CHAPTER NINE:

Oreos & Romance Novels

(UNABASHED NEVILLE FANGIRL FLUFF AHEAD. ;p)

(AUTHORS NOTES:OMG.. THANKS TO CHEMICAL77. Your review made me smile! I'm glad you like this so far! And thanks to Nadia141491 for pointing out a boneheaded error in editing on my part.. In one of the previous chapters, I misquoted Harry's birthday.. What I actually meant was that it was ironic that he'd tell Harry about having a half sister on the night he originally LOST his parents, which if memory serves, was in october. Sorry guys, I'm an idiot. But thanks for the reviews you two have really inspired me to keep this one going and maybe I'll FINALLY finish it, after 5 years of it sitting on my computer doing essentially nothing.)

(OTHER AUTHORS NOTES: Harry got the quill punishment first.. So did several others in my version of this. I thought it might be interesting to have the original character be questioned about Dumbledore's Army also, to make it seem a little more realistic. And if she's going to be paired with Neville, it's sort of a bond builder or something. Again, I stress.. Not taking anything away from Harry Potter, just telling the story of my original character at Hogwarts, what she goes through as a result of this war, and her pairing being Neville, who is a front runner in the war, of course, naturally, that will come with consequence. If you don't like, sorry.. No flames, please? As I stated, this story is about 5 years old, I just decided to post what I had and actually work to finishing it. Also, my version is slightly more out of whack.. Events are taking place out of order, I realize this.. I really am trying, I promise. Everything that happened in the book WILL happen, but things will be added to, elaborated on from the point of view of my original character as it effects her personally. I have a GOOD reason for the secret coming out in this book as opposed to the 6th like I'd originally planned. ;p)

She lie stretched out on the grass, the bleak late afternoon fall sunset keeping her warm as she read the racy romantic novel in her hands, completely engrossed in it, only stopping now and then to reach into the cellophane tray next to her, slip out an Oreo and nibble on it thoughtfully. Her shoes lie nearby, she curled her toes deep into the grass as she bit her lip, turning each page with wide and curious eyes.

So into this book that she didn't realize her boyfriend had managed to sneak up on her, sit down behind her, letting her head rest on his lap when she eventually realized he was there. "What are you eating?" he asked, his mouth watering from the heavy chocolate taste of the kiss hello she'd given him. She gaped at him and raising to a sitting position in his lap she reached down into the clear tray and held up what appeared to be a cream filled chocolate cookie.

"Oreos." she said as she looked at him, giggling a bit.

"What's.. Nevermind." he said as he took the cookie, took a bite. The cover of the book she held in her hands, that she'd been so caught up in just now had him coughing, nearly choking on said cookie as he asked casually, "What's that book about?"

"Sex." she said calmly, hiding a hint of an amused grin as the shy and soft spoken Gryffindor all but spat out his cookie and gaped at her as if she'd suddenly grown 3 heads. "It's about..."

"Nevvie.. I was kidding.. It has a plot.. I just like reading the racier parts more.." she giggled as he looked down at her, his arms still around her in an attempt mostly to keep her warm. "I can read it to you if.." she offered only to have him shake his head profusely, blushing like mad. "Only joking, Nevvie. It'd probably bore you.. One of those really, really mushy stories."

He coughed as he nodded quickly. The less he let on about just how little he did know, girl wise.. The better off he'd be.

"So, guess who cornered me up in the hallway before I came out here." Neville started as she looked up, concerned, alert, a little more than angry.. The protective spitfire tendencies were surfacing as she said quietly, "Who?"

"Zabini and his army of idiots. Told me that sooner or later, you'd see the light, be back with him.."

"Remind me to give him a tail while we're eating tonight, would you? And a snout.. because he's nothing but a disgusting prick arse pig."

Neville snickered as she sighed and shut the book quietly, lie it to the side as she turned over, looked at him, shook her head as she said quietly, "I'm not, you know.. I realize that we're both still really young.. But you make me happy.. I feel safer.. I can't explain it, really.. Besides, he's a bloody snooze."

"And I'm not?" Neville snickered a little at her reasoning as she shook her head and then said "Actually, I rather like you, I'll have you know." pretending to huff in irritation with him, the smile quickly coming back when he looked like he was afraid he might have made her mad. "My arse is getting cold.. Let's go in now."

"Good idea." he muttered as he stood, hauling her up with him. They'd just walked back into the castle and were greeted by a pacing Snape who pointed to the clock and then the parchment on the wall as he said simply, "The curfew is not a suggestion. "

She nodded and the warning look Neville got for carrying her was enough to make him stand her on her own two feet, raking his hand over the back of his neck as he muttered, "Going to take a lot of bloody getting used to."

He walked her to her dorm and she reluctantly went in, giving him a goodnight kiss and the rest of her tray of Oreos. He smiled a little to himself and walked down the corridor to his own commons room where Ron and Sheamus, Dean and Harry, the twins promptly tried to take said oreos.