Neville leant against the wall, he eyes squeezed shut as he tried to blot out the agony radiating through his skull. He knew he should have probably stayed in bed, but Pomfrey's warning about his cheekbone not healing correctly forced him up. Pansy's soft hand in his kept him grounded and gave him something to focus on as they waited outside for Slughorn to arrive.

"Neville, you really should go back to the dorms, you're starting to look very pale." Pansy offered.

"Wow, you look dreadful, Nev!" He cracked opened an eye and snorted as he saw Ginny's concerned face appear.

"Thanks," He muttered as he pulled Pansy closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She smiled up at him as she pulled him closer.

"Pomfrey give you Skele-gro?" Ginny asked suspiciously as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. He nodded. "Eurgh!" she replied in sympathy.

Neville watched as a few others turned up and nodded to Wayne and Terry as they glanced over. They nodded back in greeting but only after staring at Pansy. He felt a wave of protectiveness and possessiveness as he turned and kissed her head. He savoured the way her hair smelled as he remembered that she was his.

"I told him, he should have stayed in bed, but you Gryffindors never listen to sense." Pansy offered with a smirk. "stubborn creatures!"

"I hate to say it Neville, but I think the Slytherin Princess is right."

"Princess?" Pansy asked with a smirk. "Thanks, I think."

"Pomfrey said to try and endure it if I can. If I sleep on it, it could heal strangely."

"Don't you dare ruin that handsome face. I'll never hear the end of it!" Theo chimed in as he approached, Blaise following closely behind.

Neville watched as Ginny stepped over, giving him room to get closer. She eyes him curiously before returning her gaze to Neville. He smiled, and she narrowed her eyes. He knew that they still had to talk. He guessed that she wanted to know why he had suddenly started hanging around with the Slytherin's. He'd probably be asking the same thing if he hadn't had their support in the last few days. Now that the old rivalries were dead and the threat of death was gone, it was like a weight had been lifted. They were far freer to be themselves.

"Damn right! I'd be devastated." Pansy replied.

Neville smirked as his eyes swept the growing crowd. Blond hair caught his attention, and he saw Hannah and Stephen. Hannahs's shoulders were set into a tense haunch as she stood next to Stephen. Their eyes met, and she looked away first. Her eyes darting between him and Pansy before they looked away. Stephen glared at him with a cruel smirk on his lips. Neville wondered whether he intended to cause trouble. If he did, he'd be outnumbered.

"Everything alright, Nev?" Ginny asked as she looked over her shoulder. Stephen's gaze shifted from Neville to her and winked. "Eurgh, what is that guy's problem?"

"There are too many to list," Theo replied quickly. They all laughed as Slughorn appeared.

Neville hadn't really noticed before, but Potions was one of the largest classes. With all the eighth years who had chosen to take the course joining the seventh years, the lessons were moved to a larger classroom to accommodate the swell in numbers. Who knew Potions would be that popular.

They all started shuffling towards the door as Slughorn led them through to their work stations. The desks had been shifted since their last lesson, now as rows of desks designed for two. He looked around and watched as people shuffled and partnered up. They rushed around grabbing seats. Pansy pulled him towards a desk near the back and sat him down.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to endure this? You really don't look well." He nodded. Potions were one of his least favourite lessons, he was only taking it so that he could get into the Aurors at the end of the year. "If you can manage to chop, I'll do the rest, alright?" She offered. He nodded again and smiled.

"Thank you for trying to look after me," He whispered as a small blush appeared across her cheeks.

"Shush, I have a reputation to maintain, remember?" She smirked as she winked at him.

"And what a reputation it is," Came a voice from behind them. Neville turned to find Stephen sneering at them with an uncomfortable-looking Hannah in tow. Neville had felt sorry for Hannah, but that had been before the Skele-gro and the pain. Any sympathy he had harboured had long since gone. He tried not to grit his teeth in frustration, knowing it would only cause him more misery.

"Isn't it just? It's hard work to maintain." She shot back quickly without the slightest glance over her shoulder. She turned to him and winked. "I'll go get the ingredients. Be right back." He nodded as he started to get their potions books out.

"So? Shortcock? How's your face? I notice it didn't improve your looks any." Neville ignored him as he continued to sort their things out.

"Nev?" Hannah asked, "What are you doing with that? Do you have no shame?" Hannah asked spitefully as Pansy returned. Her grey eyes passed between them, but she said nothing as she started getting her books out.

