Written for Mix and Match Pairing Competition (Round 1) – Prompts: "I Wouldn't Mind"- He is We, Amazed, Chilly
Written for 19,000 Prompts, 500 Words, One Week: CHALLENGE, ALWAYS OPEN – Prompt: Heart
Written for The Hunger Games Trilogy Competition – Prompt: Alma Coin – Write about someone making bad decisions.
Written for the Delirium Challenge – Prompt:I guess that's just part of loving people: You have to give things up. Sometimes you even have to give them up.
Boot Camps: Book Quotes – Prompt22:I decided as long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly. – Twilight; Cross-gen – Prompt2: Stutter; Fav era – Prompt15: Chocolate; Movie Quotes – Prompt15: After all, tomorrow is another day! (Gone With the Wind, 1939); Pairing Diversity: Prompt15: Impetuous.
A Bit of a Crush
Rose Weasley sat hunched in her chair, in a dingy bar which was far too crowded despite its filthy state. It wasn't the type of place she usually preferred to spend her time in, but she had had no other choice. In no circumstance did she want to see Scorpius. And this bar was probably the last place he would look in for her.
The thought of Scorpius brought unwanted images of him with another woman in their marital bed; and with them came the anger. Rose clenched her fingers around the dusky mug which she held in her hand, and downed the rest of her drink. The burn in her throat and the blurring of her eyes made everything clear and hazy at the same time. She tapped the counter and a barmaid appeared and poured her another glass of the strongest drink they had in the bar. She simply wanted to forget the pain, the betrayal and of course the anger toward the man she had given herself to.
And so time passed, until thoughts remained in Rose's mind only for mere seconds before she focused on something else. She reached a point where she continued to drink without remembering the reason – and nothing even mattered anymore. Except for the mug in her hand and the burning liquid in it.
"Rose?" She heard a strangely familiar voice.
"Rose?" Once again. Was someone calling her? Feeling extremely sluggish, Rose turned toward the voice.
"I thought it was – Merlin! Are you okay?" Rose tried to focus her gaze on the man standing in front of her. He had dark hair, dark eyes, scruffy face, broad shoulders and just enough muscle and age to make him look rugged and handsome. And something told her that she knew him.
"Rose, how drunk are you?" Rose didn't register his words, but his tone made her feel as if she was being scolded. Also, he sounded a bit amazed.
"Don't . . . touch . . .," she said as the man placed his hand on her shoulder. But it sounded gibberish to her own ears and he didn't let go. Shoving the man away, Rose reached for her purse and placed some coins on the counter and got up from her chair. If it hadn't been for the man, she would have immediately fallen. However, he caught her and slipped his arm around her waist and began to help her out.
Once they were out of the bar, the cold fresh air hit Rose and cleared her mind just a bit. She tried to wriggle free of the firm hold the man had on her, but he only tightened his arm around her.
"I can stand on my own!" She growled. At this he loosened his hold, but continued to hold his hands forward as if to catch her if she fell.
"I can stand on my own." She repeated under her breath. She still felt slow and lethargic, and wanted to crawl up somewhere and sleep. But the cold air had brought some of her sense back. She realized that she needed to get home whether she wanted to or not.
"Rose?" Startled, Rose turned toward the man. She had forgotten all about him.
"Thank – Neville?" and so it was. Her parents' oldest and closest friend, and her Herbology professor was standing right in front of her and was apparently the one who helped her. "W-what are you doing here?" Rose asked with a slur.
"That isn't important. What were you doing here? As far as I knew you weren't much of a drunkard. And this is the place you had to choose of all places? Have you lost your mind Rose?" – There it was, the reprimanding tone – "If something had happened to you – what about your parents? And what about Scorpius?"
The moment Neville mentioned Scorpius' name, Rose's mood darkened and she began to scowl.
"I'm a grown woman. And you are not my father!" She snapped at him and began to walk away.
It didn't take long for him to catch up with her, considering his long legs and her drunken saunter. He stopped her by pulling her arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound accusing. I was just worried."
"I – I have to go," Rose replied sullenly.
"Of course. Let me at least take you there. You shouldn't be walking or disapparating in this state." Once again – intentional or not – Neville had managed to piss her off.
"I can take care –"
"Yes, I know. But all the same, it would be for my sake. I don't think I will be able to rest not knowing if you have reached home or not." His words softened Rose a bit and then she stiffened.
"I don't want to go home," she whispered.
"Sorry?" Neville asked.
"I can't go home," Rose said in a louder tone. Maybe she could just roam on the roads until the next day. Or maybe she could just find a place to stay for the night.
". . . Is it Scorp–"
"Please." She mumbled as unwanted tears fell down her eyes.
"I see." Was all Neville said and then after a moment, he added, "Why don't you come over to my place for tonight? Is that fine?" he asked her hesitantly.
"Y-yes," Rose answered, her cheeks coloring slightly in embarrassment.
"Okay, hold on," he said and slipped his hand through hers. And then the apparition sensation took over. As soon as Rose felt a solid ground under her feet, she fell onto it and began to hurl the contents of her stomach.
"Apparating was probably the worst idea," she heard Neville say while he held her unruly hair back and rubbed her shoulders.
