I expected a lot from those lessons with the Carrow's, but the one thing I did not expect was dreading the moment they would end.

On the other hand, Wren couldn't wait; She was visibly looking forward to it, probably preparing the questions she would bombard me with as soon as we brought a considerable amount of distance between us and the classroom.

Her gaze kept flickering over to me, her leg bouncing in anticipation, waiting for the sound of the bell to echo through the hallways; signalling the end of the lesson.

I was just glad Draco couldn't pester me about who I cruciated, and when I did and why I did. For now, at least, I just had to deal with Wren.

Though, that also meant I had to talk about it twice in the time span of probably a few days; which wasn't necessarily my definition of fun, either.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the loud gong of the bell, suddenly more eager than ever to get out of here. Everyone else was, too, though for very different reasons.

Mostly because of the fact a death eater was teaching this class, as well as the one before.

Arguably, Muggle studies with Alecto Carrow was worse than Dark Arts with her twin brother. The woman spewing nonsense for exactly ninety minutes straight.

It was even worse to see half the class agreeing with her bullshit.

I sat closer to the door than Wren did and therefore, was out faster, too. Unfortunately, my head-start did not grant me as much time as I had anticipated, and she caught up with me mere seconds after I stepped out of the door.

And while my pace picked up, and my steps got wider, so did hers.

"Is there something you'd like to share, Y/n?" She asked innocently, eyeing me before she looked straight ahead again like I was.

I sighed loudly, side-eyeing Wren; with a casual expression on her face, she walked beside me as her gaze flickered through the hallways, and along the empty walls, like it was her first time walking through them.

I didn't blame her; it all seemed different now without the paintings that used to decorate the hallways, without the candles flying above our heads in the great hall.

Which is precisely why I was headed outside; where not a lot had changed, honestly. The shore of the Black Lake still looked exactly the same. They couldn't smudge it with their traces of dark magic, couldn't bend nature to somehow serve their dark purposes.

It was still just as beautiful as before, the leaves on the trees starting to change into beautiful reds and browns, the sunlight glistening in the water. It seemed like an entirely different world, far from what was happening inside those halls only minutes away.

It was only a temporary relief, but it was something, at least.

Only once we had gotten outside, I looked at my best friend beside me again, swallowing thickly at the thought of the following conversation.

"I'm not quite sure what you want me to say, you know. Carrow made it quite obvious," I began, and she diverted her gaze off the grass to look at me with an eyebrow quirked.

"Well, there are a few questions popping up in my head," She retorted, sarcasm lacing her voice. "Ones like who, when, and why on earth did you never tell me?"

I scoffed, shaking my head slightly at the questions as I thought about how to tackle this best; what the best way to approach it was.

But then I thought, why bother? I wasn't quite sure why I was so set on concealing the fact that I cruciated Bellatrix LeStrange, of all people. The one witch that deserved it over all others.

After all, it was her speciality, wasn't it? To cruciate? And I gave her a taste of that sweet, sweet karma. One that, in hindsight, might have even been a bit too short.

I felt pride swell up in my chest at the thought, knowing I was powerful enough to do that to her. So, it just slipped out, then.

"Bellatrix." Her name sounded almost casual as it rolled off my tongue.

At that, Wren stopped in her tracks, no doubt eyes wide at the name. Probably the last name she expected.

But I just kept walking, and when she realised, she fastened her pace to catch up; staring at me as we silently walked further towards the black lake.

She cleared her throat. "LeStrange? Bellatrix LeStrange?"

I turned to face her, not surprised by the utterly confused expression on her face. A loud huff lingered in the air before I casually sat down in the grass.

"Yes," I affirmed, nodding as I gestured for her to sit next to me. "LeStrange."

"Fucking hell," She simply exclaimed, eyes going back to their normal size before she drifted off deep into her thoughts, looking straight ahead for a moment."Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, breaking the comfortable silence, making me focus on her words instead of the sound of the ripples breaking on the shore.

There wasn't a hint of judgement in her voice, simply sincerity and concern displaying in it.

Once more, I wondered why I didn't; concluded I didn't have a reason, really.

"Not sure," I mumbled, shrugging as my hands went to wrap around my legs, head resting on my knees. "When it happened, Sirius' dea- what happened to Sirius was still pretty fresh. I didn't want to think, never mind speak about anything related to that night."

My best friend nodded, understandingly; the motion making me go on.

"And when it got better, I guess I just wanted to forget it happened altogether?" I huffed, amusement lingering in my voice as I shook my head at my own thoughts. "Which, thinking about it now, doesn't make any sense, does it?"

She furrowed her brows at the statement, not quite sure where it was leading the conversation. I went on with a faint smirk on my lips.

"I mean, cruciating Bellatrix LeStrange? Justice doesn't get much better than that, I think," I shrugged, the thought now almost bringing me joy after what she'd done to me on that cold floor.

A singular laugh escaped Wren's mouth, her head falling onto my shoulder with a sigh, looking straight ahead over the lake again. Then, she shook her head, almost in disbelieve.

"I can't believe my best friend cruciated Bellatrix LeStrange," She admitted, amusement lingering in her voice just as much now. "That is incredible... well, incredibly twisted, too, but I like the sound of it."

Relieved by her reaction, I huffed once more. But before I could say anything else, she quickly sat up straight again, raising her finger to point it in my face as if scolding me. "Only as long as you didn't enjoy it too much, of course."

"I don't feel the particular need to do it again, if that's what you're asking," I clarified, an eyebrow raised, and she nodded, clearly pleased by my answer.

