A/N: "Walking Wounded" isn't required reading for this, but it is the direct prologue of "Pomp and Circumstance", and information from it will be doled out on a need-to-know basis (and another character's perspective). These, in turn, are part of a larger story arc I call the Trickverse. See my profile for details.

Chapter One: En Route

Neville Longbottom leaned his forehead against the cold window of his compartment on the Hogwarts Express and watched her say goodbye to her parents. Her back was to him and all he could see of her was her shiny dark hair with its sharp edges and her fashionable plum robes that accented her slight figure. Even in school robes, she looked noticeably better than any other girl.

Okay, maybe he was a bit biased.

Pansy Parkinson turned away from her parents, waving gaily over her shoulder, and left her younger sister to say her goodbyes. Neville quickly faced the interior of the compartment, hoping that she hadn't seen him watching her. Be cool. He wanted to start the term off as the bloke she'd snogged in the greenhouse or the warrior she'd welcomed back from the final battle, not the awkward student who'd watched her from afar and endured her endless scorn. He'd owled her three times over break, making sure to keep the tone of his letters casual, and received two rather noncommittal responses. He hadn't been too daunted – he wasn't very good at putting his thoughts on paper either and spoke mostly of how his holidays were going and that he'd see her back at school. In his last letter, he'd asked if she wanted to meet up on the Express, but he hadn't gotten a reply. It took a while for her responses to get back to him, but he was pretty sure he'd sent it early enough that she would've received it.

He drummed his fingers on the upholstery of his seat, trying to look casual and confident. She'd be here any time now. Hey Pansy, you got my letter? Too clingy. Pansy! You look really nice. Hmm…better not offer an unsolicited opinion. Good to see you, Pansy. I've missed you. She'd take that and run with it. Did your hols go well? Better. The catch to the compartment door slid back with an audible click and Neville tensed, then looked up slowly.

"Does your back hurt, Neville?" Luna Lovegood asked, stepping into the compartment. "You're sitting strangely."

"No," he said, giving up on looking relaxed and cool. The plan was already going wrong. Neville wasn't much of a plotter by nature. When imagining this day, he'd always skipped straight to himself and Pansy ensconced in a frosty compartment, murmuring to each other over treats from the trolley. He had never entertained the perfectly plausible possibility that his friends would seek him out and join him. Luna had already settled in, and he wouldn't ask her to leave in any case, so he set his mind to the difficult problem of how to debrief his friend on the upcoming situation. "Good holiday?" he asked in the meantime.

"Finland was wonderful!" Luna bubbled. "And we got so close to a Crumple-Horned Snorkack once, too – we saw the tracks and everything – but then a storm took up, that's the way it is up there, and blew them away."

"Pity," Neville murmured sympathetically. "Listen, Luna, I want you to know that Pansy Parkinson might come sit with us for the ride."

Luna wrinkled her nose delicately. "I hope not. She's not very nice."

Neville had thought that at one point, too, but that was before he realised that Pansy probably just didn't know how to be nice and needed someone to teach her. This was the hard part. With all of the excitement surrounding war preparations last semester, he had neglected to tell anyone about his involvement with Pansy. He hadn't been looking forward to confiding in anyone either, knowing the common prejudices against Slytherins. The time had come, though, and Neville reasoned that things could be a lot worse; Luna was the least judgmental of his friends. "Well, I – you'd best not mention this to anyone for now, just in case –"

Luna leaned forward, her grey eyes sparkling conspiratorially. "It's the Blartfasts, isn't it? I always suspected, you know. Don't worry, I have an extra amulet with me."

"Er, no, that's not it. I, uh, I like her."

She looked very solemn. "I'm giving the amulet to you," she decided, reaching into her bag.

"Don't tell anyone yet, okay?" he begged her. "I think people will take it better once they find out how nice she can be." Maybe it was a good thing he and Pansy weren't going to be alone. This way, it would become apparent that Pansy wasn't the incarnation of nastiness people thought she was.

"I guess," Luna began reluctantly, but Neville never found out what she was about to say as the latch on the door was thrown back once again. "Hello, Ginny!"

Ginny Weasley swept into the compartment. "Ready to go back?" she asked brightly, plopping down next to Neville. "Hols felt never-ending this year." She turned to Luna. "I'll bet they flew by for you."

"Oh yes," Luna sighed, and the door opened once more to admit Dean Thomas. As Luna began to recount her adventures in greater detail, Neville caught a glimpse of Pansy in the hallway. She was with Daphne Greengrass and strode purposefully by, not even sparing a glance into Neville's compartment.

He saw her again on the way into the castle, flanked by her usual posse, but she didn't see him. Oddly enough, it was Blaise Zabini who looked Neville up and down as they passed and raised his eyebrows sardonically. Neville had a nagging feeling that Zabini knew something he didn't, but was simultaneously comforted by the fact that the last time the two of them had been in such a position, the Slytherin had taken him aside and shared the information at his earliest convenience. He fervently hoped that Zabini would approach him sooner rather than later.