"The worst," Rose agreed and then chuckled. It was such a stupid thing to do, apparating when she had been clearly drunk. "We could have just walked, you know?" she laughed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize," Neville said apologetically.
"At least I don't feel so drunk now," Rose shrugged. And it was true. She did feel nauseated and tired but she could walk and think more clearly. The cold air and the bouts of vomiting seemed to have done some good after all.
Rose looked around her surroundings. They were standing in front of a small cabin in a middle of the woods. She jumped when she heard a sudden howl from within the trees, and involuntarily moved closer to Neville.
"Where are we?" Rose wondered out loud.
"I needed to do some research on some species which are particular to this area. And this is the closest living space they had," he explained.
"Okay," Rose mumbled as they walked in.
After freshening up in the bathroom and dressed in Neville's pajamas, Rose sat on the springy – not very uncomfortable – couch in the middle of the tiny room while Neville he arrangements such as lighting the fire, handing her a blanket, and rummaging in the tiny space in the furthest corner of the cabin, which was obviously for the kitchen. After some minutes, he finally joined her with two cups in his hand. He held one out to her.
Rose smiled softly, "You didn't have to do this," she told him. It was bad enough that he had to bear her for the entire night, he didn't have to do anything else.
"It's very chilly down here," Neville said with a shrug and joined her on the couch. He didn't say anything for a while and both of them drank the hot chocolate which was shockingly the best Rose had tasted in a very long while.
"It's good," Rose slurped when she finished it.
"I gathered it," Neville said and after a moment he added, "What's wrong, Rose? And don't tell me it's nothing. The Rose I knew didn't get drunk in shady muggle bars."
"You can't say that. For all you know, I probably turned into a town drunk," Rose replied, completely ignoring his question.
"A town drunk can handle his drinks. Whereas you – talk to me, please," he said softly.
Rose looked at him and the hurt which she had originally felt returned. Tears gathered in her eyes and she began to cry.
"Rose, Rosie – honey, what's wrong?"
"Scorpius, he's been cheating on me. H-he – I don't know i-if he even l-loved me," Rose stammered.
Neville didn't say anything but simply pulled her into his arms. He held her firmly while she cried and told him everything she had learnt about Scorpius' unfaithfulness. He rubbed her back and whispered appropriate words. Finally when she felt like she could cry no more, she simply lay against Neville's chest and he didn't push her away.
Rose listened to the rhythmic heart beat against her ear while her own heart picked its pace in an alarming manner. She realized how awkward and intense the entire situation was. She was alone in a cabin, which was situated in the middle of the woods, with a man. Well, he was practically family. But still, a man. And years away from Hogwarts, years away from reunions seemed to have made Neville Longbottom far more handsome than Rose remembered. He had always been handsome of course. He was after all the youngest professor at Hogwarts – the most dashing too. Almost every girl had had a crush on him. And years later, here she was. In his arms.
"I – uh – I should –" As Rose began to mumble, Neville freed her from his hold.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She told him, too afraid and flustered to meet his eyes.
"That's not a problem," he told her and squeezed her hand.
Rose started to feel a strange sensation envelope her. She began to feel all hot and bothered and very bold. Ignoring the deep blush resting in her cheeks, for entirely different reasons, Rose looked Neville. He seemed to be watching her carefully, and in a very caring manner.
Without another thought or any effort (thanks for the springy couch), Rose pulled Neville closer to her and placed her lips against him in a furious manner. She could taste the chocolate on his lips – moaning, Rose pushed herself against Neville, and kissed him breathlessly. She felt his hands around her waist, and for a wild second she thought that he was kissing her back. But that wasn't the case. Neville pushed her away, and stared at her with a horrified expression on his face.
He took a deep breath and said, "I – I know you feel hurt, but you can't –" Rose observed that his voice was trembling.
"Please," she begged. "I just need to, please!" once again Rose threw herself on him, but Neville wasn't caught by surprise this time. He simply restrained her, his face inches away from hers.
"Please," Rose cried.
"You don't know what you are talking. You are drunk and hurt. You'll regret it," he said in a controlled voice.
"Neville, please," Rose continued to plead.
"I'm sorry – you can, uh sleep on the bed. I'll sleep here," he told her and got up. "Please listen to me," he added.
Feeling embarrassed and rejected Rose headed to the bed and then lay on it, and hugged the blanket close to her body. Neville sighed and sat back on the couch. With a flick of his wand, the bright light in the cabin was out. She couldn't see anything except the silhouette of Neville's feet lit by the moonlight, while he lay on the couch.
Feeling very tired and drowsy, Rose's eyelids fluttered close. The last thought on her mind, which she wouldn't remember in the next morning, was that Neville hadn't really told her that he didn't want to kiss her back. He simply had given her the reasons why she shouldn't kiss him. And that was strangely comforting. Before she could act on it and talk it out, Rose was far gone into slumber.
A/N: This was a bit awkward for me to write with the huge age gap. I ship Neville with Luna and Rose with Scorpius far too much. And when I began writing this, I was simply hoping that it crossed a hundred words. And then I couldn't stop. Anyway, I hope that you liked it and found it slightly romantic? (That was the challenge) let me know your thoughts! : )