Autumn made its presence known. The tree leaves turned various shades of orange, red, and brown, dancing to the ground. The temperatures dropped. This would mean some danger for Neville and me regarding food sources. The animals would probably go into hibernation or move somewhere else.

Thankfully, my fever broke yesterday. That didn't mean we were allowed to move yet, according to Neville. He wanted to make sure I could go a day without any problems.

I had to admit, having Neville around was a good thing. I couldn't believe I had wanted him to not come with me. He made things much easier, though we shared burdens equally. He still hunted but didn't take an entire day. Instead, he went out periodically.

I rose later than usual. There was no achy or crappy feeling in sight.

"You got up, finally," Neville teased me.

I jumped right off the cot, startled. "Yup, and you know what? I feel really good today," I chirped, stretching. "Have you been out yet for food?"

"No."

"Good. I want to go with you."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," he said uncertainly. "You're supposed to be good for a whole day before we can move."

"I know. I want to prove that I'm okay."

"You never wanted to hunt the first time I asked. What's gotten into you?"

"You should be grateful I'm willing to do it rather than complain about it."

"You're a bit mouthy this morning, too," he muttered.

"I heard that."

"Go on and get ready. I'll wait outside. Oh...you might want to put on layers, it's snowing out."

"Snowing?"

"Yeah...you get a few November snow days. Where've you been?"

"Wallowing in my past," I said flatly. "It makes you forget some of your common sense."

"Sorry I asked."

Neville left while I tended to getting myself dressed. I ended up taking his advice and packed on layers. Once I was toasty, I fetched my wand and stepped out.

It wasn't a blizzard, just a gentle snowfall. The trees were becoming coated, and already I couldn't see the ground. Above, the sky was a peaceful grey.

"Wow..." I whispered, a smile creeping up on my lips. Home couldn't give me this view since we didn't live near any woods. This was absolutely beautiful. There weren't too many times in my life where I saw a true winter wonderland.

"You sound like you've never seen snow before." Neville laughed at my side. I hadn't even known he had snuck up on me.

Snow blew into my face. I kept my eyes shut so flakes wouldn't get in them. I knew they were nesting in my hair now, but I didn't care.

"The snow will give us the advantage we need," he said. "Animals leave prints, easy enough to track."

"Let's get going!" I took lead, walking around leisurely, admiring the snow-covered Forest of Dean.

"Jenelle, stop your frolicking for a moment and come here," Neville called, snapping me out of my happy moment. I pouted slightly but trotted to his side.

"What do we have?"

"I'd say rabbit or maybe squirrel," he confirmed, glaring down at the prints below.

With snow crunching under our feet, coating our heads and clothing, Neville and I followed the tracks. It wasn't long before we came across a squirrel. He was right at the base of a snow-covered tree.

"Let me get him this time," I told him. I took aim. "Stupefy!"

Red light spurted from my wand but went just in front of my target. Frightened for his life, the brown blur whizzed up the tree. Brows tightened in irritation, I took shots at the tree as he climbed. I cursed under my breath; I was killing the tree more than the squirrel.

I gave up when the squirrel went up to where I couldn't see him.

"Let me take a shot at it," Neville said, gently pushing me back. He had his head craned up.

Good luck finding him. He's already long gone.

"Aha, found him," Neville breathed. "Stupefy!"

A brown lump of fur fell off a white tree limb and plopped inaudibly into the snow. My mouth dropped in irritation.

"Show off," I snorted as Neville went to the squirrel. "I could've taken him."

"Not with your shooting," he teased me.

The rest of hunting time, I followed and observed Neville as he caught more squirrels and a rabbit. I didn't know whether he was actually good at killing little animals, or he was just showing off. Either way, I grew quickly jealous of his accuracy.

"I think we've got enough for now," he said as the snow started to fall heavier. "We better head back."

With a good amount of small meat in Neville's arms, we followed our tracks back to the tent.

It turned out that the meat we got would be enough for the day.

Bitter temperatures came with the sunset. Night was upon us now. We had just finished eating what was left of the meat. Neville was finishing up cleaning. I was at the table with the radio producing fuzzy noise, scribbling on a piece of notepad paper. Apparently Hermione thought of everything, including mindless drawing/writing. I didn't really draw on the paper so much as write my name, testing how it looked in so many ways. I wrote freely and in cursive my full name with my left hand. I tried with my right—worst mistake ever. It didn't even look like my name; it looked like absolute gibberish.

