Excessive situations
Warnings: M-rating for a reason, language (lots of swearing), small hints at substance abuse and m/m slash smut.
Disclaimer: I own sod all but the plot… unfortunately. But if she'd give up Neville and Theo I'd gladly take them off her hands :-D
Part 3
Theo was annoyed. And nervous. But mostly annoyed.
It was the day before Hermione's fancy ball at Malfoy Manor and he was pacing in his massive walk-in closet. And nothing! He had bloody nothing that was suitable. He couldn't for the life of him decide what he should wear. He sent his patronus off to one of his best friends, the man with the best style he knew.
Ten minutes later Blaise Zabini sat arrogantly on the padded recliner in his large walk-in closet, sneering at a set of colourful robes Theo was holding up. "Really?" Theo said incredulously and a bit forlorn. "Not that one either?"
"Oh please Theo. Saying no to that horror was just one of the many blessings I am bestowing on you this fine afternoon. You can be such a queen sometimes." Blaise frowned at him with a calculating expression. "And what's the big deal anyway? You're never this worked up over nothing more than a ball. We've been attending them since we could walk and you know the men will be fawning over you no matter what you'll be wearing."
He debated briefly if he should tell Blaise of his very brief and rather irrationally huge crush on Neville and before he knew it, he found himself launching into the full description of their meeting and why he was freaking out like this. "So you see, don't you? I have to look good, he's also a friend of Hermione's so he'll be there and I want to be myself but something about this man just fucks me up!"
Blaise raised a single eyebrow at his rant and started chuckling. "Wow, you are fucked. He's a bloody Gryffindor war hero."
Theo rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes in frustration. "Shite, I know alright, just help me find something good!"
They spent the next hour tearing through the entire contents of Theo's closet before settling on a simple muggle designer tux. Black shiny shoes, black dress pants, a white button up, black bow tie and a tuxedo jacket in deep blue velvet with black silk lapels.
He was modelling the chosen outfit for Blaise when the Boy-who-meddled walked in as if he owned the place and deposited himself casually on the floor, using some of the discarded clothes as a pillow.
"Damn Theo, your arse looks spectacular in that getup. Who's it for?" Harry just grinned at him with a mischievous expression and folded hands on his stomach.
Theo frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked wearily. What was he up to now?
"Oh come on!" He ran a hand though his always unruly black hair. "You never choose what to wear in time, you always choose at the very last minute and then you arrive late to please your horde of followers, it's your thing. So I'm gonna ask again… Who's it for?" Those green eyes regarded him curiously and he wanted to curse the blasted Saviour into oblivion for putting him on the spot, just like Blaise.
Speaking of Blaise, he had seemingly decided to get Harry up to speed. "Our Theo here, has a crush on someone. A Gryffindor war hero no less!" He guffawed in triumph and Theo stared daggers at him, blushing to the roots of his hair.
Harry just gaped. "No fucking way! Who?"
"Goddamn grown-ass men gossiping like little girls." Theo muttered but then he lifted his chin, daring Harry to mock him when he said clearly. "Neville Longbottom."
Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his chaotic fringe and he broke into a happy grin. "Really?" Theo narrowed his eyes at him, he was way too upbeat for his liking but he still nodded. "That's good Theo! Neville is an excellent man, much better than the trash you usually drag home."
"What?" Theo was flabbergasted. "You approve? You don't think he's too good for me? And is he even gay?" Those questions were the crucks of the matter really and the reasons for all of his nagging doubts.
Harry just grinned, lounging on the plush carpet on the floor. "Oh, Neville is very much gay, he just doesn't flaunt it to the world the way you do." He winked flirtatiously at him.
Theo had a sudden thought that he had to clear up immediately. "Have you fucked him Harry?"
Harry smirked for a moment before answering, making Theo's heart pound alarmingly in his chest. "I considered it briefly but no, he's one of my best friends, we don't do that."
"Oi!" Blaise interrupted crossly. "Then what the fuck are me and Theo?!" He looked indignant but they all knew that he was kidding.
