Chapter Four

Neville stared at her, "Neville, I know that you aren't really as bad at potions as you make yourself out to be. I've seen you put ingredients into the potion that aren't even on the list. You're just worried about your parents."

"Wha…What about my parents?" Neville asked nervously.

Mia sighed, "Neville…" she sat down on the grass near the lake, motioning for him to do the same, "Last year…my family was attacked...by a great evil…" Neville nodded in understanding, thinking she meant He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. "I…I was…the only one to survive…" She looked down at the lake, watching the Giant Squid sun bathing, "I spent about 9 months in St. Mundo's recovering…" She said, not really going into detail about the event. "I…saw your parents there."

Neville nodded his head, but he still didn't fully understand what she knew about him. As if sensing his confusion, Mia continued, "My parents were…um…really interested in different forms of magic, so I thought, since I didn't have anything better to do, that I'd see if I could help. My parents taught me everything they knew and I tried to help the healers…they introduced me to your parents, and your Gran."

"Really?" Neville asked, "Gran was there?" he never knew that Gran went without him to see his parents; they always needed each other for support upon seeing their condition.

Mia nodded, "Your Gran told me about what your parents were like, and I understand what you're going through with potions." She paused, thinking of how to phrase her words. "Your mum's side of the family was always really good in Herbology, something of a natural talent you seem to have acquired." Neville blushed at this comment. "But your father, he was really good in potions, wasn't he?" Neville nodded, as did Mia. "And you feel that if you do good in Potions, that you'd be erasing his memory, the thing that made him special to you, don't you?" He nodded again.

Mia leaned over and gave Neville a friendly hug, "Oh, Neville. The same thing happened to me…but you don't realize how lucky you are to still have your parents alive." She stood up, holding out a hand for Neville to, helping him up as she started walking again. "Doing well in potions won't make your dad any less special, and it definitely won't make him angry, it will make him closer to you, you'd share something in common, something you could talk about when you visit them."

Neville stopped walking as though the thought had just occurred to him. "You…you think so?"

Mia walked over to him, taking his hand in hers, leading him along a small path near the school, "I know so. But by now you're probably so used to doing poorly in potions that you're rusty at doing well in it. If you ever get stuck just think of your plants." He looked confused, "A lot of the ingredients in potions are made from different plants. If you get confused, just think of whether this plant would work with that plant, and so on." She paused, "And if you ever need help with anything, don't be afraid to ask me. Okay?"

Neville smiled and looked up as he heard someone calling his name; they had reached the green houses, just in time for the Herbology class to start. Mia smiled, heading over to house number 2.

"Mia!" Neville called, walking over to him, "Thanks."

Mia merely smiled and gave him a hug, pulling apart as the green house doors opened. Neville stepped in after being beckoned by Seamus. Mia stepped through, walking over to Professor Sprout who was struggling with overly large planting pots. "Need a hand Professor?" She asked taking half the pots from the teacher.

"What? Oh, yes. Thank you, Miss Matthews." Professor Sprout said, placing her pots on a planting bench.

"um…Professor?" Mia asked shyly, putting her pots on the bench also, "I was wondering if you were still looking for a 7th year student to help you teach classes and help around the grounds?"

Professor Sprout looked lost in thought for a moment before replying, "Oh, yes, why? Are you interested?"

"Well, not me, but I was thinking more along the lines of Neville." She started, before adding hastily, "He is really gifted in Herbology, and really eager to help, and he is so kind and gentle to the plants, and I think that this will really help his confidence, and…"

Professors Sprout laughed at this, "Miss Matthews, I am glad you reminded me of the position, and yes I think that Mr. Longbottom would be a perfect assistant."

"Thank you, professor." Mia muttered before rushing over to Neville, pulling him away from Seamus and the Golden Trio, speaking in hushed tones about something that appeared to be of great interest to Neville.

Suddenly Neville jumped on Mia, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. A pair of emerald green eyes narrowed in jealously at the display. Harry's hands clenched around the small shovel in his hands, knuckles turning white, much to the displeasure of two very concerned individuals.

Professor Sprout cleared her throat, bringing the attention of the room to herself. "Now, today class we will be handling the Hemlock tree, not to be confused with the Hemlock leaf. Mr. Longbottom if you will?"

