Quiet Visit
Originally written for the DH Missing Moments Challenge over at the_hp_love.
Title: Quiet Visit
Author: slam_girl (fai_believes)
Beta: queenb23more
Rating: PG
Prompt: 'Sugar quill'-Neville visits Lavender at St. Mungo's after the last battle. What do they talk about?
Word-Count: 1,976
Author's Note: Much thanks to queenb23more for the beta job!
Neville shuffled from foot to foot as he waited for the lift and shifted the potted plant he was holding to his other hand. This lift opened, and a healer stepped past him briskly, leading a patient that was covered in green spots and seemed to be turning a faint shade of yellow and a healer in training. The trainee, a rather young-looking woman with curly hair, clutched a notepad to her chest and smiled up at Neville shyly before hurrying after the healer.
He stepped into the lift, grateful that it was empty and he could have a moment without enduring the stares. Ever since the war ended a few weeks ago, everywhere he went, people would stare at him or come up to him. He had been coming to St. Mungo’s nearly every day and the looks still persisted. It was weird; he wasn’t used to the attention. He imagined this is what it must have been like for Harry, only tenfold. Harry actually was a hero, of course, Neville understood why people admired him so. But Neville still felt perfectly ordinary, albeit, a bit tougher perhaps, but still Neville.
The lift let him out on the first floor. He stopped short, narrowly avoiding colliding with a group of healers hurrying into the room across the hall. The door shut suddenly with a bang before he could get a look inside the room. Neville started making his way down the corridor, looking for the right room number. The door was shut when he found it; he knocked lightly, feeling a little nervous and wondering if he ought to come back another time when he heard a faint response telling him to come in.
The room was sparse save for a few beds, which were all nearly empty except the bed in the corner where someone wrapped up in bandages lay, and a bed in the middle, which was currently being occupied by Lavender Brown. She sat up straighter when she saw him and tucked some loose strands of her hair behind her ear.
“Neville, why didn’t you say you were dropping in today?” she exclaimed, picking up a spoon and checking out her reflection in the back of it. “I must look a mess.”
“I told Parvati when I saw her yesterday that I’d drop by today,” Neville replied. “Am I interrupting something big and important you had planned for today?”
She pulled a face at him. “Yes, well, you could’ve been more specific instead of just surprising a girl,” she said, putting down the spoon and smoothing her hair back.
“I don’t think you look a mess,” he said, feeling his cheeks warm.
She gave him a small smile. “You’re sweet, Nev, but you don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better. This place certainly doesn’t do much for one’s looks, or figure for that matter. Parvati keeps telling me I look like a pale stick, but the food here is awful.”
“Well, how do you feel?” Neville asked, noting that she did look a bit frail and thin.
“I’ll feel better once I go home and get some real food and company. It’s so lonely here…Overall though, I guess I feel all right. The healers say I’ll most likely be able to go home next week,” she said.
“That’ll be nice.”
“Yeah.” There was a bit of a silence, not quite awkward but a bit odd for them after all they had just gone through together. “Well, sit down already,” Lavender said, “unless you’re about to hurry off somewhere.”
“Oh, right, of course.” He sat in a chair next to her bed. “The room isn’t too crowded; you must get a good bit of rest then.”
“I suppose. It was pretty bad when I got here, listening to people scream and cry in the middle of the night. It was like…well it was bad. But some of them were eventually moved to other wards, some left, and one of them died,” Lavender said, looking over at one of the empty beds. “Didn’t seem as horrible as I thought it would be. The healer came in but she was already gone, no big fuss, just quiet.”
Neville watched her lose herself in her thoughts, taking in the newly-formed scars etched into her skin and the weariness that had settled over her. She seemed very different from the Lavender who was always gossiping with Parvati, and even quite a bit different from the more mature Lavender who he had come to know during those dark months when she had confided her fears to him. She seemed older and quieter, but he still sensed the inner strength and courage in her that had impressed him these past few months and eventually made him come to respect her.
She looked up at him suddenly and gave him a shy smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get all morbid on you. I think I’ve just been here too long,” she said, forcing a laugh.
There was that silence again. Neville didn’t like it so he broke it first. “I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit earlier. I’ve been trying to see everyone that I could…”
“I know. Parvati told me of your new noble deeds.”
“I’m not trying to do any noble deeds, just what seems right.”
“And just so happens that you doing what seems right and not trying to be noble is what makes you so noble,” Lavender said, giving him a full smile this time.
“I’m not.”
“It’s okay, you can admit it, Nev. Neville the Noble,” she said, giggling. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“Well, I’m glad my actions amuse you so. I suppose that’s what I’m here for then.”
