Chapter 25
The next morning, Nellie woke up late. She didn't want to do anything today. Nothing at all. Hermione had already woken up, so Nellie had plenty of privacy throwing up in the girl's bathroom. Tears slid down her face, as she silently cried. She wanted to be let go of everything that she was currently involved. There was sudden knock on the door.
"Nellie?" a voice softly called. It was Hermione.
"Mmm hmmm?" Nellie said.
"Neville's waiting for you. You were um…. Going to visit his parents. Remember?" Nellie hit her forehead against the seat of the toilet. How could she have forgotten?"
"Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes." She said.
"You okay?" Hermione prodded.
"Yes." Nellie said. Hermione's footsteps died away.
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Professor Midrigge walked Neville and Nellie to the outside of the castle to the horseless carriage that was waiting to take them to St. Mungo's. Neville was quiet on the ride over. Neville had told Nellie that meeting with his parents was often troubling, since they didn't recognize him. When they got to the Hospital, a witch/nurse was waiting for them.
"Mister Longbottom?" the witch asked as they got out of the carriage.
"Yes?" Neville said.
"Your parents are waiting for you." She said and ushered them inside. Neville's insides churned. Nellie squeezed his hand. They walked in the padded room.
"Lily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mrs. Longbottom cried, flinging her arms around Nellie.
"Hello Mrs. Longbottom." Nellie said, very startled.
"Did you bring James?" Mrs. Longbottom asked.
"If you mean Neville, yes…" Neville had told her his mother never called anybody by their real name. Except she did remember her sister's name. How she did, nobody knew why.
"No, no, no. That's Mark you brought." Mrs. Longbottom said, looking at Neville. Nellie looked over her shoulder at him too.
"But how are you Lily? Never thought you'd visit me and Bob." Mrs. Longbottom turned around to talk to Mr. Longbottom.
"Ivan! Come say hello to Lily."
"Hi." Mr. Longbottom mumbled from the Fischer Price Kitchen where he was seated on a yellow plastic chair..
"Hello." Nellie said.
"So, how's James and the baby?" Nellie went very white.
"Uh…" Nellie said.
"Daniel, are you going to stand there all day and not talk? Every time you come you've yelled at us. Why so quiet?" Mrs. Longbottom spoke to Neville.
"I dunno. You're too busy talking to `Lily'." Neville was giving Nellie weird looks. "Can you excuse us Mother?"
"Yes, yes. I still want to talk to Lily over a nice cup of tea." Neville dragged Nellie out of the room and down the hall of the asylum.
"What?" Nellie said to Neville.
"My mother has NEVER called a stranger that has visited her a certain name more than once. And she keeps on talking about James. The first thing that's coming to my mind is-"
"He's my brother." Nellie said beginning to cry.
"Who? James?"
"No! No! Harry! Don't you understand? Even your Aunt has said so! I look like my mother! Lily Potter! Harry's my brother! That's why she's doing this. She knew my mother a long time ago." Nellie began to sob. Neville held her close and they cried themselves.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Neville whispered into Nellie's hair.
"I… I couldn't…"
"Why not?" Neville said, firmly but gently."
"I can't tell you." Nellie said. Neville stroked Nellie's hair.
"It's all right." He said. "Everything will be fine."
"No it won't. Not yet." Nellie said. "Promise on your life not to tell anyone that Harry's my brother yet. Not a soul."
"I promise. Cross my heart, hope to die-"
"Stick a needle in your eye." Nellie said, smiling through her tears.
"I wouldn't go that far." Neville said back. Neville smiled at her.
"You want to go back to school?" he asked.
"Okay." Nellie said, wiping her eyes. After a quick good-bye to the Longbottoms, they left St. Mungo's.
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Our timeline now skips to New Year's Eve, because I said so. So….
"So what do we want to do today?" Ron asked Leila. "We're going to be up at night anyways, so why can't we just stay up later than usual?"
"Hmmm." Leila said, licking syrup off her fingers. They were eating breakfast at the cabin.
"If you kids are going to hold some boisterous party with the faeries, you're not doing it here." Thor said.
"We've never done it here." Ron said teasingly at Thor, gently kicking Leila under the table. The two laughed.
"What are you going to do tonight Lupin?" Ron asked Lupin.
"I don't know." Lupin said very fast.
"Liar." Leila muttered under her breath. Lupin went red.
"Well. I think we might head over to the school." Ron said, shoving more waffles in his mouth. "Never know if there's going to be a party or not." Thor gave him a look, but kept his words to himself.
"That reminds me." Leila said. "I need some more- Aw come on you guys. It's not THAT embarrassing!" Leila said as all the men went red. Leila dragged Ron out of the cabin after Lupin gave her the money she needed. They crunched through the snow and went to the Weasley's old car. Ron poured the half empty bottle of Anti-Freeze in the car, then they drove to the town nearby.