The Boy-who-grinned and stretched like a feline on the floor. "Blaise, you know you're just one of my favourite boy toys." He winked. "And no, he's not too good for you Theo, you're just selling yourself way too short."
He sat down and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes again. What the fuck was he doing anyway? What did he even want from Neville?
He had no idea if he could actually be in a real relationship. He didn't even know if it would work if he was in a relationship with anyone. He'd never tried it before and now it was all that was on his mind. Neville was on his mind all the fucking time and before they met last week he hadn't given the man a single thought. He vaguely remembered him from their repeat seventh year after the war, but he'd been so deep in his own mess with his father then that he had only cared about himself and his closest mates.
He groaned and got up slowly. "Alright. This is the outfit, I'm not changing again." He divested himself of the immaculate tux and hung it neatly in his closet.
He gritted his teeth and tried to rid his mind of all thoughts of Neville. And it didn't bloody work. God-fucking-dammit.
Luckily he had Harry and Blaise to distract him from the lingering thoughts of Neville because Harry just grinned at him and shrugged as he removed his smoking jacket. "You did look very good in that Theo. I'd do you. Again." The three of them laughed.
Ginny was lounging on his couch looking supremely bored with her surroundings. Or maybe she was just bored with life really. It did seem a rather rootless existence to him. She was always bouncing around between boyfriends and the Burrow and every single time her relationships ended badly despite their always very promising start.
She was twirling her hair and watching his frantic search. "He owled me you know. Marcus. He wants to see me tonight."
He sighed and rolled his eyes at her as he rummaged through the bottom of his closet, trying to find something to wear to the ball the next day. "Gin, please don't, you know how that's going to turn out."
She huffed and crossed her arms defensively. "You don't know that."
He sat back on his haunches and pleaded with her. "Yes I do. And I really don't want you to go see him. Please stay away from him." He just wanted her safe and those men weren't treating her right, especially Marcus Flint. To Neville he seemed unstable somehow. Like there was a vicious streak to him hiding just below the deceitful polite veneer.
"I think I'll just go see what he wants, it can't hurt, now can it?" She grinned at him but he didn't share her enthusiasm, so he decided to change the topic to something safer. He'd never be able to convince her that she shouldn't go if she'd made up her mind.
"What is it with the contents of my closet anyway? I can't find my dress robes anywhere." He grumbled from the bottom of his formerly rather full closet. Most of its contents was now strewn around his bedroom.
She giggled. "Oh Neville! They're over there! You hung them up just as you let me in, silly."
"I did? What the hell?" He looked up and spotted his new-ish dress robes hanging neatly by the door. He sank down with his back onto the floor and closed his eyes. "I am such a mess Gin. That man addles my brain."
Ginny shrugged. "Well, I think that's just how it's supposed to be when you almost have a date with your long-time crush tomorrow."
"A date? It's not a date. If anything, I'll just see him in the centre of a throng of men, happy and fettered by at least a dozen men. I don't know, I don't think much will happen. But I still want to look my best just in case."
Ginny grinned. "Of course you will. Are you going to the barber too? Your beard is getting a bit on the wild-ish side."
"Yup, I have an appointment at eleven ten tomorrow. Do you wanna join me for brunch afterwards?" He was hoping she would, he wanted her to not prioritize her bastard of an ex.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure, I might still be with Marcus then so I guess I'll just see you at the ball instead."
He sighed. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get her to prioritize something other than her current on-again-off-again man. He didn't know if anyone could stop that vicious cycle of hers if she didn't want to stop it herself. But he tried to be supportive and he gave her a small smile. "Alright then, I hope everything will turn out the way you want it to."
She gave him a smug smile. "I think it will, he's absolutely mad for me."
Neville thought that the mad-part was the key with Flint but he didn't say anything. Ginny started prattling about her dress for the ball and while he usually was very interested in what barely-there dress she was going to wear, but her mention of the ball instantly brought back his nerves of seeing Theo there and his mind started wandering.
What if…?
For once Theo arrived early to an event. That never happened because he wasn't usually excited for any of them. But he wasn't excited about this one either. He was just nervous? Or something. He cursed.
