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[nevillel]

ofzvbini​:

          𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖊  𝖘𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖊𝖉  ,  𝖉𝖊𝖋𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖉  ,  𝖆𝖘  𝖍𝖊  knocked  back  the  rest  of  his  drink  .  perhaps  the  alcohol  would  smooth  this  over  for  him  ,  allow  him  to  slip  through  this  conversation  with  less  backlash  .  or  at  least  ,  backlash  that  he  would  fail  to  remember  properly  in  the  morning  .  neville  longbottom  was  not  a  friend  by  any  stretch  .  he  wasnʻt  exactly  known  for  his  temper  back  when  they  were  in  school  ,  but  this  was  NOT  where  blaise  would  begin  to  push  his  luck  .

          ❝  that  was  a  slip  .  a  conditioned  response  ,  yes  ?  that  was  crass  of  me  ,  iʻll  admit  . ❞  which  was  true  enough  .  a  part  of  blaise  would  always  believe  it  ,  but  it  was  certainly  learned  behaviour  and  he  knew  when  and  where  such  things  were  more  acceptable .  maybe  he  could  work  through  this  .  his  whole  life  was  steeped  in  half-truths  and  omission  ,  bending  his  words  to  shape  would  not  be  much  different  .  ❝    very  sorry  about  that  whole  war  thing .  it  wasnʻt  exactly  my  lot  since  i  wasnʻt  even  there  .  canʻt  say  i  regret  that  ,  but  such  is  life  and  all  that  .  ❞

Zabini knocks back the rest of his drink, and Neville stares at him, uncomprehending. “Some slip,” he says, sinking back down into his seat and looking at the poor person in a toga which--it’s not the worst he’s seen, and what kind of insult is half-blood, anyway? 

“It’s great you can just brush it off, yeah,” says Neville tightly, though the initial wave of adrenaline-fed anger has subsided. “Merlin. You really just think you’re better than everyone, don’t you?” There’s something about it that rubs Neville particularly wrong, Neville who’s spent the better part of his life thinking he’s worth almost nothing. 

People like Blaise Zabini, people like Severus Snape, whether they go around with some innate sense of superiority that lets them treat everyone as beneath them or they take pleasure out of bullying--they just tear people down.

[nevillel]

Neville has been reeling the whole night. If he blinks, it’s all there in front of him.  His grandmother’s ever-sharp eyes, unseeing at the ceiling. Ginny and Luna choking on their breath under Cruciatus. He even thought he felt the heat of the flames of the Sorting Hat again. His fingers haven’t stopped shaking, and people’s faces keep changing if he looks at them for too long.

He’s somehow stumbled over to the side of Blaise Zabini. They were hardly friends at school, but Blaise kept loftily to himself rather than explicitly bullying Neville the way some of his housemates did. Still, he has a way of making everyone around him feel smaller.

The words reach him only distantly. “What?” He looks at Blaise’s fine-boned face and it’s morphing into Amycus, and he blinks, and no, he’s said it, he’s definitely said it, Neville hasn’t hallucinated that. “Oh yeah, caring about someone’s blood status, really the picture of class. Didn’t we fight--and win--a war against you lot?” He’s gotten to his feet somewhere in the middle of this, like he might be getting ready to take a swing. He probably won’t. But he might.

           𝖌𝖔𝖑𝖉-𝖙𝖎𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖉  𝖋𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖘  𝖜𝖗𝖆𝖕  𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖘𝖊𝖑𝖛𝖊𝖘  around  a  now-gold  glass  that  was  not  so  when  he  had  first  received  it  .  he  had  plucked  it  from  a  waiterʻs  tray  ,  crystal  turning  to  mineral  in  his  grip  ,  and  left  them   to  marvel  at  his  dedication  to  his  costume  and  wonder  at  how  he  managed  it  .  

            (  it  was  his  wand  tucked  up  into  his  sleeve  and  some  quietly  whispered  transfiguration .  but  he  wasnʻt  going  to  admit  that  yet  )  .  