“No, really, being noble’s a good thing. The world could do with a few more people like you…Is that for me?” she asked, pointing at the plant he was holding.
“Oh yeah, I brought it for you. It’s meadowsweet that I fused with a bit of lavender, thought it might help to make you more restful, and it’s got other health properties so being near it might help with your recovery. It was already okayed by the healer,” he said, placing the plant on the side table next to her.
“Thanks, Neville, that’s really thoughtful of you. I don’t suppose rubbing it over my body will help with the scars though.”
“Afraid not,” he said with a grin. “But what’re a few scars.”
“Nothing, I guess, for a recluse.”
“Lavender Brown, a recluse? I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Well, you won’t be seeing it. That’s the point of being a recluse.”
“Oh come on, Lavender. You’re not going to stay shut up forever because of a few scars, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do. Maybe you’re not a vain person, but I am, in case you hadn’t noticed and missed the last few years. And for a vain person, a life of being pointed and stared at and talked about for all the wrong reasons is hell,” she said.
“For all the right reasons, I’d say, because you were strong and brave and-”
“Brave?” she snorted. “I may be a lot of things, but I don’t think brave is one of them.”
“Well, I do. You were brave as any of us. You were there, you stayed and fought, and when the D.A. started up again, you were ready to join right back in again. You didn’t run and hide, you fought as hard as anyone,” Neville said firmly.
“But I’m just a-”
“If I can be noble, then you can be brave. And I’d say you’re quite lucky to get away with only a couple of visible scars.”
Lavender looked down at her lap, and Neville bit his lip, worriedly. Maybe he had been too harsh. What did he really know anyway? Maybe he and Lavender really were too different.
“Yes, well, not all of us can be as mature about it as you, you know. Give the rest of us some time catch up and mope around in our hospital beds a bit more. I am the shallow one, remember?” she said with a smirk.
“I suppose I can wait for a bit,” he said. “But don’t waste away feeling sorry for yourself. Not when you’ve got a whole life in front of you.”
She gave him a thoughtful look. “You’re a real hero, you know that,” she said.
Neville felt himself start to blush. “So everyone keeps saying. It really wasn’t a big thing. Okay, I mean, the snake was pretty big, but I … I was just moving on instinct,” he mumbled.
“I didn’t mean that.”
Oh.”
“Er, I mean, that was great too. I heard all about it from quite a few people, in fact, and I wish I could have seen it. But I meant this-you coming around to visit everyone, staying loyal to your friends even if it meant going up against someone stronger, just everything. I just wish I would have paid more attention in the past…Any girl would be lucky to be with you. I admit it, I kind of envy her, whoever she is.”
Neville tried to shrug her comment off but he could feel his heart beating wildly. “Well, she’s no one right now,” he said, not quite looking at her.
“She’s out there somewhere, don’t worry,” Lavender said, giving him a playful smile and a wink.
He attempted to smile back, certain his heart had just stopped for a second or two there. “If you want, I could mix you something to help with the scars a bit.” He stopped at the look on her face.
“Mix me something? Are you sure?”
“I didn’t mean a potion,” he replied.
“Oh, well, go on then,” she said, waving for him to continue.
“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by your looks of doubt--”
“Sorry.”
“I could mix you an ointment from different herbs to help with the scars a bit. It won’t make them disappear, but it ought to help lessen their appearance somewhat.”
“Oh,” she whispered. “Neville, I, I don’t know what to say, I…”
“Well before you say anything, I just want you to know that I’m only doing this for you because it’ll make you happy and not become a recluse, because I don’t want you to be one of those. Not because I think it’ll make you look better or more normal or some rubbish like that because I think you’re already beautiful,” he said, feeling another blush come on. Suddenly, he was feeling light-headed. Did he really just say all that? Maybe he should have a quick lie in on one of the empty beds.
He saw a tear slip down her cheek and he decided against the lie in, wishing he could just disappear without seeming even ruder. Please let him not have just buggered things up royally.
“Thank you, Neville. That was sweet of you to say,” she said softly, brushing a few more tears away. “And I’d really appreciate it.”
“Well, er, you’re welcome. I’m glad I can help somehow. And I wasn’t just saying it, you know,” he added, staring at Lavender until his eyes met hers.
“I know, that’s what I like about you,” she sighed deeply and leaned back against the pillows. “For the first time in a long while, I don’t feel scared,” she said.
“Good,” he smiled at her.
“I just really want to go home.” She paused a moment before asking, “Will you be here when I do?”
“Of course,” he said, and in a sudden fit of bravery, he reached for her hand, feeling quite pleased with himself she didn’t pull away from him on contact.
