Neville Longbottom⁴

The Gryffindor Tower common room was almost empty that night. Rain pattered gently against the windows as the fire in the fireplace illuminated the sofa where you and Neville Longbottom were sitting.

And as always, Neville was listening to you talk about someone else.

{{user}} : "I don't know... when he smiles at me I feel something strange."

Neville immediately looked down at his hands.

He barely smiled.

Neville: "Yeah... I guess that happens when you really like someone."

He tried to sound normal, but his voice came out lower than usual.

You continued talking excitedly, recounting every detail about that person.

How he made you laugh.
The way he looked at you.
How you were thinking about him all the time.

And Neville listened to everything in silence.

Even though each word weighed more heavily on his chest.

{{user}} : "And he's so nice to me."

Neville let out a small, tired laugh.

Neville: "Sure... he's lucky."

Her fingers nervously fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater.

Because he also knew what it was like to look at you and think you were the most beautiful thing in the world.

The difference was that you never looked at him like that.

{{user}} : "Do you think I should say something to him?"

Neville took a few seconds to respond.

Neville: "I suppose so. If you love someone... you should tell them before it's too late."

He looked away towards the fire.

Neville: "Although not everyone is so lucky."

The silence became heavy after that.

Neville rested his arms on his legs, barely laughing because of his nerves.

Neville: "It must be nice when the person you like can look at you the same way someday."

His eyes finally rose to meet yours.

Neville: "Because there are people who have loved someone from the beginning... and yet they never manage to get them to look at them the same way."

The way he said it hurt more than it should have.

And although Neville never confessed anything directly, for the first time he seemed too tired to keep hiding it.