Neville is The Boy Who Lived whose parents sacrificed their lives for him. Harry is just a girl whose parents might spend the rest of their lives in St.Mungos. At least they still have someone to rely on. Neville has his grandmother while Harry has her godfather. The Longbottom Heir and the Potter Heiress have been friends since their childhood. They have always been on good terms, bonding with each other over the loss of their parents. Sirius was scared Neville would “steal” his goddaughter away someday and Gran thought they would be a great couple. Only Harry and Neville knew they would stay friends forever. They had made an agreement when they were eight.
“Please don't be offended with what Gran said. I see you as my sister. And I know you wouldn’t want to be betrothed with someone like me.”
“I don’t want to be betrothed with you because you’re my brother. And what do you mean ‘someone like you’? I told you to have more self-esteem.”
“Brother forever?”
“Sister forever.”
Living with Sirius did make Harry a confident girl. Harry always holds her head high and doesn't give a damn about gender stereotypes. She loves playing Quidditch and pranking on whoever talks shit about her friends. Snape complained “Behave like a proper lady, will you?” and Sirius proudly exclaimed “That’s my little girl!” when Harry told them about the prank she pulled on some Hufflepuff yearmates.
“Those brats insulted Neville, Severus!”
“I knew but could you at least do something more subtle?”
"Snape found redemption," Remus once said. Harry didn't fully grasp the meaning behind those words, but she liked Snape. She believed that thanks to Snape, she would achieve an O in Potions, and with the help of her three pseudo-fathers, she hoped to achieve the same in DADA. As she entered her fourth year, with OWLs looming in the following year, Hermione has been dedicating more and more energy to her studies. Harry would have done the same had it not been for a super distracting Tournament and a relatively distracting Champion.
“What if he turns down my invitation?” Harry raked her fingers through her already messy hair.
Neville was too stunned to speak. Never once in his life had he imagined Harry Lily Potter being unsure about something. Harry was the one who always encouraged him to be more confident, to be more Gryffindor. Yet, here she was, debating with herself whether or not to ask Cedric Diggory, the real Hogwarts Champion (“You two are both Hogwarts Champions, Nev.”), to the Yule Ball.
“What,” was the only thing that came out of his mouth. Harry was looking at him like he was some kind of idiot. “I told you, what if Cedric doesn't want to go to the Ball with me,” Harry repeated her line with an irritated expression. He thought she had been spending too much time with Snape. The professor’s attitude seemed to be rubbing off on her.
Neville inwardly sighed. As far as he remembered, Harry always had a huge crush on the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain. She had been completely head over heels for the older boy since her 10th birthday party. Sirius invited many people to the party, much to Snape and Remus’ dismay, insisting that 10 is an important milestone. Harry had enjoyed the party though. The Diggorys were present too. The Diggorys couple are somewhat friends of Sirius as they all worked in the same Department (“mere acquaintance, you mean,” Snape sneered). Cedric Diggory, who was nearly thirteen at the time, gifted her a necklace adorned with a stone that matched the colour of her eyes (“Wait, how did he know Harry's eyes' colours?”). Neville can still vividly remember the blush on Cedric's face as he confessed that the necklace was handmade. Harry adored the gift deeply and still wears it around her neck sometimes, spending hours polishing it. Her childish crush on Cedric has evolved into genuine romantic feelings over the last three years. When Cedric paid her a visit with her favourite treacle tart after she fell off the broom during their Quidditch match, she realised the reason why her heart leapt every single time she saw Cedric smiling across the Great Hall.
Harry whined to Neville, Ron and Hermione the next morning they came to see her in the Hospital wing, “Dear Merlin, I siriusly like Cedric.”
However, Sirius didn't. He didn't particularly like any boys being around his daughter anyway. Except Neville and the Weasley boys. Her godfather showered her with a large amount of girl’s accessories. All of them were rare and expensive with magic attached to them. Only for his daughter to get rid of that ugly (in Sirius’s opinion) thing out of her neck. “A considerate man with a sweet smile and gentle gesture is a weakness for women,'' Ginny stated with dreamy eyes. It only fueled Sirius’s fury.
