It Started With a Kiss

A/N1: Well hello peoples! I am pleased to present the 11th chappie of my current baby 'It Started With a Kiss'. This fic follows on directly from Chappie 10 and 'Wannabe' my general fic that explains in part what Hannah and Neville got up to after the Order of Merlin Ball. It is not necssarry to read 'Wannabe' to get the context of this story but if you fancy a few minutes of lighthearted reading go to my file and click on it!

In this chappie Neville along with Harry and Ron starts his first day as a trainee Auror and later on tells Hannah something important. In between is a funny little scenario Neville and Hannah were caught in that I am sure a lot of you out there have been in. I had a good giggle picturing it in my head as I wrote it!

Well without further ado I present chapter 11 of 'It Started With a Kiss' 'Auror Training Begins'

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Neville woke up hours later his head feeling like it had been cleaved in two, he clutched his head and groaned loudly, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in his pillow. He felt movement beside him and a second later an arm creeped over his back squeezing him softly. Neville turned his head in the direction the arm came from and slowly opened his eyes the pungent smell of vanilla reached his nostrils before his vision cleared enough bringing Hannah into view.

‘Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?’ he mumbled reaching out and brushing a thumb across her cheek.

‘You’re not, you look like shit’ Hannah said with a laugh.

Neville flopped down onto his pillow.
‘Oh gee ta’ he said dryly ‘Merlins pants I feel like shit, what time is it?’

Neville felt the matress shift as Hannah propped herself up on her elbow to look at his alarm clock.

‘Five pm’ she said flopping down on the bed and cuddling up to him.

Neville groaned loudly.
‘I’m never drinking again!’ he moaned ‘I feel like ‘I feel like I’m going to die’

‘Join the club’ Hannah said in amusement ‘You know we didn’t get in til seven o’clock this morning? Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Lavender, Terry, Luna and Dean and Padma stumbled up the drive with us singing that Muppet Show song Hermione taught us. Algie, Enid and Augusta were having breakfast when we arrived’

Neville groaned again.
‘Oh so we’re going to hear all about it when we go downstairs’ he mumbled ‘how do you remember that?’

‘Just lucky I guess’ Hannah said with a giggle.

A sudden swoop is ralisation swept through Neville’s stomach as he realised he was in bed...naked with Hannah.

‘Er did we do..er..’

‘No’ Hannah said with a smile ‘You were quite keen to but we only messed around, both of us were to drunk to shag’

‘Oh good because I would quite like to be sober when we do it for the first time’

Hannah kissed him on the lips.
‘I would like to be too’ she said with a grin ‘how about we get up huh? I don’t know about you but I need some Hangover and Headache Draught. And a bacon sandwich wouldn’t go astray either’

‘You use the shower first. I would quite like to stay here for a few minutes more’

‘Aww I was hoping you’d shower with me’ Hannah said jutting out her bottom lip ‘I have a hard time soaping my back see’

‘Crawler’

Twenty minutes later Hannah and Neville made their way slowly downstairs to find they were the last to rise.

‘Oh the last of the party animals arrive!’ Augusta declared dryly.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Lavender, Terry, Luna and Dean and Padma sniggered loudly.

‘Sod off Gran you’re not helping’ Neville groaned heading for the steaming coffee pot on the stove.

‘I’ll go and get some Hangover and Headache Draught for you two lovebirds then shall I?’ Augusta said with barely disguised amusement ‘behave yourself while I’m away’

‘Okay someone tell me what I did that was embarrassing or out of character quick before Gran gets back’ Neville groaned taking the coffee pot and a jug of milk over to the dining table.

‘You were actually alright’ Seamus said ‘you behaved yourself it was Hermione who cut loose’

Ron and Harry sniggered loudly.

‘What did you do?’ Neville asked in surprise summoning the sugar and mugs from the cupboard.

‘I don’t remember’ Hermione said in a small voice hiding her face in Ron’s neck.

‘Oh come on Hermione we know you know you remember what you did’ Seamus said with a grin ‘shall I tell Neville what you did?’

Hermione didn’t answer. Seamus sniggered gleefully and launched into to the strory of Hermione’s exploits.

‘Well after we left the Elephant ad Castle she and Harry waltzed down the road singing that Muppet Show song, then when we got to Finn McCools she took off her shoes and danced on the bar and was seconds away from losing her shirt. Harry and Ron had to confund the barman and the security guards to stop them from chucking her out, then we bought some booze from an off licence after we left Finn McCools and went to a park where we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows. Three muggle police officers turned up and were on the point of arresting us before Hermione confunded them and sent them away quacking like ducks. The we wandered around town and at one point Hermione hexed off her own clothes and went streaking d...’

‘Oh Seamus STOP IT! Hermione bellowed as the others fell about laughing.

‘....’own Military Road’ Seamus finished ‘It was at that point we dragged her into a side street transfigured a rock into a potato sack made her put it on and summoned the Knight Bus. After that I forget everything til I woke up half an hour ago’

‘So just to make sure I didn’t do anything?’

‘Nah you were clean as a whistle’

‘Good’

Augusta returned a few muntes later with a tray holding several vials of Hangover and Headache Draught.

‘There’s a generous measure here for all of you’ she said ‘take it all....especially you Hermione’ she added with a knowing grin.

‘I’m never drinking again!’ Hermione declared after downing her measure of Hangover Draught ‘I’m convinced my drinks were spiked’

‘No you just shot Vodka like it was going out of fashion’ Harry said with a grin ‘but don’t worry no one here will divulge your secrets. Friends look after friends’

‘Thanks Harry you generosity knows no bounds’ Hermione said dryly.

‘You know this is going to be the last time for a while we’ll all be able to get together as a group of friends’ Luna said ‘that will be a pity the best thing about the end of the war is that we’ve been able to spend lot of time with friends and family. I’m going to miss nights like last night where we can just get together and socialise’

‘There’s always Hogsmeade visits we can catch up then’ Terry said.

‘No way I’m not going into Hogsmeade with the likes of Rita Skeeter flitting about’ Harry said pouring himself a mug of coffee ‘and you can bet she’ll hang around Hogsmeade on days when the students visit in a hope to get a bit of me’

‘well we can all apparate somewhere else and visit then’ Ginny said ‘the Hogsmeade visits are unsupervised and start at ten in the morning and we don’t have to be back within school grounds til five PM that’s loads of time to go somewhere else. Maybe even muggle London you could bet your Gringtotts vault Rita wouldn’t follow you there’

‘Hmm it’s an idea’

‘That idea has a lot of merit you know’ Hannah said ‘My Dad and I have a horse stud in Wolverhampton you could always come and go on a trail ride. It’s a very peaceful place’

‘I’ve never ridden a horse in my life!’ Ron said.

‘Big deal I can teach you’ Hannah said ‘I’ve taught Neville how to ride’

‘Oy I’m no expert yet’ Neville said.

‘Yeah but you’ve progressed from Chocky to Butterbeer in three months that’s pretty good’

‘You have a horse called Butterbeer?’ Ron snorted.

‘I don’t Dad does, my horse is called Magnificence’ Hannah said ‘Neville learnt to ride on our beginners horse Chocolate and last week moved onto Butterbeer who was born the day before I was. My Mum named him. If you all come to the farm I’ll teach you to ride’

‘Ah why not?’ Seamus said ‘If I can do karaoke I can learn to ride’

Lavender, Ginny, Padma, Hermione, Hannah and Luna suddenly laughed loudly.

‘What’s so funny?’

The girls tittered but Hannah was the first to speak.

‘W-we signed you lads up for the competition’ she said with a giggle ‘the girls that is, we signed you up when we went up there to sign up for our own song’

‘I knew it!’ Neville exclaimed ‘you sneaky bunch of......’

‘There’s no word to descbribe your treachery?’ Harry volunteered.

‘Oh treachery cobblers!’ Ginny exclaimed ‘you did rather well though you did win’

‘It was the hip thrusting’ Lavender said with an unladylike snort.

‘You were all mis-sorted’ Harry said ‘you all belong in Slytherin, when term goes back in a week I think it would be best if you put the sorting hat back on’

‘Yeah well we regressed to our inner Slytherin’ Lavender said ‘Hannah reckons we’ve all got an inner Slytherin’

‘You girls do anyway’

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Two days later as Monday dawned Neville began his day unusually nervously. Today would be the first dasy of Auror training and he along with Harry and Ron would be starting the next phase of their lives post battle. Neville had been invited by Ron to have breakfast at the Burrow so after showing and dressing in casual robes Neville left the manor and flooed to the Burrow where he was greeted warmly by Mr Weasley.

‘Good morning Neville!’ he said brightly ‘you’re a bit earlier than I expected’

‘I hope not too early’ Neville said hexing the floo ash off his robes ‘I’m a bit nervous to be get going you know?’

‘Totally understandable Harry and Ron are up early today too unusual for the both of them they started banging around about fifteen minutes ago'

Just then Mrs Weasley came down the stairs an enormous basket of dirty washing perched on her hip.

‘Morning Mrs Weasley’ Neville said sitting at the table.

‘Morning Neville I wasn’t expecting you for a while yet is everything okay?’

‘Yeah everything’s fine Mrs Weasley I hope you don’t mind me turning up so early I’m just nervous to get going’

‘Of course Harry and Ronald are too, just take a seat and I’ll get this lot going before I start on breakfast, what would you like?’

‘Oh nothing fancy Mrs Weasley whatever’s the usual I don’t want you to go to too much effort’

‘Oh nothing’s too much effort for you dear. How did you recover from your partying after the ball on Friday night?’

‘Well I feel fine now but all day Sunday I was seedy’ Neville said as Mrs Weasley made her way into the scullery off the kitchen ‘Gran made me take Hangover Draught every four hours all day yesterday so I would be up and chipper for this morning’

‘And do you feel chipper?’ Mr Weasley asked the hint of amusement in his voice.

‘Yeah as much as you can be with a day ahead of you like mine’ Neville said with a grin.

‘That’s the spirit’

Mrs Weasley emerged from the scullery and within minutes the kitchen was filled with the smell of frying bacon and eggs. Soon after Harry and Ron made their way downstairs dressed for the day and looking positively green.

‘You’re here early! They chorused to Neville.

‘I see you three lads are as nervous as each other’ Mr Weasley said over his copy of the Daily Prophet.

Ron snorted.

‘Well at least we can be nervous together eh?’ Neville said to Harry and Ron.

Harry’s tense exterior cracked and he laughed.
‘Yeah I suppose so’ he said with a grin ‘so how did you pull up from the other night?’

‘Better that I thought I would, Gran made me take Hangover Draught all day yesterday to make sure I was okay. Apparently it’s not the done thing to turn up to your first day in the Auror office half cut’

‘What about the second day?’ Ron said with a grin

‘Oh Ronald Weasley behave yourself!’ Mrs Weasley exclaimed as everyone fell about laughing.

‘We can’t get drunk here anyway’ Ron said with a grin and Mrs Weasley levitated a plate of egg and bacon sandwiches over to the table ‘there’s nothing in the house to get drunk on’

A few minutes later Ginny and Hermione came downstairs in dressing gowns and slippers and looking half asleep.

‘Ah they walk!’ Harry said with a grin.

‘Sod off Harry’ came the collective reply.

‘So how come you’re here so early Neville?’ Hermione asked going to the sideboard and pouring herself a mug of coffee.

‘Ah just a bit nervous about today is all’ he mumbled pulling another sandwich onto his plate ‘I figured an early start wouldn’t kill me. Plus I love Mrs Weasley’s egg and bacon toasties’

‘Crawler’ Harry and Ron chorused.

A moment later there were screeches from outside as two owls appeared in the sky.

‘Ah those’ll be your Hogwarts owls girls’ Mr Weasley said in interest looking up from the Daily Prophet ‘last year eh?’

‘I just hope this years Defence Professor hasn’t set us a book list like Lockhart did’ Hermione said ‘my trunk can’t fit much, I almost need a second’

A moment later the owls flew into the kitchen and skidded to a stop in front of Hermione and Ginny. There was silence while the girls opened their envelopes and read the information within.

A second later Ginny’s eyes widened in surprise and she sprayed a mouthful of coffee over her letter choking slightly and coughing into her hand. Hermione dropped her letter and thumped Ginny on the back.

‘Are you okay Gin?’ Harry asked in concern abandoning his sandwich and rushing over to her.

‘Y-yeah I’m f-fine’ Ginny coughed ‘um it was my letter’

‘What’s in it dear?’ Mrs Weasley asked waving her wand at the table to clear the sprayed coffee.

Ginny took another mouthful of coffee before speaking again.
‘Umi’vebeenmadeheadgirl’ she mumbled

‘Pardon dear?’

‘I’ve been made Head Girl’ Ginny said a little bit more clearly.

The rioutous cheering that erupted was so loud Neville had to cover his ears. Ginny was engulfed in a group hug from Hermione and her Mum and when they pulled apart Harry gave her a kiss. Mr Weasley then left his seat and embraced his daughter.

‘Oh Ginny that’s wonderful news!’ Mrs Weasley exclaimed her face alive with pride ‘we must have a party!’

‘Aw Mum it’s not that big a deal’ Ginny mumbled her face going as red as her hair

‘Y’don’t think?’ Harry said hugging her again.

‘Un Gin I don’t think you read the whole letter’ Ron said holding up the sodden parchment.

‘Sorry? Of course I have!’

‘No you haven’t, geez and I thought I was the one in the family that didn’t pay attention’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘This letter it says you’ve been made Quidditch captain too’

Ginny screeched so loudly everyone in the room was clapped their hands over their ears.

‘REALLY?

‘Uh huh have a read’

Ginny snatched the letter from her brother and read it thoroughly. He whole face lit up then she did a happy dance.

‘It’s true!’ she exclaimed ‘I am!’

‘Well that settles it then you definitely deserve a party’ Mrs Weasley said embracing her daughter again.

‘Muuuuuuuum!’

