Pure-Blood? I'm B Positive

"Neville..." I choked as I spoke, incredibly nervous. I had no idea what I was going to say to him, I just wanted to make sure everything that happened was real. Neville seemed to be attempting to ignore me as he rushed up the narrow staircase up to our room. I waited until we got inside, he couldn't run from me then.
"Neville..." It was hardly audible but he still turned to face me, his face was expressionless.
"Araina?" I opened my mouth and yet no words came out. "Araina? What is it?" I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
"Last night. What happened between us, di-" Nevilles face filled with what seemed like pain.
"WHAT ABOUT LAST NIGHT?" I'd never seen Neville lash out, or be angry or mad in any way at all, and in all honesty, it scared me. Sadness seemed to fill in Nevilles eyes as he sat down in dis-belief of what he had just said, how he had just acted.
"I'm sorry, I'll just go.." I turned around and attempted to discreetly leave our room, my hand had just touch the door handle when...
"Don't" Neville sighed "And stop saying sorry!" He put his head in his hands.
"Are you okay? What's the matter?" I walked over to Neville and knelt beside him, so I could see his face, which wore a distressed look.
"Nothing." He seemed to be getting angrier and angrier.
"Don't lie to me. Neville, I'm not a kid, don't treat me like one."
"That's the point." Neville suddenly sat up straight.
"I don't understand... Neville-"
"You are a kid, from September 1st, I will be your teacher. It's bad enough us being friends, nevermind to consider being something more." I let out a sigh of relief. Neville looked confused.
"Well, I thought you didn't like me, and everything that happened last night was a mistake." I looked to the floor, I was never the type of person to tell people how I was feeling and I never admitted to anybody how much they cared for me, but now I didn't want to act like a shy nerdy teenager who is socially awkward, I wanted to be mature and honest. I couldn't risk Neville seeing me as a child.
"Neville, I understand what situation we are in, but I can't lie to you. I'm..." I sighed, this was harder than it looked! "I'm fond of you." Neville still wouldn't look at me.
"Araina." Neville seemed to be choking his words, uncomfortable discussing this.
"I understand Neville, you have no idea how much I understand. It's impossible, It just can't happen." I stood up, feeling there was nothing more to be said.
"I'm fond of you too." I turned back around to Neville, I almost didn't believe what I just heard. Neville, the tall, kind, charming, handsome man who had more courage in his little finger than I had in my entire body, was fond of, me? I smiled weakly and that, was that.

That day I came to realise, feelings didn't change anything. The connection me and Neville had was unable to flourish as long as I was a student at Hogwarts and he was a Professor. End of. I'm not saying it wasn't torture. Every waking and sleeping minute, we surrounded each other. There was one week remaining until September the 1st, until we we both shipped off to Hogwarts to become pupil and teacher, nothing more. Hermione no longer visited, there was no need, the O.W.Ls were over with and all we had to was wait. Every morning I would open every window to our room to ensure an owl was able to enter without complication.
"It won't be here yet, it's only been 4 days. It'll be here on Friday."
"That doesn't give much time to decide what lessons I will be taking, we leave for Hogwarts on Sunday." I turned from the window and sat on my bed, anxious for my results. I was no longer nervous, that phase had passed, I was now on the impatient phase, which will be followed by another nervous phase when I actually receive my results.
"Stop worrying." Neville chuckled and sat at his desk, he's already began planning a few of his classes.
"I'm not worried, i'm just not very good at waiting." I reached under my pillow and held in hand my Hogwarts letter. I still needed to get my books for next year.
"I need these books" I used the levitation charm to hand Neville my book, lazy I know but this bed was comfortable. Neville read the letter intently and nodded. Floating the letter back towards me, I looked at him, waiting for him to decide when we would venture into Diagon Alley.
"Well, we can go when you get your O.W.Ls results. You won't be needing all these books, I doubt you'll be taking Divinations and Arithmancy, since you didn't even take those at O.W.L level." I nodded, I didn't really understand what he was on about but I just listened and agreed.
"I will definitely be taking Potions, and Defence Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures..." I looked at Neville who seemed a little put out by my suggestions. "Oh, and of course Herbology." I laughed awkwardly and then silence fell. I cleared my throat and picked up my copy of Beedle the Bard, I must have read the story of the wizard and the hopping pot about five times since the book was given to me.

