Story title: the Gentleman Preferred Blondes
Chapter 3; entitled: picking up strays
Author: billybobcsgun36 - - fanfiction (dot) net id# 641050
Word count:
Category: AU - Alternate Universe;
Wherein Hp characters don't follow cannon in their behavior.
Remember this stuff from chapter one?
Rating: M - just to be safeguarded from the prudish criticism of the overly sensitive. The rating is what it is for adult language and banter, some UK profanity / slang and heavily implied sexual innuendo. I do not write blow-by-blow smut.
Warning # 1; I will pick and chose items from JKR last two books as it suits my fancy, and disregard other bits of cannon just as easily.
Warning # 2; I hate stereotypes, so don't expect my version of the Harry Potter story to have prefect little Heroes. Also the bulk of this story takes place seven years after book seven, the characters are therefore ADULTS. In 2004, Neville Longbottom, Harry and Ron would be twenty-four with Hermione barely twenty-five.
Warning # 3; there will be loads of sub-plots and other odd-pairings. …I love JKR to death, but as a romance author …lets just say …I feel she fumbled the Quaffle. I feel that Rowling's notion that teenagers of seventeen and eighteen have no interest in having sex …is just laughable
So besides the usual HP couple's… this tale will contain an unusual Neville romantic ship; among others. So if I wander off and do another couple's romance, sit back and enjoy the ride! All other relationships as outlined in the Epilog in book seven or in JKR interviews are hereby Null and Void …unless I say otherwise.
Will there be sexual innuendo? 'Yeah - Duh'
Standardized disclaimer: is there anyone on this planet that doesn't know who has all legal copy rights to Harry Potter, with us in fan fiction just burrowing it for our own amusement and that of our readers.
Time-frame: begins in the last chapter of HBP, its midnight, around mid-June, 1997 …some two days before Dumbledore's funeral.
I couldn't sleep - so I posted this, don't expect this to happen again.
OoOoOoOo
Roll film
OoOoOoOo
The Prewett estate in Kent was the Largest of the Prewett land holdings within the United Kingdom. It covered just over nineteen hundred twenty acres; or three square miles and yet employed less than two hundred; fifteen witch/wizards and one hundred twenty house-elves. The château/castle itself was first built in the fifteenth century and had been magically renovated and improved a dozen times over the centuries. The chief Warden of the main Prewett estate was one of Ron rescued Slytherin's.
After the war, loads of snakes found getting work next to impossible; even the ones who fought against the Death eaters at the Battle of Hogwarts. One of those that fought with Harry was, after the others had departed was Millicent Bulstrode. Although she been a member of Umbridge's Inquisitorial squad during her fifth-year, Millicent and six others hadn't walked out with the other snakes before the battle and two had died defending the castle. Because of their efforts, all attempts to close Slytherin house after the war (for all time) as the breeding ground of evil wizards were rebuffed.
Ron had been carefully taught by his parents the meaning of a life debt. He felt such a debt for Dobby and for Neville for leading the DA in Hogwarts while he had been on his year-long 'on-and-off' camping trip with the national hero and heroine… 'Potter and Granger'. Ron also felt a similar debt for those six Slytherin students that made a stand for what was right over what was easy. Therefore he made a personal point of keeping track of those six families, especially those of the fallen and went to extra-pains to see that these heroes weren't punished for being on the winning side.
Cadmus Montague and Adrian Higgs for example, sixth-year in Slytherin's at the time of the battle of Hogwarts …all worked in one of Dame Prewett's Wizarding companies while Valerie Vaisey was doing her final internship at St. Mungo's hospital as a healer, her entire post Hogwarts education funded by Lady Prewett at Ron's discrete suggestion. Some of the other members of the six Families found employment on some of the Prewett's many-estates. The message was subtle but generally well received. 'Not all Snakes are bad."