‘No Ginny we’ve had precious few reasons to celebrate anything recently having some friends and family over won’t kill you’

‘Can I invite some people over?’

‘Of course’

‘Neville consider yourself and Hannah in the invite list’ Ginny said immediately sitting down but then jumping up and hopping on the spot.

‘I think you’ve got ants in your pants’ Neville said with a grin striding forward and hugging his friend ‘congratulations by the way’

‘Thanks’

Ron had picked up Hermione’s letter and grinned.

‘Don’t bother telling anyone you’re going back into your role of prefect Hermione’ he said with a grin.

‘Really Hermione?’ Mrs Weasley exclaimed ‘that’s wonderful’

‘Nah it’s no big deal’ Hermione mumbled blushing.

‘I so thought it would be you!’ Ginny said to Hermione ‘you’re so much more the Head Girl type than I am, and after the battle I thought you’d be....this feels so odd!’

‘Nah, I think McGonagall knows that if she gave me Head Girl I’d run myself into the ground like I did in thrid year’ Hermione said ‘and even if offered it I’m not sure I’d want it anyway. N.E.W.T’s are enough of a head mess without adding Head Girl duties to the mix’

‘And I won’t have that with quidditch duties as well?’ Ginny said ‘McGonagall must’ve been drunk’

Everyone sniggered

The rest of the morning passed with enthusiastic talk about Hermione and Ginny’s coming year at Hogwarts and Harry, Ron and Neville’s start of Auror training they then lined up at the dinner table upon which lay a wooden spoon which Neville turned into a portkey.

‘You boys have a good first day’ Mrs Weasley said to Harry, Ron and Neville kissing and hugging each of them in turn ‘you’re welcome to come back here for lunch Neville if you like’

‘Thanks Mrs Weasley I might do that’ Neville said returning the hug ‘see you later then’

The portkey glowed blue and immediately Harry, Ron, Neville and Mr Weasley grasped it, it activated and they disappeared from the Burrow with the familiar tug behind the navel.

Neville bumped shoulders rather painfully with Mr Weasley and Ron on the peculiar journey but a second later his discomfort eased as they arrived in a heap on the floor of the Ministry of Magic atrium. The hustle and bustle of witches and wizards trying to get to work on time was so great no one took notice of their arrival.

‘Portkeys are worse than apparating’ Harry grouched gingerly getting to his feet ‘that hurt’

‘Let’s floo tomorrow then’ Ron said helping his father to his feet.

‘Now do you boys know where to go or do you want me to take you to Kingsley’s office?’ Mr Weasley asked straightening his cloak.

‘Nah Dad we’ll be fine Kingsley told us how to get to his office’ Ron said ‘will you be coming home for lunch?’

‘Yes I plan to’

‘We’ll see you then yeah? We better get going we only have ten minutes to get to Kingsley’s office’

‘Okay boys have a good morning let me know all about it at lunch’

‘We will’

Mr Weasley disappeared into the crowd and Harry, Ron and Neville started toward the lifts.

‘I have a feeling today is going to be nuts’ Harry grumbled ajusting his cloak hood and keeping his head low ‘are we actually going to be doing any study today or just getting the tour?’

‘Dunno I suppose we’ll find out when we get to Kingsley’s office’ Neville said ‘have you two finished going through that package he gave us at Lupin and Tonk’s wake?’

‘Yeah and it was a bloody head fuck’ Ron grumbled ‘especially the potions work ergh I’m definitely going to have to work on potions’

‘Join the club’ Neville said as they joined the nearest cue in front of many of the lifts ‘Potions and Transfiguration is going to have to be the things I need work on, I haven’t done Transfiguration since fifth year. McGonagall didn’t want me to do it for sixth’

The boys soon squeezed into the lift and took the lift down to the seventh floor where the Minister for Magic and all his support staff were housed. The wall running down the right side of the hallway showed a meadow full of canola beneath a baby blue sky with wispy clouds in it. The boys made their way right down to the end of the hall where a large redwood door was bearing a brass plate reading ‘MINISTER FOR MAGIC: KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, SENIOR UNDERSECRETARY TO THE MINISTER: TIBERIUS ELLINGTON’

‘Well here goes’ Harry said lifting a fist and knocking firmly.

A few moments passed before the sound of footsteps were heard on the other side of the door and it was opened up a tall muscular man wearing navy blue ministry robes with the Ministry logo (a triangle of wands with ‘MOM’ and a british flag within the ‘o’) on the chest pocket.

‘Er Hi I’m Neville Longbotoom this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter we’re here to see the Minister’ Neville said.

The tall man’s stern features softened and he burst into a wide smile.
‘Oh yes welcome gents come in come in I’m Tiberius Ellington come come!’

Ellington ushered them into the large cavernous high ceilinged room in which were several muggle style work stations and the occasional indoor magical plant and led them over to a lounge chair in front of which was a stylish redwood coffee table.

‘Take a seat I’ll let Kingsley know you’re here’

Ellington disappered through a nearby door and immediately after that the main door opened and in came Ron’s brother Percy carrying an armful of files.

‘Perce!’ Ron exclaimed getting up.

‘Ron, Harry, Neville’ Percy greeted them waving his wand and banishing the files in his arms to a desk halfway down the office by a small window that reflected the same image as that in the hallway ‘first day on the job yes?’

‘Yeah and we don’t know what the hell is going to happen’ Neville said.

‘Don’t worry you’ll be fine’ Percy assured them ‘I expect on your first day you’ll just get a tour of the Ministry, lists of all your required equipment and you’ll be introduced to your trainers and lecturers. Oh and you’ll have to sign on at the payroll office on level four’

‘Payroll office?’ Ron said in confusion ‘what for?’

Percy barely hid the roll of his eyes.
‘Because you get a training student allowance for the duration of your study’ he said ‘you start off low and it goes up depending how you progress through your studies. Then of course when you graduate your pay goes up a level to that of a first year Auror. Oh and you get an allowance to buy all the requirements for your study, quills, ink, parchment, robes books etcetera etcetera’

‘Blimey!’ Ron exclaimed ‘so we don’t have to shell out for anything?’

‘No, but you’re not being treated any differently to any other first year Auror’ Percy said ‘they all get the same deal’

‘Wow’

‘So we’re the first one’s here?’ Harry asked ‘the other two aren’t here yet?’

‘No not yet but then you three are fifteen minutes early there’s a while til you go in and see Kingsley, would you like a drink?’

‘Yeah some Wizards Absinthe’ Harry said naming the most potent alcohol known to Wizardkind ‘a whole pint of it’

Percy chuckled.
‘Sorry I can only offer butterbeer or lemonade’ he said ‘that’s all we’ve got in the drinks cabinet til someone goes to re-stock, and even then it’s only non alcoholic beverages’

‘Well a Butterbeer then thanks Percy’

Neville and Ron echoed Harry’s request. Percy waved his wand for a second time and three bottles of Buuterbeer soared over from a nearby cupboard icy cold.

‘Thanks’ they chorused after taking a long draught.

‘The office is a bit empty’ Neville said to Percy as Kingsley’s door opened and Toberius Ellington emerged ‘I would’ve expected the Ministers office to be buzzing’

‘It was about ten minutes before you got here’ Percy said ‘we’re all over the Ministry seeing to business in other departments, in fact I’m due in the Apparition Test Centre in ten minutes so if you’ll excuse me I best be off it takes some time to get there’

‘Yeah see you soon Perce’ Ron said holding his hand out to Percy ‘Oh has Mum owled you yet? Ginny and Hermione got their Hogwarts Owls this morning and Gin’s been made Quidditch Captain and Head Girl’

‘Percy’s eyes widened in surprise.
‘Really?’ he exclaimed.

‘Yup she sprayed the kitchen table with coffee this morning at breakfast’

‘Oh that’s wonderful I must send a congratulatory owl!’ Percy said said bouncing on the spot.

‘Save it for tonight’ Ron said ‘there’s a party at the Burrow tonight at half six, you and Audrey are invited, Mum’s going to invite Bill and Fleur and Charlie and Charlotte too’

‘How about George?’ Percy asked hesitatingly.

‘He’s still holed up in his room. He wouldn’t come down for breakfast if Dad didn’t drag him out of bed each morning’

‘Hmm I might come home at Lunch and see if I can chat to him’

‘I’m not sure that’ll work, I think even Angelina’s given up she doesn’t come around half as much as she used to even with her quidditch commitments with Puddlemere United’

‘Hmm well I’ll come around at lunch I’ll see you three later yeah? Have a good first day’

‘Thanks’

Percy left the office and Ellington waved them through to Kingsley’s office.

‘Go right through, Kingsley’s ready to see you now’ he said.

Neville, Harry and Ron got up from the couch and made their way into Kingsleys office.

‘Boys welcome!’ Kingsley greeted them shaking each of their hands in turn ‘take a seat, ah I see Percy has provided you with refreshments’

‘Yeah but no Wizards Absinthe’ Harry said with a grin flopping down into one of the five seats that were lined up in front of Kingsley’s desk ‘I could go with getting off my guts I’m packing it’

‘Don’t worry you’ll be fine’ Kingsley assured them ‘you’re only nervous because you don’t know what’s going to happen. One you get your bearings you’ll feel fine’

‘Hmmm’

‘Well if it’s any consolation I was as you put it packing it on my first day too’ Kingsley said with a chuckle the white of his teeth stark against the dark of his skin.

‘No it’s not but thanks anyway’

Kingsley laughed.
‘Well everything’s in readiness for your day ahead’ he said ‘you won’t be doing any study as such but you’ll be introduced to your new colleagues and shown your stations in the potions department’

‘I suck at Potions’ Neville said ‘I suck at Transfiguration too come to think of it’

‘You’ll be fine’ Kingsley assured him ‘Potions and Transfiguration were my worst subjects too when I entered the Ministry. You can opt for extra tutoring if you think you’ll need it’

‘Oh I think that’s going to be a definite possibility’ Neville said dryly.

‘Neville I know you’re nervous but please believe me you’ll do fine, I would not have asked you to join the Auror department if I didn’t think you had the ability to do the course work’

‘Yeah so shut up’ Harry said with a grin ‘Neville you only lack confidence, I think with the right teachers you’ll sail through the course’

‘I agree’ Ron said ‘You’re not going to have a teacher like Snape breathing down your neck’

‘Merlin I hope not because if I do I’m going back to Hogwarts’

Harry and Ron sniggered.

A few minutes later a knock came at Kingsley’s door.

‘Come in!’

The door opened and Tiberius Ellington stuck his his around the edge.

‘Frenkie Llewellyn ad Mackenzie Oliver here to see you Kingsley’ he said.

‘Right-o send them in’

A moment two women one tall and lanky with fluoro purple dyed hair and wearing cresent moon earrings and one of average height and build with waist length braided hair and silver dolphin slide combs entred the room.

‘Boys this is Frankie Llewellyn and McKenzie Oliver’ Kingsley said introducing the women ‘ladies this is Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. You’ll all be training together’

‘Hiya!’ Frankie piped enthusiastically shaking Neville’s hand ‘nice t’meet ya’

‘Likewise’ Neville said with a grin his mood boosted by the womans bright mood (and purple hair) ‘you’ll be our study buddy for the next three years huh?’

‘Yup it seems so and fellow agony aunt when we want to bitch about our lecturers’

‘Well now that you’re all here we can get things started’ Kingsley said getting up and sweeping on his cloak ‘I’ll be taking you upstairs to the Auror Office where you’ll be meeting your trainers who will take you on the tour’

‘Yay lets get things going’ Harry muttered in an undertone.

‘Now now Harry you’re only nervous because you don’t know what’s going to happen’ Neville said with a grin ‘once you know what’s going to happen you’ll be fine’

Harry rolled his eyes as Ron snorted.
‘Yeah thanks for that a whole bunch Neville’ he said.

Kingsley led them out of his office into the hallway and down to the lift.

‘You’ll be doing the tour seperately’ he said pressing the ‘up’ button ‘Frankie and Mackenzie with your trainer and Harry, Ron and Neville with yours. You’ll probably start at opposite ends of the Ministry and meet in the middle’

‘So do we all study the same stuff exactly the same way on the same timetable or the same stuff differently?’ Neville asked as the lift arrived and they got in.

‘A bit of both’ Kingsley said ‘because there’s only a small amount of you, you’ll have all the basic subjects together like, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Combatitive Defence and Stealth and Tracking together but your physical fitness training seperately. Then later on depending what you decide to specialise in you’ll train with the others who wish do study the same specialty eg Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology etcetera etcetera’

‘What did you specialise in?’ Neville asked as the lift started upwards.

‘Transfiguration, Advanced Stealth and Tracking and Advanced Combatitive Defence’ Kingsley replied in a reminiscent tone of voice ‘in the latter I broke my leg six times in the last four months once during final exams’

‘Oh that a great comfort’

Kingsley grinned as everyone else sniggered loudly

‘I won’t deny it Neville the Auror training program is quite a physical effort’ he said ‘broken and sprained limbs and concussions are not unusual’

‘Excuse the French but Gran would hex your bollocks off if she heard you say that’ Neville said dryly ‘actually she might hex mine off too, I spent quite a bit of time in St Mungos after the battle and I think she’s quite keen to keep me out of there, I’m quite keen to stay out of there too come to think of it’

‘Well if it’s any further consolation we’re not going to purposely send you there’

‘Oh gee ta’ Neville said dryly amongst hearty sniggers.

Several minutes later they arrived at the fourth floor and went down to the Auror office. Kingsley knocked once and immediately the door was openened by a tall lanky wizard sporting a pinstripe vest and accompanying fobwatch chain.

‘Ah Minister come in excuse moi, I ‘ave been bombarded wiz zeez stupid interdepartmental memos, zey are driving me nuts!’ he said in a heavy French accent ‘ah damn eetimmobulus!’

The cloud of interdepartmental memos that had been flying around the wizards head froze in mid air. The wizard them swept his wand and they all landed on a heap on his desk.

