wine and vulnerability
by priya
one.
He saw her again, for the first time, at her sister's wedding reception. Parvati was happily in love and Lavender was her maid of honor and Padma sat alone, finishing a glass of wine. She looked forlornly at the empty glass and Neville offered her another. Gratefully sipping the wine, she asked him if he'd like to take a seat and their story began.
two.
They were outside the wedding hall and Padma, still beautiful in her rumpled lilac bridesmaid dress, was crying into his shoulder and blubbering unintelligibly about ugly purple flowers and the happier twin and broken promises and getting old. Neville rubbed her back soothingly and didn't return her tear-stained kisses.
She tasted like wine and vulnerability.
three.
Padma showed up on his doorstep a week later with a sheepish grin and a fruit basket because the florist didn't have anything appropriate for thanking a guy she barely knew for letting her cry on his shoulder. He let her in and they drank coffee and reminisced. Padma's laughs were breathy and Neville's were loud and just the two of them filled the often-empty apartment.
four.
They spent time together, drinking and laughing and going to parks. They were almost dates, with the blubbering and awkwardness and occasional silences caused by two introverts trying to create something. She didn't kiss him again, though.
Instead, they talked. Neville told her about high expectations and constant failure and how Luna broke his heart even though he knew from the start it wasn't' going anywhere. Padma told him about being the boring twin and replaceability and how the scars over her shoulders and back make her feel so ugly even though she's a war hero, dammit. She didn't kiss him again, though.
five.
It was a winter day and she was midsentence when Neville kissed her. It wasn't planned, but he'd been wanting to kiss her for months and, that day, he almost felt brave enough to do it. He kissed her and she wasn't surprised. Their first kiss wasn't full of butterflies or fireworks. They was bumbling and awkward and a little too wet and their noses kept bumping. But it was good enough. They kissed again and again and again. Sweet and passionate and experimental and sexual and sweet again.
six.
Sleeping together- fucking, Padma said- was gratifying. More importantly, it was fun. They spent evenings in bed together exploring and lazy mornings whispering quietly in each other's arms.
They almost loved each other, but, instead, they loved being together. They loved holding hands and talking and kissing and letting loose and murmured confessions of love. He met her friends and she met his and became truly became part of each other's world. For a while, they were happy.
seven.
It was little things. Aurors were busy and potions researchers were practically guaranteed long hours at the office. Neville didn't notice her alcoholism and Padma didn't notice his professional doubts. They were both distracted and they fell apart. Two strangers sleeping together with lesser and lesser frequency.
It still hurt when she left him.
But it was all okay, because she wasn't the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with. She was a girl who needed someone, a girl who tasted like wine and vulnerability, and he knew that all along.
AN: Eh, not totally loving this one. I'd love some (any) feedback/reviews!