            ❝  merlin  ,  that  outfit  is  tacky  ,  ❞  he  laments  after  a  sip  of  his  drink  ,  eyes  cutting  towards  a  shoddily  done  toga  .  ❝  if  theyʻre  not  even  going  to  make  an  effort  ,  they  should  just  go  home  .  ❞  blaise  caught  himself  ,  a  crease  appearing  between  his  brow  .   for  the  first  time  in  perhaps  EVER  ,  it  felt  like  the  words  had  slipped  past  his  lips  as  soon  as  the  thought  had  formed  in  his  brain  .  ❝  canʻt  blame  them  though  .  that  whole  ensemble  reeks  of  half-blood  .❞ 

            hazel  eyes  widen  ,  blinking  slowly  as  his  more  .  .  .  prejudiced  thoughts  became  voiced  against  his  will  .  a  nervous  laugh  spills  out  from  his  chest  .  ❝ …  what  the  f u c k  ?  ❞

[nevillel]

Neville was shaking when he ducked into the bar. He had seen a great sallow-faced, black-cloaked figure bearing down at him from around the corner, spitting that old venom. He’d only had two drinks tonight, and he didn’t think he’d taken anything stronger, but he swore he saw the ugly, familiar face of the long-dead Severus Snape out there in the night, and it filled him with fear that made him feel like the helpless kid he didn’t think he was anymore.

He looked up once the tremors ceased to see--the woman from the Warbeck benefit, the woman who had saved his life. He’d had to ask around on his own to find out her name after he’d gotten out of the hospital. Marie-Mathilde, who worked a quiet job at the Ministry, who had graduated Beauxbatons. Marie-Mathilde Lestrange. Merlin knew he tried not to hold anyone to anything but their actions. And he also did want to give her more of a benefit of the doubt because they were cousins, apparently...Cousins who’d had nothing to do with each other til now.

“Well, it’s a great costume,” he said weakly, catching the tail end of the conversation. “I’m kind of horrible with everything pop culture...” Kind of surprising that she wasn’t, considering her father’s side of the family wasn’t known for loving all things Muggle. “I’m...Oberon,” he explained, trying not to feel self-conscious about shedding orange glitter. “My costume also makes more sense with someone else around--my friend Luna’s Titania this year.” He stared down at the counter-top, then exhaled hard. “It’s--okay if you don’t want to talk to me. I just wanted to say hello.”

“baby. from dirty dancing?” merry wasn’t old, but apparently the youth of today didn’t HAVE any casual patrick swayze knowledge. what had been a childhood favorite of hers meant nothing to the young server who had stopped to see if she needed anything and given a confused compliment, and she really had to take a gulp of her bright purple drink just to hide her frown. “trust me, my costume would make far more sense if my husband were here. either the miserable prat has decided not to join me, or, self involved as he is, he’s forgotten i exist. again.” 

they were almost vicious words, from merry.

and they were far from intended.

the server, eyes a little wide ( and the picture of someone who had realized this was a little above their paygrade ) scurried off, and merry sank into her chair - her expression vaguely horrified. “mon dieu-” such things weren’t said aloud, no matter how true they were, and though she says, “i didn’t mean that.” what she really means is : i shouldn’t have said that.

[nevillel]

sqviidboy​:

dennis was very, very drunk, so much so that a majority of their conversation was going way over his head. but he was making a concentrated effort to focus on what neville was saying, nodding his head in time with the other’s words. “you would do that? for me?” dennis gasped, his eyes wide as he clutched his hand to his chest. “that is so nice,” he gushed, “i’d love a beer, or anything really, whatever you can get your hands on.”

“Right. You know what, actually--” Neville did manage to elbow his way through the crowd, but when he found his way back to Dennis--grabbing his elbow just to make sure that he didn’t lose him in the throng--he handed him a water. “Try one of these,” he suggested.

[nevillel]

sinkswim​:

“Your grandmother’s a saint if I’ve ever known one,” Cho says, sounding all too sure of herself. It hadn’t been her first thought, though. That one was drastically different. Still, for all of her frankness, she could have never brought herself to deliver a truth as bluntly honest as hoarding is a a way to cope with grief and, the longer that grief lasted, so did the hoarding. A part of her hopes she’s wrong but she knows better than to deny herself the truth. She’s sick of being the bringer of bad news, even if it comes with the job. Cho is off-duty right now and hurting Neville is not a part of her break. 