‘Ack zose sings were waiting for me ze minute I arrived zis morning!’ the wizard said ‘some people are so impatient! Zis office ‘as been like ze Post Office in Diagon Alley I am an Auror not a post boy....Merde!’

Kingsley laughed heartily.
‘I can’t say I miss the days where I had to deal with them directly’ he said ‘Anyway I’d like to introduce you to the office’s newest recruits this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Frankie Llewellyn and Mackenzie Oliver ladies and gents this is Olivier Giteau the deputy head of the Auror office Mackenzie and Frankie you’ll be training with him directly’

‘Ah yes I ‘ave been expecting you all!’ Olivier said enthusiastically closing the door behind them all ‘well welcome to ze mad ‘ouse zis is your destiny to be driven nuts by memos!’

‘Beats broken legs’ Ron said with a grin.

‘Is Archie in?’ Kingsley asked Olivier.

‘Oui ‘e is in ‘is office ‘e too is dealing with zose stupid memos’

‘Well if you’ll excuse me I’ll just go and get him’ Kingsley said stepping to the side.

‘So do you always arrive at work every morning being pestered with interdepartmental memos?’ Neville asked with a grin.

‘Non ziz is ze first morning a cloud ‘as been waiting for ze first to arrive’ Olivier replied ‘of course zere is always some waiting but not usually so much. Zat will be one of your jobs once you get settled in dealing with any memos zat arrive in ze morning. After zat any memos zat arrive usually go to ze peson to whom zey are adressed’

A second later a wizard of medium height and built like a muggle body builder emerged from his office with Kingsley a wide smile upon his face.

‘G’day all’ he said in a broad Australian accent striding forward to greet them all enthusiastcally.

‘Everyone this is Archie Collingwood the director of the Auror office’ Kingsley said ‘Archie this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Mackenzie Oliver and Frankie Llewellyn the latest batch of recruits’

‘Welcome to you all!’ Archie said enthusiastically shaking each of their hands in turn ‘well shall we get the tour going? Harry, Ron, Neville if you would come with me, ladies you can go with Olivier’

‘Good luck everyone’ Kingsley said.

Kingsley left the office and Archie summoned his cloak from his office.

‘Okay boys come with me and we’ll get the day started’ Archie said jovially opening the door and waving them through to the hallway ‘so tell me a bit about yourselves, Neville you first’

‘Um what do you want to know?’ Neville asked nervously.

‘Oh anything and everything' Archie replied waving an airy hand 'age, likes, dislikes, favourite music, least favourite music favourite food etcetera’

‘Well I’m eighteen my favourite subject is Herbology I hate early mornings, I like muggle eighties music, I don’t like Celestina Warbeck...’

‘Don’t come to the Burrow at Christmas then’ Ron said with a snigger.

‘My favourite savory food is roast chicken my least favourite savory food is cucumber my favourite sweet food is chocolate my least favourite sweet food are hot cross buns with fruit pith in it’

Archie rubbed his hands together.
‘Good good’ he said ‘anything else?’

‘Oh yeah and I suck major arse at Potions and Transfiguration’

That made Harry and Ron laugh out loud.

‘No problem no problem we can fix that’ Archie said ‘you’ll get major tutoring in any subject you think you lack in I’ll make sure of that. I pride myself on getting my students to improve themselves in their weakest areas, you’ll do fine I guarantee it’

Archies confidence boosted Neville’s mood.

‘So how about you lads?’ Archie asked Ron and Harry.

********************************************************************

The first stop of the tour was the payroll office on the fourth floor.

‘We’ll get you signed up here first then once the tour has finished you can go and get your supplies’ Archie said.

‘So do we go and get our supplies and charge it to the Ministry’s vaults or use our own money and get re-inbursed on presentation of receipts?’ Ron asked as they entered the payroll office.

‘You’ll just charge it to the Ministry’s vaults’ Archie replied ‘I’ve got letters back in the office authorising you to access the Ministry’s funds. You can’t go stupid but you’ve got a generous allowance to get what you need. If you want anything else you have to use your own funds

Neville signed up with the payroll office and came away with a large sheaf of papers.

‘We get a training wage of eighty galleons a week?’ (This is about four hundred pounds according to the Lexicon wizarding currency converter) Ron exclaimed incredulously as they left the office and headed back toward the lift ‘that’s a fortune! Eighty a week just as a training wage? Blimey! And Perce says it goes up too’

Archie smiled at Ron’s amazement.
‘What you’re getting is based on someone living away from home’ he said ‘as you three still live at home you’ll be able to start a savings account or an investment portfolio, or even save up to go somewhere during the holidays’

‘So we get holidays then?’ Neville asked.

‘Of course you’ll need them. The study year is based on the same as Hogwarts so you get two weeks over Christmas eight weeks over Summer the Easter long weekend and the various wizarding holidays the English wizarding community celebrate’ Archie said ‘But none of them will be for full rest save for the Summer hols, there are some elements of the Auror coursework that will require you to study over the holidays, especially at Easter’

That earnt Archie a collective loud groan from the boys.

‘You’ll all manage’ he said with a chuckle ‘Okay now to the Potions Department’

They went down one floor to where the ‘Experimental Charms’ department was situated.

‘Experimental Charms?’ Neville asked in confusion.

‘I know the title is misleading but this is where all experimental magic takes place’ Archie said ‘Potions, Charms, Transfiguration etcetera it’s just called Experimental Charms because Charms is the branch of magic most experimented with. The potions department is way down the other end’

‘Does anyone experiment with Herbology?’ Neville asked in interest.

‘Of course the Ministry has a big plantation up on the Scottish border. A lot of the plants produced there got to St Mungos for making medicinal potions and any excess get sold to various apothecaries in England and France’

‘You know an awful lot about British Wizarding society’ Ron commented.

‘Yeal well I’ve picked up a lot in the three years I’ve been in England’ Archie said ‘but bits and pieces I already knew. The British Ministry is one of the biggest and most respected Ministries in the world and news of it does float over the pond down under’

‘So were you an Auror over there?’ Neville asked.

‘Yup used to head up the department there also, then the opportunity to come to England came up for the family and I to come here so we did’

‘So you have kids then I take it?’ Neville asked’

‘Yup seven one in each year at Hogwarts. The youngest starts there this year’

Ron laughed.
‘Sounds like you come from a fertile family’ he said with a laugh ‘there’s seven....w-well there was seven in our family’

‘Yeah I heard about that’ Archie said solemnly as they headed down the hall ‘sorry for your loss’

‘Don’t be’ Ron said ‘I’ve decided not to dwell on what happened, it wouldn’t help to do so’

‘Good lad’

Archie took them right down to the very end of the hallway to a door that had a large brass plate fixed to it reading ‘EXPERIMENTAL POTIONS- ENTER WITH CAUTION’

‘Be careful when you enter here lads there’s probably some volatile potions brewing and and knock or bump could cause them to explode’ Archie warned the trio putting a hand on the door knob ‘ready?’

‘Lead the way’ Neville said.

Archie twisted the door knob and pushed the door open. Immdiately Neville was enveloped with a peculiar odor. It smelt of cooking cabbage with the faint undertone of citrus. The long cavernous rectangular room had eight long benches on it each with six cauldrons of various sizes and make, each one had a progressing concoction in it and on the bench along side it were bowls of yet to be added ingredients and sheafs of parchment in which Neville assumed were written instructions. At the end of the room there was a dividing glass wall in which there was a door that led to a classroom like lecture room. In there were another four benches with a large blackboard in front of it. Each bench had room for six people and a cauldron but for now the spaces were empty save for rolls of parchment with ink, quills and parchment. A cloud of the brightest purple smoke cleared from a nearby cauldron and Neville saw a door that was labelled with a brass plate reading ‘POTIONS OFFICES AND SUPPORT STAFF’

Several witches and wizards dressed in white laboratory coats and wearing plastic muggle safety glasses were milling about watching the brewing concoctions. A man Neville estimated to be in his early sixties saw them arrive and strode over.

‘Archie my man!’ he boomed holding out his hand ‘right on time old son’

‘Yup just bringing the latest Auror recruits to the Potions department ahead of the first day of study tomorrow’ Archie replied ‘I’d like to introduce you to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom boys this is Les Williams the director of the Experimental Potions Department, he’ll be taking you through your Potions coursework’

Neville saw the Williams serruptisiously sneak a look at Harry’s forehead before extending a hand in friendly greeting.

‘Welcome to you all’ he said ‘I look forward to working with you three, your reputations proceed you’

‘The good ones I hope’ Ron said.

‘Of course, do you lot have closet bad reputations?’ Williams said with a grin.

‘Ha ha no’

‘Well come through careful of that pyrex cauldron there we’re experimenting with a fertiliser for the Herbology plantation up north’ Williams cautioned steering them around the end of the nearest bench upon which rested a pyrex cauldron that held a potion of the most disgusting snot green colour ‘and we’ve had quite a bit of trouble with it, blew up that bench four times Friday alone’

‘Yeah?’ Neville asked in interest his interest piquing at Williams mention of Herbology ‘does it have a name?’

‘Not yet’ Williams replied ‘we’re waiting til we’ve overcome the particularly unpleasant habit of it blowing up before we christen it yet. The thing is we’re not sure what’s causing it to blow’

‘Has it got any Centaur Tail Hair or concentrated Edelweiss?’ Neville asked in interest ‘they’re good to reduce the volatility of Herbology fertilising potions’

A look of dawning comprehension spread across Williams face and Harry and Ron’s jaw dropped.

‘And you think you suck at potions?’ Ron said with incredulous disbelief ‘geez mate you’re going to wipe the floor with your potions marks over the next three years if you keep coming up with that stuff’

‘You know we haven’t tried Centaur Tail Hair or concentrated Edelweiss’ Williams said ‘rare ingredients in potions those two and incredibly hard to procure, but we will give it a go and test your theory’

‘So will you flunk me out if I blow the potions department into the channel?’ Neville asked with a grin.

‘Nah, you’ll be right we allow newbies to the department some leeway, you’re allowed one major explosion a week before your marks get docked’

Harry and Ron laughed.

‘Well as you can see this is the experimental potions office’ Williams said holding his arm out in a sweeping motion ‘as part of your Auror course work you will spend seven and a half hours a week in here learning the theory of potions mainly those which alter your appearance and making those said potions. Through the glass there you can see the lecure theatre and potions lab in which you will work each day, you all still have your cauldrons from school I assume?’

Ron and Neville nodded.

‘I don’t’ Harry said ‘left it at the Dursley’s’ he said at Ron’s inquiring look.

‘Well I’m sure your training allowance will extend to you procuring a new one’ Williams said ‘while you’re here I’ll give you your equipment and ingredients list so when you leave for the day you can go and get your things’

‘God I hope the potions we’ll be brewing smells better than that one’ Ron said making a face as they passed a cast iron cauldron that held an acid green potion ‘that’s revolting’

‘Ah yes that rotten meat scent is an unavoidable side effect unfortunatley’ Willaims said ‘thankfully it doesn’t permiate the whole room just a two root radius. That’s quite a complicated potion, you won’t be brewing anything like that til the middle of your second year all things going well’

After a tour of the stores Archie led the boys through the Transfiguration and Charms Department before taking them down to the sixth flor where the library was.

‘My God Hermione would’ve left Hogwarts if she’d seen this’ Ron said in amazement as they entred a room that was easily ten times the size of the Hogwarts library and held thousands upon thousands of books on hundreds of shelves ‘she’d wet herself seeing this’

‘This is where you’ll do the bulk of your study’ Williams said to the boys ‘there’s a book for every subject known to wizardkind here, seven thousand books on Potions alone. You’ll get your basic books from Flourish and Blotts but the more specialised text will be found in here’

‘Are we allowed to take books out of the Ministry premises?’ Neville asked as a tall stack of books sailed by.

‘Yes but you must be extraordinarily careful with them many of the books in here are hundreds of years old and it’s imperative they are looked after, Margaret Jackson is the head librarian and Doreen McIntosh is her deputy, those ladies can find you any book on any subject I’m told’

‘I suppose we’ll be spending a fair amount of time in here then’ Ron said in a resigned tone.

‘Yup, but don’t worry you don’t have more theory than practical’ Archie said with a chuckle ‘it’s a fifty fifty split’

‘Good’

‘Okay now across the hall to the gym’ Archie said cheerfully as they walked back toward the library’s door’s ‘you’ll be spending quite a bit of time in there too’

The group left the library and walked a little further down the hallway.

‘Physical fitness is in a lot of cases more important that magical skill in my opinion’ Archie went on ‘there are going to be times during your training and when you graduate and you’re on the job that magic just isn’t going to do the job especially if you’ve been disarmed. You’ll need to duck, weave or run from a spell and if you’ve been restrained and disarmed by a felon sometimes the only thing that’ll get them to drop you is a good hard kick in the balls’

‘So what we have to do loads of sit ups?’ Ron asked.

‘Yes and no, I’m quite keen for you lads to take up a muggle martial art like Karate, Tae Kwon Do or Kung Fu. You don’t have top be a black belt or anything but should you wish to you can study it further in your second year’

‘Did you do it?’ Harry asked.

‘Yeah, mind you I started when I was eight, I’m muggleborn you see. I got to blackbelt then graduated from school and went straight into the Ministry back home, got busy and didn’t get much of a chance to train after that. I’m a tad rusty now I have no doubt that put in a combat situation you lads would be able to put me on my arse’

‘I wouldn’t guarantee that’ Neville said ‘we might go alright with our wands but I’m not sure how we’d go with our fists, we’ve never really had much call to floor someone without a wand before’

‘Well you’ll learn’ Archie said as they came to a large metal door ‘it’s all very new Auror training boys I know but within six months you’ll be different people you won’t know yourselves’

‘I suppose we’ll see then’ Neville said as Archie pushed open the double doors. Neville followed him into the huge room that appeared to be divided into three. One section held a wide variety of free weights and weight machines another held several rows of punching bags that were obviously suspended by magic and another section had treadmills and steppers, Two doors were at the far end of the room one being labelled with ‘Wet area’

‘Tomorrow morning the first three hours of your day will be taken up here’ Archie said taking them into the centre of the room ‘Each of you will undergo a fitness assessment that will allow me to tailor a program to suit each of you. Just by looking at the three you I can tell you’ll all benefit from weights training so three times a week you’ll come here and train with me and anyone else I get to come in’

‘So are you saying we’re built like weeds?’ Harry said.

