feel more and more like her best friend was avoiding her. “She pieced it together, I think,” she added. Her assessment had been based on the way Mina had acted and the realization that had seemed to dawn on her right before she hurried off to breakfast and to meet with Neville. She wasn’t too worried about what their friends knew and didn’t know. Ultimately, it wasn’t any of their business what they did with their relationship. “I’m not worried about it,” she shrugged.

However, as the days went by and Mina continued to avoid her, she started to worry about it. She didn’t know what the reason for that was but she knew it was something more than being busy. A part of her was hurt. After all, they were best friends and she had decided to take a rather large step in her relationship with Harry recently. While she didn’t think it had been a mistake, she still would have liked have talked it over somewhat with Mina. But instead, her friend had figured it out and was avoiding her over it. It was upsetting to her. Harry had noticed and so she had ended up telling him what had been bothering her. She had only been trying to not tell him because there really was nothing that he could do. But she appreciated that he had tried to help. It was something that she was going to have to talk to Mina about. She was simply waiting for the right time, for a time when they could actually talk and preferably without so many other people around to overhear the conversation. It felt like something that they should discuss in private. She didn’t know that Professor McGonagall was about to reveal a secret that Mina and Neville had been keeping. As she walked down to the Great Hall, she set on was planning on telling Mina that they needed to talk.

“I’ve noticed,” she said softly as Mina said she had been busy. Naturally, she had a lot going on but Lila knew it was something more than that. The announcement was strange and it only continued to get stranger as McGonagall stated that Mina and Neville were going to be professors next year. She was happy for her friend, but she was still hurt over the fact that she felt like Mina had been avoiding her for the last few days. She did offer Mina a weak smile, “Congratulations.” She listened to what she had to say. She understood that they had been asked not to tell anyone, that wasn’t the reason she was hurt. Although it did somewhat contribute to it. “I’m not upset about that,” she said softly. She really couldn’t keep putting it off, she had to talk to her friend because she was afraid that she was going to lose her friend. “Can I talk to you after dinner?” she asked. She would be more comfortable with less people. As it was, many people were looking at Mina and talking about the announcement. However, her tone of voice reflected how hurt she was and she hoped that Mina wasn’t going to tell her that she was too busy.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” she asked, looking at her friend, waiting for the answer. She was worried that she was angry with her or something worse. She wasn’t sure what worse was but given the way she had reacted to figuring out that she’d spent the night with Harry, there was potential for some sort of worse.

[xxxle mars lievre]

Neville hadn’t been expecting the conversation that occurred between them. He was taken by surprise and he was worried that he had said the wrong thing. That was fueled by the way she acted after he had said he thought they should wait. It was an awkward subject and he didn’t think that they should rush into it. Although they were engaged and were going to be married in the summer so perhaps that really wasn’t an issue. But he had already spoken and clearly he had upset her. Soon she was packing away her things and getting ready to leave. “I’ll walk you to Ravenclaw Tower,” he started to offer to her. However, she stated that it was all right and left him, somewhat confused about what exactly had happened. He still had some work to do, so he stayed, but his mind was preoccupied with feeling guilty about upsetting Mina as he had.

After a little bit of time had passed, he decided that he wasn’t really going to finish his work and packed up to go back to Gryffindor Tower. He noticed that Harry’s bed was empty, which was somewhat curious to him but it wasn’t as if it was any of his business. He quickly changed into a pair of pajamas and fell asleep. When he woke the next morning, he noticed that Harry was still missing. But his main worry what on his own relationship. With the way that Mina had reacted, he wasn’t sure what that might mean for their relationship. At breakfast, Harry finally turned up. He raised an eyebrow at his statement that he and Lila had simply been busy with DA stuff and fallen asleep. He didn’t say anything however and soon Ron had changed the subject to the Quidditch finals. The subject didn’t come up again as they ate and talked together. Afterward, he met up with Mina and it seemed as if nothing had happened. It was a bit odd but as she didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t bring it up. “It’s not a problem at all. I like walking with you,” he said to her with a smile. “Love you,” he said to her before walking to the greenhouses for his classes. It was strange to think they would be professors during the next term.

