Written for the Journey through Hogwarts Challenge (Slug and Jiggers Apothocary - waiting, potion, difficult)

Written for the Matchmaker Competition (NevillePansy)

Partners

Why? Why was it that he always got the short end of the stick? Whenever they needed to pair up with someone in class everyone would avoid him like the plague until he was the last one left. If they didn't get to choose then he would be stuck with someone who hated his guts, or made him nervous.

Potions, he decided, was his bane.

"Well, let's face it." A book slammed on the table next to Neville and a rather large figure sat down beside him. "I don't like this either, Longbottom; and I know Snape only put me with you because I pissed him off yesterday morning. It's to teach me a lesson. However, I don't think what I did was enough to deserve this."

Neville shuffled slightly away, but then returned, determined not to show his fear. No, that was what Snape relied on.

"I-I don't think I'm that bad, P-Pansy," he stammered.

Pansy Parkinson glared at him from the corner of her eye, but didn't speak. Instead, she flicked her book open to the page Snape had just instructed they turn to. "So, Longbottom, as we're being assessed on this, leave everything to me. You just make yourself useful with collecting everything we need, okay? I'll do everything that requires a brain."

Along with the incompetence Neville felt with every Potions lesson, a hint of annoyance and frustration bubbled inside of him. Potions may not have been his best subject, but he didn't think he was as useless as Pansy told him he was.

"Are you going?" Pansy snapped, rounding on him. "Go and get everything! Merlin, Snape really hates me, doesn't he?"

Neville fumbled his way from his chair to the storeroom to collect the ingredients. It wasn't until he was in there did he realise he had forgotten the list. Not wanting to give Pansy anymore fire to throw at him he collected everything Hermione Granger collected and carried it back to their table.

"Everyone's already started!" Pansy snapped when he sat down.

"Sorry," Neville mumbled. He looked at the book for the first step, but the nasty Slytherin he had been made pair up with snatched it from him.

"No, I'll do that, Longbottom," she said cruelly. "I'm sure Snape doesn't fancy his classroom covered in smoke by the end of the lesson."

Neville flushed furiously, but allowed for Pansy to start the potion while he sat there staring to the front. When Snape came around to check on their progress, Neville – fumbling – picked up a some kind of leaf and began to chop it.

Snape raised his eyebrow, but continued on his way. As soon as he was out of earshot, Pansy snatched the ingredient from Neville, backhanding his arm.

"You idiot!" she snapped. "That's meant to go in whole." She hit him again for good measure as Neville scrambled across the classroom to retrieve another leaf from the store room. He ignored the stares and comments he received as he made his way back.

"Leave it to me," Pansy hissed, snatching the leaf from him.

Neville just wanted this lesson to be over. Snape really did hate him. All Potions lessons were bad, but this was by far the worst. He probably would have had more success working with Draco Malfoy. He was so lazy he would have let Neville do the whole thing, no matter how difficult.

He sighed.

"Problem, Longbottom?" Pansy asked, her tone making it clear she wasn't truly interested in his wellbeing.

"No," Neville mumbled, sinking into his seat. "I just get tired of waiting for Potions to be over."

…

Pansy was adamant that Snape had some vendetta against her. After the first disastrous Potions lesson working together, the horrible man had paired her and Neville up again – for the next three classes. It was then he informed them that whoever they were working with would be their partner for the rest of the year.

A loud groan echoed around the classroom, for the Potions master had quite cleverly chosen to announce that the day he had paired a Slytherin with a Gryffindor.

Neville felt himself shiver, and he was certain it was not from the cool air creeping around the dungeon. Next year could not come quick enough.

Pansy swore, glaring up at the Professor from where she sat.

"Merlin, he really does hate me," she muttered.

…

Not only were they now expected to talk to each other during class, Professor Snape set them assignments. With dread firmly taking its hold on Neville he made his way to the library where Pansy had insisted they meet.

"To get this out of the way as soon as possible."

He found her at a table by a window, only one book out in front of her.

Swallowing, Neville approached the Slytherin and sat down silently. She barely acknowledged him.

