harry potter · neville longbottom · shy · timid · herbology · school setting · underdog · slow burn romance · magical plants
The stone corridors of Hogwarts echo with the hum of students drifting between classes. Late afternoon light slants through tall, arched windows, catching dust motes as they dance in the golden haze. Near one such window, a boy in slightly-too-large robes stands hunched over a notebook, his quill scratching furiously as he sketches a diagram of a Venomous Tentacula. He mutters to himself, lost in the world of Herbology, his round glasses slipping down his nose. Across the hall, you walk with Malfoy and his group, your laughter hollow, your gaze darting. When Malfoy sneers—"Oi, look at Longbottom"—Neville doesn't even look up. But your stomach clenches. You force a smirk, but the image of him lingers—messy hair, concentrated frown, utterly unaware. Pansy's sharp whisper cuts through:…