‘Well you are, Ronald and Neville not so much but they’re a different build to you. You’re more tall and lanky they’re short and stout’

‘Ha ha instead of the Man Who Won you can now be Weed Man’ Ron joked elbowing Harry in the side with a snigger.

‘Well you can be short arse’ Harry shot back

‘Now now girls’ Neville said.

‘Through the door on the left is a lap pool, you’ll train in there and are welcome to swim there during any breaks you have’ Archie said pointing to the far end of the room ‘a lot of the Ministry staff have a swim in there during their breaks and a lot of Ministry employees teach their kids to swim in that pool too apparently’

‘So are we only to do exercise in here or can we partake in some outside work hours?’ Neville asked.

‘Of course you can do some outside work hours in whatever way you can, and you can even come in here on the weekends and use Ministry facilities, it’s one of the perks’

‘So what’s the other door lead to?’ Ron asked.

‘That’s a group fitness room where you can do aerobics, ballet, yoga or pilates’ Archie said ‘that’s more popular with the ladies though. I know a whole bunch of girls from the Office of International Magical Co-Operation and Apparition Test Centre have twice weekly ballet classes haven’t got any blokes to join them yet, you thinkin of donning a fluffy pink tutu?’

‘Ha ha no’ Ron said dryly as Neville and Harry fell about laughing.

‘Okay now back to the office’

Archie took the boys back to the office with a quick visit to the Ministry canteen (Ron particularly like this stop). It was empty save for several more interdepartmental memos that had arrived in their absence.

‘These three desks will be yours’ he said to them pointing to three large desks alongside a ‘window’ showing a green pasture full of cows ‘This is where you’ll study when not in a lecture and will be your base when not receiving some sort of instruction’

‘So the Auror office is really our common room?’ Neville said with a grin picking the desk on the right and sitting down.

‘Yes but trust me you won’t be spending a whole lot of time here’ Archie replied ‘you’ll come here first thing in the morning and have enough time for a cuppa before having to head off to your lectures. Even the fully qualified Aurors spend little time here. Their breaks are usually spent in Muggle London or the canteen. The office is only somewhere to do paperwork really’

‘What about Azkaban and the remand centre?’ Neville asked ‘Aurors have to visit both on occasions don’t they?’

‘Of course but you won’t need to go there for a while yet once you progress in your combat training you’ll go there to see how the wardens work’

‘How is Azkaban staffed now the Dementors have gone?’ Harry asked in flopping down in the chair of the mddle desk.

‘By local and international prison wardens’ Archie said ‘Kingsley’s in the process of of staffing it from local witches and wizards it’s not been easy to find the manpower sufficiently skilled enough so for the moment he’s had to bring in officials from Nurmengard to train people to staff Azkaban. At the moment Azkaban is staffed by wardens from Nurmengard and the witches and wizards that have so far proven themselves good enough to do the job, the staff from Nurmengard have been invaluable. We’d have no prison at all if it weren’t for them’

‘I’m glad the Dementors have gone’ Neville said with an involuntary shudder ‘they’re horrid things, I had several close calls on the banishing missions I went on’

‘Yeah I went on some of those missions and you’re right they are horrid’ Archie said making a face ‘but thankfully they are lessening, no idea when they’re going to be totally gone though, possibly never’

‘But I reckon now that Voldemort is gone their instances will be less’ Neville said ‘the atmosphere is lighter have you noticed? It’s like the sun is literally shining brighter and we all know Dementors prefer the dark there’s nowhere for them to congregate now’

‘I reckon so’ Archie said ‘you kow I never met this Voldemort bastard you lot had and I’m glad I didn’t he sounds like a real prick’

‘You’re telling us’ Ron said dryly.

‘Calling him a prick doesn’t even begin to cover it’ Harry said ‘It’s weird not having to go after him after all these years but I’m sure as hell glad I don’t have to deal with him anymore’

‘Yeah I’ve been told your background about him by Kingsley himself can’t say I envy you’ Archie said ‘he took down three staff from the Auror office so he must’ve been a real cunt, the three we lost were no lightweights’

‘I think calling Voldemort a cunt is right on the money’ Neville said ‘did you have anything like him in Australia?’

‘Nah nothing near’ Archie replied ‘there was a mass murderer around toward the end of my school years and when I first entered the Auror office but he was a total saint compared to this Voldemort bloke. He didn’t get as into Dark Magic as Voldemort did and he didn’t go as far as creating Horcruxes, I just about fell off my chair when Kingsley told me about that. Witches and wizards creating Horcruxes is not a very common thing anywhere in the wizarding world’

‘What happened to the guy in your neck of the woods?’

‘He died in prision about ten years ago’ Archie replied ‘no one was sad to see him go I can tell ya that’

‘So what do we do now?’ Neville asked ‘has the tour finished?’

‘Oh yes! I’ll just get your equipment and book lists and let you go for the day then see you tomorrow morning at quarter to nine, of course you can come back here and set up your gear if you wish’

‘What d’you reckon?’ Neville said to Harry and Ron after Archie disappeared into his office ‘should we get all out gear and set it up for tomorrow? We’ll have to get in earlier than quarter to nine tomorrow morning if we take all our stuff home’

‘May as well do it today’ Harry said ‘I don’t fancy getting up any earlier tomorrow than I have to’

‘Lazy punk’ Ron said

Harry snorted.
‘Oh you can talk’ he retorted.

A moment later Archie returned from his office clutching a sheaf of papers.
‘Okay boys here we go’ he said handing out the papers to each of them ‘in this lot are your book lists for Potions, Transfiguration, Charms an additional text for tracking and concealment and combatitive training. Harry all you have to do extra is get yourself a standard pewter size two cauldron but that’s easily gotten in the apothecary, I assume you know where to go?’

‘Yep’

‘Well I’ll let you guys go, see you here quarter to nine sharp tomorrow morning yeah?’

‘Yes sir’ they chorused

Moments later Harry, Ron and Neville left the Auror office and made their way to the end of the hall to the lifts.

‘Bloody hell the Charms booklist is going to break my back’ Neville groaned casting a look at the extensive booklist for Charms ‘Eight books!’

‘Don’t look but there’s nine for Transfiguration’ Harry said making a face.

‘I reckon if Hermione knew how many books there were for trainee Aurors she would’ve been at it like a Krup on a bone’ Ron said flicking through all of his papers ‘there’s twenty six all up Merlins balls!’

The lift arrived and they got in.

‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this’ Neville said his doubt once again surfacing ‘I cocked up my schooling at Hogwarts how the hell am I going to be able to manage Auror training? Just reading the booklist is scaring me’

‘For fucks sake Neville you didn’t cock up your schooling at Hogwarts’ Ron said in exasperation ‘as Harry and I have said to you loads of times you just weren’t confident about your lessons especially in Potions where we had a biased teacher and in Defence where we never had a regular teacher. I think you did brilliantly in Charms and Herbology because you had professors who had confidence and faith in you. Professor McGonagall had faith in you too’

‘Sure that’s why she told me at the beginning of Sixth year she didn’t think I could handle the N.E.W.T level Transfiguration’

‘Well I think you could’ve it wasn’t that bad’ Ron said ‘and Transfiguration wasn’t my strong point either I only got an E in it, I think the only people who got an ‘O’ in it were Hermione and Ernie and we both know those two eat books for breakfast’

Neville managed to crack a smile at that.

‘Look we’ve got each other for support and if one of us is shit at something we can buck the other up’ Harry said ‘and if worst comes to worst we can be shit with each other then drown our sorrows in some of that great home brew lager Algie brews’

‘Sounds good’ Neville said with a grin as the lift reached the Atrium ‘so where shall we head first, Flourish and Blotts?’

‘May as well it’ll take the longest’ Harry said as they walked though the now deserted Atrium ‘shall we apparate or Portkey?’

‘Let’s apparate’ Neville said ‘I never stay on my feet when taking a portkey’

‘Okay see you in front of George’s shop’ Ron said ‘that’s the nearest apparition point’

Neville turned and with a crack disappeared into crushing nothingness, he appeared moments later at the far end of Diagon Alley just down from Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes the now the only still unoccupied shop in the bustling magical throughfare.

Ron and Harry appeared shortly afterwards and together the trio headed up the almost empty street to Flourish and Blotts that in the aftermath of the War had expanded. After recovering from his inprisonment old Ollivander was back in business and waved merrily at the trio as they walked past his shop.

‘Gee ol’ Ollivander looks much better now doesn’t he?’ Ron said ‘He’ll be having a busy time of it in the next week with all the first years coming to town to get their wands’

‘I remember when I went in there to replace Dad’s and after fifth year’ Neville said reminiscently ‘he told me my wand Cherry and Unicorn Hair Seven inches pliable was especially good for Charms and Transfiguration and a wand good for the spellwork of an Auror’

‘There you go then Ollivander thinks you’ll be a good Auror’ Harry said with a grin ‘we have practice exams after six months and I bet you’ll do better than me at them’

‘What’s the stakes?’ Neville returned in a disbeleiving tone.

‘A hundred Galleons or a night on the town like Friday night’ Harry said with a laugh.

‘You’re on, but the result of the bet goes on overall marks. If you win I have to shout you a night on the town and vice versa got it?

‘Souunds fair’

Neville Ron and Harry’s book list was so large they spent a whole hour and a half in Flourish and Blotts and left carrying nearly a dozen magically lightened bags each.

‘We’re not going to finish our shopping before lunchtime’ Ron said ‘how about I send home a talking Patronus letting everyone know we’ll be a bit late? I’d rather finish getting all our gear and set it up at the Ministry before heading home. Once I get home all I want to do is relax’

‘Whatever I’m not fussed’ Neville said shrinking his bags a little and slinging them over his shoulder.

‘Yeah same’ Harry echoed.

Ron sent off a talking Patronus and they then set off for the apothecary that was smelled far before it was seen.

‘Merlins balls I’ve been coming to this shop since Bill got his Hogwarts letter and I’m still not used to that rotting dragon liver smell’ Ron declared screwing up his nose as they stepped over the threshold of the bustling shop ‘the Ministry stores don’t smell like that’

‘I expect if you work in the shop you do get used to it’ Neville said as they waited in line for service at the counter ‘and I don’t think it’s all rotting dragon liver smells more like composting leaves’

‘Well whatever it is it reeks’

Ten minutes later the end of the queue reached the counter.

‘Can I help you?’ the lady behind the crowded counter asked in a tired voice then on looking up and reognizing them saying ‘Merlins balls!’

‘Please don’t say anything’ Harry said in a quiet pleading tone ‘we’re only here to get what we need and leave I’d rather not be chased by the hoards. ‘I’ll go all the way to Paris to get what I need if you don’t keep quiet. You’re not the only apothecary in the world you know’

Neville had never attempted to perform legilimency but had he been proficient at the skill he was sure he would be able to read the thoughts of the woman who made a rather strange face before aquiescing to Harry’s request.

‘Okay then what can I get for ya?’ she said in a falsely cheery voice.

‘Three lots of what’s on this list’ Harry said pushing his potions list across the counter ‘all our purchases are to be charged to the Ministry of Magic, we have letters here to authorise our access to the Ministry vaults’

‘Rightio just wait here and I’ll be back soon’

Harry drew his cloak hood up over his head as casting the sales lady a murderous look as she left.

‘Geez mate if looks could kill you would’ve just cast a unforgivable’ Neville said as Ron whistled through his teeth.

‘Yeah well I’m not in the mood to be hasseled right now’ Harry said making a face ‘I’ve been hassled enough by the press since the end of the battle I would like for once to go out in peace and not be bothered by anyone. I sent Rita Skeeter a hexed Howler on Friday because she wouldn’t leave me alone and stop pelting the Burrow with freakin’ owls’

Neville sniggered.
‘Really?’ he said in amusement ‘did you hear anything about the outcome?’

‘Yeah Cho Chang who’s doing a cadetship at the Daily Prophet owled me and told me what happened, I’ve never seen Hermione and Ginny laugh themselves so hard. I reckon Hermione even wet herself she did leave the room awfully fast’

Ron laughed.

‘So what did happen?’ Neville asked.

‘She got a stinging hex’ Harry replied ‘and I said in the Howler if I got any more owls from her she would get a stingng hex somewhere not visible to the public’

‘Apparently everyone in the Prophet office shit themselves’ Ron said with a grin as three jars of pickled Dragon Claw flew over to the bench and landed with a soft ‘chink the Howler was Harry’s idea but it was Hermione’s to put the Stinging Hex in. My girl is definitely capable of regressing to her inner Slytherin I can tell ya’

‘Oh you and Hermione would turn the stomach of a horse and they can’t throw up’ Neville said making a face as a dreamy expression appropriate to have been clubbed over the head spread across Ron’s face.

‘Oh sod off Neville you and Hannah are the same’

‘Oh no they’re not’ Harry exclaimed ‘they’re not half as bad as you and Hermione, you two produce more drool than Fang’

‘Oh crap’

It took the sales lady forty five minutes to collect all of Neville, Harry and Ron’s potions ingredients but eventually they left having collected another dozen bags.

‘Oh this is stupid Neville declared a minute later after apologizing to a little old lady after bumping into her with his bags.

Neville poked his wand at his bags and shrunk them til they fit in his backpack.

‘That’s better’ he said zipping up the bag ‘this is stupid it’s like doing shopping for all seven years of Hogwarts at once!’

