A/N: Ok, this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic, please be kind, and I hope you like it. Obviously, I own nothing other than my OC Faith/Tig, mores the pity. I realise the characters are probably very OOC but that was partly the idea, I just thought 'what would happen if Neville had someone he could really call a close friend?' and this is the result.

Oh and Faith/Tig isn't actually related to the Weasleys, it's kinda an honorary title, don't ask, my mind works in strange ways, but if I ever get round to writing the other one-shots I plan to go with this one it will be explained a bit better, along with the reason behind her nickname. Anyway, enough waffling, enjoy. :D

The Trials of a Ball

Faith stormed out of the dungeon muttering angrily to herself,

"Typical…why do I even bother… 'she's the only girl that I could think of, she's always been nice to me,' well what have I been…best friend for over three years…obviously not good enough"

"Tig! Hey Tig wait for us!" She heard a voice call from behind her, shouting her by the nickname that had stuck with her since second year. She ignored it.

"Faith wait!" called a second voice

Great, she thought, if they were using her real name they must know something was wrong, her friends rarely called her by her real name, the only one who still used that all the time was...no, she didn't need him on her brain any more than he already was.

Still Faith ignored the voices, determined to put as much distance as she could between herself and the rest of the class before answering any questions about what was wrong. However, she'd only gone a few more paces down the corridor when a hand caught each of her arms. Looking first to her left and then her right Faith saw two of her best friends, the boys who had been shouting her, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, each holding her by the arm, preventing her escape.

"Let go of me guys, I'm only trying to get to the Great Hall before you two dustbins eat all the food" she said with an attempt at their usual cheerful banter, although she knew full well her friends had realised something was wrong. Of course they'd realised, she thought bitterly, it was so obvious. The moment her usual bouncy happy-go-lucky self disappeared, the moment she wasn't smiling, laughing and joking, even a stranger would notice the difference.

"Come off it Tig" said Dean as they walked along, the two boys now flanking her "Give us some credit, we know something's wrong, we're not that dim"

"Yeah, it is kinda obvious Tig. Even if we hadn't known you for years, I mean the lack of noise and chaos is usually a good sign" stated Seamus with a grin

"Well thank you Fin for once again proving your amazing talents as Mr. Sensitive" replied Faith sarcastically, "if I ever need comfort in future remind me to come straight to you"

"Hey, hey, alright" Seamus protested "I was only trying to help, to cheer you up" he shrugged.

"C'mon Tig, you know you can tell us what's wrong, whatever it is" said Dean "Either that or we'll just work it out ourselves, which you know won't take long anyway."

"Go ahead" mumbled Faith as they entered the Great Hall and headed for the Gryffindor table.

Faith didn't notice the two boys smirking to each other as she slammed herself down on the bench and dragged the nearest plate of food towards her, not looking at what it was, determined to eat and get back out off the Hall before she was forced to face Neville.

"Whoa! Tig watch what you're doing" exclaimed Seamus, as he and Dean sat down on either side of Faith and she ladled pie from the plate she had grabbed, which she still hadn't looked at properly in her haste, onto her own.

"What?" questioned Faith, looking at him, thoroughly confused, the spoon hanging in mid-air.

"The food, I thought you were veggie" he said

"I am"

"Well I'm pretty sure that" Seamus gestured towards her plate "contains some sort of dead animal" he continued, obviously amused

"Oh, yeah, I knew that Fin" replied Faith vaguely, her mind still on what Neville had told all three of them back in Snape's dungeon.

"For Merlin's sake Tig, if it bothers you so much just go tell him, this isn't like you" said Dean, sounding frustrated "I'm surprised you didn't have a go at him straight off to be honest"

"Yeah, well… Wait, you were asking 'what's the matter' a minute ago, you mean you know?"

"Uh huh" replied both boys, through mouths now full of food.

Swallowing quickly Seamus added "You're annoyed at Neville for what he said 'bout Hermione and this bloody ball"

"And upset by the way he's overlooked you" started Dean "though knowing Neville there's probably…"

"Well, maybe you can tell me why? Why she was the only girl he could think of? Why he didn't think to ask his best friend?" Faith spat angrily, interrupting Dean "Why didn't he think to ask me?" she finished in little more than a whisper

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy here?" asked Seamus smirking, then hurriedly added "Sorry Tig, joke" when he saw the glare Faith had fixed him with.

"Hmph, I am not jealous that he asked Hermione, I just thought, oh I dunno…" she trailed off sounding completely fed up, hiding her face in her arms, which were crossed on the table in front of her.