Neville froze in his place, until Mia nudged him forward. He looked back at her, "Go on, you can do it," she mouthed. He smiled slightly, swallowing the large lump in his throat before heading up to Professor Sprout's side. "um…the…the Hemlock tree has actually the opposite affects of the poisonous Hemlock leaf, it is usually used in the most powerful of healing products. Its sap is…"

I

I

The dungeons were still as cold as ever as the Gryffindors and Slytherins spent their extended class with Snape. He had made all of them come during the free period after dinner the next day to make up for their poor class work the previous day. They were in partners again, but this time it was Harry and Draco, Ron and Mia, Hermione and Neville, and so on.

"LONGBOTTOM!" Snape shouted, scarring the living daylights out of just about everyone in the room, "What would you get if you combined Mandrake Oil with Wormwood?"

Everyone in the room had eyes on Neville, except for Mia, who appeared to be finishing up her book. "I…I wouldn't combine them…"

"Oh?" Snape sneered, "And why on earth not?"

"Well…it would create an explosion big enough to blow up and entire city block!"

The class waited with baited breath for Snape's reaction. "That…that's correct…"

Just then a book snapped shut. "Miss Matthew, my office now!" Snape yelled, stomping across the room to his office, Mia followed behind, shutting the door upon entering.

"Yes, Professor Snape?" She asked rather boardly.

"What did you do to Mr. Longbottom?"

"Nothing sir, I merely spoke to him about how his father would be proud of his potions talents and not angry as he thought he'd be…" She paused, "You remember that Neville's father almost gave you a run for your money when you were at Hogwarts as students. It appears that Neville has some of his father's talent…" Another pause, "Anything else, sir?"

Snape shook his head, opening the door for Mia to leave with the rest of the class, for the period had ended. Neville was waiting for her, "Thanks again," He muttered before heading out the door.

"Oy, Neville wait!" She called after him, rushing to catch up with him. "Um…I have to return a book to my uncle, and he has a lot of books about Herbology. If you want I could get him to lend you one?" Neville's eyes lit up at this as he nodded his head. "Great, I'll give it to you in the common room in a few minutes, ok?"

He nodded as she walked off, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up to him, "Hey Neville," Harry said.

"Hey you guys," Neville replied, walking with them on the long trip up to the Gryffindor tower.

"So…" Ron started, "What were you and Mia talking about?"

"Oh, nothing much, just Herbology."

"Really?" Hermione asked, Neville nodded, "I never knew you two were such good friends…"

"Oh well that, Mia's really nice once you get to know her, all the teachers seem to like her, too. For example, yesterday I was waiting for her because she wanted to talk to me about something, and she was talking to Snape about something…and do you know what she did?" They shook their heads, as he turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady, "dormiens vita. She hugged him! I mean someone actually hugged Snape! And he let her…a Gryffindor! Would you believe it?"

Ron shook his head, throwing a look at Hermione. "Really?" Harry asked.

"Well, yeah, I mean she even got Professor Sprout to let me be her assistant! Isn't that amazing!" He turned to the trio, falling onto one of the plush armchairs.

Just then a head poked in from behind the portrait hole, it was Mia. She looked at the 4 people in the room, glance lingering over Harry before moving quickly to Neville. "Oh, hey Neville, I got you that book." She tossed it over to him, entering the room. "It's a collection of magical herbs that can only be found in the Hogwarts area."

"Wow!" Neville exclaimed, "Thanks Mia."

He rifled through it as Mia spoke again, "My uncle as also wondering if you'd be interested in a project he's starting with Professor Sprout, to classify all the plant life around Hogwarts?" Neville nodded enthusiastically, "Great, I'll tell him tomorrow."

She started to head for the girl's dorm, when Harry spoke, "Which books do you have?"

She paused, looking down at her new book, before turning to Harry, smiling, "Quidditch Through the Ages and Extinct Magical Creatures…" she paused, slightly embarrassed, "I'm going to try to go out for the Gryffindor team. I've never been able to before now…well, good night, Harry, Neville, Ron, Hermione…"

I

A/N: Upcoming chapters will include Mia's try outs, and Ron's suspicions growing, a fight between Mia and Draco, and Hermione feeling torn. And some more Harry/Mia action…I know that I made it seem more Mia/Neville, but it will add to Harry's feelings towards her.