A/N: JKR owns dis.
Plz review. ;)
The Hogwarts Express pulled into platform 9 3/4 with a jolt. It was a weird feeling to be going home after everything that had happened. Especially for the 7th years, the graduates, never again to return as students.
Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott had been dating since January. He'd returned to the Room of Requirement after a particularly nasty detention with the Carrows and Hannah had been lying in one of the hammocks reading a magazine. She'd rushed to help him and immediately applied some dittany to his cuts, healing them almost instantly.
He'd liked her since third year but never had the courage to tell her, until they were alone and she was tending to his injuries that is. Neville found Hannah's touch very gentle and soothing, just like her voice, everything about Hannah was soothing to him.
Now they were exiting the train and grabbing their trunks with their belongings. "Some year, eh?" Neville tried a lame attempt at a joke.
Hannah managed a faint smile. "It was," she nodded softly, looking at the floor.
"Let's get on the platform, yeah?," Neville said, changing the subject.
"Okay," Hannah replied, grabbing her ferret's cage and pushing her trunks after his out onto the platform.
"Write me won't you?" Neville grinned once they were off the train.
"Of course I will," Hannah smiled brighter than before.
Neville checked to make sure no one was watching and gently pulled Hannah behind one of the brick barriers with him. "I'ma hold you to it," he teased, running his fingers through her long honey blonde waves. Her yellow plastic sunshine barette came loose and he fixed it back in place.
Hannah hugged him tightly, snuggling her face against his plaid sweater vest. "I promise," she giggled.
Neville grinned. "We'll meet for tea soon, yeah?" he asked.
Hannah nodded eagerly. "Yes," she said.
"Damn, I just can't get over all that's happened," Neville remarked after a few minutes of silence.
"Yeah I know. I might not have any physical visible scars or marks, but I think I'll always have the nightmares which is just as bad if not worse," Hannah commented quietly.
"Me too Hannie," Neville said, softly kissing the top of her head.
"I love you Nevvie," Hannah whispered, gently ruffling his fluffy dark brown hair and gazing adoringly into his deep hazel eyes.
"I love you more," Neville grinned, staring back into her bright amber eyes filling with tears. "Why're you crying?" he asked softly, stroking the side of her sweet and beautiful face.
"Just-no reason," Hannah mumbled, looking at the ground again.
"Tell me, eh?," Neville prodded, bending down a bit to meet her eyes.
"Part of me just wants to stay here with you, just like this, until the end of time. Yet I know life goes on and we all need to get home. It's just going to be so strange after everything, to live in a safe world again, a world my Mum will never get to see..." Hannah was choking up again.
"But she will see it Hannah, just because she's in Heaven doesn't mean she's blind to the world below, how else d'you think God knows what we're doing every second of every day," Neville smiled and gently wiped her tears away.
He pulled a small ring out of the pocket of his khaki colored slacks. "This belonged to my Mum, Gran gave it to me, she said that way if I ever missed her I'd always have a piece of her to hold on to," he explained, showing her the small golden band with little rubies encrusted in it.
Hannah smiled and held up a part of her necklace. "I'm wearing my Mum's necklace, it helps me feel closer to her...but it's still not the same," she told him.
"No it wouldn't be, nothing beats having the person right there next to you, but we've got to try yeah?" Neville flashed her a soft and gentle grin.
"Yeah," Hannah agreed quietly.
"Good girl," Neville pecked the side of her face. He stepped back to look her over at arm's length. She was clearly tired and still very sad and disturbed by their hellish last year at Hogwarts, but she was a sight for sore eyes all the same, her sweet face and innocent smile is what had gotten him through all those hard war times. "You look good in blue," he commented absent mindedly.
"What?...Oh," Hannah smiled, glancing down at her turquoise cardigan and dark blue skirt. "Thank you," she added, pecking the side of his face.
"Don' mention it," Neville laughed, leaning his own forehead against hers so their noses gently brushed together.
"Well...I gues this is goodbye for now then?" Hannah looked up at him, the sadness evident in her voice and expression.
"After this," Neville replied with a sly grin, pressing his lips hard against hers. As soon as their lips touched it seemed as if time had stopped completely and they were the only two people on the platform. None of the sounds of other witches and wizards rushing by bothered them at all.
