"Just where do people date around the school?" Hermione had asked her best friends as she closed her well-worn copy of Hogwarts: A History.

"Hell if I know. We're in the middle of some Scottish moor, we've got a big dark lake, and this forest full of the nastiest creatures Hagrid can think of" Ron shrugged.

"Why are you asking? We're not exactly experts at this sort of thing" Harry said.

Hermione looked out the window. It was still raining. Typical.

"I suppose I should ask Ginny then" she turned back to the boys, irritated.

"She's dating someone?!" Ron dropped his book.

"Dean Thomas, remember? She's your sister" she rolled her eyes.

"You can't just put her in an icebox, Ron" Harry grinned.

"Oh, maybe I should" Ron muttered.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to ask her if I can't get any ideas here" Hermione put her books in her satchel.

"Why are you asking, Hermione?" Harry turned back to her.

"I need to have a plan" she said simply.

"A plan? For what? Are you dating someone?" Ron dropped his book again.

"Not at the moment, but I need a place for that to happen. "

"Where did you go with Viktor?" Harry asked. Ron glared at him.

"We just ran into each other. Usually outside, sometimes in the hallway. Sometimes we were just going to the same place. We never really planned anything" she shrugged.

"Where did you run off to snog?" Ron narrowed his eyes.

"That's none of your business." She glared back and immediately stood up and walked over to Ginny.

Ginny had suggested the lake on a nice day, and in her experience, dates were really just walking from class to class, sometimes abandoned classrooms, sometimes just whereever they could go. Nothing in specific. Luna had advised that she always have her wand out in case of wild beasts hiding in the nooks and crannies of the castle, like the five-whiskered crackworm. Ginny's suggestions boiled down to wherever they both were interested in.

The thing is, one of the reasons she was going to ask out Neville Longbottom was because she didn't know enough about him. She knew he was afraid most of the time, he had his toad, he was amazing at herbology, he forgot something, and he always knew he had forgotten something, and that he had fascinating moments of skill and courage and maturity. He had hair darker than Lavender's, lighter than Harry's, blue eyes like Ron, and a beautiful smile when he actually smiled. He was taller than Harry, shorter than Ron. He had been her friend for years. He lived with his gran, and his parents had been tortured to insanity by Death Eaters while Voldemort had gone after Harry. He was rather interesting under the meek surface.

She had a strong suspicion that he really liked her. And that was the most interesting thing of all.

Ah, there he was.

"Seamus, wait up! Trevor's not in my pocket!"

"I've got Astronomy, mate! Just tell me about it after class!"

Trevor had taught Hermione she did not want a pet toad. Crookshanks may wander off but he'd always remember where the food, scratches and fire were. Amphibians seem to be rather ungrateful.

Hermione was by no means an athlete, but she saw the toad coming and intercepted him.

"Oh, thank Merlin. Thank you so much, Hermione!" Neville was panting when he walked over to her.

"This keeps happening" she found herself grinning.

"Just like the train" he smiled back, the first time she saw him smile that day.

"Toad catching isn't something I study but I suppose I'm good enough at it" she handed Trevor back to him.

"Oh, you're more than a toad catcher. It's the least of your talents."

Neville looked into her eyes, then suddenly came to reality.

"Where's Harry and Ron?"

"Oh, I left them back at the table. I was hoping to run into you, actually, I have some questions"

"You're asking me something? That's a bit backward" he blinked.

Hermione steeled herself. Neville wasn't exactly a quick-thinker but he wasn't quite as unperceptive as Harry or Ron.

"Neville, have you ever gone on a date?"

"Please don't make fun of me" he said quietly.

"I'm being serious. I'd like to know. I won't think less of you" she assured him.

"No." He voice dropped lower.

Hermione concealed her surprise, keeping her serious expression.

"Right. Where would you consider taking a girl on a date?"

"I guess it depends on who they were" he scratched his head, put on the spot.

Oh. Brilliant.

"Can I have an example, please?" she said in her best teacher voice.

"Oh, like if they're from Gryffindor and they like Qudditch maybe they'd like to watch a game. If they're crazy like Luna they'd like the Forbidden Forest. If they like Herbology we'd go to the garden. If they're like you, the library or someplace like that" He rattled off some ideas.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked Luna"

"I barely know her. Besides, I'm more interested in…someone else" he suddenly blushed and looked at the ground.

"Who?" She couldn't help but let slip her hope. Fortunately, he was starting at the stones of the floor.

"Oh, just an old friend."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"If I did, I might as well ask her now"

"And what's the problem with that?" she crossed her arms.

"Because I'm afraid of her when she's angry. She's got quite a temper"

"Then why are you asking her out?" Hermione insisted on being Socratic.

"Because I like her"

"Oh. Well, I know a boy here I like"

"I know; Ron" Neville failed to hide his dejection.

"Not Ron. At least I'm not going to date him."

"I didn't know you were interested in anyone else. I need to pay more attention" he looked genuinely confused.

"You do. "

"Is it anyone I know?"

"Oh, since first year"

"Harry?"

"No."

"Dean?"

"Should I describe him to you?" she laughed.

"Is he tall?"

She looked him up and down.

"Enough".

"Is he a Gryffindor?" he started to smile again, playing her guessing game.

"Oh yes."

"Is he in our year?"

"Yes"

"Is he part of the DA?"

"Oh yes."

"Does he live with his parents?"

"No"

"How about SPEW?"

"He is"

Neville's jaw dropped.

"Neville" Hermione took a deep breath, "will you go out with me?"

"I-I…I wanted to ask you first"

"I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have bothered" Hermione's eyes fell to the floor, and she began to turn away.

Suddenly a large hand touched her arm.

"I didn't say no. Don't go-"

"You mean, you will?"

"Of course I will!" Hermione turned back to see his wide eyes suddenly gleam, "I was going to ask you but I was so afraid you'd say no!"

He let go of her arm in shock, only for her to grab his hands in hers.

A thousand thoughts flittered through Hermione's head. Her active mind quickly grasped what was going on.

She had asked out someone. She had asked out Neville Longbottom. And he had said yes, and said he wanted to ask her out. He liked her that much. The ball wasn't a fluke. Viktor wasn't the only one who cared about her in that way, to see her as a girl. A cute boy, a good friend, wanted to ask her out. All the insecurity she had hidden deep inside her melted away.

She suddenly realized she was blushing as hard as he was.

"So…what do you think about the library idea? We wouldn't be able to talk much…" Neville started at his shoes before looking back up.

"We can just pick up some books and then go back to the common room" Hermione pointed out.

"I like that plan" he said as he smiled at her, too happy to say anything else.

"I'm glad I asked" she returned the smile, too happy to say anything else.