"With what, Han?" Neville replied coldly as he turned to look at her. He asked himself what he had ever liked about her as he studied her face. Her mouth was turned up in an ugly snarl, and her eyes looked redrimmed and small. Fury burned behind her eyes until their eyes met. It had the same effect as water to a flame. He knew that the look he gave her wasn't a friendly one and felt satisfied when she flinched.

"Alright! If you insist on acknowledging her after what she did. What are you doing with her? With that dirty Slytherin whore" She clarified as she pointed violently at Pansy.

"Oh, do you mean Pansy? It sounds like it's pretty obvious, We're fucking." He replied, feeling a thrill at swearing. If he had known that swearing could be so much fun, he'd have tried it much earlier. The words had the same effect as a slap around the face as her eyes bulged and her mouth gaped in surprise. "She's terrific at it," Neville added as he bit the inside of his mouth to stop from laughing. He heard Pansy cover a giggle with a cough and almost lost it.

"Neville!" Hannah admonished as she fell back onto the stool.

"What's wrong? Was that not the answer you were expecting?" Pansy asked, amused.

"Don't say such things. I don't believe you!" Hannah frowned as she shook her head.

"Well that's your problem, I'm not going to prove it to you," He shrugged as he turned back to their books.

"You? Fuck Parkinson?" Stephen asked before snorting derisively. "Yeah, right."

"It's true, he does." Pansy nodded as she pulled out their cauldron and scales.

"How would you know? I'm surprised you still have any feeling down there." Stephen laughed. "She's had more wands than Ollivanders, and with your shorty, Shortcock, she won't even know you're down there." Neville's eyes shot back to Pansy, who smiled nastily as she turned around.

"It's true, all of it. I'm a slut. No morals what so ever!" She said with a smirk "But do you know what? I couldn't be imperio-ed into touching you."

"You wouldn't be able to handle me." Stephen shot back, his jaw tensing. Neville couldn't help but smirk as Hannah had started to turn red at the vulgar language.

"Make up your mind! This morning, you said you'd need to strap a plank to your arse to stop yourself from falling in, and now you're saying I'm not big enough to handle you? Can't have it both ways, Cornfoot!"

"Stephen, please stop," Hannah asked shrilly. Neville watched as Stephen rolled his eyes in frustration.

"It's true, It must be really disappointing for Shortcock, you being like a cauldron down there! Does he have to stir it anticlockwise three times to get some feeling?"

"You know what? It's an embarrassing problem that I have to live with!" Pansy replied earnestly as she leant on their desk. "But it's alright, we make it work. It definitely helps that Neville's hung like an erumpent on heat." Pansy smiled at him, and he smirked back. "Were I but a normal girl, we would never be able to consummate our love. However, luckily for me, His basilisk is big enough for my chamber of secrets!" She smiled sweetly before turning.

Neville watched the disgust and horror fill Hannah's face as she stood again. Pansy began sorting the ingredients ready for them to use as she ignored the pair behind. She placed some in front of Neville ready for him to chop and then opened the book at the correct page.

Neville stole a glance at Pansy as she looked at the instructions and caught her eye. She smirked brightly as she read the instructions. He returned her smile as he looked at the ingredients. He heard movement and turned in enough time to see Hannah launch the jar of Knarl quills at Pansy's head.

Without thinking, Neville drew his wand and threw up a protego charm just as the jar was about to make contact. Pansy turned around in surprise as the glass jar shattered into pieces sending shards and spines skittling across the floor.

The room rang with sudden silence as Slughorn approached. Hannah's cheeks flamed as she stood breathing heavily, glaring at Pansy.

"Are you well, Ms Abbott?" He asked in his slow murmuring tone. She shook her head, and Neville watched as she trembled, her lip beginning to quiver.

"Parkinson launched that jar at me." She exclaimed as she pointed to Pansy, tears forming in her eyes.

"Is this true, Parkinson?" Slughorn asked. Pansy didn't even bat an eyelid as she addressed Slughorn.

"If I had, firstly, I wouldn't have missed, and secondly I wouldn't have gotten caught." She muttered before speaking up. "So no, I didn't."

"Are there any witnesses who saw Miss Parkinson throw the jar?" He asked, turning back to Hannah.

"I saw it all, Sir." Cornfoot offered. "She did it alright, I had to deflect it."

