Hey everyone. It's been a really really long time. I want to thank all of you for sticking with me, still reviewing and favoriting and following. I really don't deserve you guys. But I'm trying to get back into this. I don't know if I'll succeed but I'm trying. Any feedback is wonderful.

It's short, I know, but it's something, right? I hope you enjoy it, as always, I don't own Harry Potter and see previous chapters for warnings about time period and what. I hope I'll see you soon.

Enjoy!

-Ali

The Change, For Better or For Worse

Chapter Nine: Teasing Neville

When Harry woke up the next day, it wasn't a slow awakening; he was asleep and then he wasn't. He sat up and rubbed his face. He had dreamt of an empty corridor with a single door at the end. He had never seen the hallway before in his life and he had no idea where it lead to. But he wanted to. And that was a problem because he was pretty sure that the corridor was in the ministry and why he would dream about a hallway in the ministry, he had no idea. It took him a moment to realize that he was trying to rub away a fading twinge from his scar. He froze. The dream had something to do with Voldemort. Harry frowned as he got out of bed and walked to the shower. He had control over how much of Voldemort he saw from his occlumency training over the summer. He got in the shower and felt a wave of comforting pass over him as soon as the water hit him, calming the panic he feeling.

"Thanks," he murmured. An answering wave of security went over him. "I'm safe with you, now that I can really hear you now. Thank you." It must have been because he was secure in his bed at Hogwarts. He felt safe and completely relaxed so the connection must have opened and since it wasn't a harmful he dream he got it. It's a good way to know what Old Snakeface is up to while he's at school. He finished showering and got dressed and exited the showers at the same time as Neville.

"Hey, Harry," his friend greeted.

"Hey, Nev. I didn't hear you come in," Harry smiled at Neville. Neville smiled back and an unfamiliar smirk appeared on the softspoken teen's face. Harry looked at him warily as he mentally prepared himself for whatever Neville was going to say.

"You were whispering something, it sounded pretty intense. I didn't know if you were talking to someone, saying a spell or something, or y'know," Neville's smirk became more pronounced even as he started to blush, "had a date with Mary Palm and her five sisters." Neville immediately looked away from the green-eyed teen.

Harry blinked then let out a burst of surprised laughter. He patted Neville's shoulder. "Wow, Nev, didn't know you had it in you. You should let it out on the unsuspecting masses more frequently."

"You're not mad?"

"Nah, Nev, it was funny and I needed that, thank you so much."

Neville blinked then gave him a shy smile. He was glad Harry wasn't mad at him. "No problem," he blushed furiously.

"Stop flirting with Neville in the shower, Harry," Dean mumbled as he shuffled into the showers.

"But what if I want to flirt with Neville?" Harry asked innocently. Neville blushed again.

"I don't care, just don't do it in the shower," Dean mumbled then his face pulled into a grimace as he realized what he said sounded like.

"Why can't I do it in the shower?" Harry grinned as Seamus walked in. He heard Dean mutter a, "I don't wanna know," as the Irish boy walked by the grinning teen. "I mean, Seamus does it all the time." Seamus paused and looked back at Harry with a weird look on his face. He had to ask now.

"What the bloody hell are you lot talking about?"

"Doing it with Neville in the shower," Harry said nonchalantly. He was surprised Seamus was talking to him though. Maybe word had spread to him on the train.

"Harry!" Neville exclaimed and brought his hands up to cover his still blushing face. Harry gave him a wicked smirk then left. The two other boys smirked at him as well and he rushed out of the bathroom. That conversation was going to haunt him, he can feel it in his bones.

Fifteen minutes later, the boys were all showered and dressed and waiting for the rest of the quidditch team to make their way down into the common room. The twins, Alicia, Katie, and Angelina all arrived at the same time and was that just a weird a coincidence or something else? When they approached the group Neville was blushing and not looking at any of the other boys.

"What are you guys talking about?" Alicia asked, eyeing Neville's face.

"Nothing," he rushed to say.

Dean smirked at Neville then turned to the newcomers. "Just Harry and Neville's illicit affair." Neville face-palmed then glared at the boy.

"Oooh," the twins lit up. "And why did we not know about this illicit affair? Hmm, Harry? I thought we were your friends."

"Keyword: were," Harry retorted.

Fred and George looked at each other then back to their messy haired partner. "Why didn't we know?"

"Nevvy wanted to keep it secret," Harry smiled and wrapped his arm around the grumbling boy next to him.

Neville shoved Harry's arm off of him then smacked his shoulder. "Don't ever call me that again, Potter," he warned.

Harry cooed at him and pinched his cheek. "You're so adorable when you try to be threatening. Isn't my Nevvy just adorable?" He asked the others.

Neville blushed then smacked Harry's hand off his face and moved to sit in an empty armchair and glared at the other boy. Katie giggled from her seat next to Harry. "Looks like your Nevvy is mad at you."

Harry gave an overdramatic sigh and flopped down into the blonde's lap. "It appears he is, whatever shall I do to fill the black abyss his absence has left in my heart and my life?"

"Find someone to fill the void?" Dean suggested.

Harry nodded sagely. "Wise suggestion, my artistic friend. But I'm afraid no one can replace my dear Nevvy. I can still try though." He looked up at Alicia and grinned. "You wanna help me fill my void, Alicia? Or better yet, I can fill yours?"

"Harry!" Katie smacked his shoulder.

"We may be friends, Potter, but I have no problem letting the girls attack you," George said.

Harry snorted. "That's where you're wrong, George. You don't let the girls do anything; they do what they want. I'm well aware Alicia has no problem jinxing me six ways to Sunday."

"I'm glad you recognize that," Alicia said as she examined her nails. She put her hand down. "Are we having this meeting or what?"

"Meeting?" Seamus asked. Harry looked the two boys over carefully and nodded.

"You can stay if you want."

"What did you want to talk about, Harry?"

"The younger years." He leaned forward, all business no play. "They're going to need us to really be there for them and embrace them. All of them," he stressed as he looked around the group. "Including the Slytherins. They're mostly innocent and can be swayed easily. If we ostracize them, they're going to fall straight into the Death Eaters hands. A lot of them were born after the war, so chances are, they're parents didn't get the chance to really become Death Eaters. They're all grey right now and they need help. And if we help them, and don't ignore them, the others will follow. We're Gryffindors," he made eye contact with each of those in the group with him. "We're the brave and courageous ones. Everyone looks to us on what to do with most things. We're the leaders, it's time to lead." The others looked at him and nodded. He was right, it was time to stand up and lead.

"I'm supposed to being giving a tour to some first years and showing them the fastest ways to get to certain classes after breakfast, knowing this school it'll have spread and every first year and probably some second years will be there. Do you guys want to help? We could split them up into groups – with every house in each group, it's time for some unity – and two of us per group."

"Sounds like a plan," Angelina said and Harry could see the determination in her eyes. He grinned. This was going to be a fun year.

Again, I hope you enjoyed it. And I'm sorry I was gone so long, I missed you all.

Did you miss me?

Reviews are my inspiration.