Disclaimer- I don't own any Harry Potter characters

Overlooked

Story by StormDancer

Chapter 5

It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.

"Nev! Guess who I saw again!" Sophia exclaimed, running into the library to sit at Neville's table.

"No idea," Neville responded, attempting not to pant. He had needed to rush to get here before Sophia did.

"Neron! This time we just sat and talked, and he recited some poetry, which he actually writes! Isn't that, like, so cool! He is so amazing! I wish you could meet him!" Sophia gushed, a huge smile spreading over her face. She may have only met this mysterious guy a few weeks ago, but she felt like she had known him all her life.

"I would like to meet this paragon of manliness," Neville pretended to admit; hoping she would realize it was a bad idea. He meeting himself would be rather tricky to pull off.

"Yeah, well, you can't. I've asked him and he's too shy. So, that's just too bad." Sophia pouted. She wanted to show off her new boyfriend, not hide him as he wanted to.

"Oh well," Neville said, forcing himself to frown. Inside, he was grinning with relief. He was lucky she simply thought he was too shy to meet people. There were much worse conclusions she could have jumped to. Including the truth.

"Yeah, it sucks. Cho and everyone have been asking me to see him, and I have to refuse. They almost don't believe I have a boyfriend. Like I would make it up!" Sophia turned huge, pleading eyes on him, "You believe me, don't you?"

Neville smiled at her.

"Of course I do, little one," he said, patting her on the head, "You couldn't make up someone like him."

Sophia stood up all of her short height. "And why is that! Am I not smart enough? I could make up a lot of guys!"

"That's not what I meant!" Neville said quickly, raising his arms as if to ward off blows, "I just meant if you had to make up a guy, this doesn't seem like the kind of guy you'd create."

Sophia glared suspiciously at him, than relaxed.

"A point, I guess. He isn't what I imagined my perfect guy to be, but… OMG am I in love? That would be so cool! I've never been in love before," she exclaimed.

Neville bit his lip. This was what he needed to hear. She was in love with him, than she would forgive him for lying, and they would fly off into the sunset. She just has to say the right words…

"Ooh, there's Susan! Talk to you later, Nev!"

Sophia ran off, leaving Neville staring off after her disconsolately.

'She didn't say it, so I can't assume,' Neville told himself. He wandered up to the common room, where he collapsed in a chair next to Ron, who was sitting alone by the roaring fire that took the bite out of the cold December days.

Ron looked up from his Herbology homework as Neville came in and sat down.

"Oh good. Neville, just the person I wanted to see. Can you help me with this? Please? I have no idea what's happening?" Ron begged. Neville grinned. It was rare he actually got to help his friends with something. Even in their adventures they all had their roles which he had no part in. Hermione was the smart one, Ron the funny but loyal one, and Harry the brave leader. He was the tag along, who could occasionally be useful if he wasn't in the way. But herbology he could do.

"okay, what's the problem?" Neville responded, leaning over the books Ron had spread in front of him.

"Everything," Ron moaned, throwing his hands in the air.

Neville rolled his eyes, than settled down to some serious work. Helping Ron was not a job given to the faint hearted.

o0O0o0O0o

Sophia sat on the top of a tower, waiting. And because she was waiting, and wanting him to come, she knew he would. It was like he had a 6th sense, that he always knew when she wanted him.

"You wanted me, milady?"

The voice from behind her no longer startled her. She was used to it, just as she had become accustomed to him melting out of the shadows. She turned to face him.

"Hey, Neron," she said blandly.

"What's wrong, Lady Faerie? May I be of assistance?" he asked, sitting down next to her, his black robes draping around him. She looked up at him. A masked face gazed back, features blurred so she could only make out piercing brown eyes. She made up her mind.

"Yes. You can," she asserted.

"Well…" he questioned, spreading his hands wide, "what must I do? Bring back a drop of water from the fountain of youth? Kill a dragon? Ask, and ye shall receive."

Sophia giggled in spite of herself at his playful banter. She steeled herself to ask the question that she had wanted to ask since she had met him.

"Can you take off your mask?"

