This is a story that I began writing half a year ago but never finished. It was meant to be a multi-chap but I stopped writing it after the first chapter. The inpiration was my friend, alindy, and I never planned on posting it but her birthday was a week ago so I re-wrote it for her and decided to make it a one-shot. So, here you are!

Happy birthday, alindy! I love you!

Oh, and FYI, none of this was in the original 1st chap that I wrote because the whole plot that I planned (which involed Blaise Zabini, Padma Patil, Ron Weasley, and Luna Lovegood in some sort of way) was totally dropped since this is a one-shot.

I hope that you all enjoy!

The Greenhouse Effect of Love

Pansy dashed to the one place where she was confident no one in their right mind would be on a Saturday afternoon. When she reached the doorway of the Greenhouses, she paused and sighed in relief to find that her assumptions in saying that she would be alone were correct. She slowly strutted over to a corner and slid down to the ground as her back hit the wall. She set her head on her knees while she wrapped her arms around her legs and the tears started to roll. She hated sounding like a sad sap who hates her life but she truly hated her life. She didn't seem to fit in anymore. After the war, blood status didn't matter and being a bitch wasn't cool. No one seemed to care about her anymore. In fact, no one ever seemed to notice her except when she was rude to them and when that happened, they'd tell her off and then go back to ignoring her. It was official: life sucked for Pansy Parkinson.

Pansy sat there and didn't move for half an hour just pondering how her re-do of her 7th year was panning out. So far, it wasn't turning out very well. It was two months into the year and she had little to no friends. The only person who would actually be civil with her was Millicent Bullstrode whom Pansy couldn't even stand to talk to since each conversation involved how much Millicent hated how fast her unibrow grew back after she plucked it. Pansy always found a sudden urge puke all over Millicent's face when she shares that grotesque information that she could have gone the rest of her life without knowing.

Pansy was frustrated to hear a shuffling noise. She raised her head and sighed loudly. "Longbottem, what are you doing here on a Saturday afternoon?" she asked while vigorously wiping away her tears.

Neville raised his eyebrows. "I could ask you the same question." As he stepped closer to her, Neville noticed something that he thought was peculiar. "Parkinson… uh—Pansy, why, uh, why are you crying?"

Pansy pushed down on the ground with her hands and shot up. "It's none of your business, Longbottem." She nearly smacked her face in the process of ridding a fresh falling tear.

Neville raised his hands in defense and shrugged. "I never said it was. I was simply curious," he replied innocently.

"Well, don't be," Pansy snapped.

Neville walked over to a desk and sat on the table part. "All right then. I was only trying to be nice."

Pansy chuckled bitterly, walked over, and sat across from Neville on a tabletop, as well. "Why does the one person who's nice to me have to be a Gryffindor? Much less you, Longbottem."

Neville stared at Pansy. "Gee, thanks. This is what I get for trying to be nice to you, the person who made fun of me for six years straight. It's not as easy as it looks, you know."

Pansy moved over next to Neville and said in an oddly sincere way, "I'm sorry, Long—Neville. I've had a rough time this year and being a bitch is just a force of habit, I guess. It's a habit that I should really nip in the butt considering it's probably the reason why I'm so miserable."

Neville awkwardly patted Pansy's arm. "That's okay, Pansy. In all honesty, though, I didn't even think that you knew my first name."

Pansy's eyes averted. "Oh, well, I do."

Neville nodded. "I can tell. So, why are you miserable exactly?"

Pansy played with her hands and looked down as she explained. "Back when blood status was important, I was automatically cool, or at least to my house I was. But now, no one really cares since the war is over and all that I'm left to work with is my bitchy personality which hasn't gotten me very far in life so far."

Neville's forehead creased. "You don't seem like a bitch to me. Or at least not right now."

"Thanks. So I now currently have no friends and everyone hates me so let's just say that my life sucks."

Neville shrugged. "How do you think those of us who you used to make fun of nonstop felt?"

