BONDING WITH THE PLANTS [NEVILLE]

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The events of the last couple of days had left Alice a little emotionally drained. Someone had been killed. On the Hogwarts Express, for Merlin's sake. What was she supposed to think? Someone in Hogwarts was a killer? Someone apparated onto the train and disappeared? The whole situation, occurring just doors down from her own compartment, was shocking and it had left Alice a little scared. What was to come? If the attack had been anywhere else with a name not affiliated with her beloved school, she probably wouldn't be worried at all. But as it was, there was something lurking around Hogwarts. She was sure of it. Just exactly what, she wasn't sure.

Then there was James. Her best friend since she was still using diapers. James Potter and Alice had grown up together, partners in crime. They ruled over their siblings and even withstood being sorted into different houses. Nothing could separate them. And still, nothing was. Alice had just began to feel a certain way about James, a way she never thought she could feel about her best friend.

It had started her fifth year, she had officially decided. She had spent most of the summer ill with some muggle illness called "mono" so she had not been around her best friend for fear of giving him the illness (that, and her mother had forbidden her to leave the inn.) Alice was quarantined. So, after about a month of lying in bed day after day, Alice was finally allowed out just days before having to get on the train to visit Diagon Alley and get some shopping done. She was feeling right as rain and was excited to see her best friend. Then she actually saw him. James had matured over the course of one summer it seemed. He was taller, and much more handsome. Alice had gone through some changes herself that summer, but now they were both fifteen, entering the prime age of teenagehood. Alice found herself blushing like crazy when James had hugged her and commented on how well she looked. There was something that was drawing her to him that she could not explain.

It took a few months for Alice to realize it was an official crush, but she spent a lot of that time in denial, denying any feelings she thought she had for her best friend. Then, in her sixth year, she felt she couldn't struggle with her inner feelings for James any longer. She was able to come to terms with her feelings for James. She was in love with her best friend. She couldn't let him know. He was always after other girls, and that made him happy and Alice just wanted what was best for him, and what made him the most happy. If that meant not telling him how she felt, then that was what she would do.

Alice was feeling especially drained today as she walked about the grounds. She let out a deep sigh as she squinted up at the clouds. Another sunny September day. She looked back down to the ground and the first thing in her view was the greenhouses. For a moment, Alice wondered if she should bother the professor but then with another sigh she started to the herbology greenhouses. She figured the professor would be in there. The herbology professor was a good listener, especially for Alice. A very nonjudgmental ear that Alice felt she could tell anything to, and right now Alice really needed that.

Alice turned the knob on the greenhouse door and slowly stepped inside, scanning the room full of plants for the professor, who just so happened to be her father.

@superluigi64

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One of the ways Hogwarts managed its finances so well was the surprising level of self-sufficiency it had.

Stuff like food and drink and manufactured goods needed to be bought, true, but there were things that the school did for itself that allowed them to put away an impressive chunk of money that the Ministry collected for the school each year. One of these things was the hospital wing, which was entirely self-sufficient, a joint effort between many departments on the staff. As the Herbology teacher, Neville had a twofold job to provide goods to Hogwarts. On the one side, he provided linen and cotton from magically-enhanced plants to Muggle Studies (along with wool provided by Hagrid), who then spun them by hand into cloth to provide everything from towels to bandages for the school. Once a week, Neville had to sit in the back of Greenhouse One to collect the fast-growing cotton from one plant and cut down the ever-regenerating linen plant to be processed elsewhere. The other half of the job, of course, was that every plant he maintained for classes also had a use in Potions, usually as a remedy of some kind to be made and sent to the Hospital Wing.

Which was why, today, he could be found in the back of Greenhouse Three, carefully milking the small patch of dittany in the back corner. One might not expect the plant that provided the basis for all healing potions to be so dangerous, but dittany released warm, dangerously combustible fumes and had to be handled just right. The danger of causing an explosion was so high that only NEWT-level students were ever allowed to mess with the plant—which was fine, as you needed a NEWT in Herbology to work as an apothecary, herbologist, or healer. Perched above him, bright eyes watching him work, Percival waited calmly. The massive fruit bat was uncannily attached to Neville, only leaving his side to sleep, deliver mail, or seek out one of his children when Neville himself was too busy. The bat preferred to live in his office, where he had several miniature fruit trees growing straight down from the ceiling and producing full-size fruit just for him. Percival couldn’t help but consider the benefits to being a bat, not having to wave a stick around to accomplish—hello, what do we have here?