"Go on, then," She urged. "Tell me about it!"

✧·ﾟ: *✧·ﾟ:*✧

The sun hid behind grey clouds not long after. And, though Wren had left by now to meet Luna, I was still sitting at the same spot.

It was still relatively warm, even without the sun. At the very least warmer than the atmosphere would feel back in the castle.

So, I stayed as long as I could before dinner started; even considered skipping it completely. My growling stomach definitely ruined that one for me, though.

"Oh- I'm sorry." It was a familiar voice that interrupted the peace and quiet around me. It was a shy one, too; the tone in it sounding just as startled to find me here, as I was to be interrupted.

I didn't know many shy people, so at first, I didn't turn around to check who it was, and instead tried to figure it out myself.

Of course.

"Neville?" I wondered out loud as I turned around, indeed facing Neville Longbottom a few feet away from me.

"I'm sorry, I usually come here because it's the only place that still feels the same around here," The apologetic expression on his face matching the tone in his voice.

I found his words resonating with my own reasons for being here. They were pretty much identical. It was a miracle we hadn't walked into each other sooner if he's here as frequently as I was.

"Sorry," He stressed once more. What was he sorry for, again? "I'll come back some other time. I'm sure you'd rather have it that way, anyway." The last part was more of a whisper, mumbling so incoherently I was surprised to have even understood it.

"Nonsense," I scoffed. "Please, sit." I extended my arm to point at the spot next to me, and, a little hesitantly, he sat.

We sat in absolute silence for quite a while. I wouldn't call it a comfortable one, but it was manageable. Until it wasn't anymore and I forced myself to break it.

"Are you okay?" I asked carefully, referring to what had transpired in Dark Arts today. The memory swiftly bringing the vivid images of the boy writhing on the wooden floors in the classroom back.

I shook my head slightly at the memory, but he didn't notice the movement, anyway.

"I'm fine," He said sternly after a long pause, nodding to himself with a faint, proud smile on his lips. "I'm okay," He repeated; affirmed. This time, more confidence in his voice.

"That's good," I sighed, another minute or two of silence in between us afterwards.

"It's going to rain soon-"

"-You know," I quickly cut him off, hoping to avoid a desperate conversation about the weather, of all things. I hadn't sunken that low on the small-talk bar. "Harry wouldn't want you to get in trouble like that for him."

I shot him a kind smile, trying to have my voice sound calm, and soothing, in a way. Hoping that somehow, I would get through to him. "You agree, don't you?"

His eyes darted in my direction as soon as Harry's name left my mouth, and the mention of him had Neville fidget with his own fingers; a sensitive topic, it seemed. Maybe I'd find out why.

He nodded, gulping at the same time.

"Yeah."

I nodded in appreciation of the acknowledgement, knowing I could build up from there.

"And we all know Harry isn't a coward; he isn't running away. Right?" I asked once more, feeling that same anger I felt in the classroom bubble up inside me at the words once more. I just hoped it wasn't prominent in my demeanour.

"Of course!"

"They're just trying to get under your skin, remember that. Bravery isn't a bad thing, you should be proud of it," I went on, hoping this conversation would help him get that foolish Gryffindor bravery under control, at least. Help him harness it in the right moments, and recognise the ones that would only get him into trouble, anyway. "But there are right moments and, well, not so right moments. I learned it the hard way myself." I shook my head at my choice of words, but before I could go on, he interrupted me.

"I just..." He sighed. "I just want to make him proud. Harry's done so much for all of us here, and I've been useless all my life- I just wanted to give something in return."

A sincere, though sad smile found itself on my lips at his words, and reluctantly I put my hand on his shoulder; Hoping, somehow, it would make him feel better about himself.

"I'm sure that's not true," I mumbled. "I can already see it in the headlines; Neville Longbottom saves the day," I then giggled, hoping it would cheer him up just slightly.

And it seemed to do the trick, as a proper smile found itself on his face, too.

"You know, nobody I know really likes you." My brows shot up at the sudden statement, and my hand quickly left his shoulder and found itself in my hair.

He noticed how the words must have sounded, a slight blush forming on his cheeks before he went on nervously. "Most of them say how much you and Harry argue, and how you betrayed him with- erm, well, Malfoy." Ouch. "But I don't think that's very fair," He concluded, making my head tilt in surprise.

"Oh?"

He awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing his little monologue. "When it counted, you were always there for him. At the ministry, during the tournament, Dumbledore's Army," He listed casually. "That's what matters. I mean, that's what I think, anyway."

By now, there was a wide smile on my face, and a small huff escaped my lips after he stopped talking.

Neville and I had never been close; not even remotely. Yet, that was probably one of the sweetest thing's I've ever witnessed. The way he stumbled over his words now and again, and the little blush creeping up on his cheeks when he did; the way he didn't look at me once during the whole time he was talking.

Like a cute, little golden retriever.

"Thank you," I smiled. "You're right. I don't think I'm very adored by the rest of your house at the moment, or, well, ever was. So this means a lot. Seriously, thank you, Neville."

He just smiled, like being as kind as this to someone was absolutely, and completely normal to him. Luna and him surely would get along well.

A/N: I'm so in love with neville

Alos not Y/n trying to teach people about not making rash decisions ?? miss girl ur a hypocrite LMFAO at least she's trying to help him I guess lol

Anyway, thank you so much for 8 million reads ?? This is crazy and I'm beyond grateful. I hope you guys are still enjoying it just as much as u did in the beginning! <3