Neville had found this out… discretely through another old dorm-mate; Dean Thomas a magical artist that the chief steward of the Prewett estates kept employed doing repair work for the too numerous to count magical portrait's on the various Prewett castles. Neville and Dean still shared the occasional pint in a local pub, to catch-up on those rare occasions when the artist worked at the main estate in Kent.
*** begin Flashback
"So he rescued you too?" Dean had said.
"From ten years in Azkaban… yeah,"
"A year ago I was all but starving, working odd jobs to keep body and soul together. Next thing I knew I had more art-work than I could handle …a warm clean bed and three square meals a day."
"How'd he know about your plight?"
"Luna …I think, we dated briefly after the war, and she's been keeping tabs on all us DA veterans for him."
"What about Potter?"
"The National Hero, don't make me laugh! Potter has no time or interest in his old dorm mates beyond Ron. Outside of his work at the Ministry, Harry is a ruddy recluse these-day's. The press still follows him around everywhere he goes. He can't go to the loo without a five page photo-shoot appearing in 'Witch Weekly'."
"I saw that, had a good laugh about it too". Neville said with a soft chuckle
"I was brought up a half-blood living in the Muggle world and believe me…Nev. The press harasses Harry a thousand times worse than they did poor Princess Diane. I've even been told that Harry has to use a glamour-spell… hide his identity, just to walk out the door. He can't go undercover or any work as a regular Auror; so he's stuck doing administrative junk. For years now… he's tried to put his Chosen-One identity behind him and all us in the DA along with it."
"…and Ron doesn't?"
"You and I are proof positive that unlike Potter, Ron doesn't forget his friends. Hell's-bells, he even rescues Slytherin's".
"Yeah we've been luckier than most. But how did Luna know." Neville said trying hard to keep the jealousy of Dean's relationship with Luna out his voice.
"How does Luna know half of what she knows, the Celtic Gods told her," Dean said his bitterness obvious. "That's why we broke up …the Gods told her we weren't combatable."
"She did the same thing to me."
"Oh yeah …I know it well… heard loads about you and her", Dean retorted bitterly. "I never quite lived-up to your high-standard… in bedroom-skills. Compared us she did, with me always on the losing end. Sexually you walked on water as far as Luna was concerned.?
"You're pulling my leg?"
"No mate, I'm really not," Dean said honestly. "She went mental when she heard that you'd married Hannah, said it wouldn't last... and odd thing is, she was spot-on about that too. More than once Luna told me that Abbott wasn't your destined life-mate any more than she was mine."
"Destiny my-sweet arse", Neville snapped. "It's far more likely that we're cursed to be bachelors until the end of our days."
"Speak for yourself mate, Luna said I'd meet my future life-mate real soon. She also said the last time we met for lunch that there was a platinum-blonde coming your way." Neville's eyes went wide at this news and stared at Dean utterly gob-smacked.
"If you want to pity someone," Dean continued oblivious to his friend's state of shock. "Feel sorry for the bloke who saved both our sorry asses. For Luna as-of a fortnight ago, remains unshakable in her belief that our Ronnie great-love will always be Granger. And as our old-school-chum and resident-bookworm thinks of Ron as a brother …well …it's sad really."
**** Flashback ends
OoOoOoOo
"Ron …I know this may sound odd, but are you dating anyone?" Neville asked with forced casualness as they entered the main Manor house through the Kitchen delivery door.
"What prompted that question?" Ron replied a-bit surprised.
"Well …we're neighbors and I've never seen you bring a bird home."
"Right from the off, you've only been my neighbor for a couple of months and in that time I've been at home a total of five days. Secondly my job makes having a relationship next to impossible."
"Don't you get time off?"
"Yes, milady tries to insist that I take two fortnight holidays each year". Ron replied as he walked through the kitchen nicking a pastry as he went. "But I can never go at the same time two years in a row, the operative word in surprise audit of one of milady's estates is surprise …as in unexpected."
"A twenty eight day holiday… wow?"