She squeezed his hand. “Good.”
Title: Quiet Visit
Author: slam_girl (fai_believes)
Beta: queenb23more
Rating: PG
Prompt: 'Sugar quill'-Neville visits Lavender at St. Mungo's after the last battle. What do they talk about?
Word-Count: 1,976
Author's Note: Much thanks to queenb23more for the beta job!
Neville shuffled from foot to foot as he waited for the lift and shifted the potted plant he was holding to his other hand. This lift opened, and a healer stepped past him briskly, leading a patient that was covered in green spots and seemed to be turning a faint shade of yellow and a healer in training. The trainee, a rather young-looking woman with curly hair, clutched a notepad to her chest and smiled up at Neville shyly before hurrying after the healer.
He stepped into the lift, grateful that it was empty and he could have a moment without enduring the stares. Ever since the war ended a few weeks ago, everywhere he went, people would stare at him or come up to him. He had been coming to St. Mungo’s nearly every day and the looks still persisted. It was weird; he wasn’t used to the attention. He imagined this is what it must have been like for Harry, only tenfold. Harry actually was a hero, of course, Neville understood why people admired him so. But Neville still felt perfectly ordinary, albeit, a bit tougher perhaps, but still Neville.
The lift let him out on the first floor. He stopped short, narrowly avoiding colliding with a group of healers hurrying into the room across the hall. The door shut suddenly with a bang before he could get a look inside the room. Neville started making his way down the corridor, looking for the right room number. The door was shut when he found it; he knocked lightly, feeling a little nervous and wondering if he ought to come back another time when he heard a faint response telling him to come in.
The room was sparse save for a few beds, which were all nearly empty except the bed in the corner where someone wrapped up in bandages lay, and a bed in the middle, which was currently being occupied by Lavender Brown. She sat up straighter when she saw him and tucked some loose strands of her hair behind her ear.
“Neville, why didn’t you say you were dropping in today?” she exclaimed, picking up a spoon and checking out her reflection in the back of it. “I must look a mess.”
“I told Parvati when I saw her yesterday that I’d drop by today,” Neville replied. “Am I interrupting something big and important you had planned for today?”
She pulled a face at him. “Yes, well, you could’ve been more specific instead of just surprising a girl,” she said, putting down the spoon and smoothing her hair back.
“I don’t think you look a mess,” he said, feeling his cheeks warm.
She gave him a small smile. “You’re sweet, Nev, but you don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better. This place certainly doesn’t do much for one’s looks, or figure for that matter. Parvati keeps telling me I look like a pale stick, but the food here is awful.”
“Well, how do you feel?” Neville asked, noting that she did look a bit frail and thin.
“I’ll feel better once I go home and get some real food and company. It’s so lonely here…Overall though, I guess I feel all right. The healers say I’ll most likely be able to go home next week,” she said.
“That’ll be nice.”
“Yeah.” There was a bit of a silence, not quite awkward but a bit odd for them after all they had just gone through together. “Well, sit down already,” Lavender said, “unless you’re about to hurry off somewhere.”
“Oh, right, of course.” He sat in a chair next to her bed. “The room isn’t too crowded; you must get a good bit of rest then.”
“I suppose. It was pretty bad when I got here, listening to people scream and cry in the middle of the night. It was like…well it was bad. But some of them were eventually moved to other wards, some left, and one of them died,” Lavender said, looking over at one of the empty beds. “Didn’t seem as horrible as I thought it would be. The healer came in but she was already gone, no big fuss, just quiet.”
Neville watched her lose herself in her thoughts, taking in the newly-formed scars etched into her skin and the weariness that had settled over her. She seemed very different from the Lavender who was always gossiping with Parvati, and even quite a bit different from the more mature Lavender who he had come to know during those dark months when she had confided her fears to him. She seemed older and quieter, but he still sensed the inner strength and courage in her that had impressed him these past few months and eventually made him come to respect her.
She looked up at him suddenly and gave him a shy smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get all morbid on you. I think I’ve just been here too long,” she said, forcing a laugh.
There was that silence again. Neville didn’t like it so he broke it first. “I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit earlier. I’ve been trying to see everyone that I could…”
“I know. Parvati told me of your new noble deeds.”
“I’m not trying to do any noble deeds, just what seems right.”
“And just so happens that you doing what seems right and not trying to be noble is what makes you so noble,” Lavender said, giving him a full smile this time.
“I’m not.”
“It’s okay, you can admit it, Nev. Neville the Noble,” she said, giggling. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“Well, I’m glad my actions amuse you so. I suppose that’s what I’m here for then.”
