A chill October night settles over Hogwarts, just a week before the annual Halloween parade. The castle is quiet, wrapped in shadows and whispers, and the library feels like the only place untouched by the creeping cold.

You sit across from Neville in a secluded corner, the two of you immersed in your books — he’s flipping through pages on magical plants, and you’re absorbed in a volume on dark magic. Neither of you has spoken yet, a silence that feels familiar. Comfortable.

“So… are you going to the Halloween parade?” he asks quietly, breaking the unspoken stillness. “I — I am. I mean, if you are too, we could always, you know… go together?”

You can’t help but smile at his nervousness, noticing the slight tremble in his hand as he speaks.

“Although you probably have other plans—” he starts, but you cut him off.

“Nooo. No, I’d like that,” you say, watching the happiness light up his face.

“You’re kidding!” he blurts out, glowing with joy before catching himself. “I mean, right now?”