"This is really starting to bother me," I mumbled to myself, scribbling above my name.

"What is?" Neville called. I heard him walk in.

"I've been reduced to writing my name on paper!" I groaned. "This is not entertaining."

"I don't see why you're upset; I think your handwriting is fine. Your middle name is Darien?"

I turned my head to my right to see Neville standing over me, being nosy. "Yes, it is," I said. "Nobody really knows it, minus my parents. It's not like it's used."

"Not even in a nickname?"

"No. My parents call me Jen, that's it."

"What about something like...JD or something?"

That was a nickname that would not stick. "That sounds like a guy's name."

"It was just a suggestion, unless you want to be called Jen by me."

"I'd rather be Jenelle to you than Jen or JD."

"All right, all right."

I looked at Neville closer. He kept blowing his bangs away from his face. I hadn't really noticed that his hair had grown, let alone he had whiskers sprouting. "It looks like you're due for a haircut," I teased him.

"What makes you think you're going to give me one?"

"Well, we can't exactly go to someone to get it done, now, can we?"

"Have you ever cut anyone's hair before?"

"...No."

"Then maybe I'll take my chances and do it on my own."

The thought was tempting. "Yeah, that's probably not a good idea. The only other option is to continue to let it grow and give you a homeless person appearance. I can't speak for you, but is that a look you really want to try out?"

Neville didn't answer.

"If you allow me to do it, it'll spare you some pain. I can see it now—without any proper guidance, you'll end up hurting yourself. I can give it a shot."

"Fine."

Feeling a little excited that I was given something better to do than scribble my name, I dove for the bag and yanked out a small comb and a pair of scissors.

Neville sat on the edge of my cot. I had the radio turned up since it had good reception. I went around behind him, sat on my knees, and began trimming the back of his head first. I never cut my hair; my mum always did. I hoped I didn't end up cutting Neville's hair too short or screw up his bangs. Mum screwed mine up once.

"You're not trying to shave me are you?" he asked.

"If I was, I'd have a razor," I assured him. "Neville, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure." He shrugged.

"I've been thinking a lot lately...and...do you think that maybe we can quickly drop by Godric's Hollow?"

His body stiffened. "Jenelle, you know we can't go back there," he said flatly.

"What if they aren't there?"

"We've been over this."

"That was a time ago, Neville! They could've given up."

"I have a feeling this bunch is persistent, a little too persistent."

"Neville, if you don't take me there, I will make you look almost bald," I threatened.

"You won't," he sang. "Besides, hair grows back. Your threat isn't exactly strong, Jenelle."

"Don't make me unleash my fury on you."

"What fury?" he snorted.

The cut hair trickled down on my pants. I was going to have to clean off the sheets of my cot afterwards. I was not about to go to bed in a hairy cot. "So it's a no go for Godric's Hollow?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

I pouted behind his head as I tousled it to get the loose hair out. "Can't you consider it?"

"Unless you've got a good plan, possibly, but since you won't have a good plan, it's a no."

I slid off the cot behind him, brushed off my pants, and started to work on his bangs. I had to sit next to him and he had to turn so I got a good shot at them. "I'll make your bangs uneven," I threatened.

"Again with that lame threat?"

I snipped his bangs. "Just tell me if I'm going too short."

"Just let this drop. Our luck we would get spotted. And let's be fair, out of the two of us, I'm the stronger aim."

"When I've got your bangs in my grip, it's not wise to anger me, Neville Longbottom."

"You can't even take down a squirrel."

"Squirrels are small, people aren't." I went through Neville's bangs with my fingers to weed out the loose hairs. "Do you need me to shave your whiskers off, too?"

"Nah, I'd rather you not."

"There. Done. I think I did a good job for a first time."

"It feels like nothing went wrong," Neville said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"So you were worried I'd screw your hair up."

I went to the bag to dive in and fetch a broom and a dust pan. I swore Hermione packed half her house in this bag. I wondered if she fit a bed in here, too, or a tub, a toilet, and sink. We'd had to adapt without actual bathroom facilities. It was interesting to say the least.

I swept up the dark hair that was scattered along the floor.