Neville, carefully stoppering another filled flask, did not noticed as Percival’s head began to bob in a quick, smooth pattern, a clear sign the bat smelled someone. He did, however, hear the door of the greenhouse open and the footsteps as Percival’s head swiveled around to track their guest. Neville looked over from his seat on the ground, catching a glimpse of hair the color of spun gold—hair just a shade darker than her mother’s. He didn’t need to see Percival take off into the air, intent on getting a hug from her, but the single chirp the flying fox let out told him that she was alone on this particular day. Neville smiled and stood up, his impressive height making sure Alice wouldn’t have to look long to locate him, and carefully placed the flask on a nearby table, followed by his dragonhide gloves. “Is that a honey badger I hear in my garden?” he called out as he moved toward the front of the greenhouse. His children sought him out often enough, but for Neville, it never got old, seeing them walk into the door and look for him, being able to greet them with a hug and a smile. It wound Hannah up a bit, that he got to see them all the time and she didn’t, but he knew she was glad at least someone was able to be so close to them.

It was marred a bit by circumstances, of course. The death on the Hogwarts Express might be one of the reasons Alice had come down, and unfortunately, there was no satisfactory answer for her, no magical reason why a first-year girl had to die. “Already settled back in then?”

[Deleted]

Alice felt she was lucky to have the father she did. He had always been very nonjudgmental and willing to listen to any of his children. He never impressed his views or concerns upon them either, which from what she understood was something her great-grandmother had done to him as he grew up. Alice loved her great-grandmother, after all her middle name was given to Alice in honor of her, but she had been a little overbearing.

On days such as today, when she went seeking her father's listening ear, Alice would usually find him here in the greenhouses. It was practically his office, after all. She continued scanning the room full of greenery for her herbologist father until she heard a familiar chirp. A smile appeared on her lips as she turned just in time to see her father's fruit bat flying right to her. She opened her arms to catch the silly bat as she let out a coo, "Percival," she grinned. Alice loved all animals, and bats were no exception.

Moments later, Alice saw her father stand up from off of the ground. She smiled at the sight of him. "Is that a honey bader I hear in my garden?" Alice couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes at her father. "Better hide all the fruit," she taunted happily. "Or I'll eat all of Percival's food," she gave the bat a little tickle on his under belly.

Alice turned back to her father. He had recently been appointed Deputy Headmaster but he never let any sort of position at the school, no matter how high or important it may be, get between he and his relationships not only with Alice and her brothers but with other students as well. Alice was thankful for that, as her father was one of the only people she felt comfortable telling everything to. Behind James, of course. But some things Alice wasn't even comfortable sharing with James. Those things were reserved for her father.

"Already settled back in then?" Her father asked. Alice shrugged and leaned against a table that wasn't as shrouded in plants as some of the others. "I suppose," she said, her mind obviously elsewhere. Suddenly a thought she had not really had the time to think about since she had arrived, considering all that had gone on, occured to her. "I can't believe this is my last year..." she trailed off, looking down at the ground. The thought hadn't crossed her mind since before she had gotten on the train.

@superluigi64

[Deleted]

“Better hide all the fruit, or I'll eat all of Percival's food.”

Well, she seemed to be in a good mood at least. Or maybe it was the bat wrapping its wings around her neck in a clear hug—Alice had a way with animals that reminded Neville all too strongly of Hagrid, though at least his daughter had survival instincts. Alice had a more passionate personality than Neville's reserved fire or Hannah's quiet calm. In many ways, she reminded him of Gran. Her brutal, blunt honesty, her hardworking attitude, disdain for many people, and an attitude towards rules that was less breaking them than it was simply not acknowledging ones she didn't think should be there? Oh yeah, all of that had the late, great Augusta Longbottom written all over it. But Alice certainly had her mother's industrious spirit. She liked learning new skills—not knowledge of a subject, but how to do it. This was what had landed her in Hufflepuff, Neville believed. The house of badgers was not known for its standout witches and wizards, perhaps, but they were neither known for their failures. Good or evil, proud or meek, Hufflepuffs never did things halfway. It was one of the things he admired most about that house, and he was quite proud to have his daughter sorted there.

