Prologue:

At the foot of my hammock in the Room of Requirement, I kept two things of my past. One was a picture of my late mother, who everyone said I was the spitting image of- long honey colored hair and big eyes, Hufflepuff badge, slightly too-big robes, and always dreaming, a quill hanging out of the corner of my mouth like a demented puppy. At least that's what Susan says I'm like.

The other was a small object I never could forget, one that linked me to someone I will never un-think. I remember I was standing by the stairs up into Hogwarts on one of my first breaks when I saw it lying on the grass. As I bent over to pick it up, I heard a noise behind me and turned to look at the boy standing there. He had dark hair and was looking around anxiously. When he saw me crouching, peering up at me, my hand a couple inches above the marble, he grimaced.

"I think that's mine, there." He rushed down the steps, his robes flailing out behind him. I glanced at his badge, seeing it bumping up and down on his small chest. Gryffindor.

"Oh. Yes." I picked it up and turned to him, handed it over into his outstretched palm.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked.

I shook my head shyly.

"It's a Remembrall. My Gran got it for me."

"Oh."

"I'm Neville by the way."

"Hannah."

We both smiled.

"You know, my Remembrall may not be so big, but it has a big History. It got Harry Potter onto the Quidditch team!"

I widened my eyes. "Really?"

He nodded proudly, and started telling me the story.

"He's really brave." I said.

Neville looked down, "yeah. He's a hero."

"You are too." I told him.

He laughed and scratched his nose. "Not really." I noticed he had rubbed dirt onto it.

The bell rang from the castle and, in step we headed back up the steps.

"Well. I've got to go to class." I said.

"Wait. We must have one together, right? I mean just because you're in Hufflepuff and I'm in Gryffindor doesn't mean we don't have classes together."

"Herbology." I told him.

He smiled. "Herbology. Okay."

As soon as he was gone, I jumped up and down a couple of times and raced off up the corridor to find Susan.

Susan Bones has been my best friend since the train the first day of Hogwarts when we first sat together. She laughed when I told her I found the cutest boy ever.

"I wish we had every class together." I finished.

"Sorry, I think Michael Corner wins." She smirked at me.

I shrugged. "Like you'll ever get Michael."

"Take it back!" She laughed, trying to hit me with her Transfiguration textbook.

Professor McGonagall clapped twice, and we both turned to face the front. "Thank you ladies."

I suddenly was glad that Neville wasn't there.

The next break I sat with Susan on the bottom step of the castle, and rewrapped my scarf a couple of times to be safe from the chilly air. I heard a noise behind me and turned to see him trudging down the stairs. His face broke into a grin as he recognized me. Susan turned around too, and I introduced them, but then Susan "forgot her book in the classroom", and left us alone.

"Shall we walk?" Neville asked.

I nodded. "I have Herbology this afternoon!"

"Me too!" He laughed. "Small world."

I turned to look at him, faux sad, but her just laughed more and hit me gently on my shoulder. "Come on."

Finally, we went back to the courtyard and sat with our knees almost touching and laughed at our own jokes.

From then on, whenever her saw me his face broke into a grin and he said in his smooth voice, "Hannah."

He could make me laugh until I cried in Herbology, just by making faces and pretending to dance with the plants. The next thing I knew he was making me dance with the plant too, his hand on my waist, moving me in time with the dark leaves. That day Professor Sprout asked me if I was okay because, doubled over with crying-laughter, I had accidently gotten dirt all over my face. I just laughed harder.

By Christmas, I couldn't wait for Herbology classes and sat in the courtyard the entire time, waiting for him even though sometimes he wouldn't come. He always apologized for these in a hurry, and I forgave him.

Finally, I got my Christmas present for him one morning in the courtyard. I handed him my drawing of a plant, and tore open the letter from him.

This is the reason I met you, and I'd probably lose it if I kept it any longer. You should keep it. Happy Christmas!

Neville

Inside he had carefully tucked the Remembrall between sheets of red and green tissues. I thanked him, and we hugged just as the bell rang and I ran off to my next class; my heart wrapped in Christmas paper with his token of remembrance.