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rhymingjohnoliver · 3 years ago

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Greenhouse//N.L x reader (1)

Request: Hi!! I wanted to put in a request, if you're up for it. How about a Nevill Longbottom x Reader where the reader is Bellatrix's child? Only if you want to, of course.

A/n: I had to break this fic up into different parts I hope that's okay :)

word count: 2.2k

who I write for

request here

First year

The first-year cohort of 1991 was a controversial one, to say the least.

With it came yet another Weasley to walk the halls, the newest heir to the Malfoy name, the son of poor old Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Perhaps the most famous of all is Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

On the flip side to that, though, was y/n LeStrange.

She heard the whispers as her name was announced to the hundreds of students, her parents' names were mentioned almost as much as Alice and Franks.

The room went dark as the sorting hat was placed on her head.

She tended, fearing the worst.

Slytherin, just like her mother, and her aunts and her cousins as far back as the first in the line.

She knew it was inevitable; Slytherin was her destiny; it was in her blood.

“Hufflepuff!”

The hat yelled.

She was stunned.

Unlike the students before her, nobody clapped, cheered, or moved across to allow her room at the table.

She trudged through the rows of seats, taking the last one at the end of the table.

She kept her head down, trying to ignore the glares and whispers from the people around her.

Her cousin was placed in Slytherin, unsurprisingly.

For the rest of the feast, she sat alone in silence.

Andromeda, Teddy and Nymphadora were ecstatic when they heard the news; letter upon letter of congratulations came pouring in from family members she didn't even know.

To the pure-blood side of her family, being sorted into Hufflepuff was a one-way ticket to being disinherited.

Her first semester at Hogwarts was rough; her house ostracised her for being cursed with the name of ‘LeStrange’ and ostracised by the Slytherins she had grown up with for being sorted into Hufflepuff.

It seemed her only escape was the greenhouses.

During their first herbology lessons, Professor Sprout had asked for volunteers, a few willing students who would come down to the greenhouses three evenings a week and on Sunday mornings to help water the greenhouses in order.

She loved watering the plants in the evening and watching the sunset as she went about her half of the greenhouse. It allowed her to be transported somewhere else, where her mother and father hadn’t done what they did, where she was accepted by her peers and not met with ridicule and fear.

It was nice, her little haven untouched by her parents' actions.

That was until the first week after Christmas break.

Her spirits were high on the train ride back to Hogwarts, now adorned with new gloves that Dora had knitted for her. Knitting had become her most recent endeavour; she wasn’t entirely good at it, the edges were kind of wonky, and they were about a size too big, but anything from Nymphadora was a prized possession.

She watched the white fields roll past her reading the new book on magical botany that Ted had gifted to her, the words were long and scientific, but she enjoyed looking at the diagrams.

A loud crash and yelling were heard just outside her compartment.

She drew her wand as a figure came barreling towards her; he slipped right past her into the empty compartment and attempted to flatten himself enough to fit under the seats.

It didn’t work, of course, and he simply resorted to turning away from the door.

“Where is he?” Came the familiar voice of her cousin as he rounded the corner. “Oh, it's you,”

She narrowed her eyes, gripping her wand tighter.

“What do you want, Draco?” she questioned.

He rolled his eyes but stopped when he caught sight of the boy in the compartment with her.

“I can see you in there, Longbottom. Do you think my blood traitor of a cousin to protect you?” he took a step forward.

y/n put her hand out, stopping the boy from entering the compartment.

“Leave him alone,” she stated, moving her body to shield the scared boy.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, attempting to look down at her, which was difficult since she was almost a head shorter than her.

“Or what?” he challenged.

They drew their wands simultaneously, wand tips pointed directly at each other's throats, a silent battle of wills.

Despite the fact that Andromeda had run away and been disinherited when she was seventeen, Narcissa still had a soft spot for her older sister and would have her over for dinner once a month.

y/n had realised at a young age that families were messy affairs.

Although Andromeda hated what Bellatrix had done, she still took y/n in and raised her as her own.

Despite the fact that Narcissa hated that Andromeda married a muggle-born man, she still loved her.

And despite the fact that Bellatrix had promised Y/n to the dark lord before she was born, she felt bad for her mother.

y/n had learned long ago that, even though Draco walked with an air of authority, he was as spineless as a jellyfish as soon as someone challenged him.

Draco folded quickly, like she knew he would. Gesturing for his goons to follow him and leading them back the way they came.

“Thank you,” came the meek voice from behind her.

She jumped; in all the excitement, she had forgotten that someone else was in the compartment.

She turned and regretted it almost instantly.

Neville's expression went from scared to downright terrified. Somehow his face paled even more, and he began spluttering apologies.

“Sorry, sorry, ill go,” he said, running out of the compartment.

She knew why he reacted like that; she would have to be an idiot not to.

Charms, Herbology and Astronomy, were the classes that Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors shared, and she wasn’t sure Neville had even looked at her once during those classes.

She sighed, taking her seat once again.

She breezed through the first week back and waited anxiously for Sunday morning to roll around.

She rose early, before the sun was entirely in the sky, making her way down to greenhouse one. The same greenhouse she had been watering since the first week.

She grinned, grabbing the old watering can and filling it with water after she made her way to the small cabinet, retrieved the nutrient potion, and added a few drops.

She hummed an old muggle song that ted would play all the time while she did her duties.

