One-Shot: Bucket List
It was a week before Graduation at Hogwarts. Exams were taken and graded, classes were pretty much over. All the seventh years were anxiously soaking up their last few days at the wizarding school.
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger were all seated together at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Happening to glance up, Harry happened to notice Neville Longbottom enter and seat himself further down the bench from them.
"Never known Neville to be anything less than punctual - especially for a meal."
"Kinda like you, Ron," Hermione playfully needled.
Ron ignored the teasing jab as he speared a potato with his fork. "Can you blame him? Everyone can afford to be a little lackadaisical these days."
Ginny just rolled her eyes. "Ron, you've always been lackadaisical." Everyone laughed. "But in all seriousness, I know why Neville's been late."
Hermione swiveled towards her with interest. "How come?"
"Caught a peek of the bit of parchment he's been carrying around. It's a Hogwarts Bucket List!"
"Before graduation," Harry nodded in approval. "What did it say on it?"
"I only got a peek, but he had Fly on a Broom checked off..."
"I would have loved to have seen that!" Ron grinned.
"Get Snogged had still not been lined through..."
"And that'll never happen," Ron postulated firmly, though he genuinely looked sorry for Neville. Hermione scolded him anyway.
"Ronald!"
Her best friend only shrugged. Hermione glanced down the bench at Neville, eating by himself. Her heart went out to him, that he had never been kissed. She had only snogged two boys herself, and Viktor Krum hardly counted; his technique had been rather sloppy. Neville deserved the experience at least before he graduated. Suddenly resolved, she stood up and walked down the row to where Neville was sitting.
"Hey, Neville, can I have a word?"
Neville blushed, flustered. "Oh... yes, all right." And he curiously got up and followed Hermione. Both Ron and Harry stared after them, their jaws hanging like rusted steel traps.
"Bloody hell! She's not seriously going to..."
Ginny just gave a soft smile. "I think it's sweet."
Hermione knew an ideally private location, as she guided Neville through the castle.
On the third floor, at the base of the staircase leading up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classrooms, there was the One-Eyed Witch Statue. The statue featured a humpback deformity that concealed a secret passage out of Hogwarts that led all the way to the cellar of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade Village. But the shadowed enclave between the stone and the stairs would do nicely enough, as Hermione pulled Neville into the secluded corner. She smiled at him gently, trying to put him at ease.
"So, I hear you've put together a Bucket List."
Neville blushed beet red and nodded.
"And that one of those includes getting snogged."
"Well... yeah," Neville stammered. "But I... I don't think I'll check it off..."
Beaming, Hermione shut Neville up by cupping his face in her hands and pressing her lips to his in a tender, yet sensuous kiss.
He was a good few inches taller than her, so she had to stand on tiptoes to reach him. She felt Neville freeze against her, and after a moment, she drew away. Smiling encouragingly, she reached up and kissed him again, enticing him to slip his arms about her waist. Draping her arms about his neck, Hermione yanked Neville closer and deepened the kiss. Tilting her head to grant him better access to her mouth, she parted her lips for him, and coaxed his tongue into her warm, wet cavern to play with hers. Hermione closed her eyes in pleasure and moaned, enjoying the taste of her classmate. "Mmmm..."
Neville gradually grew more confident in returning Hermione's kiss. Pretty soon, the pair were plenty involved, their hands wandering up and down each other's backs. At one point, Hermione broke the heated kiss, and as Neville's mouth was attacking her neck and jawline, she happened to glance to her right.
Draco Malfoy was staring at the pair of engaged students in utter disbelief. Hermione scowled in his direction; Malfoy was not someone worth granting an explanation. "Get on, Malfoy!"
The Slytherin slunk away, no doubt to spread slanderous gossip about her and Longbottom, but Hermione didn't care. She turned back to Neville with a playful grin, who had stopped in his attentions to watch the fun. "Now... where were we?"
Laughing, Hermione grabbed Neville by his Gryffindor tie and kissed him once more. Neville kissed her back, and he and Hermione soon lost themselves in snogging each other senseless...