“It’s hard to tell, but signs are pointing to yes. There’s the chance parents won’t want their kids to go to Hogwarts since they dealt with a lot of difficult traumatic events there but by the time their children become of age, most of the population should have achieved closure.” Key word: should. It doesn’t mean most people would, especially those as involved in the war as Neville. In Cho’s experience, the best way to achieve closure is by ignoring the need for it completely. It is a logical fallacy at best. “Twenties are young but, when you consider that most are still paranoid about another war, they might be trying to conceive now.” Cho shrugs at this, a bit too nonchalant and easy for the normal individual. Pregnancy, in a way, is her entire life–she’s past the point of mustering any shame about it.

“She’s something, all right,” agreed Neville, but it was affectionate. 

He was rather taken aback by Cho’s statement. “Well--I haven’t thought about it that way,” he said carefully. “Do you think of Hogwarts like that?” Before he could think better of asking it, he already had. “I mean--I guess I do, sometimes. But there were good memories there too.” He sounded uncertain now, and he quickly added, “For me.”

The worst of it personally for Neville had been that last year. But he didn’t think Hogwarts was like that anymore, hoped that it wouldn’t ever be again. Cho might feel differently with what she’d been through in her time there, though.

[nevillel]

oflcvenders​:

Lavender laughed. “Right! D’you how many times I’ve nearly tripped over the cobblestone streets in Diagon Alley?” She asked. “It’s like they built the streets a few hundred years ago and decided that’s it! They never need to be fixed, no matter how worn down they get.”

“Thanks.” Lavender replied with a small smile. She’d been much been at receiving compliments when she was at school, she reveled in them, actually. But now? And especially in regards to her work? It wasn’t often that someone said something so nice. “I don’t mind big books,” Lavender pointed out. “I’d just much rather read a Brontë novel than Hogwarts: A History. Soil colours?” She asked, eyebrow raised. “Now I’m interested. Tell me, what do different soil colours mean?”

“Who do we even petition to fix that? I feel like my toes would thank me.” Neville smiled back at her. “You know what, that’s very fair. I’m getting into listening to podcasts and audiobooks now while I work, and fiction’s a lot more fun after a while.” 

When she asked about soil colors, he laughed. “Oh, it’s nothing like--deep. Probably not meaningful unless you’re a gardener. Just about mineral and organic matter content. Things that do matter if you’re trying to grow something, giving it all the attention, and it just won’t flourish. Sometimes it’s the soil.” He shrugged. “Muggles have full on charts for it. Kind of neat. Or I think so.”

[nevillel]

sinkswim​:

Cho’s shifts at St. Mungo’s are perhaps the highlights of her days. There is a certain level of unpredictability that always keeps her on her feet. No, Cho’s lying to herself. She’s not thirteen and not much more than a student anymore–now, right in the middle of her 20s, she rather take pleasure in cyclicality–shifts where births happen right when they’re supposed to, when they happen without her having to worry if something will go wrong or consul terrified mothers when their child emerges without a bang but with a whisper. Still, seeing Neville is a welcome surprise. A fellow member of Dumbledore’s Army, he’s always been nothing but pleasant, even to her. He never fully soured, not even when Marietta betrayed their organization. Cho is grateful for this and by the way she treats Neville, she hopes he knows it too. 

“This? Hm,” she stares at its thickness with an amused expression. “I’ll put it like this: parents bond with their children in the womb in different ways. Seeing that you turned out more than just fine, I would say that their choice method was fitting.” She smiles, then, willing herself to not openly show what can only be described as bittersweet emotions towards his parents. Well, now was a good of a time as any to switch the subject. “My patients are doing well. You know, Neville, they honestly keep me busy these days. It’s good to see so many people bringing new lives into our world.”

Neville smiled back at her easily, appreciating both the warmth and reasoning in her answer. He supposed she had a lot of practice setting her patients at ease. “Thanks, Cho. And it’s nice to connect with them. Even if Gran’s a bit of a hoarder for keeping all this stuff around.” He flipped the book around in his hands and then tucked it safely under his arm, sliding down the line with his tray.