He looked up at Mina as she commented about the papers that she was grading. “Well, I’m sure some of us had a basic grasp on writing skills,” he said with a bit of a smile. However, she was right. In the papers he had been grading, there was a wide range in skill levels. All of the students would benefit from a class or two on writing. “That’s not a bad idea. I wonder why we don’t actually have any sort of class on it. Writing is an important skill to have,” he commented, thinking that they should bring it up to the headmistress. Even if they were to have it as a workshop like the dueling class they’d had in their second year. Except for more effective. It was just another thing to add to their growing to-do lists. While it was exciting to think that they would soon be married and professors themselves, it was a lot of work that they had to put in. It didn’t help that they were required to keep it a secret from their friends. That was the most difficult thing about the whole thing. He assumed that it was just as difficult for her, especially with how close she was with Lila. They were best friends.

The next couple of days had gone as smoothly as could be expected with the amount of work they had to do, the wedding planning and the rumors that continued to float around the school. It was incredibly annoying to have to deal with them despite the fact that they were constantly dispelling them. But he did his best to ignore it and to not let it get to him. He had no idea what was about to happen in regards to the secret that he and Mina had been keeping from their friends as he walked into the Great Hall for dinner. “These classes are going to be the death of me,” he commented as he took his seat. It was a lot of work. But it would get better when they were solely teachers and not also students.

As they were eating, Professor McGonagall stood up and called the entire student body to attention. That was somewhat unusual. It was even more unusual that she began to address the rumors about the reason that they were getting married. But she continued on and then stated that they were going to be taking over the positions of professors of Herbology and Charms. Now their secret was out and he found that he wished she had told them first so that they could talk to their friends first. He knew that there was something going on between Mina and Lila and he didn’t think this revelation was going to help. And what were his friends thinking? Clearly Hermione was not happy about what was said. She likely thought that she should have been offered the same sort of position. He looked over to Harry as he asked his question. “I am turning it down. It’s not me,” he said. The job was prestigious but it wasn’t something he could really see himself doing. Teaching was something that felt much more natural. It was his calling and he felt like it was a better fit for him. He hoped that his friends would understand that. They had never really discussed what they were going to do about the Ministry’s offer and he thought that Ron and Harry were much better suited to be Aurors. “I’m sorry, I would have said something earlier. But we were asked to keep it a secreted from everyone except our families.”

A part of him felt like a weight had been lifted, though it came with a cost. The Great Hall was suddenly filled with the voices of students, all weighing in with their opinions of what had just been announced. He knew that she was trying to help but he wished that they had been warned beforehand. It wasn’t just the awkwardness that he now felt about the secret that had been kept, but now there were various students stating why they should or shouldn’t have been offered the jobs. A little warning would have been appreciated. “This job is something that I would enjoy doing. And it’s one of the reasons why we’ve been looking for house ins Hogsmeade,” he explained, glancing back over to the Ravenclaw table and wondering how things were for Mina. He didn’t know how her friends might be receiving the news. And he hoped that the awkwardness between Lila and Mina would pass. But he didn’t know if that was going to end up happening. He was glad to hear the amount of positive feedback from some of the students that they had been teaching. It was a good sign as far as he was concerned.

A bit later, he noticed that Lila and Mina had disappeared off, “I wonder where the girls went.” He looked to Harry, wondering if he might have an idea. “Should we even go looking for them?” he wondered aloud. Perhaps they shouldn’t, though he felt like he should at least see how Mina was taking the reveal of their big news.

[Mythical Beast XIII]

Why couldn’t McGonagall at least given them a warning that she was going to make the announcement. Over all it was received positively, but she still caught the look on Lila’s face. “Yeah…. Of course.” Mina didn’t want to talk to Lila, she didn’t want to face the awkward subject that was likely to come from the discussion. Mina finished eating, but she knew that there was no way to avoid Lila. She had already agreed that she would talk to her best friend.

After dinner they had to find a place that was private. Mina almost thought about the office but she wasn’t sure if Neville would go there after dinner. The pair ended up back in their dorm room. She looked away from Lila and shook her head, “It’s not you…’ she let out a sigh. “It’s more like something I don’t want to talk about but I know you do, or might.” Mina bit her lip as she looked up at her best friend. “I’m pretty sure I know what happened the other night…. When you stayed all night with Harry.” She blushed. Mina felt embarrassed. Her and Lila told each other so much. What if Lila had really wanted to talk to her about all of this? She’d been there for Mina, letting Mina talk out her feelings for Neville. She bit her lip, “I’m happy for you, but I was afraid you’d want to talk about it… I figured it out. I know you, it wasn’t that hard to figure out what happened between you guys. You looked so… happy.” Mina chewed her lip nervously. “Neville and I talked about…. He doesn’t want to. He wants to wait…. Until our wedding night.” Mina could feel how red her cheeks burned, she still felt a twinge of rejection. She knew Neville was right. She’d only been acting because of the rumors. It would be more special for them this way. “That’s why I have been avoiding you.” She swallowed hard, finally looking up at her friend. “I am happy for you, and I’m sorry I’ve been selfish…. Plus I’ve been hiding this whole thing about what the student teaching really means. We didn’t know McGonagall was going to approach the rumors that way.”

