Unbidden
Neville fell to his bed, his eyes closed before he hit the pillow. Try as he might to stop it the memory came; clear and vibrant as ever. The memory of one day; the day when everything changed. The day his parents ceased being his parents and became mere shadows of his parents. The day Gran ceased being his babysitter and became his guardian. The day his world fell apart. He turned and buried his face in his pillow as unbidden tears began to course down his cheeks. He had been only five but the memory was so strong it could have been yesterday. If that weren't enough, there were all the visits that served to nurse the wound. Parents that didn't recognize him. And the gum wrappers. Gran always told him to just toss them, but how could he? The sight of the spider came once more to the forefront of his mind.
A sound caught his attention and he tried to muffle his sniffles. Perhaps if he were quiet enough they would just assume he was sleeping.
Harry walked into the dormitory and saw that Neville's curtains had been drawn around his bed. He wasn't sure what to do, but he felt like he should say something. "Neville?" He thought he heard a movement from behind the curtains. "Neville, I don't believe you're asleep. You never came down for dinner...are you alright?" There was a muffled response and Harry took it as a sign that he wasn't completely unwelcome. Sliding the drapery aside, he crawled onto the bed and let the curtain fall back into place.
He found Neville buried under his blankets, arms wrapped tightly around his pillow. Uncertain of how to comfort him, Harry just lay down beside Neville and waited. Slowly, Neville uncurled and moved the pillow so he could see Harry. Drying tears marked his face and his eyes were red. "Do you remember it?" he whispered. Harry again saw the flash of green. "Not much. Mostly I see what I think must have happened. I've pieced it together from what I've heard." He turned his head to look at Neville.
It was a haunting look Harry saw turned toward him - wide, red, puffy eyes and drying tears. Harry didn’t know why Neville reacted so badly, but without thinking he wrapped his arms around the other boy. Neville practically fell into Harry’s arms and instantly gripped him tightly, as though Harry might, at any moment, disappear if he let go. “I can’t stop seeing that spider!”
“It’s okay Neville, I’m here.” Harry found himself stroking Neville’s back and hair. He wasn’t sure how long he was there, but slowly Neville’s breathing evened out and his grip slackened. Harry carefully dislodged himself and bent quietly over his sleeping friend. He slowly leaned down and left a soft kiss on Neville’s forehead, as he imagined his mother may have once done. Moments later, he was gone.
A sound caught his attention and he tried to muffle his sniffles. Perhaps if he were quiet enough they would just assume he was sleeping.
Harry walked into the dormitory and saw that Neville's curtains had been drawn around his bed. He wasn't sure what to do, but he felt like he should say something. "Neville?" He thought he heard a movement from behind the curtains. "Neville, I don't believe you're asleep. You never came down for dinner...are you alright?" There was a muffled response and Harry took it as a sign that he wasn't completely unwelcome. Sliding the drapery aside, he crawled onto the bed and let the curtain fall back into place.
He found Neville buried under his blankets, arms wrapped tightly around his pillow. Uncertain of how to comfort him, Harry just lay down beside Neville and waited. Slowly, Neville uncurled and moved the pillow so he could see Harry. Drying tears marked his face and his eyes were red. "Do you remember it?" he whispered. Harry again saw the flash of green. "Not much. Mostly I see what I think must have happened. I've pieced it together from what I've heard." He turned his head to look at Neville.
It was a haunting look Harry saw turned toward him - wide, red, puffy eyes and drying tears. Harry didn’t know why Neville reacted so badly, but without thinking he wrapped his arms around the other boy. Neville practically fell into Harry’s arms and instantly gripped him tightly, as though Harry might, at any moment, disappear if he let go. “I can’t stop seeing that spider!”
“It’s okay Neville, I’m here.” Harry found himself stroking Neville’s back and hair. He wasn’t sure how long he was there, but slowly Neville’s breathing evened out and his grip slackened. Harry carefully dislodged himself and bent quietly over his sleeping friend. He slowly leaned down and left a soft kiss on Neville’s forehead, as he imagined his mother may have once done. Moments later, he was gone.