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Neville stared at the jewel-encrusted blade in his hand, the goblin-wrought silver glinting in the dim light filtering into the front courtyard. The sword showed no wear and tear; had he not been the one to do it, he wouldn't have believed it to be responsible for destroying Voldemort's final Horcrux.
He'd felt the weight of the pommel in his hands as he'd swung, felt the drag of the blade as it bit into the serpent's flesh. Once the blow had been struck, the creature known as Nagini had ceased to exist. The snake had crumbled into dust, blowing away on the wind – much like the Dark Lord himself.
The young Gryffindor breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the thought, focusing his attention on the sword in his hands. To think that it had just appeared in the Sorting Hat in the middle of all that madness!
"The sword of Godric Gryffindor," a voice behind him said softly. "Will always appear to aid one who is a true Gryffindor."
Turning in his seat, Neville's eyes widened as Harri settled herself on the bench beside him. The brunette wore a borrowed Gryffindor uniform without the standard red vest and blazer, her white shirt tails hanging freely over the dark pleated skirt. There were no socks on her feet, but she wore the same beat up trainers she'd worn upon her arrival back to the school. She more than likely had just come from one of the remaining showers, as her hair was slightly damp and she smelled faintly of lavender soap. He had to resist the urge to breathe it in deeply as she seated herself down beside him.
"Hey," she greeted, a small smile on her lips.
"Hey," he said back. He glanced at the ruined archway leading back into the building briefly before bringing his attention back to her face. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"
"I saw them in the Common Room last," she answered. "Thought they could use some alone time."
"How about you?" he asked. She tilted her head questioningly. "Did you need some alone time?"
"No, no…" Uncertainty entered her green eyes. "Am I bothering you…?"
"No!" he exclaimed, shaking his head wildly. "Not at all!" He started to reach out to her, but thought better of it, keeping his hold on the sword instead. "I'm happy to see you…"
That small smile returned. "I'm happy to see you, too, Nev…"
He felt his face grow warm, but said nothing. The two of them sat in comfortable silence, simply watching the clouds roll by. After a few minutes, Neville turned to study the girl beside him, frowning thoughtfully at the myriad of emotions flickering across her face.
"Harri," he called out softly. "Are you alright?"
She closed her eyes, letting out a quiet breath. "I don't know…" she admitted quietly.
Neville felt a stab of worry. What if there had been some lingering effects from the battle that they were still unaware of? Setting the sword to the side, he quickly rose to his feet. "Do you need anything?" he asked urgently. "Better yet, I'll go get Madam Pomfrey—"
"No, wait!" A slim hand on his arm held him in place. Neville jolted, turning back to her in confusion. "It's okay…"
"Are you sure?" he asked. "Do you want Hermione and Ron?"
She shook her head. "I'm okay," she said. "Really…" She paused, chuckling lightly. "It's stupid really…"
"No, it's not." He insisted. He sat back down once again, turning to face her. "You can tell me… if you want…"
Harri hesitated, a rosy flush settling across her cheeks. "It's just so hard to believe that it's over, y'know?" she murmured softly. "I kinda feel weird… It's like I've been carrying this heavy boulder all these years, and now it's gone…" She paused, her damp bangs falling into her eyes. A pale, bandaged hand came to rest over her heart. "...But I can still kinda feel it…"
Neville remained silent, unsure of what to say. Just hours ago he'd destroyed a Horcrux; what could he do to make this better? Gathering his courage, he reached out over his lap and touched her hand, offering silent comfort. His fingers tingled at the contact, bringing him to remember the last time he'd held her hand.
Together they'd stood alone in one of the empty hallway, their heart heavy at the death toll from the last assault on the castle. The enemy had given their ultimatum and everyone was certain that they were all going to die. Looking at the brunette standing in front of him, Neville had been certain that she would do everything in her power to prevent that – even if it meant that her life was forfeit.
There had been so much he wanted to say to her in that moment, so many things that had nothing to do with their current predicament. Even if they all were standing on the brink of annihilation, he had been just so damned happy to see her, to know that she was still alive and well after all these months of silence. And while he knew that she felt the same, he could see the despair in her eyes, the burden of her destiny threatening to drag her down. He knew she had a mission that she was determined to see through to the end, but he couldn't stand idly by while she resigned herself to her fate...
Of course, there'd been no time to convince her of this. So he had kissed her.
And she'd kissed him back.
The brunette stared at their hands for several moments in silence, her expression thoughtful. Was she remembering that moment as well, he wondered? He wanted to ask her, but before he could open his mouth, her green eyes were focused on him again. "Hey, Nev…?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask a favor of you?"
He blinked a few moments before nodding. "Sure," he said. "Anything."
The brunette blushed and then smiled, leaning towards him until her head came to rest against his shoulder. She let out another quiet sigh. "I'd like to stay here for a while," she said. "Just like this. For little while, I want to be just Harri."
Neville's lips quirked slightly at the thought of the brunette being 'just' anything; she was far too extraordinary for that. Still, he understood what she meant by her request. He lifted his free arm, resting his hand gently on her shoulder in a loose embrace.
In response, the brunette snuggled deeper into his side. "Thanks, Neville," she said softly.
"Anything for you, Harri," he responded. "Anything at all."