“Yeah? D’you reckon we’ll have enormous Hogwarts classes in eleven years?” Neville shook his head. “When I was a kid, I thought everyone would be parents by our age. Kind of a relief and kind of weird that we’re not. Twenties seem...way younger now than they did before.” Well. They hadn’t been too young to go to war as teens. Still, he felt nowhere near as equipped to settle down and have children as he was to duel a Death Eater. 

Maybe Cho felt differently, who knew. At the very least, he couldn’t remember seeing her with a serious significant other. Well, not since her two that had both been murdered by Voldemort.

[nevillel]

closed starter for oriana  [[@cvriousheart​]]

“Can I help you with something?” Neville had wandered over to help a customer that he had seen lingering over a small row of potted succulents on the windowsill of his shop, Frank and Alice’s Fine Flora. He recognized them as Oriana, a Ravenclaw who hadn’t been in his year. “Any of these would be a great choice for an apartment that gets a lot of light, if that’s you.”

[nevillel]

closed starter for cho [[@sinkswim​]]

“Cho!” Neville slid into the line at the St. Mungo’s cafeteria right after her, offering a smile. It was the tail end of the lunch rush and the whole place was relatively empty and quiet. It had been a good visit with Alice and Frank today. “How’s it been with your patients today?” he asked her. He ran into Cho fairly often at St. Mungo’s; she had a much happier job, generally, than the Healers who worked with his parents.

He held up a worn book. “I read this to my parents today. Apparently my mum read this to me when she was pregnant with me. Kinda heavy reading for you know, a baby...” He looked bemused. His parents were really amazing, really interesting people. He could only imagine what it would have been like to have friends round at theirs, growing up. Because they had been so interconnected with their community, he had the fortune to keep learning bits and pieces about their lives before their torture. At the same time, sometimes it really seemed like his parents were strangers he’d never met at all.

[nevillel]

oflcvenders​:

“Even if it’s about something ridiculous,” She continued. “Sometimes the world is so serious, complaining about the menial things makes everything feel a bit more normal, puts it all in perspective. To me, at least.” As much as Lavender tried to take joy in the little things, sometimes she just couldn’t, but getting annoyed at little issues, giving them time and then moving on, was a good way to centre herself. It showed just how lucky she was now, all things considered.

“No,” Lavender began, shaking her head. “Not like you’re thinking, not like Sybill.” It was a fair assumption, one Lavender had heard before, but not necessarily an accurate one. “So there’s being a seer, having prophecies and the like, I can’t do that. I’m just particularly good at interpreting things. Cards mostly, but tea leaves, or the planets, they all have meanings. And… I’m rambling now, aren’t I?” She asked with a chuckle. “See! Just because we aren’t Hermione Granger doesn’t mean we aren’t smart.” She pointed out, before wincing and adding. “I don’t mean that in a bitchy way either, I promise. I just mean- well you know how she was. You don’t have to be the top of the class to be intelligent, that’s all.”

Neville considered that for a moment. “Yeah--all right, I can see that. You know what gets me, then? The cobblestones in front of my flower-shop! I swear they’ve broken toes.” It was a little cathartic to complain about something small, he decided, when the rest was too big to face.

He listened carefully when Lavender delineated the differences in her own ability and Professor Trelawney’s. “Oh. Right, okay. Well, it seems to me like you can do a lot. And that intuition’s as important as anything.” He gave a bit of an awkward laugh and shrug. Yeah. He did know how Hermione was. He didn’t want to bad-mouth a friend, though, and he didn’t even really consider it a fault. She was always just a hard act to follow. He could agree on Lavender with that much, if that was what she had been intending to say. 

“No, I know what you mean. If everyone was good at the same things, we wouldn’t get a lot done. Takes people who can read big books but also people who can read tea leaves and soil colors, yeah?”

