RP: Tidings
Date: 17 December 1998 | Early evening
Characters: Neville Longbottom
Location: Diagon Alley
Status: Private
Summary: Neville contemplates while finishing his holiday shopping.
Completion: Complete
Neville was normally a pretty cheerful bloke. Oh, sure, he'd occasionally feel a might off, especially when he was dog tired. It wasn't really in him to mope about though. With the possible exception of last summer, that was. Neville knew he'd spent far too much time hiding away and letting things get to him for a few months. He had been thankful that once classes started up again he'd managed to put all that behind him. At least he'd thought it was all behind him until today.
He'd spent most of the day helping Hagrid with the thestrals. Somewhere between the thestrals being harnessed to the carriages in the morning to take the students to Hogsmeade and turning them out with treats of raw meat after their return, Neville had gone from cheerful to feeling like his stomach was in knots. It wasn't the thestrals or the raw meat that did it. He'd helped with the beasts at start of term and they didn't bother him a bit. This was something else. Problem was, Neville had no idea what. He'd thought at first it was the busy evening he had planned, but that wasn't it. He was always busy these days.
In fact, thinking about how busy he was cheered him a little, so it certainly wasn't that. He didn't particularly enjoy shopping, however it wasn't really a hideous chore either. He'd only had a few trinkets left to purchase anyway. The majority of his shopping was finished last Sunday after he'd had tea with his Gran and they visited his parents. No, it wasn't the shopping, he'd decided. Spending a bit of time wandering the stalls of Diagon Alley was sort of relaxing despite the chill and the crowds.
The holiday party at the Three Broomsticks was later tonight. That wasn't the cause for his anxiety either. He had been looking forward to it since Katie had plastered the notices over everything around town. She'd been so excited about it, Neville wouldn't have been surprised to have found Katie's cat, Fife, with notices temporarily stuck to her sides and set loose as a walking advert for the celebration. No, he was definitely looking forward to the party, so it wasn't that either. The only thing that would make the party more fun was if Ginny would come too.
Ginny.
His stomach clenched again and Neville wondered if it was his growing concern for her that might be his problem. Neville wished there was something he could do that would make things right for Ginny Weasley again. He knew he couldn't get Fred back for her and short of that, the only thing he could really do was be there for her if she needed him. The knot in his stomach tightened at that thought, like it did when he would think about things and sometimes come to a conclusion he wasn't comfortable with, but believed to be true all the same. It caused Neville to stop in his tracks.
He apologized to the couple behind him, who had bumped into him when he'd come to an abrupt halt in the crowd. Neville shook his head to clear it. He stored his thoughts away to figure out what they meant later. This wasn't the time or place to contemplate deep thoughts apparently as an older witch scowled at having to swerve around him as he stood still. Neville apologized again and decided it was time for him to move on.
Characters: Neville Longbottom
Location: Diagon Alley
Status: Private
Summary: Neville contemplates while finishing his holiday shopping.
Completion: Complete
Neville was normally a pretty cheerful bloke. Oh, sure, he'd occasionally feel a might off, especially when he was dog tired. It wasn't really in him to mope about though. With the possible exception of last summer, that was. Neville knew he'd spent far too much time hiding away and letting things get to him for a few months. He had been thankful that once classes started up again he'd managed to put all that behind him. At least he'd thought it was all behind him until today.
He'd spent most of the day helping Hagrid with the thestrals. Somewhere between the thestrals being harnessed to the carriages in the morning to take the students to Hogsmeade and turning them out with treats of raw meat after their return, Neville had gone from cheerful to feeling like his stomach was in knots. It wasn't the thestrals or the raw meat that did it. He'd helped with the beasts at start of term and they didn't bother him a bit. This was something else. Problem was, Neville had no idea what. He'd thought at first it was the busy evening he had planned, but that wasn't it. He was always busy these days.
In fact, thinking about how busy he was cheered him a little, so it certainly wasn't that. He didn't particularly enjoy shopping, however it wasn't really a hideous chore either. He'd only had a few trinkets left to purchase anyway. The majority of his shopping was finished last Sunday after he'd had tea with his Gran and they visited his parents. No, it wasn't the shopping, he'd decided. Spending a bit of time wandering the stalls of Diagon Alley was sort of relaxing despite the chill and the crowds.
The holiday party at the Three Broomsticks was later tonight. That wasn't the cause for his anxiety either. He had been looking forward to it since Katie had plastered the notices over everything around town. She'd been so excited about it, Neville wouldn't have been surprised to have found Katie's cat, Fife, with notices temporarily stuck to her sides and set loose as a walking advert for the celebration. No, he was definitely looking forward to the party, so it wasn't that either. The only thing that would make the party more fun was if Ginny would come too.
Ginny.
His stomach clenched again and Neville wondered if it was his growing concern for her that might be his problem. Neville wished there was something he could do that would make things right for Ginny Weasley again. He knew he couldn't get Fred back for her and short of that, the only thing he could really do was be there for her if she needed him. The knot in his stomach tightened at that thought, like it did when he would think about things and sometimes come to a conclusion he wasn't comfortable with, but believed to be true all the same. It caused Neville to stop in his tracks.
He apologized to the couple behind him, who had bumped into him when he'd come to an abrupt halt in the crowd. Neville shook his head to clear it. He stored his thoughts away to figure out what they meant later. This wasn't the time or place to contemplate deep thoughts apparently as an older witch scowled at having to swerve around him as he stood still. Neville apologized again and decided it was time for him to move on.