See previous chapters for all the stuff that normally goes up here…

A/N: I was going to do this earlier but then I realised it was midnight and I had to actually get up the next day, and then I kept putting it off and…yeah no excuse really. Sorry! I will hopefully be updating more regularly…because I have NO MORE EXAMS! Dance with me.

He wasn't avoiding Colin. That would be silly and immature. He was just trying to dispel any bad rumours there might have been about them. That was all. He didn't need to feel guilty because he wasn't doing anything wrong. It was the right, proper thing to do. Hermione was right, as usual. They shouldn't be so close. Even if they weren't quite as close as she had thought.

Neville tapped his quill absent-mindedly against his bedpost. Various sheets of parchment and books were lying haphazardly round him but he hadn't written anything for at least ten minutes now.

He couldn't stop thinking about Colin's reaction that Wednesday night. How he'd seemed so upset and…well, hurt.

I thought we'd already established that you hurt his feelings.

Yes, but why?

He'd explained it all. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with the boy. He did, very much. He wasn't embarrassed or anything like that.

Of course not. That's why you won't even look him in the eye anymore.

Neville sighed and rolled over onto his back, giving up on the homework. He stared morosely up at the crimson hangings, trying to calm his buzzing head.

Okay, then. He'd do this logically. He'd write down all the reasons he could think of for Colin reacting like that. Mind made up, Neville sat up and grabbed parchment, quill and ink.

He still thinks I'm embarrassed to be seen with him.

He was disgusted when I mentioned us being together like that.

He agrees with Hermione and doesn't think we should be friends anymore – not helped by the fact that I acted like an idiot afterwards.

Neville hesitated, his quill hovering for a minute.

Scared to write it down?

No. I just don't think it's likely. At all.

Well neither are two and three. He looked like a kicked puppy, not disgusted or whatever. I would say that number four is even more probable…

I highly doubt it.

Well that's because you're naïve and innocent. And annoying and infuriating.

Neville sighed and put quill to parchment again.

He is gay and got upset when I acted all weird about it.

Personally I think that's the answer right there.

Why do you think everyone is gay? Harry, Malfoy, Seamus, Dean…

Not everyone. The Weasley boy is straight.

Is that it?

Yes.

Neville rolled his eyes and stared at his list for a few more minutes. As much as he hated to admit it, the Malfoy voice had a point about numbers two and three.

Of course I do. You never listen to me.

That's because you're usually insulting me.

Someone has to do it.

They don't, actually.

So that left numbers one and four. So he had concluded that Colin was either gay or upset because he thought Neville didn't want to be seen with him.

Well, you don't want to be seen with him.

Fine, he thought that Neville didn't want to be seen with him for all the wrong reasons.

You know, it could be both. He's gay and therefore upset that you don't want to be seen with him because…he likes you.

Don't be ridiculous.

Neville abruptly sat up. He needed a walk. Just to clear his head. To try and block out the strange thoughts that had been plaguing him since that Wednesday. And the even stranger conclusions he seemed to have drawn from it.

He had probably got this all wrong, Neville reasoned as he wrapped his scarf round his neck and set off for the grounds. It wouldn't be the first time. After all, he wasn't exactly the best when it came to people and emotions.

You're infamous for being a complete dunderhead.

Colin doesn't…didn't think I was a dunderhead.

Colin this, Colin that. I honestly can't believe you haven't got it yet!

Got what?

Argh!

Neville decided to ignore his Malfoy voice as he stepped into the brisk wind outside. It was being very odd today.

Thanks for reading! I know it's short…and I'm sorry! But at least I updated, right? Eheh…Love xxx