The Adopted Weasley

7~ Befriending Neville

Grace slipped out of her dormitory at 7 the next morning, figuring she could go to the library till breakfast. She had stuffed her bag full of books that she needed to return, and ones that were hers.

Grace was pulling up her hair into a ponytail as she walked down the stairs, but she came to a complete stop at the bottom to bite her lip to keep herself from smiling and to suppress a sigh of frustration. Fred was asleep on one of the couches, wand in hand. Grace quietly went over to him and touched his shoulder gently. He jumped a little but woke up.

"Hey Gracie, all okay?"

"I'm fine you goose. Go to bed! I told you I'd come up if I needed you guys."

Fred snorted, "We both know you wouldn't bother us."

Grace shook her head even though she knew he was right. "Just.. go to bed, get some sleep, you lose enough over me. I'm headed to the library, then to breakfast, I'll be fine." She turned and left the room before he could say anything.

Grace half expected him to follow. But she was relieved when he didn't.

To Grace's shock, the library was completely empty, and the doors were locked. She stared at the door for a second, then slowly started walking to the great hall. Then stopped and turned around, she went up to the floor above her and knocked on Madame Pomfrey's door. She waited for several minutes but when no one answered. Grace tried the door, it was unlocked. Neville was sitting up in his bed, looking pretty exhausted, but way better than the day before.

"Hey, Neville!" Grace signed with a smile, pulling out a notebook and quill.

"Hey, Grace." he said weakly. "I don't really understand.." She held up her book, and wrote.

We can use this for you to understand me. Unless you want me to leave? I'm sure you're tired.

"No!" Neville said quickly "I've been lonely, actually. No one else has come to see how I was doing." He said the last part quietly.

Grace felt terrible for this boy. His grandmother obviously didn't care much about him, and people avoided him like the plague. Her eyes must've shown her anger, because he quickly added that it didn't bother him much and shifted uncomfortably. They sat in awkward silence for several minutes until Madame Pomfrey came out of her office and said they could leave.

"So," Neville started when they were walking towards Gryffindor tower. "What's it like? Have a huge family like you do?" Grace glanced up at him, thinking for a second. Then started writing:

It's pretty nice, You're almost never lonely, whenever you need help someone is nearly always there. People to play with. And hugs whenever you want if you go to anyone, well, not always Percy. She stopped for a second and looked at Neville, debating.

It's also hard though. There's not much money, and you're scared to ask for things, even when you really need them. People don't always notice when you need them, or when someone's crying because there's always so much going on. Sometimes there's lots of yelling, and fights. I didn't talk to Ron for 3 days one time. That was the longest.

"What did he do?" Neville wondered and Grace blushed. They stopped outside Gryffindor tower entrance. Their eyes met for a second, then Grace started writing.

Try not to laugh.. I was 7, almost 8, and Ron told me that my dog toy looked like a teddy bear, and we got into an argument. He still calls it my teddy bear.

Neville was holding his breath from trying not to laugh. Grace started to giggle at how red his face was turning and soon they were both laughing. When they could breathe properly again, Grace told the password to the lady -pig lips- and they went in. Grace waved at him