Thin Pages

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Hermione shrugged. "It's just one chapter. Only if you want, though."

There was some specific reason that made Hermione extend this offer, Ron was sure of it. He just couldn't figure out what it was. Harry got the sense there was more to this too, but, well Neville was his friend, too, so he didn't really mind.

"Um... Okay I guess." Neville shrugged. "Just let me get my book, I like to follow along and make notes and stuff."

He was already turned away, so he missed Harry's cringe. Harry didn't really love when people did a super close reading of his life, but he recognized that it was the assignment if nothing else. Ron nudged Hermione with his knee.

Whatcha upto? He mouthed.

She didn't answer, gave a small jerk of her head that might have been shaking it, and looked down at the book. Of course, there was a reason for her inviting Neville. Not that she minded too much if Neville joined anyway, and not for any malicious reason, but if they were right about this being the dragon chapter, it would feel good to clear the air for something she felt extremely guilty about as a child.

"Okay," Neville said, in an admittedly good mood. It felt really nice to be chosen for things, even if it was just a reading group. "Ready."

"Great," Hermione said, and began.

~TP~

"You left the invisibility cloak?" Neville nearly shouted at Harry and Hermione as soon as the chapter was finished.

"Please don't shout," Hermione moaned.

Harry rubbed at his ear, Neville was closest to him. "To be fair, it is kind of a big thing to forget..."

"It'd be like going to fly and forgetting your broom." Ron said. "What would you two do without me, really?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Ron. You weren't there so it's easy to say you would have done better. We were eleven, excited, and exhausted."

"That combination of things left me locked out of the common room more times than I could count." Neville said. "Glad to know there really was a dragon, though."

Hermione perked up. "Yes, Neville, we really weren't lying! And I'm so glad you know we weren't just playing some kind of cruel joke. As you can see, we just didn't want to get Hagrid into any trouble."

Neville looked a little shocked. "Oh that's no big deal. To be honest, I kind of forgot all about it." He furrowed his brows at her. "Is that the reason you've invited me to read this chapter with you?"

"Well... partly." Hermione fiddled with her thumbs. Actually, the truth was this was completely the reason. "I've felt so bad about that for years but I had no way of explaining it to you without keeping the secrets I needed to keep,"

Neville let out a small laugh. "Oh, geez, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I've long since forgotten about that. Something tells me you're way too hard on yourself."

Oh yes. If Hermione wasn't doing homework or trying to solve whatever new mystery they were thrown into every year, she was thinking about every social interaction she's had, ever. Being that it was so difficult for her to make friends when she was younger, one of her biggest fears was losing the ones she's made. Ron and Harry were so important to her, but so were Neville and Ginny and really everyone she was able to make a connection with. She constantly thought about the times where she might have pushed people away, and this incident with Neville was one that used to keep her up at night.

Harry noticed Hermione had gotten a little pink at Neville's proclamation. "To be fair, I felt pretty guilty about you getting caught up in all that, and thinking, you know, that we were messing with you."