Neville stepped up and opened his mouth to speak when Ginny stepped over.

"Sir, I saw everything from over there, Parkinson had her back turned, and Abbott threw the jar. It hit the shield charm Neville threw up." Neville looked around and saw a few others nod in agreement.

Slughorn shook his head and tutted as he looked over his glasses at Hannah and Stephen.

"I would have thought that you both would have more sense after everything that has happened. I am appalled to be handing out detentions to eighth-year students. You chose to come back and study, and yet you are squandering the opportunity. Detention for the both of your Mr Curtin, Miss Abbott. Return here after lessons this evening."

He waved his wand and Neville watched as the jar reassembled with the quills within and returned to Hannah's desk.

"Now, Mr Curtin and Ms Abbott, you can relocate to the spare seats at the front. Obviously, I have to treat you like immature first years."

"It's Cornfoot, Sir" Stephen added.

"Yes, yes, very well," Slughorn said dismissively as the students swapped seats. Hannah glared at them as she walked past.

"Oh, she does not look happy," Pansy muttered as she continued to work.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked quietly as he saw how white her knuckles were. As she gripped the pestle and mortar. She opened her mouth to say something before catching herself. She looked at him and smiled gently, showing how shaken she was.

"Thank you," She whispered as she took his hand.

"Mr Longbottom," Slughorn called as she approached them again.

"Yes, sir?" He asked.

"Miss Parkinson told me about your affliction, I thought this might help." He said, handing him a vial.

"What is it, sir?" Neville asked, looking at the tiny vessel.

"Agon-flee pain relief, Swoopstike's own recipe with a few tweaks of my own I might add." He smiled as he pushed his fingers into the pocket of his plaid waistcoat. "It shouldn't interfere with Skele-gro, I removed the Capsaicin and added more powdered moonstone so it should compliment Madam Pomfrey's advice. Two drops should do the trick."

"Thank you, Sir," Neville said as he looked at the glittering, misty liquid. Slughorn nodded and returned to the front of the class.

Neville rested his face on his arm as he watched Pansy stir the potion. The steam had moistened her aqua hair and had made her skin dewy and flushed. He watched as she concentrated on the potion. He felt guilty that he wasn't pulling his weight, but she had refused to take it, insisting instead that he took Slughorn's potion and rest.

He watched the way her stunning eyes flitted between the book and the cauldron and watched as she chewed on her lip. She smirked before glancing at him.

"It's rude to stare," She muttered as she bumped his knee with her hip.

"Apparently I'm a bad boy now. I swear and stare and everything!"

"It's not my fault. I take no responsibility." She smirked as she leant her bottom against his leg. The thought and sound of her lace stockings rubbing against his skin made him smile.

"I was a good boy before you seduced me," Neville smirked as he fingered the vial. The pain in his face was constant now, and the longer he left it, the more tempted he was to use the potion.

Pansy shook her head, sending the longest strands of her multicoloured hair swaying.

"What are you waiting for?" She asked before adding in the puffskein hair.

"I'm not sure," He admitted. "On the one hand I really want to pain gone, but on the other hand I know my luck, and it will probably react badly with the Skele-gro,"

Pansy nodded as she thought it over. She eventually nodded. "It's true. You indeed have a knack for finding trouble," She stirred the cauldron, reading the directions.

Neville looked at the vial and shrugged. He was hoping that maybe his luck was changing and who else was better to prescribe potions that potions master? He pulled the stopper off and dripped to drops into his mouth. The liquid tasted like hot tea and warmed him as he swallowed it. Pansy stood watching him, her face safely blank as she studied his face.

The constant throb seemed to falter mid-pulse and then disappeared. Neville held his breath for a moment as he waited for the pain to return. After what felt like an eternity, he couldn't hold back the smile any more. He let out a long sigh as he put the stopper back into the vial and pushed it into his pocket. Every muscle in his body relaxing as he sighed.

"Better?" She asked cautiously.

"So much better." He breathed as he straightened in his chair.

"Good," She smiled genuinely before smirking, "And great, because I need the Billywig wings chopping and the things freak me out," Pansy winked as she pushed a jar towards him.

He stood up and began chopping, bumping his hip against hers, bringing an affectionate smile to her face. "Welcome back," She said as she bumped back.

Neville smiled down as he set to the task, relieved that he could finally think past the pain.