She answered, but Neville's question seemed to have sent Alice's mind miles away. She had something she wanted to talk about—maybe several somethings—and was working out how she wanted to say it. He knew his daughter well enough to watch the cogs turn in her head. “I can't believe this is my last year... “ Oh come on! He'd been in complete denial all summer, and now she had to go and bring it up? Didn't she know she was saying this to her father? Neville's mind went back over the years. Daddy, up! Don't want a brother, Daddy, he smells. He started it! Can...can I have another book, Daddy? You'll be at Hogwarts when I get there, right? Dad, I need this letter signed so I can go to Hogsmeade. Dad, can I borrow Percival to send a letter to Mom? I need dress robes for the Yule Ball. He shook himself out of his reverie as his daughter studied her toes just like he used to. “So it would seem. You know, Gran gave me some advice when I finished my final year of Hogwarts.” Smiling, Neville pulled his wand, transfiguring a nearby trowel into a hat adorned with a stuffed vulture, which sailed over to rest on his head. Then he began to wag his finger at Alice as he spoke. “Now I don't care if you're leaving Hogwarts, you will never be too old for me to take you over my knee or put you in the corner, are we clear?”

Neville rubbed his chin in mock thoughtfulness. “Gran never was much for advice.”

Restoring the trowel and sending it flying back to its place on the table, Neville walked over to lean on the table beside his daughter. “It's something you need to start thinking about, to be sure. But don't let the future take over the present. Yes, you need to consider what happens after graduation. Just don't forget to enjoy what happens before, alright?” His mind wandered to a conversation he'd had with Luna a couple weeks earlier—no matter what happened, no matter how busy, the six of them always made time to keep in touch with one another. Though their lives had moved on, the friendship between the central figures of the last war remained as strong as ever, and they all worked to keep it that way. He glanced at his daughter. “Now, I don't want to get your hopes up before anything's decided—but I was talking to Luna, and she's been considering another expedition this summer. If you want, I can talk to her, see if she'll have you along.” Luna never did find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but she had discovered over a dozen new species of magical creature since leaving Hogwarts, and the odd Ravenclaw showed no signs of slowing down. She'd even dragged Neville along on a couple expeditions between his time as an Auror and joining the Hogwarts staff. Because of that and their combined knowledge of magical flora and fauna, Neville had discovered five new kinda of magical plant and a dozen previously-unknown uses for known plants.

He didn't want to distract Alice from what she'd come here to discuss, but Neville knew that if she wanted to work with magical creatures, a summer of experience assisting Luna Scamander was one of the best things she could have under her belt.

And it was less dangerous than letting her go work with dragons under Charlie Weasley.

Marginally.

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Alice's grin widened as Percival wrapped his wings around her neck. Sometimes Alice was truly amazed by the emotions animals were capable of. Percival, for example, was a loving bat who always greeted her with a hug. Percival seemed to love Alice just as much as she loved him. The level at which many animals understood how people were sometimes feeling also amazed Alice. Such as dogs, the kind that follow muggles around and bark to alert others whenever their muggle is about to have a seizure. Animals, both magical and non, intrigued Alice deeply and her love for them was strong.

Too busy looking at her own feet and pondering how she was going to bring up the subject of James Potter, Alice had not noticed that her statement had sent her father on his own train of thought. She continued staring intently at her shifting feet until her father spoke, transfiguring a trowl into a hat just like the one her great-grandmother used to wear. Alice pressed her lips together but smiled as her father did a spot-on imitation of his gran. “Gran never was much for advice," he said, and at this Alice let out a laugh. Her father always did know waht to say to lighten the mood.

When her father brought up the future, a whole new topic of slight worry came to mind. She had hardly thought about the career she wanted to pursue after Hogwarts. She made sure the surprise didn't register on her face as she nodded in understanding at her father. "Great," she thought to herself, realizing that she would have to soon be looking into future careers she wanted to go into. Obviously something in animals, but for the moment Alice had bigger fish to fry.