After recognising her feelings, Harry made many attempts to woo Cedric. Most of them failed miserably (in Harry’s opinion). She changed her hairstyle, but Cedric said Harry was cute in her long and messy hairstyle. She tried to impress him with her new Quidditch skills, but Cedric said he was more concerned for her well-being. She used contact lenses to show off her bright green eyes which Cedric said her eyes were beautiful but asked her not to force herself if she didn't like wearing them (Harry hates contact lenses). The only successful attempt was the hand-knitted scarf Harry made. She learned knitting from literally everyone in Gryffindor House who knew how to do it. They managed to produce a basic scarf with three colours - yellow, red, and black. Harry gave it to Cedric the day before they returned home for the summer break. She was madly happy when she saw Cedric wearing the scarf last week, as the weather had become colder.
Throughout all of these attempts, Harry had never hesitated. She didn't even think twice about giving Cedric the hand-knitted scarf. Cedric's friends laughed at the scarf, saying it was rather ugly compared to the Hufflepuff Champion's usual sense of fashion. However, Harry didn't care what they thought. "Cedric wore it, that means I won," Harry expressed confidently to the fuming Gryffindors who had also heard the rude comments.
So the question was, if Harry had been so bold and unwavering in her previous efforts to win Cedric's affection, then why was she hesitant about inviting the guy to the Ball?
“I don’t think he would turn you down,” Neville said.
Harry was whining again. Her face was covered by her long, dark red hair (Waking up one day, Harry decided she would make all the professors experience low blood pressure by doing Lily’s cosplay).
“Did you see her?” She asked.
“Who?” He was confused.
“Cho Chang. The prettiest girl in school,” was Harry’s reply.
Neville did see that girl sitting next to Cedric a few times during breakfast.
Neville pondered a little before answering, “I think you’re pretty,” than her. He wouldn't say it out loud because it was rude to compare two different girls with different kinds of beauty.
“Thanks, Nev. I agree with you,” There was his confident sister, “But that’s not the point. Have you heard the rumours? The Hufflepuffs all said Cedric liked Chang. They are having a betting pool about when these two get together. Fred and George put 5 galleons on “never” which is both funny and heart-warming. Though I think I would let them down. How can Cedric like a girl like me? Do you see the way Cho Chang looks? She’s stunning. Even in her Quidditch gown. And I look stupid. No offence, mom. I can't even behave like a proper lady. Draco didn’t want to escort me to the Ball even though Cissy commanded him to do so. The girls from other houses are talking behind my back. They said I was lame while my parents were hot as hell.”
Harry kept on ranting.
“What do you mean ‘someone like you’? You’re the one who told me to have more self-esteem,” Neville interrupted before it got any further.
Harry turned to look at Neville with teary eyes. Neville suddenly remembered Harry's words when Hermione broke down after her fight with Ron: "Girls in love become emotional easily." Now, it was Harry who was crying, tears trimming down her face. She hid her face in Neville's chest, and he hugged her tightly. It is the first time Neville realised Harry might not be as bold as she appeared to be. She just hid her insecurities so well behind her radiant smile and carefree attitude. The hateful comments about her must have been the last straw, finally breaking through the composure she had maintained.
He patted her back, calming her. They stayed silent for a long time until Harry retained her composure. Harry wiped all her tears away with her handkerchief. When she looked at him again, she was the Harry Potter he knew, with striking gleaming green eyes and a determined look on her face.
"You're right," Harry replied, a newfound determination in her voice. "I still have my chances. Why should I back away now when everything hasn't settled yet?"
Even though he hadn’t said anything, both of them knew his presence was enough. It is just like when Harry stayed by his side after their encounter with Dementors. Hearing their parents' plea was traumatised. Embracing each other after that was soothing. There was nothing to say. There was nothing that needed to be said.
Harry gave him one last hug, murmured “Thanks, brother” then backed away. Probably went to find Cedric.
