Remus and Neville Genfic
Saturday, 19 November 2005 09:39![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
krisomniacAuthor ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
krislaughs
Title: No Good Deed
Summary: Neville, a lake, an unfortunate anniversary, a little gift, and a venomous tentacula.
Characters: Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin
Ships: none, GENFic!
Author's Note: This came out of the ether and to the ether it shall return. No. Really. The title makes reference to a longer arc of a story that will likely never see the light of day.
No Good Deed
Neville Longbottom sat by the water's edge, pulling shavings off of a twig between his fingers. He flipped the pieces one by one into the lake and watched the ripples fade on its surface. Snap. Peel. Toss. The sounds cut the still, cold air. A stiff breeze, heralding a winter that loomed just around the seasonal corner, scattered dead leaves on the shore.
Neville pretended not to shiver as the lengthening shadows spilled across the grounds. It was his favourite time, sunset. He set his jaw and resolved to enjoy it, even today.
Slowly he let out his breath, hugged his cloak tighter about him, and threw the last pieces of stick into the water. Something dark was gliding along the far shore, and Neville felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle until the thing was swallowed by the shadows on the bank. He should go inside. He was going to lose more points for Gryffindor if anyone saw him out here. Damp from the icy lake crept into his shoes and between his toes. The ground was nearly frozen, and something more than cold was waiting for him to wander just a little farther away from the castle. He knew he should go back, but he didn't move. Not today.
There was a distant knocking of wooden broomsticks, a dull thud, and a peal of laughter. The brisk air carried raucous sounds from the Quidditch pitch all the way to the lake. He wondered which team was practicing, then decided it didn't matter.
It sounded like they were having fun.
The sun sank lower, lingering over the edges of the Forbidden forest, playing on the tops of bare branches. Neville watched its retreat. The autumn dusk would last a while longer.
He reached into his pocket and wasn't surprised to find Trevor nestled inside. Trevor rubbed his slimy nose against Neville's hand, and Neville almost smiled. Wayward though he was, Trevor kept track of the important things.
His wand was in his pocket, too. Neville pulled it out, and the wand caught the last golden-red rays of sunlight on its polished surface. He considered casting a spell, something shiny and loud, fireworks or a haunting dirge. But nothing happened. No magic words rose to his lips, though several small birds flew from a nearby tree. Somewhere on the grounds, a crow cawed. Its harsh voice carried over the forest.
"Neville?"
Neville jumped, heart lodged somewhere between his tongue and tonsils. Not only had he been discovered, but he'd been found by a teacher. He dreaded to see the expression on Professor Lupin's face. Instead, he stared hard at the lake, hurried to straighten his robes, and tried to invent a good excuse for being out after hours, especially now, with the Azkaban guards watching the school.
"It's alright." Lupin placed a steady hand on Neville's shoulder. "I was out here to... look for something. I didn't mean to frighten you."
Neville looked up into the smiling face of his favourite professor. "I wasn't scared," Neville said quickly. "Just-- I didn't hear you coming."
The wind had flushed Lupin's cheeks and his eyes were overbright. "Lost in thought?" he asked.
Neville shrugged and dug his toe into the ground. He slipped his wand back alongside the toad in his pocket.
"What about?" Lupin asked quietly, then smiled at Neville's surprise. "I apologise. You needn't tell me." His brow was furrowed as he looked at Neville expectantly. It took Neville a moment to identify the expression as concern.
Neville picked at the hem of his robe. "Nothing." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "I-- I was just thinking about my grandfather."
Lupin didn't say anything but stared out over the barren treetops, as though counting the seconds of daylight remaining. He looked back towards the castle.
"I'll go back inside," Nevile added. "I didn't mean to be out so late anyway. Please don't take any points from Gryffindor?"
Lupin smiled and said hoarsely, "I've no doubt you can take care of yourself." He studied Neville again in the growing darkness. "How long ago did you lose him?"
"Th- three years," Neville replied. "Three years ago today."
"I'm sorry," Lupin said. The crow called again, closer this time. Neville could no longer hear voices from the pitch. He felt lightheaded, like another Neville was in his body today. He heard Lupin asking if he wanted to talk. He heard the not-Neville open its mouth.
