Drabble: Blooming
Mar. 12th, 2013 08:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: Blooming
Author:alisanne
Pairing: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape/Harry Potter (implied)
Word Count: 100 x 7
Rating: PG
Warnings: None, really.
Beta:lilyseyes
Challenge: Written for![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
neville100's prompt #251: Change.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: Love blooms in odd places.
~
Blooming
~
“He’s changed.”
Neville sighed. “You’re sure?”
Luna nodded. “He had Wrackspurts, but his head’s clear. He needs help, Neville.”
Glancing once more towards the front of his shop, where Draco Malfoy was hovering anxiously, Neville sighed. “I could use an assistant.”
She smiled. “Wonderful. Plus, he’ll keep the Nargles away.”
Shaking his head, Neville watched her approach Draco and murmur something to him. Draco nodded and, after shooting an unreadable look at her retreating back, walked towards Neville. “Thanks, Longbottom.”
Neville nodded. “I’m using Luna’s recommendation as your job interview. Don’t make me regret that.”
Draco smiled faintly. “I shan’t.”
~
Draco proved a hard worker, and when Luna discovered he was homeless, she offered him Neville’s spare room.
Frankly, Neville didn’t mind. Having company was...nice, even if they didn’t talk much. He also discovered it was easier to cook for two.
“I can pay,” Draco said the first time Neville offered supper.
Neville smiled. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sit.”
Draco inhaled the simple stew, and afterward said, “You’ll never get ahead if you keep giving food away.”
Neville chuckled. “The better your nutrition, the harder you’ll work.”
Draco raised an eyebrow. “You’ve changed.”
Neville regarded Draco steadily. “As have you.”
~
Draco became indispensable. He revamped Neville’s books, finding ways to trim the shop’s expenses and increase revenue. “You’ve a head for figures,” Neville said when Draco showed him the accounting changes he’d made.
An odd look crossed Draco’s face. “My mother used to say the same thing,” he said.
Over weeks, Neville learned about Draco. The war had left the Malfoys destitute, and with both parents in Azkaban for the foreseeable future, Draco was determined to clear his family's name before they got out.
“And working in a flower shop’ll help do that?” Neville asked.
Draco shrugged. “It’s a start.”
~
“C’mon!” Dean slapped Neville on the back. “You’re always in this shop or your flat, mate.”
Neville coughed, not wanting to explain that he liked being around plants. And Draco. “I’m busy--”
“Didn’t you hire Malfoy?” Dean rolled his eyes. “Leave him here and come to the pub for a change. You deserve a break.”
“Can we both go?” Neville asked.
Dean pursed his lips. “Something you want to tell me about you and Malfoy?”
Neville dropped the pot he’d been holding. A moment later, Draco came rushing from the back. Dean grinned. “Up for an...outing, Malfoy?”
Neville groaned.
~
“What’s so sexy about Slytherins?”
Mouth dropping open, Neville turned to face Ginny. “Um, what?”
She huffed. “First there’s Harry and Snape, and now you and Malfoy.” She rolled her eyes. “There must be some reason two of the best blokes I know are with Slytherins.”
Face flaming, Neville said, “I’m not with Draco.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” She sighed. “You look at him the same way, actually. I just can’t believe how much everything’s changed since the war.”
“Draco...looks at me?” Neville whispered.
Ginny snorted. “Boys.”
~
“I’m told you look at me.” Neville couldn’t believe he was being so bold, but after what Ginny’d said, he couldn’t stop wondering if Draco was...interested. Plus, he was tipsy. “Do you?”
Draco slowly turned to face him, his eyebrow going up. “We live together, Longbottom. It’d be difficult not to occasionally lay eyes on you.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Neville said, frustrated.
“Then what do you mean?” Draco stared into Neville’s eyes and for a moment, Neville couldn’t breathe.
“Do you want me?” Neville whispered.
Draco closed his eyes. “Yes,” he breathed, and a moment later, disappeared.
~
Neville found Draco in a park close to the shop. “You ran.”
Draco stiffened. “Of course. Gryffindors are...protective.”
“Not that protective,” Neville said. “You’re not the only one who’s changed.”
Draco looked at him. “Just forget what I said, okay? I can’t lose this job.”
Sitting down beside him on the park bench, Neville nudged his shoulder. “You won’t lose your job.”
“Hm.” Draco turned to face him. “Not even if I do this?” Leaning in, he kissed Neville.
“Especially not if you do that,” Neville breathed when they drew apart.
