Chapter Text
“Now, when you trim the leaves make sure you do it very carefully and very slowly,” Pomona Sprout spoke as she walked around the room observing everyone as she continued to talk, “If you cut too quickly, the plant will squirt you as a defense mechanism. If it does squirt, don’t let it touch you. Or your skin will melt.”
You began to trim your Mink worm plant. You managed to get through trimming four leaves before Seamus did the very thing he wasn’t supposed to. He ended up cutting too quickly and the plant squirted him. It must have ended up all over him because the second it happened he screamed in pain. The scream startled you in the middle of trimming and caused you to cut your mink worm leaf too quickly. It too spat a liquid. You felt someone yank you backwards and the liquid landed just in front of you on the ground.
Turning around you saw the person who had saved you from a disaster. It was Neville Longbottom who was working next to you. “Thanks.” You breathed out and gave him a quick hug without thinking.
When your brain caught up with what your body did you ended up blushing furiously without being able to hide. Instead you turned back to your Mink Worm plant and continued to work. Neville did as well. Usually the two of you would talk all throughout class while you worked. But since both of you were socially awkward your hug had created a bit of a silence. Not to mention the task before you required all of your focus as not to create another fiasco.
Class ended a few moments later and everyone piled out of the greenhouse as soon as possible. Immediately you ran back to the Gryffindor common room and were followed by Hermione Granger. She had quickly become an invaluable friend to you since your first year together.
You stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady and spoke the password “Lemon Burst.” The fat lady swung open and you ran in and plopped yourself down on the couch.
“Did you really have to run all the way here?” Hermione spoke out of breath and sat down next you.
“Did you see what happened in class? I needed to run here.”
“I saw you hug Neville, I don’t think that’s worthy of a mad dash to Gryffindor tower though.”
You looked around for people and decided to leave. Grabbing Hermione by the arm you dragged her to your quarters. You had the room to yourselves. Sitting on your beds you looked Hermione in the eyes.
“I have a massive crush on Neville. So hugging him was kind of a big deal.” You admitted sheepishly.
“But you two talk all the time. A hug shouldn’t make a difference.” Hermione counseled you.
“I know. But it’s just. I get nervous around him. I can hide it when we’re just talking and working on our plants. But when it comes to any physical contact it’s like explode with embarrassment.” You fell back on your bed dramatically.
“I… I don’t really know what to tell you Y/n.”
“It’s okay. I just need to calm down.”You mumbled through your arm that was now covering your face.
A while later you had calmed down and made your way down to the common room. Hermione was sitting in front of the fireplace with Ron and Harry. You weren’t really friends with them, but you were civil to one another when in each other’s company. You spotted Neville sitting on the couch in the corner, his nose in a book. You started to head over to him to talk. On your way you catch eyes with Hermione. She gives you a discreet thumbs up. Ron and Harry do the same even though they don’t really know why.
Reaching Neville you waved to him to catch his attention. He looked up from the book and smiled at you widely. You thought you caught a bit of a blush in his cheeks and smiled back.
“Hi Y/N!” Neville said happily closing his book.
“Hi Neville. I was wondering If I could ask you something.”
“Of course.”
“I was wondering if you’d like to study together some time.”
“Definitely, yeah.” He smiled even wider than before.
The rest of the night was as good as it could have ever gotten. The two of you did some homework together and spent the whole time talking and laughing together. You even got a few teasing looks from Hermione. Katie Bell had even picked at something else going on between you.
When you had finally parted ways with Neville and entered your dormitory you were immediately bombarded with questions.
“So have a nice time with Neville?” Katie Bell teased.
“Oh please Katie, I’m sure they just had a casual conversation.” Hermione tried to keep a serious tone, but the sarcasm in her voice stuck out like a sore thumb.
“It was a perfectly normal conversation. We just happened to make plans to study together tomorrow as well.
The girls raised their eyebrows as if they weren’t buying it at all. You ignored them and simply got in bed. They did the same and you continued to whisper to each other in the darkness about anything other than Neville Longbottom.