I was about ready to call it a night, but the song that had just come across my ears was one of my absolute favorites. I had heard this song before. Brian and I had called it our song...

Though we never had danced to it, we used to listen to it all the time when we were alone. It always made me feel so happy back then. But now...it gave me mixed feelings. Happiness was matched by horror of the past.

The lyrics played surprisingly clear, as if I had it playing in my head. I closed my eyes, letting the music flow through me. I found myself quietly humming the tune, I knew it so well.

"What are you doing?" Neville chuckled.

"Hmm?" I asked, opening my eyes.

"You were dancing a minute ago."

I was? "Your eyes must be tricking you, Neville, because I don't dance," I snorted, folding my arms.

"You obviously want to."

"Your point?"

"Well...why not?"

"I can't dance," I confessed. "And I am very self-conscious."

"It's just you and me."

"It doesn't matter. I don't dance, and I can't."

"There's a difference between 'can't' and 'don't'."

"Whatever."

"It's simple."

"What would you know? Have you taken dance lessons?"

"I've tried to teach myself a few things. It's not so scary once you get a feel for it."

Neville came to me, hand out. Like he was ever going to actually get me to dance, let alone with him. It's not that I didn't want to—I kind of did—but I was afraid of stepping on his feet.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," I said, shaking my head. I took a timid step back.

Neville wasn't taking the hint. "Are you afraid?" he taunted me.

"No. Maybe. Yes, all right, I am!"

"Don't get upset," he said gently. "I'm not the best dancer either."

It took some patience on his part, but eventually I let Neville take my hand. He coaxed me into going out into the wider area of the tent.

His hand never let go of mine, and the other arm slinked around my waist. I flinched only once before settling down.

Neville and I went in a very small, slow, tight circle.

"Why are you so edgy?" he whispered, looking concerned. "It's just you and me."

Yeah, that's what Brian always said, too. "It's just...this song was once Brian's song, and mine," I confessed almost inaudibly. "It's reminding me of before he turned dark. I don't like it, but I like the song." Despite the confession, I was genuinely relaxed. The worry about my parents, about the Aurors catching the other Death Eaters, it all evaporated.

"See? It's not so bad," Neville murmured.

I still didn't get how Neville and I hadn't gone at each other's throats yet. Maybe it was because of how we managed to never anger each other. Or maybe it was because we weren't with each other all day since he went out to hunt.

He was the only other guy I had ever talked to, and I could trust him.

The music seemed to be fading; it was probably because I wasn't focusing on it anymore. Neville inched me closer to him.

"Jenelle?" Neville whispered.

"Hmm?" I looked up right into his eyes.

It was like they had hooked me right then and there. I couldn't look away. It was rude to stare—that's one of the rules you learned in life—but I couldn't help it.

Finally with some power, I ripped my gaze from Neville's, looking down. His breath tickled the top of my head. I let go of his hand to throw both of my arms around him. Neville adjusted quickly, locking his arms behind me as I leaned against him. I felt his chin barely hover above the top of my head.

I let my eyes close in content as my body swayed slowly with the dying melody. It wasn't too long afterwards Neville stopped. I had to stop myself, open my eyes, and look up at him. He gave me a slight smile.

"What?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"I thought you fell asleep on me," he chuckled.

"I wasn't tired. I was just...happy. It's good, feeling something other than pain again."

"Glad to know I'm helping."

The corners of my mouth tried to pull up into a smile, but I suddenly felt tired. "I think it's time to head to bed," I muttered.

"Yeah." He cleared this throat. "Yeah."

The moment I let go of him, he released me. I flicked the loose hairs of Neville's off my cot. "Hey, Neville?" I called as he was getting ready to leave for his cot.

He stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

"Thank you," I said, grateful.

"For what?"

"For the dance. I needed that."

"Oh...you're welcome," he said, a bit confused.

I turned my back to Neville and hopped into the cot, trying to get comfortable. I turned over, facing the tent, my back to the radio and table. Slowly, I was going under. At the ten minute mark, just as I was barely hanging on to consciousness, I felt something brush against the side of my head.

Maybe I was imagining it. 

**Since I had THE HARDEST time determining the song Jenelle had with Brian, I decided to leave it up to y'all. Because really, I'm curious to see what's inside your head for them.**