***
It was Friday. The day my O.W.L results were scheduled to arrive. I paced the room nervously as Neville sat at his desk tapping. A gust of wind came sweeping through the window followed by a smart looking barn owl who seemed to have better posture than myself. He dropped an envelope on the desk and with a certain grace flew out of the window silently and was never seen again.
"Ministry owls, they're snobby at the best of times." Neville passed me the envelope and I found myself unable to open it.
"You do it, I'm too nervous" My hands were shaking and I could hardly hold the envelope, nevermind open it.
"You sure?" I nodded, and closed my eyes, opening them again when I heard the rip of paper.
"How bad is it?" My entire body was shaking, and I could feel every single heart beat.
"Not bad at all. Apart from that one Acceptable. In Herbology!!" Neville's anger was soon stopped by his glee of my results and he seemed to glow with pride.
"What did I get?" I was jumping in attempt to see the paper Neville held highly, close to his face. I was too short to grasp it, but I was soon holding the list of results.
Astronomy - Exceeds Expectations
Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding
Charms - Outstanding
Defence Against Dark Arts - Outstanding
Herbology - Acceptable
Muggle Studies - Outstanding
Potions - Outstanding
Transfiguration - Exceeds Expectations
"An Exceeds Expectations in Transfiguration?! Did they not see me transform the desk into a suitcase, clothes and all!" Neville laughed.
"Exceeds Expectations is really good, you remind me so much of Hermione." I slapped him playfully with the letter and let out a sigh of relief.
"Now can we get my books?" In mind I already knew I wanted to take as much subjects as possible.
"Which subjects are you going to take, I may already own a few of those books."
"Potions, Dark Arts, Charms, Magical Creatures, Transfiguration and Astronomy. Oh, and Herbology, if you'll let me" unlike Neville I had no interest in plants and such, I definitely didn't find gilly weed and anti-gravity trees 'fascinating'. I just wanted to see a familiar face every now and then, being in Neville class would make everything easier.
"It'll be an honour" Neville smiled and I again sighed with relief.
"The other professors, are they as cool and laid back as you?" Neville laughed.
"Stop with the brown nosing, we'll go into Diagon Alley today. Get your books. Celebrate your results." We both headed out the door and through into Diagon Alley.

The street was as busy as ever and each shop was almost bursting with customers, mostly kids buying books and robes. We headed straight for Florish and Blotts, which was relatively quite in comparison to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and searched endlessly for the few books Neville was unable to supply me with, such as my Transfiguration and Astronomy books. An hour of so later, we emerged, books of every size and width in hand. By the time we exited Florish and Blotts, Diagon Alley seemed - if possible - to be even more busy than when we entered. Neville decided we stop off at the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour to get a sundae; for late August in Britain, it was pretty warm. We sat and ate, for the first time I properly relaxed. No O.W.Ls, no complications, no drama. Just me, some ice-cream and a bag of books.
"Is there anything else you might need?"
"I have my books, we got my robes a while ago, I don't see anything else on the list. We have everything."
"I know that, Araina. But you do want anything, it doesn't need to be a necessity."
"Neville, you spoil me enough already!" I pointed to the ice-cream sundae which was covered in smooth sticky sauces and crunchy toppings.
"Isn't your birthday coming up. The big 1-7?"
"And. You don't need to get me anything, it's not as if you're family or anything..." I'd never really had a proper birthday with living in a care home, and i'd be a liar if I said I didn't crave a present or a little bit of fuss now and then, but I wasn't going to tell Neville.
"There is no need to fuss. Birthday's happen every year." I lied through my teeth, it wouldn't be the first time.
"Lets get back, if there is no need for us to be here, we might as well take these home" Neville pointed to the bags of books and then stood up. I followed suit and picked up several of the bags, Neville collected the rest.

"Hogwarts tomorrow. You ready?" Neville put the bags on the floor and closed the door, shutting out the smell of the food being made downstairs.
"I doubt i'll ever be ready. I'm not exactly sociable, I'm in for a lonely year." I giggled. Making friends had never really been an issue - I had them. I just preferred my own company, maybe in the wizard world it would be different, but I definitely wasn't going to hold my breath.
"You'll be fine. Trust me."
"I do trust you. but you weren't there at my last school." I began sorting out my trunk. My robes, my books, and that was it. To say I owned all of these things, none of them seemed to be mine. Neville followed suit and began to pack all of his things, including his snargaluff plant.
"Why are you taking that?"
"Well I can't exactly leave it here now can I?" Neville seemed to find it cute and adorable, when in fact it was quite disgusting.
"Tomorrow, do you want me to get on the Hogwarts Express with you?"
"You mean you wasn't planning on getting the train?" I closed my trunk and sat on it, looking up at Neville.
"Well I usually don't get the train, and travel to Hogwarts earlier in the day, so I can organise my office and such. B-but if you want me to get the train with you, I understand."
"I'm not 12, I can get a train on my own. Besides, wouldn't me traveling with a teacher make me stick out like a soar thumb?" I was nervous about getting the train, I had no idea where Hogwarts was and knew nobody there.
"I suppose so, okay. I'll drop you off at Kings Cross Station and then set off myself."
"Cool. What time is the train?"
"11, but you'll have to hang around for a few hours. I'll drop you at like half 9. So be ready."
"Great. I best finish packing and then go to bed then." I put my last pair of socks into the trunk and locked it, hardly able to close it due to all the books.
"Night." Neville was still packing when I climbed into bed and shut my eyes, welcoming the blackness of the back of my eyelids as I drifted off into a deep uninterrupted sleep.