"What is it Tig?" Dean asked concerned, placing a hand gently on her shoulder

Faith sighed, then looked up at him with a forlorn expression and explained

"Well it's just the way he said she was the only girl he could think to ask, what does that mean? He doesn't see me as a girl? Or that he's finally fed up of me and the chaos that follows in my wake and just wants to avoid me? Or…or what?"

"I'm sure it's not that" said Seamus waving his fork dangerously as he spoke "I mean he's been your best friend for the past three years, despite all the havoc you and the twins cause, if he wasn't happy about it he could of ditched you long ago"

"Or not made friends with you in the first place" added Dean

"Then wha-" Faith stopped abruptly mid-question as she noticed Neville entering the Hall

"I'm not hungry anymore, I'll see you later" she said hurriedly, getting up, grabbing her bag and scurrying towards the doors before either of them had time to argue, or even take in what she had said.

Seamus and Dean glanced at each other, confused, then turned to watch her leave, spotting Neville in the process, they saw him attempt in vain to get Faith's attention as she passed him, then he continued down the table, slumping onto the bench opposite them, looking thoroughly dejected.

"Oh God, she hates me now doesn't she?"

Faith stormed through the castle, once again muttering to herself. She was still angry and upset that her supposed best friend had not thought to ask her to the Yule Ball. Instead he asked the only person he thought would be nice enough to go with him: Hermione Granger.

'It's not that I would have minded him going with her,' thought Faith, but to say that there was no girl in the school, other than Hermione, who had been kind to him, was going a bit far she thought. It hurt her that after three years of friendship this was what he thought. 'Maybe he just doesn't think of me as a girl' she thought 'I do spend most of my time hanging round with boys and certainly don't act very girly' but still this was bad enough, she had thought her closest friend would be able to remember that she wasn't actually one of the lads.

Faith climbed the stairs to the Owlery, hoping that no one else was up there, this was her sanctuary. Whenever she was angry, upset or wanted some time alone to think she would come up and sit by the window, watching the owls flitting in and out. The presence of the birds soothed her somehow.

She reached the door, opened it slowly and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the room before her devoid of human life. Good, she didn't have to face more questions about whether she was alright, which she clearly wasn't.

Faith settled down on the wide ledge set about a foot under one of the glass-less windows of the tower room, soon becoming lost in thought, so much so that she didn't even flinch when a large eagle owl soared in through the window, mere inches clear of her head.

Deep down Faith knew exactly why Neville's words had hurt her so much. She knew somewhere deep inside that she was falling for her best friend. She would never admit it to him, or anyone else for that matter, but since they had returned to Hogwarts after the summer holidays or maybe even before then, her feelings towards him had become so much more than just those of a best friend.

Faith knew how other people saw Neville, as an idiot, hopeless both in lessons and out of them, but she saw so much more to him than this. He was a different person when around her, more confident, able to truly be himself, loosen up and speak his mind, as if her lively personality was infectious. She knew few people, and no other girls, saw this side of the clumsy herbology lover, knew very few people saw Neville as a boy with any sort of potential. But she did, she was certain that one day Neville would prove his skill, ability and intelligence, both to others and more importantly to himself. Faith loved both sides of Neville, the shy, clumsy boy with substandard magical skills that most people saw and the witty, intelligent, caring person that she knew lay under this. This, she knew was the reason why his words earlier had hurt her so badly.

Neville made his way slowly through the castle, he knew where Faith would be, she always went up to the Owlery when she wanted to be alone. He also knew that he was probably the last person she wanted to see right now. He was worried, it wasn't often Faith withdrew into herself like this, her usual approach when upset or angry was an all out attack on whoever or whatever was the cause, either verbally or - with the help of the Weasley twins – physically. Neville knew that Faith's mood meant his words had hurt her really badly. This was why he walked slowly, he had to give himself time to figure out how he would explain what had happened, and give Faith time to calm down, at least enough that she wouldn't 'shoot on sight'.

By the time he reached the bottom of the Owlery stairs Neville had decided that the best approach would be to tell Faith straight out the truth about why he hadn't asked her, to tell her what the twins had said to him. True, he thought, they would probably be in for a lot of trouble - and possibly pain - if he did that, but, it was no more than they deserved, having caused this situation in the first place.

With this thought fresh in his mind Neville began his climb up to the Owlery and the angry, upset girl he was sure he would find there.

