AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I, uh, had a dream about Matthew Lewis the other night and all his mannerisms were that of Neville. Ever since then, I can't get Longbottom off my mind. Then this idea popped up because let's face it.. puberty did that man damn good. Enjoy.
"To becoming Mrs. Potter! Woo!" Hermione laughed, her cheeks flaming red from the alcohol she had consumed during the night, and raised her glass to salute her drunken friend.
Ginny Weasley was set to marry Hermione's long time best friend, Harry Potter, in two days and the girls had decided to celebrate. They easily ruled out any muggle establishments since they decided to get piss poor drunk and didn't trust the strangers not to take advantage of any of them. Here in the Wizarding World, everyone knew exactly who Ginny, Hermione, and Fleur were so it was a lot safer to have their drinks in The Three Broomsticks.
In muggle tradition, thanks to Hermione's ever knowing facts, Ginny wore a replica of Ravenclaw's lost diadem, with red rubies instead of blue, and a small veil draped over the back of her head to clarify she was the Bride. The rest of the female party, which consisted of Hermione, Fleur, Romilda, Luna, and Daphne Greengrass, all wore black shirts with the word Bridesmaid flashing across their chests.
"To settling down and 'aving children! Woo!" This time, it was Fleur who toasted and it was only Fleur who had her glass in the air. The other witches were staring at her, each of their lips tilted into a goofy grin as they giggled at her. "What?" Fleur hiccuped. "Children are wonderful."
"Sure they are." Ginny continued to giggle as she leaned on Hermione for support. "But I want to have loads of practice before there's any talk of children."
Daphne's interest was suddenly peaked. "To loads of practice! Woo!" And this time all their glasses, including a couple of nearby witches and wizards, toasted to Daphne's outburst. The wedding party roared with another contagious fit of laughter, Fleur's failed toast completely forgotten.
The door to The Broomsticks opened which sent in a burst of cold air that the girl's laughter slowly came to a stop. One by one, their attention was brought to the newest Wizard to join the crowd. He seemed to be standing at 5'11, muggle dark-washed jeans, and a dark gray shirt beneath a dark wool jacket that kept him warm. His dark head of hair was cut short, yet it was still shaggy atop his head as he shook it back and forth to dislodge the snow though it got caught on some of the scruff on his cheeks and neck.
"Who is that?" Romilda and Daphne both sounded at the same time, the two girls being the only single ones in their little group. If the poor man stepped any closer to their table, Romilda and Daphne were bound to drag him away and have their wicked way with the bloke.
Hermione stared curiously at the Wizard, her brain trying to function properly and fight off the urge to drool at him like her companions already were.
"Tell me again why I agreed to marry Harry?" Ginny muttered, her eyes following the scruffy wizard as he took a seat at the bar.
"Because you love him." Hermione instantly answered. She tried her hardest to place the wizard but no name was jumping out at her. "Does he look familiar to any of you?"
Everyone shook their head, Luna being the only one of their group to sit there with a smile. "Seriously, ladies, Neville leaves for a couple of years and you all pant over him as if he's some piece of meat."
"NEVILLE?!"
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Neville Longbottom sighed happily as he stepped foot inside the Three Broomsticks. The last time he had stepped foot inside this establishment, or even on this side of the globe, had been a month after the Battle of Hogwarts.
After the war had been won, the memories of all his fallen classmates and Professors had been too much and he had decided to escape and disappear into the States. He found solace in a small Texas town and rebuilt his life one step at a time.
Now a whole five years later, he was finally home where he belonged. Shaking the fallen snow out of his hair and dusting it from his shoulders, Neville headed straight for the bar.
"Now there's a familiar face I haven't seen in a while!"
Neville met the speaker's gaze and smiled. "Madam Rosmerta, glad to see you're still running this joint."
"Of course, love." She leaned on the bar top in front of Neville, a rag thrown across her shoulder. "Those pesky deatheaters couldn't keep me down."
"Indeed they can't." Neville grinned.
And sure enough, they didn't. Madam Rosmerta never revealed her age but she was still as attractive as ever. After being imperiused and fighting for her life during the war, the most the deatheaters managed to do was give her a few more white hairs.
"Enough about that." Rosmerta tore him from his thoughts. "What can I get for you, doll?"
"Oh, um, nothing for now." Neville stammered a bit as he assured her. "I'm waiting for someone, actually."
"Oh really now." Rosmerta's eyes shone in excitement. "Is it a lady friend?"
Neville chuckled, his eyes flickering down to the bar top every other second, a blush starting to bloom. "You'll just have to wait and see."
"Then wait I shall." Madam Rosmerta cackled in glee.
Neville shook his head back and forth in amusement, his nerves slowly drifting away as Madam Rosmerta left to attend other customers. Taking the time to look around, Neville could easily spot what was new and what had been replaced.
