Scars That Heal (Dramione Fanfiction) [COMPLETE]

37 - Soft Whispers, Soft Sheets

As April began to shine on the horizon, Hermione started her NEWT revision. The exams began in late May, and she should have been preparing for months already, but there had just been so many things she had wanted to do. There had been informal Quidditch games on the pitch, Hogsmeade visits, random walks by the Lake, dorm feasts and various clubs and activities that seemed so much more inviting than diagrams and annotations. Still, the others had also started to feel the pressure and had agreed to join her in making a start on their work.

They arranged at least two lunchtimes a week when they would go to the library and do their work at the desks, passing textbooks between them and testing each other on the seven uses of dragon blood over and over. The weather was starting to warm up and on a few occasions it was even nice enough to sit outside by the Lake, although there was always one incident of someone's notes blowing away and nearly meeting a watery end.

One Saturday lunchtime, the group realised they needed help with a part of the Herbology course, so Hermione offered to find Neville and get some notes. She walked up to the greenhouses, and searched around until she found him watering a small orange bush that was faintly steaming.

"Ah, hi there Hermione," Neville said as he put down his wand and wiped the soil off his hands. "How are you?"

"Fine. Exam stress, but not much else. The others and I were trying to revise the fourth dimension of leaf extension, but we realised that none of us had the formulae. By any chance can you remember them?"

Neville reeled off the four equations and Hermione copied them down. She looked at him with interest and he flushed a little.

"Well, if that's all you needed, then, um, I need to get back to, er --"

"How was your date with Hannah?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"M-My date?" Neville asked, looking anywhere but at Hermione. "Erm... it was good."

"Good? Is that all?" Hermione coaxed.

"Well, if I'm honest it was fantastic. It was really lovely. I took her to a Muggle teashop, which I thought would be interesting, and we had such a good time. She's really nice, Hermione. I don't know what I did to persuade her to go on a date with me." Neville smiled fondly at his shoes.

"You were yourself, and that's all she could possibly want. What happened afterwards? Did you offer to take her out again sometime?"

"Actually, Hannah said that it was her turn to pay for something and she's going to take me somewhere in a week, as soon as we can both find time off." Neville looked at Hermione and grinned. "I really think she might like me."

"I'd hope so, given she's offering to pay for your date. Have you kissed yet?" Hermione asked.

"S-She kissed me on the cheek after the date, and I was too shocked to do anything. D-Do you think I should've kissed her properly?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think I'm the best when it comes to spur-of-the-moment kissing," Hermione laughed ruefully. "But I definitely think you should try it. She seems perfect for you, and you've been so happy since you met her I hardly think this can be a bad thing."

"Hannah's just wonderful," Neville sighed, twirling his wand in his fingers. "I just hope I can stay with her, because I really do think I'd like to have a future with her."

"I'm sure it'll be perfect. You and her, living above the Three Broomsticks, a few children, the job at Hogwarts --"

"A-A few children?" Neville spluttered. "Take it steady, Hermione, we're not even officially going out yet. Have you thought about that with Malfoy?"