Hermione stood slack-jawed as she gazed at his face and then between the two of them, her face turning thoughtful. Neville tried to focus on her as Pansy gently felt his skin. He hissed when the pressure of one of her fingers became too much, sending shooting pains through his cheekbone. She jumped back with a squeak.
"Shit, sorry Hunny," she muttered as she released him. She glanced at Hermione for a moment before moving away to sit facing him. Neville felt the loss of her heat and touch almost like a physical blow. Hermione scowled and tapped her foot as she waited for an answer.
"What in god's name happened?"
Neville took a deep breath before catching Pansy's eye. She shrugged unhelpfully.
"Are you going to tell her what really happened or should I tell her what I think happened?" Pansy asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"I fell in the shower," He muttered as he avoided their gaze, he heard someone snicker and looked around. Stephen and Oliver were looking over as they left the common room, erupting in laughter before the door closed. Hannah followed behind, her face looking downcast as she quietly followed.
"It was them, wasn't it?" Hermione asked as her gaze followed after them. "They're bullying you, because of her?"
He felt shame as he returned to looking out of the window, ignoring Hermione's question.
"Neville," Pansy said softly as she placed her hand on his knee. "If you won't speak to us, please at least speak to one of the teachers. What about Sprout?" Neville snorted at the thought. Sprout would probably tell him, in her usual, brusque manner, to be a man and grow a pair and teach the bully who's boss.
"What about McGonagall?" Hermione added as she sat on the seat closest to them.
Neville shook his head and immediately regretted it as it seemed to shake the pain to the surface again. He grimaced in pain before answering.
"Just drop it, please. Come on, let's go to breakfast." He said as he swung his legs off. He picked up their cups and left for the kitchenette. He washed them as he tried to ignore the two witches conspiring behind his back. He sighed unhappily as he dried and put the mugs back. He knew he could have used magic, but he needed to do something to keep his hands busy.
He turned around and watched as they both sprang apart as if afraid of being caught. He had to smile as Pansy watched him, concern etching her usually expressionless features. Hermione looked away, guiltily. "Stop plotting you two! You'll only get me into more trouble."
Pansy winked and smiled as he walked closer and took her hand.
"Trouble sounds fun," She muttered as they waited for Hermione to grab her things before leaving to get breakfast.
Neville could feel his anxiety building as they neared the hall, and the smell of food wasn't improving his digestion. He could hear the raucous laughter and the hum of hundreds of conversations chittering at the same time. He ran his hand through his hair and wished he'd stayed in bed.
Pansy pulled his arm to her and hugged it as they walked, drawing a smile from him. She looked up at him as she threaded her fingers between his, interlocking them as they walked. She was so beautiful. Her hair shimmered in teal waves around her pale cheeks as they arrived at the hall door. Neville glanced in, seeing Stephen and Oliver watching him as they walked passed.
"Night face, Shortcock! Almost matches your hair now." Oliver shot as they were still within earshot.
"Unless you want your face to match the strawberry jam, Rivers. I'd keep your comments to yourself." Pansy added sweetly as they reached Ginny and Luna.
"Oooh, you might want to put a lead on that bitch, Shortcock."
Neville stopped. Fury seemed to simmer under his skin. He could take another said to or about him, but no one insulted her. He was about to turn, but Pansy pulled him on. Hermione watched him warily as he sat down opposite the other girls.
"They can say what they like about me, Neville, but don't let that ever draw you into a fight, that's what they want," Pansy said as she released his arm. She gave it an affectionate squeeze before reaching for the crepes.
"She's right." Hermione agreed.
"Hi Neville, Hi Pansy. I love your matching hairstyles," Said Luna warmly.
"Yeah," Ginny added as she looked between them. "but what happened to your face?"
Neville closed his eyes and cursed.
"He fell over in the shower." Pansy and Hermione added simultaneously before Hermione shared a look with Ginny.
"And was the hair intentional?" Ginny asked again. Neville and Pansy looked at each other and smiled.
"Someone tampered with my shampoo," Neville said simply, and Pansy snorted.
"Shampoo?" Ginny pointed to them, in turn, her eyes wide. She was about to say something when Luna interrupted.
"Gin, it's not polite to ask someone if they're fucking, at the breakfast table, at least wait until after Neville's eaten his toast."
Neville was the first to laugh as Pansy joined in and then Hermione and Ginny. The laughter seemed to take some of the awkwardness away as they began to talk. Hermione, Luna and Ginny were immersed in an in-depth discussion about gnome hair when Neville turned to Pansy.
