This was my first attempt with these two so please be gentle

"Hey… do you mind helping me with this for a second?" Neville asked, as he turned.

Hermione looked up from her perch atop the table, where she had been sitting for the past hour or so reading. "Sure," she hopped down, closing and marking her place in her large tome, making her way over to him.

"I just need you to hold the tentacles while I trim back the growths on the stems." He handed her a pair of gloves and grabbed his clippers, quickly getting the job done with the efficiency he always had tending the numerous different plants in the Hogwarts greenhouses.

Neville had become one of her closest friends in the past months, as only she and Ginny had stayed to return to finish their final year. Both Harry and Ron had decided to enroll in the Auror program and were currently being trained inside the Ministry to round up the rogue Death Eaters still across Britain that needed capturing.

She completely understood their decision, but the first weeks had been lonely without them there to cause trouble, so she had grown closer to Ginny and even closer to Neville. She often spent time with him while he worked through caring for the flora and fauna inside the greenhouses for Professor Sprout, relaxing into the familiar smells and sounds of all the magical plants surrounding her. She found it to be the easiest place to relax, after the library.

Since the start of term of her eighth year, she had relied on these quiet outings with Neville in the evenings to clear her head. Spending near an entire year inside a tent and fighting in the battle had left her with the desire to live a quiet and completely boring life. At least for the time being – until she got to work at the Ministry, where she would split the seams on the prejudices and assumptions of the numerous Pure-blooded wizards who desired to keep their world in the Dark Ages.

For now though, she just wanted a quiet and uneventful few months for her final year at Hogwarts.

Neville put down the clippers next to the pot and took off his gloves, wiping his brow. "Thanks for the help. I hate trying to shave back the stem growths when those tentacles are trying to make a grab at me. Hard work that, trying to move around them. They're everywhere at once," he smiled at her.

"Really, it's no trouble!" she said enthusiastically, "The Snarfalump plant is extremely interesting."

He nodded, enjoying her excitement. He took off his apron and hung it on the hook beside the door. "If you want to read more on it, I can give you my copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World. Loads of interesting stuff in there."

Her face widened in a smile. "That'd be great. Thank you."

As she packed her bag and walked out of the greenhouse beside him, she looked down and tentatively asked, "Are you coming to the library after dinner?"

"'Course, don't I always?"

"Yes," she said, meeting his eyes. "But you don't have to come with me every night. I know I'm being silly,"

"I'll be there," he said.

Hermione put her quill down and read over her paper. Transfiguration this year she had found to be particularly challenging and she wanted to be sure her essay was perfect. Satisfied with her work, she looked up and saw that Neville had fallen asleep in his chair, his face resting against his hand which was propped against the table, and his breathing slow and even.

She smiled to herself. He had filled out quite a bit since sixth year, his hair grown a bit past his ears- curling slightly at the ends- and his newly acquired stubble prominent on his chin. But it was his confidence that had seen the most growth in the past months. He was still clumsy and shy at times, but the bumbling boy determined to lose his toad from first year was now only a fond memory, in the reality of the man her friend had become.

Forced to become, she thought sadly as she looked at him. There was still a faint scar high on his cheek from where the Carrow's had thrown a curse at him, only a few short months before.

She quietly got up and packed her things into her bag, where she slung it over her shoulder. She knelt next to his chair, softly shaking his shoulder. "Nev, wake up."

He breathed in deeply before slowly opening his eyes and looking at her. "Time already?" he asked sleepily, the corners of his mouth turning up.

She felt her chest warm as she looked at him. She couldn't help the affectionate look spreading across her face as she stood, offering him her hand. "Yeah," she said sheepishly. "I only had the transfiguration paper to do tonight."

He stretched and yawned, taking her bag from her to carry as they made their way out of the library. She thought the gesture probably should have irritated her, being the proud, independent woman she was, but it only succeeded in her appreciating him more. She knew Neville only did it because he was kind.

"It's a good thing you're Head Girl, otherwise I'd be in right trouble, being out so late."

She chuckled, taking his arm. "Technically, you still shouldn't be… but you know I don't feel comfortable being by myself so late, in the castle."

He tightened his grip on her arm but kept silent. She peaked up at him, blushing when he only smiled kindly at her.

As they stopped in front of the portrait that led to her dorm, she looked at him, chewing her lip. "Thank you for staying in the library with me. And walking me back. You've been a complete life saver the past few weeks."

He went slightly pink and looked down, smiling shyly. "It's really no problem."

She smiled wider and stood on her toes to quickly kiss his cheek. "Really, Nev. Thank you."

His cheeks blushed darker still, and he grinned. He found his habit of blushing rather annoying, as he'd once told her, but quite frankly she found it adorable.

"Goodnight," she smiled at him and gave her password to the painting, it opening to let her into the Head dorms.

"'Night," he replied, turning and making his way down the corridor to Gryffindor Common Room.

