Out of the Shadow (Neville/Ginny)
Title: Out of the Shadow
Author: cantinera
Rating: G
Content: Neville/Ginny
Setting: Post-Hogwarts
Disclaimer: These are JK Rowling's characters and she is he ruler of them all. I'm just playing with them, so no profit is being made, and no harm intended.
Summary: He may be a shadow, but not where it counts.
A/N: For the Het Ficathon _fullofgrace ran. This is for netgirl_y2k. She asked for: Trevor, post-hogwarts and no darkfic. Pairing is, as said already, Neville/Ginny. Hopefully it's alright! I admit, it's not a pairing I normally deal with.
He stands alone, not saying a word. The crowds around him are full of life, happy and at ease. It’s been over for them for awhile, but he feels like it is never over for him. Maybe it is, really, but everything cut too deep, an internal scar that nobody sees.
Not that anybody would notice or care. Not when you are Neville Longbottom, a shadow to the fate of the world. It’s easy to fade into the background and not be remembered.
Diagon Alley is crowded, white noise emanating from the streams of people busily on their way, absorbed in a world so remote to him. Nothing distinguishing comes to him. He was lost.
And a part of him liked it that way. A part of him always was that way.
He stops, tuning into the white noise around him, trying to hone in on something, anything. People are still chattering and gossiping, nothing serious. Still, not a thing can connect him to this world. It’s his world, the wizarding world, and yet Neville is used to not completely being a part of it. He’s used to not being a part of anything. Hasn’t it always been like that?
He looks around, knowing what is on almost everyone’s minds. Even after some time had passed, he knew what everyone thought about. Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived! It was he who would save them all. And he did. Sure, Neville helped, but he was always second to Harry, whether anyone realized it or not. Not that he resented or envied Harry, but it was tough being an afterthought to everyone, if they even thought about him in the first place. Harry this, Harry that. He was grateful for all that Harry did, but everyone seemed to forget about Neville.
Especially those he wanted to notice him. Her eyes appear before him as he shuts his eyes, still easily recalled from a distant memory.
Maybe he didn’t like it as much as he thought.
Oh, stop moping, Neville thought. It doesn’t matter. It’s over. Be happy. Get out there. Live. Enjoy what you have.
But what did he have? Even after this war, after Voldemort’s defeat, his mother and father still were in the same state. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still in their own world, separate from the rest of them, like it always was, of course. Things haven’t changed that much since Hogwarts.
How unfortunate for him.
There he was, moping again. He needed to stop.
“Watch it, you!” shouted some random wizard, hurrying along there way.
“I guess I shouldn’t have really stopped,” Neville mumbled, mostly to himself.
Lost in thought, he managed to walk a little too far from his destination. Yes, somehow, he continued to walk down Diagon Alley, past what he was looking out for. In fact, he forgot what he even came here for.
“Why me?” he quietly moaned to himself. It was the same old situation, happening all over again. Things really didn’t change.
Neville pivoted, turning quickly and bumping into yet another person (who happily told him off, just like that other wizard did). Feeling flushed, he continued on his way, carefully this time. Hopefully backtracking would help him remember why he came to Diagon Alley in the first place.
One foot in front of the other, don’t run into people, and concentrate. Neville silently willed himself to do this, staring straight ahead. He wanted to get lost back in his mind, but he couldn’t. He had to focus. He had to remember.
Looking straight ahead, he did manage to focus on something. He remembered everything. Like a flame among the gray, dark background of the hazy day, her red hair brightly appeared, making her stick out amongst the rest. Not like she needed much to stand out. Her warm eyes, her smile she held for everyone made her a star among them all.
Neville swallowed. He always had a thing for Ginny Weasley, even if he never let anyone know. In his fourth year he asked her to the Yule Ball. Nobody thought anything of it, thinking he only asked her because Hermione said no to him. He asked Hermione since she was a friend (who seemed rather frustrated when a certain someone wasn’t asking her, but ended up having a date anyway), and he figured Ginny would be eying someone else (which she probably was), but he worked up the nerve when he saw her. And she said yes.
He danced with her, talked to her, and he felt like he really connected with her. After the ball, nothing else really happened. She met Michael Corner that night, the bloke from Ravenclaw she eventually went with. That was the end of it.
