"Mr. Longbottom, if you can't make a simple Shrinking Solution, I will at least expect you to pay attention in my class!" Snape yelled, snapping Neville back to earth. Neville had drifted off again, thinking of Ron. Dating Ron definitely doesn't help his Potions grade. He looked down at his parchment, which was full of pick up lines and jokes to use on him and Ron's next date. Quickly putting it away, he looked up at Snape, who was now leering at him from his desk.
"Let me see your notes, Longbottom." Snape said, standing up suddenly, glaring at Neville with a look of discontentment.
"Uh, sir I-I don't have any notes." Neville quivered under Snape's gaze.
"Think we're smart enough to remember, are we?" Snape walked over to Neville's desk, and looked into his eyes, his long nose inches from his face. "Judging by your homework scores, that is clearly not the case."
The Slytherins jeered at Neville, making him flush furiously, tears starting to brim in his eyes. "So, Mr. Longbottom, use that brain of yours and PAY. ATTENTION." Snape finished, before turning with a whoosh of his robes, and heading back to his desk.
Neville glanced at the Slytherin desks, seeing them pointing and whispering. The tears brimming in his eyes started trickling down his cheeks. He wiped them with his sleeve and looked down, pulling out the parchment from before and flipping it over, ready to take as much notes as Snape needed.
Ron, who had seen all of this play out, was not happy. He shot his hand into the air.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"
"Professor, what you did to Neville was mean, you shouldn't have insulted his scores." Ron said, trying to keep calm. He was absolutely furious, and hoped that his anger didn't reflect in his voice too much.
"I'll have you know, Weasley," Snape stood up and shot an icy stare at Ron, "That it is not your place to tell me how to teach my class."
"It's not your place to insult Neville's academic prowess either, Professor." Ron was getting angrier at the second.
"Excuse me?" Snape was angry, his black eyes sharp. "Did I hear you correctly Mr. Weasley? Who are you to say what I can and cannot do?"
"If you will excuse me, Professor, Ron was only looking out for Neville." Hermione piped in. "You were being cruel to him."
"Hold your tongue Miss Granger." Snape reproached. "I don't know what has gotten into Gryffindors this afternoon, but some points will need to be taken. Thirty points from Gryffindor."
The Gryffindors erupted in outrage, but were quieted by Snape yelling "Silence!".
"He's completely mental." Harry said to Hermione and Ron, as they packed up their cauldrons. "Thirty points! For being called out for being a bully!"
"There's nothing we can do about it Harry." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Ron, you've been awfully quiet." Hermione turned to him, but he was gone.
"Where's he gone?" Hermione asked Harry, who pointed towards the doorway, where Ron and Neville were walking towards the dorm.
"He's comforting Neville, Hermione." Harry told her.
"Don't listen to what that bloke says, Nev." Ron comforted him, leaning against Neville's bedpost, looking down on him.
"He's right." Neville said, tears in his voice. "I'm useless at magic."
"No you aren't." Ron said, sitting on the bed. "You're amazing at Herbology."
Neville looked at Ron, tears in his eyes, his cheeks soaked slick with tears.
"I'm sorry for losing those points for the house team, Ron, and even if I am good at herbology," he wiped a tear with his finger. "That's not enough. If I don't succeed at all the subjects, the whole school will think I'm a failure." The tears started coming down faster. "They'll think I'm not good like my parents… they'll think I'm a-a Squib…" Neville let out loud sobs, crying into Ron's shoulder.
Ron was heartbroken. He didn't even know what to say. Before he knew it, his eyes were brimming with tears too. "Neville, I get it. Look at me, I have five brothers, two who are excellent Beaters, Percy's a part of the Ministry, Charlie works with dragons, and Bill was Head Boy and works with Gringotts." Neville looked up at Ron, sniffing and wiping his nose. "We'll never be like the people that came before us, Nev." Ron raised Neville's head, bringing it up to face level. "But that doesn't make us failures. It never will." Ron put his hands on Neville's shoulders. "Neville, you're the most amazing guy I've ever met. You're smart, funny, talented, adorable, and you're breathtaking. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Ron outstretched his arms and brought Neville in for a hug. Neville cried into Ron's shoulder.
"You've messed up my robes now." Ron said when Neville finally let go.
"S-sorry Ron, I didn't mean to-" Neville was cut off by a kiss. He stayed there for some time, and then Ron pulled away.
"It's fine Neville." Ron reassured him. Then he reached over to his dresser and pulled out a small folded note.
"Remember this?" Ron asked.
"Sorry, but no." Neville asked quizzically.
Ron smiled and carefully unfolded the note. Aged and yellowed, in the note was a shriveled orange flower. Picking up the flower, Neville looked at what was written in the note.
It was the note from three years ago. The Valentine.
"Ron…" Neville started, but Ron cut him off.
"When we kissed in the greenhouse, it was the best day of my life." Ron took the flower from Neville. "Seeing that Neville Longbottom, the sweet, kind, adorable guy was interested in me, Ron Weasley, I was ecstatic."
Ron reached for a pot that he hid behind his bed. Waving his wand on the flower, it floated into the pot filled with earth.
"I love you, Ron." Neville said, kissing Ron on the lips. Ron didn't reply, but Neville knew he felt the same.