Disclaimer: I do not own anything, quite unfortunately. Characters belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling.
Rated: M for future chapters
Current Rating: PG
Severus Snape & Neville Longbottom
Misunderstood
Chapter 1: The First Kiss
"Mr. Longbottom, would you care to answer the question?" Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood at the front of his classroom with his arms crossed and his shoulder length black hair falling about his face. A swift flick of his hair, and a few steps forward, brought him to stand over fifteen year old Neville Longbottom menacingly, his eyebrow slightly raised. Neville looked up at him and swallowed hard; he didn't want to displease his professor, but he really didn't know the answer.
"I-I'm sorry s-sir. I dunno." He looked down with shame in his face, his cheeks flushed, and sweat formed on his brow. The professor, known for getting angry with almost every student who didn't pay attention in class, looked strangely calm as though he could wait an eternity watching the boy squirm under his intense gaze. Instead, a small smirk formed on his face and he took a few steps to the right, his eyes landing on a Slytherin student. Neville looked up, realizing that Snape had moved on, confusion written all over his face. This was the second year that Snape was easy on Neville, and for the life of him he couldn't understand why.
"Mr. Goyle, the ingredients in the Confusing and Befuddlement Draught, list them." The smirk slid from his face, replaced with disgust as he looked down at one of Draco Malfoy's dim-witted friends. Goyle just looked up at him with a blank expression on his face. "Useless as usual," Snape said snidely before gliding back to his desk, his robes flowing behind him. He sat down and stared bitterly at the bemused students. "Turn to page 467 and read the chapter. Clearly none of you did that when I asked it of you last class," he said in a smooth tone, drawing some papers towards him and beginning to mark them.
Neville pulled out the required text book and flipped through it until he found the page that Snape had mentioned. He knew he had already read the chapter and had even gone over it a second time, but he found his mind going blank when he tried to remember what he had reviewed. He began to re-read the chapter, trying to pay close attention to the words and anything that related to what Professor Snape had asked of him, but he got distracted when he felt a pair of eyes upon him. He looked to see that Harry and Seamus, who were on either side of him, were busy reading, or at least pretending to, before looking around to see that everyone else was doing the same. Knowing what was coming; he braved a look to the front of the class and locked eyes with Snape. He felt his face grow hot and he could have sworn he saw a slight flush on Snape's cheeks as well. Neville quickly looked down, wary of his own blushing; he felt self-conscience, unable to decipher Snape's new temperament.
Neville stared at the end of his desk, going back in his mind to the past year, and that first time when Snape was nice to him. He thought back a little further to the first feast of his fourth year. He had changed quite a bit from his third year; he was a little taller, he had grown into his ears, and he wasn't as chubby as he used to be. He remembered sitting at the sorting ceremony, and locking eyes with the ever-terrifying Professor Snape, but not feeling quite as afraid of him as in the previous three years at Hogwarts.
The first time that Snape was nice to Neville, was in the first Potions class of his fourth year. It was similar to this very day, when Snape asked Neville a question, but instead of getting angry and frustrated when Neville didn't know the answer, he simply smiled, and said "Perhaps you should read over your notes more carefully, Longbottom," and moved onto the next student. Neville had sat there, not making sense of what had happened, his friends just as confused, seeing as the next student Snape picked on was Seamus Finnegan and he shamed him in front of the whole class. Later that day in the evening when Neville lay in bed, he thought about Potions class and how for once he hadn't been humiliated. It brought a smile to his face, and a little glint of hope that Snape was not such a frightening man after all. The smile disappeared from Neville's face when he realized what he had just said to himself, that maybe Snape wasn't so bad after all. He drifted to sleep shortly thereafter, that night being the first time Neville ever had a pleasant dream and not a frightening nightmare about Snape.