There was still a bit of tension, but it seemed as though things were a little better between Mina and Lila. The following morning was the Hogsmeade trip and Mina had a lot on her mind. She hadn’t needed the drama with her best friend in the middle of it all. Even though it had been her own fault that it had even happened. She looked out the window seeing that it was snowing. “Do you and Harry want to come with us to check out a few of the cottages?” She asked. She didn’t want to drag them along if they were uninterested. Mina had a lot on her mind, between wedding planning, looking at cottages, teaching, and their exams that were coming up fast. Reality was all starting to set in. Mina pulled her navy wool coat on and a hat. She was a bit nervous about looking at the cottages. “I’m a bit anxious.” she admitted to Lila as they headed down to the front hall to meet up with the boys. “Oh, I meant to ask…. If I can convinced McGonagall to let us leave campus, would you want to go to London to look at dresses?” Some rules were bent for the returned seventh years, it was rare that they could leave campus other than Hogsmeade or family emergencies, but considering they should have already been out starting their lives, maybe there was a chance she’d let them leave campus. “I want you there, so please, say yes.”

When they got down to the front hall, the boys were already waiting. She smiled walking over to Neville, “I told Lila and Harry they could come with us if they wanted.” She told him. “Maybe they can help keep us on track.” She knew that Lila could be a voice of reason for her so that she wouldn’t say yes to the first place they looked at. There were three on their list. Harry and Lila fell back a little bit which gave Mina a moment to catch Neville up on what had happened. “Lila and I talked last night. Things are still a bit awkward…. But everything is okay.” She told him. “It’s girl stuff.” She told him, “Don’t worry about it.” she leaned in against him.

At the village Harry had turned to them, “Uhm, well the first place is towards the center of the village.” Already Mina knew it was likely not what she wanted. She wanted something more on the outskirts, but they had decided to see a few different places to be sure. Even as they came to it Mina already knew she didn’t like it. They looked through the first two and she was becoming disheartened about it. She was standing just inside the door of the second one as they were leaving and looked up at Neville, “Maybe the last one?” She asked quietly shaking her head. She had hoped they would be able to check this off their list of things that needed to be done. Lila and Harry had decided not to tag along to the last house. “We’ll meet you at the three broomsticks.” she agreed before her and Neville headed off towards the other location. “I was hoping we could get this taken care of…. Then we won’t have to worry about it and we’ll have a place once school is out.” She knew they had months to figure it out, but there was still so much that they needed to do.

The last cottage was just outside the village. They came to the small drive that would lead to it. As they walked, there was a canopy of snow covered trees over them. The cottage was in an opening of trees so it was out of sight. When they came up to it, Mina looked around. There was a whole area off to the side where they could have a garden. “Should we go inside?” She asked him. She’d made arrangements so the people renting or selling knew that they would be stopping in. The place was empty, but she pushed the door open and looked around. The main living area was all on the first floor, then there was a small upstairs where there was a loft bedroom that looked over the rest, and then a small bedroom to the side. Mina went up to the loft before leaning over the balcony looking down at Neville with a smile, “What do you think?” It was off the path enough that students wouldn’t find it during Hogsmeade trips.

[Mythical Beast XIII]

Harry had definitely been surprised by the announcement and he was happy for his friend. “Well, I’m happy for you. We’ll miss you when we go out into the field. I would have loved to have had you out there with us. But I can understand your decision.” Of course Harry could understand. Like him, Neville had never really had a family. He’d had his Gran, but that was different. He could see Neville’s want to settle down, start his family, pursue his passion for Herbology and teaching. This was Neville’s chance to have all of that. “If McGonagall told you guys you couldn’t tell us, no big deal.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder. A lot of what had happened with his friend over the last six months made sense now. The engagement, talk of looking for a house in Hogsmeade. “I’m happy for you. You’ll be a great Professor.” Harry nodded, and he meant it. Everyone seemed to be having positive reactions to the news that McGonagall had shared. “So this is also the reason you two have set the wedding for this summer?” He asked curiously. Harry was happy that Neville had found happiness. He’d watched his friend grow over the last several years. While he still seemed to have that awkwardness about him, he seemed to be growing into himself.

