Absit Omen RPG

"No magic? That's rough mate." He decided not to try and offer any platitudes or advice. She was already having a tough time, she didn't need his unnecessary commentary to go along with it.

The pair travelled comfortably through the Ministry, the regular hustle and bustle of the work day making it hard to get a word or two in. He was thankful that she didn't try. He would have politely responded as best he could but it would have been a nightmare just to hear what she was saying.

As they stepped out into the streets of London, Neville gave a shrug, "Not too bad I suppose. Didn't really get up to much. Went by Harry and Ginny's after Christmas and watched a football game with some mates from school."

"Everyone's been kind of . . . Weird 'round me. I didn't tell anyone about -" he dodged a pedestrian that was too focused on their mobile to notice them, "you know. Just with losing me Gran. She's pretty much the only family I had left. Feels like everyone's been walking on eggshells."

"How was yours?"

Neville was absorbed in doing paperwork, nothing extensive, just every day fair. Though it was enough to keep him distracted, so much so that he didn't notice that Fauna had approached him until she spoke.

He smiled up at the trainee, "Hey Stranger." Fauna had been a near constant presence for him after he had confided in her after his Pentral Possession. She had convinced him to tell their superiors about it and had even joined him when he told them. After that she checked in on him regularly until her own life had pulled her away.

"Actually mind if I join you?" He stood up and stepped back from his desk, "I could use the exercise." He exited the cubicle and looked her over, noticing the slight pallor to her skin, "how you feeling? Heard you got hit with the measles." It was nice to be able to show concern and affection without the addition of inappropriate comments in the back of his mind. For the few things that he did sort of miss about his dark passenger, the spirit's infatuation with the younger trainee was not one of them.

Neville nodded along to her answer, sipping his beer. He wondered if he should make a comment or not. He had taught Herbology during his few months as a Professor. He did his best to get to know his students in that time (especially the older ones as the smaller class sizes offered more one on one time) but admittedly he didn't know any of them well enough to be surprised about their career choices after graduation.

The response itself seemed typical of those who had left the school. Given the nature of Hogwarts and how much time one spent in the castle, many enjoyed the experience and felt like it was their second home but a growing Wix would almost always be happy to be out and about in their new adult lives. Perhaps a longing for simpler days remained but that was all part of growing up and moving on. Neville himself had some fond memories of living at the Castle but given the bullying and the eventual war, he was certainly happy to have his Hogwarts days behind him.

“Then sometimes I don’t feel like staying home, so,”

"Cheers to that," he lifted his pint. Being home could be a comfort but so often it was a reminder of how alone he was and all the things he had lost. While he certainly didn't regret Hannah leaving (as evidenced by him hiding from her earlier) he still missed that added comfort of having someone to come home to.

He took a look around the bar at the various patrons enjoying their night out, "anything, or anyone, interesting out tonight?"

Neville smiled easily when she accepted him at her table. Or at least she hadn't told him to get lost. He waved at a passing server to order another pint and thanked Moira for accommodating him. He didn't freely offer up any more information regarding Hannah but he wasn't as tight lipped to anyone that asked.

He chuckled a little at himself when she asked how he had been the last two years. The Auror life was never a pretty one despite how much young wixes often romanticized it, "oh you know, catching the bad guys." He offered though he doubted she'd believe his airiness about it. She didn't need to know about his unsolved cases, his Gran's attack and eventual death or even his Pentral Possession. At least not right away. After all he didn't really know her. Sure, he had been her Professor and he personally felt that he had come to know his NEWT students better than any of the younger years but that still wasn't saying much.

"How bout you? You should be graduated now, yeah? How's adulthood treating you?"

Neville had started to come to The Old Brick late in the previous year. The Leaky Cauldron felt too old and the Three Broomsticks was too familiar - he also wasn't keen on a bar so close he could easily stumble home at the end of the night. It was too easy to over indulge. He wasn't a big drinker but lately coming out had felt better than staying in.

Three weeks prior, just before the Holidays, Neville's Gran had passed. She had been in a magically induced coma for nearly two years and had finally succumbed. Arrangements had been quickly made and a well attended funeral had come and gone. The guilt of of never being able to find her attacker weighed heavily on Neville, almost as heavy as the burden of knowing his father had no idea it had happened. It led him to wondering how long it would be before he'd be making similar arrangements for his own parents.

Neville had been heading to the back of the room towards the washrooms when a gaggle of women exited the ladies room and were on a path to intercept him. Much to his dismay Neville noticed his ex fiance was amoung them. Before she could take notice of him Neville ducked into the nearest chair, seating himself across from Moira.

He put his finger to his lips, and then downed his pint, obscuring his face as the gaggle of women walked by without even noticing him. He placed his empty pint on the table as he gave a lopsided grin to the girl, "Sorry bout that, Ms. Mcboid. Ex. Really didn't want to have that conversation right now." Though he could have easily walked into an even more awkward one as he had managed to seat himself across from a former student.

