The first time that Neville had ever truly noticed Lavender Brown, was on the day of her fifteenth birthday. He was hanging around the fireplace with a glass filled with butter beer chatting with Dean when the entire room erupted into cheers. As he looked to the common room door he found a thoroughly surprised and laughing Lavender with her hand held above her heart.
Everyone immediately went into a rendition of Happy Birthday that held several good-willed insults, slurs, and sexual inuendos that had even Neville chuckling along. Lavender gave another pleasant laugh before she was swept into the room and a cake with tons more candles than she was old was presented to her. When she blew them out with a loud shout of, "I wish for a good shag!" the entire room fell into an uproar.
Catcalls were whistled even as Hermione had stepped up and made a vain attempt at getting the room back under control. The party went on, with music blaring, everyone dancing, and even a few fifth years trying to make good on that wish. It was then amidst the rowdy Gryffindors that he took Lavender by the hand and led her away to Parvati. He could feel her eyes follow him as he left her in safe hands with a soft, "Happy Birthday."
