Magnolia's Greenhouse [NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM]

22

Magnolia ran as fast as she could, her chest hurt from harsh breathing.

She'd checked everywhere.

The lake, the Gryffindor commons, the library, Neville was nowhere to be seen.

"Magnolia dear!"

With her heart still pounding and breath heavy, she turned to face the voice, feeling some small amount of comfort when it reached her ears.

"Dad-" she practically choked out, melting into her father's warm gentle hug.

"Goodness dear, what's got you all worked up?" He asked, but Magnolia wasn't able to reply as another familiar voice interrupts her.

"Albero, why didn't you tell us your dads were so cool?" Seamus noted from the great hall table he sat at. He was next to Dean, their hands intertwined. If it weren't for the situation she was in she'd feel so happy for them. They were looking at a photo album her other father must have brought, he was sat across from the pair while pointing out what seemed to be very embarrassing old photos of her.

"And you never told us you were such a chunky baby, just look at your face!" Dean laughed as he held up a picture of her around the age of four or five.

"Don't look at those!" She exclaimed, her cheeks burning red as she practically tossed herself onto the table to hide the album from them.

Her dads chuckled, smiling brightly at their daughter and her new mates interact together. They hadn't heard much from her this year and part of them thought she was having a rough time, but to their surprise it seemed she was better than ever. At least according to Seamus that is.

"But you were just so cute Maggie, look at this one- wait- was this from before you got adopted?" Dean questioned.

Magnolia's father leaned over to see what photo Dean was talking about and then he smiled fondly at the memory.
"Ah yes, the first photo we received of her before getting to bring her home."

"Saint Edmunds...but that's an orphanage for boys." Dean wondered to himself.

Everyone turned towards Magnolia curiously, her fathers looking slightly green and nervous, and Dean and Seamus looked like they were slowly connecting dots in their minds.

"As much as I adore this little conversation we are having, I'm kinda in a rush. Dean, do you know where Neville might be right now?" Magnolia asked abruptly, both attempting to change the subject and half remembering what she was up to before being pulled into this reunion.

Dean and Seamus shared a somber look and then turned back towards Magnolia.
"He- he doesn't do well on parents day." Seamus said as he swallowed nervously.

"He normally stays in his dorm- but- I saw him going towards the greenhouses earlier." Dean noted.

"Greenhouse, got it." She replied, then without another word she ran the other direction.

¸.•'*¨'*•✿ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ✿•*'¨*'•.¸

Neville wasn't sure what made his feet bring him to Magnolia's greenhouse, but he didn't fight it. Mostly because he was in enough emotional pain to not truly notice.

The feeling of parents day in the air made it hard for him to breath, but the heavy weight of Magnolia's rejection made living hard to bare.

"Neville?"

That was it, that was all it took for him to forgive her. All she had to do was speak his name in that soft tone of hers and he was floating. Yet it was still parents day, he was still without a family, and Magnolia still said those words that are ringing in his head.