Alice's father surprised her further at the mention of her Aunt Luna; well, she wasn't technically an aunt, but she might as well be. The Potters, Weasleys, and Scamanders were all practically like family to Alice and her brothers. "If you want, I can talk to her, see if she'll have you along," her father said. Alice's eyes widened slightly. Even though her father said not to get her hopes up, even the thought of it being a possibility was thrilling. "Really?" She asked, a small grin on her face. Alice remembered when her father would go on a few expeditions with Luna, both of them always discovering something new in their travels. Alice wanted so much to live that life and discover new things herself. "I - I would love to," she barely stuttered out.

@superluigi64

[Deleted]

He could tell by the expression on her face that Alice’s worries had had nothing to do with her career options. Until now, anyway.

Um.

Whoops.

On the plus side, the ways her eyes lit up at the idea of getting to accompany Luna on an expedition made Neville melt into the proverbial puddle right there. Being a talented Occlumens, he didn’t let it show on his face, but privately knew he had no choice but to convince Luna now. He would offer to help fund the expedition in exchange—yes, that would do nicely. Neville was hardly in a position that he couldn’t afford it. They might not have subscribed to the theory that blood mattered, but the Longbottoms were an old pureblood family. Upon Augusta Longbottom’s demise (and Neville was still convinced his grandmother had summoned Death to take her to see Gramp, rather than simply passing away like a mere mortal), he had inherited the vast Longbottom estate, including a massive pile of money in Gringott’s, old artifacts and claims, and the small but stately manor house where he’d grown up, along with the grounds surrounding it. Longbottom Hill was one of the meeting places for the Order of the Phoenix, should it become necessary, with the Fidelius Charm hiding its location within Neville himself. Even that aside, he and his wife both were quickly amassing a decent fortune outside of his inheritance. Neville received pay from three sources: as a Hogwarts teacher, as a reserve and now an active Auror, and as the Ministry’s advisor on matters concerning Herbology. Meanwhile, Hannah Longbottom had purchased the Leaky Cauldron, the most successful bar in Britain, and made it more successful. She easily raked in twenty times the Galleons her husband did.

So yeah, he could afford to fund Luna’s expedition if that ended up being her main issue. He vaguely wondered whether she would accept or not. In Luna’s case, it was a waste of time to try and predict her. She was actually a pretty terrifying witch to duel against, because sometimes she’d randomly stop in a fight to study a painting on the wall, or shoot a spell off into midair, aiming for a Wrackspurt, and you did not know how to fight her because she could do anything next. Luna had kind of grown out of her father’s delusions, but he was pretty sure she remembered how, when she wanted to mess with people. “I’ll make sure to talk to her first chance I get,” he said, squeezing his daughter’s shoulder with one hand. Neville was not nearly as stoic about his emotions as Gran had been, and was all too happy to wrap his children up in a hug. In fact, he was pretty sure Hermione had a picture somewhere of him lifting all three, plus Hannah, off the ground in one massive hug. But he did his best to curb it while at school, to avoid embarrassing them. If they needed a hug, they knew where to go for one.

But that didn’t mean Neville wouldn’t push when he sensed the need for it. “Come on, sunflower, out with it. What’s on your mind?”

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“I’ll make sure to talk to her first chance I get,” Alice grinned widely at this. She was so happy she had the father she did. First of all, because she wouldn't be here if she didn't, and second because he was so caring and understanding. Alice knew that her father would do anything for her, her mother, or her brothers if they needed it. That was why she loved him.

Then there were times when he could tell she had something on her mind. She was glad he could read her like that, but even though she had come down here specifically to speak to her father about something, she didn't know how to start. She hugged Percival again, as he still clung to her. She found he was adding some comfort. "I - I dunno," she began, avoiding her father's eyes. Alice had never before really had trouble being honest and keeping eye contact with her father, but she had also never talked to him about boys. Especially boys that were practically his son.

"It's no big deal, or anything," Alice waved her hand dismissively. "Just more awkward than anything," she thought, biting her lip. She found herself suddenly wishing she hadn't said anything at all. She was a bad liar when it came to talking to her father. She was avoiding eye contact and praying he wouldn't be able to tell or anything. Instead, she was looking into Percival's eyes, hugging him and keeping her lips pressed together rather tightly.

