I can't remember if SquishyMishy02 helped me with this one, but she probably did, so there's your credit, you freeloader.

Summary: You and Neville like each other and go to the Yule Ball together... and some other stuff.

QOTP: Which Harry Potter movie is your favorite?

Word Count: 1472

You're sitting next to the Black Lake doing Potions homework. It's your fourth year; the Triwizard Tournament is going on.

And so is the Yule Ball.

No, you don't have a date. Seamus Finnigan asked you, but you said no; you're waiting for somebody else to ask you... or to ask him. You're not quite sure yet...

Neville Longbottom.

Yes, you have a crush on the should-be Hufflepuff, Neville Longbottom. You talk sometimes during class, but other than that, you don't really hang out.

You're not sure what it is that makes you like him so much, but the fact is, you do. And there's nothing you can do about it...

Besides asking him to the Yule Ball.

You look back towards the castle and see him walking with Ron and Hermione. Harry is no where to be seen.

Neville sees you and you smile at him. He smiles back, says something to Ron and Hermione, and jogs over to you.

"Hi," you say when he reaches you.

He sits down next to you. "Hi."

There's a slightly awkward silence after that, both of you trying to work up the courage to ask.

You end up asking at the same time.

"Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

You blush and laugh. His face goes as red as a tomato.

"I'd love to go to the Yule Ball with you," you say. He grins.

////

The night of the Yule Ball, you're in the common room stressin' [ayeee] while trying to get ready. But, eventually, you do.

You meet Neville in the Great Hall. His eyes widen when he sees you. "You look... beautiful."

"Thank you," you reply, blushing. "You don't look so bad yourself..."

You talk with friends and drink punch, avoiding going to the dance floor. And then, a slow song comes on.

Everyone else moves to the dance floor and Neville looks at you anxiously. "Do-Do you wanna, uh..."

"... Yeah, I'd... I'd like that."

You go to the dance floor and Neville looks absolutely helpless [I do, I do, I do, I do]. He sighs, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

You laugh and grab his hands, placing them where they're supposed to go. "Well, firstly, this hand goes on my waist-" he blushes scarlet [hello, Natasha] "- and you hold my other hand in this one."

"What now?" he chokes out.

You shrug. "Not quite sure. Just... copy everyone else."

The first few seconds go okay, then... Neville steps on your foot.

"Ow!"

"Oh, dear! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to."

"It's okay."

You eventually get the hang of it and dance until the ball is over. He walks you back to your common room.

"I had a nice time," he says, blushing.

You smile. "So did I..."

You stand in awkward silence for a bit until you work up the courage to kiss him on the cheek. He, somehow, blushes even harder.

////

It's your fifth year, and you're at Hogsmeade with Fred, George, Lee, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The first three are leading the group and cracking jokes, and the latter three are talking amongst themselves. Neville holds your hand as you walk.

You can hear Fred, George, and Lee and laugh at their jokes.

Fred grins, "Well, Geroge-"

"I'm sorry," George interrupts, "what did you just call me?"

For some reason, you find this hilarious. Neville looks over at you laughing and... is completely blown away. You look so... beautiful...

Merlin's beard, he's head over heels.

You look over at him and, in a burst of emotion, he kisses you. After initial shock, you kiss back, pulling him in. He wraps his arms around you.

Your first kiss.

You pull away and Ron whoops. Hermione smacks him on the back of the head, and Harry laughs. You smile at Neville, whose cheeks are not just blushing from the cold [hello again, Natasha].

////

It's seventh year, and you've been helping Neville in the Room of Requirement. You're sleeping in the same cot to create more room for the other students.

At first, he was nervous.

"I mean- do you really- I snore. I think. At least Dean says so-"

"Neville, it's fine."

Eventually, he got over his nerves about the cot, but not about Voldemort and the other kids at Hogwarts.

"Y/N, think of the first years-"

"I know, Neville."

"And Harry - where's he? And Ron? And Hermione?"

"I'm sure wherever they are, they're fighting their own fight."

Neville sighs, running a hand through his hair. You hug him tightly and lay his head on your shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Nev, I promise."

You stand like that for a while, until he pulls back. You lightly laugh. "I know it's not a good time to say this, but I'm still amazed at how hot you are."

He grins and blushes. "I've been amazed by you since fourth year."

"Of course you have," you reply, "I'm amazing."

He smiles and kisses your forehead, then pulls you into his chest. "That you are."

////

You've been in the Great Hall since the Battle started, tending to the wounded. They brought in Lupin and Tonks, Fred Weasley, and countless others. They're all dead. You struggle to hold tears back.

Then, Harry Potter is brought to the front steps. Dead.

McGonagall screams bloody murder as everyone else stands in shock. You try to see over the other students; you're in the back of the crowd.

Voldemort tells those who will follow him to come forward; Draco walks over. Someone else walks up, but you can't see who. After a silence, Voldemort says, "Well, I must say I'd hoped for better." The Death Eaters laugh. Voldemort continues, "And who might you be?"

"Neville Longbottom."

Immediately, you start pushing through the crowd. "NEVILLE!" you shout as Death Eaters laugh. Everyone turns and looks at you as you push to the front. You grab Neville's arm with tears in your eyes. Voldemort smiles at you. Neville gently pushes you back and continues.

"I'd like to say something."

"Well, Neville, I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say," Voldemort replies. Neville takes a breath.

"It doesn't matter that Harry's gone. People die every day... Friends, family..." He looks back at you. "Even the love of your life can be gone in an instant...

"Yeah, we lost Harry tonight, but he's still with us. In here-" he points to his heart. You walk up and stand next to him. He takes your hand. "Fred, Remus, Tonks," he continues. "They didn't die in vain." He looks Voldemort in the eye. "But you will. 'Cause you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us! For all of us!"

He lets go of your hand and unsheathes the Sword of Gryffindor that he was holding in his right. You step back. Harry falls out of Hagrid's arms and gets up.

He's alive.

He fires a spell at Voldemort's snake and runs as Voldemort starts firing back at him. Death Eaters start leaving. You grab Neville's arm and start to back away into the castle. Harry grabs your shoulder and pushes you inside.

Neville runs at Voldemort and Voldemort blasts him backwards. You scream and drag him back into the castle as Harry and McGonagall shut the doors.

He's okay.

"You idiot!" you shout, helping him up. He drops the sword on the floor and sighs. You pick it up. "Are you insane?! You could've been killed! For the life of me, Neville, I-"

He cuts you off by kissing you, pulling you in by wrapping his arms around your waist. You kiss back, dropping the sword and wrapping your arms around his neck.

"Well, it's not the Sword of Gryffindor or anything," Harry deadpans.

Neville pulls away and leans his forehead on yours. "Merlin's beard, I love you."

"I didn't know you held so much affection for Merlin's beard," you wittily reply. He grins.

////

During the last part of the battle, you're running around with Neville, looking for the snake, Nagini, that Harry said you had to kill.

You find it trying to attack Ron and Hermione. Immediately, Neville runs and swings the sword, cutting its head off. You run over to Ron and Hermione and help them up, then look back at Neville. He smiles.

"Well, aren't I just a knight in shining armor?"

"Yeah, yeah, you killed a snake, Nev," you say, but you're smiling right back at him, absolutely amazed at how far he's come.