The partner assignment worked in Neville's favor. If Parvati didn't show up, it meant he got to work alone. If she did... well, he liked Parvati well enough. He didn't know her as well as he probably should, being in the same year and all, but she was nice. Pretty. That was always awkward at his age. Neville had no idea how to act around pretty girls. He was awkward and under confident, so when Parvati actually did show up for class, he was actually a little disappointed.
However, he responded her greeting with a smile and a soft greeting of his own. Neville already had his shears in his hand, but tilted his head to regard Parvati with confusion.
"Oh, no. It's actually a lot of fun," he promised her. "You see, this tree's leaves have a really important healing quality and can cure a lot of Muggle ailments on top of being a soothing ointment for dragonpox. But the tree can die if you take too much off because it gets cold, so we need to pay attention if it shivers or shakes. Shivering is a sign of too much chill and we'll need to keep it warm."