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Tweak says, "Ja, for sure, from Sweden...."

Neville Longbottom (whatgenus) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-10-31 13:06:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 01 2003, character: dean thomas, character: neville longbottom, character: seamus finnigan

Who: Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan ( and possibly JFF later on )
What: Neville doesn't think it's fair for his friends to find out from a newspaper.
Where: The Thomas-Finnigan residence.
When: Saturday, 1 November 2003 4:15 AM
Rating: PG?

Leaving Rook Cottage had to have been the hardest thing that Neville had ever done in his whole life. Really, he wanted to stay there and just let the shock take him over. There was little time to process the events of that night, and it was unfortunate that he didn't have time to mourn someone he considered a mentor and a friend. Harry Potter had been both of those things and more to Neville, and it was because of his respect for him that he found it necessary to tell their friends in person.

Everything from the moment Gaskin had informed them all of what happened, to now was a complete blur. Neville had sent Luna a patronus for the second time in as many nights. He had told her first, figuring it would be harder to leave if what waited after her was going back to the Ministry. He hugged her and promised to find whoever did this before forcing himself to leave.

The second, and last, stop was to visit Dean and Seamus in Blackpool. The list of people he had to tell wasn't particularly long, but it would have been an insult to Harry's memory for them to find out from anyone that wasn't himself or Ron. Taking a deep breath, Neville cast another patronus.

"Get up. I'm coming over. I have something important to tell you. This can't wait until morning. Neville," he said to the bear and sent it on its way. For a moment, Neville paused, wondering how he was going to get through the night. He would figure that out after talking to his friends. With one last glance at Rook Cottage in the distance, he began his journey to Blackpool. Once on the doorstep of his friend's house, he waited behind the door.

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firewaterburn
2011-10-31 05:50 pm UTC (link)

It wasn't every night that Seamus was woken up by a great, glowing polar bear, but he supposed it was better than a terrifying dream. Or maybe not, he thought as the grogginess quickly left him at Neville's somber words coming out of the bear's mouth. Seamus nudged Dean just to make sure he was awake, that they both were.

Neville was on his way with important news and they needed to be at least presentable. Seamus threw on a t-shirt and sweatpants, murmuring as his head emerged from the fabric, "You think we should wake Justin?"

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artisgratia
2011-10-31 06:03 pm UTC (link)

Dean had come awake with a start when the bear appeared, his heart racing. But it wasn't another nightmare or vision, just Neville's Patronus. However that didn't settle his mind. He caught Seamus's hand, kissed his knuckles and sat up. He dressed just as quickly and glanced in the direction of the spare bedroom Justin was sleeping in.

He shook his head. "Not yet at least. He had a rough night," Dean replied. the look on his face was concerned though. Justin had hinted at a fight between him, Ernie, and Hannah, which was unheard of, and he was pretty drunk. Not is the fun happy way.

Whatever it was Neville was coming to say, though also concerned him. It wasn't like him to send a Patronus message or drop by in the wee hours of the morning.

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whatgenus
2011-10-31 06:59 pm UTC (link)

Neville paced around the front door of the house for what seemed to him like ever. At four o'clock in the morning, he realized, time seemed to go by impossibly slow. For the first time since he had left the Ministry, the cold hit him and he pulled the collar of his coat up. After a glance at his watch, he knocked on the front door, certain that that had been enough time for the patronus to wake them and for them to get dressed.

While they came to the door, he thought about how he was going to tell them, or what he would say, rather. They had all shared the same dorm for so many years, and even though they all had their quirks, they were considered family to Neville. The brothers he never had, and never really asked for to begin with. He sighed, lost in his own head when he looked up at the sound of the door clicking. It was just in time to keep him from thinking something terribly selfish.

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firewaterburn
2011-10-31 07:40 pm UTC (link)

Seamus agreed that it was probably best to leave Justin sleeping. He'd had a rough night and he doubted whatever Neville was coming to tell them would make it any better. The thought made Seamus frown with worry as he followed Dean out of their bedroom. Maybe whatever Neville had to say wasn't bad, just...really, really serious.

