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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] mslavenderbrown August 27 2006, 02:48:07 UTC
"Seeing Hogwarts rebuilt?" Lavender thought for a moment. Oh, yeah. That was why they had had this ball. She'd forgotten that. "Ah, Neville, the open house is for the school. This ball is for blokes like you and ladies like me."

When he leaned in close and asked her that question, Lavender wanted to giggle and laugh and chortle out an 'Awww!' all at the same time, but she forced herself to keep a straight face. "It's not a joke, Neville. Harry can't help being the top" -- where was, Harry, by the way? She was going to make sure that she got a dance with him. "But, look at you! You've come along way. Order of Merlin, First Class." She winked at him. "Not a lot of blokes can claim that, now can they? And of course you are handsome, Neville. The Top 10 isn't a joke, and you deserve to be on there." Not that Lavender found him very attractive for herself. But she knew that someone, somewhere, would find Neville attractive. And Lavender had a lot of experience making other men feel good about themselves. All that flirting to get free drinks and her tendency to flattery made complimenting Neville easy.

"Your hair looks absolutely spiffing tonight, Neville," she said, reaching up and giving it a little brush where it wasn't completely in order. "And keep a smile on your face and you are a Grade A charmer."

They turned along the dance floor and she tilted her head to the side. "The dancing and the socializing comes with practice. Of course there are some people who take to that sort of thing more naturally. I'm not saying that you need to go out and start breakdancing at a club, Neville. When was the last time you went out to a pub for a drink? A Quidditch game? Dinner with a few friends?" He seemed to be very edgy in these sort of circumstances, certainly. Lavender would make sure she got a few other drinks into Neville's hand when they stopped dancing. He needed to relax.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] forevernev August 27 2006, 03:17:03 UTC
"No," Neville found himself agreeing. "Not many can say they're Order of Merlin." He'd only just come to grips with the award after months of others telling him that yes, he deserved it at least as much as anyone else on that stage did. He certainly deserved it more than Lucius Malfoy, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someday every single one of those accolades would be taken from him. The Order medal above his fireplace might vanish in a puff of smoke. He'd start receiving hateful owls from witches who thought him as hideous as a troll.

What had he done to his hair? Oh. He'd combed it. And still not very well since Lavender still had to fix it a bit. "Well, that's awfully nice of you to say, Lavender." The compliment did rise a grin out of him, even as his face turned near-red with embarrassment.

"I don't go out very often," he said, his lips tightening into a thin line. "It's just that I'm so tired from work, the last thing I'd want to do afterwards is go out and meet other people. That's always been a chore for me. Being 'round other people..." He stared warily towards the dancers surrounding them. "It's not fun. It wears me out. Always has."

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] mslavenderbrown August 27 2006, 03:25:28 UTC
"Not too nice at all," said Lavender primly, lifting her nose up in the air with a wink. She loved that he was blushing. She started smiling, her eyes looking around to ensure that they were not going to bump into anyone. "Perhaps you aren't told so enough."

All that Neville was saying didn't quite make sense to her. She could cognitively register it, of course, but ... Too tired to be around people? Gods, she felt exhausted when she spent a day alone. "What?" she said, her brow furrowing in confusing. "Not fun? I mean, gods, Neviille, not fun to meet new people or not fun to be around people? What about your dorm room mates like... Harry or Seamus? They're nice blokes. Other people from St Mungos?" How could he just be alone all the time? Didn't it drive him mad? "Mabye you're just working too hard.. or.." she didn't know what else to say.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] forevernev August 27 2006, 03:39:23 UTC
Neville hadn't heard that too often, mostly because his co-workers were elderly wizards who didn't care less what he looked like. His penchant for solitude also made sure that he hadn't really heard it from his friends either. And his family? Forever comparing him to his father Frank and grousing over why Neville wasn't nearly as tall, or as rugged, or as good-looking.

"Don't you ever worry about whether other people really like you? Or...or if they're just trying to be nice to you cos they'll want something from you later on?"

He shrugged at Lavender's suggestions. "It's all well and good to be 'round the other blokes sometimes. I mean, they're brilliant and all, and I can relax a bit when I'm with them, but after a while, it stops being fun. I dunno. It's probably just me being the odd one out." Like always, he thought.

Oh, sod, he'd probably just brought Lavender's mood down a few rungs, hadn't he? Would he ever stop mucking about like this?

