Round 13 Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition
Position: Beater 1
Prompt: Go Wild! Because of the last few rounds and the fact it's the last of the regular rounds, we're going to let you go wild! Write whatever your heart desires :D
Additional Prompts:
6. (word) evasive
12. (word) echo
13. (word) riverbank
*bad words ahead (since it is for competition and I don't want points deducted for Draco acting like his royal self)
Temptation
Draco glared over at the rumpled form of Neville as he sat up and groaned.
Neville had let Draco hit him with that spell and Draco was pissed.
"Are you fucking serious, Nev? You didn't even try any evasive maneuvers! You should have dodged or blocked that! There is absolutely no reason for that first year hex to be able to hit you!" Draco growled out as he towered over the still sitting man.
"Chill out, Draco," Neville said as he rubbed the back of his head where it had connected rather painfully with the floor. "I was distracted by something outside of the duel. Besides, this was an extra practice, not a test proctored by the Head." He stumbled to his feet and nearly fell over as his vision tunneled. "Shit," he mumbled before he crumpled.
"Neville!" Draco yelped as he caught him. "Bloody ponce, I told you to pay attention. I told you that the practices were important to passing the bar, but noooo. You just had to get sidetracked the second we agreed to take the power level up a notch." Draco shifted his hold on his training partner and apparated them to his flat.
Draco shifted his unconscious companion onto his couch. He arranged his long limbs and used magic to extend the couch so Neville wouldn't wake with a sore neck. Draco ran several diagnostic spells over Neville, before nodding in satisfaction that he only needed to sleep it off and there wasn't any true damage done during the duel. It felt good to know that the first aid classes he'd taken with Madame Pomfrey were worth it.
Draco cast a critical eye over Neville's sleeping form, then sighed as he transfigured Neville's combat robes into track bottoms and a t-shirt before covering him with a blanket. "Bastard," he grumbled, before heading into his room to grab clean clothes and take a shower. Before he left however, he set a vial of pain reliever potion and a note saying 'drink the whole thing or face the consequences - DM' on the coffee table.
Draco relaxed under the spray of hot water, hands planted on the wall as he thought over the duel. He didn't realize he'd been in there for a while, until he heard a throat clear, startling him into trying to breathe in the water.
Draco spluttered and threw a glare over his shoulder at Neville, who was leaning against the wall across from the shower. "Not that I don't love the view, but you could have just as easily taken me to my home as to yours." Neville arched an eyebrow at the ex-Slytherin.
Draco stood up straight and dropped his hands to his sides, shutting the water off as he did so. "Even if the hit wasn't that bad, I wasn't going to just leave you alone," Draco said, as he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hips.
Neville watched the movement, then snapped his eyes back to Draco's face. "Why not? The first few months we partnered up, I thought you rather liked the idea of me in pain. You certainly enjoyed it in school when you would blow up my cauldrons in Potions."
Draco shrugged, "It wasn't personal. Your cauldron was closer than Potter's. If you two had switched seats, he would have held the record for most exploded potions in a Hogwarts career." Draco walked over to the counter and started to dry his hair with another towel. The movement caused the towel around his waist to shift and nearly fall off.
"You know," Neville stalked up behind the blonde when his vision was obscured by the towel drying his hair. "I think you should make it up to me," His hands lightly grazed Draco's hips where the towel was sliding off.
Draco jerked forward and spun around to face Neville. The towel fell to the floor. "Neville?!" Draco shifted and tried to hide himself from the taller dark haired male using his hair towel. His eyes were wide and wild. "What are you talking about?"
Neville grinned, and stepped forward, pinning Draco with his hands on either side of him, braced against the counter. "No escape, Draco. You've been flaunting far too much recently. It's your fault that I'm like this."
Draco stuttered out, "I-I don't kn-know what you're t-talking about. I-I haven't been fl-flaunting anything!" He tried to lean further away from Neville, but nearly dropped his last defense- the towel he'd been using for his hair, in the attempt.
Neville leered at the shaken blonde, then stepped back, releasing him from the cage of his arms. "No, I suppose it just comes naturally to you to be that way." Neville turned and walked out of the bathroom, pausing in the doorway. He turned slightly and said over his shoulder, "You should review your actions the last few months and see if you can figure out what I'm talking about, Malfoy." Neville left the room and then the apartment through the floo.
Draco sank to the floor and took in a shuddering breath. "What the bloody hell just happened?"
Neville groaned as he slumped forward and rested his head on Harry and Hermione's kitchen table. "I don't understand how that blonde bastard doesn't realize what he's doing."