Years went by, pretty much proving this.
He was looking straight at her. He didn’t think she would notice him, but her eyes eventually met his, a glimmer of recognition set off as she looked upon him.
She was now picking up the pace, running for him. His heart sped up, each beat matching her steps as she came towards him. He hadn’t seen her in ages. He wanted nothing more than to see her, and here she was.
“Neville!” she shouted as she hurried towards him. By the time she reached him, she was almost out of breath, her chest heaving. “It’s so good to see you!”
“Same with you,” he mumbled, unsure of what to say.
“I’ve been wanting to contact you for ages! I have my own place in London now, so I’m here often. I’m helping Fred and George with their shop until I can figure out what I want to do. You know how that goes.” She was still beaming at him.
“Y-y-yeah, I guess.” After all these years, she still made him melt inside.
“How’ve you been? I spoke to your grandmother not too long ago. I asked how you were doing, but she didn’t elaborate.”
“I’ve been good.” He paused. Her eyes really seemed to be looking at him. He hadn’t felt anyone look at him like that in awhile. “You?”
“Oh, I’m good.” She was still smiling.
“How is everyone else?” Neville asked. He probably could guess the answer, but he had to ask. “How is Harry?” He knew what she would say, but he had to hear it from her mouth, for some reason. “How are Ron and Hermione?”
“Ron and Hermione are good. They’ve actually got a flat together, too. Near her parents, which is a muggle area, mainly. You can imagine how Ron is coping with that.” She was laughing now. Her eyes were shining. Why were they shining like that?
“Yes, I can,” he responded, chuckling a bit. He had to ask again, since she seemed to ignore that part. He coaxed her. “How is Harry?”
“Oh, he’s… Harry. He’s starting to recover from all that happened. Slowly, but surely - it’s happening. Probably going to move near Ron and Hermione. You know how those three can’t really be apart.”
“Yes, I remember.” Neville noted she wasn’t saying anything about them being together. Everyone expected her to get with Harry after it was all done.
But here she was, not talking about him like that. Her eyes were pleading with Neville. He wasn’t sure what they were asking for, but the warmth in the brown seemed to be asking him something, something he wasn’t sure he could answer. Something he wasn’t sure he could fully recognize. He wasn’t expecting anything like it.
“Listen, I think I have to-”
“Oh, how’s Trevor?” she asked, grabbing his arm before he could leave. Her hand lingered on his arm.
“Trevor! That’s what I was doing here! I had dropped him off at the Magical Menagerie for a check-up!” Ginny looked a bit puzzled. “He’s doing well, though. I assure you.”
“That’s great!” Ginny exclaimed. And she was still looking at him. Why was she looking at him? It couldn’t be.
Their eyes locked for a moment. Neville felt the blood rush to his face. The noise in the background went silent. He felt like they were the only two people in Diagon Alley.
“Listen, Ginny,” Neville started, “I’ve got to go get Trevor. It’s nice seeing you, though. It’s been, what-”
“Two years since you’ve left Hogwarts.” Ginny smiled at him. “I know, I had a lot of friends in my year too, but your last year was so crazy with Voldemort, so it’s the one I really remember. Plus, a lot of the people I cared about were in that year.” Neville didn’t want to fool himself, but she seemed to be giving him an intense look. “Some of the people dearest to me left that year.”
“Yeah,” Neville said, “two years. It’s amazing how time flies.”
“I know. But let’s not lose touch again. Listen,” Ginny said, taking out a quill and parch, “here is all my contact information.” She wrote down her new information for him. “Get in touch with me whenever you can.”
And it finally hit Neville. Her smile, the way she was looking at him. It wasn’t for everyone like he always thought. This smile was special. It was just for him.
Where it mattered most, he wasn’t the shadow he thought he was. He had something of his very own, something he wanted for a long time.
“Alright,” Neville said. “I’ll get in touch with you. It was nice seeing you again, Ginny.”
“Nice seeing you, Neville.”
With that, she gave him one more smile, a smile he now knew was reserved for him. He walked away, knowing full well he wasn’t just another face in a crowd, but someone who had something his of own.
Sure, it may seem like just a smile, but it meant more to him than anything else. Her sincerity drew him from the shadows.