‘And then some I think’ Harry said following Neville’s lead ‘so far I reckon today is like shopping for everyone in your family’s entire career at Hogwarts and we’ve got to go to Madam Malkins yet’

‘Yeah but thankfully that won’t take long we’ve only got to get two sets of Robes and cloaks each’ Neville said as they headed off to Madam Malkin’s’

‘We’ll have to stock up on ink, parchment and new quills too’ Ron said.

‘I’ll go and get that for all three of us and see you in Madam Malkins’ Harry said taking off his backpack and handing it to Ron. ‘it won’t take me long to stock up on that stuff’

‘You sure you want to go on your own?’ Neville asked cautiously.

‘Yeah I’ll be fine’ Harry said ‘see you in ten minutes yeah?’

‘Right on’

Harry quickly disappeared into the crowd and Neville and Ron continued heading toward Madam Malkins.

‘So how’s Harry getting on with Teddy?’ Neville asked.

‘Yeah he’s managing’ Ron said ‘he’s doing too much though, I can tell. He hardly ever lets Mum or Dad or anyone else in the family help with Teddy and it’s it’s starting to wear on him. He’s going to be totally fucked once training starts if he doesn’t let anyone help. He’s getting up in the middle of the night and going to Teddy the minute he dpes a square fart'

‘Maybe that’s just his parental side coming out’ Neville said.

‘Yeah it is but as Mum and Dad keep saying to him he’s got to take some time out for himself too Mum has no issue whatsoever being Teddy’s nanny but so far Harry’s said no, Friday night was the first time he’s been out to relax since the Battle’

‘Do you want me to have a word to him?’

‘Thanks for your offer Neville but I don’t think it’d work Harry has to realise he needs to ask for help’ Ron said ‘it’s the same for George he needs to come to his own realisation too’

‘So no more progress on that front then?’

‘Nah I don’t think there will be for a while yet either, the whole family’s hoping he’ll come around to going away for a holiday with Angelina before the end of Summer when she has to start training again with Puddlemere United’ Ron said ‘the minute he does that Lee, Verity, Glen and I will re-open the shop. Angelina wants go go away for at least a month, Our absoloute last resort is to knock George out with a potion and Portkey him and Angelina to Jamaica where Angelina’s quite keen to go. There’s a small island off the coast of Muggle Jamaica where a lot of witches and Wizards from America go in their holidays. Apparently it’s a nice sunny place where people go just to sun themselves on the beach and go scuba diving. We’re going to give George til Hogwarts goes back before we resort to our last resort’

‘So would someone take George to Jamaica with Angelina or would she do it on her own?’

‘I’ll go help them there and make sure George settles alright then I’ll portkey back, it’s only Harry, Hermione and I who can create a Portkey at the drop of a hat and Harry won’t do it because of Teddy. Shouldn’t take any longer than an hour’

‘Well I hope it goes well whatever option you have to take’ Neville said as they reached the steps of Madam Malkins ‘well lets get some sexy threads’

‘Ha!’

The boys entered the shop a little bell above the door announcing their arrival. Madam Malkin a short. Plump and kindly witch emerged from the store room her features lighting up as they shut the door behind them.

‘Hello boys!’ she greeted them ‘how can I help you today?’

‘Uh we just need to get some robes and cloaks for when we start at the Ministry’ Ron said ‘Harry should be here soon he’s just getting some parchement’

‘Lovely okay if I could just get you to take off your shoes and stand on one of those stools each’ Madam Malkin said ‘had a busy day the three of you?’

‘Yeah it’s been packed’ Neville said kicking off his trainers ‘stupidly so, it’s worse than the first day at Hogwarts’

‘Yeah but at least we didn’t have to sit though a sorting that went for an hour and a half’ Ron said stepping up onto the nearest stool ‘we barely sat down all morning, the Ministry’s far bigger than I ever thought’

Suddenly the air was filled with the deafening crack of apparition a sure sign the apparator had disapparated in a hurry..and Harry appeared falling in a heap. He then turned on the floor and bellowed ‘COLLOPORTUS! pointing his wand at the shop’s door.

‘Harry you alright mate?’ Neville asked in concern getting up still with one shoe on and helping his mate to his feet.

‘I was pounced on!’ Harry exclaimed in disbelief straightening his cloak and running a hand through his hair which was even more messed up than usual ‘literally!’

‘Are you alright dear would you like a pick me up?’ Madam Malkin asked kindly ‘I have some Firewhiskey uptairs’

‘Nah thanks I’m fine just a bit shaken’ Harry said gratefully ‘thanks anyway. If you do’t mind I’ll just be getting my robes and going’

‘Of course dear’

Madam Malkin swung into action and began fitting Neville, Ron and Harry with their robes. Slowly outside people had realised who was in the shop and were pressed up against the window but Harry’s spell preventing them access inside.

‘You wouldn’t think us trying on new robes would be that exciting would you?’ Ron said as Madam Malkin pinned his robes to the correct length.

‘It’s not what you’re doing it’s who you are dearie’ she said standing back and looking at the length of the garment ‘I daresay if they saw you pick your nose they would watch enraptured’

Harrny let out a great snort of laughter.
‘So they shouldn’t have to wait long then’ he said with a grin.

‘Oh sod off Harry’ Ron said dryly as Neville grinned at Harry’s joke ‘prat’

An hour later Madam Malkin handed Neville, Ron and Harry their bags.

‘There you go boys you’re all kitted out’ she said ‘when shall I expect to see you on the front page of the Prophet?’

Harry rolled his eyes.

‘I reckon tomorrow might be your best bet’ Neville said dryly as outside Rita Skeeter arrived at the front of the shop and began to attempt to get in.

‘You best disapparate to wherever you’re going’ Madam Malkin said in a concerned tone chivvying them into the middle of the spacious shop ‘take care and good luck to you all’

‘Thanks’ Neville said.

‘See you in the Atrium’ Harry said then disapparating with a snap

Ron then Neville followed suit. Neville arrived back at the Ministry Atrium to find Harry and Ron in the corner of the Atrium behind the Fountain of Magical Bretheren.

‘Next time I go out I’m going to wear a disguise’ Harry said angrily ‘I’ve never had to disapparate out of a shop before! And today I’ve had to do it twice! For fucks sake!’

‘Harry we understand how you feel but you have to understand you’re a hero people just want a bit of you....’ Neville said ‘I know it sucks and you didn’t ask for it’ he added hastily seeing his friends expression.

‘Let’s go and unpack our stuff then go home for a bit of lunch yeah?’ Ron suggested pointing towards the lifts ‘I’m starving’

‘You’re always starving’ Neville said dryly ‘you must cost your parents a fortune to feed’

Harry snorted loudly.

Finally three quarters of an hour later Neville, Harry and Ron portkey’d back to the Burrow. They went inside to find Hermione and Ginny playing Gobstones, Mrs Weasley baking something and Teddy in his bassinette on the end of the table happily gurgling away to himself.

‘Ladies your men return!’ Ron declared going over and kissing Hermione on the forehead.

‘Well your and Ginny’s have anyway’ Neville said sitting down.

‘So how did your first morning at the Ministry go?’ Ginny asked in great interest.

Ron started off on a reel of description of his morning at the Ministry with regular contrbutions by Harry and Neville.

‘Then when I was in Scrivenshafts just up from Ollivanders I was bombarded by fans and had to disapparate right into Madam Malkins’ Harry said tiredly ‘then Rita Skeeter turned up and tried to get into the shop while we were getting our hems done. Her photographer was with her so I have no doubt the three of us will be the feature story on the front page of the paper tomorrow’

‘Yeah great headline that’ll be’ Ron said sarcastically ‘Potter, Weasley and Longbottom buy new robes, a full investigation into the disturned minds of our war heroes as they peruse merchandise in Malkins’

Harry and Neville sniggered.

‘I’m not going out in public again without some sort of disguise on’ Harry said taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his cloak ‘I don’t want to deal with what I had to deal with today again’

‘I can teach you the spells I put on you Friday night if you like’ Hermione volunteered ‘that way you can put on a disguise before you go to work take it off when you’re inside the Ministry building then put it back on when you have to go out’

‘Thanks Hermione I might do that’

‘Or you could brew Polyjuice Potion’ Neville said.

‘Nah takes too long to brew and you change back into yourself too quickly’ Harry said ‘some temporary glamour charms ought to be enough for the time being. At least that way I’ll be able to go to the Leaky for a pint or go to Fortescues for lunch until everything dies down’

‘I don’t think that’s going to happen for a while yet dear’ Mrs Weasley said ‘you are a very popular man’

‘Hmm well popularity sucks’

‘Did Dad come home for lunch?’ Ron asked as Mrs Weasley levitated a platter of sandwiches over to them.

‘Yes for a short time, he said the whole Ministry building was talking about you Harry and Neville starting’

‘Well we weren’t hasseled by anyone’ Neville said taking a sandwich from the platter ‘thanks for the sandwiches Mrs Weasley’

‘No problem dear, I think maybe Kingsley asked everyone that you be left alone while you settle into things’

‘That’s nice of him’

‘It probably won’t last forever though’ Ron said after swallowing an enormous mouthful of sandwich and wincing slightly as it went down.

‘I suppose we’ll see from tomorrow’ Neville said ‘though we are going to spend al day in lectures and we’re not going to deal much with the Ministry populous as a whole’

‘So did you meet your new colleaguues?’ Hermione asked in interest.

‘No one apart from the director who will be training Harry, Ron and I and his deputy who will be training the other trainees Mackenzie and Frankie’ Neville replied ‘the whole office was empty but aparently that’s not unusual of a morning, everyone was out on jobs or in other departments. The director Archie is an Australian bloke who used to head up the Auror office in Australia but moved here when he got a job in the British Ministry. Apparently he was the deputy when Kingsley used to head up the Auror office. He’s got seven kids one in each year of Hogwarts the youngest starting this year’

Ron sniggered.
‘Sounds like he got as busy as you and Dad, Mum’ He said wih a cheeky grin.

‘Oh very funny Ronald’

‘Maybe a bit busier’ Harry said his face red from the effort of suppressing his giggles ‘he went one after the other, must be something in the water down under’

Ron, Neville and Harry burst into fits of laughter while Ginny, Hermione and Mrs Weasley rolled their eyes.

‘You boys are so immature’ Ginny said dryly.

‘Yeah but you love us anyway’ Harry said.

‘Hmmph’

********************************************************************

Neville spent an hour at the Burrow then stood up to leave.

‘I best be off Mrs Weasley thanks very much for lunch’ he said summoning his cloak and pulling it on.

‘That’s alright dear you look after yourself now won’t you?’ Mrs Weasley said striding over and embracing him ’have a good day at the Ministry tomorrow and study hard’

‘I will, see you tomorrow lads yeah? Neville said to Harry and Ron ‘behave yourselves now’

‘We always behave’ Ron said.

‘Oh you do not’ Ginny said.

‘Whatever’

‘See you tommorrow’

Neville wrapped his cloak around him and with a crack disapparating to Hannah’s house. He took off his cloak stuffed it into his bag then walked down the long drive and past the big horse float and out to the back. He found Hannah in the middle of the coraal conducting a lesson. Half a dozen children on short fat ponies were trottting around in a wide circle while Hannah barked instructions. Neville climbed up on the fence and sat to watch.

‘Jamie your reins are too long shorten them or Sherlock will get lazy!’ she barked’ Louise push your heels down further you're riding a horse not ballet toe pointing!’

Ten minutes later Hannah brought the lesson to an end and it was then she saw Neville sitting on the fence, she grinned and waved him over.

‘Hey gorgeous girl’ Neville said kissing Hannah on the lips (amongst hearty sniggers from her students).

‘Hey how did your first morning go?’ Hannah asked in interest.

‘Great, all set up for tomorrow morning, I have to undergo a medical in the morning first thing’

‘Well you’re pretty healthy you’ll pass with flying colours’ Hannah said as they followed the kids into a barn next to where Hannah normally housed Magic.

‘Have you had lunch yet?’ Hannah asked as each child led their pony into a stall to star unsaddling them.

‘Yeah I had lunch at The Burrow with Harry and Ron’

‘Oh okay then well can you help me with this lot and we’ll go inside for a drink’

‘No worries’

Half an hour later Neville finished helping Hannah with her students then trudged up to the house with her.

‘That Jamie is a little smart alec’ Neville said as they entered the kitchen ‘he asked me if I was your boyfriend and when we were going to get married’

‘Oh so he asked you then?’ Hannah said with a grin going to the fridge and retreiving two bottles of butterbeer ‘he asks me that every week, ever since that time he got here and I was giving you a lesson on Butterbeer. When you first started riding him’

‘I thought he looked familiar’

‘I think he might be magical too’ Hannah said as that sat at the dinner table.

‘Yeah has he shown any overt magic?’

‘Yeah last week he conjured a milk crate, it wasn’t ovbious and no one else saw it because he was having a private lesson therefore was on his own and Dad reckons he made on of the lights in the tackroom explode when he was having an argument with his sister a month ago’

‘Sounds like he’s magic kid’ Neville said and I suppose with him being a muggleborn you can’t say anything’

‘Nah that’ll be the responsibility of the muggleborn liason officer from Hogwarts when he’s old enough’ Hannah said ‘I wish I could talk to him about magic though it’s the best fun he’ll ever have growing up’

‘How old is he?’

‘Nine’

‘What about his sister?’ Neville asked in interest.

