A/N - Written for Round 13 of the QLFC. We had a list of 10 parings to choose from and I picked Neville/Hannah.

According to the new Rita Skeeter article that JKR wrote for Pottermore over the summer, Hannah and Neville were married by 2014, but had no kids. Which, if you have read Chapter 7 of Fifty Ways to Say Goodbye, seriously messed with my head canon for these two. So this story was the result. (I don't care what JKR says, baby Alice must happen!) This story references the above-mentioned article, so you might want to go and read it if you haven't yet. :)

Hannah laughed as she read the latest issue of the Prophet.

"What's so funny?" Neville called from the kitchen of the tent where he was making breakfast.

"Rita has arrived," Hannah said tossing the paper down on the table as Neville walked in levitating the plates in front of him.

"Skeeter?" he questioned. Hannah nodded as her plate settled on the table in front of her and looked up at him. Neville took the opportunity to kiss her before sitting down in his own seat. He picked up the Prophet and read the article as Hannah poured his tea.

"What really happened in that maze?" Neville quoted waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Hannah nearly choked on her tea.

"Warn me first if I'm drinking next time," she laughed, waving her wand at her shirt to clean it of the mess.

"Sorry, love," he replied with a grin.

"Just wait," she told him. "It gets better." Hannah tucked into her breakfast, starving after their rather late night last night with their friends, made all the later by their activities when they returned to their tent. She let Neville read without interruption for a bit, the silence punctuated only by snorts or shakes of his head. She could tell when he reached the section about the two of them, as his smile got wider.

"Am I resentful, Han?" he asked, his face serious, but his eyes dancing.

"Utterly," she agreed, deadpan. "The way you go on and on about the Trio's publicity? It's exhausting." They both chuckled and he continued to read.

"You know, I've been meaning to talk to you about your Firewhiskey consumption," he said, winking at her.

"Only if we talk about yours first, you corrupter," she returned. "I'll have you know I'd had nothing harder than a glass of wine at Christmas until I started dating you." She sniffed and gave him a mock glare before they both dissolved into fits of laughter.

He picked up the paper again. She saw him stiffen and knew he was reached the section about Luna. For whatever reason, any of Rita's scathing remarks about the rest of them never seemed to trouble him, unless they were about Luna. It had bothered Hannah a bit at first, the two had dated after all, but she had come to realize that it had more to do with the fact that Luna had always been made fun of, than anything else. She knew that Neville could relate, having suffered through much of the same himself while in school, albeit not to the same degree. The fact that it never really seemed to bother Luna made it worse for him and most of the rest of them too, somehow, feeling as if they needed to defend her.

"You know, I really did like those robes she was wearing last night," Hannah said putting a hand on his arm. He put a hand over the top of hers and gave her a small smile.

"I don't like the things she says about you either," Neville said quietly. Hannah squeezed his arm affectionately.

"I know," she replied, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. He didn't need to explain and it really didn't bother her. She felt a little protective of Luna herself. Neville went back to the article and Hannah back to eating, although she kept a hand on his arm. He shifted a bit until he was holding her hand instead, laying the paper on the table, so he could keep reading it and eat at the same time.

"Rita better hope she doesn't run into Fleur anywhere," Neville said with a snort. Hannah chuckled. She didn't know the Frenchwoman very well, but was quite aware of her temper, especially when she felt her family was being threatened.

"The bit about Bill or Victoire?" Hannah asked.

"Both," Neville replied. "Although, I do think that I will have to have a talk with Professor Richardson about keeping a close eye on Teddy and Victoire this year." Emily Richardson was the new Potions Mistress and head of Hufflepuff House. Hannah liked her immensely.

"Surely you don't believe any of that," Hannah scoffed, waving her hand at the paper.

"Do I think they've been snogging in every dark corner they can find?" Neville questioned. "No. But I have seen the two of them together and I'm nearly positive they were holding hands last night."

"Don't be mean, Nev," Hannah teased. "They're just kids."

"Kids that I am responsible for ten months out of the year," he reminded her. "And you will be too soon."

"Don't say that," she chastised. "You'll jinx it." He leaned forward and took both her hands in his.

"Minerva would be completely daft not to hire you," he said.

"It's not just Prof-, Minerva," Hannah reminded him, stuttering a bit over calling her ex-Professor by her first name. "You know the Board has to approve me too and there haven't been any married staff members for a long time."

"But there have been married staff members," he reminded her. "There have even been married staff members with children." Hannah stilled and Neville's face fell. "Hannah." But she had risen from the table and walked to the front of the tent, staring out the window with her arms wrapped around her middle.

"I'm sorry," he said in her ear as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"No," she replied shaking her head. "I'm being silly."

"You're not," he insisted, resting his chin on top of her head.

"It's just," she paused and pulled in a breath. "It's taking a lot longer than I thought."

"It's only been a few months," he said.

"It's been a year, Neville," she said.

"Well, all right, but given the fact that we don't live together all the time during the school year, it's not so long," he pointed out. She said nothing and he simply held her.

"Maybe we waited too long," she finally said.

"Too long?" he questioned.

"For Merlin's sake Neville, look at all our friends," she said in exasperation. "James starts Hogwarts in a year!"

"Don't remind me," Neville said with a snort. "Fred too and Louis starts this fall. You're going to be busy in the infirmary."

"Don't change the subject," she snapped. He sighed and squeezed her a bit tighter.

"Han, we're only thirty-four," he said. "Well, me not even yet. And we're not the only ones who waited. Lorcan and Lysander are only four." She sniffled then and he gently turned her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder. He slowly walked them to the couch and sat down, pulling her down beside him and wrapping his arms around her. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. She mumbled something that he couldn't hear.

"I didn't catch that, love," he said.

"Maybe it's a punishment," she repeated.

"What on earth for?" he asked in confusion.

"Because I wanted to wait and run the Leaky," she replied. He shook his head and smiled, glad that she couldn't see him.

"So, what?" he said. "It would have been better if you'd started popping out kids right away when neither one of us were ready for them?"

"No, but," she paused and sighed. "How do you always do this?"

"Do what?" he asked.

"Make me feel better without making me feel ridiculous," she told him. "Even though I am." He chuckled.

"It's my job for one," he said. "And two, you're not ridiculous." She looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her.

"I know it's going to happen," Neville said.

"Seer now, are you?" she teased. He smirked.

"If by seer, you mean that I know for a fact that fate would not deny a child the chance to have you for a mum, then yes, maybe I am," he returned. She smiled, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"I love you, Neville Longbottom," she whispered.

"I love you too," he replied and kissed her nearly breathless. "And you know what they say." She looked at him questioningly. "There's no time like the present." She laughed and he kissed her again and then scooped her up in his arms. She shrieked when he stood. He smiled and then made his way to the bedroom, kissing her all the while.