"Do you want coffee?" He asked. Pansy quirked on her perfect eyebrows as she licked some of the chocolate spread from the tip of one long, slender finger. Neville smiled and blushed as she nodded. He turned, catching Ginny's eye before making two cups of coffee. He knew that look, it said 'we need to talk.' He nodded subtly as he handed Pansy her cup.
He breathed in the scent of the coffee. He usually preferred tea but felt like he needed to bitter liquid this morning. He looked down the table and noticed that a few peoples eyes darted away when he caught them staring. It looked as though Pansy's plan was working. He caught Blaise's eye and nodded in greeting. Blaise nodded back before returning to his pastry. Neville was about to return his attention to his toast when he saw Hannah watching them. Her eyes were puffy, and she looked pale. He wondered whether it had anything to do with him and Pansy being together. He looked away as Pansy squeezed his knee under the bench. She leant over to him and whispered into his ear.
"Are you sure you don't want me to skip Alchemy?" She asked before pulling away. Her face was teasing, but there was something in her eyes that made him think that she was only offering him company and support.
"I'm sure. I think I'm one of the only few that have a free period now so I should be safe," He smiled.
"I think your cheekbone may be fractured, you should go and see Pomfrey and get it looked at." She smiled before pushing some of the hair away from his face gently, avoiding his face. "Although I'll be honest, with this new hair, I think the black eye makes you look like such a bad boy."
"She's right, I almost didn't recognise your this morning," Hermione interjected. "Just need you to start acting like it," She said as she glared up the table.
"Maybe I should just drop out of school and get myself a muggle motorbike?" Neville laughed, but even to himself, it sounded forced, especially after what Stephen had said.
"If you do not study as if your life depends on it this year, I will be your own personal Boggart!" She threatened before going back to buttering her crumpets.
"I'm with Granger on this one." Pansy nodded. "You can get a motor thingy if you want to, but if you leave here, you'll leave me alone with them." Pansy smiled as he picked up her mug of coffee and took a sip.
"Running away is rarely the answer," Luna added with her strange variety of insight and Neville blushed.
There was an awkward silence before Hermione picked up the conversation.
"Pansy, how many inches did you write for Alchemy?" She asked.
"About fourteen, I think, and you?" She asked before eating part of the crepe on her fook.
"About the same, maybe a couple more," Hermione said evasively.
"That's 'Hermione' for double that," Ginny chuckled from her scrambled eggs.
Hermione blushed as she bit off some toast, refusing to comment.
"What are you going to do during your free period, Neville?" Luna asked as she pushed around her porridge.
"I still need to finish the conclusion on my transfiguration essay, and I may go and see Madam Pomfrey but other than that…" He paused, but one glance from Hermione made him reconsider his answer. "And I might try and get a headstart on my other assignments."
Hermione smirked as she continued to eat her toast. Pansy squeezed his knee again, drawing his attention.
"It's your last chance, I can still skip."
"No, If Hermione is threatening to become my boggart, I'll become yours."
"Aww, honey, you say that like it's a threat. I happen to love hot, humble pie with ice cream" She winked.
"Humble pie? That sums up Neville!" Ginny snorted as she sipped her coffee.
Neville tried to scowl but found his lips betraying him as he smiled. He hissed again as his cheek throbbed.
Pansy smiled as she gently placed her hand on his face. The warmth seemed to ease the pain somewhat.
"Don't let her touch you, Shortcock! St Mungo's haven't got cures for the diseases she has! Your shorty might drop off," Oliver called from the far end of the table. Neville caught him and Stephen laughing hysterically as he turned back to Pansy. He watched her face drop as a blush rushed into her cheeks. She found him looking and schooled it into a mask of indifference.
"Aww, what's up, boys? Not getting laid?" She called back snarkily before returning to her crepe. He watched as she pushed it around her plate without eating more.
"Just ignore them." She smiled before a screech erupted from the same end. They looked around and watched as large green and grey bubbles erupted from his nose. The bubbles started to shift and change until wings formed. They began to flap, their two wings slapping against their slimy bodies until they gained lift. Once airborne, they proceeded to dive-bomb Oliver as he sat, trying to avoid the slime.
A groan of disgust filled the air as some of the other eighth year girls tried to escape away, squealing as they tried to avoid the bat-bogeys. The hysteria seemed to spread to some of the lower years as the bat-bogeys circled Oliver, divebombing him as he tried to crawl away.