@superluigi64

[Deleted]

Rare was the occasion that Alice tried to lie to him or avoid talking to him, so when she did, she made it painfully obvious. Besides, even if she was practiced at it, Neville was practiced and experienced with lying. Like Harry, he didn’t like it, but he’d had to do it and seen others do it often enough. Just having grown up around the Weasley twins was enough to help you pass an OWL in lying. Not to mention all the other things from school and beyond. The reason Neville was an accomplished Occlumens was due to his being bullied as a child. Like a lot of bullied children, he learned to hide and control his emotions as he grew, because when he didn’t give as much of a reaction, most people tended to get bored of it. Then he’d had to lie as a necessity to protect others in his fifth year, and Gran had found it prudent to get him Occlumency when the Ministry fell before his seventh year. As if that wasn’t enough, he’d taken care of a LOT of Weasleys and Potters over the years. Recognizing lies was a survival skill at that point. So Alice was never able to lie to him.

The flipside, of course, was that Alice hated lying. Her talent for blunt honesty was something she’d earned from both her parents. So when she did try to lie, there was usually a good reason for it, from her point of view at least. Percival peered over her head at him, brown eyes watching, waiting to see how this would play out. That was the other thing—Alice was using the bat like a teddy bear. Something was really getting under her skin. Or maybe it was just because he wanted to talk about it? Sometimes being a father is hard. He sighed. “Alright, if you don’t want to talk, I’m not going to try to make you talk about it.” He wrapped one hand around her shoulders and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head. “But just because it feels like a smaller problem doesn’t mean it won’t eat at you just like a bigger one. Never let perceived importance decide whether you ask for help or not. If your instinct is telling you that you need help with something, it’s usually right.”

And she wouldn’t be clinging to Percival like that, standing here wanting to talk to her father but unwilling to at the same time, if Alice didn’t really believe she needed something, even just an ear. “I’m always here when you need me.”

@alice

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Another thing about her father: he always knew what to say, even to make Alice want to talk about boys. This was a topic most girls avoided wholeheartedly with their fathers, and vice versa. For daughters, it was absolutely embarrassing. For fathers, it was also embarrassing but it was also a sign that their little girls were growing up. Most fathers hated facing this reality, and Alice knew deep down that Neville had realized this already but he did a good job hiding any disappointment that his own little girl was all grown up. He was a talented Occlumens, after all.

Neville pulled his daughter closer to him and rested his chin on her head. Alice loved when he did this. It made her feel comfortable and safe. Even if she was growing up, there would never be anything like the embrace of her father. It was a loving one, one she was glad she never had to miss while away at school, like she sometimes did her mother's. “But just because it feels like a smaller problem doesn’t mean it won’t eat at you just like a bigger one," her father said, his words wise as always. Alice avoided eye contact once again. "Oh, it's eating me alright," she said with a forced laugh. Her instinct was telling her she needed something. Someone to know the truth. If anything was eating at Alice, it was the fact that she felt like she couldn't tell anyone about her feelings for James. James himself was positively out of the question. He just couldn't know. As for her other friends, she was afraid to tell them. She knew that they were never intend to hurt her by telling James, but with teenagers word does get around mysteriously. So her instinct was to just talk about it, and when in doubt, she always spoke to her father about things she couldn't tell anyone else. This subject was just more... awkward than others. Even if she and her father were close.

“I’m always here when you need me.” There it was. The concrete decision maker. Alice felt bad not telling him now. She did come all of this way, after all. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "It's... about a boy..." she opened her eyes slowly, finally looking up at her father for the first time in the last couple of minutes. The subject was just painfully awkward for Alice, and perhaps if it were any other boy but James Potter, the boy she had grown up with and shared a play pen with during infancy, it wouldn't be as awkward. Maybe he wouldn't think it as awkward, but next was dropping the big Potter bomb.

