《Thorn | Neville Longbottom》Chapter 22: Like That's Possible
Advertisement
Briar was currently riding with the others to Hogsmeade. She and Potter had arranged a way for her to meet up with Lupin there, so that she could have a private meeting with him to discuss things. She sat in the carriage with Potter, Granger, and Weasley, and an uncomfortable silence had settled over their group for the entire ride.
At one point, Briar was staring out the window and noticed the carriage's other occupants were making some exaggerated facial expressions at one another. She began to observe them from the corner of her eye and saw when Ron raised his eyebrows and then jerked his head towards her questioningly to Harry. Hermione sat stiffly in her seat, but she slowly turned her head to look at Harry with raised eyebrows.
Harry shot them both a warning look that Briar realized meant that Harry didn't want them to upset her. She guessed her reputation preceded her, even with Granger and Weasley, who she'd barely spoken to in her time at Hogwarts thus far.
She slowly looked at them and sighed, "You don't have to be quiet or whatever. Just pretend I'm not here."
Ron raised his eyebrows and grumbled, "Like that's possible."
"Because I'm a Slytherin? Or am I just too pretty for you to ignore, Weasley?" Briar bit back while she leveled a stare at him.
Ron blinked rapidly and opened and closed his mouth. He finally turned pink and muttered under his breath, "Blimey."
Hermione slowly covered her mouth to conceal a laugh, but Briar noticed something else flashed in Hermione's eyes. She figured that Hermione didn't love her latter comment.
Briar rolled her eyes and admitted, "Don't worry, Weasley. I wasn't flirting with you. I'm not interested."
Harry and Hermione openly laughed at Briar's blunt rejection. Ron glowered in his seat, but a smug smile came over Briar's lips as she gazed out the window again. She noticed the way the three of them stole glances at her, but she didn't look at them, not wanting to hear the questions they seemed nervous to ask.
Advertisement
Their carriage arrived at Hogsmeade before long, and Briar popped out quickly, already hurrying to the Shrieking Shack for her meetup with Professor Lupin. She slipped into the abandoned building and ignored the gnawing feeling start in her chest from being in a place so eerie. For one horrible moment, she wondered if this was a place that death eaters had gathered at.
She slipped upstairs and found Professor Lupin standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with his wand drawn. He let out a breath when he saw it was her. He grinned, "You made it."
Briar nodded and murmured, "Thanks for meeting with me. I just had some questions."
"Of course. What are they?" He wondered and shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers.
He looked at her with a warmth in her eyes that reminded Briar of Neville and her mother, so she exhaled and confessed, "I learned some surprising news over the summer, and I wanted to see if you knew if it was true."
Lupin's eyebrows rose on his forehead, but he didn't say a thing as he waited for her to continue.
"I, um, I don't know if you remember my boggart, but it's related to that," Briar started hesitantly, feeling as if her throat would close up any second. How could people do this so easily? They could just talk about these things as if it were nothing. This wasn't easy. It was near impossible.
Lupin's gentle nod stirred Briar on. She licked her lips and tried again, "Well, um, it turns out that I was mistaken because I thought that my parents were..."
"Soulmates," Lupin finished with a gentle smile casted in Briar's direction.
She blinked a few times and took a deep breath. She looked down at her doc martens that stood amidst the heavy dust that coated the floor. Somehow the filth reminded her of the Davies Manor, despite knowing that her father would have a hissy fit if it ever looked remotely like this in his house.
Advertisement
Briar looked back up at Lupin's patiently waiting expression and sighed, "But my father told me that they were not soulmates. Do you know if that's true?"
Lupin blinked and nodded. He admitted, "Yes, that's true. Your parents weren't soulmates, but your mother's parents forced her hand to your father."
Briar took a shaky breath to contain the rage that was starting to billow up inside her. She pressed her fingernails into her palms and wondered, "So she told you that? You knew that they weren't supposed to be together?"
"Yes, I knew that," He nodded, and Briar recognized a sort of discomfort on his face. This conversation was making him uncomfortable? Did he not trust her?
"Did the other members of the order know?" She wondered with a sort of guardedness edging its way into her tone.
Lupin nodded and began to say something else, but Briar interrupted him to say, "I'd like to meet them."
He blinked and clamped his mouth closed. He repeated, "Meet them?"
Briar nodded firmly and declared, "Yes. I want to meet them. This Christmas. My father won't be suspicious. I never go home for the holidays, so I can come without him noticing."
"I'm not so sure that's a great idea..." Lupin started, but Briar raised one black eyebrow and stopped his arguments before they had fully formed.
She hissed, "Of course it is. Tell Potter to escort me there at Christmas... I want to meet the people that my mother died for. They must be extraordinary for her to give up her life and her peace for them."
Briar turned from the room and started to hurry away, but Lupin's next words made her come to a complete halt in her escape. He sighed, "Briar, she died for you, not for them."
She looked back at Lupin with her eyes rapidly blinking and a watery haze beginning to coat her vision. She nodded meekly before turning and fleeing the Shrieking Shack even faster than before.
How could her mother's actions have been to save her? Her mother lost everything because of her allegiance to the order, and so did Briar.
———
Advertisement
- In Serial696 Chapters
The Demon’s Bride
*Slow Burn Historical Fantasy Novel*
8 181 - In Serial7 Chapters
Quiet kids
The following is a work of fiction, which includes a triple murder, bruises, a lonely house, a girl who wants to disappear, and quietness.
8 191 - In Serial6 Chapters
Under the Moon
She rejected him He denied itShe wanted anything but a mate He hadn't wanted one until then She was on the run He was not She was a lonerHe was an Alpha, leader of his pack She was undoubtedly trouble He needn't more trouble And against all odds this is still a love story This is a tale about how the discovery of a soulmate is a blessing to one and a curse to the other. How there is but a name separating them from each other at the very end. The name being a soul name. The most valuable secret to a werewolf. It is the very essence of their being. One which Blake lost and one which Ember denied. And in the midst of all this, hell's door has opened. Spreading crazed determination and perverted delirium among men. Soon no one is safe. Unfortunately, it just so seems that Ember might just have been the one leading it straight to Blake's door. (Be aware, there will be mature content in this story).
8 152 - In Serial47 Chapters
The Worst Was Approved!?
At a very prestigious school a man just barely manages to get in and is considered the worst of the worst. To make matters even more unbearable, he accidentally trips and throws a bottle of water on to the school's idol. It is a known fact that the school idol's father was a very strict man, and that if the school idol wanted to date anyone she would have to bring him home for her father to judge, if he was judged as inadequate, they would disappear. The girl brings the guy back to her house to get rid of him.WILL CONTAIN 18+ CONTENT(However, you may choose to skip any 18+ chapters, as it will not affect the story too much.)YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
8 584 - In Serial16 Chapters
i loved you .
that's the point, i loved you.
8 154 - In Serial75 Chapters
The Wife
Hisoka can be a little bit... creepy. At least that's everyone's impression of him. But what happens when they find out that Hisoka's got a family waiting for him? Just who is this crazy woman who married Hisoka? And will she put up with his antics for much longer?Changed and edited from xReader to xOC
8 75