"How are you feeling now, Nev?" Hermione asked as they all sat down to lunch.

"So much better, Slughorn gave me something for the pain and Pomfrey gave me Skele-gro so I should be back to normal tomorrow."

"Normal?" Ginny snorted "What's normal about you these days? Dating Pansy Parkinson, Sporting dyed green and purple hair and swearing like a sailor, About as normal as a Nazzle Mumph drinking hot chocolate!"

"Swearing?" Hermione asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"He told Cornfoot and Abbott that he and Pansy were fucking!" Ginny grinned. "The look on her face was priceless. She had to sit down and recover! And then!" She paused for emphasis "Then she threw a jar at Pansy's head, and Neville blocked it with a protego."

"What?" Hermione asked, covering her full mouth to talk.

"It was amazing! Neville, I always knew it, but you are a legend! I hate to say it, but the Princess is good for you."

Neville blushed. "Even though I now swear?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know. Maybe if I were into men. With the new body, hair and attitude, I'm sure I'd find you utterly irresistible." Ginny grinned as she wrapped her arm around Luna.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Hermione asked cautiously "Are you being careful? There are spells-"

"Yes- No, We've not- y'know," Neville stuttered as he fought the blush in his cheeks.

He did not need to have 'the talk' with Hermione. However, he guessed that hearing about 'the Fwoopers and the Billywigs' from her would be preferable to the explanation given by his Gran. He shuddered at the memories, and he still didn't know where garden gnomes came into it all. Maybe he would have to ask Hermione for the muggle version, but not right now.

"You haven't?" Ginny asked as her red eyebrows flew up. "I mean, I know its early days, but you could have fooled me, the chemistry between the pair of you, it's intense,"

"So, it's all fake?" Hermione asked as she frowned.

"No, we are together, but we've not slept together," He explained. Ginny and Hermione nodded in understanding.

"I like her, she adds crackle. I really like Theo and Blaise too. They're funny. I think we should involve them more." Luna said absently as she continued to read her copy of the quibbler.

"Speaking of which, where are they?" Hermione asked as she looked around the hall.

"Pansy had to stay to speak with Slughorn, and I'm not sure about Theo and Blaise."

"You know, I was going to ask you what you were thinking, adopting the Slytherins, but I actually like them. Theo is hilarious, He and Goldstein couldn't take their eyes off each other during Potions. Blaise is quiet, but he is" She grasped for the word as she looked around. "Sassy! Sassy and sarcastic." She exclaimed finally.

"I still haven't really spoken to Blaise. However, Theo helped me through a panic attack the other morning, so I've only got good things to say." He looked down at his half-eaten sandwich as he avoided their eyes.

"Oh Neville," Hermione breathed as she placed her hand on his. "We're always here to talk about things. Just say the word, and I'll go straight to McGonagall!"

"Screw McGonagall, I'll destroy them! No one's messing with our Neville!" Ginny said as she reached for her goblet.

"At least with Pansy, she can give as good as she gets, I'm not sure Daisy would be able to handle that kind of attention,"

"Daisy? Who's Daisy?"

"Do you mean the seventh year Ravenclaw?" Ginny asked

"Hufflepuff," Luna corrected. She hummed and turned the page of her magazine. "She asked Neville out in Herbology yesterday."

"What?" Ginny and Hermione exclaimed in unison.

"Check you out, you lady's man, you!" Ginny smirked

"Actually, that reminds me, Mandy and Lisa were asking questions about you yesterday. Inappropriate questions to tell you the truth." Hermione said primly.

"That was because someone saw Neville in the buff." Ginny raised her eyes brow.

"Stephen and Oliver stole my towel and opened the portrait door just as a couple of girls were coming down the stairs." Neville cringed.

"They wanted to know what your shoe size was and also whether you snore." Hermione repeated "amongst other things. I'm not sure why they think I would know that." Hermione frowned.

He shook his head as he looked around the room, lunch was half over, and Pansy still wasn't back. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I'm going to find Pansy, I'll see you guys in Transfiguration. They nodded as she climbed out from the bench. He grabbed a couple of the cheese sandwiches, wrapped them and threw them into his bag before stepping out.

The corridors seemed strangely empty as he headed back towards Potions. He couldn't imagine what Pansy and Slughorn could possibly talk about for so long.