[nevillel]

ofmccnlight​:

         𝚜𝚑𝚎  𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚍  𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚙  by  from  the  corner  of  her  eye  and  smiles  to  herself  as  neville  gets  them  to  safety  .  sometimes  , she  let  herself  get  carried  off  with  the  clouds  on  purpose  .  she  liked  to  remind  herself  of  that  feeling  every  so  often  ,  the  one  from  during  the  war  .  the  one  where  she  would  throw  herself  into  open  sky  and  know  ,  with  bone-shaking  certainty  ,  that  neville  and  ginny  would  be  there  to  catch  her  in  the  end  .  her  head  may  float  away  and  drag  the  rest  of  her  with  it  ,  but  neville  would  be  sure  too  hold  on  tight  to  her  legs  and  keep  her  anchored  . 

            ❝  you’d  be  extraordinary  as  well  !  i  don’t  doubt  it  . ❞  once  ,  she  had  called  a   boy  exceptionally  ordinary  .  but  this  is  not  the  same  boy  and  they  do  not  have  the  same  troubles  hounding  their  steps  .  neville  has  ALWAYS  had  more  talent  than  there  were  plants  in  his  shop  and  not  nearly  enough  people  to  remind  him  of  it  .  it  was  her  least  favorite  thing  about  him  .  ❝  a  lawn  does  seem  unnecessary  when  you  take  into  account  that  they  don’t  actually  stay  on  it  for  the  most  part  .  we  should  start  a  petition  .  a  campaign  for  nicer  quidditch  pitches  .  and  perhaps  a  net  .  to  protect  the  plants  ,  of  course  ,  but  really  that  just  seems  more  sensible  than  anything  . ❞

            she  flashes  another  smile  ,  bright  and  easy  .  smiles  always  came  easier  with  good  company  .  ❝  that  could  be  another  reading  of  an  elephant  ,  i  supposed  .  ❞  she  laughs ,  tinkling  like  chimes  and  gone  with  the  wind  ,    and  holds  a  hand  out  towards  neville  .  ❝  mind  leading  the  way  ?  i  have  to  admit  that  i  don’t  have  a  clue  where  we’re  supposed  to  go  . ❞

Neville just smiled in response to the compliment. He could always count on Luna to be offhanded in her affirmations in a way that nevertheless meant so much. “Dunno, a net almost seems against the spirit of Quidditch, doesn’t it?” The violence of the game was somewhat alarming. “Or anything sensible, really. There’s a reason I barely get on brooms even now...” The lessons with Alicia were going all right, but he definitely wasn’t going to reach the heights of the professional players.

It was hard not to laugh with Luna, and he took her hand easily to pull her towards their seats. “And here I was going to trust your sense of direction...How do you not get lost in the jungles?” he teased her. Sometimes he did wish he went adventuring like Luna did, but the pull of home was strong as well.

[nevillel]

ofenchantment​:

“ right ? and thank you, subtle but not too subtle.” cassia appreciates the compliment she had worked hard on the eyeshadow, almost not going with it but decided why not ? “ me too, i wasn’t expecting it either.” she has to admit, but she doesn’t regret it in the slightest even if it’s just for seeing friendly and familiar faces. “ that’s great to hear, nev. and work’s been long i’ve been picking up a few extra shifts here and there. but i’m good ! enjoying my day off and the excitement. and my mum’s are well, thank you, and you did ? i’ll have to keep an eye out then.”

“It’s great, honestly. Better than a tacky t-shirt,” he said with a shake of the head. “I’ve seen some interesting homemade ones.” Neville nodded when she mentioned the extra shifts. “Don’t work too hard, yeah? And let me know if you want to get lunch sometime or something, you know I’m--around pretty often.” A lift of the shoulder. The long-term wards sometimes got more visits around the fall and winter months, Neville thought, but he went to see his mum and dad year-round.

[nevillel]

avalcn​:

    “Oh, but can’t you see what could have been? Neville Longbottom in the dungeon common room looking out into the darkness of the Black Lake, decked out in silver and green. There are all kinds of fascinating plants down there, you know? But no matter that, our time at Hogwarts has come and gone. Anyways, I’m always gonna say the Harpies have it  –  life long fan and all  –  but I definitely think that it’ll be an interestin’ game to say the least. Not the match up I expected, at all, but I’m always excited for those type’a games. If the Canons win this, I will literally eat my hat,” for dramatic effect, Avalon pointed aggressively at her green Harpies hat.

