Edited 9/13/2023 Minor Grammar/Spelling.

1/2 for today! I had a stupid errand to run that took me AGES, but I'm only 5 days behind now, and i'm hoping to get caught up by the end of the weekend? Monday at the latest...

Enjoy!

Thursday, July 30, 1998

Neville Longbottom was and always would be Hermione's first friend and today was his birthday, something that Hermione made sure to attend every single year.

Sunday, September 1, 1991

"You're going to do great, Hermione," Richard Granger said, stooping down to wrap his arms around his only daughter. Jean was hovering behind him, already crying. "You remember all the things I've taught you. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't belong."

Hermione nodded, holding back her tears, when he released her, she turned to her mother. "Ma belle fille," Jean Granger said, gripping her daughter tightly, "you write to us to tell us just which House you're in. I hope you make all the friends in the world, and just remember you'll be back home for Christmas before you know it."

Hermione wiped the tears on her cheeks and took a step back. "Would you like some help with that?" a doddering old man asked.

Richard looked at him for a second and held out his hand, "Richard Granger, this is my daughter, Hermione, it's her first year."

"Algie Longbottom," he wheezed, shaking Richard's hand excitedly, "this is my sister, Augusta, and her grandson, Neville, it's his first year as well."

Hermione looked behind him to see a very stern looking woman who had, who she could only assume was Neville's shoulder in a death grip. "Is there a way to get her bags up without Magic?" Jean asked quietly.

"Ah, no," Algie said with a chuckle, "I'll put it up in the same compartment as Neville's, and you'll both have someone to sit with!" He waved his wand and hobbled away with Hermione's trunk.

"M-my n-name's Neville," the boy said, looking worriedly at his grandmother. "Wh-what's yours?"

"Hermione Granger," she said holding out her own hand, Neville stared at it for a long time, until his Grandmother prodded him to shake it. After a couple of awkward seconds, Hermione turned to her parents, hugging them one more time, before moving towards the cabin that Neville's uncle had gone to. Neville trailed behind her, still not saying anything.

She stood in the compartment and took a deep breath in. Neville shuffled in behind her and took a seat, so she sat across from him. "Alright, Neville," she said looking at him. "It must be obvious that I'm new around here, and your family is Magical, so you'll have to tell me everything you know."

He just gaped at her for a moment, but when she continued to look at him expectantly, he stuttered out, "W-well what d-do you want to kn-know? My f-family thinks I'm a bit hopeless, they th-thought I was a Squib for ages…"

"A squib?" she asked, crossing her legs in front of her.

"Er, yeah someone who has wizarding parents but doesn't have any Magic," he said awkwardly.

"See!" Hermione said loudly, causing him to jump, "There is so much I don't know. I hope you don't mind Neville, but I have a lot of questions."

The next two hours Hermione pulled out her list of questions and had Neville answer every single one he could. She had to save a few for the professors as they were above Neville's understanding.

Finally Hermione arrived at her final question, "I understand why someone would want an Owl as a familiar, and cats are delightful, so I understand those as well, but why would someone want a toad?"

Neville, who'd grown steadily more comfortable as they talked, flushed, "Er, well, they're brilliant really, they're great for testing potions, as they can filter out most poisons with their skin, they're integral to Herbology, and they're rather easygoing…"Hermione was not convinced, and raised an eyebrow sceptically. "This is Trevor," Neville said quietly, pulling his toad out of his pocket, "he's been with me since I was about nine."

Hermione looked at the toad, who looked back at her, and could swear she saw him taking her in, "W-Well," she said feeling a bit bad about her question, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Trevor, I'm Hermione Granger."

Trevor ribbited at her and Neville beamed at her. "He's a good judge of character and he likes you. What house are you hoping to be in? My parents were in Gryffindor, but they were very brave, they were Aurors before You-Know-Who was defeated."

"What- er if you don't mind me asking, what happened to them?" Hermione asked, quietly.

"They were tortured and now they live in St. Mungos, the hospital, they're… not well.." he ended, looking sad.

"Oh Nev!" she cried, standing and hugging him fiercely, "I'm so sorry to hear, I know that they'll be proud whichever House you're in!"

"Gran's quite…stern," he said after a few moments, "she only wants me to be Gryffindor, but I think that Hufflepuff sounds alright."

"Interesting," Hermione said, "I'm not totally sure which I'd like best, I think I could fit in any of them!" Just then the trolley cart came along and Hermione and Neville were trying all the snacks available.

After they finished eating, Neville noticed that Trevor had gone missing, and the two of them spent the rest of the ride trying to find him, only succeeding at the very end of the trip when he reappeared in their compartment on Hermione's seat.

Present Day (7/30/1998)

When she arrived at Longbottom Manor with Theo in tow, Augusta pulled Hermione into a firm hug. "It's good to see you still kicking," she said loudly, "I hope these husbands of yours aren't stirring up too much trouble!"

"Oh, isn't that what we expect from the men in our lives?" she said, hugging her back.

"Too right, girl!" Augusta laughed. Gone was the stern matron that was featured in Neville's childhood, she'd mellowed with age and had come to accept her grandson for just who he was. "The kids are in back of course, Neville is showing them his newest acquisition."

Hermione led Theo through the halls until they arrived at the garden. Hermione loved Longbottom Manor more than the Burrow and sometimes more than Mitternacht. It had the comfort of the Burrow, with some of the grandeur of Mitternacht and the land… There were fields as far as the eye could see and four greenhouses, bursting with magical plants.

"Hermione!" Neville said, jogging over to hug her. "I'm so glad you're well enough to make it! I'm not sure what I would have done if you weren't better, probably would have had to come and visit you."

"I'd never make you come to me on your birthday!" she said laughing. "Speaking of," she said quietly, "Ginny and Draco send their regards as well, but with the mixed company…"

Neville smiled. "I'm glad she's getting to play such an important role for the Order, but damn a man can't even get his first date to come to his birthday!" Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to observe the rest of the group.

Neville had made a good name for himself at Hogwarts in the last few years, he had friends from every house, although his Slytherin acquaintances were not present at this gathering. Hermione dragged Theo over to greet some of their other friends.

They'd glamoured Theo into the glamour he wore when he came to the festivals with her over the summers, many of the guests recognized him and raised their eyebrows at their entwined hands. Hermione flushed at the whoop Dean let out when Theo threw his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss on the temple.

The afternoon in the sun as herself was exactly what Hermione needed, by the time the guests were leaving, the afternoon was quickly turning into evening. Neville, ever the gracious host, offered for them to stay, but Hermione declined, not wanting to be away from Draco for any longer.

"Thanks for coming, really, Hermione," Neville said, hugging her again.

"Neville I wouldn't miss this for the world, its tradition!"

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about what might happen next!