‘She’s too young yet’ Hannah said ‘She’s only just turned seven a month ago if she is a magic kid it should show by her eighth birthday that’s what happened to me I didn’t show any til a week before I turned eight’

‘I was nearly nine’ Neville said reminiscently ‘Gran, Algie and Enie didn’t think I would be magic enough to go to Hogwarts but a month or so before my ninth birthday it started happening, thereafter it manifested all the time, I used to blow the lightglobes so often Algie, Enid and Gran went around the whole manor putting Unbreakable Charms on all the lightglobes I hadn’t yet blown up’

Hannah giggled.
‘So instead of calling you my Horcrux Destroying Hero can I call you my Personal Light Globe Exploder?’ she said with a grin ‘I don’t know which sounds sexier hmmmm what a dilemma’

Neville rolled his eyes as Hannah collapsed in giggles.
‘Oh ha ha very funny’ he said ‘well I was going to snog you stupid but you can kiss your own arse, I don’t have to put up with that’

Hannah grabbed the folded copy of the Daily Prophet and whacked him over the head with it.

‘Neville Longbottom you are full of crap!’ she exclaimed with a giggle ‘bastard’

Neville half heartedly tried to protect himself.

‘What are you up to tonight?’ he asked.

Hannah threw the Daily Prophet back onto the table.

‘Nothing why?’

‘Well we’ve been invited to a little get together at the Burrow’ Neville said ‘I was at the Burrow this morning when Hermione and Ginny got their Hogwarts letters, Ginny’s been made Head Girl and Quidditch Captain and Mrs Weasley is putting on a spread’

‘Really?’ Hannah exclaimed ‘oh that’s great, I bet Hermione’s disappointed though. I bet she always wanted to be Head Girl’

‘Actually she’s not’ Neville said ‘she said with final year N.E.W.T’s she’s going to have her hands too full and even if offered the Head Girl Job she doubt she would take it. I think Hermione’s afraid of running herself down like she did in her third year’

‘It’s not like Ginny won’t have her hands full with being Head Girl, being Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and her final year N.E.W.T’s’ Hannah said dryly.

‘Yeah well that’s what she said but I think she’ll be able to handle it’ Neville said ‘Hermione’s going to resume her role as prefect though’

‘That’s good, I got my Hogwarts letter this morning too Professor McGonagall wants me to go back to being a prefect too’

‘Are you going to?’

‘Yeah why not? I quite liked being a prefect’ Hannah said ‘our curfew is less retrictive than those who aren’t prefects’

‘So I could come to Hogwarts one night and have a snog session with you in some dark corner’ Neville said with a grin after finishing his bottle of Butterbeer.

‘Deviant bastard’ Hannah said getting up and going to the pantry ‘fancy a biscuit? I made some chocolate ones last night and amazingly Dad and Zac haven’t eaten them all yet’

‘I know what I would fancy’ Neville said with a grin getting up from his seat and wrapping his arms around Hannah’s waist.

Hannah squeaked in surprise.
‘You know if you wanted a hug you could’ve just asked you know’ she said with a giggle putting the biscuit tin on the table.

‘Who said I just wanted a hug?’ Neville said with a raised eyebrow resting his both his hands on her backside.

‘Oh and what do you want?’ Hannah said with a raised eyebrow slinging her arms around his neck.

‘I’m not sure I should say’ Neville said with a barely discernable smile ‘see I was always taught growing up not to speak dirty in front of a woman’

Hannah slapped him on the arm.
‘Just come out and say it Longbottom’ she said ‘and since when have you stuck my that theory? If I recall correctly that day down by Shennandoah Falls you were positively filthy’

‘Oh I was not’

‘Oh yeah you were, mucky as Professor Sprouts compost heap’

‘Oh bullsh...’

‘Neville just say what you were going to say’ Hannah said cutting him off.

‘Maybe I would be better off showing you’ Neville said resting his forehead on hers.

Neville brought his hands up and cupped Hannah’s face in his hands he then brought his lips down on hers kissing her softly and tenderly. Her lips opened slightly and their tongues made soft and gentle contact. Hannah slowly walked backward til she bumped into the kitchen bench. Neville then gently pulled away and lifted Hannah onto the bench which caused her to squeal.

‘Neville what are you doing?’ she exclaimed.

‘I can kiss you better from this angle’ Neville said with a grin pressing his lips to hers again.

‘Well I suppose I can deal with that’ Hannah said putting her hands on his shoulders ‘how about another one then?

Neville grasped her chin and once again brought his lips down on hers Hannah ran her fingers through his hair and slowly brought her fingers through his dark locks and down his neck which sent a shock down his neck and straight to his groin causing Neville to squeak audibly.

‘Maybe I shuld add squeaker to the list of your nicknames’ Hannah murmurred.

Neville nibbled on Hannah’s lower lip leaving it moist and slightly swollen.
‘I don’t think so’ he said huskily squeezing her hips ‘see I don’t like nicknames’

‘Not even from me?’ Hannah pouted tugging at his collar.

‘Nope’

‘Stiff’

‘Well it certainly seems so’ Neville said looking downward as the bulge that had formed in his trousers.

‘I ought to do something about that’ Hannah said reaching down and rubbing his arousal.

‘Not here’ Neville said kissing Hannah on the neck.

‘Hmm you’re right I would rather be in my bedroom’ Hannah said slowly unbuttoning the first button if his shirt and dropping a soft sensual kiss on the bit of exposed skin there ‘or yours I’m not fussed you have a bigger bed’

‘Only because I charmed it that way’ Neville replied dropping featherlight kisses along Hannah’s jawline and down to the nape of her neck causing her to shiver involuntarily.

‘Can you do it to mine?’ Hannah asked undoing another of his shirt buttons, then another.

‘Yeah but you’ll have to be a good girl’ Neville said with a grin snatching another kiss.

‘How good?’ Hannah said with a giggle undoing another button and lowering her head to apply another searing kiss to his chest.

Neville squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as Hannah found a nipple and sucked on it running the tip of her tongue around it and causing it to harden instantly.

‘Well that depends’ he said huskily running his fingers through her long honey locks and gently nipping at her bottom lip.

‘On?’ Hannah returned as another button came undone.

‘I-I-I hadn’t thought that far ahead’ Neville admitted with a sheepish grin.

Hannah giggled.

‘You goof’ she said starting on her own buttons ‘I like your sense of humour Neville you’re a funny guy’

‘Yeah I know that’s why you hang around me’ Neville said with a grin covering her hands with his and slowly undoing the next button of her blouse.

‘Yeah that could be part of the reason’ Hannah said with a grin snaeking a quick kiss ‘there is one other reason too’

Neville grasped Hannah’s head and brought his lips down on hers once again, Hannah moaned loudly and sank into the kiss leaning back slightly and knocking over the sugar jar.

‘Oops!’ she exclaimed with a giggle ‘how silly of me’

‘Oh yeah like you care’ Neville said undoing the rest of her blouse buttons and hooking a finger under her bra strap ‘shall we take this off?’

Hannah nodded looking up through heavily lidded eyes.
‘That sounds like a good idea’ she murmmured.

Neville reached around Hannah’s slim waist and with a quick flick from his wrist undid Hannah’s bra, it flicked onto her lap over her knees and onto the floor coming to a rest on Neville’s feet. Neville dipped his head and capured one of her nipples in his mouth tickling the rosy bud by flicking it with his tongue. Hannah tensed up and let out a long breathy moan her heart thumping so hard and loud she heard it’s rythmic beat in her ears.

Neville let go with a soft wet ‘pop and trailing a moist path to her other breath with the flat of his tongue latched onto her other nipple which by this time had peaked into a soft pebbled mound.

‘Oh gaaaaaaaaaaawd that’s feels out of this world!’ Hannah moaned running her fingers through his hair and pressing his face slightly into her heaving bosom.

Then suddenly the air was filled with the crack of apparition and Mick Hannah’s father appeared out of thin air carrying several shopping bags.

‘DAAAAAAAAAAAAAD! Hannah screeched shoving Neville away from her and snatching her blouse shut ‘FUUUUUUUUUUUCKING HELL!

‘Oh-errrrm-oh!” Mick stammered going bright red ‘oh-I’m-uh sorry- guys’

‘Bloody hell Dad no one else apparates right into the house why do you have to?’ Hannah exclaimed grabbing her wand and conjuring a curtain from behind she hurriedly put on her bra and re-buttoned her blouse ‘Merlins fucking blue balls!’

Mick still seemed unable to utter a coherent sentence.
‘I-er-uhm-I’ll just go-and er-give-er-you two some er-privacy’ he mumbled.

And once again the air crackled with the snap of disapparation.

‘Oh my god that was so embarrassing!’ Hannah shrilled waving her wand violently and vanishing ther curtain.

Neville who had been shoved into the sideboard when Hannah pushed him away slid his hands off his face which was a brilliant shade of scarlet.

‘You’re not kidding’ he mumbled.

‘I’m going to kill Dad!’ Hannah stormed clearing up the knocked over sugar jar with a poke from her wand ‘he always goes on about apparating straight into the house to Louie, Zac, Nick and I and what does he do? I will kill him!’

‘I don’t think he was expecting to come home and see us making out on the kitchen bench to be honest’ Neville said slowly doing up his own shirt ‘and I know it’s not etiquette to apparate directly into a house but I don’t think that rule applies to your own house. I apparate right into my own so do Gran, Algie and Enie’

‘Yeah well you live in a mansion there are very few places you’re likely to apparate in on someone getting it on!’ Hannah exclaimed still mortified ‘this is a two story farmhouse! My god have never been so embarrassed in my life! Shittety brickety!’

Neville went over to Hannah and held her head in his hands.
‘Han it was embarrassing, quite possibly it’s the most I’ve ever been embarrassed but it’s not the end of the world’

‘Yes it is!’ Hannah exclaimed making a face.

Neville kissed her.
‘No it’s not’ he said with a grin ‘actually I’m glad he arrived when he did and not five minutes later when I would’ve had my head between your legs’

‘Oh Neville you’re not helping!’ Hannah exclaimed half mortified half amused.

‘Just think what would you have done had your Dad turned up five minutes later?’

‘Died’ Hannah replied with a snort resting her forehead on his chest ‘oh Neville that was awful! I would have preferred top have Uncle David and Aunty Jas apparate in on us! At least they don’t live here, David would’ve just given you a slap on the back and Jas would want a girly chat about all the details. I’ll never be able to look Dad in the face again!’

Neville wrapped his arms around Hannah and gave her a squeeze.
‘Yeah you will’ he said ‘I better go but how about I meet you at the Burrow tonight at six for Ginny’s party?’

‘Yeah I suppose you better go’ Hannah said reluctantly ‘though I would prefer you to stay I don’t think you’ll be able to look Dad straight in the face again will you?

Neville chuckled.
‘Not any time soon’ he said ‘But I’ll have to one day I can’t avoid him forever’

‘Hmm well I’ll see you in a few hours yeah? I need to go and murder my Dad and then hide under the doona’

Neville laughed.
‘Be nice to him’ he said brushing a thumb across her cheek ‘he didn’t do it intentionally’

‘Hmmph’

‘See ya later’ Neville said letting go of Hannah ‘behave yourself’

‘I always do’

Neville grabbed his cloak from the back of the nearest chair and with a crack disapparated appearing at the end of the long drive to the Manor. The first thing he noticed was Algie at the end of a row of Roses cutting stems from one of the bushes to place in a vase inside.

‘I am going to die of embarrassment!’ he declared loudly stalking up to the drive and abruptly sitting down next to the rose bush.

‘What did you do?’ Algie asked in amusement.

‘Got caught by Hannah’s Dad making out with Hannah on their kitchen bench’ Neville said hiding his face with his hands ‘it was worse than the time McGonagall busted us snogging in her office!’

‘So getting busted snogging by her father was worse?’ Algie asked in amusement.

‘We weren’t just snogging’ Neville moaned ‘I was topless and five minutes away from losing my trousers and on top of that Hannah had lost her bra and was a nanosecond away from losing her shirt’

Algie burst into laughter his whole body shaking so hard he fell backwards onto his rear end and into another rose bush.

‘ALGIE!’ Neville bellowed ‘it’s not funny!’

Algie righted himself snorting all the while.
‘Oh laddie it is!’ he exclaimed ‘you have to see it from my point, I was in the exact same situation with Enid forty years ago’

‘You were?’

‘Oh yeah her old man busted us just abut to shag, hexed me in the arse and all’ Algie said reminiscently ‘he threatened to hex my bollocks off if I did such a thing again. See he didn’t approve of me you see’

‘Oh gee I wonder why?’ Neville said dryly.

‘Yeah well about a month after that we eloped to Paris and got married’ Algie went on ‘old man Perkins really hit the roof then’

‘Did he hex your bollocks off?’ Neville asked in amusement.

‘No but I reckon he wanted to but Enid’s Mum Margaret and Enid herself threatened to stun him if he didn’t as they said ‘pull his head in’ but he did make us have another ceremony so everyone in the family could attend.

‘Great-Great grand Pop Perkins sounded like a complex bloke’

‘Yeah he was but he was a good man, once you got to know him. He was protective of all of his kids, he did the same with all his sons and daughters’

‘Was Mum’s Dad like that when Dad was courting her?’

‘Yeah to a certain extent but your Pop Longford was a lot more liberal, you’re a lot like him actually. He was an Auror too and was a Gryffindor that ended up marrying a Hufflepuff girl’

‘Are you saying you reckon Hannah and I will eventually tie the knot?’ Neville asked in amusement.

‘That’s not for me to say but you never know, weirder things have happened but it does appear to be tradition that all the Gryffindor men on both sides of your family marry Hufflepuff girls’

‘I’m sure they didn’t do it just because it was family tradition’ Neville said ‘incidentally have there been any Hufflepuff men in the family who have married Gryffindor girls?’

‘Dunno you’d probably have to look at the family tree books Gussie has in the attic to see. I have no doubt at some point there has a been a pairing like that’

‘I might start doing that in any spare time I have’ Neville said getting to his feet ‘that’s if I get any, I have a feeling I’m not going to get a lot of that over the next three years’

‘You’ll be right lad’ Algie said ‘by the way how did today go?’