Faith was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of the Owlery door opening, she looked up to see Neville standing in the doorway, watching her with eyes full of concern and regret, but also with a somewhat nervous expression on his face, as if he was afraid she would attack, a fair fear she thought.

Suddenly aware of the tears sliding down her cheeks Faith turned her head away. She rarely cried, and hated doing so, especially in front of others. Still facing the window Faith tried to calm her breathing and stop the tears, aware that Neville was still watching her from the doorway.

She turned her head at the sound of shuffling, hesitant footsteps, looking up into Neville's sad, worried face, as he stood right next to where she sat, meeting his troubled eyes with her own, still tearful ones.

"Oh Faith, I'm sorry" Neville began quietly "So, so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, what I said in the dungeon came out so wrong, I didn't mean for it to sound like Hermione was the only girl who's kind to me, it's just…" he trailed off into silence, watching Faith, waiting for the explosion of anger he was sure would come.

Much to his surprise it didn't, instead Faith looked up at him with tear-filled, sorrowful eyes and spoke in little more than a whisper. "Neville, you said straight out she was the only one who has ever been kind to you. You said it not just in front of me but to me, I've stuck by you everyday, ever since that first day when you'd lost Trevor and found the Slytherins, and yet you dismiss me just like that. I know I'm not in the same league as Hermione but…"

"What?" Neville interrupted her, shocked by her words, "don't you ever say that again," he said staring straight into her eyes, his own now full of fierce indignation "just because Hermione does better than you in classes it does not mean she is better than you in any way, I would never think that and neither should you!"

"Then why?" Faith asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer "Why was she the only one you thought would go to the ball with you?"

Neville sighed "Because I thought you were taken" he murmured "I was going to ask you, but I spoke to the twins about it last week and they told me you were going with George" Neville's voice picked up as he continued his explanation "I know, I was stupid to trust a word either of them say and I really don't know why I did. That's why I said what I did in potions, I didn't mean Hermione is the only girl who's kind to me, I meant she's the only one I thought I could take to the ball who is. Merlin, Faith, you are the best friend I have ever had, you don't know how much your friendship and support means to me, you are the only person I can really talk to, you were the first person I thought of when it was mentioned that we should have dates for the ball and you would have been the first and hopefully only person I asked, only…"

"Only you were fool enough to believe my two idiot 'brothers'" Faith finished, smiling weakly through her tears, knowing that Neville was sincere.

"Yeah" Neville replied softly, sitting down beside Faith, nervously swinging his arm across her shoulders to bring her into a one armed hug "I'm so sorry I upset you, I promise never to listen to the twins ever again, that has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever done."

"Oh, I dunno about that, it's up against some pretty hard competition" Faith murmured, grinning slightly as she leant against Neville's side and wiped her eyes.

"Hey, no need for that" Neville smiled down at her "I'm serious though, I nearly lost you thanks to the twins and their stupid stunt, I dunno what I'd have done then. Your friendship means the world to me Faith and I promise I'm gonna try my best to avoid doing anything to jeopardise it in future"

Faith grinned at him, the tears all but gone from her face and her mood shifting to a happier one now she realised what had happened "I hope you realise I'm gonna hold you to that promise" she stated "because, apart from anything else, I need at least one halfway-sane presence in my life and I'm not sure any of my other friends fall into that category"

"Thanks, I think"

"Nah, joking aside, I really don't want to loose you Nev." Faith said meeting his gaze with eyes filled with seriousness and sincerity "So, I think it's about time I murder a certain pair of Weasleys" she finished angrily, already on her feet and on her way to the door.

"Hang on Faith, as good as that plan sounds, can I just ask you something first?" Neville asked, looking nervous again now.

"Yeah, 'course you can" Faith replied, slightly puzzled by his expression

"Well" Neville started, his voice and face now completely that of the shy, nervous boy most people thought of when they heard the name Neville Longbottom "I was wondering, since your not going to the ball with George, will you go with me? Just as friends of course, I mean I'll understand if you don't want to, after what I said today…"

Faith smiled as Neville rambled on, stepping forward and reaching up to cover his mouth with her hand to silence him. "I'd love to Nev" she said, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him. It took Neville another couple of seconds to take in what she had said, but then a huge grin spread across his face and his arms reached round her shoulders, hugging her back.

As they pulled apart Faith's expression became mischievous. "Now let's go find my big brothers, so I can give them a taste of just what they deserve. Oh, they're so gonna regret ever teaching me anything" She cackled, before diving out of the room with Neville hot on her heels.