"Neville!"

Hannah's face lit up as she saw the newest patron at her bar. She wiped dry the glass she'd been cleaning and set it aside, walking down the bar to see him. "Hey, Hannah." Neville looked exhausted, but she could sense his relief when he saw her. Hannah grinned.

"What'll it be? Rough day?"

Neville gave her a tired smile. "Just haven't slept much. Could I—could I just get a pumpkin juice?"

"Can't have been that rough of a day, then," she chuckled. Hannah pulled a bottle from the back of a shelf behind her, pouring Neville a glass of the juice.

He nodded his head in thanks, taking a sip. "I just came by to see you, really. I… I've got a decision to make, and I want a clear head. And," Neville said with a sigh. "I trust your judgment as much as I trust my own."

"Smart. What's this big decision, then?" Hannah started wiping down the bar in front of Neville but maintained eye contact with him all the while.

He ran a finger around the rim of his cup nervously. "McGonagall offered me a job as Herbology professor. Sprout's retiring."

Hannah beamed. "That's wonderful, Nev!"

"Yeah," he said, blushing. "Sprout recommended me, said she remembered how good I'd been in class."

She thought back to the last time Hannah was at Neville's flat. Every windowsill was filled with all manner of plants, both magical and Muggle. He cared so well for all of them. They'd flourished to the point where they'd taken up most of his living space. Hannah could think of no better subject for Neville to teach.

"Do you think you'd like teaching? Because clearly the herbology isn't going to be an issue."

His eyes were fixed on the wall behind the bar, deep in thought. "I dunno. I know the D.A. didn't do much teaching our last year, nothing like with Harry, but… It was nice, leading a group. I think teaching would be something like that."

"With a lot more essays involved," Hannah added, grinning.

Neville nodded. "What do you think?"

"Honestly? I think you should go for it. You'd be a great professor—you're understanding and calm and smart. You're passionate…" He looked over, meeting her eyes. For a long moment, Hannah just looked at him. She tried to convey some of her confidence in him, just through her eyes. She had a feeling it worked.

"You don't think I'll mess it up?"

Hannah shook her head. "You might, but all professors do. Think about some of the ones we've had… I'm sure you've got it in you to be better than most of them."

She was distracted briefly; the man sitting a few stools away from Neville dropped a handful of Sickles onto the countertop and departed. Neville reached into his pockets for the change to pay for his own drink, but Hannah shook her head. She dropped the other man's payment into a moneybox and replaced it under the bar. "You don't pay here, Neville. You know that."

"You're gonna get in trouble for that one of these days."

"Nah. I practically run this place, Tom doesn't care." She put away her bar towel and turned back to Neville. "So. Is it going to be Professor Longbottom?"

He sighed but smiled as he looked at her again. "I guess it is."

.

A/N: Herbology Hangout: (character) Neville Longbottom, (item) Moneybox, (food) Pumpkin juice;

Writing Club – Book Club: Kosuke: (character) Neville Longbottom, (emotion) Nervous, (genre) Friendship;

Showtime 19: (genre) Friendship;

Lo's Lowdown C3: Write about an optimist;

Film Festival 22: (location) Bar;

Writing Club wc 565