I almost asked Neville to the Yule Ball a few years ago. He asked Ginny before I could ask him, and besides, we're too close. When good friends date, it can ruin their friendship if they break up. I'm too afraid of losing him to tell him how I feel.

Now, three years later, it's right after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry Potter, "the Chosen One," just destroyed You-Know-I mean Voldemort.

Now that Ginny is dating Harry, I can talk to Neville again. We drifted apart in the last year. Snape, the new headmaster, was too intimidating, and honestly, he was frightening. I was afraid of getting caught, so I quit Dumbledore's Army. It sounds out of character for me, especially with my giant crush on Neville, but that was my seventh year. I could not risk getting expelled in my last year at Hogwarts. Now that I am finally graduated, I can join again if they keep it running. With the threat of Voldemort gone, there may be no need for the D.A. anymore.

I start to walk up to Neville. The Sorting Hat and the Sword of Gryffindor are next to him on the ground. Tears are silently flowing down his face as he comforts the Weasleys. He sees me and comes over to me. "Hey," he says.

"Hey." We sit down on the steps.

"You were pretty brave," he tells me. My heart skips a beat.

"No," I tease. "You were more brave than me. You're the one who stood up to Voldemort!"

"Yeah, but you kept the younger students safe."

I giggle a little. I guess it is true that I helped some people. "But I didn't stand up to Voldemort. Come on, remember what Hermione said first year? 'You need to stand up for what you believe in.' You totally did that to the most powerful dark wizard of all time! And you killed his snake. You're probably the bravest person I know."

We sit in silence for a few moments. "Hey, I want to tell you something," he says. I look up at him. "Ever since I met you in first year, I knew I liked you. More than a friend, I mean. We've been friends ever since we met. I wish I would've told you earlier, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"Really?" I ask. He shyly nods as I continue. "Because I've felt the same way about you ever since I met you." He smiles at me, and I can tell that he truly meant what he said.

I briefly wonder if I am dreaming. As if to affirm that this is real, he grabs my hand and squeezes it. I giggle a little and smile. Then, suddenly, he leans over and kisses me right on the lips. It is simple but sweet, and I kiss back. My first kiss is with the love of my life, the person I love more than anyone in the world.

I'm pretty sure I haven't stopped smiling since.