After dinner, Harry noticed that the two girls had disappeared. “I don’t know… maybe back to their dorm?” He looked around not spotting the two girls anywhere. “Let’s uh… give them a little time.” Harry had a feeling he knew what was going on. “I think the girls need to talk. I have a feeling Lila’s trying to get Mina to talk to her….. apparently she’s been avoiding her all week.” Harry sighed, he wasn’t sure what had happened between the two girls, but he could see that it was tearing Lila apart. “Something happened that morning when Lila went back to Ravenclaw tower, after Lila and I had spent the night together.” he explained. “Lila wasn’t even sure what, just that Mina was hell bent on avoiding her….” He explained as they walked through the corridors. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” He gave a small shrug.

The following morning Harry pulled on his wool coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck. He looked at the picture of his parents and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He was starting to look more and more like his father. He turned towards Neville, “Are you looking at Cottages today? Do you think you’ll find one?” he asked as he tucked his wand away. When they went down to the front hall, he felt better seeing the two girls together. He smiled at Lila, “Hey,” he stole a kiss. “Are you ready?” He raised a brow, “Uh sure, that sounds fun.” he nodded when Mina said she’d asked the others to go with them. He didn’t mind, they’d been to Hogsmeade so much over the past few years that they had their normal haunts and he was sure they’d still be able to hit them. He took Lila’s hand as they walked outside, starting the walk to the small village. “Did you girls talk?” He asked as they fell behind the other pair a little. He looked down at Lila, “Why was she avoiding you?” he asked curiously. He hadn’t seen Lila at all after dinner the night before when the two girls had disappeared.

It was a nice walk to the village, Harry didn’t mind tagging along with their friends. It might even give him a slight idea as to what Lila would want when it was time for them to look for an apartment or a place in the city. He was happy that she had agreed to move in with him after school was out though. When they got to the village, he turned around and looked at Neville and Mina, “So, where are you starting?” He asked, it was their task they might as well lead the way. Mina motioned towards the center so that was the direction that they went. “She doesn’t sound too excited about this one.” he whispered to Lila. Spending as much time as he did with the girls he’d picked up on some of his friend’s girlfriend’s mannerisms. Harry followed along as the others lead the way through the first two cottages. When it came to the last one he caught Lila by the arm, “C’mon, let’s go to Honeydukes and then we’ll meet them at the three broomsticks.” he suggested.

They parted from their friends and headed back towards where Honeydukes was. “Is Mina normally this high strung?” He asked. Harry wasn’t trying to insult Lila’s best friend, he had just noticed that the girl seemed to be stressing a little. Of course the rumors that they’d come back from Christmas break to hadn’t helped. “I guess this is one of the bigger things they’ll need to take care of….” He commented. He shrugged a bit as they went in. It was warm and Harry loved how sweet it smelled in there. “I think I might actually miss these trips.” he chuckled a bit. “I remember how much of a pain it was. The Dursleys wouldn’t sign the permission slip. Then Sirius signed it once it came out he had still been alive.” He said as he picked up some sugary sweets. “Is there anything that you want?” he asked looking over at Lila.

There was still a little bit of time before they had to meet their friends at the three broomsticks. “Have you sent an owl to your parents? About us looking for a place after we’re out of school?” He was curious. Her parents seemed to have liked him, so he at least had that going for him. “Have you thought at all about what you and besides that…. Like what you want to do after school?” He asked curiously. While it was January, the semester was going to go by fast. Before they knew it they were going to be graduating and he’d be starting the job with the Ministry. Sometimes Harry wondered if he shouldn’t have taken the pardon and jumped right into the job. But then he reminded himself that he wouldn’t have ended up with Lila if he had done that. “You should do what you want.” he told her with a smile as they walked through the snow towards the three broomsticks. Harry smiled at her, bringing his arm around her shoulders pulling her in against him. Harry smiled, Lila made him happy, this was reason enough to have come back to Hogwarts after the war was over.