Draco smirked. “Good, because I hate job interviews.”
~
Author:
alisannePairing: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape/Harry Potter (implied)
Word Count: 100 x 7
Rating: PG
Warnings: None, really.
Beta:
lilyseyesChallenge: Written for
neville100's prompt #251: Change.Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: Love blooms in odd places.
~
Blooming
~
“He’s changed.”
Neville sighed. “You’re sure?”
Luna nodded. “He had Wrackspurts, but his head’s clear. He needs help, Neville.”
Glancing once more towards the front of his shop, where Draco Malfoy was hovering anxiously, Neville sighed. “I could use an assistant.”
She smiled. “Wonderful. Plus, he’ll keep the Nargles away.”
Shaking his head, Neville watched her approach Draco and murmur something to him. Draco nodded and, after shooting an unreadable look at her retreating back, walked towards Neville. “Thanks, Longbottom.”
Neville nodded. “I’m using Luna’s recommendation as your job interview. Don’t make me regret that.”
Draco smiled faintly. “I shan’t.”
~
Draco proved a hard worker, and when Luna discovered he was homeless, she offered him Neville’s spare room.
Frankly, Neville didn’t mind. Having company was...nice, even if they didn’t talk much. He also discovered it was easier to cook for two.
“I can pay,” Draco said the first time Neville offered supper.
Neville smiled. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sit.”
Draco inhaled the simple stew, and afterward said, “You’ll never get ahead if you keep giving food away.”
Neville chuckled. “The better your nutrition, the harder you’ll work.”
Draco raised an eyebrow. “You’ve changed.”
Neville regarded Draco steadily. “As have you.”
~
Draco became indispensable. He revamped Neville’s books, finding ways to trim the shop’s expenses and increase revenue. “You’ve a head for figures,” Neville said when Draco showed him the accounting changes he’d made.
An odd look crossed Draco’s face. “My mother used to say the same thing,” he said.
Over weeks, Neville learned about Draco. The war had left the Malfoys destitute, and with both parents in Azkaban for the foreseeable future, Draco was determined to clear his family's name before they got out.
“And working in a flower shop’ll help do that?” Neville asked.
Draco shrugged. “It’s a start.”
~
“C’mon!” Dean slapped Neville on the back. “You’re always in this shop or your flat, mate.”
Neville coughed, not wanting to explain that he liked being around plants. And Draco. “I’m busy--”
“Didn’t you hire Malfoy?” Dean rolled his eyes. “Leave him here and come to the pub for a change. You deserve a break.”
“Can we both go?” Neville asked.
Dean pursed his lips. “Something you want to tell me about you and Malfoy?”
Neville dropped the pot he’d been holding. A moment later, Draco came rushing from the back. Dean grinned. “Up for an...outing, Malfoy?”
Neville groaned.
~
“What’s so sexy about Slytherins?”
Mouth dropping open, Neville turned to face Ginny. “Um, what?”
She huffed. “First there’s Harry and Snape, and now you and Malfoy.” She rolled her eyes. “There must be some reason two of the best blokes I know are with Slytherins.”
Face flaming, Neville said, “I’m not with Draco.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” She sighed. “You look at him the same way, actually. I just can’t believe how much everything’s changed since the war.”
“Draco...looks at me?” Neville whispered.
Ginny snorted. “Boys.”
~
“I’m told you look at me.” Neville couldn’t believe he was being so bold, but after what Ginny’d said, he couldn’t stop wondering if Draco was...interested. Plus, he was tipsy. “Do you?”
Draco slowly turned to face him, his eyebrow going up. “We live together, Longbottom. It’d be difficult not to occasionally lay eyes on you.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Neville said, frustrated.
“Then what do you mean?” Draco stared into Neville’s eyes and for a moment, Neville couldn’t breathe.
“Do you want me?” Neville whispered.
Draco closed his eyes. “Yes,” he breathed, and a moment later, disappeared.
~
Neville found Draco in a park close to the shop. “You ran.”
Draco stiffened. “Of course. Gryffindors are...protective.”
“Not that protective,” Neville said. “You’re not the only one who’s changed.”
Draco looked at him. “Just forget what I said, okay? I can’t lose this job.”
Sitting down beside him on the park bench, Neville nudged his shoulder. “You won’t lose your job.”
“Hm.” Draco turned to face him. “Not even if I do this?” Leaning in, he kissed Neville.
“Especially not if you do that,” Neville breathed when they drew apart.
Draco smirked. “Good, because I hate job interviews.”
~