"It would be if I had the time to take it, but just between us. I don't. When I'm on holiday from the Prewett estates, I use the time to inspect and do repair work on Potter's property at Grimmauld Place in London or the lord High Justice estate in Kent."
"So no free time at all?"
"…A four-day holiday, once in a great while… but otherwise; no… besides; my days of being a lazy Git for days on end - are long gone. So you see dating anyone would be unfair to any lady that struck my fancy. I couldn't court her properly."
"Don't kid a kidder," Neville said with surprising insight. "You're avoiding relationships aren't you? Burying your-self in work for seven ruddy-years? I know that ploy – I'm currently using it to get over Hannah."
"I suck at love, okay? Besides what bird in her right mind would fancy a penniless property manager."
"Now I know you're pulling my leg? Dean says your pay-bucket is…"
"…Was spent …every last ruddy Knut; getting an old school chum out of Azkaban."
"All of it …paid my penalty?
"Heavens no, don't you remember I'm sure I told you - I had to borrow a considerable sum from my employer to bail you out. My contract was up this year you see and I'd already given my notice. I was counting down the days, Neville.
"But Dean says you're the best Chief Steward in England?"
"I must thank him later for the unsolicited praise, but after the past few years… I'm worn out, Neville… burned-out rather", Ron said with an exhausted sigh. "On the go …non-stop for years-on-end, just to keep her out of my head. My love life is deliberately non-existent because I can't bring myself to be unfaithful too… oh hell."
"- - There are perhaps ten thousand total witches and wizards in in the entire United Kingdom; we have one and only one magical village and only two places to shop in all four countries. Our society is just too bloody small for me and her to co-exist as non-blood siblings. But after years of living in pain, I finally figured it out. I even had a plan. I had saved up, for years… thirty thousand, planed on disappearing on a year-long holiday, a round the world trip, see the sights… and then start a new life somewhere far away from …her."
"…And you gave it all-up for me?" Neville said tearfully.
"For a dorm-mate and slayer of Voldemort's pet snake …in a heartbeat, old chum."
"How much do you owe Lady Prewett?"
"Milady doesn't want her gold back, she wanted an indenture instead… mine! Couldn't bear the thought of losing my services…or so she said, at the time …so ironically - my bond-slavery will end on the same day that yours does, - isn't that just peachy?"
"Why did you get the money from Lady Prewett? Couldn't Harry have given you, his very best-mate …a ruddy-loan?"
"I'll answer your question with a question", Ron said as he and Neville approached Milady Prewett office door. "Didn't your bookworm barrister approach her best-friend/and non-blood bother …for the cash, when she also tried to raise your indenture bail-out?"
"Hermione said, because Harry was with law-enforcement and faced the risk of conflict of interest within his department if he helped me…" Neville began to explain in a clearly bitter-tone.
"…He didn't want to get involved… yeah, that's what he told me when I asked too," Ron said with bitter disappointment.
OoOoOoOo
"Hello Ronnie."
"Millicent you sexy devil, how are you?"
"Always the charmer; aren't you, Ronnie? When will you use the front door, Milady has told you often enough that she prefer you enter that way."
"The front door isn't for indentured servants like Neville and me."
"Milady does not regard you as a servant, Ron.
"Long term hired contract-employee … indentured servant… same thing really."
"Not to Milady."
"Millie …have you met one of my best-mates from Hogwarts …Neville Longbottom?"
"Now; Ronnie …I mean honestly. No one lives on this estate without me knowing about it. So when you moved this bloke into the old gardener's cottage, I paid him a visit. We had a real nice little-chat... very informative. You just can't stop yourself …can you? Rescuing the magical-strays rejected by our prefect society."
"Hey, it's just a hobby… something to fill my otherwise empty evenings," Ron joked. "Anyroad; Milady Prewett wishes to see Neville here …"
"…Not just the botanist; Ronnie, you too are summoned."
"Me?"
"Yes, you too Ronnie, so come along like a good ickle-boy. And don't… "
"…How about giving a little respect; Millie," Ron interrupted, "for the bloke who; 'hired-you'?"
