He grinned wryly. Hermione, who was unsure of this phantom vision from her past, was glad to see his soft humour. It stilled her stirring worry. She returned Neville's smile as he sat opposite her finally, allowing Hermione to get a proper look at him. He looked unspeakably older. Far more than the five years that had passed since they'd last met. His eyes were darker, not just physically, but in an undefinable element of his stare, which he now fixed on Hermione. It was like meeting an estranged twin rather than an old friend.