"So, it's fifty-fifty this assignment," she explained. "I write half, and then you finish it. As I'm not sure your brain can handle it, I'll just tell you what to write and dumb it down a little. That way Snape'll really think you wrote it."

There was a pounding in Neville's chest that almost felt like anger. However, he simply nodded and agreed to it.

…

"You need to stand up to her, Neville," Ron said when he and Harry found Neville frantically studying three books at once on potions in their dormitory. When he had explained to them what Pansy's plans were, both boys had been furious.

"I-I can't," Neville said.

"Yes you can," Ron urged. "It's just Parkinson. Mention Malfoy and she'll collapse into a puddle of goo." He clapped Neville on the shoulder. "Don't be afraid of her; she's not scary."

Neville merely nodded and returned to his books. He wished he could simply do as Ron suggested.

…

Pansy Parkinson look on in amazement as Snape handed her and Neville back their essay. When Longbottom has insisted he write his part himself she had thought that would be the end. Snape was going to have great satisfaction in writing a big, fat T on their parchment.

To her surprise, however, an E came back.

"I trust I have created a good team," Snape sneered, looking at the pair of them. "That is," he continued cruelly, "Both of you really did participate." He looked and Longbottom knowingly.

Normally, Pansy would have taken that as a chance to declare she really had done all the work, but she was too in shock to even lie. As Snape wandered away to continue handing out the essays, she could only stare wide-eyed at Longbottom.

He blushed.

Then scowling, she turned away.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen.

…

Pansy was a lot nicer to him after the essay, and she even allowed him to do small parts in the potions they were meant to create. A while after that she even stopped making fun of him, or calling him stupid.

After a while, Neville thought he was actually quite good at Potions.

And so did Snape, to his discomfort. He would come over and peer into the cauldron to look for a mistake. When he couldn't find one he would frown and then storm away to another pair to criticise them.

One day Pansy leaned closer to Neville and whispered, "I don't think he expected we'd make such a good team."

Neville was startled from such a comment he could only manage to stammer before succumbing to a nod.

She laughed.

"That'll show him," she said.

Neville nodded again. He had never felt so comfortable in a Potions class before.

…

Pansy wasn't really that bad, Neville realised. Not when one really got to know her. She never fawned over Draco when they were alone, like she did in public. All cruel comments and insults had evaporated over the year and soon, Neville was a true partner of her.

They would spend their evenings alone in the library after a while; not even for assignments. It was weird, but strangely right, too.

One evening as May was drawing to an end, Pansy put her quill onto the desk and looked up.

"Longbottom," she said, and Neville could have sworn she sounded nervous.

"Er, yes?" Neville questioned. They had spent the last thirty minutes in silence, revising for their Charms exam the next day.

"I never thought I'd find myself saying this – and I will deny it if anyone asks – but I've had fun this year."

Neville was surprised, but thinking about it, so had he. In the end.

"We made a good team."

Neville smiled. "We did," he agreed.

"And, you're not so bad for a Gryffindor, I suppose," Pansy continued. "Better than Potter and his friends, anyway."

Neville didn't bother to argue that he was also Harry's friend.

Pansy smiled, and it wasn't unpleasant. She opened her mouth to say something more, but closed it again quickly. Instead, she tossed her quill at him and laughed when it hit him on the nose.

"You need to think fast, Longbottom!" she roared.

Neville also laughed, and tossed the quill back. The battle continued until Madam Pince had had enough and kicked them out.

They went their separate ways without a word – as if they had not been sitting together just moments ago – but there was a silent conversation between them.

Tomorrow; same time, same place.

Of course.

Neville almost skipped back to the common room, and Pansy returned with a smile on her face.

Without a word to their fellow housemates they went to bed and waited for tomorrow evening to come.

They both hoped they would be partners again next year.

That would be fun, Pansy thought as she drifted off to sleep.

So much fun, Neville agreed as he closed his eyes as well.

This was hard making this even remotely romantic. But if you squint, the end is... I swear! Anyway, not sure I'd write this pairing again, but I gave it a go at least once. I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review with thoughts/suggestions on your way out. Would be much appreciated. Thank you!