Neron stiffened. Sophia couldn't be sure, but it looked like he paled. He bit his lip, obviously thinking. 'That's odd,' Sophia mused, 'Neville does the same thing when he's nervous.'

Neville shook himself, breaking out of his trance.

"Alas, princess, that I cannot do," he admitted slowly.

Sophia's face fell.

"Why not?" she demanded, "At least tell me why! I want to see your face the next time we kiss, not just guess what you're feeling! I want to know who you are! I want…" She trailed off.

"What?" Neron prompted gently.

"I want to make sure you're not another bastard like all the other guys I met. I want to know you haven't lied to me," Sophia finished quietly.

Again, it seemed to Sophia Neron's face got paler.

"Can you just trust me?" he asked softly.

"I wish I could," Sophia answered, "But I can't. Not after my experiences."

Neron nodded silently, but did not move.

"Well, aren't you going to show me?" Sophia prompted.

"I told you, I cannot."

Sophia shrugged. This was obviously hopeless.

"At least meet my friends? You can keep the mask on, but they all want to see you. Most don't even believe you exist," she pleaded.

"So you have to prove to them I'm real?" Neville asked slowly, his voice unreadable.

"Just about." Sophia shrugged.

"Why? Isn't it enough that you know I exist?"

Sophia shook her head.

"No, it's not. Because sometimes I'm not sure you are real. Maybe my friends are right and I'm just imagining you," Sophia ranted.

Neron stared at her, than strode up to her and kissed her passionately.

"Did you imagine that?" he murmured before melting back into the darkness, leaving an irate Sophia standing there alone.

"That idiot!" she muttered before stalking down the tower in search of a friendly ear to rant in.

o0O0o0O0o

Sophia strode around the corridors angrily, searching for Neville. When she was in these moods, only he could pacify her. But, for once, he was no where to be found. She had looked in the Library, in the Great Hall, everywhere. But he was no where to be found.

Finally, she braved the possible social repercussions and went back to the Library. There, in a corner table, was Hermione Granger. Sophia knew of her, of course, but had never actually talked to her. Neville, however, had. She was one of his better friends, if Neville told the truth, as Sophia was sure he did.

Sophia timidly approached the table. Just as she walked up next to Hermione, the other girl slammed closed her book. Sophia jumped back with a squeal. Hermione looked up at the startled girl.

"Sorry about that," she apologized kindly.

"It's okay," Sophia stammered, reassuming her courage.

"You're Sophia, aren't you? Neville talks about you all the time," Hermione continued.

Sophia nodded mutely, staring at the taller girl. 'So this is the famous Hermione. She's not nearly as pretty as I am. I can't believe Neville liked her once! So she's smart. I'm smart too, and kind and funny. Why did he like her and not me?' she wondered. 'Not that I want him to,' she reassured herself, 'but its weird he didn't. I was just as good a friend. But why does she seem to know more about him?'

"Yeah, I am. I was wondering, have you seen Neville? I need to talk to him, but I can't find him," Sophia said defensively.

"I think he's in the common room. I was just going back there, if you wanted to wait here for him," Hermione answered neutrally.

"Thanks, I will," Sophia said coolly as she sat down. Hermione walked off without another word. AS soon as she was out of sight, Sophia slumped in the chair. 'That could have gone better,' she thought tiredly.

o0O0o0O0o

Hermione strode up the tower stairs to the Gryffindor common room, trying to calm herself from the encounter in the library.

'What does Neville see in that girl? Sure, she's pretty, but she's also snobby, and unfriendly, and she doesn't seem all that smart either. And yet Neville goes through so much to get her to like him. He's being a spaniel! Why doesn't she realize she doesn't deserve him! He's way too loyal for his own good, and he's kind and fun. But she demands to see him, regardless of whether he wants to see her or not. Bitch.' She ranted to herself as she entered the common room. Neville wasn't there either.

Hermione wandered over to where Ron and Harry were sitting, plopping down in a chair next to them.

"Anyone know where Neville is?" she inquired wearily.

"He's upstairs. Why?" Ron asked.

"A Sophia Kuval demanded he go down and talk to her," Hermione spat. Ron and Harry both raised their eyebrows at the venom in her voice.