“No, really, being noble’s a good thing. The world could do with a few more people like you…Is that for me?” she asked, pointing at the plant he was holding.
“Oh yeah, I brought it for you. It’s meadowsweet that I fused with a bit of lavender, thought it might help to make you more restful, and it’s got other health properties so being near it might help with your recovery. It was already okayed by the healer,” he said, placing the plant on the side table next to her.
“Thanks, Neville, that’s really thoughtful of you. I don’t suppose rubbing it over my body will help with the scars though.”
“Afraid not,” he said with a grin. “But what’re a few scars.”
“Nothing, I guess, for a recluse.”
“Lavender Brown, a recluse? I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Well, you won’t be seeing it. That’s the point of being a recluse.”
“Oh come on, Lavender. You’re not going to stay shut up forever because of a few scars, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do. Maybe you’re not a vain person, but I am, in case you hadn’t noticed and missed the last few years. And for a vain person, a life of being pointed and stared at and talked about for all the wrong reasons is hell,” she said.
“For all the right reasons, I’d say, because you were strong and brave and-”
“Brave?” she snorted. “I may be a lot of things, but I don’t think brave is one of them.”
“Well, I do. You were brave as any of us. You were there, you stayed and fought, and when the D.A. started up again, you were ready to join right back in again. You didn’t run and hide, you fought as hard as anyone,” Neville said firmly.
“But I’m just a-”
“If I can be noble, then you can be brave. And I’d say you’re quite lucky to get away with only a couple of visible scars.”
Lavender looked down at her lap, and Neville bit his lip, worriedly. Maybe he had been too harsh. What did he really know anyway? Maybe he and Lavender really were too different.
“Yes, well, not all of us can be as mature about it as you, you know. Give the rest of us some time catch up and mope around in our hospital beds a bit more. I am the shallow one, remember?” she said with a smirk.
“I suppose I can wait for a bit,” he said. “But don’t waste away feeling sorry for yourself. Not when you’ve got a whole life in front of you.”
She gave him a thoughtful look. “You’re a real hero, you know that,” she said.
Neville felt himself start to blush. “So everyone keeps saying. It really wasn’t a big thing. Okay, I mean, the snake was pretty big, but I … I was just moving on instinct,” he mumbled.
“I didn’t mean that.”
Oh.”
“Er, I mean, that was great too. I heard all about it from quite a few people, in fact, and I wish I could have seen it. But I meant this-you coming around to visit everyone, staying loyal to your friends even if it meant going up against someone stronger, just everything. I just wish I would have paid more attention in the past…Any girl would be lucky to be with you. I admit it, I kind of envy her, whoever she is.”
Neville tried to shrug her comment off but he could feel his heart beating wildly. “Well, she’s no one right now,” he said, not quite looking at her.
“She’s out there somewhere, don’t worry,” Lavender said, giving him a playful smile and a wink.
He attempted to smile back, certain his heart had just stopped for a second or two there. “If you want, I could mix you something to help with the scars a bit.” He stopped at the look on her face.
“Mix me something? Are you sure?”
“I didn’t mean a potion,” he replied.
“Oh, well, go on then,” she said, waving for him to continue.
“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by your looks of doubt--”
“Sorry.”
“I could mix you an ointment from different herbs to help with the scars a bit. It won’t make them disappear, but it ought to help lessen their appearance somewhat.”
“Oh,” she whispered. “Neville, I, I don’t know what to say, I…”
“Well before you say anything, I just want you to know that I’m only doing this for you because it’ll make you happy and not become a recluse, because I don’t want you to be one of those. Not because I think it’ll make you look better or more normal or some rubbish like that because I think you’re already beautiful,” he said, feeling another blush come on. Suddenly, he was feeling light-headed. Did he really just say all that? Maybe he should have a quick lie in on one of the empty beds.
He saw a tear slip down her cheek and he decided against the lie in, wishing he could just disappear without seeming even ruder. Please let him not have just buggered things up royally.
“Thank you, Neville. That was sweet of you to say,” she said softly, brushing a few more tears away. “And I’d really appreciate it.”
“Well, er, you’re welcome. I’m glad I can help somehow. And I wasn’t just saying it, you know,” he added, staring at Lavender until his eyes met hers.
“I know, that’s what I like about you,” she sighed deeply and leaned back against the pillows. “For the first time in a long while, I don’t feel scared,” she said.
“Good,” he smiled at her.
“I just really want to go home.” She paused a moment before asking, “Will you be here when I do?”
“Of course,” he said, and in a sudden fit of bravery, he reached for her hand, feeling quite pleased with himself she didn’t pull away from him on contact.
She squeezed his hand. “Good.”