Neville glanced at Ginny, who quickly hid her wand. Neville smiled as he caught her eye. She nodded too as she watched with interest.
Pansy's smirk seemed hollow as she continued to push her crepe around, bearly reacting to the sight.
Oliver went to stand to escape, but as he climbed to his feet, he tripped and fell backwards as the belt in his robes slipped to his ankles. His face turned beetroot red as he fought to pull them up again as he dodged the flying slimeballs.
The hall erupted into laughter as all eyes watched him.. Neville looked around to find Hermione looking down at her breakfast. He narrowed his eyes, and she looked the other way with a small smile forming.
It was almost too good to miss, especially with how much they had tormented him recently, but his eyes well all for Pansy.
Neville could feel the discomfort radiating from her like heat from a flame. He frowned as he touched her hand. She didn't respond immediately, but slowly, she put down her fork and took his hand. Her fingers were cold as they gripped his firmly. He ran his hand around her shoulders and pulled her close. It felt like she had always belonged there. Something had triggered a nerve, and he could only assume it was Oliver's comments. He pulled her closer and lightly kissed her head as he squeezed her hand.
"Are you alright?" He whispered, his mouth close to her ear. Painfully aware of the pain in his face.
"I'm fine." She replied quietly as she leant into him.
"I'm always happy to listen if there's a problem.
"It's just a shame you can't take your own advice, isn't it?" a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips before she shook her head. "Will you walk me to Alchemy?"
"Sure," They were just about to stand up when Professor McGonagall appeared from the head table.
"What is the meaning of this disruption?" She asked curtly, the Scottish lilt coming through strongly as she raised her voice.
No one answered as their eyes were torn between her looming figure as the bouncing bogey that seemed to have glued itself to Oliver's jumper.
"Rivers, Care to explain to me why you seem to have slime growing out of your jumper? The last time I checked, slime was not part of the official uniform,"
"It was Longbottom, He hexed me, Professor."
McGonagall's lips pursed as her eyebrow raised. She turned her head to find him in the crowd, and Neville watched as her eyes skimmed right over him twice before she noticed him. She turned to him and took in his hair and face.
"Longbottom, Is what Mr River's saying true?" She asked as she looked up at him. She still seemed to be able to look down her nose at him even though he had grown taller than her in recent years.
Neville felt dread pool in his stomach as he pushed his hands into his pockets.
"No, Professor," He shook his head as he watched as Stephen and Oliver smirked at him behind her back.
"It wasn't Neville, Professor," Hermione interrupted. "His wand never left his pocket." Neville turned to find almost everyone shaking their heads; including some of the others from further along the table.
"So, Mr River's what makes you think that Longbottom did this to you? It wouldn't have anything to do with the bruise growing on his face?"
The look on Oliver's face showed panic as he realised the implications. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him by addressing all the present eighth years.
"I'm sure that I don't need to remind you all that Hogwarts has a strict policy against bullying. I am frankly surprised and disappointed that I need to have this conversation with you so soon after the recent events of this past summer."
Pansy took his hand, threading her fingers between his. He squeezes it affectionately as he continued to listen to McGonagall. "Now, I suggest that you all head onto your lessons and think about your actions. Rivers, clean yourself up, I know that Professor Trelawny has a particular aversion to mucus." She turned back to Nevile and Pansy, her eyes sweeping over the pair of them. Neville watched as Stephen shot a look at him. He knew that this wasn't over.
"Have you been to the Hospital wing yet, Longbottom?" She asked as she looked at his face, drawing his attention back to her.
"Not yet, Professor, I was going to go now as I have a free period."
"Very good. I would also like to point out that dyed hair is also against school rules, but I assume that it was one of Weasley's wizard wheezes and won't wash out?" Neville looked at Pansy and who shrugged.
"I assume so, Professor. My shampoo was tampered with."
"So was mine," Pansy added quickly as McGonagall narrowed her eyes at them.
Neville felt the irrational urge to laugh as the rest of the eighth years filtered out of the hall.
"If I were you both, I would start keeping your toiletries under lock and key. Now go and let Poppy look at you." She looked at them both again, her eyes lingering on their joined fingers before turning away in a cloud of robes.
Neville let out a breath and chuckled as he turned to Pansy. She pushed her hair back out of her face and looked at him.
"That was close." She admitted quietly.
"Just a bit." He laughed before hissing.
"Come on, take me to Alchemy, then you can get and get your face looked at."
"Yes, Ma'am!" he nodded. He watched as he managed to draw a small smirk from her as they left the hall.