"No. It's just that, I didn't want to be around all the others, you know?" Lupin nodded, and Neville felt himself begin to relax. He released the cuff he'd been twining in his fingers and found himself talking easily. "I just wish there was something I could do. I found him, when he died, not Gran. She was making dinner. I went to get him in the garden. He worked in the garden every day. The leaves were covering his flowers. He had been out there cleaning them up. He used to let me help sometimes. I was going to get him for dinner. I just... He was just there. In the flowers. If I'd gone out earlier like she told me too, or if I'd been helping him, then maybe... They weren't even blooming anymore. There was just a pile of leaves. I just wish there was something I could do. I can't even take care of his garden while I'm here and Gran—she was never— It's been three years, and I'd like to do something for him. That's all."
Now it was Lupin who looked surprised.
After another quick glance to the horizon, he turned back to Neville.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean— you were looking— I shouldn't have been outside. Professor, do you think Sirius Black is still here? Even with the dementors patrolling the grounds?"
Lupin looked at him sharply. He took a deep breath. "I don't know. Several of my colleagues think it is foolish to search the same ground twice, but there are places that, perhaps, the dementors haven't gone." He shrugged and glanced over his shoulder.
Neville frowned at the ground and tried to count the blades of shrivelled up grass. "I didn't mean to keep you."
"It's alright." Suddenly Lupin smiled. "There's a book," he said, pulling a piece of parchment from his robes. He pointed his wand at the paper and mumbled something that Neville couldn't quite understand. Then he folded it crisply and handed the parchment over. "Chapter fifty-two, I believe, is devoted to Anniversarials. There should be one in there that fits. Professor Sprout or I will be able to help you procure one." He grinned, "Though I wouldn't recommend the One-Day Tentaculae. They can be a little hard to train."
"Thank you," Neville stammered. "I'll go back up to the castle, then."
"Would you like me to come with you?"
Neville stood up straighter and shook his head. "But Professor, you're not going to take any points for being out after dark?"
Lupin smiled again. "I won't tell if you won't," he said and winked. "Good luck!" Then he turned and strode towards the forest.
Neville watched him disappear into the shadows. He opened the little piece of parchment:
Tributaries and Topiaries: a guide to botanical bequests by Everett Green
Neville smiled and thought of the little overgrown garden behind he grandmother's house. He knew just the perfect spot – a clearing, in the centre, beside the bench where the three of them used to sit.
krislaughsTitle: No Good Deed
Summary: Neville, a lake, an unfortunate anniversary, a little gift, and a venomous tentacula.
Characters: Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin
Ships: none, GENFic!
Author's Note: This came out of the ether and to the ether it shall return. No. Really. The title makes reference to a longer arc of a story that will likely never see the light of day.
Neville Longbottom sat by the water's edge, pulling shavings off of a twig between his fingers. He flipped the pieces one by one into the lake and watched the ripples fade on its surface. Snap. Peel. Toss. The sounds cut the still, cold air. A stiff breeze, heralding a winter that loomed just around the seasonal corner, scattered dead leaves on the shore.
Neville pretended not to shiver as the lengthening shadows spilled across the grounds. It was his favourite time, sunset. He set his jaw and resolved to enjoy it, even today.
Slowly he let out his breath, hugged his cloak tighter about him, and threw the last pieces of stick into the water. Something dark was gliding along the far shore, and Neville felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle until the thing was swallowed by the shadows on the bank. He should go inside. He was going to lose more points for Gryffindor if anyone saw him out here. Damp from the icy lake crept into his shoes and between his toes. The ground was nearly frozen, and something more than cold was waiting for him to wander just a little farther away from the castle. He knew he should go back, but he didn't move. Not today.
There was a distant knocking of wooden broomsticks, a dull thud, and a peal of laughter. The brisk air carried raucous sounds from the Quidditch pitch all the way to the lake. He wondered which team was practicing, then decided it didn't matter.
It sounded like they were having fun.
The sun sank lower, lingering over the edges of the Forbidden forest, playing on the tops of bare branches. Neville watched its retreat. The autumn dusk would last a while longer.
He reached into his pocket and wasn't surprised to find Trevor nestled inside. Trevor rubbed his slimy nose against Neville's hand, and Neville almost smiled. Wayward though he was, Trevor kept track of the important things.
His wand was in his pocket, too. Neville pulled it out, and the wand caught the last golden-red rays of sunlight on its polished surface. He considered casting a spell, something shiny and loud, fireworks or a haunting dirge. But nothing happened. No magic words rose to his lips, though several small birds flew from a nearby tree. Somewhere on the grounds, a crow cawed. Its harsh voice carried over the forest.
