Author's Note: This story was written for The Houses Competition Year 3.
I don't own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!
House: Ravenclaw
Year: 7
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Pairing] Neville Longbottom/Hermione Granger
Word count: 978
"You look really happy with Ron. I'm glad he finally asked you out."
Hermione jerked her head in the direction of the voice, only to be met by Neville's tired and slouched form. He was still sporting a nasty gash on his left cheek and blood prickling from his forehead. The bushy-haired girl moved quickly, supporting him so that he didn't put too much weight on his broken ankle.
Accepting her help graciously, Neville sat, trying to breathe normally as his friend offered a clean towel to clean the dried, dirty blood blood off his face. Hermione on the other hand, took care of his sore ankle with a quick 'episkey'.
"Is it that obvious? Me looking happy, I mean?" The question came out in an anxious tone. At this Neville chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Are you kidding me?! You practically blush every time whenever someone mutters his name. Not to mention how you keep glancing at him when you two are in the same room." Neville was absolutely right. Just the thought of the ginger-haired boy was enough to make Hermione's insides go giddy.
"See! That is what I' talking about. You're all red in the face." He pointed it out and got a punch on his shoulder in return.
"Ow, woman! What was that for?"
"Oh shut it, Neville!" She huffed a breath whilst taking a seat beside him. Now as the adrenaline from the fight earlier was coming down, Hermione could feel the ache in her bones and how exhausted her body was. It didn't matter though; not when they were sitting on the crumbles of a fallen wall, not when the once high pillars were crushed to dust, and certainly not when their home was shattered into pieces.
Everything seemed eerily silent despite the obvious chattering in the background. Everything was numb.
"Thank you, Neville. For saving our lives there." He understood she was expressing gratitude to him for killing the monstrous pet snake of the Dark Lord. Nagini had been inches from them when Neville had miraculously arrived with the sword in his hand.
"You don't have to thank me. I did what was necessary, or he would have won and that is a scenario I don't want to acknowledge."
"I think we all owe you, Neville. You stood up against him and his minions, all alone, when we saw Harry…." Hermione gulped as fresh batch of tears finally descended down her cheeks, but continued anyway, "When we lost all hope. You reminded us that there was still the tiny chance to win, a small but a chance nonetheless, only if we fought together. You reminded us that Dumbledore wouldn't want us to lose when we came so close to winning, that we didn't need our saviour to defeat Voldemort. You ignited that spark which was extinguished when we saw Harry's lifeless body. Neville, you motivated us to keep going on when the only thought screaming in my mind was to give up and I can't thank you enough for that final push."
By the time she was finished, Neville's own eyes welled with tears and he let them flow. When Hermione put it into words it was only then Neville realised how much he had matured with the circumstances. With Snape taking the position of headmaster yet totally under Voldemort's control, things had went downhill quickly for the Light side. And the responsibility quickly fell on Neville's shoulder when the golden trio didn't attend Hogwarts that year. So, Neville Longbottom had done what was his duty.
The memories of children screaming, begging to be left alone because the Cruciatus was too much, would forever be etched into his mind. The days he spent to make sure the young ones were okay, wore him out. The nights he spent awake and on high alert, tired him. But Neville did not think about it once and faced all the hardships thrown his way, fearlessly. He did it all because it was the right thing to do and his parents would have expected nothing less from their boy.
All in all the war shaped the once scared Neville Longbottom into a warrior, and he was very proud of himself. He just wished his parents to be by his side.
As if reading all his thoughts, Hermione patted his arm in reassurance before speaking,
"Your parents would be very proud of you, Neville."
"I hope so." Composing himself he spoke again.
"I should say thanks to you too!"
"For what?"
"For helping me all these years and sticking. For pushing me to fight my bullies and for listening to the constant herbology facts that I spouted out. Thank you for helping me find Trevor on the first ride to school and becoming my friend."
The mention of the first day of Hogwarts brought sweet memories, how much had happens since then. Hermione compared the once sacred boy to the man sitting beside him, and couldn't help but smile gently at him.
"Hermione?!" There was a shout making the duo look up at the speaker.
"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"What's wrong Ron?"
"Nothing. Harry wanted to talk to us, said it was something important."
"Yeah, let's go."
"Hey, Neville! Thanks for the back up there mate." Ron didn't say too many words but they were enough. Neville's just smiled. They were about to take leave when Hermione turned around and addressed him,
"Hey Nev!"
"Yeah?"
"She makes you happy too. You should ask her out." That earned Hermione a shy smile from her housemate.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yeah, you blush every time she's in the same room." With those parting words Hermione left in search of her other friend, with a confused Ron in tow and leaving behind a confident Neville making the perfect plan to ask Hannah out.