"I'll tell him," Ron muttered quickly, making his escape upstairs.

Harry looked expectantly at Hermione.

"What?" she spat.

"What's got you in such a state?" he asked.

"That girl! She's such a bitch! Neville's obsessed with her, and she doesn't notice and probably wouldn't care. She doesn't care about him, just uses him as an ear. It's probably a feather in her cap, having a friend of Harry Potter's in her train," Hermione seethed.

Harry grinned.

"Jealous, are we?"

Hermione looked horrified at the thought.

"Of course not," she said so matter of factly that Harry believed her, "But Neville deserves better."

"He might," Harry agreed, "But he doesn't want better. He wants her. And it's not that bad. I've seen them together, in the library when her friends aren't around. They're really cute. He seems to take care of her. And I'm sure she was just nervous, talking to you. You may not have noticed, but you're pretty famous here."

"I guess…" Hermione reluctantly admitted as Neville dashed down the stairs from the boys' dorms.

Ron sat down once more next to Hermione.

"Damn! I have never seen a boy move so fast!"

Harry leaned close and muttered,

"Ron, Hermione's going to be up in five minutes!" in Ron's ear.

Ron's ears turned a brilliant scarlet.

o0O0o0O0o

Neville slipped into a seat next to Sophia, who smashed the book she had been reading closed. Neville raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" he asked without preamble.

"Neron!" Sophia spat without a moments hesitation.

"Oh?" Neville inquired, the concern on his face masking his sinking heart. What had he done wrong? "You seemed fine this morning."

"He says I don't trust him, but what about him? If he trusted me, he would take off his mask and show me who he really is. I mean, I actually wouldn't care if he was horribly disfigured or something. It can't be that bad, and I only need to see his face once. Then I'd be satisfied. He probably is just as big a jerk as Derek and the others. Ahhhhhhhhh!" she finished with a quiet but shrill scream that made all heads turn their way. Sophia glared at them until they looked away as Neville flushed uncomfortably.

Neville bit his lip, thinking quicker than he ever had, even when fighting the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. If he excused Neron, than she might suspect something. On the other hand, she might forgive him. IF he beat Neron down, it was possible she would like him more, but he had tried that before. All things considered, he had better try to get her to forgive Neron.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Neville began cautiously, "Maybe you know him and he doesn't want you to know it's him."

Sophia scoffed at this idea, dismissing it. Neville grinned internally. Sometimes the real situation was the least believable.

"Well, maybe he thinks you and your friends will laugh if you see him?"

"I wouldn't do that! I'm not that mean! If it's a dork or something, I would let him down easy," Sophia alleged.

Neville glared at her. This was the one thing he disliked about her. She was a snob. Not to him, but to others.

"That's exactly what I mean!" Neville exclaimed, "Right now you think he's cool, so you'll go out with him. But the moment you realize he's not the most popular boy in school you'll 'let him down easy'. Maybe he wants you to go on thinking he's cool so when you finally realize he's not, you won't drop him for someone more socially acceptable!"

Sophia stared at him.

"I. Can't. Believe. You," she spat, "You're defending him! I just wanted to rant, but no, you have to turn it around and put me in the wrong! Well, you know what, you're wrong. It's all his fault. So just shut up!"

Neville glared at her before silently striding out of the library back up to his common room.

Sophia gazed after him in anger for a moment, but her anger quickly turned to remorse.

'How could I do that? Neville was right, so was Neron. I was too pushy. It's none of my business if he wants to hide his face for some reason. What if he's on the run from someone evil, and if someone sees him without his mask, they'll kill him. I could have been the reason he was murdered. That would have been horrible!'

She sighed. Now Neville was mad at her. She knew from the few times he had been mad at her before that it took a long apology to get him to talk to her again. He was a dear boy, but he held grudges. But she would do it. She would sacrifice her pride. There was no way she would figure out this Neron business without him. There was no way she'd figure out anything else without him, for that fact. She had better get started now.

Sophia arranged her face into her best puppy dog face, and set off where she had last seen Neville going. Operation: Pacify Neville had begun.