She quietly stepped through the portrait, her lips still tingling where she had kissed him.

Hermione was sitting in front of the fire in her dorm when Ginny came through the portrait hole, her arms balancing what looked like enough pastries to feed the entire Great Hall.

"Hey," said Ginny, plopping down beside her on the couch and putting her feet up. "I got an owl from Harry."

Hermione looked up. "How are they?"

"Good. He says he and Ron both are doing really well in their field training. Apparently not so well in the paperwork they have to do, though." Ginny smirked, biting into a tart.

"Of course," Hermione laughed, exasperated and missing her friends. She and Ginny sat there in comfortable silence for the next few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"How're things going with Harry, then? It's only a few more weeks until we see them."

Ginny looked at Hermione and waggled her eyebrows, popping the last bite of her pastry into her mouth and turning towards her on the couch. "They're great actually. Without the war to get in the way, we seem to function rather well as a couple. And he feels much better, now that he's got something to do. I think before he started training he was feeling rather useless."

Hermione pressed her lips together, shaking her head. "He told me, 'past his expiration date' in the summer."

Ginny growled, rolling her eyes. "Bloody idiot."

Hermione raised her eyebrow and smirked, looking sideways at her friend. "Yes, but he's your idiot."

Ginny laughed, "True enough."

They sat once again in silence, both travelling down vastly different trains of thought. At least until Ginny opened her mouth.

"When are you going to get yourself an idiot?"

Hermione looked quickly at Ginny, her eyes widening. "What?"

"Well, I know you and Neville are hanging around each other a lot. I was just curious." Ginny grinned evilly at her friend, enjoying how Hermione's cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Well," Hermione started, not able to meet Ginny's eyes, "you're around him near as much as I am. We're just friends, Gin."

"Riiiight," her friend laughed. "And I'm Arnold the Pygmy Puffs second cousin, twice removed."

"Ginny!" Hermione turned, throwing a pillow at her face.

Ginny caught it, laughing. "Oi! I'm just teasing! No need to get testy."

Hermione huffed, picking up her book and determinedly avoiding Ginny's mirthful gaze.

"You can't deny, though. Nev's definitely grown quite a bit in the last year."

"…Yes," Hermione replied, shorty.

Not getting the desired response from her, Ginny narrowed her eyes and continued. "He's so tall now, isn't he? Not nearly as clumsy anymore, either. And his arms! Have you got a good look at his arms? Bloody hot, when he's working in the greenhouses, yeah?"

Hermione's face grew distinctly redder, but she continued to stare at the book in front of her, denying Ginny the satisfaction of getting a response.

"His hair, too. I wonder what kind of shampoo he uses to make it look so bloody soft. Makes me want to run my fingers through it whenever I get a look at him," Ginny said enthusiastically, using her hands for emphasis.

She watched as Hermione's eyes widened with each sentence. Her face was flaming now, but she refused to respond to Ginny's strategic jabs. Time for the final blow then, Ginny thought, knowing this would get her what she wanted.

"Merlin, and that boys lips! Sometimes, I just wanna lay one on him, his lips look so soft and..." she trailed off, hearing Hermione's gasp and watching as her friend whirled to face her, her eyes wide and her face beet red.

"GINNY!"

Ginny looked at her friend innocently, her eyebrows raised. "What?"

Hermione sat there gaping at her, looking thoroughly like a fish out of water. Ginny burst into laughter, her guffaws echoing around the small room as she clutched her stomach and rolled into the couch. Every time she would try and sit up, she would get a look at Hermione sitting there, red faced and annoyed, and dissolve into laughter again.

When Ginny lay there, unable to make noise but silently convulsing, Hermione prodded her with her finger. "You're an arse, you know that?"

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny said, wiping her eyes, "you should have seen your face! It was worth it, just for that."

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms, but couldn't help the reluctant grin that spread across her face. "Now, get out of my dorm before I hex you," she said. "I do have the right, being Head Girl and all."

Ginny scoffed, rolling onto her feet off the couch and slowly moving towards the door, still smiling broadly. "I don't think Head Girl privileges include hexing students, but give it your best go."

Hermione raised her eyebrow and pulled out her wand. "Are you sure? Don't you have Quidditch practice in a few hours?" She laughed with satisfaction as Ginny's eyes widened and her pace quickened. Right as she was about to jump through the portrait hole, Ginny turned and grinned. "Still be worth it, though!"

Hermione rolled her eyes as she settled back into the couch, trying to pick up in her book where she had left off.

But there was a niggling thought trying to steal her attention, drawing her away from the words in front of her. Neville had really become quite the attractive man in the past year. His hair did look rather cute, the way he had let it grow out. And his lips, she supposed, did look rather soft. She wondered what it would be like to kiss them, then stopped that thought immediately, startled.

She and Neville were just friends. She wasn't going to think about what Ginny had said. She wasn't.