xxxxxxxx
Harry hated to admit it, but he really did need help to pass all of his classes. For most of his classes, that would be no problem - Hermione kept lending her notes to Harry and Ron. But for the classes that required using your hands, rather than taking notes, Harry knew he needed tutoring. Especially in Herbology.
Hermione couldn't help as she was buried in revision and homework every day, Ron couldn't help because he understood it no more than Harry did, and he didn't really know any other people that could help him.
One cloudy evening, the Gryffindor common room was packed with studying students, and Harry was scanning to room for possible tutors. When he was about to give up, his eye fell on Neville. Why didn't he think of that earlier?
Harry stood up and slowly walked towards Neville, who was sitting in a corner, hands in his hair and a pained expression on his face.
"Hey, Neville," Harry said as he sat down next to the boy.
"Hiya, Harry," Neville said without taking his eyes off the book he was reading.
"So, you're really good at Herbology, right?"
"I wouldn't say 'really good', but I guess I'm not that bad, yeah... why?"
"Oh, it's just that I really need to pass my classes, and I haven't got the foggiest how I could possibly pass Herbology."
"So... what are you saying?"
"Well, maybe you could tutor me in Herbology?" Harry asked tentatively, feeling his cheeks become warm. Neville looked stunned.
"I mean, it's all right if you don't want to," Harry added quickly.
"No, I mean, sure, I'll do it."
"Thanks a bunch, Neville. When and where do we meet?"
"Professor Sprout has given me access to the Greenhouses, maybe we could meet there?"
"Sure, seven o'clock tomorrow?"
"I'll be there," Neville said, and Harry clapped him on the back, smiling.
xxxxxxxx
Feeling slightly nervous, Harry walked down to the Greenhouses at ten to seven that next day. He didn't really know what to expect, now that he thought about it. Would Neville make him read books?
"Hi, Harry!" Neville called from one of the larger Greenhouses. Harry waved and walked over to him.
"So, what have you got in store for me today?" Harry asked once they were face to face.
"Well, I was just thinking that maybe we could start off by reading the book and I can give you more information if you need it? With certain chapters I can also show you a spell, or the plant itself."
"Yeah, that sounds fine."
"I'm sorry, I've never really tutored anyone before..."
"Really, it sounds fine, Neville." Harry smiled in an encouraging way, and Neville smiled back.
"Did you bring your textbook?"
"Oh, I forgot," Harry said, then mentally yelled at himself for forgetting something that logical.
"It's all right, I brought mine, you can use it."
"That's great, thanks, don't fancy a walk all the way up to the seventh floor again." Neville laughed, and Harry got a weird feeling in his chest.
xxxxxxxx
"Do you think we can practise this?" Harry asked, having just read about about the Herbivicus Charm.
"Don't see why we can't," Neville said as he moved closer to read the line that Harry's finger was pointing at. Harry could hear Neville breathing, and as he looked up at the boy, he got that weird feeling again.
"Ah, Herbivicus, I love that one. Stay here." Neville rushed out of the Greenhouse, but reappeared not even a minute later. He was holding a tray of what seemed like freshly potted plants.
"Have you tried it before?" Neville asked Harry as he placed the tray down in front of them.
"I have, but I was unsuccessful."
"It's really easy once you get the hang of it, watch." Neville pulled out his wand and pointed it at one of the plants.
"Herbivicus!" A twisting jet of brilliant green light shot out of Neville's wand, and the plant in front of him immediately began to grow in size. Harry watched in awe, amazed by magic once again.
"Neville, that was brilliant," Harry said, and Neville blushed slightly.
"Go on, you try it."
xxxxxxxx
After about ten tries, Harry had finally gotten the hang of it. The plant didn't grow as fast as Neville's did, but Harry was pleased nonetheless.
"Amazing!" Neville exclaimed, and Harry looked at him, smiling.
"Thanks, Neville. Couldn't have done it without you, really." A smile appeared on Neville's face.
"Nonsense, you're a great wizard," Neville said, then widened his eyes in shock.
"Uh, thanks," Harry said as he felt his cheeks become warm.
"I'm sorry, that was probably weird," Neville said quickly.
"Unexpected, not weird." Harry placed his hand on Nevilles for only a second, then thanked the boy again, trying to ignore the hot feeling that had just spread on the palm of his hand.
"We should get back, I don't think we'll go unpunished if we're caught after hours," Harry said, then closed the textbook and gave it back to Neville. "Same time, same place tomorrow?"
"Yeah, all right," Neville replied.
"Are you coming?" Harry asked as he was standing in the doorway.
"I'm staying for a bit, see you later..."
Harry looked back once he was halfway to the castle's front doors, and thought he could just make out Neville burying his face in his hands.
xxxxxxxx
"Harry! How did it go?" Hermione asked once Harry had entered the common room again.
"Really well, I learned that Herbivicus spell pretty quickly."
"D'you think you can teach me that one? Still can't do it," Ron asked.
"Sure, just fetch me a freshly potted plant and I'll show you."
"Thanks, mate," Ron said as he looked over at Hermione, who had now pulled out her wand and was waving it around, saying words that Harry didn't even remember a minute later.
"There you go," she said when a freshly potted plant stood on the table before them.
"I'm not even going to ask how you did that, but that was bloody brilliant," Ron said.
"Thanks, Ronald."
Harry grinned as he looked at his friends. Just then, Neville entered the common room. Harry noticed that his face was red, even his eyes. He walked to the stairs without looking at anyone, and Harry got an empty feeling in his stomach as he heard the door to the boy's dormitory close. Should he go see if Neville was all right? Deciding that he should, he stood up and walked towards the boy's dormitory. All of a sudden, he felt fear. What if he didn't know what to say to Neville? But it was too late to turn back now, so he walked on.
xxxxxxxx
"Neville?" Harry asked tentatively once he'd entered the circular room.
"Oh, Harry," Neville said, his voice hoarse.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm-" Neville started, but then let out a great sob. Acting on instinct, Harry walked over to Neville's bed, sat down next to the boy and put an arm around his shoulder.
"I'm n-not all right," Neville admitted.
"What's the matter?"
"I can't t-tell you. Well, I can, but I also c-can't... I'm not ready."
"Take your time." Harry rubbed Neville's upper arm, a gesture which seemed to calm the latter.
"Do you know that feeling when you're bursting to tell someone about something that's been bugging you, and you just can't?" Neville asked a few minutes later.
"It's the worst," Harry admitted. He had indeed been bursting to tell someone about the feeling he had had in his chest every time he looked at Neville, but he thought that neither Ron nor Hermione would understand, and telling Neville was out of the question. The only person left would be Sirius, but he wasn't exactly looking forward to putting all this in a letter.
"You're a really great friend, Harry." Harry noticed that Neville's voice cracked when he said the word 'friend', and Harry wished he could be so much more to him.
Then, Neville did something that Harry didn't expect at all. He twisted his torso, looked Harry in the eyes for a brief second, and then crashed their lips together. Harry was shocked at first, his mind and heart racing. He then kissed back as he moved his hand to Neville's hair, which was softer than he could have possibly imagined. All sorts of feelings rose up in him. Relief and joy, for example.
Eventually, Harry pulled back as he was out of breath. A smile appeared on Neville's face, and Harry smiled too.
"So, you're okay with me doing that?" Neville asked.
"Very okay."
"You don't think it was weird?"
"Unexpected, not weird." Harry quickly gave Neville a peck on the lips, then let his head rest on the boy's shoulder.
"I guess we both just non-verbally told the other what we were bursting to say, huh?" Harry said, and let out a soft chuckle.
Neville laughed. "Yeah, I guess we did."