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last online May 3, 2024 18:44:08 GMT -7
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Jul 29, 2014 9:56:53 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 9:56:53 GMT -7
Alice did seem to feel a bit better. It wasn’t very surprising that she’d been so embarrassed, really. Being told that your name has had people looking to force you into a marriage for the sake of some medieval need to make sure their children are born a certain way was bad enough. Add to that finding out that your father’s able to read you like a book? Any kid would be blushing at this point. And he could also tell she was relieved that he wasn’t holding things against James. But Neville knew his daughter. If she and James did start dating, he knew she wouldn’t tolerate him pulling the crap he did on other girls. And James himself would never do such a thing to Alice, if for no other reason than she wouldn’t take it as well as most girls seem to, and Harry would definitely find out if his son had knowingly harmed Alice. And Harry would not be nice about it when he found out. So all in all, if there was a woman for whom James would change his ways, even unwillingly, it would be Alice.
Of course, Neville wouldn’t jump to conclusions. For all he knew, James was genuinely serious about Alice. Or there was something else going on to prompt Alice to come looking for advice. He just didn’t have enough of the pieces yet to draw too many conclusions. Neville forced himself not to ask too many questions. Moving back into active (if discreet) Auror duty had rekindled that instinct to seek answers inside of Neville, but this wasn’t something where he was meant to know everything, and he was well aware of that. None of his children needed Neville to stick his nose into every part of their lives. Merlin only knows they had had enough trouble just having him as one of the prominent teachers of the school. Neville owed a lot to the Slytherins of his generation, but that didn’t change the fact that they had taken every cheap shot and low blow they could at him or his housemates, and so far Neville had no reason to believe the House rivalries had died. They were certainly toned down from what they’d been when he was in school, before that final battle that decided everything.
“That's the thing, though. He'd never cheat on me...” Neville blinked. There was no blind certainty in that statement. There was no waver of the voice to indicate she was trying to convince herself. There was only a….sadness, a resignation. Hm. Neville stood in front of his daughter, slowly working the robes off her head without making her dislodge her arms from their position crossed over her chest. It took a bit of work, but finally he could see her face again. He tilted his head, regarding her. “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?” But wait…resignation? Matter-of-fact acceptance, and she wasn’t happy about it? That wasn’t the tone of a girl with a newly-acquired boyfriend. Even Hermione, who Neville was fairly certain had never hung out with a girl in her life before their fifth year, who was the most rational, sensible person in the world, had been unable to keep the happiness out of her voice when she announced she and Ron were dating. Everyone he’d known, man or woman, had always let out a little of the thrill of being together somehow. Alice displayed none of that.
Maybe it wasn’t just her father she was having trouble talking to.
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last online May 3, 2024 18:44:08 GMT -7
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Jul 29, 2014 13:44:55 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 13:44:55 GMT -7
All of Alice's life, she had been thankful for a strong and supportive family. And not just her immediate family, either. The Weasleys and Potters were like family to her, as well. And Alice had always had a hunch that if James were to harm her or hurt her in any way, it wouldn't just be Alice's father he would have to be answering to. Then again, the old trio had made sure to raise their children to be good people, to never dream of intentionally hurting another person. They had grown up during a difficult time, and had never wanted their children to experience the things they sometimes had to. The blood purity, the death; it was all things that young kids were not meant to see. Alice was happy she had been raised by such protective and loving adults.
With her arms still crossed, Alice did not stop her father from slowly taking the robes off of her head. Her face emerged and she looked rather cross at her father for removing her from her little badger hole. “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?” Alice bit her bottom lip again. Slowly, she nodded at her father. She was finally going to get out what she had come here to say.
"I really..." Alice began, her arms falling as she began to fiddle with the hem of her left sleeve. "Really," she paused again. She didn't mean to add such a dramatic effect but as she spoke, she was truly realizing just where her feelings for her best friend lie. "Like James." Alice finally finished, looking up at her father with a furrowed brow. Obviously he had already known this so Alice had to get on with the hard part. "But he - he doesn't..." She trailed off, shaking her head at the ground now. Alice knew James didn't love her the way she loved him. That was obvious. James was much more happier chasing girls that weren't his best friend. And Alice wanted him to be happy, so she had convinced herself she was happy as long as he was. But relaying all of this now to her father... for the first time, Alice felt truly sad about it all.
