A/N: I know, I know, this has been forever and a day in the making. I'm still not sure about this story, tho. It's weird. I like it and all, but it just doesn't seem right for ff.net. I already have the last part written out, and it seems like it'd be more fit for Oprah or something. Or a Lifetime movie.
By lunchtime, the whole school was buzzing about Neville.
His looks hadn't changed much, but he somehow seemed...different. Taller. And stronger. And hotter, according to Parvati and Lavender, and 99.999999 percent of the female population of Hogwarts, Hermione being the silent minority as usual.
Stories were flying everywhere. Several people were telling of how he had put his hand up in class, and gotten the right answer every time.
Hannah Abbot swore that she had seen a seventh year Ravenclaw girl walk past Neville, then turn and look again. No one had given Neville a second look since his second year, and that was just Hagrid making sure he wasn't a first year.
And some random Hufflepuff boy was practically shouting that Neville had passed Fitch in the hall...and smiled at him. Fitch was severely shook up by the encounter, but Neville didn't even seem to notice anything different.
All talk seemed to cease as Neville walked into the Great Hall, followed by a group of girls.
As he took a seat at the Gryffindor table between Ron and Hermione, Fred leaned over and stage-whispered, "Neville, what did you do? Those girls were falling all over you!"
Neville just smiled. "I have no idea what your talking about."
"Oh my God," Lee leaned over from Ron's other side. "I don't believe it, Neville is holding out on us."
"Hermione, could you pass the potatoes?" Neville asked, trying to ignore them, but his smile betrayed him.
"Hi Neville." Parvati took a seat across from him. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks."
"I feel like I've never gotten to know you before-" She started.
"Well, maybe that's because you've ignored me the better part of the last five years, even though I've been in all your classes and lived basically a few yards away from you." Neville interrupted, still sounding cheerful, still smiling.
Parvati looked like someone had just severely burst her bubble. "Er, yeah. Probably." She practically ran back to her seat next to Lavender, blushing furiously.
"Damn, Neville got a new attitude!" George grinned, clapping him on the back. "What happened during Spring Break?"
"I think we all want to know." Ginny leaned across the table. "So?"
Neville looked round at all of them.
"I think it's almost time for Potions." He said finally, getting up and grabbing his bag. "See you there, Hermione." He actually winked at her before he turned and left the table.
By lunchtime, the whole school was buzzing about Neville.
His looks hadn't changed much, but he somehow seemed...different. Taller. And stronger. And hotter, according to Parvati and Lavender, and 99.999999 percent of the female population of Hogwarts, Hermione being the silent minority as usual.
Stories were flying everywhere. Several people were telling of how he had put his hand up in class, and gotten the right answer every time.
Hannah Abbot swore that she had seen a seventh year Ravenclaw girl walk past Neville, then turn and look again. No one had given Neville a second look since his second year, and that was just Hagrid making sure he wasn't a first year.
And some random Hufflepuff boy was practically shouting that Neville had passed Fitch in the hall...and smiled at him. Fitch was severely shook up by the encounter, but Neville didn't even seem to notice anything different.
All talk seemed to cease as Neville walked into the Great Hall, followed by a group of girls.
As he took a seat at the Gryffindor table between Ron and Hermione, Fred leaned over and stage-whispered, "Neville, what did you do? Those girls were falling all over you!"
Neville just smiled. "I have no idea what your talking about."
"Oh my God," Lee leaned over from Ron's other side. "I don't believe it, Neville is holding out on us."
"Hermione, could you pass the potatoes?" Neville asked, trying to ignore them, but his smile betrayed him.
"Hi Neville." Parvati took a seat across from him. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks."
"I feel like I've never gotten to know you before-" She started.
"Well, maybe that's because you've ignored me the better part of the last five years, even though I've been in all your classes and lived basically a few yards away from you." Neville interrupted, still sounding cheerful, still smiling.
Parvati looked like someone had just severely burst her bubble. "Er, yeah. Probably." She practically ran back to her seat next to Lavender, blushing furiously.
"Damn, Neville got a new attitude!" George grinned, clapping him on the back. "What happened during Spring Break?"
"I think we all want to know." Ginny leaned across the table. "So?"
Neville looked round at all of them.
"I think it's almost time for Potions." He said finally, getting up and grabbing his bag. "See you there, Hermione." He actually winked at her before he turned and left the table.