"Do it and Die, Dickhead!" He heard a girl shout. He froze for a moment before he realised it was her. His heart was in his throat, echoing through his ears as he started to run towards her. He could hear others now, people jeering and hissing as he closed in. He saw the start of a gathering blocking the corridor as he neared. Why was there a crowd? It didn't make sense. "Do that again, Rivers! Let's see where it gets you!" He heard Pansy growl.

A crowd had formed in a semicircle around Pansy, and someone else who he assumed was Rivers.

"Slytherin whore! Why don't you show everyone what you're selling? Might get you some more business," He teased before there was a flash. He heard Pansy shriek as she was hoisted into the air by her ankle. Her skirt obeyed gravity, flashing her stockings and knickers for everyone to see. The crowd started to laugh as Pansy struggled to cover herself. Neville blushed angrily as he pushed the group in front of him out of the way.

"Too far, Rivers!" He snarled as he sent a jinx at Rivers. Oliver stared in surprise as the jinx flew at him. Just as it was about to hit, Rivers' whole body flew backwards, reeling into and knocking a few of the other students down with him. Neville flicked another jinx at him turning his head into a tentacle as he approached Pansy.

There was a disappointed groan as he flicked his wand, allowing her to fall into his waiting arms. He could feel her trembling as he helped her to stand. He brushed down her skirt, making sure she was covered.

"Hey Longbottom, give it a smack for me!" Someone called from behind him. He heard a few others snigger as he straightened and turned.

He saw a group of lads chuckling as they eyed Pansy. He whipped out his wand, and as suddenly as one could say 'levicorpus', they were all hanging from their ankles.

"Not so funny now, is it? Maybe I should start stripping you off so that you know how it feels? Who wants to go first?" He asked with a growl.

"You wouldn't dare. I'll tell everyone you're gay!" Said one of the Gryffindors "This is harassment."

"What's your name?" He demanded. They reminded silent, so he flicked his wand, and their belt buckles flew off.

"Price," Said the first,

"Greenslade, and he's Fitzpatrick." Said one of the others.

"So, Price, Greenslade and Fitzpatrick, I happen to know your head of house very well, I'll be doing some telling of my own. If I ever catch you allowing bullying again or being disrespectful, I will deal with you myself."

"Just cause you decapitated a snake, doesn't make you hard!" Said Fitzpatrick sullenly.

"No, it doesn't, but being in a war doesn't make me disrespectful either!" He lowered them to the floor roughly before catching them all with a stinging hex "Expect house points to be deducted, and as much as it pains me, expect it to be a lot. You're going to be really popular!"

"Sorry," Said Price, as they all got up with a groan. Neville decided to only mention the other two to McGonagall.

"Price, Take Rivers to the hospital wing." He nodded as he grabbed the older student and tried to levitate him.

"Don't the rest of you have places you need to be right now? Go on!" He threatened as he sent red sparks flying after some of the reluctant students who still lingered. He turned back to her, his anger forgotten for the time being.

"Are you alright?" He asked as she was still smoothing her skirt down over her legs. He could see a tear streak down her red cheek as she pushed it away, angrily with her hand.

"No! I'm fucking pissed off! I leave Slughorn, only to have Cornfoot try to come onto me, then when I turned him down, he attacked me. He slapped my arse!" She pushed her skirt down as a fresh blush blazed across her cheeks. Her voice had gone higher than usual and whilst she looked reasonably collected, he'd begun to notice the signs. Her hands shook, and her eyes darted around wildly.

"Where's Cornfoot now?" Neville asked, looking around the now-empty corridor. He was going to rip him a new one when he saw him.

"He's probably in the hospital wing with Pomfrey trying to explain that his fingers need to be grown back. However, he might have trouble with that as I hit him with a langlock." She explained as she smoothed her skirt down again. "fucking disgusting perverts." She growled furiously.

"Are you hurt?" He asked as he touched her face smoothing away a fresh tear as it made its way down her cheek. This movement seemed to calm her, as her eyes stopped moving. She looked at him, and he could now see fresh tears waiting to fall.

"Of course, I'm not hurt! I've been reflecting and avoiding curses like that since first year. These Ravenclaws are so far behind the curve. It was only by chance that he managed to catch me with the Levicorpus jinx."

He smiled weakly as he stroked away another tear. "Thank you for coming to my rescue," She offered as she pulled away to grab her bag from the floor. Neville grabbed it first and threw it over his shoulder. She smiled as she smoothed her skirt down again. She bit her lip as she looked down at the floor.

"It's not like you needed my help!" He replied as he pulled out his sandwiches and offered them to her. "Now come on, I have an idea." He said as he took her hand.