His mind was racing of old memories from when he was back in Hogwarts that it took a very loud shout of, "Neville?!", to bring him out of his trance. Glancing in the direction where he heard his name come from, Neville was faced with a group of glazed-eyed women whose mouths were all hanging open. Well, all except for one mouth whose lips were quirked up in a knowing smile. His old friend and ex-crush, Luna Lovegood.
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"I knew he looked familiar!" Hermione whooped.
All the girls stared at the wizard they were just ogling seconds ago and sure enough, when they squinted enough to get their vision straight, a bashful Neville Longbottom stared back. They watched on as he fidgeted in his seat before standing and making his way over to their table.
"Hello, ladies. Long time no see."
Ginny, Fleur, Romilda, and Daphne were all thrown out of their shock, sly grins sliding across their faces at the deep voice that emanated from Neville. One by one, the girls all stood from their table and each hugged their friend. It was Daphne that made the other girls laugh seeing as she was once a Slytherin and she hugged Neville as if he was a long lost lover, her arms hugging a tad bit more tighter and a sigh of contentment escaping her lips. Her hands may have even wandered a bit.
"'Lo, Neville." Ginny slurred as she pulled Daphne away. Each of the girls were back in their seat, their glazed eyes never wavering from him as they hungrily drank in his appearance.
"'Lo, Gin." A slight awkward silence fell over them so he let his eyes roam from the tiara veil atop her head and down to her shirt that read Bride. "I take it congratulations are in order?" He gestured to her shirt. "And I assume Harry is the lucky fellow?"
She immediately glanced down, a playful pout wiping away her grin. "Bollocks." She grumbled. "We forgot to charm out shirts and pretend we were single."
Hermione and Fleur both look scandalized at Ginny's train of thought, both reaching and smacking their sister-in-law on the shoulders. Neville laughed at their antics and drunken words, his hands finding their way into his empty pockets.
"So how is everyone?" He asked before he turned to glance at the front door.
Seeing as everyone had returned back to ogling their friend, Hermione chose to answer. "We're all good." She hiccuped. She had indulged in a little bit of alcohol with her friends but seeing as she was a lightweight, the little amount of alcohol she had was messing with her. "The Weasley's are all fine, my parents decided to stay in Australia, Fleur has a little girl with Bill, I married Fred, Luna is engaged to Ron, and Ginny is set to marry Harry in two days. Do you want to come?" She added after she mentally checked off the main stuff Neville had missed out on.
"Uh, sure." Neville grinned. "Do you mind if I bring a guest?"
Daphne and Romilda both groaned at the thought of Neville bringing a guest but Hermione only ignored them. "Not at all." She smiled brightly at him. Or was she looking off to the side of him? Alcohol did cause blurry vision.
"Brilliant. Well, uh, I'm sort of waiting on someone so I better be going." He took a step backward. "If you lot leave before I do, don't be afraid to say goodbye or I'll come to you if you lot remain before I leave."
"Mhm. Will do." Fleur grinned at him which only caused him to gulp. The drunken grin only reminded him of when the lot of females from Beaubaxton's swarmed Hogwarts and the entire male population couldn't think straight for weeks.
"Will definitely do." Romilda purred as she watched Neville's backside. Daphne hummed in appreciation of muggle jeans and Ginny pouted at her lost chance.
It was only a couple of minutes later, after Neville had taken back his spot at the bar, that the door to the establishment was swung open with the wind from outside and a witch stumbled in. She was a newcomer, seeing as everyone was curiously staring at her.
Dark brown hair was thrown up into a ponytail, bangs sweeping across her forehead as she searched the bar for someone. She seemed young, around the same age group as the girls classified themselves and they watched on in pure fascination as the witch who was dressed mostly in black skipped and tripped her way towards Neville.
Her Rolling Stones band tee hung off one shoulder, her skirt stopping a little below mid-thigh with fishnet stocking covered her legs, and black bracelets adorned her wrists. The witch tripped over her own two feet just when Neville turned and caught her. From Neville's reaction, he seemed to know her.
Both were laughing, Neville steadying the newcomer before she swooped in and hugged him. His chin rested atop her head, the witch in his arms snuggling into his chest as he leaned down to kiss her temple.
"Oi." Romilda chirped. "No fair. We knew him first!"
I love grown up Neville. And drunken ladies. I had to make the taken ones playful flirts while the other two.. well I think that given the chance they'd shag him in a heartbeat. I know I would ;) haha.
Now if anyone is interested, I will write a prequel for this where we see Neville leaving and meeting his mysterious lady. I think I have two chapters of it written already but I don't know if I want to continue it. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll try to finish it up and post it.