@superluigi64
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last online May 3, 2024 18:44:08 GMT -7
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Aug 2, 2014 10:38:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 10:38:32 GMT -7
Alice gave him The Look as she was extracted from the folds of her robes. Neville ignored this. Alice couldn't use The Look on him. Her mother could use the Look on him. His Gran used to use The Look on him all the time. Alice would have to find a target who hadn't built up an immunity to The Look.
But, reluctant as she was, she was able to get out enough to paint a picture for him. James wasn't interested in Alice—or at least, Alice thought so. He wondered if she knew for sure. On the one hand, Alice had inherited Gran's talent for blunt honesty in any situation. So she could have just come out and told James and been shot down. On the other hand, James had a talent for making Alice act less like her usual self. She got pranky around him, prone to helping him with his endeavors. She was more social in his presence, willing to hang out with groups. Who was to say she didn't just keep her crush to herself and refuse to let James know about it? It wouldn't be the strangest thing. Okay. This wasn't something Neville had a lot of experience with. Rejection, sure. That he'd handled. But he couldn't recall being to afraid to ask someone out. But he remembered a girl a year younger than him who had been. And, lucky day, she was somewhat relevant to this particular pair of children! So Neville resumed his place beside his daughter, one arm over her, hand running soothingly through her hair, so much like her mother's.
“Did you know, there was a time when Jamie's father didn't even give his mother the time of day?” He grinned, remembering the disguised look of irritation on Ginny's face when Harry was eying Cho Chang from across the Room of Requirement. He looked down and raised his eyebrows at his daughter. “I don't mean that he was cruel to her, or ignored her or anything—he just didn't see her as a dating prospect. Didn't even cross his mind, he was all doe-eyed over another girl. I remember Ginny asking Hermione what she should do. And I'm going to tell you what Hermione told Ginny.” He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. This was a bit touchy—he wanted to make sure Alice didn't misinterpret what he was going to say to her. If she took it the wrong way, thought maybe he was trying to push her away from James, he didn't know how she'd react. “You need to take your blinders off, so to speak. Having a crush on someone doesn't stop you from going out with other people. And I'm not advocating you give up on James. But if someone else asks you out, and you don't dislike that person, accept. What does it hurt? One date isn't a declaration of love. Surely you can think of a few guys around the school who share your interests?”
Still alive so far. That was a good sign. “What I'm about to say is going to sound condescending. Believe me, I know it will, I remember when it was said to me. I didn't realize until much later how right it was. But sunflower, you're still young. You're a teenager, you're still growing into the woman you'll become. Don't assume you know what you want. And that goes for James too. Don't assume he's happy just because he acts like he is. He might even believe he's happy. But that's not the same thing as actually being happy. So, maybe James does like you more than you know—more than he knows. But maybe he doesn't. Maybe you're not as interested in him as you think, and maybe you are. But unless you get out there and get more experience, you'll never know if that's true or not. I never dated your mother when I was here at Hogwarts. I was always attracted to the girls that took charge of things, that were smart and capable but didn't let that stop them from helping anyone they met. And your mother, she went all starry-eyed for the dashing princes of the castle, the good-looking, capable, confident wizards. But then one day, oh, twenty years ago, this quiet, plant-loving wizard stepped through the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron and ran straight into the beautiful blonde owner as she was tossing someone out of her bar by the ear. You see, Hannah Abbott had become what I was most attracted to. And Hannah wasn't looking for someone who looked and acted like a hero anymore, she was looking for someone who could see who she really was and love her for it. And then they had three children and lived happily ever after.”
He smiled again, remembering that first night, where they'd still been talking at three in the morning, with the bar closed and all but a single candle extinguished. “So just...try to be open, alright? Love isn't just a one-time shot in the dark, some bolt of lightning that hits once and once only. It's a progression of events—attraction, friendship, into something more. And it's never easy to understand or realize, and it's never painless, but if you're willing to put forth the effort, it's more worth it than I have the words to describe.”
“And I've never met a badger who wasn't willing to put forth the effort.”