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] mslavenderbrown August 27 2006, 03:58:03 UTC
How did Neville know? She almost stumbled for a split second but kept going on as brilliantly as she could with Neville for a dancing partner. Of course she wondered what people thought of her. Of course she was afraid that they were trying to get things from her. Especially the blokes. Men had a tendency to do such things, and Lavender had begun doing her best to try to take what she could from them, too. She was ashamed of what she had done before to try to get the boys to like her. Of what she had almost done the week before and about what she knew, deep down, she just couldn't stop.

"Well, everyone worries about that sort of stuff, Nev," she said, a smile forever plastered on her face. Maybe he was right. Maybe everyone did really just want something in return. But -- no, that couldn't be true. "It feels like that a lot," she admitted, not letter her smile drop one bit. "But, when you think about it, not everyone is like that. I mean, I've got Parvati. We don't care what the bloody hell the other does, as long as we are there for each other." She didnt really understand why it would stop being fun for Neville. "Well," she said, thinking very hard. "Maybe..." But maybe what? What did she say to someone who just didn't like being around people. "Well, why do you feel like the odd one out?"

The conversation was certainly getting low. Not at all Lavender's style. "Maybe we'll find you a nice girl. With just one on one, no one's the odd one out." She grinned and started giggling again. Oh, who oh who should she match up with Neville?

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] forevernev August 27 2006, 04:28:09 UTC
He chuckled a little at Lavender's question. Neville had felt the odd one out since the very evening he'd been Sorted into Gryffindor. He never saw himself as similar to the others in his House, even though he was grateful when the others defended him against Slytherin taunts. But would Lavender understand? She and Parvati had grown up together, so she always had someone...

"I don't know, really. And it's not as if I mind, most of the time. I rather like being alone. Less things to worry about, that way."

Ugh, he sounded like a somber old wizard, ready to die instead of a bloke who'd just turned twenty. What was the matter with him?

"But I suppose," he added, eyes lifting a little. "Having someone else about wouldn't be too bad. I'm not sure what I'd find attractive anyway." A slight lie; he'd garnered crushes on Hermione and Ginny in the past. The question was if Lavender ever noticed.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] mslavenderbrown August 27 2006, 04:45:14 UTC
Less things to worry about, sure, but... "Less things to do, Neville, and you don't need to keep minimalizing your life. You need to get

"That's the spirit, Neville!" She said, laughing as the music ended. "I knew you had it in you." She gave him a hard pat on the back and grabbed his arm, leading him back towards the drinks. She picked up two things off a house elf's tray and handed one to Neville. "Let's scope out the scene then, shall we?" she said, taking a long quaff. There were lots of nicely dresses witches roaming the floor of all sorts of ages. Lavender wouldn't even try to fix Neville up with someone older: she didn't think that'd work out well at all. "So do you like blondes or brunettes? Don't worry -- you won't hurt my feelings, Nev," she said, running and hand through her short brown hair. "I know I'm your favorite sweetheart deep down, right?" She gave him a wink. "Now... There's lots of beautiful women here. We just need to find someone with charm, class, sweetness and a nice body. It might prove simpler than you think."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Luna Lovegood wandering around. Loony! she though. A bit vapid, yes, but certainly sweet. Things had been rather odd around Lavender, Seamus, and Luna... But she had always been a sort of a nice girl, right? In the DA with both Nev and Lav. "What about her?" she said, giving Neville a poke and pointing at Luna. "She's very sweet."

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] forevernev August 27 2006, 05:01:59 UTC
"R-right," he muttered, still a little confused about Lavender's insistence that there was someone out there for him. Out there? In the Great Hall? Tonight? Couldn't he have some rest first and then start the search after the Hogsmeade carnival was over?

"Um, I hadn't thought about hair colour being that important, really. Does it matter?" He blinked, a little unnerved at Lavender's energy. What had he said about socialising tiring him out? "Well, I think your hair's nice." Was that the correct thing to say? It was nice, in that he didn't recoil in horror from it, and it did frame her face prettily. But he didn't think that was enough to help choose a girl.

At the very least, Gran would be pleased that he was making the effort to meet young women.

"Luna?" Neville's eyebrows raised considerably. "She's nice, but I can't imagine dating her. I mean, I'm sure she's brilliant and everything but..." He tilted his head slightly. "I don't know if I'd be able to keep up with her." He meant to completely understand her, but who could completely understand Luna Lovegood anyhow?