They didn't have to wait to find out, though, as there was knock at the front door. Seamus got to it first and wasn't at all surprised to see Neville waiting on their front step when the door opened. "Come on in, mate. You look like shite." He tried for a light tone and a smile, but both fell a bit flat at the look on Neville's face. "What's wrong?"

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artisgratia
2011-10-31 07:43 pm UTC (link)

Dean stepped back a bit behind Seamus to let Neville in. "Seamus has a point, mate you look like you've had a rough night too. Need a spot of tea?" Really Dean almost offered something stronger just based on the look on Neville's face.

His concern suddenly deepened. He hoped that he was wrong but he had a very bad feeling about what Neville had come here to tell them. "Either way, come in already and have a seat, yeah?"

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whatgenus
2011-10-31 07:53 pm UTC (link)

He shook his head. Neville was most certainly not a drinker, though it was by choice, not experience. As he walked into the house he couldn't help the sigh that escaped him as he looked down. He was confused, and angry, and sad all at the same time. Never having been one to be able to hide his emotions well, he was certain his two friends could guess what he had to say was no good at all.

"I don't have much time," he said through a raspy voice, and cleared his throat. "I have to get back to work, actually. The thing is, I. Maybe you should sit down for this."

The fact that Neville had mentioned work wouldn't have otherwise been much of a surprise, he seemed to live at work most days. But today? The word tasted awful in his mouth. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head again. The paper was probably having a field day with this at that exact moment.

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firewaterburn
2011-10-31 08:10 pm UTC (link)

Seamus had only ever seen Neville this grim during the war. But never had he looked like the life had been wrung out of him. Whatever he had to say was going to be really, really bad, Seamus knew, and there was a cold ball of dread growing in his chest.

For once, he didn't argue. Grasping Dean's hand tight, he pulled him to the sofa and tugged him down to sit. But Seamus didn't let go of his hand. "Out with it, Neville." His voice sounded strange to his own ears.

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artisgratia
2011-10-31 08:14 pm UTC (link)

Dean didn't say a word. He simply let Seamus pull him down to the couch, his worried eyes on Neville. Every second just made that cold dread get worse, and Dean knew what Neville was about to tell them was far worse than they'd imagined when his Patronus first showed up.

So he just waited, his throat tight, his eyes dark with worry, and his hand wrapped tight in Seamus's.

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whatgenus
2011-11-01 04:28 am UTC (link)

Neville took a deep breath and opened his mouth to tell his friends what happened, but nothing came out. It had been a long time since he had been this nervous, and truthfully, he hadn't missed it in the slightest. For a moment, Neville couldn't help but open and close his mouth like a fish, the words simply didn't know how to form themselves.

"I," he stuttered a few times as he glanced from Seamus to Dean, and back before pursing his lips. "There was... an accident." Whether it was really an accident or a cold blooded murder, Neville wasn't entirely sure. And given how quickly Zacharias had fled from Hogwarts during the battle, he highly doubted he had it in him to actually murder someone. "I really wish I didn't have to say this, but I didn't want you to find out from the paper. Because it's going make the front page."

The knot in Neville's throat grew and he swallowed hard, the knot going up and down as he did so. Those Hit Wizards that delivered this news on a daily basis? He had no idea how they ever managed to do it. He averted his eyes for a moment, eyebrows knitting together. The more he said the words, the less they seemed true.

"Harry's dead," he said at last, looking back to meet their eyes.

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firewaterburn
2011-11-01 07:55 am UTC (link)

With each hesitant word Neville spoke, the less Seamus wanted to hear what he was going to say. It wasn't just going to be bad, he knew, it was going to be truly terrible.

The reality was so much worse.

