SHIP: Hermione/Neville

[its_a_monstertrucker]

No: HPFGUIDX 78660

(NOTE:  If this idea has been discussed before, my apologies.  
The search engine turned up nothing, but I'm told it's unreliable.)

Anyway, this occurred to me while rereading Chapter 23, 
Christmas on the Closed Ward.  US page 513.  Gran 
Longbottom meets Harry and co., and says "and you must be 
Hermione Granger."

"Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew      
her name, but shook hands all the same."

Now, naturally Gran would recognize Harry, and she apparently 
knows the Weasleys as well.  But why would Neville be talking 
all about Hermione back home?  The mere fact that she's 
"helped him out of a few sticky spots" doesn't really seem 
sufficient.

And then something else occurred to me.  It's never been given 
much thought, but Neville DID ask Hermione to the ball in GF, 
before Ron or Harry even.  I think it's pretty clear that Neville has 
feelings for Hermione.

Meaning the next question is:  Would Hermione ever take an 
interest in Neville?  Well, I don't think she's ever thought 
romantically about him, but she definitely cares about him.  
She's unfailingly kind to him, moreso than Ron or Harry, and in 
GF, when Fake!Moody is demonstrating the Cruciatus Curse, it's 
Hermione who notices Neville's distress, and who tries to talk to 
him after class.  While I suspect that this kindness is partly out of 
pity, Neville is lately becoming a much less pitiable character.  I 
think Neville's growing self-esteem could be leading into a 
relationship.

Now, some people have argued against R/H saying that Ron 
would be in Hermione's shadow.  While this disparity would be 
even wider for N/H, I don't see it becoming a problem because 
Neville just isn't a jealous person.  (Not that I think Ron is very 
much, but Neville is even less so.)  Really, I think Neville is a 
better match for Hermione than Ron or Harry.  They're arguably 
the two most compassionate of the younger characters.

Go ahead and call me crazy, but the more I think about it, the 
more I'm convinced it'll happen.  It just fits much more 
satisfyingly than R/H or H/H.  I feel much more confident about 
this prediction than about anything else that might come in the 
last 2 books.

Peace out

monstertrucker