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She had spent most of the day there, and was ashamed to admit that none of the other Gryffindors had come to visit, though there had been a group of Slytherins who'd come to the door, but turned around quickly when they spotted her seated at the unconscious boy's side. She was furious with Ron and Harry, and mentally noted to give them a strong talking-to when Neville finally got out. How dare they not visit him, especially when it was Ron whom Neville had tried to aid in his petty little fight with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.
Shifting and shuffling sheets in the bed next to her told her that Neville was finally waking. She leaned forward a bit, letting him know that she was there. When he was finally aware of his surroundings, he looked at her for a minute before finally speaking.
"Hermione. What are you doing here?" He questioned, surprised and seemingly curling up into himself as he sat up against the metal bars at the top of the hospital cot. She smiled at him, trying to make him feel more relaxed.
"I'm visiting you, Neville. What else would I be doing? Honestly, I can't believe no one else has, aside from those Slytherins. Really, after you tried to help Ron, the least he could have done is drop by or send a card." Neville flinched violently at the mention of the Slytherins, but she shrugged it off. They hadn't got past the door, anyways.
"Oh. No, he didn't have to. I didn't expect anything," he mumbled, and she barely caught the words. They upset her all the more for their passive tone. As if he were trying not to be a bother.
"Neville, you shouldn't accept that. You should expect your friends to care that you're in the hospital wing - they should visit you, especially when you only got landed here because you tried to help them with something. You certainly didn't have to." As she spoke, her fury with Ron bubbled up once more.
"Well, it's not like I helped that much. I guess I'm not such a Gryffindor after all," he mumbled again, and she had to strain to hear what he said once more. It upset her more than Ron not visiting him. Confused, she responded.
"What do you mean, you're not a Gryffindor?" She frowned, awaiting his sure-to-be-mumbled answer.
"Well, we didn't win the fight, did we? I got beat so bad I had to be taken to the hospital wing. Gran says dad got in loads of fights at school, and he won all of them." He cringed, and seemed to get more upset at the mention of his dad, but Hermione hardly noticed past her anger and sadness.
"Neville, whoever told you that being a Gryffindor was about winning fights with other students was sorrily mistaken. Being a Gryffindor's about being courageous. It means that you jumped in when you saw that Ron was in trouble, not that you beat the other boys until they got landed in here," she told him with sympathy. She frowned before continuing.
"If you want an example of someone who obviously doesn't belong in Gryffindor, just look at me." She hung her head so that he couldn't see her disappointed expression. His voice penetrated the barrier her hair made around her face.
"What do you mean? You obviously belong in Gryffindor, Hermione!" He said, and her head slowly rose so she could look at him again. She sighed.
"No I don't, Neville. I wouldn't have had the courage to help Ron in that fight. If anything, I would've tried to diffuse the situation with my words. I should be in Ravenclaw or something, not Gryffindor," she told him, rather ashamed to admit it to the boy who had, in fact, helped Ron. Her head started to droop again, but Neville spoke quickly.
"But, you've just told me that fighting isn't what makes a person a Gryffindor. You said you'd try to resolve the fight - even if it was with words, you'd still have the courage to help your friend," he stated adamantly. She smiled at him, appreciative of his support.
"Besides that, I've seen you be courageous. You tried to stop Harry and Ron when they went off to that after-hours duel with Malfoy. And I heard you guys fight when we got back to the common room and were heading to bed. I'd never have had the courage to do something like that." He frowned, but Hermione could feel her smile grow to a large, genuinely happy one.
"Yes, you would, Neville. Of course you would. The sorting hat's never wrong. You are a Gryffindor, and you are courageous." He gave her a sheepish smile in return.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, before Hermione spoke up.
"Well, I really ought to be going now. I took the responsibility of bringing the schoolwork you've missed to you, it's right here on your bedside table. There's not much, but you should really get started on it. I need to go back to Gryffindor tower and do my own. I'll visit you again if I have the time tonight, or if you're still in here tomorrow." She gave him a last smile and got up to go.
"Hey Hermione?" He called just before she passed the privacy screen beside him. She stopped, turning to look at him with a faint expectant look. He blushed a bit.
"Thank you. For the talk, and all." He ducked his head down a bit, but still watched her. She smiled at him.
"You as well. Do that homework now, and get plenty of rest. Feel better, Neville," she said before turning and hurrying off again.