‘Brilliantly, got all my gear and I’m all set for tomorrow the first full day of study’ Neville replied waving his wand over his cloak and hexing the dirt off it ‘twenty six books for this year alone. Eight for Potions alone and nine for Transfiguration. I start tomorrow by having medical and fitness tests’

‘You’ll get through that you’re a pretty fit lad’

‘Dunno about that but I’ll find out tomorrow for sure’

********************************************************************

At six o’clock that night Neville stepped into the fireplace of the kitchen and flooed to the Burrow. He arrived to see preperations in full swing. As usual Mrs Weasley was in the middle of the kitchen elbow deep in food preperation at the moment Neville arrived kneading an enormous mound of dough. Visible through the window over the sideboard were Bill and Charlie who were setting up the outdoor furniture.

‘Hi Mrs Weasley’ he said taking off his cloak.

‘Oh hello Neville’ Mrs Weasley replied with a grunt as she pounded the dough.

‘Hi Mrs Weasley do you need any help?’ Neville asked hanging his cloak up on the hooks by the back door’

‘No no dear I’m fine, you can go outside if you like all the others are out there setting up’

‘Is Hannah here yet?’

‘No not yet, but no worry I expect she’ll be here soon’

Neville left the kitchen and went outside to where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Percy, Audrey Percy’s girlfriend, Charlotte Charlie’s girlfriend and Fleur were amusing themselves by racing their patronuses.

‘Ron that’s cheating!’ Hermione declared as Ron’s Jack Russell patronus soared into the air and beat Hermione’s otter to a non descript bush several meters away which seemed to be the finish line ‘we agreed making your patronus fly is cheating, it has to run or you get disqualified’

‘But what if you have a flying Patronus?’ Neville asked in amusement.

The group turned around and greeted Neville warmly.

‘See Hannah has a Macaw patronus and Charlotte I know your partonus is a swan so making them walk or waddle would be cheating too wouldn’t it?’

‘But we don’t make them waddle or walk’ Hermione said ‘if you have a patronus that by nature flies you’re allowed to make it fly. Anyway a non flying partonus can beat a flying patronus depending on the energy you put into casting the patronus charm’

‘Hermione you’re over analysing things’ Harry said dryly ‘take a rest will ya? Hogwarts doesn’t start back for another week yet’

Ron sniggered and in doing so earned a death glare from Hermione.

‘So want to enter the race mate? Harry said with a grin.

‘You lot could help you know!’ Charlie called from the other side of the yard as he weilded his wand and arranged the chairs he had conjured.

‘No we couldn’t!’ Ron and Ginny chorused.

‘Smartarses!’

‘Yeah I’ll have a go’ Neville said drawing his wand ‘who’s my opponent?’

‘You have a go Perce you haven’t had a go for a while’ Ron said.

‘So what are the rules and where’s the finish line?’ Neville asked standing on the spot that appeared to be the starting line.

‘The finishing line is that daisy shrub next to the gate that leads to the orchard’ Ginny said pointing to the bush Neville had previously noticed at the end of the yard ‘the goal is to get your patronus to go from here to there and back twice in the shortest time possible. Charlotte is the winner so far in eight and a half seconds with Gin a close second on nine and a half seconds. Harry’s going to time proceedings on his watch’

‘So what’s the point of this competition?’ Neville asked in amusement ‘is there a prize?’

‘Yeah five Galleons’ Ron said ‘or a pints at the Leaky Cauldron so the same value whatever the winner choses. If you go faster than Charlotte you’re first in line for the final race but if you go faster than Gin you go in the final against Charlotte got it?’

‘Got it’ Neville said ‘okay lets have a go....Expecto Patronum!’

Neville Welsh Mountain Pony patronus erupted from the end of his wand and stood tall shaking it’s mane. Percy’s patronus a snow tiger padded up to it silently.

‘On the start of three’ Harry said ‘one...two...three!’

Neville flicked his wand and his Patronus took off in a smart canter leaving a curious foggy mist behind it. Percy’s Snow Tiger took off after it and the others began cheering wildly.

‘Go Patrice!’ Neville bellowed flicking his wand with a little more fervour, his Patronus broke into a gallop and rounded he bush with all the agilty of a quarter horse.

Ron and Harry fell about laughing.
‘You called your Patronus Patrice?’ Ron snorted ‘ahahahaha!’

‘That’s no weirder than you naming your knob’ Neville said as Patrice edged ahead of Percy’s Snow Tiger.

‘You named your knob?’ Percy exclaimed in such incredulity the concentration on his spell wavered and hi Snow Tiger flickered ‘oh Expecto Patronum’

‘I choose not to comment on that on the grounds I may incriminate myself’ Ron said his face going bright red.

‘Well to be fair it wasn’t Ron who named his knob’ Ginny said ‘it was Her...’

‘OH SHUT UP!’ Hermione shrilled ‘am I going to regret Friday night for the rest of my life?’

‘That’s a rhetorical question isn’t it?’ Harry said with a snort.

Hermione just moaned.

‘No offence Ron but sod your knob’ Charlotte said with a grin ‘can we get back to the important task at hand Patronus racing? I want to see if any one of you boys have the skill and guts to race me in the final’

‘How come Bill and Charlie aren’t racing?’ Neville asked as Percy’s Patronus edged ahead of his as they started down to the bush again.

‘Zey said eet was juvinile and purile and real Weasley men don’t participate in such activiteeeez’ Fleur said with a grin ‘zat of course eez merde zis eez a lot of fun!’

‘Those two are no fun’ Ron said ‘normally it’s Percy that wouldn’t know fun if it jumped up and bit him in the bum’

‘Oy I resent that!’ Percy exclaimed as the others sniggers.

Neville took advantage of Percy’s innatention and gave his wand one final flick. His Patronus edged ahead of Percy’s and won the race. Soon after it disappeared into a formless mist. Audrey and Harry were the only ones who noticed this and laughed heartily.

‘You know Percy when you were at Hogwarts you always paid attention’ Harry said pressing a tiny button on the side of his watch to stop the time. What’s happened to you since you left? Are you going senile already?’

Audrey, Ron and Ginny fell about laughing.

‘Sod off Harry’ came the smart reply.

‘Who’s up for a bit of quidditch later?’ Ron suggested a moment later as they headed back toward the house. Random bowls and plates of food were now exiting the kitchen of their own accord and coming to rest on the table Bill and Charlie had set up.

‘Count me out’ Neville said ‘I haven’t been on a broom since our flying lessions in first year and you know how that turned out. I rather like my bones to stay knitted together thank you very much’

‘Same here’ Hermione said ‘count us as interested spectators’

‘Make it three’ Percy added.

‘Well if we get Bill and Charlie in on the act we have enough for a three against two game’ Ron said thoughtfully ‘do you think Hannah might want a game Neville? If she joins in we can have four a side’

‘I doubt it but you can always ask when she gets here’ Neville replied ‘she’s much more confident on a broom than I am, in fact I would rather fly on a Hippogriff or a Thestral’

‘There’s an idea how about we all go to Hogwarts and borrow some of the thestrals?’ Harry said with a great snort ‘outside the start of term and rare occasions like the Order of Merlin Ball they don’t get much action’

‘Oh Harry you really ought to stop takin that Mind Altering Potion it doesn’t befit you’ Hermione said as they entered the house and made their way into the lounge room.

‘I do not take Mind Altering Potions’ Harry shot back.

‘Yeah that’s George’s thing’ Ron said flopping down onto the couch.

‘He’s into taking hallucinogens now?’ Neville asked in surprise.

‘Nah he doesn’t leave the house’ Ron said but if he did start taking funny shit I wouldn’t be surprised. I thought once Mum and Dad gave him his wand back he would start doing all sorts of crazy stuff. He hasn’t left his room since the Order of Merlin Ball except to take a piss. He is eating now but he only comes downstairs when everyone’s in bed’

‘Well at least there’s some progress’ Neville said ‘you can’t expect him to come around straight away’

‘If ever’ Percy said tiredly slumping back in the chair that he had conjured.

‘Just be there for him guys that’s all you can do’ Neville said ‘that’s all people in my family could do when my parents were tortured. And you don’t have to say anything just sitting down next to him will help’

‘You’re too sensible Neville’ Ginny said in a greatful tone ‘I think for too long we’ve just tried forcing George to socialise maybe letting him go is the thing to do. I think we needed someone from outside the family to say what you just said’

‘What have your counsellors been saying?’ Neville asked.

‘The same thing’ Ron said ‘but it’s different coming from a friend’

A moment later the group heard the floo activate and shortly after than Hannah came into the lounge room.

‘Never fear Hannah’s here!’ she declared announcng her arrival.

‘Lovely we were just starting to really shit ourselves wondering when you were going to turn up’ Ron said dryly as Neville got up and dropped a kiss on her lips.

‘Ha ha Ron very funny’ Hannah said conjuring a chair and plopping down into it ‘well who wants to know who the Head Boy is?’

‘You found out?’ Ginny asked in surprise.

‘Yup’

‘Well who is it?’

‘Ernie’ Hannah said.

‘McMillan?’ Ron exclaimed.

‘Of course how many Ernie’s do you know?’ he floo called me just now. That’s why I’m late. He was away with his folks and came home about an hour ago to find his Hogwarts letter on the front porch. He didn’t believe what it said so I had to go over and convince him. I told him McGonagall wasn’t in the habit of sending people letters like his just to get her jollies and that seemed to calm him down’

‘So are you going back to being a prefect?’ Hermione asked Hannah.

‘Yeah I sent back my acceptance owl to Professor McGonagall this afternoon’ Hannah replied ‘I don’t know if my duties are going to be any different than when I first became a prefect but I wouldn’t think so. How about you?’

‘Yeah I’m going back as a prefect too’ Hermione said.

‘You’ll get your picture in the yearbook then’ Percy said ‘the Head Boy and Girl and all the prefects in each year from fifth get a picture in the back of the annual yearbook. And the Head Boy and Girl get a whole page to themselves, at least they did when I was Head Boy’

‘I’ll make sure I tart up then’ Ginny said with a giggle.

That earned a groan from the group.

‘Okay everyone grubs up’ Mrs Weasley announced from the door.

‘Great I’m starving!’ Ron declared loudly leaping off the couch.

‘You’re always starving’ came the collective reply.

Within minutes the entire Weasley family and invited guests were seated around the table. Mrs Weasley made sure everyone had a flute of champagne then sat down looking at her husband expectantly. Mr Weasley got to his feet and cleared his throat raising his glass as he did so.

‘Before we start the meal I would like to say a few words’ he said ‘as you know we are gathered here tonight for a very special reason. Ginny has become the first Head Girl in the Weasley family and the third Hogwarts student head after Bill and Charlie. Sweetheart I would like to say your Mother and I are so proud of you and the young woman you have become and are sure the coming year will be one of the best in your life. I am sure your brothers, Harry and all your friends are just as proud of you, we know as those closest to you that you will do your job with the upmost vigour and effort and wish you all the best. So I would like to propose a toast to my youngest child and only daughter Ginevra Molly Weasley good luck for the year ahead’

Everyone rose to their feet and charged their glasses to Ginny.

‘To Ginny!’ they chorused.

‘Aw Mr Weasley I think you made Ginny cry’ Neville joked as Ginny furiously swiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

‘Sod off Neville’ Ginny said thickly with a great sniff.

‘You know a little bit of me is disappointed I’m not back at Hogwarts this year Gin I wouldn’t mind seeing you in full Head Girl mode’ Ron teased piling his plate with what seemd like half a roast chicken ‘’a hundred points from Slytherin for being a bunch of snots...hahahaha!’

Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes.
‘Idiot’ they chorused.

‘You know I think after all that happened Slytherin isn’t going to be the house it once was’ Neville said spooning peas onto his plate ‘remember they lost just as many people during the lead up to battle as we did and that’s got to hurt. I don’t know a lot abut Slytherin House but I know they don’t like stuff that directly impacts negitively on their lives. Look at what Narcissa and Draco did for you Harry the shit hit the fan and in the end they changed helping you even if it was for their own end. That would have to have changed them even you would hae to admit that Ron’

Ron made a non comittal grunt.
‘I suppose so’ he said ‘doesn’t stop them from being a bunch of slimy gits though’

‘So boys how about you tell me about your day?’ Mr Weasley said a few minutes later just at the precise moment Harry and Ron stuffed their mouths full of mashed potato.

Neville sniggered as both Harry and Ron struggled to swallow their food in haste to asnswer.

‘Well Mr Weasley after we left you in the atrium we went down to Kingsley’s office and met our Colleagues Frankie Llewellyn and Mackenzie Oliver’

‘Frankie had purple hair’ Ron added swallowing his enormous mouthful with a wince.

‘She’s a metamorphmagus?’ Ginny asked in interest.

‘Nah she’s dyed it’

‘Then we met Archie out trainer and went on a tour of the areas we’ll be using during our studies’ Neville continued spearing some beans with a fork ‘the potions department is huge our stations are twice as big as they were at school. Then there’s the gym all three of us are undertaking a medical and fitness evaluation there tomorrow, I’m a bit worried about that I don’t know how I’ll go’

‘You’re a pretty fit young lad especially with all that horse riding you’ve been doing at Hannah’s you ought to get though it okay’ Mr Weasley said coversationally ‘how do you think you’ll go with the bookwork itself?

‘That I’m not so confident about’ Neville said ‘especially in Transfiguration and Potions but Archie diod say that if I feel it necessary I can request extra tutoring sessions. I think I will at some point do that. Charms and Herbology I know I will do well at it’s just the other subjects I’m unsure about. Even with the physical stuff I’m not hugely confident’

‘You’ll be fine’ Mr Weasley said ‘you’re a good strong lad capable of anything your efforts in the balle proves that’

‘Ron and I have been trying to tell him that all day’ Harry said dryly taking a swig of champagne ‘but no of course he wouldn’t believe his two best friends, that would be almost too hard’

Neville rolled his eyes as his friends laughed.
‘Sod off Harry, I ought to hex you for that’ he said.

