《Thorn | Neville Longbottom》Chapter 23: Friends

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As Briar was wandering through Hogsmeade to find a carriage back to Hogwarts, she bumped into someone and cursed under her breath.

She blinked in surprise when she realized that the person she had run into was Neville. She chuckled, "Wow, we've really got to stop meeting like this."

Neville's cheeks flushed as he murmured, "Ah, I'm sorry. It's my fault."

Briar shook her head vehemently and promised, "No, no. I wasn't looking where I was going either... I didn't know you came here today. Have you been having fun?"

Neville shyly smiled at her and held up his Honeyduke's bag. He admitted, "I was craving some sweets."

Briar grinned at him and looked down at the brightly colored bag.

He glanced down at the bag too before looking up at Briar with round eyes as he hesitantly asked, "Would you ever want to share them with me?"

"Oh, I don't want to eat your sweets! You bought those for yourself!" Briar protested, but she really wanted to accept. She couldn't remember the last time she had had sweets.

Neville giggled, "Nonsense! Sweets are much more fun to eat with a friend."

Briar beamed and nodded. "Yeah, we are friends, aren't we?"

He nodded. He then straightened and said, "I saw a bench over there; we could go sit and eat them!"

Grinning widely at Neville's enthusiasm, Briar nodded her head and began to follow him over to the bench while he rambled, "So, I don't know what sweets you like, but I have many different kinds, so hopefully I got the ones you like." He turned to look at her with his bottom lip jutting out at the thought of not getting anything she liked.

Briar noticed and immediately chirped, "I'm sure I'll like some! I haven't tried all that many sweets though, so most will be new to me."

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"You haven't tried many sweets?" He turned to her with jaw dropped and quickly blinking eyes.

"I think I've only tried the salt water taffy actually," Briar admitted, her hands twisting awkwardly in front of her.

The only times she could even recall eating candy were when her mom would sneak her some taffy when she was able to get to Hogsmeade without Briar's father noticing. He hated sweets and thought it that they were a waste of money. This always upset Briar as a child. They had no shortage of money, much like the Malfoy's, but she believed now as a teenager that her father was just bent on stealing every last drop of joy and childhood from Briar. He wanted her to be just like him.

Monstrous, manipulative, and powerful.

After seeing what he did to her mother, Briar realized that she never wanted to be like him, and she would never use her power for evil like he did.

So, when Briar plopped onto the bench beside Neville and accepted the first candy from him, she grinned at the feeling of defiance. She was doing exactly what her father would hate, and that's how she knew that it was the right thing.

Neville had reached in and pulled something out of his bag. He wondered, "So you've never had a chocolate frog before?"

She shook her head and confessed, "No, but I've always wanted to try them. Father likes chocolate cake, so I have had chocolate before, but not chocolate candies."

He had a small smile on his face as he placed a small box into her hands. Briar looked down at it and studied the package. She noticed Neville's hopeful expression, so she opened up the box and took a bite.

She blinked in surprise at how good it tasted. She looked to Neville with a wide grin and cheered around her mouthful, "Delicious!"

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Neville proudly smiled and began to fish around in his bag for something else. Briar finished the chocolate and tugged her legs up underneath her while she waited for Neville to find what he was looking for.

As she waited, she slowly scanned his outfit. He was wearing a clean pair of trousers and a puffy coat over his shirt because of the cold starting to set into the Hogsmeade air. His brown hair was growing long on top and was flopping into his eyes slightly as his head was dipped down to scan the contents of his bag.

Briar nearly reached out to brush his hair back for him but stopped herself when she realized that she was starting to lift her hand. She widened her eyes and dropped her hands to her lap, embarrassed over what she almost did.

Neville finally tugged out a box and cheered, "Oh, you have to try these! They're called Every Flavor Beans. Some are good, some are...not, but it's fun to eat them with a friend." He excitedly placed the box of them into Briar's hands.

She carefully opened the lid and fished one of them out. She placed it in her mouth and chewed cautiously, but when she tasted something sweet and delicious a moment later, she widely grinned. She plucked another one out and turned to Neville. With a child-like smile, she commanded, "Open your mouth." She raised her hand with the jellybean and turned towards him.

He turned pink and stammered, "Wha-what?"

Briar bit her cheek and looked away as she stumbled over her words, "Oh, I just thought that...other people seem to...throw candy in each other's mouths for fun...Merlin, that sounds so stupid..."

Neville immediately jumped and put his hand on hers. He protested, "No, no! I'm sorry. Yes, let's do that!"

Tingles spread up Briar's hand from the place where their hands connected.

Her eyes remained locked on his hand, and Neville realized, with a blush, what he had done. He pulled away, and Briar wished she hadn't stared at it. She missed the feeling of his soft palm resting on the back of her hand. Her skin felt cold without the warmth of his touch, and she wished she had a time-turner.

Following her own train of thought made her mouth slowly fall open in realization.

Her roommates were right.

She fancied a tall, shy, clumsy Gryffindor boy who loved plants and made her smile constantly, even on her worst days when smiling was the last thing she wanted to do, and yet it took her years to realize that all the signs pointed to him.

It was always him.

———

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