Kassandra Bauer and the Order of the Phoenix. (Book 5)

Chapter 18: Weasley is our King.

"You and Neville kissed?" Hermione asked when I told her the news the following morning. 

"Uh huh." I answered with full confidence. "I don't really know how to describe it Hermione, it felt like it was magic on itself. I think... I really like Neville. And he and I... when we kissed..." 

"Was this recent, or did this always come from a feeling that you had?" Hermione asked, suddenly wanting to know full details.

"I guess... maybe since 4th year." I admitted. "Neville and I started talking, and I thought that maybe I had a crush on him... but I didn't... I....  And Neville and I were talking and hugging... and... last night, he kissed me. On the lips too." 

"Merlin's Beard." Hermione commented. "Well, Kassie... does he make you happy?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered.

Hermione giggled. "Well... that's good. I think you should be with someone who makes you happy." 

"So does this mean that Neville... because he kissed me... are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?" I asked.

"Do you want him to be your boyfriend?" Hermione asked.

"I'd like that." I answered. "I mean... I've never had a boyfriend before. But I'd like Neville to be my boyfriend. And I, his girlfriend." 

"Well, I'm pretty sure that you've answered the question." Hermione said. 

We both giggled, and I began to think about what it was like to have a boyfriend. And with Neville too.

About Two more weeks passed. And I felt as if I was carrying some kind of talisman inside my chest. This secret that supported me through Umbitch's classes, knowing that we were going to bring her down. Our Rebellion was doing the exact thing the Ministry most feared. And whenever I was supposed to be reading Wilber Slinkhard's book during her lessons, (whatever that was) I just thought of the satisfying memories of our most recent meetings. Neville had successfully disarmed Hermione. I was ecstatic for that. And how Colin Creevey had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings' hard effort, how Parvati had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakscopes to dust, how Mira was able to produce some pretty good magic her own, how Ryan was able to make great use of his Toon Magic to show everyone. It wasn't just for show, it was also a pretty good use of magic. Some of the best Transfiguration. And how Sophie had just loved being at the meetings... how she really loved being at the meetings.

It wouldn't have been long before we were learning the more advance battle magic. And another reason that life in DADA was good was because... now, when I was supposed to be reading Umbitch's stupid books, and when I wasn't thinking about DA, I was thinking about Neville.

The only problem was trying to find a regular night of the week for the DA meetings. We had to accommodate three separate Quidditch practices, which were often rearranged due to bad weather conditions; but maybe it was a good thing; it was probably better to keep the timing of our meetings unpredictable. If anyone was watching us, it would be hard to make out a pattern.

Hermione also quickly devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case we needed to change it at short notice, because it would look sus if people from different Houses were seen crossing the Great Hall to talk to each other too often. She gave each of us a Fake Galleon. 

"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Hermione asked, holding one up for examination at the end of the forth meeting. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches. "On real Galleons, that's just a serial number referring to the Goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting they'll change the numbers on their coins, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic theirs." She explained.