Accidental Magic

Accidental Magic

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the otherwise silent common room.

A young woman was sprawled across the floor, her face hidden under russet waves of hair. The Gryffindor students who were observing quickly began to scurry up the stairs towards their dorms, while others whispered in awe, "Blimey, someone better get McGonagall before she blows up the whole tower!" or "I wouldn't want to be the git who started that...never piss off a witch."

Hermione's loud sobs reverberated through the room, punctuated by explosions of different sorts. First it was the drinking fountain in the corner, then the vase that stood on the mantle. It wouldn't be long before all breakables in the common room would be shattered.

The room cleared out except for one person. Neville walked cautiously toward the distraught girl.

"Hermione?" he whispered. He reached out to touch her and pulled back when another object exploded. He knelt down next to her, confused. The last time he saw this sort of uncontrolled power, well, was when his Uncle Algie told his grandmum he was going to work in the muggle sewers. It took weeks for her to reparo everything she had shattered in the house. He knew Gran was a powerful witch. He imagined getting dumped in the Great Hall by someone who was not only her boyfriend, but a friend, would sort of top that.

"Why? Why did he do it, Nev? Why did he do it to me?" She looked up at him with red eyes and tears streaming down her blotchy cheeks. "I would have done anything for him!"

Neville looked at her carefully, trying to keep the anger he felt toward Ron from showing, then brushed her wild hair back behind her ear. "People usually take advantage of what they know will always be there, 'Mione. I know he's your friend. He's mine, too. But...he doesn't see you, not really." Not like I do. But then people never see me either. You don't.

"Why can't he see me? If he didn't see me, why did he take it to begin with?" She blushed, realizing what she was saying. Neville blushed too, the lucky bastard. Bet he didn't even know how lucky he really was.

After years of watching her, sitting next to her, working with her, he knew how brilliant she was, knew how misunderstood she was. And he thought he was one of the few who really saw how lonely she was.

He thought back to the scene in the Great Hall. Ron, all red hair and fiery temper, screamed louder than a howler about how she didn't truly care for him, and how he was stupid to think that she actually cared for him. He blushed in memory at how even the Slytherins looked shocked at how crude he had been. It was then that the first glass in the hall exploded, and she rushed out of the hall. Harry stayed with Ron. No one noticed that he had quietly followed Hermione, quietly repairing the exploding objects up the stairs and down the hall until she reached Gryffindor Tower

He jumped slightly; whether it was because something else spontaneously shattered, or because Hermione put her head on his thigh, he wasn't willing to decide. He continued to stroke her hair as he sniffles subsided.

"Why are you here, Neville?" she asked, looking up at him, her wet eyes luminous.

She noticed the deer in the headlights look, but heard his steady voice answer softly, "Because you needed me."