"Alright ladies!" Fred Weasely pranced into the center of the room, holding aloft a black bag. "In this delightful little bag lay the various possessions of the gentlemen attending our fine part this evening."

You will reach in and pick one of these items. The lucky fellow it belongs to will then accompany you to a closet, where you will be free to do whatever you like for seven minutes," George continued, followed by much flourishing of the bag by Fred.

"We're playing seven minutes in heaven?" Ginny squeaked. It was hard to tell if she was excited of terrified.

"The rules don't expressly forbid it," frowned Hermione, "but I'm not sure it's a good idea-"

"Nonsense!" interrupted Fred, "It's brilliant."

"Naturally." chimed in George. "We thought of it." Since you were the closest victim, Fred shoved the bag in front of you. "Come on, don't be shy. Pick!"

When you hesitated, he merely held it closer to your face. You reluctantly reached in and groped for an object. Your hand closed around the first thing you touched. It was smooth and round, like a large stone. You pulled it out. It was a remembrall.

"Oy, Neville!" Fred called cheerfully. "Your item got picked!" Your head shot up to meet Neville's eyes. They were wide and terrified, and his face was drained of blood. You were sure you looked the same way. Fred hauled you up and pushed you toward the closet.

"Into the closet with the both of you. And give me your wands," demanded George.

Mutely, you both handed over your wands. Fred unceremoniously shoved the two of you into the closet and slammed the door. You heard a lock click into place.

"Have fun kiddies!"

The light that had crawled through the door crack disappeared, as did the sounds from the party. You assumed Fred and George had done some spellwork. You stood awkwardly for a few seconds.

"Um, Neville?" you inquired timidly.

"Yeah?" his voice was closer than you expected, but just as quiet.

"Do you want your remembrall back?"

"Sure. Could you hand it to me?" Your hands searched fruitlessly in the dark for several seconds before finding each other. His hands were clasped around yours, making you feel safe. Flames of heat shot up your cheeks, and suddenly you were very glad the closet was pitch black. You released your hands immediately.

"Thanks." Neville said, awkwardly.

"No problem."

Several more seconds passed before either of you spoke.

"Er, so how are you?" he inquired.

"Well, I'm stuck in a dark closet for seven minutes, but other than that I'm doing well. How about you?"

He was silent. Then, "You don't want to be stuck in here with me."

Oh no. you thought. You had meant it as a joke, but he had clearly taken it personally.

"No, Neville, it's not you. I'd feel stuck no matter who I was with. Actually I'm glad I picked you. I know you won't try to kiss me or anything."

More silence. "You don't want me to kiss you." He sounded even more hurt, if that was possible.

You groaned. Why did you keep saying the wrong thing?

"I wouldn't want to kiss anyone I'm not in a relationship with."

"So you would kiss me if we were in a relationship?"

You felt completely bewildered. "I guess?" Trying unsuccessfully to quench your hope, you asked, "Did you want to kiss me?"

You heard Neville slide to the floor with a groan. Apparently his head was buried in his hands because his voice came out muffled. "I'm no good at this. I'm too stupid."

Your heart went out to this poor boy. He was the timid laughingstock of a house where only the bravest were celebrated. You, being a Ravenclaw, couldn't see the sense in that. You had heard he was terrible at Potions and Professor Snape regularly bullied him, but you were in his Herbology class and there he was absolutely brilliant. Sometimes he even knew things that Hermione and all the Ravenclaws in your year didn't know. He should have been proud of this, but you knew his grandmother didn't think Herbology was important.

"She wants me to study Transfiguration." he had said, miserably.

You personally knew how hard it was to please one's guardians with academics. You regularly received straight Os, but that never seemed good enough for your mother. She always compared you to your Ravenclaw friends.

You sat down next to him and reached out for his hand. You pulled it away from his head and pried his fingers out of a fist.

"Neville, listen to me. People underestimate you. You're forgetful, but you're not stupid. You're amazing at Herbology, I've seen you. And you really are brave. Don't let what other people think of you determine who you really are."

You thought you felt Neville lift his head up.

"You really think I'm amazing?"

"Yes," you replied with conviction. You squeezed his hand. "And you are also capable of telling me whatever's bothering you."

He took a deep breath. "Promise you won't get mad?"

"I promise," you swore. "Whatever it is."

"Well…" he hesitated. "I think you're amazing too. You're brilliant at absolutely everything. You're always so kind to me, and sweet, like just now. And you're also really funny. And I think you're beautiful."

"Clever Ravenclaw that you are, you managed to put the pieces together.

"You like me?" you whispered. Your hear raced furiously.

"Yes," he sighed. "And I want to kiss you," he admitted. But I get that you don't want to kiss anyone you're not dating and I won't try to get you to kiss me because you'll never date me because there's no way you'll ever like me-"

You interrupted his increasingly frantic rambling. "But Neville, I do like you."

"You…you do?"

"A lot." You blushed.

"And you want to date me?" Neville confirmed, almost desperately."

"Yes."

His hand reached out in the darkness to cup the side of your face and bring you closer. Butterflies erupted from your stomach and filled your body with exciting tension. You eagerly leaned forward, but your noses collided.

"Sorry," you squeaked. This time your blush was one of embarrassment. But Neville didn't seem bothered.

He guided your face back to his, this time tilting his head. His lips met yours with a gentle tenderness. A ripple of warmth flooded your body and washed all your anxiety away. Every thought in your mind not immediately involving Neville had disappeared as if nothing but him had ever mattered. Usually your head was filled with doubts and reservations, but he opened up a place inside you that was full of nothing but calm. And love.

You deepened the kiss, needing more of the strange balm that encased you in a layer of peace. You pressed your lips more firmly onto his, and slid your hands down his back. He responded by encircling your waist with his arm and pulling you closer. You climbed into Neville's lap and wrapped your legs around his waist. The lengths of your bodies were firmly mashed together, your lips entangled with a feverish heat.

Suddenly the door burst open and flooded the closet with a piercing light. A loud guffaw came from the doorway. You and Neville hurried to untangle yourselves.

"And here we thought, 'Those two are the shyest pups in Hogwarts. We'll open the door to find them at opposite ends of the closet, not talking," said Fred.

"You proved us partially right. There wasn't a lot of talking," said George, and they broke into another round of laughter.

"We'll leave you two lovebirds to get settled then." Fred turned around and cried, "All right, next victims!" the twins walked out of the closet.

You faced Neville a bit sheepishly, blushing at the twins' comments. You looked down embarrassed, and realized your hands had been clasped together the entire time. You began to pull away, but Neville just squeezed your hand tighter. A smile illuminated his face. You had never seen him this happy before, not even when Professor Sprout awarded him twenty five points in Herbology.

"I'm never letting you go." he said.

You smiled goofily back at him, until you noticed the pocket of his robe glowing.

"Um, Neville? I think you forgot something."

He followed your gaze to his pocket, and pulled out his remembrall. Sure enough, it had turned red. Neville's face screwed up in confusion.

"What could I have forgotten?" A moment later the remembrall stopped glowing and the smile returned to his face. "Oh, right." He gazed at you. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

A huge grin split your face. "Yes."

Neville planted a kiss on your forehead. You walked back into the room together, your fingers still entwined.