"Neville?"
Neville jumped, heart lodged somewhere between his tongue and tonsils. Not only had he been discovered, but he'd been found by a teacher. He dreaded to see the expression on Professor Lupin's face. Instead, he stared hard at the lake, hurried to straighten his robes, and tried to invent a good excuse for being out after hours, especially now, with the Azkaban guards watching the school.
"It's alright." Lupin placed a steady hand on Neville's shoulder. "I was out here to... look for something. I didn't mean to frighten you."
Neville looked up into the smiling face of his favourite professor. "I wasn't scared," Neville said quickly. "Just-- I didn't hear you coming."
The wind had flushed Lupin's cheeks and his eyes were overbright. "Lost in thought?" he asked.
Neville shrugged and dug his toe into the ground. He slipped his wand back alongside the toad in his pocket.
"What about?" Lupin asked quietly, then smiled at Neville's surprise. "I apologise. You needn't tell me." His brow was furrowed as he looked at Neville expectantly. It took Neville a moment to identify the expression as concern.
Neville picked at the hem of his robe. "Nothing." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "I-- I was just thinking about my grandfather."
Lupin didn't say anything but stared out over the barren treetops, as though counting the seconds of daylight remaining. He looked back towards the castle.
"I'll go back inside," Nevile added. "I didn't mean to be out so late anyway. Please don't take any points from Gryffindor?"
Lupin smiled and said hoarsely, "I've no doubt you can take care of yourself." He studied Neville again in the growing darkness. "How long ago did you lose him?"
"Th- three years," Neville replied. "Three years ago today."
"I'm sorry," Lupin said. The crow called again, closer this time. Neville could no longer hear voices from the pitch. He felt lightheaded, like another Neville was in his body today. He heard Lupin asking if he wanted to talk. He heard the not-Neville open its mouth.
"No. It's just that, I didn't want to be around all the others, you know?" Lupin nodded, and Neville felt himself begin to relax. He released the cuff he'd been twining in his fingers and found himself talking easily. "I just wish there was something I could do. I found him, when he died, not Gran. She was making dinner. I went to get him in the garden. He worked in the garden every day. The leaves were covering his flowers. He had been out there cleaning them up. He used to let me help sometimes. I was going to get him for dinner. I just... He was just there. In the flowers. If I'd gone out earlier like she told me too, or if I'd been helping him, then maybe... They weren't even blooming anymore. There was just a pile of leaves. I just wish there was something I could do. I can't even take care of his garden while I'm here and Gran—she was never— It's been three years, and I'd like to do something for him. That's all."
Now it was Lupin who looked surprised.
After another quick glance to the horizon, he turned back to Neville.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean— you were looking— I shouldn't have been outside. Professor, do you think Sirius Black is still here? Even with the dementors patrolling the grounds?"
Lupin looked at him sharply. He took a deep breath. "I don't know. Several of my colleagues think it is foolish to search the same ground twice, but there are places that, perhaps, the dementors haven't gone." He shrugged and glanced over his shoulder.
Neville frowned at the ground and tried to count the blades of shrivelled up grass. "I didn't mean to keep you."
"It's alright." Suddenly Lupin smiled. "There's a book," he said, pulling a piece of parchment from his robes. He pointed his wand at the paper and mumbled something that Neville couldn't quite understand. Then he folded it crisply and handed the parchment over. "Chapter fifty-two, I believe, is devoted to Anniversarials. There should be one in there that fits. Professor Sprout or I will be able to help you procure one." He grinned, "Though I wouldn't recommend the One-Day Tentaculae. They can be a little hard to train."
"Thank you," Neville stammered. "I'll go back up to the castle, then."
"Would you like me to come with you?"
Neville stood up straighter and shook his head. "But Professor, you're not going to take any points for being out after dark?"
Lupin smiled again. "I won't tell if you won't," he said and winked. "Good luck!" Then he turned and strode towards the forest.
Neville watched him disappear into the shadows. He opened the little piece of parchment:
Tributaries and Topiaries: a guide to botanical bequests by Everett Green
Neville smiled and thought of the little overgrown garden behind he grandmother's house. He knew just the perfect spot – a clearing, in the centre, beside the bench where the three of them used to sit.