Neville looked down into the last few dregs of his tea while Fauna processed the information he had just unloaded on her. The pause between them grew long and awkward but he didn't want to look up at her. He didn't want to see how she was reacting, what she thought of all of it. He was hesitant to call it a revelation. After all, for all intents and purposes, he was currently possessed. Wouldn't it make sense that the entity possessing him would have a personality, likes, dislikes? He used to be a person once . . .

When she finally spoke he lifted his head and gave her a small smile, "exactly." He added. Though he could tell, even if he hadn't watched, that she had felt just as awkward hearing about it as he had saying it.

He finished what was left of his tea and took a deep breath, "well." He started tidying up around him, "we should get back to it." He stood, taking his used dishes and garbage into his hands, "thanks for listening Blake. It means a lot."

Neville took a long draw of his tea and leaned back. While he hadn't been expecting the question he was glad that she had asked it. He had never put much thought into it before. There was a time, right at the beginning where he wasn't even sure he was possessed. His Pentral had spent so much time being quiet. An odd thought here and there that seemed out of place but that Neville had easily dismissed as stress. It wasn't until the attack on St Mungo's that he was sure. The sudden screaming in his head, the very separate voice demanding that he run. Ever since he could feel the influence but knew very little about his passenger.

He thought about how best to answer, "I know very little. It's a bloke, that's for sure." He swallowed a little hard as his passenger proved his point with a rather inappropriate thought about Fauna, "He's young, angry." He imagined anyone who had been turned into a Pentral would be angry regardless of how young they had been.

"He did not like Malfoy." He shook his head and leaned forward again. He sipped his tea and spoke more into his cup while adding, "he really likes you."

Neville felt a sense of relief rush over him. He could tell she was just as apprehensive as he was about telling Pratt but she was handling it well. They both knew it was an eventuality and he was actually rather thankful that she wasn't balking at the suggestion now that he brought it forward.

He allowed himself a comfortable laugh as she word vomitted a situation for them. He found it rather amusing and couldn't help himself from thinking back to when they had once done something similar for Harry while he had snuck into Umbridge's office back in his fifth year.

"I'm sure he'd get a kick out of that." He tried to think of the last time he had seen Harry, outside of the office. He had come round for tea shortly after the St Mungo's accident to check in on Neville. At the time he had kept quiet about the pentral as his longtime friend had been more concerned about Neville's family. All of whom were currently in long term care at the Wizarding Hospital.

Neville shook his head with another soft laugh, "No, no. Quite the opposite actually," He corrected gently, "he had actually blown up his Aunt like a big balloon and sent her off."

Neville occupied his hands with his tea and ignored the heat he could feel in his cheeks. There was laughing in the back of his mind that only served to make this incredibly awkward encounter even more so. He barely registered what Fauna had said to him. He knew he should have told someone about all of this long before it became too much but he never wanted to bother anyone. He also wasn't sure what would happen to him. Would they take him off active duty again?

"You're sweet Fauna." He said simply with a genuine smile.

He tried to think if there was anyone in the department he'd be comfortable talking to about this. He knew he was going to have to report it eventually. He knew it would be easier to tell Jonas or Andi what really happened back at the mansion but there was little authority there. He was going to have to tell Carstairs eventually. Just not right now.

He made a soft noise almost like a scoff. The kind of noise one makes when they realize something that should be abundantly obvious, "I can't believe I haven't told Harry." He said more to himself than to her. The former Gryffindor had been so wrapped up in his own world he forgot his old Hogwarts friend knew a thing or two about having someone else's thoughts in your head.

He took a long breath and turned back to Fauna with a smile, "I'd really appreciate you helping Fauna. It means a lot." He paused and looked down at the crumbs of his cookie, "Maybe we should tell Pratt first?"

Neville took comfort in her words. It was nice to know that he hadn't been as horrible to Malfoy as he had been thinking he was. Then again, she didn't know him in Hogwarts, didn't know the extent of how he had been treated or how long it had taken him to start standing up for himself. What may have looked like being slightly snarky was a big step for him.

He gave her a sheepish look before shaking his head, "I haven't told anyone. I thought . . . maybe I could just handle it myself." He shrugged and sipped his tea,"Guess I was wrong. I just don't know where to start. It's been months since it happened. How do I explain not doing anything about it sooner?" Granted his passenger had been quiet for most of that time, it wasn't really his fault, right? He frowned at his own thoughts.

"I just, I wanted to thank you for listening to me Blake." Neville averted his eyes again and realized he had reached across the table and placed a hand over hers. He quickly withdrew, "sorry! I'm sorry. I didn't, I just." He looked up to her. His own attraction to the trainee not withstanding, what was he supposed to say here? The Pentral made me do it?