Harry's dead. The two quiet words seemed so loud, lingering in the crushing silence that followed. They pushed the very air from Seamus's lungs in a rush and his hand clutched tight at Dean's. Seamus had to swallow hard twice past the sudden lump in his throat, and even then his voice came out as a croak. "No. It can't...He can't be..." But Neville would never be mistaken about something like this. He would be damn sure about it before saying anything. "How? What happened?"

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artisgratia
2011-11-01 10:44 am UTC (link)

The rash of dreams going around lately had been awful, to say the least, but suddenly dean found himself wishing this were one, because there was no was the words that just came out of Neville's mouth could be true.

He stared, his mouth open, his hand tightening in Seamus's. He wanted to doubt; he wanted to say this couldn't be true, but the look on Neville's face made it all too real. He echoed Seamus, then added, "Hell, when did this happen? He was just at the gala a few hours ago, wasn't he?"

Obviously it had to have happened sometime in the last few hours, but Dean couldn't begin to process that. The words just repeated themselves over and over in his head, in Neville's somber tone. Harry's dead, Harry's dead, Harry's dead. All the sitting down in the world could not have prepared him for those words.

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whatgenus
2011-11-02 02:05 am UTC (link)

"I can't discuss it yet, it's an ongoing investigation," Neville answered the question that Seamus asked first. They didn't have much to go on, the evidence seemed fishy at best, and their only suspect? Well, Neville highly doubted he could do such a thing. As far as Dean's question, he nodded and looked down somberly. "That's where it happened. At the Ministry. I knew it was a bad idea to invite that kind of trouble in."

But that was done now, and Harry was dead. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty, right? He sighed and looked at anything he could on the floor to avoid looking at his friends. It was much harder to do, though he managed for a few seconds. As tired as he was, and as shocked, Neville couldn't just let that take over. This was personal now, and whoever had done this was going to have to face the legal consequences.

"I should get back to work... I'm on the Harry case, so I promise to do everything in my power to find out who did this. Mostly, I just didn't want you two to have to read it from the paper. Luna knows, and Ron's probably told Hermione by now. Hopefully he'll tell Ginny and his mum before the paper do."

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firewaterburn
2011-11-03 07:40 pm UTC (link)

Seamus knew the rage Neville's words sparked in him was irrational. It was under investigation. Harry might have been a friend, but Seamus knew he was only a regular citizen and anything Neville said could compromise the case. So he bit back the angry words that wanted to spill out, jaw clenched as the anger warred with the grief for a long moment before he finally got out, "Thanks for coming to tell us in person, Neville. It...it means a lot."

Seamus rubbed his free hand over his face. The first sting of tears was threatening, but he couldn't let himself cry, not yet. "I know you'll find whoever did this. I know you will." It was the only light left on an otherwise dark morning.

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artisgratia
2011-11-03 07:47 pm UTC (link)

Dean automatically pulled Seamus close, but he wasn't sure if it was for Seamus's comfort or his own. Probably both. "We'll let you go then," he replied simply, not really trusting himself to think about the message Neville had just brought.

Dean wasn't sure if Neville had to break or bend any rules to do it, but it was appreciated. He would not have wanted to see that horror splashed across the front page of the Prophet with no warning. Not that the warning made it any easier to swallow. He couldn't imagine having to share the news with Harry's loved ones, and he felt for Ginny. How would he feel if someone had to come tell him Seamus- no he didn't even want to think about it, but he did knew he'd have to call on Ginny later, and hope she was doing as best as could be expected.

Dean's eyes were stinging with the effort to keep tears back. He could be sensitive sometimes, but he didn't want to dissolve into a crying jag just then. "Yeah, thanks mate, for telling us before it hit the papers."

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	whatgenus 2011-11-07 02:00 pm UTC (link)
	"Of course," he nodded in reply and sighed. "I'm sorry, I wish I could stay, but... well, you know. If you need anything, send word." Neville looked down and popped out of the house before he could say anything else. This wasn't what he wanted to spend his morning doing, but it did need to be done. Now he had to get back to work. (Reply to this) (Parent)