Pansy's eyes widened. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry. To think that I caused this to happen to you and others… I'm just so… I can't tell you how… I apologize. That must have been rough."

Neville released a short, careless laugh. "That's fine. I had Harry, Ron, and Hermione there for me most of the time."

Pansy nodded and laughed. "Right, the Golden Trio, how could I forget? But you seemed to have changed since the war."

Neville quirked his head to the side. "Hmm, really? How so?"

Pansy paused with her mouth ajar, searching for the correctly fitting words to say. "You seem tougher, more confident."

Neville smirked in a shy manner. "Yeah, well, leading Dumbledore's Army while Harry was away requires some sort of backbone."

"I can imagine."

Neville gazed into Pansy's eyes in silence, neither of them daring to avert their gaze.

Pansy found an odd and mysterious comfort in Neville's warm and welcoming chocolate brown eyes. It made her feel like nothing was wrong and nothing ever would be again. It made all of her troubles seem go away in a few mere seconds. It made her feel fuzzy and tingly inside. It scared her. If she would have been told a few years ago that she would be in that situation, she would have never in a million years believed it. It made her think that if she was comforted that much in his gaze, how comforted would she feel in arms?

It more than scared her, it freaked her out. She was confused that out of all people, he, Neville Longbottem, the guy who she made fun of and tormented for years, was the only person who was caring and nice towards her and who didn't practically spit in her direction every time he saw her. She had never been held in such a soft and knowing gaze as Neville's. She was transfixed. But what terrified her most of all was how easily he got her to open up and confide all of her feeling and troubles in him.

Pansy's eyes gave in and started crying even more than before.

Neville silently moved closer to Pansy on the tabletop. "I may be overstepping my bounds since we are, or at least were, enemies, but you should know that whenever you need someone, I'm here for you." Neville reached out and took Pansy's hand. "I'm not sure why, but I feel like we have some sort of connection and as much as if confuses me, it fascinates me and I really want to back you up on this. I've been through something like you're going through… and I don't want to hear you blame yourself for it," Neville quickly added with his hand up, palm facing her, when he saw Pansy's eyes fill with guilt. "I hold no grudges and neither should you. You seemed to have opened up quite nicely and quickly for me and you should do that with other people. You may not want to be so open to the point where you start crying, but I bet it was difficult for you to open up to me so it should be easier for you to do it to others."

Pansy looked away shyly, quietly muttering, "Actually, it was surprisingly easy to confide in you."

Neville looked at Pansy in surprise. "Really? That's odd, considering our history."

"I know. I don't understand it either," Pansy replied while nodding. "My biggest fear my entire life was crying in front of people because my father told me that it was weakness in others' eyes but it seemed so easy to cry in front of you, too easy," she added thoughtfully. "You know, I might take you up on that whole 'you'll always be there for me' thing. I surprisingly enjoy talking to you. Maybe we should do it again sometime?" Pansy asked hopefully in a barley hearable voice.

Neville smiled widely. "I would really enjoy that, but are they all going to be crying sessions?"

Pansy chuckled, happy that the tears were finished flowing. "No, of course not."

"Great! Maybe we could spend some time getting to know each other next time since we both seem to like talking to each other." Neville grinned.

Pansy looked at Neville shyly, not sure why she was so nervous around him. "You mean like a date?"

Neville nodded, his smile never fading. "But only if you want it to be."

Pansy's eyes widened. "Of course!" Pansy exclaimed with a shocking amount of enthusiasm. "I mean, I'd really like that."

Neville jumped up. "Lovely. Now, I have some work to do here, but I'll owl you. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Pansy said as Neville puller her off the table and onto her feet with her hand that he was still holding. He enveloped her in a huge hug and they stood there for almost an entire minute. Pansy couldn't help but think, So this is what it feels like… I think I like his arms even better than his eyes.

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Thanks for reading!

Happy B-day, Annie!

jtrem