Neville's shoulders lifted and mild relief washed over him. At least He wasn't the only one. It sounded as though Abby was experiencing the same things he was. For a moment he hesitated. How much should he tell Fauna? He had come to her after all, it wasn't fair to close up now but he could feel (more than hear) his passenger's reluctance to let it all out.

Despite all the privacy charms he had put in place he still leaned forward and kept his voice low, "It's been the same for me." He averted his eyes, looking down to his tea instead, "at first there was nothing. Then the dementors attacked St Mungo's. I was one of the first responders and all of a sudden this voice in my head just started screaming. Desperate to get away."

He looked back up to Fauna, "He hasn't really stopped since then the other day with Malfoy." A sort of tortured sadness took over his features, "Malfoy made my Hogwarts days horrible, I was the butt of all of his jokes but I haven't thought much of him since the war."

"Seeing him again . . . Fauna that wasn't me. I didn't say those things to him." He sounded scared and pleading, knowing that she had been watching the entire exchange as he had been interrogating her suspect.

"I haven't been able to talk about it. I . . . Don't want people to think I'm crazy."

"You're too nice kid, this job is going to eat you up." Neville found himself thinking and for a moment he had to question whether or not it had been his own thought or that of his passenger.

"I really appreciate this Blake."

He ran his hand through his hair again, "I just wasn't sure who to ask about this. It's uh . . . not exactly well known what happened . . . you know, at the uh . . . Lilly House." He gave her another sheepish look. He knew he likely should tell someone, anyone, that could be helping him with his situation but he couldn't bring himself to share it.

"Has your friend mentioned anything about acting different? Doing things out of character?"

Guilt twisted at his stomach at the expression on her face. He was hoping for a little privacy but he was worried he had sent her the wrong message. Again he thought back to the idea of a full fledged Auror asking a Trainee for advice. Merlin, she must think she's in trouble. There was no taking it back now though. He was just going to have to push through it and do his best to reassure her. Hopefully once he started asking his questions, getting to the point as it were, she'd relax a little more. Than again opening up about being possessed may just make her even more anxious.

Neville took a bite of the cookie to try and ease his own nerves, nodding as she affirmed that her and Abby were friends. He swallowed the cookie quickly and coughed as it went down roughly, "No!" He cleared his throat, taking a sip from his own tea, "No, no ,no. Nothing like that. She's just, the only other person I know of that's living with a Pentral."

He sighed heavily, trying to block out the voice in the back of his head, "I'm just trying to make sense of what's happening. I was hoping maybe you'd have some insight?" He looked at her pensively, almost apologetically. He felt bad for making her worry.

Despite being tired and worn down, ready to just sleep off the tail end of the month, Neville couldn't help the smile that broke out when he caught sight of Blake. He had no idea what she was wearing but she looked warm and comfortable. Something that was important this late in the year, Winter was Coming.

A surprised chuckle escaped his lips as she greeted him. He smirked and with an amused snark to his voice he added without thinking, "I guess that's one way to say Hi." As she offered the cookie the smirk turned back to a smile and he was certain a light blush had come to his cheeks, "thank you."

He took another sip of his tea and subtlely removed his wand. Keeping it under the table at waist height he cast a quick privacy spell so they wouldn't be overheard. He didn't think there was anything to be worried about but the Pentrals weren't widely known about and Neville wasn't exactly being vocal about the fact that he was currently possessed.

"Thanks for meeting me as well." He swallowed hard, hoping he didn't look as awkward as he felt, "I just had a few questions I thought maybe you could help me with." He prepared himself for any shock or resistance on her part. After all he was a full fledged Auror asking a trainee for help. There were some that wouldn't think too highly about that.

"You're friends with the Reid girl, yeah? Has she ever talked to you about . . . Um, the, uh, pentral?" Despite the privacy charm he still whispered the last part.

Neville sat at a table at the small tea shop that was across from the Welcome desk in the Atrium. He looked tired and run down but that was a rather accustomed look for any Auror. Ever since the Dementor attack at St. Mungo's his unwilling passenger was becoming more and more active. No longer coming to the surface during life and death situations but now whenever his emotions rose. He needed to learn more about what was going on but the phenomenon seemed to be rare and virtually unheard of.

Neville decided to turn to one of the few people that may be able to help. He had left a quick note with Blake, asking if the trainee was free for tea and a talk. He knew that she was tied up in her investigation and may not have much time for his small worries. Thankfully she had agreed to meet him.

He sipped his tea and scanned the crowd for any sight of her. He was beginning to think that in whatever past life his passenger had, it had been a man as the constant chatter at the back of his mind was not being all too polite about the prospect of seeing Fauna. Mirroring his own budding attraction to the Trainee.