CHAPTER 6 - the twilight effect
CHAPTER 6
In the three hours and two lessons Neville was hidden around the castle for – well. Far too much happened.
Neville had crawled his way back to the Gryffindor common room around lunchtime, then hid in bed. One of the prefects was sent by McGonagall to check on the wayward student, and he’d simply lied and said he’d had a stomach bug. He refused to go to Madame Pomfrey’s and stayed in bed for the duration of the day.
Seeing the prefect reminded him of other prefects. Percy. How everyone thought Neville liked him. And the horrible song the twins had sent him. It was clear in Charlie’s letter that he knew about Molly’s Howler – she was recording it in front of him. Neville wasn’t sure to feel embarrassed or afraid. He didn’t want people knowing about his sexuality, wondered what would happen if his grandmother found out, and well…he didn’t like Percy.
But Charlie was coming to Hogwarts later that day. Neville could wait until nightfall to see Charlie – he had to. He hadn’t seen the teen in the flesh for years. What would Charlie think of him? What would Charlie look like in real life? He’d seen pictures, but…
Nevertheless, underpinning all of his thoughts about Charlie was a lingering feeling of shame. Because – of everything that happened. About percy.
And maybe because Neville was ashamed of his feelings. Maybe Neville was ashamed of being gey.
Around dinner time his stomach was grovelling for attention. He was used to going to bed sometimes without food from when he’d been living with his grandmother, but he hadn’t eaten since the morning before…Neville dragged himself out of bed, took deep breaths of liquid courage, fixed his hair and wrinkled clothing before making his way into the common room.
People noticed him much more than they had before, but Neville expected that. The whispers followed him until he reached the doorway.
“Neville!” Neville stilled and Hermione cropped up from behind him. “Going to dinner?” she said. “Maybe we can skip today?”
“Skip?” Neville was still confused and dazed, otherwise he would have noticed Hermione’s bitter and sympathetic expression.
“Uh – okay if you’re hungry, wait for Ron and Harry so we can all go down together. Wait a sec.”
The pair waited together. Hermione attempted to engage Neville in conversation, but he was too dazed and tired.
-
They hardly made it down the corridor before someone bumped into Neville, making him stumble back. Some students sniggered, which wasn’t entirely unexpected, and Neville’s eyes honed in on flashing green badges on the chests of the Slytherin students pushing past them.
‘Neville Longbottom’ they said, before shifting to – ‘PLEASE BE MY SPOUSE’.
Neville decided he wasn’t all that hungry after all. The students in the common room didn’t try to bother him.
-
Thankfully people had dropped the badges the next day in favour for wearing Hogwarts colours. The Triwizard Tournament was hardly a daily affair. Many of the Slytherins had opted to support Cedric Diggory just to spite the Gryffinpuffs. Before the twins had ‘outed’ his ‘feelings’ for Percy, Neville had also created some things to support Harry with.
Thankfully Harry won his round, retrieved an egg…Neville waited for night to fall so he could see Charlie again. It was the only thing keeping him sane.
-
As Charlie had suggested in his letter at the end of chapter 5, Neville walked down to the greenhouses to meet with him.
Charlie put a finger over his own lips, but Neville wouldn’t have been able to speak anyway. He was gobsmacked. Charlie was – beautiful. Strikingly handsome. In the smeared light of the greenhouse his eyes were an icy, crystalline colour, practically translucent. His smirk under his finger was cheeky and (suggestive?), his jawline rough, red hair fanning over his forehead in a mussed, unstyled style. Pictures couldn’t have prepared Neville for the real thing. He could feel his heart rate pick up when Charlie motioned Neville to follow him, and Neville did – an unfiltered thought asserted Neville would follow Charleh anywhere, but Neville was quick to dismiss it.
Charlie ended up grabbing Neville’s sleeve to tug him along. They stopped when they reached the tents left over from the Triwizard Tournament and Charlie let go of Neville.
“Hello,” Charlie said to Neville clearly, now that they weren’t in danger of being caught.
“Uh – hi,” Neville said, twisting his sleeves in his fingers and avoiding Charlie’s gaze.
Charlie laughed, tipping his head back. “No need to be nervous, mate. Let’s go see some dragons, yeah?”
The awkwardness dissipated soon after that. The pair spent the next while looking at dragons, Charlie mostly laughing at Neville’s reactions and awe. No one else was really around. The dragons were mostly too dangerous to be touched or handled, especially without the support of other dragon handlers.
They soon sat to the side on the damp grass. Charlie leant back on his palms, looking up at the sky. Neville looked at him as secretly as he could, eyes on the ridges of his lips.
“So…this is gonna be awkward to talk about,” Charlie said, still looking up at the sky. “I heard about what fred and George did.”
Neville couldn’t say anything.
“They’re dumbasses. Nev…” Charlie took a deep breath. “The world is full of colours. Some people call it difference. I don’t know what to call it, but what I can say is that the nuances from person to person is what makes them whole. You have to accept them, Nev…accept yourself.”
Somehow Neville knew Charlie was referring to his sexuality. He could tell. Neville could feel his eyes prickling and his nose itching – he looked away.
“Neville…” Charlie said seriously. “Look at me.”
Neville turned to him, eyes screwed shut.
Charlie sighed. “I really messed this up, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Neville’s eyes flickered open. Charlie was visible only in the moonlight. Strands of hair were sharp orange, bright and zesty; Neville’s heart picked up.
Charlie looked at Neville, eyes hooded in the moonlight –
-Neville leant forward over the expanse of space separating them, and…kissed him.
SENPAI - how do you think charlie will reacc????????? what r ur thoughts on neville kissing his boi????
many comments = more love from senpai to you. plz give me more comments. feed me so i can grow.