Chapter One

My Best Friend Neville

As I got on to the long, steaming, scarlet train, I tried to find an empty compartment to sit in. It was my first year going to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry, and I didn't know many kids my own age. It's not like I had any brothers or sisters to introduce me to anyone either, being an only child. And all the friends my parents had at the Ministry had children who were older than me. The only people close to my age at all were the Weasley twins who were third years. Supposedly they had a younger brother named Ron, but I wasn't going to go searching for someone I didn't even know. So I was completely alone.

Thankfully I found a compartment soon as I got on, and it only had one other person in it. He was a round faced, sort of chubby boy that was playing with a toad, but he didn't seem the kind to be a git, so I took a chance with him.

"Is it alright if I sit in here?" I asked him, opening the door. He glanced up and looked as if he were about to say something but simply nodded. So I took the seat closest to the window.

We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, as I watched the parents outside say good bye to the students getting on the train, and he played with his toad. Soon I started to watch the toad too.

"What's 'is name?" I asked bluntly. He seemed a bit shocked that I was actually talking to him.

"Trevor," he replied. I could tell he was a bit shy.

"He's a cute little toad. So what's your name then?"

"N-Neville Longbottom," There was a pause. "What's yours?"

"I'm Allison Seanary," I replied, reaching out a hand to him. "But I prefer Ally. Are you a first year too?"

"Yeah," he said shaking it. "Glad I know one person now." I laughed.

"Me too! So do you have an idea of what house you're going to be in?"

And that's how I became best friends with Neville Longbottom.

We were both sorted into Gryffindor later that night at the start of the term feast, and even made a few new friends. There was Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Ron Weasley,(who is the same one I mentioned before) and the "Boy-Who-Lived", Harry Potter. And that was just the boys! I shared a dormitory with Lavendar Brown, Parvati Patil, and Hermione Granger. They were all great friends, but Neville was always my best friend, and I was always his.

It wasn't long until I felt more then just friendship for him. Mid-October, he and I were out in the greenhouses looking for Trevor, when he brushed his hand against mine and I felt butterflies in my stomach instantly. I started to blush, so I tried to keep my head down, but I fell into the temptation of looking at him. He was looking at me too, and I couldn't help but fall deeply into the gorgeous, green blue eyes, staring back at me. I had never really noticed how lovely they were until that moment. He seemed to be entranced by mine too, and when he realized it, his round face became quite pink.

"Er-I think I hear him over there..." he said, trying to keep the situation from being too awkward. I nodded and followed him over to the giant crate of soil Professor Sprout had been using that day in class. We found Trevor, thankfully, but Neville and I never did find out a way to solve our situation, because even into our fourth year at Hogwarts, we still were just best friends, and were still, blushing every time we would accidentally touch. But things were about to change.

The Triwizard Tournament had come to Hogwarts, and though we couldn't enter to be school champions, there was still the events that everyone(well fourth years and older that is) could attend, like the Yule Ball.

At this point in time, Neville and I had never discussed how we felt about one another, and I was thinking that it was long overdue. I had known I liked him for over three years now, and it was time to make a move before someone else did.

"Hey," I said as I sat down next to him at the Gryffindor table at lunch. I hadn't eaten yet, but my stomach was doing flips so I don't think I would've been able to eat even if I had wanted to.

"Hey," Neville replied as a smile lit up on his adorable face.

"Would you mind walking around the lake with me? It's a bit stuffy in here..."

"Oh! Ya! Of course!" He gathered his books into his bag, although rather clumsily, and walked with me out of the Great Hall. On our way, we walked past the Slytherin table, and Draco Malfoy, a wealthy, pure-blooded, snob, was giving me an even more malicious look then normal.

Once out onto the cold, icy, grounds, we started to talk about Herbology. It was his favorite, and best for that matter, class, as was it mine. And as easy as it would have been for me to continue on about the subject, I reminded myself why I had come outside with him, and I knew if I didn't get it done and over with then, that I most likely wouldn't any time soon.

"Neville," I said, interrupting him in mid-sentence. "I didn't just ask you to come out here with me because I have a head ache..." I said, feeling slightly guilty.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" he asked curiously. I was looking down at my feet in the snow, but I could feel him looking at me intently.

"Er, just something quite silly, that really doesn't matter all that much, and I would completely understand if you laughed at me, because as I said, it's quite silly," I said rambling on and on. "In fact, why don't we just forget I mentioned anything at all, because it's just something really stupid that's quite embarrassing to bring up anyways..." I looked up hopefully at him, as he was quite taller then me.

"Okay" he stopped dead in his tracks. "I know you well enough that when you mumble about a bunch of random stuff, as you just did, something is up, so spill it." I sighed, knowing I had to tell him now.

"Neville," I started again, but I couldn't find words for what was going through my head.

"Yes." He replied. It wasn't a question, but more like an answer to something I never asked. I was about to ask what he was talking about but he took his finger and put it to my lips to silence me.

"I feel the same way about you as you do about me. I've just been too much of a pussy to tell you that the last three years. And I regret it... But that stops now. I want to give "us" a shot if you do." he finished, taking my hands into his. I was a little taken back by his bold way of speaking just now, but I realized he was always so much more open with me than he was with anyone else, and I could see by the look on his face that he meant what he said. I had fantasized about that moment for so long that I couldn't believe it actually happened. I squeezed his hands with mine.

"Of course I do." I replied excitedly.

"Well in that case, Allison Amelia Seanary, will you attend the Yule Ball with me?"

"Oh Neville! Yes, yes, YES! A million times yes!" I was so happy I couldn't help but nearly scream. I gave him the biggest hug I had ever given anyone, and I heard him start to laugh and then he put his arms around me.

"Why don't we head back to the castle now," he suggested and I nodded in agreement.

"It's cold out here anyways." And as we walked back in, we held hands for the first time and I didn't even care about all the people that were staring and whispering about us. I finally felt complete.