In his dream, he went to Potions class as per usual, but for the duration of the class, Snape was giving him the eye, making Neville blush madly and his friends wonder what in the world was up with him. Snape asked Neville to stay after class and once the other students had left, Snape locked the door with one fell swoop of his wand, and stepped towards Neville, grabbing him by his tie and just as Snape was about to give Neville his first kiss, he woke with a jolt. His head and pillow were drenched in sweat, his covers were pushed off and his pajama bottoms were lightly soiled. He saw the erection that was still there and swiftly covered himself up when he became conscious that his other roommates were awake and watching him.
"Neville" rang through his thoughts, "Neville…" he heard again, "Neville!" Neville, startled, looked up to see Snape standing in front of him. He looked around and noticed that the classroom was completely empty.
"S-sorry sir," Neville began to hurriedly gather his things but when he felt a cold hand touch his, he hastily took back his hand and stood up, stepping back as far as he could; he stared uneasily at Snape.
"Calm yourself Neville, and take your seat. This week's reading needs to be finished. You may stay if you wish." Sweat started to form again, and Neville just stared speechlessly at Snape.
"Neville, please, take your seat." The boy remained where he was, his eyes locked on his professor, but his mind was still focused on the dream. He found it next to impossible to find any words to say to Snape at this moment. Getting slightly annoyed, Snape turned on his heel and strode back to his desk, so graceful Neville thought to himself; Snape then noticed the boy watching him as he took his seat behind his desk.
"Mr. Longbottom, unless you want detention, I suggest you take a seat." Neville closed his eyes, and sat back down taking deep breaths. He opened his eyes and they fell upon his textbook that had been closed in a frantic attempt to pack up his belongings. When about to re-open the book; he completely forgot what page to turn to. His face grew hot with embarrassment at the thought of having to ask his professor for the page number again. Positive he wouldn't be able to ask, he daringly looked up into Snape's eyes once more.
"Is there a problem, Neville?" The sound of Snape saying his name this time sent a shiver down his spine in the best way possible, liking that sultry tone.
"Neville…" Neville still couldn't find the right words to say and Snape's deep voice made it so hard to focus, his mind going wild with thoughts of most wicked things; things his Gran would hit him over the head for. He felt like a dolt, just sitting there unable to speak. Snape then stood, and glided back to Neville, getting in a stifle too close and placed his hand carefully along the young boy's maturing jaw line. Neville let out a tiny moan in reaction, and carefully took in Snape's scent that was a mixture firewood and sweat, giving him goose bumps. What happened next sent a rush of blood not only to his head but down to his groin. Snape leaned in, closing the gap between them and planted a soft kiss on Neville's trembling lips. He pulled back, standing apart; his cheeks also mildly flushed and looked down at the still wordless boy. Before returning to his desk, he opened the text book to the required page, turning his back on the boy with a content smile on his face.
Neville carefully touched his lips, quite sure that his face matched the scarlet of his house colours; he looked over at Snape meeting his eyes once again and shyly looking away, he drew his attention to the now opened textbook in front of him. The hand that touched his lips moved down to his groin, but was hastily relocated when he found that he was hard. It was nearly like his dream, but this had happened for real; Snape kissed him with magnetism, leaving him wishing there would be more. It was his first kiss and crush, despite the fact that Snape was who he feared most out of all the professors; but there was still that strange bit of comfort he felt from the raven haired professor that he simply couldn't ignore any longer. He proceeded to read the text although not really absorbing any of it, his mind too busy running madly at the events that just occurred and wishing so very much that he could taste his professor's lips again.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. It took no time at all to write up this chapter, but a great deal more time to edit and make sure it was perfect. I'd like to thank my dear friend Warpath Grizzly for helping me edit. If it wasn't for her, this chapter wouldn't be up here. I hope to get some feedback, because I really do enjoy this pairing, and I hope to continue on. Regarding my other two stories of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, and Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint, I am currently working on editing my new chapter for Oliver and Marcus, hoping to get it out by the weekend, and as for Drarry, I've still got it on hold, so those of you who are waiting for the next installment of that, please do be patient!
Much Love,
Raven Flint 3