Hermione sighed and set a butterbeer in front of him. "Malfoy problems again, Nev?" She and Harry had been interrupted mid-snog by Neville tumbling through the floo into their living room. All she wanted was to get back to that, but now Harry was at the Ministry, trying to get things settled for the first Victory Ball celebration and remembrance. Some moron wanted to do Hogwarts house colors as the theme, omitting the Slytherin House, and Harry was trying to get them to go with a more somber approach, with minimalist colors and without trying to ostracize a forth of the population.
"Yeeeeees," Neville growled. He leaned back and took a long drink from his butterbeer. "Apparently, he doesn't realize that he's bloody parading himself in front of a hot blooded male with needs that would be very satisfied if he would-"
Hermione cut him off, "Neville, I appreciate that you feel that way and know that you can tell me anything, but please don't tell me that. It is Malfoy, and I'm not sure I can handle thinking of him like that..."
Neville choked, "Sorry, Hermione. I won't tell you about my love life, if you don't tell me about yours. Deal?"
Hermione nodded, "Deal. Now on a related, but separate note, do you need advice on how to seduce said Slytherin?"
Neville nodded.
"Ok, so how about you try..."
Harry glared at the muggleborn in charge of decorations for the Victory Ball. "I said no to House Colors!" Harry snapped, using his wand to change the colors to chocolate brown, black, cream and white. "That is it." He cast a Sonorous charm on himself, "The next prat that goes against my wishes on a tasteful, NON-HOGWARTS HOUSE COLORS decorative theme, will be put in lock-up for the remainder of set-up, as well as during the ball. I will not have you insult our allies within Slytherin House just because you think everyone in there is a dark wizard. DO NOT TEST ME." He cancelled the charm and smiled at the cowering man in front of hi,. "Are we clear now? Have a great day, and I will be back first thing in the morning to monitor the setup."
Harry turned and left the Hall reserved for the Ball. He nearly hit the floor after walking right into Draco outside the Hall. "Dammit, Malfoy. Did you have to- Draco?"
Draco was pale, more so than normal for him, and shaking. "So-sorry, Harry. I just needed to...talk to someone about..." He clenched his hands into fists at his side. "Erm...nevermind. I'll figure it out," he muttered, taking a few steps back.
"Nuh-uh, Draco," Harry snapped, sending a non-verbal sticking charm at Draco's feet. "You don't get to dump me on my arse and not tell me why." Harry lurched to his feet and cancelled the charm. "Let's go back to the house, and you can tell me what is wrong."
Draco shook his head vehemently. "I can't go to your house!"
"Oh? And why not?" Harry asked as he crossed his arms and scowled at the blonde.
"Just...come with me and I'll explain." Draco said, as he darted looks around the foyer where they had been discussing.
Harry growled. "Fine. This better be good, or I'm revoking your privileges."
Draco nodded, grabbed Harry's arm and disapparated.
Hermione arched her eyebrow and stared at Neville. "I feel as though there's an echo in this room. Please stop repeating what I say over and over like a broken record."
Neville frowned. "What's a broken record?"
"Nevermind that," She leveled her gaze on Neville, drawing his eyes up to meet hers, "Now, are we going to go through with this plan, or not?"
Neville bit his lip and looked at his hands, "Yes."
Harry watched Draco pacing back and forth on the riverbank behind his apartment complex in a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "I'm sure there was an actual reason for dragging me away from the Ministry?"
Draco stopped his pacing and looked at Harry guiltily. "Well, you see... it's about Neville."
Harry snorted, "Isn't it always?" He plopped onto the grass and waved Draco down, "Come on then. Tell me what's bothering you. We only have a few hours."
Neville glanced at Harry and Hermione. Hermione was wearing a tasteful cream gown with opal earrings and her engagement ring. Harry was in black dress robes with cream under robes to match. They had each disillusioned their wand holsters on their forearms.
Neville looked down at his black dress robes with deep purple under robes and started to run his hands through his hair.
"Hey!" Hermione chided, "Stop that. It took me forever to style your hair."
"Ten minutes, tops," Neville responded.
"You'll ruin the effect," she snarked back.
Neville sighed theatrically.
Harry smirked at his fiancée and friend before turning to the door. "Let's go you two. It's time to leave. Neville, Draco is already there. I hope you know what you are doing."
Neville shrugged. "I figured this would be the easiest way. We'll see when we get there."
A/N Well, that's part one. Leave a comment!