The End.
Author: cantinera
Rating: G
Content: Neville/Ginny
Setting: Post-Hogwarts
Disclaimer: These are JK Rowling's characters and she is he ruler of them all. I'm just playing with them, so no profit is being made, and no harm intended.
Summary: He may be a shadow, but not where it counts.
A/N: For the Het Ficathon _fullofgrace ran. This is for netgirl_y2k. She asked for: Trevor, post-hogwarts and no darkfic. Pairing is, as said already, Neville/Ginny. Hopefully it's alright! I admit, it's not a pairing I normally deal with.
He stands alone, not saying a word. The crowds around him are full of life, happy and at ease. It’s been over for them for awhile, but he feels like it is never over for him. Maybe it is, really, but everything cut too deep, an internal scar that nobody sees.
Not that anybody would notice or care. Not when you are Neville Longbottom, a shadow to the fate of the world. It’s easy to fade into the background and not be remembered.
Diagon Alley is crowded, white noise emanating from the streams of people busily on their way, absorbed in a world so remote to him. Nothing distinguishing comes to him. He was lost.
And a part of him liked it that way. A part of him always was that way.
He stops, tuning into the white noise around him, trying to hone in on something, anything. People are still chattering and gossiping, nothing serious. Still, not a thing can connect him to this world. It’s his world, the wizarding world, and yet Neville is used to not completely being a part of it. He’s used to not being a part of anything. Hasn’t it always been like that?
He looks around, knowing what is on almost everyone’s minds. Even after some time had passed, he knew what everyone thought about. Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived! It was he who would save them all. And he did. Sure, Neville helped, but he was always second to Harry, whether anyone realized it or not. Not that he resented or envied Harry, but it was tough being an afterthought to everyone, if they even thought about him in the first place. Harry this, Harry that. He was grateful for all that Harry did, but everyone seemed to forget about Neville.
Especially those he wanted to notice him. Her eyes appear before him as he shuts his eyes, still easily recalled from a distant memory.
Maybe he didn’t like it as much as he thought.
Oh, stop moping, Neville thought. It doesn’t matter. It’s over. Be happy. Get out there. Live. Enjoy what you have.
But what did he have? Even after this war, after Voldemort’s defeat, his mother and father still were in the same state. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still in their own world, separate from the rest of them, like it always was, of course. Things haven’t changed that much since Hogwarts.
How unfortunate for him.
There he was, moping again. He needed to stop.
“Watch it, you!” shouted some random wizard, hurrying along there way.
“I guess I shouldn’t have really stopped,” Neville mumbled, mostly to himself.
Lost in thought, he managed to walk a little too far from his destination. Yes, somehow, he continued to walk down Diagon Alley, past what he was looking out for. In fact, he forgot what he even came here for.
“Why me?” he quietly moaned to himself. It was the same old situation, happening all over again. Things really didn’t change.
Neville pivoted, turning quickly and bumping into yet another person (who happily told him off, just like that other wizard did). Feeling flushed, he continued on his way, carefully this time. Hopefully backtracking would help him remember why he came to Diagon Alley in the first place.
One foot in front of the other, don’t run into people, and concentrate. Neville silently willed himself to do this, staring straight ahead. He wanted to get lost back in his mind, but he couldn’t. He had to focus. He had to remember.
Looking straight ahead, he did manage to focus on something. He remembered everything. Like a flame among the gray, dark background of the hazy day, her red hair brightly appeared, making her stick out amongst the rest. Not like she needed much to stand out. Her warm eyes, her smile she held for everyone made her a star among them all.
Neville swallowed. He always had a thing for Ginny Weasley, even if he never let anyone know. In his fourth year he asked her to the Yule Ball. Nobody thought anything of it, thinking he only asked her because Hermione said no to him. He asked Hermione since she was a friend (who seemed rather frustrated when a certain someone wasn’t asking her, but ended up having a date anyway), and he figured Ginny would be eying someone else (which she probably was), but he worked up the nerve when he saw her. And she said yes.
He danced with her, talked to her, and he felt like he really connected with her. After the ball, nothing else really happened. She met Michael Corner that night, the bloke from Ravenclaw she eventually went with. That was the end of it.
