"This is hopeless."
"You've got that right, scruffy. You call that a Windsor knot?"
Neville scowls at the mirror (no need for it to actually agree with him) and unknots the tie around his neck.
Neville can count on one hand the number of times he's felt truly hopeless- once when he was ten and sure he wouldn't get into Hogwarts and once during his seventh year when Ginny didn't come back to school after the Easter holidays. And now, for the third time in his life, as he stands in front of the mirror getting ready for his first real date with Hannah Abbott.
Neville really really likes Hannah. She's sweet and funny and oh Merlin is she pretty with all that honey-blonde hair and those freckles splashed across her cheeks. He especially likes her eyes- dark brown and so intense that sometimes he can't look away from them.
He glances in the mirror again and runs a hand over his hair.
"You're fighting a losing battle there, dearie."
"What do you know?" he yells before he can think better of it.
"What in Merlin's name is going on in here?"
He deflates as his gran pushes the door open with a frown.
"Sorry, Gran. I didn't mean to shout."
She narrows her eyes and appraises him with that shrewd look he knows so well.
"You're taking the Abbott girl to dinner in the city, yes?"
"Yes," he answers quietly.
She purses her lips and Neville prepares himself for some sort of scathing remark about his choice of shirt or trousers or shoes.
"A tie, that's what you need."
Neville blinks and holds up the tie he's been holding onto.
"Aah, yes, that one will do nicely." And without any further comment she takes it from him and fixes it around his neck.
"There's no need to be so nervous my boy. She agreed to go out with you, that means she likes you."
They've never talked about this- Hannah- before and Neville isn't sure what to make of it.
"I just- I just want to do it right. I don't want to muck things up."
"Neville Longbottom. Stop thinking the worst of yourself."
Her abrupt change of tone startles him, making him trip backwards and fall onto his bed.
"I know I may not have always been the most- encouraging over the years, but you are a powerful wizard and, more importantly" she adds, her voice softening just a little, "a good man. Your parents would be proud of who you've become and so am I." Her eyes have gone misty and her voice soft and Neville is actually speechless. Very few times in his eighteen years has his gran shown her affection and pride for him outright.
"And besides, the girl is gaga over you, anyone with eyes can see that."
"Er, thanks Gran," he says hesitantly.
"Now," she says smoothing out his tie, "go have a good time. I won't wait up."
She pats his shoulder and totters back out of the room, leaving Neville to gape after her for a moment before remembering he's almost late. He scoops up the flowers he's been growing in the little greenhouse Harry and Ron helped him build in the backyard (it's not the prettiest thing but it's sturdy enough) before glancing in the mirror again. He runs his hand through his hair in a last-ditch effort to make it do something other than this and is rewarded with an almost neat coif.
"Now that's more like it."
Neville stands outside the bright red door of the Abbott house for at least five minutes before he gets up the nerve to knock.
He grips the flowers a little too tightly as the door swings open.
Hannah looks a real vision with her hair swept up in a loose updo and a white dress that falls just above her knees. And the way she's smiling at Neville- well, he'll be lucky if he doesn't make a fool of himself more than once.
"Hiya," she says and her voice is a little squeaky and Neville doesn't know it this is a good sign or a bad.
"You look beautiful," he blurts and both of them blush.
"You look very handsome, too," Hannah says softly and Neville feels like his heart is trying to fly out his mouth.
He clears his throat and pulls the flowers out from behind his back. Hannah gasps delightedly and takes the bouquet.
"They're lovely! I love sunflowers, they're-"
"Your favorite," Neville says with a small smile. "I remembered."
"D'you want to come in for a mo' while I put them in some water? They're so pretty, I don't want them to wilt."
"Er," Neville says with a glance behind Hannah.
She smiles knowingly. "Don't worry, Dad's not home," she says pulling him in behind her.
He follows her in through to the kitchen and looks around while Hannah rummages through the cupboards for a vase.
"They're so big and cheerful. How'd you get them to grow so big and perfect?"
Neville smiles sheepishly. "Professor Sprout may have given me a few tips."
Hannah arranges the flowers nicely and meticulously and places them in the middle of the small wood kitchen table.
"There- perfect! Thank you." She reaches up and kisses his cheek and he goes scarlet.
He clears his throat and resists the urge to touch the spot where his cheek is still burning from her lips. "Should we go? I've got reservations."
She nods and follows him outside, locking up as they go, and grabs hold of his proffered arm. She leans in against him and Neville really has to concentrate so he doesn't splinch them because she smells absolutely intoxicating.
They end up in the right place and the maitre d seats them almost immediately. Neville lets Hannah pick the wine (he has no idea what a Pinot is, let alone how it's different from a Cabernet) and listens while she talks animatedly about her new job as a waitress at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Oh! I almost forgot- I saw Hagrid this morning! He said to say 'hello.' So, you know, 'hello' from Hagrid!"
Neville smiles but it quickly turns to a frown as confusion settles over him.
"Why did Hagrid tell you to say 'hello' to me?"
Hannah fumbles her butter knife and blushes.
"Oh, er, I may have mentioned that I was meeting you tonight."
Neville feels ridiculously pleased by this for some reason.
It's not like the two of them doing things together is news. They'd met up with their friends at The Three Broomsticks all the time last year while Hannah and the others finished up their last year of school. They even had coffee once while she was home for the Easter hols just a few months ago.
But still- this is their first real date, the first time Neville can say he went out with Hannah Abbott, and not as friends. And it makes him nervous and jittery but also excited.
(If Hannah's blushing and the way she keeps crossing and uncrossing her ankles is any indication, she's feeling the same way.)
The meal is fantastic (Neville has the steak, Hannah the grilled salmon) and they share a slice of the best chocolate cake Neville's ever eaten. He's still talking about it at the end of the evening when they reach her house.
"I'll have to make Mum's chocolate cake for you sometime. I swear it's better than anything you've ever tasted- she called it her 'Death by Chocolate' cake. Mine doesn't taste quite as good as hers did, mind, but I'm a pretty decent baker. Mum always said, 'Hannah, the key to a man's heart is his stomach. You learn how to bake and you'll land yourself any man you want.'"
Neville swallows. "I- I'd like that."
She stops at the first step and turns around so she has to look down at him and smiles.
"The cake I mean, not, you know- I mean right now anyway. I mean-"
Hannah's laughter cuts him off and he grimaced as he runs a hand through his hair.
"Don't worry. I won't try to trap you into marriage with my cake."
Neville laughs nervously (mostly because he thinks it wouldn't be so bad if she did but it's only their first date and he doesn't want to scare her off) and loosens his tie.
"Anyway," she says pushing his hair off his forehead tenderly, "I had a really lovely time tonight."
He reaches up and grabs her hand, squeezing it tightly. "So did I."
He feels like he might explode so before he can lose his nerve he leans up and kisses her. He'd always thought the whole 'seeing fireworks' thing was fake but there is a light show going on behind his eyes and Hannah's mouth is so soft and warm on his, he thinks he could stay like this forever. The sound of a dog barking makes them both jump and it's the only reason they break apart.
They stare at each other, both red-faced and smiling.
"Hannah, is that you?"
Her father is coming to the door and Neville's panic must flash across his face because Hannah laughs not unkindly.
"See you later," she says turning to go inside.
"Bye, Hannah."
She smiles at him over her shoulder before she goes inside and then again before she closes the door and Neville feels like he's floating the whole way home.
"Looks like someone had a good time," the mirror says and Neville can't even find it in himself to be annoyed at it.