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last online May 3, 2024 18:44:08 GMT -7
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Aug 2, 2014 17:17:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 17:17:36 GMT -7
Alice had realized long ago that she could not successfully use the infamous cranky look on her father. It had just never seemed to work on him, but Alice usually did it to make herself feel better more than anything. It was like a brief distraction sometimes, making her forget momentarily why she was upset in the first place. Alice always felt immediately at ease when her father would run a hand through her hair. She had always found this comforting growing up, when either of her parents did it. In fact, any time anyone ran their hair through Alice's hair she would instantly be relaxed and calm. Except, her parents were the only ones that happened to know this or put this theory to test. When her father put his arm over her, she sensed he was about to tell her something. Perhaps even a story, relevant to her situation. She looked up at her father at the mention of James' parents, Harry and Ginny.
"He just didn't see her as a dating prospect." Alice wasn't surprised by this piece of information. It seemed to be a Potter trait, she was realizing. When her father mentioned this being Hermione's advice, she had a brief thought momentarily that maybe she should get a girls' advice. She could always talk to Elodie, her best girl friend. Surely Elle would have something to say, but then again, she was always extra friendly with James herself, often flirting with him back and forth. So Alice was a bit hesitant on telling Elodie. Alice listened to her father, keeping an open mind and trying to understand what he was trying to say. "Surely you can think of a few guys around the school who share your interests?” Her father asked her. Alice looked over at a Mimbulus Mimbletonia plant on a table to her right as she listened to her father. Alice hadn't really thought about any other boy in any sort of romantic way but one person in particular did cross her mind in regards to similar interests... but Alice decided to leave that there and not mention anything. Instead, she turned back to her father and continued to listen to him.
While her father did mention what he was about to say was going to sound condescending, Alice continued to be very open minded to it. In fact, as she listened she tried to think about this. She tried to think if James was really what she wanted, but all she could think about was his dark curly hair and his smile and how she felt for him with everything going on. Something told Alice that if that wasn't love, then she really wasn't sure what was. But then her father was making valid points, about her being young still. Alice wanted to believe that this was true, as well. But it was hard for Alice to think in these ways, as she was actually very stubborn even when her father was giving her good advice. Alice couldn't help but smile, however, when her father began speaking of her mother.
Alice had never been one to find her parents' love for one another "gross" or "icky." Alice was quite the romantic, actually, and she believed it may have stemmed from watching her parents while she was growing up. And hearing her father talk about how he stumbled into the Leaky Cauldron that night to find her mother put a smile on Alice's face like no other. "And then they had three children and lived happily ever after.” Alice grinned, feeling much better than she had at the start of the conversation. "But of course, have you met their daughter? She's terrific," she said jokingly, looking back to her father again.
Alice thought about it a lot, but she really was glad to have such a wise and caring father. He always knew what to say and how to say it, and while Alice had sometimes given him a hard time when he had given her advice in the past, Alice had learned to take it into consideration over the years. And while she still believed that she really loved James, she made a silent promise to herself that she would, indeed, be open and take her father's advice. She smiled softly at him. "I'll try to be more open to... that sort of thing," she said, giving her father a little nod. While Alice really was going to try to keep this promise, she knew right then that it wouldn't be an easy task. And like her father said, it was never painless. This badger really was about to put forth quite the effort.
@superluigi64
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last online May 3, 2024 18:44:08 GMT -7
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Aug 3, 2014 14:11:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 14:11:29 GMT -7
“But of course, have you met their daughter? She's terrific.”
He chuckled, hearing the brighter note in Alice's voice. “On that, we can agree.” She also promised to try and follow his advice, which was all Neville really asked for. He smiled and ruffled her hair a bit before smoothing it back out. Silence lingered in the greenhouse, broken only by the occasional rustle of a restless plant. One thing Alice had definitely inherited from her father was her preference for peace and quiet. She was far more assertive than he was, far less tolerant of annoyances, but the two of them could sit for hours together and not say a word. They could even be doing different things, it still felt like they had shared time together, without speaking at all. That might be one reason they were so close at a time when a lot of teenagers were pulling away from their parents. Most kids felt dependent and wanted to get away from all that, but Alice had always been fairly independent and didn't need to put distance between herself and her parents. Honestly, part of it worried him—if they ever did disagree strongly on something, what would happen? Alice was a lot more stubborn in general than her father, but when it came down to the choice between right and easy...Neville never compromised. From all the way back in 1991 when he got into a fistfight with Crabbe and Goyle, he was unwilling to back down if he believed he was right, no matter the odds or consequences. It was one reason he was called a knight by much of the wizarding world.
