Written for Hogwarts' Teachers Week: Neville Longbottom, (character) Hermione Granger.

Word count: 649

In The Greenhouse

"Hi Neville," Hermione said as she entered the greenhouse. Even now, years after Neville had first started working as the Herbology teacher and Hermione herself had left Hogwarts, she was still a little startled to see him instead of Sprout standing there, tending to the rows of plants.

"Hermione? Are you here for Rose and Hugo?" Neville asked, jumping a little before wiping his dirty hands on his trousers.

Hermione huffed with laughter. "What, no hello? Can't I just come to visit a friend?"

"Well, you never have before," Neville said with some amusement. "Or am I wrong to think that you came to Hogwarts for your kids?"

"I did get a rather concerning letter from the Headmistress," Hermione admitted. "But that doesn't mean I didn't want to see you too," she amended quickly, cheeks flushing. "We haven't seen you in a while, after all."

Neville laughs. "It's fine, Hermione, really. You've been busy-you've all been busy-and so was I. You wouldn't believe the kind of trouble some of those kids get into," Neville sighed exasperatedly, before biting his lips as he remember just who he was talking to. "Or maybe you would," he said.

Hermione was visibly trying not to laugh, eyes sparkling with mirth. "To be fair, I doubt anyone could get into the same kind of trouble we did at their age," she said.

"You're probably right," Neville laughed. "We had some crazy years, didn't we?" Somehow the words came out fonder than he had meant to. It made Hermione smile.

"We did," she confirmed, eyes far-away.

"Do you ever miss it?" Neville asked, wishing he could take the words back as soon as he said them. He wasn't quite sure where this thought had come from, but he found that he wanted-no, that he needed to know.

"I don't miss running for my life," Hermione answered pointedly with an amused smirk, "though I guess the boys do, or they wouldn't have chosen to become Aurors," she added, rolling her eyes a little.

"They're good at t though," Neville pointed out.

"They are," Hermione replied, tone significantly fonder now. "Who'd have thought, uh?"

"Certainly not Umbridge," Neville teased, unable to resist.

Hermione let out a surprised bark of laughter. "Oh, I almost wish she could see us now," Hermione said, lips twitching with suppressed laughter. "She'd have such a fit!"

"From what I remember, it didn't take much for that," Neville smiled, fingers trailing down the leaves of a potted Mandrake.

"It really didn't," Hermione snorted, nodding. She looked outside, catching the curve of the descending sun, and sighed. "Anyway, it was nice to see you, but I should go."

"The kids?" Neville asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I've actually already dealt with that, but I do have work to go back to, you know," she said. "Don't be a stranger though, I know everyone would love to see more of you."

"Well, they could come visit me," Neville joked.

"I think they'd probably get mobbed by the kids if people saw them here," Hermione replied musingly.

"Aww, come on, they're not that bad anymore," Neville lied. Hermione sent him a pointed look that showed how little she was fooled, and Neville shrugged innocently.

"Well, I'll let you convince them to come then, see how it works out."

"You do that," Neville huffed, smiling. "And you take care of yourself, alright?"

"Only if you do," Hermione retorted, hugging him shortly before they parted. "Have fun with your plants!" she shouted as she left.

"Have fun with your paperwork!" Neville shouted back, laughing.

It was a good thing none of the students were around in that moment, because the language Hermione used left his ears ringing.

It really was a shame, Neville thought, that he didn't get visits more often. Hogwarts was just more lively when his old Housemates were around.