"You only vouched for me Ronnie, it was Milady that hired me and you know it. And don't bother introducing Neville to Milady; I wasn't the only one to pay him a visit for a chat while you were off doing your Steward inspections. "
"Skunked again", Ron chuckled softly with Millie who chuckled as well - at a shared private-joke, as she opened the door to Lady Muriel Prewett private study/office.
OoOoOoOo
Muriel POV
Muriel Prewett was a usually stern grey-haired woman, one hundred five years of age and the supreme patriarch of the great Prewett Clan. Forty-five families looked to her for leadership and financial support. And yet among all her kinsmen and women that she had tested with part-time employment, in the end she had been forced to go outside the Prewett inner-family to find a young man with true-grit. All of the others she had tested on her estates had lacked the metal to do 'the task' as foretold to her by a seer decades ago.
Ronald was the youngest son of Molly, the only Prewett stubborn-enough to defy her family to marry a poor as dirt Weasley. Muriel hadn't believed at the time that any good would come of it …for one by one - she had tried to test the metal of Molly's children. Bill had refused her offer out-right, Charles had gone off to his dragons and the twins had opened a joke shop - leaving only Ronald to begrudgingly take her patronage when George had sold the joke-shop out from under him.
It is said that the strongest metal is made in the hottest fires, with Ronald being a good example of this motto. The apparent romantic betrayal of Granger and then his brother over the joke-shop all within a year of Voldemort's defeat would have easily broken a lesser man's spirit. And yet - overlooked by history for his part in the defeat of the Death-eaters hadn't striped Ron of his unshakable sense of loyalty to his friends. Rescuing Longbottom from Azkaban - when others had turned their backs on him was a perfect example of this. Muriel having spoken in length with Neville and saw what the others did not.
Longbottom life debt of loyalty to his "master' was borderline fanatical. Neville would literally march into hell for Ron as would any of Ron's rescued snakes. Mille Bulstrode was a dear girl and her industry on her behalf made her irreplaceable and yet Muriel knew that Mille would defend Ron in any argument with Muriel with her dying breath. Few men had stirred such unquestioned loyalty from so many in such understated ways. No speeches, no false promises like a Politian - and yet the magical folk and house-elves that worked for her had unchallenged trust in Ron's fairness.
It also never failed to amuse Lady Muriel Prewett that of all her employees Ron alone never forgot to bow as if before royalty whenever he entered his Aunts presence, with a nod and a smile in acknowledgement - her nephew straighten up.
OoOoOoOo
End transmission – for now
Author's rant # 1: Once upon a time, I decide to try something different. Well not different per-say, for others – loads of others …have taken the evil ferret as Ms. JK Rowling wrote the Git and transform him in prose into a nicer guy by far than both cannon Harry and Ron combined… on their best day.
As I said this has been done many times – in Fanfiction ships dedicated to DMHJG, DM-Ginny, DM-Luna and DM and anything wearing a skirt. Not to mention the slash pairings. I was going to have a go my-self at this totally non-cannon version of Draco the gift of god to whatever other gender he fancies - and for the excuse for his total transformation into a NICE person – I intended to magically change his gender via the killing curse.
Luckily for my non-existent readership – I was talked-out of this bit of temporary insanity by my mentor and friend. So if anyone is concerned about Neville ending up in bed with a female Draco – FORGET IT - - Ain't going to happen - okay? So please put down the feathers and stop heating the tar.
I still have a tale to tell in my incompetent amateurish fashion, abusing the Queen's English right left and center. My outline (yes Buck I do have one) is still mostly on track.
Naturally the true identity of Neville's lover (spoiler if you want to take that way) will have to change plus a few other minor details - causing writer-block style delays in posting chapters. (Insert here - a lame excuse for laziness)
Truth is I don't want to use a Mary-Jane, so I'm open to cannon suggestions.
Enough said. (PS. now with this rant off my chest - maybe I can sleep)
