Neville had never experienced love before. Sure, he loved his gran and his mother and father dearly, but while others at school seemed to constantly be in and out of relationships or fancying the pants off of someone from afar, Neville never seemed to have those feelings.
At first he thought he was weird and different. Maybe there was something wrong with him. After all, all the other 14 year old boys were nervous about asking the girls they liked to the Yule Ball, but he was more concerned about the dancing. The only reason he asked Ginny was because she was nice enough not to turn him down, and he was sure that she was eager to dance also.
Then when he was 15, people started asking each other to Hogsmeade, but he was more concerned with his Herbology studies and became so immersed in his curiosity and fascination that he hardly even gave people of the other gender a second thought.
When 6th year came around, he could tell something was coming. Voldemort was back now, and though he believed Harry the year before, it seemed more real now. People died, and each day he thought about how his parents fought for this to end and it seemed their efforts were fruitless. The war was starting the same way as before, but he had seen that there were things to fight for. When he joined the DA in fifth year, he knew that he had potential. He could be the change that his parents fought for, he could change the world. There was hardly a time to even think about dating.
Everything changed in 7th year. With Harry, Ron and Hermione gone, Neville knew he had to do something. Merlin be damned if he were to sit around while there was a war and people were at stake. He'd been practicing his spells and he was getting good, no, great even! He knew that he couldn't hide in his shell anymore, he was going to make some change. He didn't care if he got in trouble because, damnit, some things are just worth fighting for. He fought for his parents, for his friends, even for himself. With Luna and Ginny, they restarted the DA and they practiced and fought because they knew that if they didn't, darkness would consume them. There was hope, there had to be.
The day Harry came back was one of the best day's in Neville's life. He was alive, he was still fighting, he was proud that they kept practicing and didn't let the darkness win. The night, on the other hand, was a different story. So many people died, Neville didn't even think that there would be a future for himself. He thought that it was over; Harry was dead, so were Remus and Tonks and Fred. But in the moment that he looked in the eyes of Voldemort, he didn't have anything to lose. There was no way he would ever, ever, let a tyrant like Voldemort live if he had any say. So he did what Harry told him to do, he finally stood up to they bullies that he'd known for all his life, and he fought back. He killed the snake and he put his life on the line because there was nothing more noble to do than to fight for those who couldn't. He did it for his parents who would maybe never get to be proud of him, he did it for all the people who wouldn't get to see the sun rise again, and he did it because nobody should ever live in a world like this.
And they won.
Nothing was the same after that day. Of course, celebrations ensued, but nobody was ever the same. George lost his other half, Teddy lost his parents, Colin Creevey died valiantly in battle, and each person who died that day left and imprint on his heart. Innocent lived who just wanted to do good, people who he met and lived with and spoke to, all gone. You never ever recover from seeing those people die.
He thought that the sun wouldn't rise the next day, that he would be utterly consumed by darkness, but the sun rose above the grounds like it did every day. And each day after, it did the same. Neville kept going because if the could rise then so could he.
He thought that he would never be happy again, but things started to look up. Professor McGonagall asked him to become a Herbology professor, and even though some days it was hard to see the places where they stood, he found purpose. Every day he got to teach and inspire kids who reminded him so much of himself and those he knew. There was so much hope for them, so much to look forward to and that made him realize what he did it for. They wouldn't have to live in fear that they would die or their families would be hurt, they could just live and love and have dreams. That was why he fought, and he wouldn't stop.
And then one day, Hannah Abbott stormed into Neville Longbottom's life.
He was sitting at the bar in the Three Broomsticks, it was late August and school was due to begin soon. He liked to be at the school a few days early so as to situate himself and re-acclimatize himself to the school before the kids came flooding in and he had school papers coming out of his ears.
The bar was quiet and he wasn't surprised because it was pouring rain outside and most people wouldn't dare brave that storm even with an impervious charm. He was lost in his thoughts when suddenly he heard a loud bang and rain splattering the wood floors. Swiveling around, he saw her. She was drenched from head to toe, obviously her yellow rain coat and umbrella didn't do her much good, and she had a murderous look on her face.
Stomping over to the bar, the door shut ominously behind her and she plopped down into the seat next to Neville.
"I'll take a butterbeer," she grumbled to the bartender who nodded and made her way to the back.
Neville took a good look at the girl. She looked about his age, and he thought she looked familiar. He pondered it for a few moments until she shook the blonde hair out of her face and he remembered her, Hannah.
"Hannah," Neville said, "It's been a while." She looked at him in shock.
"Neville Longbottom? Oh Merlin, it's been years hasn't it! Wow, how've you been? Last time I saw you, we were seventeen and you killed that snake! Oh man, time sure does fly!" she exclaimed.
"That's the truth. Anyways, what're you doing around here? I thought you were going to move back to Ireland with your mum?"
"Oh, well, yeah I did. But that didn't work out." She looked down at the floor.
"Why not, what happened?"
"Oh you know, a little bit of this a little bit of that. Mum thought maybe I should come back to England, you know, see everyone again. How are you? What are you doing?" she said changing the topic quickly.