@superluigi64

[Deleted]

Man, whatever this was, it was really getting to her. Alice never let nerves get to her, and here she was, acting like she was hoping to avoid her turn in the Coliseum. It was satisfying to Neville that she didn’t lie to him—she either told him the truth, or said nothing. That was important to him. When he was younger, he’d always bowed to Gran’s wishes and lied to her about things to avoid being compared to his father and told he didn’t measure up. He’d finally gotten over what those feelings of inferiority had done to him, and he knew Gran loved him and raised him nonetheless, but nothing made him feel more secure as a father than knowing his children had never had expectations forced onto them. Part of the reason so few students knew just how important he’d been was because Neville just simply did not like the spotlight, but another part was to avoid putting pressure on his children to grow up into mighty warriors and leaders just because they were the offspring of the famed Lion of Gryffindor. Of course, it wouldn’t surprise him if at least one of his children became an Auror. He had been one for awhile, both his parents had been one, and Gran in her prime had been the only Auror in the Ministry who could duel Mad-Eye Moody to a draw.

“It's... about a boy...”

Finaly she looked up at him, and he realized the reason for her nerves. This was a subject every girl would be nervous speaking of to her father. She was probably worried about his reaction. Of course, Neville knew the appropriate response. “Oh that’s an easy subject. Hang on, I’ve got some Tentacula venom around here somewhere that’ll clear that problem right up.” He made a show of digging in his robes, but didn’t let it go too long. It wouldn’t do if she thought he was serious. Still…the subject was sensitive. He had to be careful when approaching it. “Honestly, I’ve been expecting this for awhile. Mom’s going to be annoyed, she was hoping you’d have this conversation with her during the summer. I’ll have to sacrifice one of your brothers to her to talk about girls, I suppose.” He heaved a long-suffering sigh, though he wasn’t very irritated, really. Hannah would be a little grumpy about it, but both of them had agreed long ago that their children could come to either one of them for any topic, at any time. Poor Hannah would have to get her guy talk out by being someone’s cool aunt.

“Alice, I remember being your age. I remember still being treated like a child in matters where I should have been treated as an adult. It was infuriating at times. My age always mattered when it shouldn’t have. And I won’t repeat that mistake. I won’t pretend it’s not a bit depressing to acknowledge that you’re growing up. But that’s part of growing up—it’s not about how it makes me feel, it’s about you. And words cannot express how proud I am of who you’ve become. I will always be your father. I’ll always be there to give advice, to be your safety net, to protect you from the dark things. But I know that the time is coming fast where I’ll have to let you go, and it’s important for both of us that I do. You’ll always have a home to come back to, but no matter what happens in your life, it’s yours to live, and I’ll be happy to watch you live it.” Well, nice to know his penchant to get wordy in important situations was intact, at any rate.

“And that includes your love life. I swear to you right now that I will not interfere in any way—I’ll not give you or anyone else different advice based on what you’ve told me, I’ll not treat anyone different because of how you feel or what ends up happening. Now…go ahead and tell me about this boy.”

[Deleted]

“Oh that’s an easy subject. Hang on, I’ve got some Tentacula venom around here somewhere that’ll clear that problem right up.” For a second, as her father pretended to dig through his robes, Alice's eyes went wide. She didn't know how he would react when he knew who it was, but if it were her daughter interested in James Potter, or even a son of James Potter, she would have reacted the same way. And meant it. It took her a second to realize that her father was indeed joking. She faked a laugh and playfully punched his arm. "Good one, Dad," she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Woah, Dad," Alice said, backing up a step. She closed her eyes again, feeling the utmost awkward. "I've had the talk," she opened her wide eyes, to stress that they didn't need to go anywhere near that topic. That was one she had had with her mother, for obvious reasons.

When her father went on a spiel about how she was growing up and he was proud of her, she didn't have to force a smile that time. Alice had always been thankful that her parents raised her the way they did, especially considering the way her father had been raised by Gran. She was glad that he had learned from that, instead of making the same mistake with she and her brothers. Her smile could not have been more genuine in that moment. "Thanks, Dad," she said quietly, making sure to keep his eye contact this time. It was good Alice never felt awkward expressing mushy gushy stuff like that with her dad. Any other subject aside from boys, she made good on making her opinion and feelings known.

"Now…go ahead and tell me about this boy.” Now it was going to be tough.

Alice let out a deep breath she felt like she had been holding for a long time. "It's..." She really didn't know where or how to start. "It's complicated," she shook her head. She was just a little afraid of telling her father about which boy it was. She needed a bit more information out of him, just to be sure he wouldn't freak when he found out it was James.