"Do you think we'll see that dog again?" Leila asked Ron.
"Sirius? Maybe, we'll just have to see."
*****************
As Ron and Leila walked to the Pharmacy, Ron looked for any sign of Sirius. And there, in the alley across from the grocery was the large black dog.
"You can go in." Ron told Leila. Leila looked at him, then went in the doors. Ron ran across the street and went to the dog.
"Sirius?" Ron asked. The dog nodded.
"Can you um…" Ron said. Sirius then changed into his human form.
"Harry still not with you?" Sirius sadly asked.
"No. I only come here with the others if we need something."
"I see." Sirius said. "Can you give this to Harry for me? I'm going to be in London over Hogwart's spring Break. Too many old ladies have tried to take me in here, so I'm going to let myself be taken in by the pound."
"What if you don't get out of the pound?" Ron asked, taking the letter Sirius was holding out to him.
"Oh I'll get out. Don't think they'd keep a man inside a dog cage for long." Sirius smiled. Ron grinned.
"Well. I have to go. Happy New Years." Ron said, as he headed back to the grocery store entrance.
"You too." Sirius said, changing back into a dog and trotting up the alley into the shadows.
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"Hellooooooooo?" Ron called through the Gryffindor common room. No one was in sight. Leila folded up the Invisibility cloak and carefully shut the portrait hole after her.
"It doesn't seem anyone is here." Leila said.
"Ron? Ron is that you?" called a voice. Hermione trotted down the stairs of the Girl's dormitory, closely followed by Harry. Ron's mouth turned up in a big grin. Harry went red, well, redder than before, hee hee.
"Hi guys." Hermione said.
"Where's Neville and Nellie?" Ron asked.
"They went to visit his parents." Harry said. There was a silence as everyone got comfy on couches around the fire.
"So, any plans for tonight?" Ron asked.
"Nope." Answered Harry. Another long silence. Suddenly Leila stood up.
"This is boring. We should do something."
"An orgy?" Ron suggested. Hermione and Leila kicked him in the shins.
"I agree." Harry said.
"Why you…" Hermione started.
"No! I mean that I agree with Leila that we should do something." Harry said, holding up his arms in front of him in defense.
"Like what? Go caroling?" Ron said, nursing his shins.
"I'm thinking… Hogsmeade." Leila said. Ron, Harry, and Hermione stared at her.
"We can't go there." Ron said.
"Can too." Leila said. She pulled a newspaper out of Ron's old Hogwarts robe.
"See?" She flashed it in their faces.
"Hogsmeade OPEN!" read the title.
"The shops are open, except that you can't go farther than the stores. That's it. And there are plenty of people on the lookout." Leila crossed her arms and looked very pleased with herself. Harry looked at Hermione.
"Should we go?" he asked.
"I don't see the problem if there are wizards on the lookout."
"But one problem." Ron spoke up. "Who's watching the watchmen?"
*****************
Professor Midrigge pulled her cloak around her tighter. She stood behind the greenhouses in the ankle deep snow.
"Where is he?" she spoke to herself, her teeth chattering. She knew quite well where he was, but didn't want to wait any longer in the chilly weather.
"Phillie?" called a voice.
"R.J." Ophielus murmured and ran to the source of the voice. Lupin was standing, shivering in the cold, clutching a small basket and a cauldron. Ophielus ran towards Lupin and instead of embracing him in a hug, she took the basket from him.
"What are you thinking?" she said, poking open the top and taking something out.
"That cat made me sick." Lupin said shrugging.
"Serves you right. Filch has been sulking around the Castle after you ate Mrs. Norris." Ophielus said, putting the item back in its basket. She grabbed Lupin's free hand and they raced up towards the castle.
Professor Midrigge unwrapped the checked blanket in the basket. A tiny tabby kitten was sleeping.
"Why did you get this?"
"I felt bad." Lupin said.
"No, your stomach felt bad." Ophielus teased. She set the kitten on its blanket on her chair. Lupin gulped down the rest of his potion.
"Are the blinds closed?" He asked.
"Yes. No transformation tonight." Midrigge said.
"Good." Lupin said. Midrigge made sure her bedroom office door was locked. Lupin set down his goblet. Ophielus raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.
"You read my mind." Lupin said, getting out of his seat, taking off his robes…
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"Ouch! You stepped on my foot!" Leila said from under the Invisibility cloak.
"This isn't working." Hermione moaned. "We can't fit 4 teenagers under this thing!" Hermione threw her part of the cloak off her. The rest followed suit.
"I've got an idea!" Harry said. He then scooped Hermione up in his arms. Ron smiled and picked Leila up. She squealed. Ron and Harry pulled the cloak back over them without dropping the girls.
"Now, on to Hogsmeade!!!!!!!"
Note: Sorry this took so long! Chapter 26 will be one of the… hmm… more R chapters. But NOT R totally, so… don't trash me.
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