I said I would post fic. And the world needs more Neville/Susan. So.
Title: Anywhere But Here
Rating: G
Summary: Neville and Susan write each other over the summer. For
aibhinn's Time Challenge.
Thank you so much,
magicaljules for reading this over for me! :) Also, sorry about the addresses. I'm not quite sure how they work in England.
Neville Longbottom
Probably being scolded by his Gran
17 Oliver Lane
London, England
June 12th
Dear Neville,
How are you? I hope you’re quite well. Hannah’s here with me. She’s…well, she’s okay. You can’t expect her to be completely brilliant, I guess, but you know.
Anyway, did you get home quite safe? I hope so. I heard some people didn’t. It was in the Daily Prophet. That’s so scary. You’re just on your way home, completely innocently, and then BOOM. Death Eaters. It’s a wonder anyone can go out.
Oh, that’s morbid, isn’t it? I’m sorry. Hannah keeps telling me how morbid I’m being. I don’t mean to, it’s just I’m so scared and really, anything could happen, Death Eaters could--
Okay. Well, the weather’s good. Very English. Which is good, since we’re English. We like English weather, don’t we? Do you? Or don’t you sometimes wish it was warm all the time, like in California, in America? Perhaps Italy. Let’s move to Rome, Neville, what do you say?
Hannah wants to write to Ernie. I’ll write you later!
Love from,
Susan
Susan Bones
Having a girl talk with Hannah Abbott
6 Simpson Road
Glastonbury, Somerset
June 15th
Dear Susan,
Yes, I’m well. Are you? We made it home well, too, thank God. You did scare me a bit. Do you know if anyone we know… you know? But if you know and don’t want to tell me, then I probably don’t want to know, either.
Yes, the English weather is very English. I don’t fancy going to America. They are very strange. It would be rather nice to go to Italy, though, I suppose. (Although from what I hear, they're strange, too.) Gran tells me my mum always wanted to visit Greece. How about we move there, instead?
I’m sorry you’re so scared. But you can--well, I’ll just tell you when I see you. When will I see you? Would you like to come to London for a couple of days? You and Hannah, and maybe Ernie if he likes?
Don’t tell me by owl, though. The walls have ears and everything.
Oh, that doesn’t even make sense.
Paper has ears, maybe.
From
Neville
P.S. Say hello to Hannah for me!
Neville Longbottom
Using “know” as much as possible in one sentence
17 Oliver Lane
London, England
June 21st
Dear Neville,
Ooh, I can’t wait to see you in London! I expect you’re rather familiar with Muggle things, aren’t you? You can show me! And if you’re not, perhaps you can persuade Hannah to show us--although good luck with that. She’s not too keen on things like that anymore.
Really, your mother wanted to go to Greece? Did she go other places? I bet she did, being an Auror or something. And maybe one day, you will go to Greece with her. I rather wish I knew where my mother wanted to go. I asked Aunt Aimee, but she didn’t know. She said my mother mostly just talked about animals. Perhaps my mother did want to go places. Like to Africa, maybe, to see all the animals there.
It’s warm there. After we visit Greece, let’s go to Africa, all right?
And you’re right, Americans are weird.
I’ll Floo you later, just to make sure about the details.
Let’s make sure to go to Fortescue’s…
Oh, never mind. I suppose we can’t, can we? Oh, well, there goes that. I always forget about things like that. Sometimes I forget that some people are, well, gone, and I’ll talk about them--and I made Hannah cry. I didn’t mean to, I was just being forgetful. Auntie Amelia always used to tell me I was careless like that. I don’t think careless is a good word, do you? I don’t think it describes me well at all. But then I guess I’m just mad that someone actually called me careless. Carelessness is not a good trait at all. I wonder which traits I have. I wonder that a lot. I wonder how people think of me, or what words they would they would use to describe me. What do you think?
Oh, I’m rambling again. Sorry.