Alice returned her attention to her father. "So," she began, her voice more confident now. "Out of curiosity, what type of boy would you not be okay with me seeing?" She asked, acting particularly cavalier. Her lips were pressed together anxiously, awaiting his response. It would be easy after this, she just knew it.

@superluigi64

[Deleted]

The way Alice talked made it sound like she thought Neville was going to discuss the…physical side of relationships with her. He wasn’t going anywhere near that road, that one was definitely all Hannah’s. “It’s…it’s complicated.” That was always the case with feelings, and yet never the case at the same time. But somehow, Neville thought this might have something to do with his relationship to the boy in question. That narrowed the list down considerably, he supposed. A Weasley? Maybe. A Scamander? Possibly, given Alice’s love of animals and Luna’s reputation. The other option would be…a Potter…oh.

Oh.

Of course. James had a reputation, one he had earned. Alice knew it, Neville knew it, Alice knew that Neville knew it. She was afraid he’d disapprove because James didn’t keep one girl more than a month. But she also didn’t want to have to pick between her crush and her father. He smiled when she asked if there was a type she wouldn’t be okay with him seeing. “That’s not really a fair question. I don’t know that I will ever fully approve of anyone you or your brothers date. I suppose if you really push me, I’d rather you not date a pureblood supremacist…and make no mistake, they will be looking to date you. You’re one of the most eligible pureblood witches of your generation. I’ve actually had four different people approach me about marriage contracts between you and their sons. Apparently, they think that just because my last name is Longbottom, I still live in the 1600s with them.” He shrugged. He’d kept it from Alice thus far, as she had not been hounded by anyone to his knowledge, but if she started showing interest in someone, it might be the incentive some of the students in the school needed to try and get assertive. Alice might as well be warned now.

“But at the end of the day, I’m not your heart. I don’t get to decide what you want, what’s best for you. Only you get to decide that. I’ll give you advice or help any time you ask for it. I’ll be going for the intimidating father routine no matter who you bring home. And if you experience heartbreak, I’ll be here to help you hold it together and maybe teach you a few useful hexes for revenge. But as for being okay or not okay, I will not try to forbid you from dating someone just because I don’t think the same way about them that you do.” Neville reached into his robe and pulled out a small, simply picture frame, with a picture of his entire family in it. He flapped the frame once, and the picture changed to one of him with Harry and Ron at the Auror office. A few more flicks and…aha! A picture of his and Harry’s kids, all six of them together. In the very middle, James had Alice on his back, the pair of them both grinning gleefully. He smiled and turned the frame around so that Alice could see it.

“So am I warm?”

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The decision to tell her father mainly stemmed from Alice's confusion with the Potter boy. He had always been her best friend, and for James, Alice knew there was nothing more than that. Alice loved him more. And considering his reputation, Alice felt her father would probably have some advice on what to do, as he, too, knew the boy quite well. However, Alice didn't think it would be this hard finally telling someone about James, especially her father.

"I’ve actually had four different people approach me about marriage contracts between you and their sons." Alice's eyes widened at this. "Arranged marriages?" She said, incredulously. Alice knew people took bloodlines seriously, but for Merlin's sake, it was 2022! Why on Earth were people still considering arranged marriages? Alice made a look of disgust. "I don't think I want to know the last names of those people," she said slowly, her nose wrinkled as if she had smelled something fowl.

Even in the most awkward of situations, Alice felt that he father knew just what to say so that it wouldn't be so awkward. Particularly his fatherly words, assuring Alice that he would always be there for her no matter what. It always made Alice smile and for the moment, helped her forget about the awkward topic at hand. "I could use some vengeful hexes," she nodded with a smile.

Then there were times when Neville just surprised Alice completely with how well he knew her.

Alice watched as her father reached into his robes and pulled out a small picture frame. She watched him curiously as he flicked the frame a few times, wondering what he could possibly trying to do. Finally, he turned the frame to face Alice and she saw a picture of Albus, Lily, her brothers, and James holding her on his back. She just blinked at the frame. She remembered that day well. She and James had always bossed around their younger siblings, and of course, were always the center of attention. It was hard not to be when your best friend was James Potter.