"Actually, I'm a professor now, at Hogwarts. I guess I just couldn't stay away," he joked.
She smiled, "Yeah, it does have quite the charm doesn't it."
And so for the rest of the day they laughed and chatted and before they knew it, the sun was setting and the rain had stopped.
"Oh man," she whispered, "it's gotten quite late hasn't it. I really better be getting back."
"Here, I'll walk you," he said, holding out his hand to help her off of her stool.
"Oh you really don't have to, I'm sure you're busy with school starting soon. I'll be fine."
"No, please, let me. I would be honored." He wasn't lying.
He walked her back to her apartment, it wasn't too far away from the bar. As he walked back to Hogwarts that night, he was glad he had found Hannah. It was always cool to see where old friends had ended up, especially after the war, it was nice to see that they were all still alive and still just as good friends as before.
He didn't know that on that night his life would significantly change.
He started going to Hogsmeade more, and he would see her. She worked in a little dress shoppe that all the 6th and 7th years loved to visit to buy gowns for any parties or dances they attended. She was always busy, but often they would have dinner or even just spend break times together. On days where he didn't have many classes to teach, he would go for a stroll and find her on a park bench eating her lunch. They would sit together and sometimes they would talk, but other times they would just enjoy the company.
It had been a while since Neville had had a strong friendship like that. One where they didn't have to talk all the time or be occupied. He loved his job at Hogwarts and his colleagues were great, but there was just something special about Hannah. They talked about real stuff, not just small talk and how their days went. They would talk about important stuff, like family and friends and their favorite movies and books. Slowly, they came to know each other quite well.
As most men in their mid-twenties do, Neville loved the movie Rambo. On the other hand, Hannah loved fairytales like Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. He preffered to read biographies, whereas Hannah loved a good action adventure book. Funnily enough, they both loved the band Journey, and on their nights off, they would spend them in her apartment listening to her old fashioned record player with his old Journey records.
He loved those nights. Her apartment was nice and oh so very Hannah. She had fairy lights strung around the room, and her fireplace was always on. Each room had a different pastel color, the living room was a light purple and her couches were all bright yellow. It was so silly and fun and he liked being there. It smelt like her, he realized, like jasmine tea and a hint of vanilla.
He started to notice things about her, like how she scrunched up her nose when she didn't understand, and how she always talked with her hands, and something he always noticed was how soft her hands were. He wanted to hold them all the time.
Years passed, and their friendship had only grown stronger. They were 27 when he finally realized it. They were walking down the street, he was walking her to work, and it was pouring rain, just like on the day they met. She was happier this time, a smile plastered on her face despite the fact that they were dripping wet. He looked at her brilliant smile and her chestnut hair and Neville realized that he didn't like Hannah. No, he didn't. He loved her.
He knew it was love. He hadn't felt it before, but he was sure. When he was around her, he didn't think about the past and the war and all the hurt. No, he thought about the present and the happiness and the hope and sometimes even the future. And it always looked bright. He saw her laugh and it made him feel like flying. When she touched his hand, he felt like he had been touched by an angel. He loved her.
As they walked into the shoppe, instead of saying goodbye and heading his seperate way and heading to the castle, he grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. "Hannah," he breathed, "I think we should grab dinner sometime."
"Oh, I thought we were going on Tuesday for that pasta special at Hog's Head, though I heard Aberforth just makes it out of a can."
"No, not like that. I think we should well," he began to fumble and get nervous. No, he thought, if he could face Voldemort, he could certainly ask Hannah out, "I think we should go out to dinner on a date. Me and you, and that fancy little restaurant in London. The one we always joke about going to. I think we should."
She looked stunned. Her eyes were wide and a blush crept up into her cheeks. Then, miraculously, she smiled.
"I would love to." He let out a breath of relief.
"Great. So, Tuesday at 6:30 sound good?"
"Yeah, I would like that." He felt like flying.
"It's about time," he heard the shop owner yell from the back, and at that he blushed.
They went out on the date, and then again the next week, and soon enough they were an official couple. It only took them 6 months of dating before he asked her to marry him. She said yes, of course, and on their wedding day, he couldn't believe his luck.
He sometimes wondered what would have happened if he hadn't met Hannah. What if he hadn't gone to the bar that day, or maybe she took a different seat. His life wouldn't be the same. Hannah was goodness. She made him smile even when he felt like crying, and she showed him that there is always hope. She was his light, and he waited for her for a long time, but when they it was destiny. She pulled him out of his darkness, gave him a light. He would think of the war, and the hurt, and it would start to consume him.
Sometimes he would get lost in these thoughts, but then he would see her and it was a tidal wave of goodness. With her, he could leave the past in the past. Neville knew that when she fell asleep in his arms, they were just meant to be.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything especially not Rambo, Peter Pan or Sleeping beauty
I wrote this because i was told i absolutely had to write more Neville and Hannah. I'm not sure if I like it, it feels a bit rushed, but oh well it is what it is. I hope you all liked it, please review.