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] mslavenderbrown August 27 2006, 05:09:59 UTC
"Thanks, Nev," said Lavender, giving him a wry grin. Nice hair, Nice girl, Nice ball... "Glad my hair is nice," she gave him another nudge with her shoulder. "Now, listen, why don't you try a few other adjectives? Like ... Stunning, glorious, fantastic, wonderful, charming, elegant, beautiful... Don't just tell Luna her hair is nice." Because, Lavender was going to call over Luna.

"Luna! Luna!" she called, waving her arm that wasn't around Neville's side to keep him from running off. She had a feeling she might have to pin him down.

"Don't be so shy, Neville. I'm not asking you to snog her or anything. Dance with her, try to keep a conversation going. You're gorgeous and she knows it," she told him. "Any girl in this room would consider herself very lucky to be dancing with you. Okay? It's not a date. It's a dance. That's what happens at dances. You dance with a few blo-- well, ladies for you, and then if you like them enough than you exchange addresses. You don't need to owl her in the morning just because you danced with her. Don't worry. Just, pluck up." She said, grinning at him.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] bluemoon_loon August 27 2006, 05:16:46 UTC
In the last hour Luna had made a near complete circuit of the hall, looking for ways to entertain herself. For the most part she simply watched the other couples dance and stayed secluded within her own head. That is, until she heard her name. Her head turned in every direction until she noticed Lavender waving her arm madly and--was that Neville with her? Luna blinked in response, then pointed to herself in a "me?" sort of gesture. Why would Lavender be calling her?

Well, might as well go find out. Clasping her hands in front of her, Luna walked over with a look of utter bemusement and intrigue.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] forevernev August 27 2006, 05:28:37 UTC
Neville was waving his right hand too, though he was shaking his head at the same time. Unfortunately, his gesture wasn't nearly as vigorous as Lavender's beckoning. All too soon, Luna was approaching them.

"Erm," his eyes darted from Lavender to Luna, almost begging for silent cues on what to do next. He rubbed at the back of his neck nervously, attempting to chase away the troubling stress-knot that was starting to bundle up his nerves.

"Hullo, Luna," he began, a confused grin settling on his face. "Um..." Right, at least Lavender chose a girl that Neville had known for years, someone he wouldn't be too anxious around. That was good. At least he had some information about her to settle the small talk on. "Um, I was just wondering..." He scratched at the side of his head, his gaze settling everywhere but on Luna. When he finally plucked up the strength to say something to her, all he could come up with was: "Have you seen Seamus about?"

Thinking back on it, that was probably the wrong thing to ask.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] bluemoon_loon August 27 2006, 05:44:04 UTC
Well, they were being rather curious, weren't they? Neville looked very nervous, and Luna observed through her large eyes as his gaze shifted between the two women as if he couldn't decide who needed his attention. Neville was naturally shy and insecure, but even this seemed a bit unordinary. Luna couldn't see a reason for it; they were well acquainted, she and Neville, and he normally seemed perfectly comfortable around her. Was it Lavender, then? But they were from the same House, weren't they?

Of course, then Neville spoke, and his anxiety took on a whole new meaning.

The words bit much more deeply than they should have; though on the outside, Luna did little more but blink in a very slow and half-conscious way. It was Seamus's name that inflicted the wound, but then her memories from school threw salt all over it. Now the unexpected summons and the shifty glances looked much like a conspiracy. But why would they tease her? She didn't know Lavender, so she couldn't expect anything from her... but Neville?

Luna's shoulders dropped subtly. "Not recently, no," she replied with an attempt at even calm--because it might have been just an innocent query. This was Neville, after all.

Her voice might have seemed a bit cool, all the same. Her eyes moved to Lavender, then back to Neville. "Is there anything else?"

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] mslavenderbrown August 27 2006, 05:50:20 UTC
She had been proud of Neville to start asking questions but then -- She had experianced the discomfort back around Seamus and Luna an hour ago and -- What? Hadn't seen him for awhile?

"Uhm," she said, blinking. "Luna, you just talked to Seamus an hour ago. I was there."

When she asked if there was anything else she gave Neville a nudge and tried to communicate with her eyes that he should say something nice to Luna. "Ask her to dance," she said in a very quiet hissed voice, trying to disguise it by taking another sip of her drink.

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Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM] bluemoon_loon August 28 2006, 02:59:05 UTC
((Started here and continued here))

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