‘Looks like I’ll have to clean out the shed a bit to make a potions lab for you two lads’ Mr Weasley said to Harry and Ron ‘you’ll probably have to do some practical homework at some point’

‘I think you could empty it totally’ Mrs Weasley said in clipped tones giving Mr Weasley a hard stare.

‘We’ll give you a hand Dad’ Ron said.

‘You can come to my place and use the lab there until you have something set up here if you like’ Neville volunteered ‘there’s loads of foom and Algie has some spare cauldrons we could use’

‘You boys do that while I clean the shed out’ Mr Weasley said.

The celebration dinner went for a several hours and it was near ten o’clock when Neville and Hannah left the Burrow and apparated to Blackpool for a coffee at the café that had quickly become their favourite haunt.

‘Merlins pants if I eat another mouthful of food my guts will bust!’ Hannah exclaimed as they slipped into a booth at the back of the café ‘Mrs Weasley is the best cook!’

‘Yeah she is’ Neville replied ‘no one ever leaves the Burrow hungry’

‘I had a thought today after you left the house’ Hannah said lacing her fingers through his.

‘Yeah about what?’

‘Well I plan on doing my Hogwarts shopping on Saturday afternoon would you lke to come with me?’ Hannah asked ‘Dad’s going to take Zac, Louise and Nick but if you come with me we could make a day trip of it’

‘Yeah okay no worries’ Neville said do yu want to start early in the day so we can go for a ride afterwards or do you want to start about lunchtime?
‘Let’s start in the morning then take time getting what I need, then we can have a casual lunch and go for a ride to Shennandoah Falls again’ Hannah said with a grin ‘you remember how much fun we had the first time we went there’

Neville leaned forward and dropped a chaste kiss on Hannah’s lips.
‘How could I forget?’ he whispered in her ear with a grin ‘that was good fun we ought to do it more often’

‘More often than we do it now?’ Hannah said with a giggle ‘geez Neville every second we have alone you’re groping my boobs or have your head between my legs. If we did it any longer you would have to drop out of Auror training and I would have to leave Hogwarts’

Neville laughed heartily.
‘Well we can’t do that’ he said ‘Gran would kill me if I dropped out of Auror training and I reckon since you decided to go back to Hogwarts you Dad might have issues about you dropping out’

‘Yeah oh well we have holidays and weekends to get jiggy with it’ Hannah said with a giggle tracing the outline of Neville’s lips with a finger ‘Christmas time is the first lot of hols’

‘But your first Hogsmeade weekend is October’ Neville said wiggling his eyebrows.

‘Oh yeah so it is!’ Hannah said with a look of dawning comprehension ‘I’m sure we’ll fill in some time then’

A waitress bought them a coffee each and as she left Neville serruptisiously drew his wand and cast a silencing charm around them.

‘Neville what’s up?’ Hannah asked in surprise as Neville cast a furtive look over his shoulder.

‘Well I’ve been thinking for a while there’s something I need to tell you about me’ Neville said nervously ‘I meant to tell you yesterday but I couldn’ quite find the words. It was only after seeing Mr and Mrs Weasley tonight that I made my decision’

‘Is everythig alright with you?’ Hannah asked tucking a curl of hair behind his ear.

‘Me? Oh yeah I’m fine I just need to tell you a it more about myself, there’s one big thing I haven’t told you in all the time we’ve been together’ Neville said ‘you’ve met all of my immediate family Gran, Algie and Enid but there are two people that are in my immediate family that I still haven’t introduced to you’

‘Oh who?’ Hannah asked in genuine curiosity.

‘Um m-my p-parents’ Neville stuttered a lump forming in his throat ‘god there’s so much about them you don’t know!’

‘Oh I was under the impression they had passed away ad you didn’t want to talk about it’ Hannah said softly ‘what happened?’

‘Many years ago around the time Voldemort killed Harry’s parents his minions also went after my parents’ Neville said ‘well one in particular, Bellatrix LeStrange’

‘No!’ Hannah exclaimed her hands flying to her mouth in amazement ‘she didn’t!’

‘Yeah she did the sadistic bitch’ Neville mumbled staring at the foam of his cappucino.

‘Um what did she do?’ Hannah whispered resting her chin on her hands. Her blue eyes wide with wonder.

‘She used the Cruciatus Curse on Mum then Dad til they went insane’ Neville said ‘she stupefied Dad so he had to watch her being tortured’

‘Oh my god!’ Hannah exclaimed her eyes filling with tears ‘were you in the house with them?’

‘No she did it when Mum and Dad were on a mission for the Ministry they were Aurors you see’ Neville said ‘it turned out it was a trap to get as many anti-Voldemort people and eliminate them. Bellatrix was the ringleader of that little exercise on the orders of Voldemort himself. Mum and Dad were the only ones to survive. Three other Aurors were murdered and even four hitwizards were vaporised when they arrived at the scene where the Dark Mark had been shot into the sky’

‘Oh my God Neville that’s awfrul!’ Hannah whispered leaning forward and hugging him tightly ‘oh I am so sorry! I literally don’t know what to say!’

‘You don’t have to say anything’ Neville said returning the hug ‘that’s why I thanked Mrs Weasley at the Order of Merlin Ball what she did killing Bellatrix LeStrange meant so much to my family and I. If anyone was to get rid of her other than me I’m glad it was Mrs Weasley I have new new and renewed respect for that woman’

‘Oh I can see why!’ Hannah exclaimed ‘geez Neville never did I think that you didn’t want to talk about your parents because of that! Do you mind me asking if they survived what happened to them and where they are now?’

Both Mum and Dad were in a coma for three months but when they came out of it it was found they had irrepreable magical brain damage. They now live in the permanent residents ward of the Spell Damage Department at St Mungos. I go there as often as I can though they don’t seem to recognize me. Though they do seem to be able to read’

‘That must be awful for you to endure, having your parents but not really having them there’

‘Yeah but I grew up knowing them like that so really I’m used to it’ Neville said warming his hands on his mug ‘Bellatrix did all that to Mum and Dad the week before Voldemort killed Harry’s parents’

‘Fucking hell, s’cuse the language. Oh Neville I had no idea!’ Hannah exclaimed again ‘I mean what do you say to that?’

‘You don’t have to say anything’ Neville said running the pad of his thumb across her cheek ‘you just listening means a lot to me. It’s therapuetic even’

‘Do you want me to meet your parents?’ Hannah asked softly after a moment of silence during which they sipped at their cappucinos. ‘I understand if you think it’s too soon’

‘No I want you to meet them’ Neville said ‘I don’t know when though?, maybe this week before you go back to Hogwarts?’

‘Are you sure you want to do it that soon?’ Hannah asked cautiously ‘I don’t want you to feel like you have to Neville, it’s hard enough having to deal with the situation your parents are in without me adding to your worries’

‘You could never add to my worries’ Neville said softly tugging on the end of her ponytail which hung over her shoulder ‘you make me forget them actually Gran reckons you’re my healing balm’

‘She said that?’ Hannah said with a smile.

‘Yeah those were her exact words just after the Lockinge Valley riots’ Neville said smiling at the memory ‘and she’s right you know. Having you by my side since the end of the war has helped in ways you can’t begin to imagine’

‘You know when you say things like that it makes me wish I wasn’t going back to Hogwarts’ Hannah said rubbing the back of his hand with a thumb ‘you better owl me or I will send you a Howler that’ll make the one Mrs Weasley sent Ron in second year look like love and fluff’’

Neville laughed.
‘I promise to owl’ he said with a grin ‘I fear for my safety if I don’t’

Hannah giggled as she slapped Neville’s arm.
‘Smartarse’ she said ‘I was wondering about one thing’

‘Hmm?’

‘I was wondering if you can manage it if you’d come and see me off on the Hogwarts Express next Monday? I don’t know if you’d be able to get the time off....’

‘Of course I will if I can get the time off’ Neville said ‘it’s the last time I’ll be able to see you til the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. If I can’t I’ll make sure I send you an Owl in time for morning post’

‘I reckon we’re going to use an awful lot of parchment over the next twelve months’ Hannah said with a grin slowly stirring her drink ‘might have to buy extra supplies at Scrivenshafts and but a strengthening Charm on my favourite quill, with N.E.W.T’s coming up it’ll blunt more easily’

‘Well maybe when I accompany you on your trip to Diagon Alley we can load up then’ Neville suggested after draining his cup ‘would Saturday be a good day for you?’

‘Sure, sounds good’

‘Then maybe afterwards we can go and visit Mum and Dad’ Neville said ‘I never spend a lot of time on my visits maybe an hour at most, so maybe afterwards we can go for a ride’

‘Sounds good’

********************************************************************

Half an hour later Neville saw Hannah safely home then returned to the Manor where the only person still up was Augusta who was brewing some tea when he arrived.

‘Evening dear’ she greeted him ‘tea?’

‘Nah thanks Gran I’ve just had a coffe in Blackpool with Hannah’ Neville said sitting at the bench ‘I might head off to bed soon’

‘How did your Dinner at the Burrow go?’

‘Good good lots of celebrating everyone made a big fuss of Ginny especially Mr and Mrs Weasley which embarased her greatly. And if I eat another thing my guts will bust. Mrs Weasley’s cooking is dangerous’

Augusta laughed.
‘A little pig were you?’

‘No Mrs Weasley kept on saying I was far too thin and I needed to be fattened up. Ron thought it was hilarious. She kept on doing it to Harry too. I reckon I ate a weekends worth of meals’

‘Well you could put on a few pounds you know’ Augusta said.

‘Gran I eat like a horse and since the battle have put on ten pounds if I put on any more I’ll split my pants’ Neville exclaimed ‘you can’t see my ribs like you could after the battle so I don’t think I need to put on anymore. I used to be a fat little kid remember?’

‘Yes I do remember, maybe I’m just so used to you being a little porker I’m subconciously wanting you to get back to that stage. Though with the physical aspect of your Auror training about to start you’ll be a huge musclebound hero in no time’

Neville rolled his eyes.
‘Oh don’t you start’ he said ‘Hannah’s beeen hanging it on me all day about me turning out to look like one of those ancient greco roman wrestlers by the end of my training. She joked there’ll more for her to get her hands on’

Augusta laughed as Neville blushed.
‘Sounds like your and Hannah’s relationship is progressing well then’ she said ‘have you two em....ahhh..well you know

‘GRAN!’ Neville bellowed ‘Merlin’s pants!’

Colour rose in Augusta’s cheeks.
‘I’m sorry dear I shouldn’t have asked’ she said ‘I’m sorry’

‘Nah tha’s’okay’ Neville mumbled striding over to the sink to run himself a glass of water ‘but just so you know no we haven’t. It’s not the right time yet. It’ll happen one day I’m sure’

‘Yes it will just don’t rush into things you’ll regret if you don’t’ Augusta said sagely ‘but just so you know sex is the best thing in the world and it’s even better when you’re doing it with someone you love’

Neville choked on a mouthful of water spraying it all over the floor and down his front theatrically.
‘G-G-RAAAAN!’ he bellowed feeling his face flare again ‘you are not the person I want to talk to about sex! Merlin’s blue ballsacks!’

‘You’re right you’re probably better off talking to Algernon about sex’ Augusta said thoughtfully.

‘I don’t want to talk to anyone in my family about sex!’ Neville exclaimed ‘bloody hell Gran you’re embarrassing the shite out of me! I would rather talk to Harry and Ron about sex than you! Here’s an idea how about we just drop the subject alltogether?’

‘Yes I reckon that might be a good idea’ Augusta said ‘will you be seeing Hannah off on the Hogwarts Express next Monday?’

‘If I can get the time off definitely’ Neville said ‘I’m going with her to get her school stuff on Saturday, then we’re going t...’

‘Neville what’s wrong?’ Augusta asked in concern as Neville’s voice trailed off.

‘Tonight after Hannah and I left the Burrow I took her to a little café and told her about Mum and Dad’ Neville replied in almost a whisper looking at his feet.

‘Oh Neville!’ Augusta exclaimed embracing him in a warm hug ‘what did she say?’

‘Not a lot really she just let me sound off about it when I told her what happened to land them in the permanent residents ward’ Neville said ‘and she hugged me a lot, especially after I explained why I thanked Mrs Weasley in my Order of Merlin acceptance speech. So after we’ve gone shopping for her school supplies on Saturday we’re going to St Mungos and I’m going to introduce her to Mum and Dad’

‘Oh Neville’

‘I know they’re not going to understand but Hannah is my girlfriend and is very special to me they deserve to meet her’ Neville said swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat ‘and after St Mungos we’ll go back to Hannah’s place and go for a ride’

‘I knew you were going to tell Hannah about your parents sooner rather than later’ Augusta said ‘I could see it eating at you’

‘You could? I didn’t think I was being that obvious’

‘Trust me dear you were, like all Gryffindors you wear your heart on your sleeve wether you know it or not’

‘Well I was going to do it yesterday but I was recovering from the night before, and it wasn’t until I was at the Burrow tonight and seeing how the Weasleys are with each other that helped me to decide to tell Hannah about Mum and Dad’

Augusta drained her mug and levitated it over to the sink.
‘Well you did the right thing Neille I’m proud of you taking the plunge’ she said ‘I appreciate how hard it must’ve been for you’

‘Yeah it was hard but not as much as I thought it would be’ Neville replied ‘I think the thing that scared me the most was her reaction, that’s why I’ve never told anyone else. Harry, Ron and Hermione my three best friends ever wouldn’t know unless they had run into us at St Mungos that time’

Augusta put her hands on Neville’s shoulders.
‘You’re a special young man Neville’ she said ‘Hannah’s a very lucky girl to know you, infact I think everyone who has crossed your path is lucky to know you’

‘Aww Gran...’

‘Yes I know I’m embarrassing you but that’s what Grandmas do’ Augusta said with a grin ‘anyway I’m off to bed see you at breakfast’

‘Night Gran’

*******************************************************************

A/N2: Well there you go folks the latest chappie. I hope the few of you out there that read this story liked it!