Harry stopped what he was doing and turned to look back. "Did you say anything to him about it?"
Neville blushed and replied, "I threatened to call him out for it and duel him if I ever heard him say anything like that again.
"You should also know that, the next morning, their family owl was carrying in a Howler for him. But, one of the professors stunned it before it even got to him and removed the enchantment. Then he said that the staff now consider Howlers to be a form of bullying and they were now banned."
"Good," Harry firmly said. "About how Howlers are banned, that is. The Howler from Molly was probably because their family clock alerted her to her son suddenly being 'In Danger' and realised why.
"Ron's whole family have warned him not to piss me off. And part of that is by him running his mouth off."
As Neville had decided to hang about until the girls got back, he stayed in the kitchen talking with Harry. Harry even explained what he was doing and had the boy assist.
When the girls returned, neither looked happy.
Neville took one look at them both, put down what he was doing and led them back into the family room and over to a corner.
Both girls then left about two to three minutes later, heading back to their apartment. Neville came back into the kitchen and said, "Sorry, Harry. I've gotta go. Apparently, the other three girls in their dorm were happy Hannah and Susan would no longer be there.
"I don't think it was maliciousness on their part, they're 'Puffs, but my two were upset by it."
"Then, what are you doing standing here for, Nev?" asked Harry. "Go! Go take care of and cuddle with your ladies."
Neville smiled, said, "Thanks Harry," and left.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After earlier sending a note by HEED to Daphne and Tracey about when he was expecting them for dinner, they turned up right on time. Though neither had dressed up, it was clear they'd both applied 'touch-ups' to their make-up.
Almost on their heels, Neville walked in escorting Hannah and Susan.
That had Daphne and Tracey give squeals of excitement and hug them. It was the first time both Slytherins had seen them since they'd left the Great Hall for the signing.
With rapid-fire talking between the girls, Neville turned a slightly pained look to Harry and asked, "Harry? Mind if I show Daphne and Tracey―"
"Your apartment," Harry finished. "Of course, not. Go! Dinner's not for another fifteen to twenty minutes."
Ushering the girls back out - or, rather, being dragged out by them - Neville took the girls back across the corridor and into the House of Longbottom apartment.
They weren't long. Not even ten minutes.
"It's the same, but mirror image!" declared Tracey.
"I'm not surprised by that," said Harry. "I'm pretty sure Lady Marchbanks planned it that way."
Neville seemed to get it first and said, "Because, she considers you and I to be equals!"
"Yup," said Harry.
Dinner was that light salad he mentioned, followed by the magnificent and succulent roast, followed by dessert. The dessert consisted of individual warmed chocolate cakes, inverted, covered with hot chocolate sauce with a ball of Fortescue's icecream on top, slowly melting from the heat. He could have charmed the icecream not to melt, but thought it was authentic if it did. No one minded.
Once done, Neville sat back and groaned. "I don't think I've ever eaten so well or so much!"
"That... was... fan-tas-tic!" declared Tracey, using her spoon to scoop up the very last traces of chocolate sauce.
That lead to more praise, which had Harry happy but blushing away. Hermione just sat there and grinned in happiness for her betrothed.
Daphne said, "You're right. You don't cook. That was much too good and delicious to be called cooking."
"I hope you're going to cook for us again, in future," said Hannah.
"I plan to," he said. "If I can swing it, I want to do this every Saturday or Sunday evening, at least."
No one was against that - except, maybe, Dobby.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After everyone had left for the evening, Hermione asked Harry for the mirror as she'd promised Sirius she'd contact him, once things had 'settled' at school.
Not even thinking about using Dobby, he'd gone to get it himself when the elf popped before him with the mirror.
With a sigh, he said, "Thank you, Dobby."
With a smirk the elf popped away again.
Harry returned to the sofa and handed the mirror to Hermione. "Cheeky little ratbag," he muttered.
Hermione just giggled back. Obviously, he had no support from her in this.
With the mirror held before her, Hermione firmly intoned, "Padfoot."
She had to wait a few seconds before the face of Sirius appeared in the mirror.
"Hermione, love!" he happily greeted her. "Listen. You don't happen know of the whereabouts of my godson, do you? He seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth. I remember him telling me he'd be leaving for Hogwarts the next morning and a quick word a day or two later, but that was oh so long ago, now, I fear he may have forgotten all about me."
Hermione was giggling away while Harry, sitting next to her, was grumbling about up-themselves pureblood Lords with overboard senses of their entitlements.
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