“Good luck!” He said after her.
Harry was running through the hallway. If she was fast enough, she could catch up to Cedric who just finished his last class of the day. His tall features were easy to see. Cedric was caught up with some girls from Slytherins. She could be 100 percent sure that those girls were asking Cedric to be his date.
“CEDRIC!” Harry screamed across the hallway, which made everyone turn to gaze at her, including Cedric. His face brightened at realisation. He immediately bid his goodbye and walked toward Harry.
“You still have red hair,” Cedric spoke with an amused smile on his face.
Harry was out of breath. She gave him a nod as an agreement and dragged Cedric to a more isolated corridor. Cedric seemed confused but went along with her. When they were alone, Harry began to lose her courage she built along the way.
She grabbed the hem of her sweater, and didn't know what to say. Cedric looked at her with a questioning look on his face but still patiently waited for her to talk. The silence was too loud now that she had to break it, “Erm. Sorry for interrupting you.”
Cedric instantly smiled, the questioning look vanishing from his face. He said, “I have to thank you. I really don't want to turn down another girl today.”
Harry's gaze shifted away from Cedric's face, her mind consumed by another internal conflict. So those girls had actually invited Cedric to be their dates. Well, I apologise if I have to disappoint you as well. ‘Cause you still have to turn down another girl today. And that would be me.
“Why would I turn you down?” Cedric suddenly asked, cutting off Harry’s train of thoughts.
Harry's eyes widened as she realised she had spoken aloud. She placed both of her hands over her mouth to refrain from talking any further. A wave of embarrassment washed over her, knowing that once again she had created an awkward moment in front of her crush. It seemed like another day, another scene where she managed to embarrass herself.
Cedric was chuckling now. The sound he made was endearing to her ears. Then he stepped closer to her. His grey eyes glued to her face, her bright green eyes, all the time. The older boy took her hands into his. A smile formed on his lips.
“How could I reject the girl I like?” She heard Cedric's soft voice as he asked her.
Harry's jaw dropped open, a reaction that seemed out of place for someone of her stature as the Black Heir.
Cedric paid no mind to that. He continued speaking. “But I should be the one to invite you. I apologise for making you wait so long. However, it's hard to find you these days and I thought you must have a date already.”
(Yeah, that’s right. Harry had been avoiding Cedric because she was unable to gather enough courage to approach and ask the boy. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of her crush.
“Coward,” Ron told her.
“Says the one who couldn’t ask Hermione out and let someone we don't know snatch her away”, Harry retorted.)
Cedric, who still had eye-contact with her, brought her left hand to his mouth. She felt his lips brush over it. A kiss was laid on her knuckle. Now her face burned with an unusual heat, as if it had reached a scorching 200 degrees, despite the cold winter weather seeping through her skin.
“Hey Harry, may I have the honour of escorting you to the Yule Ball?”
Harry beamed. Cedric could see the joy gleaming in her eyes. She yanked her hands away and moved to hug him. “I like you, I like you, I like you,” Harry chanted it like a mantra.
Cerric laughed and embraced her in return. The answer may not have been directly related to his question, but in that moment, the girl in his arms was the only answer he needed.
(And it wasn't as if Cedric was oblivious to the feelings Harry had for him. She had made her affections quite clear, and Cedric was anything but foolish. More importantly, the childish promise they made a long time ago still remained vivid in his memory.)
When the night came, the Gryffindors were lounging in the Common Room. Harry gathered all of her friends to announce her newfound relationship. Neville, Ron and Hermione were proud of her. They pulled her into a group hug. Fred and George cheered for their winning in the betting pool. And Ginny, who had been Sirius’s not-so-secret agent on Harry’s love life, told her she wouldn't give this information to Sirius.
“He will know when the Yule Ball comes anyway. I'm pretty sure it will be quite dramatic,” the youngest Weasley said with a mischievous smile on her face.
Harry couldn't help but shudder at the thought. Surely Sirius wouldn't go so far as to strangle her boyfriend in the middle of the Ball, right?