I hope we're thinking of two entirely different levels of coercion.
[Because if Will was stabbing students with knives like certain Death Eaters when they refused to do their homework, then Neville would very much like to opt out of this friendly luncheon with him.
But that's the usual answer, isn't it? No, Snape hasn't done (or hired others to do) anything here other than be a bit of an arse, and it's starting to make Neville go a little out of his head. The fact that Snape got a second chance that Neville feels he never should have, and that he has actually made good on it so far, is completely maddening. It's not fair.
With a profound effort he puts that whole train of thought aside, though. Will seems like a nice enough bloke who probably kept the two of them from killing each other in the burning wreckage of the school, and he doesn't deserve to have all the Wizarding War baggage heaped on him out of the blue. He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a whoosh of:]
Oh. So you're an Auror? [A beat.] Or the, the-- Muggle version of that. [Muttered:] Po-leez, maybe?
[He shakes his head, as if to wave away the vocab blunder, and shuffles over towards the nearest chair where he can watch Will work on the meal, chewing on his thumbnail.]
Neville Longbottom. [He pinks a bit, despite himself.] I imagine I made a really horrible first impression, anyway. Sorry, erm, again.
will no that is not an okay way to be
[Because if Will was stabbing students with knives like certain Death Eaters when they refused to do their homework, then Neville would very much like to opt out of this friendly luncheon with him.
But that's the usual answer, isn't it? No, Snape hasn't done (or hired others to do) anything here other than be a bit of an arse, and it's starting to make Neville go a little out of his head. The fact that Snape got a second chance that Neville feels he never should have, and that he has actually made good on it so far, is completely maddening. It's not fair.
With a profound effort he puts that whole train of thought aside, though. Will seems like a nice enough bloke who probably kept the two of them from killing each other in the burning wreckage of the school, and he doesn't deserve to have all the Wizarding War baggage heaped on him out of the blue. He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a whoosh of:]
Oh. So you're an Auror? [A beat.] Or the, the-- Muggle version of that. [Muttered:] Po-leez, maybe?
[He shakes his head, as if to wave away the vocab blunder, and shuffles over towards the nearest chair where he can watch Will work on the meal, chewing on his thumbnail.]
Neville Longbottom. [He pinks a bit, despite himself.] I imagine I made a really horrible first impression, anyway. Sorry, erm, again.