Years went by, pretty much proving this.
He was looking straight at her. He didn’t think she would notice him, but her eyes eventually met his, a glimmer of recognition set off as she looked upon him.
She was now picking up the pace, running for him. His heart sped up, each beat matching her steps as she came towards him. He hadn’t seen her in ages. He wanted nothing more than to see her, and here she was.
“Neville!” she shouted as she hurried towards him. By the time she reached him, she was almost out of breath, her chest heaving. “It’s so good to see you!”
“Same with you,” he mumbled, unsure of what to say.
“I’ve been wanting to contact you for ages! I have my own place in London now, so I’m here often. I’m helping Fred and George with their shop until I can figure out what I want to do. You know how that goes.” She was still beaming at him.
“Y-y-yeah, I guess.” After all these years, she still made him melt inside.
“How’ve you been? I spoke to your grandmother not too long ago. I asked how you were doing, but she didn’t elaborate.”
“I’ve been good.” He paused. Her eyes really seemed to be looking at him. He hadn’t felt anyone look at him like that in awhile. “You?”
“Oh, I’m good.” She was still smiling.
“How is everyone else?” Neville asked. He probably could guess the answer, but he had to ask. “How is Harry?” He knew what she would say, but he had to hear it from her mouth, for some reason. “How are Ron and Hermione?”
“Ron and Hermione are good. They’ve actually got a flat together, too. Near her parents, which is a muggle area, mainly. You can imagine how Ron is coping with that.” She was laughing now. Her eyes were shining. Why were they shining like that?
“Yes, I can,” he responded, chuckling a bit. He had to ask again, since she seemed to ignore that part. He coaxed her. “How is Harry?”
“Oh, he’s… Harry. He’s starting to recover from all that happened. Slowly, but surely - it’s happening. Probably going to move near Ron and Hermione. You know how those three can’t really be apart.”
“Yes, I remember.” Neville noted she wasn’t saying anything about them being together. Everyone expected her to get with Harry after it was all done.
But here she was, not talking about him like that. Her eyes were pleading with Neville. He wasn’t sure what they were asking for, but the warmth in the brown seemed to be asking him something, something he wasn’t sure he could answer. Something he wasn’t sure he could fully recognize. He wasn’t expecting anything like it.
“Listen, I think I have to-”
“Oh, how’s Trevor?” she asked, grabbing his arm before he could leave. Her hand lingered on his arm.
“Trevor! That’s what I was doing here! I had dropped him off at the Magical Menagerie for a check-up!” Ginny looked a bit puzzled. “He’s doing well, though. I assure you.”
“That’s great!” Ginny exclaimed. And she was still looking at him. Why was she looking at him? It couldn’t be.
Their eyes locked for a moment. Neville felt the blood rush to his face. The noise in the background went silent. He felt like they were the only two people in Diagon Alley.
“Listen, Ginny,” Neville started, “I’ve got to go get Trevor. It’s nice seeing you, though. It’s been, what-”
“Two years since you’ve left Hogwarts.” Ginny smiled at him. “I know, I had a lot of friends in my year too, but your last year was so crazy with Voldemort, so it’s the one I really remember. Plus, a lot of the people I cared about were in that year.” Neville didn’t want to fool himself, but she seemed to be giving him an intense look. “Some of the people dearest to me left that year.”
“Yeah,” Neville said, “two years. It’s amazing how time flies.”
“I know. But let’s not lose touch again. Listen,” Ginny said, taking out a quill and parch, “here is all my contact information.” She wrote down her new information for him. “Get in touch with me whenever you can.”
And it finally hit Neville. Her smile, the way she was looking at him. It wasn’t for everyone like he always thought. This smile was special. It was just for him.
Where it mattered most, he wasn’t the shadow he thought he was. He had something of his very own, something he wanted for a long time.
“Alright,” Neville said. “I’ll get in touch with you. It was nice seeing you again, Ginny.”
“Nice seeing you, Neville.”
With that, she gave him one more smile, a smile he now knew was reserved for him. He walked away, knowing full well he wasn’t just another face in a crowd, but someone who had something his of own.
Sure, it may seem like just a smile, but it meant more to him than anything else. Her sincerity drew him from the shadows.
The End.