Over the next few weeks Hannah seemed to see Neville everywhere ; in herbology, squeezing past her to get into the great hall, even sitting by the lake when she looked out of her window the morning after the ball – sharing his toast with the giant squid. She couldn't believe she had never before really noticed how much he was around – he seemed to have always been hovering around the edges of her life, unnoticed until now.
The thing was that she didn't really know how to be around him any more – part of her just wanted to ignore the time they'd spent together in the herbology garden but something had definitely passed between them now, they weren't exactly friends but there was definitely some kind of connection there that was hard to forget. Sometimes she woke up still with the feeling of his hand on hers.
For the most part though, she managed to dismiss whatever this new thing between them was and focus on her normal life. Ernie, thank goodness, seemed to have come back to his senses by the time she'd returned to the ball and had apologized, pretty earnestly for him, before kissing her heartily behind a tapestry and agreeing to dance. Of course she would have preferred for him to not still stare at the Beuxbatons girl in the corridors when he thought she wasn't looking, but nobody's perfect after all.
One herbology lesson Hannah told Ernie to go on without her at the end, because the greenhouse was a complete mess and, since she was the one who had accidentally let go of the bouncing bulb they were meant to be repotting – so that it smashed several plant pots and panes of glass before exploding on the floor in a foul smelling mess. - She felt it was her responsibility to stay behind and help professor spout clear up.
She was just opening a pot of magical mess remover when she noticed that Neville , too had stayed and was struggling with the venemous tentacula – which was threatening to strangle him rather than let him past to where most of the mess was.
She quickly ran forward to help haul it off him but promptly got whipped across the face by a branch. Eventually their combined stunning spells managed to stop it's assassination attempt and, laughing, they crammed it's still twitching branches back into its pot.
For the first time they looked up at each other, still flushed from battle, and their laughter deflated into shifty grins, they quickly looked away again.
"Erm…..Hannah?"
Her heart pounded and she determinedly faked fascination at a plant near her feet.
"Yeah?"
"There's a creeper in your hair."
She quickly put both hands up to her head and groaned , one of the tentaculas limbs had indeed got trapped in her hair , and made such a tangle that she wouldn't wonder if she's have to chop half her hair off to free it She reluctantly started tugging at it and squeaked in pain.
"Here… "Neville motioned her to sit on one of the garden chairs "You'll never get that out on your own."
She could feel his breath on the back of her neck as his hands, buried in her hair, gently eased the plant out.
Hannah closed her eyes and tried to control the Goosebumps that had broken out all over her arms and the fierce thumping of her heart. "Get a grip of yourself, you have a boyfriend and its only Neville" she told herself sternly, only a part of her not connected to her rain didn't seem to be listening.
There was a pause then a Neville's voice above her head said "Ok, you're free."
"Thanks…again" she said, smiling slightly as she stood up.
"Oh – err… that's all right" He said looking quickly away. "Shouldn't we probably try to clear some of this lot up now?"
"Sure – why don't you wipe and I'll fix the glass" she noticed him raise his eyebrows slightly at her giving him the "woman's" work , but then he just kind of laughed and got on with it – not like any other boy she knew would.
As they cleaned they talked about rubbish – how lessons were and quiddich (How it was no real use but that the parties were fun.)And their plans for the holidays and loads of other stuff she couldn't remember afterworlds. Only that it was just like talking to someone she's known forever – not the quiet, forgetful boy she had glimpsed at school.
The there was nothing left to do and they were standing there, looking at each other in the growing twilight. It was getting very hard to look at him again all of a sudden.
"Neville – what exactly are we? I mean, this is only like the second time I've ever spoken to you… so we're not exactly friend but we're like…like….."
She knew she was babbling and would have stopped anyway – but the look she suddenly saw in his eyes cut her dead.
Part of her – the part that remembered she wasn't meant to be doing this- urged her to look away again – to not meet that intense gaze that made her feel like he knew her entirely and ….well… wanted her all the more for it. She looked right back at him. Somehow in that millisecond it took her to make that decision he had come much nearer.
She looked up, he was taller than her and she noticed the face that had once seemed cute in a childlike way had changed into one that wasn't exactly good looking but held a kind of calm strength.
Something clicked in her head and she looked away.
"I've really got to go – people will be wondering where I am and it's nearly dinner"
"Ok" She could still feel him quite near her and took a step towards the door – facing away from him now.
"I'll…..I'll see you around ok?"
"Alright – I'll lock up if you want…. and Hannah?"
She was nearly at the door by this point.
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what we are either…but it might be best not to ….y'know tell people yet….please."
She felt herself nodding but then before she knew it she was running across the grounds – back to the lights of the great hall and normality.