Still, he knew this was still on her mind. “At the end of the day, I can't really give you the answer. Everyone's different, even advice that works for one person might not work for another. There's only one thing I can tell you that I think is universal. When a hard decision comes up, ask yourself: if I don't at least try, will I regret it? And if you think you will regret it, then you may want to reconsider your decision. Before you were born, I used to go on expeditions with Luna and Rolf for months at a time. After you were born though, I almost completely stopped. I'm sure you remember me leaving for a week here and there during the summers. I think you were six the last time I did that? And sometimes I take off for a weekend when they ask me to. But never any longer, and never more than once a year. Sometimes I miss going on the expeditions. But I don't regret not going on them. Finding some new plant, getting a little recognition for it? That's fun and everything, but that was nothing compared to the joy of getting to watch the three of you grow up. So yeah, sometimes, I miss exploring unknown lands. But if I had done that, I would have regretted not being there when you first wanted a new book to read, or the look on your brother's face when he first did magic and knew he could go to Hogwarts one day, or any other of a thousand happy memories. That's the difference. And once you understand which decision will make you miss something, and which will make you regret something...you'll know what to do.”
With that, he stepped away from his daughter and eyed the bat wrapped around her. Percival had been unusually quiet, sensing the somber atmosphere, but seeing his master arching an eyebrow, he chirped and nuzzled the blonde girl on the neck. Neville laughed. “If you'd like to send a letter to your mother and get her take on things, Percival hasn't had a long flight in awhile. Even if you don't, I'm sure he'd be of a mind to play catch.” Neville waved his wand, and a moment later, a bag of fruits came flying in to land on the table nearby. Apples, oranges, and pears were the main foods within, all things the flying fox loved to eat. The former Gryffindor slipped his wand back up his sleeve and leaned against the table, crossing his arms. “Unless you've got better plans for the afternoon?”
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last online May 3, 2024 18:44:08 GMT -7
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Aug 3, 2014 16:04:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 16:04:19 GMT -7
As Neville ruffled his daughter's hair, Alice leaned into her father, smiling. Alice was glad that she could go from such a serious subject matter to then being able to crack a few jokes with her father. Alice had not realized how alike they really were until she was about seventeen. They both preferred solitude. Alice even felt that when she was with her father and they weren't speaking, they were still managing to somehow bond or have fun. They were on the same wavelength, and that was why Alice had always been closest with her father.
"..If you think you will regret it, then you may want to reconsider your decision." Such a statement had not crossed Alice's mind at all. Would she regret not telling James about how she felt in the long wrong? Or would she regret telling him? Alice knew the only way to figure out was to tell him, but for the time being she wasn't sure she wanted to do that.
Alice looked up at her father. She could remember just vaguely how her father would occasionally go on expeditions with Luna and her husband. While Alice had missed him while he was away, she had always thought it to be so amazing that her father was out there exploring and finding new things. Even as a young girl, she was proud. But Alice had to admit, she was glad that he was actually around she and her brothers when they were young. She couldn't imagine having grown up without her father around as much as he had been. A wide smile instantly made itself known at the memory of Alice going to her father for the first time about books, and even at the thought of her younger brother's excitement when he first discovered he was magical. With this explanation, Alice believed she now understood where her father was coming from. It was easier when put into such a perspective.
Alice's looked at Percival, the bat whom had gone so silent Alice had nearly forgotten that he was still wrapped around her. She smiled at him. Then the bat began nuzzling her neck, which got a genuine and happy laugh out of Alice as she nuzzled him back. "I actually wouldn't mind doing either of those things," Alice said, looking back at her father. If telling her father had been hard for her, telling her mother wouldn't be much easier. But Alice had a hunch that her father may mention something to her mother before Alice got the chance, and it may be easier over owl (or rather bat,) to tell her how she felt. Alice's smile widened when the bag of fruits came into view. "Not at all," she shook her head happily.
@superluigi64
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ADMIN DEE
SITE FOUNDER 5TH YEAR
1,615 posts
played by Dee
You're a kind person aren't you? Well, no, not especially.
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Sept 19, 2014 13:35:53 GMT -7
Post by ADMIN DEE on Sept 19, 2014 13:35:53 GMT -7
HUFFLEPUFF PROFESSORS 350 // 465
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