Disclaimer: The usual, I'm not J.K. Rowling, wish I were. Isla is mine. On with the show!

Neville's POV

Neville choked suddenly on his own saliva, nearly hacking up a lung, but unable to take his eyes away from the scene before him. 'Isla is kissing George Weasley. I didn't know she fancied him...Specky git.'

"Are you all right Neville?" His girlfriend gently touched his arm, eyes full of concern.

"Fine Luna. Did you know she fancied George?"

"No. She always told me she fancied somebody else."

Her statement piqued his interest. She told her that she fancied somebody else. Well who is this other somebody else? He noted the flush in her cheeks as she quickly pulled away from George and subconsciously touched her fingers to her lips. The anxious look on her sweet face let him know that by no means was this planned, and he took some small comfort in that.

His eyes narrowed in on the way George suddenly felt at liberty to place his hand on the small of her back. As if he already had some claim over her, bloody prat. He felt his face grow hot as she tilted the bottle to her lips, and licked them afterwards. Flashes of last nights very explicit dream flickered before his eyes and made him hate George Weasley even more.

"Hey Luna, I'm feeling a bit peaky.. I think I might just turn in for the night, would you like me to walk you back to your common room before?"

Isla's POV

'Oh. My. God. I can't believe I just bloody did that. I've got to get out of here.'

"George, I think I'm going to be off. Headache."

"Allright love, need an escort?"

"No," She flushed slightly, "But thanks. Listen, I want to apologize for that, truth is I fancy somebody else-"

He held a finger to her lips, "Ah-no need to explain. Glad I could be the diversion for your true heart's desire." He winked playfully and she knew that there had been no harm done.

Isla managed to squirm her way through the crowd enough to find her sister, who still happened to be in the company of one tall, dark and handsome Gryffindor.

"Hannah."

"Isla, that was quite a display there." She cocked an eyebrow at her sister, a silent request for an explanation.

"I'm going back to the common room, okay? Do you want to leave with me or do you want to stick around?"

Isla did not fail to catch the significant look that passed between her sister and Dean.

"No I think I'll hang around for a bit."

"Cheers. Goodnight Sis, Dean."

With that, Isla Abbott stumbled from the Gryffindor common room into the desolate corridor.

"Merlin." She muttered aloud to herself. "That took an unexpected turn."

She slowly made her way down the corridor, up the staircases and finally just down the hall from the Ravenclaw common room. 'Salvation in sight.' Quietly singing a tune barely audible to even herself, she continued the path from memory, while paying more attention to the slumbering portraits on the walls.

"Bloody hell!" A familiar voice shouted as the body connected to it made contact with the distracted Ravenclaw.

The two were tangled together in a heap on the stone floor. "Neville? Ouch that was my ankle!"

"Oomph. Sorry Isla." He offered her a hand up, after extracting himself from the puzzle.

Silence.

"So you and George, then?" In the warm glow of the torch lit corridor he looked piercingly into her eyes expecting an answer. Such a piercing gaze caused her to shiver, he'd only looked at her so intensely once before, and that had been in a dream.

"No, absolutely not. No. That was just, I don't know, a diversion." She mentally thanked George for his earlier word selection.

His dark brows knitted together in confusion. "Diversion.. for what?"

'Shite.'

"True heart's desire." She said quickly, diverting her eyes and absent mindedly straightening her top.

He laughed slightly and she didn't know what to make of it.

"So you kissed George as a diversion from your 'true heart's desire'?"

She nodded, "Right."

"So what would that be then?"

Suddenly a feeling of deep embarrassment and anger slowly filtered through her body.

"Why don't you bloody well ask Luna? She is my best friendand your girlfriend, so why don't you ask her!"

With some satisfaction she took note of the redness creeping up his neck and the affronted look on his face.

"I didn't think I needed to ask Lunawhen I could just ask my best friend, which is you!"

"You're so blind, Neville! Can't you see that I don't want to be your best friend?"

"Right well I expect you'll have found yourself a new best friend to hang about with this year. Who is it, hm? Michael Corner?"

"Don't be so stupid Neville, I love you!"

Maybe it was the alcohol from the 4 or so butter beers she consumed, maybe it was the heat of the argument, or maybe it was just common sense that forced Isla to blurt out her true feelings.

Neville appeared to be completely thunderstruck. Saying nothing, and not moving an inch, he just stood there, mouth agape.

"You what?"

"You heard me.." She meekly stated.

"No you don't."

Isla balked slightly and felt some of her anger return. "Neville you don't honestly believe I would just say that to you if I didn't mean it, do you?"

"Yes. Well- I mean, no. But, I mean.. in what way do you.. love me?" He finished the words by taking an enormous gulp as if to force down some unpleasant flavor.

She considered his question for a long time before taking a great breath, "I could never look at you like a brother.. and I've never just wanted to be your friend. I love you, Neville."