“So am I warm?” Her father asked, and Alice's attention immediately flickered to her father. She looked at him a moment, then back at the picture. Then all at once, her eyes went wide and her face beat red. It was as if her father had somehow just read her mind or something. Alice, acting like a child, took the back of her robes and pulled them over her head, hiding her face. As if this wasn't any indication at all that her father was, indeed, on fire with his prediction.

@superluigi64

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“I don’t think I want to know the names of those people.”

Neville chuckled lightly at that, not at all surprised by his daughter’s response. The Longbottoms, like the Weasleys, had never put much stock in tradition. They had not been targeted as much as the Weasleys about this, however, as the Weasleys were not seen as having proper Wizarding pride. They did what made them happy, even if it meant not increasing their power and influence in the Ministry. The Longbottoms, on the other hand, did what came naturally to them. It was not to say they didn’t enjoy their jobs, but they did them because they were good at them and the jobs had to be done. Every generation of Longbottom had an Auror in it, and every Auror Longbotom had been a force to be reckoned with. Neville’s father had even dueled Lord Voldemort and escaped—not something just anyone could say. So Neville’s family was seen as having proper Wizarding pride, though as Gran always put it, they only did what they could to protect everyone they could. Normally, it was okay with Neville. He didn’t particularly care whether he was on friendly terms with other Pureblood families, but he had no interest in making more enemies than he already had.

But it was beginning to irk him now, with all the aristocrats coming to see him, wanting to discuss his daughter like a piece of property. “If you ever do find out any of those names, I ask that you not blame their sons. None of them were present when their fathers came to see me, and even if they wave the flag of blood purity, it was woven long before they were born.” But alice’s ire at people trying to get her married without her permission faded when she realized that Neville already knew who she was talking about. Instead, she chose to….hide in her robes. Nevile blinked a couple times before smiling. “Hey, if it makes you feel any better, it’s not going to be obvious to anyone else. Alice, you don’t hang around a lot of people, you’re not easy to impress, and you were more worried about what I thought of the boy than anything, like you were afraid of someone besides you getting hurt. There’s not a lot of boys who fit that description, and you’re closest with James.”

Neville squatted down, peering into the darkness that hid his daughter’s face. “There’s no need to hide, you know. The heart wants what the heart wants, logic and sense be damned. And you could pick a lot worse. I know James has a reputation, and I know he’s earned it. But all in all, he’s not a bad guy.”

“He ever cheats on you and I’ll feed him to the Fanged Geraniums though.”

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As Alice hid her face under her robes in embarrassment, she thought about how not only was it obvious to her father that she liked James, but also about the many men who had gone to her father seeking her hand for their sons. Alice knew it wasn't because she was desirable, more like her bloodline was. This fact didn't help her face return to its natural color any sooner. In fact, it made her turn an even darker shade of red under her robes. How embarrassing this all was to her.

"It's not going to be obvious to anyone else," her father told her, but how could Alice be so sure? Of course her father knew her better than most anyone, so it was probably very obvious to him, but who was to say that her other friends had figured it out already? Then her father reminded her why. She really didn't hang out with anyone else, and it was because she wasn't easy to impress. Alice didn't talk to anyone but her father about this stuff. She hadn't even told Elodie, whom was her best girl friend. She bit her lip again under her robes, shrugging, then looked at her father as he squatted down to peer into her robes at her. Alice couldn't help but smile just a little at this.

A wave of relief sweeped over Alice. She knew her father wouldn't hate the fact if she and James ever dated, she just wanted to be sure that, regarding his reputation, he would never think ill of James for dating Alice. In Alice's mind, it all made sense. In a teenaged girl sort of way.

But there was more to it than just telling her father that she liked James.

"“He ever cheats on you and I’ll feed him to the Fanged Geraniums though.” Once again Alice buried herself deeper into her robes, this time out of what could only be embarrassment for the sadness she was beginning to feel. "That's the thing, though," she said, crossing her arms in front of her. She looked rather silly, like a small and frustrated child. "He'd never cheat on me..." she mumbled. If there had been any real reason behind her going to talk to her father, it was her concern for her never being able to tell James how she felt. She knew her father would know what to say.

@superluigi64