It was so peaceful.

A scared squeak pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned, seeing Neville in the doorway.

“Sorry,” He said quickly, busing himself with the watering can, “Professor Sprout wants me to help with this greenhouse; some seventh years are starting their N.E.W.T. projects. I’ll stay out of your way,”

He spoke quickly and quietly, pointing his wand at the watering can and muttering ‘aguamenti’, but nothing came from the tip of his wand.

He tried again; this time, a weak trickle of water came from the tip.

She made her way over, ensuring not to scare the boy away. Gently, she took the watering can from him, ignoring his shaking hands.

She tapped her wand at the opening, muttering a quick ‘aguamenti’ and filling the can up from him. She handed it back, smiling.

“The nutrient potion is there; I usually put like three drops in,” She explained, making sure to keep her voice soft and low, “I’ve already done the nocturnal section, so you don't have to worry about that,”

It seemed that in that hour and a half in the greenhouse during that time in the morning when no one was awake, Nevile and Y/n’s dynamic shifted.

They made their way up to the great hall, side by side. Neither of them said a word to the other. But Neville wasn’t shaking in fear anymore.

Gryffindor won the house cup that year.

Second year

Harry and Ron made one hell of an entrance that year, crashing into the whomping willow.

She had hoped that this year would bring some friends; she hoped that the school was over talking about her parents.

She should have known that her hopes were too high.

Halloween evening, she was trailing behind her house, listening to the girls she shared her dorm with chatting about something she didn’t care about.

“The Chamber of Secrets had been open; enemies of the Heir beware.”

Hushed whispers spread around the halls.

Eyes turned to her, her parent's names being thrown around with ‘he who must not be named’

She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her up. Dumbledor showed up and ushered them all back to their dormitories. She walked with her house, silently and making sure to keep her head down. She ignored the slide remarks and the angry stares.

“Her mother was close to the dark lord before he fell,”

“My father told me her parents were in his inner circle,”

“Do you think her mum did the dark lord? Maybe she’s their bastard child,”

Y/n LeStrange, the illegitimate child of the Darklord.

That was the rumour that spread around the school. She didn’t even try to defend herself anymore; she kept her head down and did her work.

Her only escape was the greenhouses.

Professor Sprout had moved her up to greenhouse three at the beginning of the year, with increased responsibility. She knew Neville had also been assigned greenhouse three; they had delegated the new responsibilities between the two of them and even came up with their schedules to come and complete them.

Neville would come down on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Sunday Mornings, while Y/n would come down on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

After Collin Creeve was attacked, the harassment seemed to get worse. Everywhere she went, people were hissing at her; she even had a few things thrown at her.

The school was divided into three.

Those who believed Harry Potter was the heir of Slytherin.

Those who believed Y/n LeStrange was the heir of Slytherin.

And Slytherins who were revelling in the chaos.

After Justin was Petrified, Y/n was sure she would be dead if it were up to the students.

She stood in the greenhouse, pruning the mandrakes that Professor Sprout delegated to her. The sun was on the horizon, and she cried harder than ever.

No one would talk to her; no one would even look at her.

The girls in her dorm had hidden her shoes and her homework.

She had tried talking to Andromeda about it, asking her for advice.

As much as she loved her aunt and the woman who bought her up, the most advice she received was;

“Just ignore them; they’ll be proven wrong,”

She had tried going to Professor Sprout about it, but the girls had denied their actions, and Professor Sprout had informed her that, without proper evidence, she couldn’t do anything.

She looked down at the excess leaves, warm tears rolling down her cheeks.

Light footsteps behind her caused her to jump; she hastily wiped her tears before turning around.

“Oh, Neville,” She said, turning back to her work, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming down this evening,”

The boy simply shrugged, but the slight smile faded as he realised the girl had been crying.

“Um, are you alright?” he asked.

She sniffled slightly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” She said, wiping away the stray tear. “Just, uh, pollen and stuff,” she said weakly.

She turned back, working silently as Neville watered his section of Greenhouse three.

She finished her work, tidied away the cut-offs, and returned the shears and gloves.

She took a deep breath before picking up her backpack.

“Hey, Y/n?” Neville called as she opened the doors.

The girl stilled, turning back to look at him.

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t believe any of those things people say about you,”

y/n smiled.

“Thanks, Neville,”

Despite everything going on and the genuine possibility of Hogwarts getting shut down for good.

Y/n had made a friend.

Neville Longbottom and Y/n LeStrange.

After their interaction in greenhouse three, Neville began pairing with her in Herbology.

They went to the library, where she would help him with Potions, and he would help her with charms.

She wasn’t exactly sure what had changed, what made him want to talk to her. Maybe he saw how her own house was treating her, how she struggled with talking to people.

He probably felt sorry for her, and under normal circumstances, she likely would have rejected his attempt at friendship; perhaps she would even be offended by it.

But at this point, she would have accepted moaning myrtles friendship if she extended it.

Maybe it was her imagination, but since becoming friends with Neville, the harassment had died down a bit. At the very least, the girls in her dorm had stopped messing with her things.

Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater were the last students to get petrified.

After Harry Potter’s best friend was attacked, all the suspicions of harry being the Heir of Slytherin were dropped. People were evening beginning to lay off the rumours about her.

By the end of the year, Y/n had fallen back into her natural place among the students.

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