“Your mind is a scary, scary place, Avalon,” said Neville with a shake of the head. “Oh, I actually went diving with Professor Sprout down to the bottom of the lake--there are some amazing plants. Didn’t get close to the Slytherin Common Room, though. We’d have given the students a bit of a scare.” And maybe the grin at that prospect was a little Slytherin, or as close as Neville could ever get. He eyed the hat and how aggressively she pointed. He blinked. “Somehow, coming from you, I don’t doubt that. Let’s hope even harder that the Harpies win...” 

[nevillel]

oflcvenders​:

She could see his face drop, and Lavender immediately regretted reacting so visually. She hadn’t meant to make Neville feel bad. “Maybe you’re right.” She admitted, but Lavender often felt as though she had to keep everything bottled up. It hadn’t always been that way, at school Lav had been an open book, but now? “Thanks, Neville. Really. Same for you, if you ever need a chat, my door is always open.”

“There was always something… odd about him.” Lavender replied, wincing in a similar manner. Personally, Professor Moody had always given her the creeps, she’d always assumed it was the eye, but in hindsight perhaps she’d had the right idea all along. “Don’t be silly. You would have found your way. We all find something that we’re good at in the end, you shouldn’t credit your success to him.”

“I appreciate that,” Neville said genuinely. “Might have to take you up on it.” He tucked his hands into his pockets as he looked back at Lavender. He’d always admired her emotional openness back in school; it was one of the many things spoiled by war, he supposed. She didn’t seem too unhappy now at least.

“You do have the...eye? The sight?” Clearly not Neville’s area of expertise. Ask him about Mandrakes instead. “Well, yeah. I mean, Professor Sprout did a lot for me as well.” He’d rather missed Lavender’s point about crediting other people with his own success. He was generally more confident these days--but he still had his self-doubt here and there.

[nevillel]

Neville winced at his volume, but he was too giddy off the Harpies’ victory to be really bothered. “Yeah, I’m having a great time!” he agreed. “Me neither, honestly. We all really needed this win.” He squinted at Dennis’s statement that he could use another drink, then lifted a shoulder. “I can fight my way up front!” The place had turned into a complete crush of people. “What do you want? Beer?” Weak beer was all Neville had been drinking, which probably was why he hadn’t toppled over yet. Then again, while he didn’t drink much, he was, due to some quirk of genetics (probably--he’d seen Gran knock them back), no lightweight.

“neville!” dennis cried out, having to yell in order to be heard over the crowd celebrating the harpies’ victory. “isn’t this so amazing?” he commented, still shouting despite being close enough to throw his arms around the older male. “i’m having so much fun! i don’t remember the last time i had this much fun!” he continued to ramble, only pausing long enough to take a sip of the drink in his hand. “are you having fun? do you need another drink? i could use another drink,” he laughed. @nevillel​ 

[nevillel]

6 months of nox: one final thought!

i love that this group is going stronger than ever and growing in new directions !  this volume of characters in and of itself is so impressive. this event has been so fun and has reaffirmed everything i’ve loved abt nox and gotten me intrigued by new possibilities, too. have really enjoyed all the threads i’ve had so far with this event. here’s to 6 more! 

[nevillel]

qviddiitch​:

for someone so desperate to convey that he was having a good time, oliver was doing a piss poor job of selling himself. “i don’t know what you’re talking about,” he was quick to argue, his eyes narrowing slightly as he willed himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm down. in all, he was acting like someone trying to convince himself that everything was fine. he’d get over it, eventually, but whether that occurred before the match was doubtful. “i’m uh, not sure,” he admitted with a small shrug, “i’d like to see ginny win,” he admitted, his problems with the harpies steamed from several disputes on the pitch, something he didn’t feel the needed to get into. 

“‘Course you don’t, Oliver,” Neville said, clapping him on the shoulder. He had been intimidated by his intensity in school--and in that had failed to realize how completely ridiculous he could be sometimes. “Yeah, that’s where I’m at as well. Gryffindor’s had some amazing players come out over the years. Almost makes me want to put on the red and gold again.” He probably didn’t have the same level of Quidditch nostalgia as Oliver--who did?--but he felt some all the same.