Hi! This might be my last chapter for a while; I'm moving to university tomorrow, so I don't know when I'm going to be able to update! So please, be patient with me, and enjoy this chapter! I'm a bit mean to Hermione in it, but I was mean to Neville in previous chapters, so it's only fair!
Oh, and Lime-Wielding Ninja, I hope you feel better soon!
The next morning, Neville got up and started to get dressed. He was just pulling his shirt over his head when Hermione woke up.
"What are you doing Nev?" she asked.
"Mmmff," he replied. He wished he'd undone a few more buttons before putting the shirt on; his head was stuck. Hermione carried on, knowing he wouldn't be able to argue with her.
"If you think you're leaving now, you're wrong. It's a Sunday; you don't have anywhere to be. Don't be one of those bad boy types who sneak out the next morning and leave a fake phone number."
"Mmmff?"
"Telephone, Neville. It's a muggle way of communicating," she laughed.
"Mmm, mmmf mmf mmm."
"I know you know; you did Muggle Studies, but you did ask. Sit down Neville. You look ridiculous."
Neville had decided that the best way to get his head unstuck was to try and force it through the neck hole despite it being too small and was charging around the room, missing Hermione's furniture by inches. He ran into the bed and fell onto it.
"That's better," she smiled. "Now, I'll help you, as long as you stay. If not, you can just stay like that until you run out of air. What's it going to be?"
Neville made a gesture which she assumed was a nod, even though she couldn't see his face. She reached up and undid a few buttons, making Neville's head pop out.
"Thanks Hermione," he said, fanning his flushed face with his hands.
"Don't think I'm finished talking to you yet," she said in her best "professor voice" as he turned around. "Where were you going?"
"I was just going to get you some breakfast," he said. "I wanted to surprise you."
"Do you even know where my kitchen is?" she laughed.
"No, but it can't be that hard to find. You only have four rooms."
"True," she smiled. "Sorry Nev. I don't know what I thought you were doing."
"You were only joking about the bad boy thing, right?" he said, taking her hand. "You know I'd never do anything like that to you."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just a bit paranoid about it happening again."
"What do you mean again?" Neville asked, shocked. "Did Ron ever do that?"
"Well," Hermione mumbled, "no, he didn't."
"So what do you mean 'again'? You and Ron were together from the end of school year until recently. You haven't been with anyone else. Hang on," he said, "you mean you cheated on Ron?"
"What?" Hermione said, not meeting Neville's gaze. "No! Of course I didn't."
"I can tell you're lying Mione," he said angrily. "Why would you do something like that?"
"It was years ago," Hermione started, "and I was 18, and you have to remember that after the battle things were a bit strange and -"
"Is this meant to make me think that you cheating was ok?" he asked. "You were young and things were strange, so that makes it alright, does it? You're still young, so if things are ever 'a bit strange' again it'll be fine for you to cheat on me?"
"No, of course it doesn't," Hermione said, her eyes filling up, "and I would never do that to you. Let me explain."
Neville didn't say anything, so Hermione carried on.
"Like I said, I was 18, and Ron was being a bit weird after the battle. He was acting like he was this big hero, who wasn't getting any recognition. He'd go out with Harry so that he'd be recognised and people would pay attention to him. So, I'd be left all on my own, and -"
"You could've gone too," Neville said coldly.
"Don't interrupt me Nev, please," she said. "I couldn't go with him because he'd insist it was like a boys' night out. I didn't mind though, because Ginny couldn't go either so we just stayed at home together. We actually became quite good friends. We weren't as close in school as everyone thought we were. Anyway," she continued as Neville looked at her pointedly, "one night I got tired of it and went out anyway, deciding to forget about Ron. There was this guy there and he was charming and said he liked my hair and stuff, and it just happened. The next morning, he was gone and I never saw him again."
"So, if stuff gets a bit hard with us, you're just going to go off with any guy who says you have nice hair?" Neville said. "Silly me, thinking that when things go wrong you should work on them,"
"I know I shouldn't have done it Nev," Hermione cried. "But it was a long time ago, and it was the only time it happened. I stayed with Ron for years without cheating again. You know it's not like me to do something like that!"
"I thought I knew, but I was obviously wrong," he replied shortly.
"I would never do that to you though," she sobbed. "I love you."
Neville sighed and turned to face her.
"I love you too, but I won't be cheated on," he said. "I won't be taken for a fool."
"I would never do it," she repeated. "I promise."
Neville smiled weakly. He wasn't entirely convinced, but if he broke up with her over something like that, he'd be a bit hypocritical after his speech about working on things when they go wrong, and he loved her too much to give up on them anyway.
"How about some breakfast then?" he asked, forcing himself to sound cheerful.
"Yes please," she replied, sniffling.
Neville went to put on his trousers, but Hermione stopped him.
"You know," she said cheekily, trying to make things go back to normal, despite the fact that her face was still wet with tears, "there's a muggle chef called 'The Naked Chef.' Maybe you could sort of channel him in your cooking."
"Ok," he smiled. "I think I can do that. I'll go and find your kitchen. I have a one in three chance of getting it right first time."
"Be careful of the towel rail; it collapses if you're not gentle," she warned him.
He left, leaving Hermione to clean herself up and get dressed. She wiped her face and looked in the mirror. She smiled; they'd be ok.. Neville knew she was sorry, and he wasn't the type of person who held a grudge.
"Oh no," Neville mock-scolded her as she walked into the kitchen, "you have to be naked too."
"I don't think so," Hermione laughed. "I'll go and put any underwear of your choice on though, and just wear that."
"The red set," Neville said immediately.
"Ok, I'll be back in minute," she giggled. "Oh, and if you need milk, I get the house elves to put a bottle by the entrance like muggle milkmen."
"What happened to SPEW?" Neville joked.
"It's not SPEW! It's S.P.E.W: The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. It's hardly overworking them to ask for some milk," she replied.
"Ok, I'll get it now," he said, walking to the door.
…
Hermione found the underwear Neville had asked for and put it on. She was just trying to flatten her hair when she heard a crash come from the kitchen; the towel rail falling over.
"Nev," she said, running into the kitchen, "I told you to be careful with that!"
She was stopped in her tracks in the doorway by the sight that met her: Neville standing in a pool of spilled milk with a towel covering his modesty, and Lavender Brown standing in the doorway holding some books.
"Well well well," she smirked, "what's going on here?"
I hate to end on such a dramatic (well, I think it is) note when the next update might not be for a while, but it had to be done.