"Oh good, Neville you're still here! I was just on my way back to the Gryffindor common room to give you-. Oh hi Isla, have enough of the party as well?"

Isla nodded silently, not daring to open her mouth for fear of what might fall out. Before she could see what exactly it was that Luna had forgotten to give Neville, she quickly said 'Goodnight' to Neville and Luna and rushed into the common room.

She quickly discarded her clothes and slipped under the covers, thoughts frantically racing.

'What exactly just happened there?'

'You told Neville how you feel.'

'Bloody, hell I did."

'Bout time, too.'

'He didn't exactly reciprocate the sentiment though, did he?'

Highly embarrassed from the days events, Isla burrowed deep within the covers, ignoring her friend as she entered the dorm, and feinted sleep, until it truly claimed her.

Neville's POV

Stalking back to the Gryffindor common room in a strange mood, he contemplated the colossal news he just received. Isla loved him? Since when? He couldn't believe his luck. He wanted to speak to her, to tell her that he's wanted to be with her for years, that Luna was really just his diversion. With a sudden pang of guilt Neville considered the fact that he did actually have a girlfriend, whom he did not want to cause any pain.

Neville pushed roughly through the crowd of people still hanging about the common room, and made his way up to the deserted 7th year boys dorm. He immediately summoned a quill and piece of parchment and frantically began scribbling a rather lengthy note to Isla.

Back to Isla

No more than thirty minutes had passed when the girl's eyelids fluttered open with a start at the tapping noise coming from the window between her bed and Luna's. Apparently the other girl had not failed to notice this as well. "Oooh!" Luna cooed excitedly. In an instant, Isla understood why. It was Neville's owl at the window.

Luna quickly threw the window open and the owl came to a graceful landing at the foot of Isla's bed. Luna made a start for the letter hanging in the owl's beak until she noticed the unmistakable scrawl in her boyfriend's hand of her friend's name.

Isla hesitantly took the letter from Samson, fished an owl treat out of a bag in her nightstand, and looked determinedly at her name on the letter, and not at Luna's accusatory gaze. Flipping it over, she broke the seal and slowly pulled out the parchment within.

Isla,

I am at a total loss for the right words that I should say.. but I know that I have to say something. There have been far too many times that I haven't said anything when I should have, and I reckon today is a testament to that.

Merlin, why is it so difficult to put my thoughts together? Why should I be so hesitant to expose my thoughts to you? There has never been anyone in my life who has understood me as you do. First year you gave Hermione a tongue lashing for giving me a hard time about the remembrall. Second year, you took me to the hospital wing when I fainted because of the mandrakes. Third year you practically pulled my Charms marks out of the sewer.. Fourth year, you spent the entire year listening to me prattle on about Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. Fifth year, you saved my backside in the Department of Mysteries when nobody else noticed that I had fallen behind (Not that I blame anyone of course, it was just nice that you had noticed). *At this point, Isla had to take a moment to smile at Neville's kindness, and the way he felt he needed to apologize for something he hadn't even really said. Last year, you were by my side through everything. You healed my Carrow wounds physically and emotionally, and even stood by my side taking part of the beating with me.

I don't really know why I just gave you the run through of our lives together, you were there too, I'm sure you were already aware of all this.. But what I am really trying to say is that I'm glad you were there. You and your sister have been the closest friends I've had in my entire life. You are different than any girl I have ever known, and you don't treat me like an imbecile who screws up everything. And that's why I don't feel like a screw up when I'm with you.

You make me a better person. You get me. You know my dreams, my aspirations, and you support them. You took my bloody breath away with that birthday present. Remind me to return the favor by the way.. So what I'm really getting at is that I don't really care about Luna, and I don't care about you kissing George or any other person for that matter. After hearing you say that you love me.. I just can't let it go. Please be with me.

I love you.

Neville

Finishing Neville's words, Isla clutched them close to her chest, and could not suppress the grin on her face, and the blush on her cheek. It took several moments before she realized that she and the letter were in fact not the only ones in the room, and Luna happened to be glaring at her quite haughtily from her facing four poster across her. Isla had the decency to clear her throat, blush, and look away, but could not seem to muster up the words to offer her friend any comfort. Its not as if her friend offered her any when she swept into Hogwarts knowingly parading about with her good friends long time love.

Isla quickly settled herself back into the covers, folded the note carefully.. tucking it into her pillowcase, and fell asleep grinning, like a silly school girl with a crush. Silly school girl indeed, but with something much more than a crush.

Allright guys, here is the latest installment! PLEASE let me know what you think. I'm desperate for some feedback. Many heartfelt thanks to Nemu-Chan for my first and only review =] I hope this chapter has kept you happy for the time being. I will try to make the chapters a bit longer, but I generally write them in one sitting & this often turns out to be all I have time for...but I will see what I can do. I am also ecstatic that you like it, it makes me beyond happy! Sooo any further questions/comments/concerns/suggestions...you know what to do! Cheers!