Last Chance
This is your last chance, you think, your last chance to ask her to the dance.
You asked many others girls (none of whom said yes, and why would they?), but for some reason, you had avoided asking her. You didn't know why. She was beautiful, gorgeous even, and you loved her curly red hair, and the temper that matched it. But you hadn't asked her yet.
This is your last chance. Slowly, you start to walk towards her. She's with some of her friends (are girls ever alone these days?).
"Will you go the Yule Ball with me?" you ask, "Just as friends, of course." Now why did you add that? She smiles and nods.
"I would love to," she said and she and her friends walk away, squealing. It takes a moment to sink in-yes! She said yes! She said yes to you, who's horrible at his classes, you, who every thinks is a klutz, you, whose parents can't even remember your name.
The Yule Ball is perfect, everything about it is, especially her. She smiles and laughs at things you say, even if you don't find them funny. She's wearing a beautiful purple dress. You dance the night away, and when the times comes, you escort her back to her room, which makes her laugh even more.
"I had a good time," she said and bent down and kissed your cheek. Then she smiles and walks away. You feel your cheek, which is still burning from where she kissed you.
-X-
It's three years later, and you watch her as she commands the room, gathering everyone's attention, even though you're the one that's supposed to be in charge. But you don't mind. Everyone listens to her more anyway. She is known for her temper, and her Bat-Bogey hexes.
"Shut up!" she yells at Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who are gossiping like old maids. They look at her startled and you laugh internally. She looks so regal, so beautiful, standing there. She looks perfect.
"Thank you," you say to her and she smiles. You smile back.
"You're welcome," she replies and you take a deep breath and tear your gaze away from your face. This is your first and last chance to command the army because you're pretty sure they won't think you're good enough.
"Alright," you say, "Let's get started." And the cheers that erupt from the crowd, tells you that you might now be so bad of a leader after all.
And of course, that has nothing to do with the fact that she's the one who started the cheering.
-X-
"Do you think I'm a good leader?" you blurt out one night, right after a meeting. She looks at you, startled, and then rolls her eyes.
"Of course," she said, "We wouldn't have picked you if we didn't think you'd do a good job."
"But…" you reply.
"Neville," she says, "You're perfect. Trust me." And you feel butterflies in your stomach, and suddenly, it gets harder to breath.
-X-
It's after Easter holiday, and she's gone, not here, and you feel broken inside, shattered, like a piece of your grandmother's good china. But now Reparo spell can fix it. That was your last chance to tell her how you feel and you blew it. She's gone and she might be dead, you might never see her again, the possibilities whirl through your mind, haunting you day and night.
You almost wish you lost your mind like your parents did.
-X-
It's right before the battle and you see her again, and somehow she looks even better from when you last saw her. She looks more beautiful. And you feel relief, seeping through you, to your very core. Which is a strange thing to feel when a battle's about to begin. You just want to run over there and…but then you're being whisked away, to help fight. And you don't care because you'll fight for her.
You didn't blow your last chance.
-X-
The battle's over and you won, you won! Groups of girls swarm you, begging to hear about how you defeated the snake, and you tell them, but she's not in the crowd, so you don't enjoy it as much as you should've.
You escape the girls as soon as you can, and go and search for her. You can't find her. Did she die? You wonder. But then you remember you saw her alive at the end of the battle. You turn a corner and you stop short because you've found her. She's right there, snogging him. Snogging Harry Potter. And you walk away because you know it's futile, hopeless.
Because how are you supposed to compete with that?
-X-
You're at her wedding and you have to put on a happy face and smile. You have to resist the urge to stand up when the preacher asks if there are any objections. Because you have a wife now, and you can't be thinking about this.
And she looks happy, beaming even. You close your eyes for this kiss and sigh internally. This really was your last chance.
And you blew it.
A/N-I've been writing in second person a lot lately, and I actually enjoy it! This was for Fire the Canon's Hogwarts Games with Neville/Ginny and the prompt last chance and the Pairing Diversity Challenge with the prompt, purple. Thanks!