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rarepair_shortsAuthor: [still finding their way in the labyrinth during the third task]
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myownmuggle
Title: What Makes a Hero?
Pairing: Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom
Rating: PG
Word Count: 879
Summary: Some are born to it, other rise to it, while some accidentally stumble on it. Neville never saw himself as one but Hannah starts to think otherwise.
Author's Notes: This is set just before Christmas break at Hogwarts during Deathly Hallows. Thanks to my accountant for the beta.
Once Voldemort gained power over the summer everything changed. The Dark Lord wrote new rules and rewrote old ones. By placing his Death Eaters and collaborators in positions of power, he was tightening his iron grip on the Wizarding World. One of the places that had the greatest upheaval was Hogwarts.
While the school had never been completely safe, it was still considered a haven for young witches and wizards to learn the craft. With Snape as the new Headmaster and other Death Eaters on staff, fear reigned. Voldemort had made attendance at Hogwarts mandatory; a ruse to weed out the remaining half-bloods and then mold those who remained into his obedient followers.
All anyone had to do was to look around Hogwarts and they could clearly see the changes that had happened. It was a few days before Christmas and the castle felt cold, dark, and dreary. No student dared to be outside the relative safety of their common rooms if they didn't have to be. In comparison to this same time last year, the castle had been brightly decorated and brimming with excitement for the upcoming holiday. But it held none of that now.
Sticking to the shadows as she walked swiftly through the castle corridors, she could feel the panic rise in her at every little sound. Twenty four more hours and then I'm on my way home, she told herself, trying to calm herself down. It seemed like every dark place she passed something was going to jump out at her. The fear of what could be was more dangerous than the fear of what is.
Taking a turn while her attention was turned behind her, she slammed hard in to someone coming the other way and fell to the floor. Once she recovered from the shock and impact, she quickly realized the odds of whom she could have bumped in to this late in the evening. Instinct quickly took over.
Scrambling back to her feet, she had just turned to flee and scream when the person grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth. Suddenly she felt herself being dragged into a nearby empty classroom. "Hannah, stop," a voice whispered urgently. "It's me, Neville." He hoped that he had stopped her in time and that there was no one close enough to have heard them. There was no telling if one of the Carrows or worse was prowling the halls.
With pulse still racing, Hannah's eyes quickly flickered to look at the person who had grabbed her. It was Neville, though he looked worse for wear. After a few agonizing minutes of waiting to see if anyone had heard their commotion, Neville finally released Hannah.
"You scared the life out of me," Hannah gasped as she leaned against a desk, breathing raggedly.
"Sorry," Neville said humbly. "But you need to be more careful, this place isn't safe anymore."
"What happened to you?" Hannah asked quietly as she could see the bruise and cuts on Neville's face.
Neville winced as he self consciously touched his black eye, "Detention."
Hannah looked at him curiously for a moment, noting a few other bruises and cuts that were showing. "Why do you stand up for them and just get punished when you know they wouldn't do the same."
For the first time that she could remember, Neville had a determined serious look about him. "It's what Harry would've done. It's what Harry did for me."
"You want to be a hero?"
He shook his head no. "I'll never be the hero of the story. I'm satisfied if there's some good I can do."
"Like bringing back the D.A.?"
"How did-"
"Ernie has a big mouth," she explained. "He had a bit too much Butterbeer one night."
Neville self consciously rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed a little. "We just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Like before, that was the big reason we started to begin with. If you still have your coin, Padma could modify it."
Hannah smiled shyly. "If I don't I could just nick Susan's."
"I think the coast is clear," Neville said as he listened for a moment at the door. "Do you want me to walk back with you?"
"It's not much farther," Hannah replied. "I think I can manage without alerting half the castle or giving myself a heart attack. Besides, I'm sure the great hero Neville Longbottom is needed elsewhere."
Neville tried to laugh it off, but a faint blush crept on his cheeks. "If you ask me, I'm no hero."
For a brief moment, Hannah felt relaxed and safe enough to give him a small flirtatious smile. "I didn't ask you," she told him. "Harry's a good guy, but I'm not sure he’d do everything you are."
"I think he would," Neville countered.
Hannah just shrugged as he opened the door. When she went to pass him, she paused for a moment. Leaning in, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
Stunned for a second, "What was that for?"
"It's what Ginny would've done," she teased him as she slipped out in to the hall. "Happy Christmas, Neville."
Standing in the doorway, Neville watched as Hannah made it safely to the end of the hall and then disappear around the corner. Finally, with a small smirk Neville headed off towards Gryffindor Tower.