They snogged for a few minutes before someone grabbed Hannah's shoulder. She turned around to see Leanne Runcorn jumping up and down excitedly. "Hey Leanne, can you give me a second?" Hannah laughed.
"Sure," Leanne nodded, slowly walking away for a second.
"I'm spending a few weeks at Leanne's uncle's beach house in Wales with her and Susan Bones, I'll write Ok?" Hannah turned back to Neville.
"Ok" Neville grinned and pecked the side of her face one more time before she skipped off after Leanne. He could see Susan waiting near the train grinning broadly as Leanne and Hannah skipped over. They all looked so happy and carefree, glad that they were finally safe, yet they also looked very tired.
Hannah turned and waved to him before she ran after her best friends through the wall.
He watched her go and smiled to himself before turning to look for his Gran. She always waited for him on the platform, just then, he saw her waving at him off to his left. "Gran!" he exclaimed, running to her and enveloping her in a tight hug.
"Neville dear!" Augusta Longbottom beamed, ruffling her grandson's hair.
"Are you feeling well today?" Neville asked eagerly, she was getting older and he began to worry about her health.
"Oh I'm fine boy, don't fuss," his Gran laughed. "so, who's the girl?" she asked with a sly wink.
Neville's face went scarlet. "Er...just a friend," he mumbled, shyly looking at his feet.
Augusta smirked. "Well we all snog our friends dear," she teased, tilting his chin up to look her in the eyes.
"Hannah Abbott," Neville spoke softly, sweating a bit. "S-She's that nice Hufflepuff I told you about in the letter," he added with a shy grin.
"So you've finally got yourself a girlfriend," Augusta smiled warmly.
"Uh...yeah, I-I guess so..." Neville grinned nervously.
"You really are a true Gryffindor, very brave, yes...your parents would be so proud," his Gran beamed at him.
Neville's eyes lit up. He'd never heard his grandmother say that before. "R-Really?" he stuttered, looking down at his feet again.
His grandmother grinned happily. "Oh yes, come now, let's apparate home," she said.
Neville gathered his things and linked his left arm with his Gran's, in a few seconds they were at the front door of their cottage. Augusta opened the door and Neville dragged his belongings into his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He needed to be alone for a few minutes.
"I have some freshly baked cookies!" His Gran called from the kitchen.
"Cool, be there in a few minutes!" Neville called back, laying down on his bed and staring up at the ceiling.
He glanced over at the Sword of Gryffindor leaning against his closet doors. Professor McGonagall gave it to him after the battle was over. It sparkled in the sunlight radiating through the glass window above his bed, making the rubies glimmer. Godric Gryffindor it read down the blade.
Neville smiled happily to himself; after all that time, he was brave all along, and all his past screw ups were suddenly worth all the laughter and grief others dished out to him. He really did belong in Gryffindor. Just like Harry, like Dumbledore, like his parents...
Hannah Where would he be without his sweet and gentle Hannah? She was the world to him now. It was mostly her comforting smiles, hugs, and words of wisdom that allowed him to stay sane and strong during that hellish year of war worries and the Carrows.
He remembered how they shared a hammock in the Room of Requirement during the last few days before the battle took place. She was so soft, so nice, so calming to his nerves. He couldn't be angry or scared or nervous whenever Hannah was around, because he needed to be strong for her sake.
The badger goddess made me a lion king As strange as it might have sounded, it was true. Hannah had made him a man; braver, stronger, fiestier than he'd ever been before. He wasn't even sure how she'd done it, and that was why she was so bloody amazing to him.
Who ever would've thought a Hufflepuff could make a Gryffindor a better Gryffindor? Neville grinned and sat up on his bed. He opened his desk drawer and grabbed a scrap piece of parchment and his favorite quill.
He decided to write a letter to Hannah.
Hey Han,
I know it's only been a few minutes, but I miss you loads already.
I hope you have an awesome time in Wales with your friends, you guys deserve it. Send me pictures?
I just wanted to say thanks for being my rock through all of this shite this past year, I don't think I thanked your properly at Kings Cross.
See you soon.
Lots of love,
Neville.
Neville grinned to himself and folded it up, he gently stuffed it in his pocket before walking out of his room, shutting the door behind him. "Hey Gran!" he called down the hall. "How 'bout those cookies now?"