Love from,
Susan
Susan Bones
Wishing she could be any other place but England
6 Simpson Road
Glastonbury, Somerset
June 24th
Dear Susan,
I’m sorry you and your cousin are sick! You can always come to London another time. Perhaps I could visit you in Glastonbury.
When you get sick at home, don’t you wish Madam Pomfrey was there? Just a bit? Not that she’s especially nice or anything, she’s just really fast. When you get hurt, even if you break your arm or something, it’s better as soon as it’s hurt.
That was my way of saying “Get well soon!” Ha.
We could definitely visit Africa, yes. I know for a fact that my mum and dad DID visit there. I’m not sure why; Gran told me that he always told her it was classified information. She said I was born a bit later, though, so…
Even with the, you know, everything, that’s still a bit gross.
Are there magical animals in Africa? Which kind?
No, I don’t think you’re careless. I think you’re a bit, well, absent-minded, but not careless. What words would I use to describe you?
Er.
Susan?
That’s a word. If someone asked me what you were like, I would say, “She’s like Susan.”
I’m very descriptive, I know.
But seriously? Sometimes when I think of you, I think “yellow.”
That’s not such a bad thing.
I tried to write a long letter to keep you entertained while you’re sick, but I’m not good at filling up parchment like you are.
From
Neville
Neville Longbottom
Thinking of me as “yellow”
17 Oliver Lane
London, England
June 30th
Dear Neville,
I’ve just had the worst week of my life. Your letter was the only thing that cheered it.
First off, I was sick. That much you know. But did you hear what else happened? Megan Jones, a Muggle-born girl in my dormitory, was killed when she was staying at her grandma’s house. How horrible is that? I mean, she was my friend. How does someone just…go away like that? You’d think I’d be used to it by now, with my parents and aunts and uncles and Hannah’s parents and everything, but it’s still shocking every time it happens. It’s so scary, Nev. I keep wondering about everyone. I keep wondering if you’ll even be able to read this letter, or will Hannah bring in the Daily Prophet, and there’s your name on the list.
I am morbid, aren’t I? But I really can’t help it. You don’t blame me, do you?
My week got worse. I had to cut off most of my hair, because one of my cousins burned it when she was playing with Uncle Daniel’s wand. She didn’t mean to, but I got so, so mad at her. I’ve been growing my hair out for ages. You saw how long it was. And now…it’s gone. It’s not even at my shoulders. I can’t wear it in plaits anymore, and it just feels weird.
I wish I could see you right now. I miss you. Hannah’s not fun anymore. She’s just quiet. I need someone who will make me laugh or something.
I would go ANYWHERE right now. Even America. Even Antarctica. Definitely Greece or Africa.
Save me!
Love from,
Susan
Susan Bones
Hopefully having a better week
6 Simpson Road
Glastonbury, Somerset
July 2nd
Dear Susan,
I’m sorry your week went so horribly. That can’t have been much fun. Wow, that looks really stupid now that I see it on paper. Well, you know what I mean. Right?
That’s…terrible, about Megan Jones. I knew her. She was always my partner in Charms. She was very nice. I know what you mean about the suddenly-being-gone thing. It’s, well, it’s weird, isn’t it?
No, I don’t blame you for being morbid.
I’m sorry about your hair, too. It was a bit long, yeah. I’ll miss your plaits. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without them.
Would you go to London?
From
Neville
Neville Longbottom
Not here
17 Oliver Lane
London, England
July 5th
Dear Neville,
You don’t have to be sorry for everything, you know. It’s not like you did it, or anything. Not your fault. Thanks, though, I suppose.
Yes, I’ll come to London.
See you there!
Love from,
Susan
Susan Bones
Not here, either
6 Simpson Road
Glastonbury, Somerset
July 17th
Dear Susan,
Thank you for coming to visit me. It was a lot of fun, wasn’t it?
Love,
Neville.
P.S. You are a very nice kisser.
Neville Longbottom
London, which is where I’d like to be
17 Oliver Lane
London, England
July 18th
Dear Neville,
And you as well.
Love from,
Susan