Recipient:
myownmuggleTitle: What Makes a Hero?
Pairing: Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom
Rating: PG
Word Count: 879
Summary: Some are born to it, other rise to it, while some accidentally stumble on it. Neville never saw himself as one but Hannah starts to think otherwise.
Author's Notes: This is set just before Christmas break at Hogwarts during Deathly Hallows. Thanks to my accountant for the beta.
Once Voldemort gained power over the summer everything changed. The Dark Lord wrote new rules and rewrote old ones. By placing his Death Eaters and collaborators in positions of power, he was tightening his iron grip on the Wizarding World. One of the places that had the greatest upheaval was Hogwarts.
While the school had never been completely safe, it was still considered a haven for young witches and wizards to learn the craft. With Snape as the new Headmaster and other Death Eaters on staff, fear reigned. Voldemort had made attendance at Hogwarts mandatory; a ruse to weed out the remaining half-bloods and then mold those who remained into his obedient followers.
All anyone had to do was to look around Hogwarts and they could clearly see the changes that had happened. It was a few days before Christmas and the castle felt cold, dark, and dreary. No student dared to be outside the relative safety of their common rooms if they didn't have to be. In comparison to this same time last year, the castle had been brightly decorated and brimming with excitement for the upcoming holiday. But it held none of that now.
Sticking to the shadows as she walked swiftly through the castle corridors, she could feel the panic rise in her at every little sound. Twenty four more hours and then I'm on my way home, she told herself, trying to calm herself down. It seemed like every dark place she passed something was going to jump out at her. The fear of what could be was more dangerous than the fear of what is.
Taking a turn while her attention was turned behind her, she slammed hard in to someone coming the other way and fell to the floor. Once she recovered from the shock and impact, she quickly realized the odds of whom she could have bumped in to this late in the evening. Instinct quickly took over.
Scrambling back to her feet, she had just turned to flee and scream when the person grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth. Suddenly she felt herself being dragged into a nearby empty classroom. "Hannah, stop," a voice whispered urgently. "It's me, Neville." He hoped that he had stopped her in time and that there was no one close enough to have heard them. There was no telling if one of the Carrows or worse was prowling the halls.
With pulse still racing, Hannah's eyes quickly flickered to look at the person who had grabbed her. It was Neville, though he looked worse for wear. After a few agonizing minutes of waiting to see if anyone had heard their commotion, Neville finally released Hannah.
"You scared the life out of me," Hannah gasped as she leaned against a desk, breathing raggedly.
"Sorry," Neville said humbly. "But you need to be more careful, this place isn't safe anymore."
"What happened to you?" Hannah asked quietly as she could see the bruise and cuts on Neville's face.
Neville winced as he self consciously touched his black eye, "Detention."
Hannah looked at him curiously for a moment, noting a few other bruises and cuts that were showing. "Why do you stand up for them and just get punished when you know they wouldn't do the same."
For the first time that she could remember, Neville had a determined serious look about him. "It's what Harry would've done. It's what Harry did for me."
"You want to be a hero?"
He shook his head no. "I'll never be the hero of the story. I'm satisfied if there's some good I can do."
"Like bringing back the D.A.?"
"How did-"
"Ernie has a big mouth," she explained. "He had a bit too much Butterbeer one night."
Neville self consciously rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed a little. "We just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Like before, that was the big reason we started to begin with. If you still have your coin, Padma could modify it."
Hannah smiled shyly. "If I don't I could just nick Susan's."
"I think the coast is clear," Neville said as he listened for a moment at the door. "Do you want me to walk back with you?"
"It's not much farther," Hannah replied. "I think I can manage without alerting half the castle or giving myself a heart attack. Besides, I'm sure the great hero Neville Longbottom is needed elsewhere."
Neville tried to laugh it off, but a faint blush crept on his cheeks. "If you ask me, I'm no hero."
For a brief moment, Hannah felt relaxed and safe enough to give him a small flirtatious smile. "I didn't ask you," she told him. "Harry's a good guy, but I'm not sure he’d do everything you are."
"I think he would," Neville countered.
Hannah just shrugged as he opened the door. When she went to pass him, she paused for a moment. Leaning in, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
Stunned for a second, "What was that for?"
"It's what Ginny would've done," she teased him as she slipped out in to the hall. "Happy Christmas, Neville."
Standing in the doorway, Neville watched as Hannah made it safely to the end of the hall and then disappear around the corner. Finally, with a small smirk Neville headed off towards Gryffindor Tower.