When the floo at Malfoy Manor whooshed and signalled his arrival, he was greeted by a glaringly empty entry hall. He spun around and realized that he'd probably put on his mask too early as well.
No one was there to greet him at all. No Malfoys and no house elves either. That seemed rather odd but when he checked the time, he could easily tell why and he wanted to kick himself. He was no less than thirty minutes early and no one going to a ball was ever that early.
Well, except him it would seem.
He walked up the stairs towards Draco's manor rooms grumbling to himself. He had been so jittery and on-edge when he was getting ready that he didn't even think about checking the time, he just went to the floo and was greeted by an almost empty house. Fucking great.
He arrived at the closed door of Draco's suite of room and he could hear female giggling inside. He knocked on the door impatiently. "If you two are fucking, then I'll interrupt in about five seconds." He counted the beats and on four the door was swung open by a grinning Draco.
Draco was beaming like a fool. "Theo!" He frowned. "You're early, what the fuck is wrong with you mate? You're never early."
He rolled his eyes at his friend. "Well, that's because all of these nervous fucking feelings are doing my head bloody in! I couldn't stay at home, I was all jittery and restless and shite and I have this insane need to be near him. Fuck me, alright?! Is it always like this?"
Hermione came up to Draco and put her arms around his waist as she peaked out from behind him, they looked bloody picture perfect. The fuckers. "If it's right, then yes but just in the beginning. Afterwards you get more secure in your emotions around them." She cocked her head at him. "You really like him, don't you?"
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Oh fuck my fucking life! How the hell am I supposed to know if I like him?! I felt like I was hit over and over by the goddamn Whomping Willow when I saw him and it bloody well hasn't gone away! I dream about him but I don't even fucking know him and today I just had this itching feeling that I had to get going." He sat down on the sofa with his head in his hands. "Bloody hell, I'm fucked."
"Too right you are." Draco grinned at him, earning a frown and a slap on his arm from Hermione.
"Be nice." She warned and walked forward before she pulled him into a hug. He almost wanted to make a joke and roll his eyes at her Gryffindor-ish behaviour but he didn't. Instead he just held her tightly to him. For once he really needed that hug.
Draco just regarded him with one eyebrow raised and Theo flipped his friend the bird. Hermione drew back and smiled at him. "Relax Theo. Talk to Neville tonight. You really should. Don't hide yourself from him and scheme like some Slytherins do."
"I do not!" Draco yelled indignantly from behind them and he and Hermione grinned at his indignation.
She rolled her eyes at Theo before turning back to Draco. "I didn't say you, darling." She winked and blew him a kiss. "Now go get dressed, I have to calm down Theo and you're no good at it." He was suitably mollified and winked back at her as he went back into his closet.
Theo couldn't not roll his eyes at the man. He was so completely whipped and still, he was bloody jealous of him. For fucks sake. Now he wanted to roll his eyes at himself.
Hermione sat on the sofa beside him. "Now Theo. Do I have to give you a calming draught or will talking be enough?"
He winced. "I don't want a calming draught, do you have liquor here by any chance?"
She smiled a knowing smile. "We do, but I'm not giving you any of it. I know you're nervous, so was I when I went out on a limb for Draco. That's what it's like at first. You can never know what the other thinks but you can put yourself out there and hope that the feelings are reciprocated. Or that they have the possibility of being reciprocated."
He scoffed. "But I have absolutely no idea what I'm feeling. I'm all over the place."
She smiled, understanding his poor attempt at derision to a tee. "Well, okay, let's look at it from a different angle. What do you want to happen?" She was so patient and sweet with him, he really loved having her as one of his closest friends. It was damn lucky for him, especially in this situation. She was so understanding and kind.
Nothing like his mates. Draco, Harry and Blaise would have just kitted him out with lots of firewhiskey and sent him on his merry way. Now that he thought about it, wasn't that how he 'helped' Draco with Hermione?
Well, it worked out perfectly, didn't it? Maybe he ought to get plastered too? But that would be somewhat counter-productive to his cause, wouldn't it? He didn't fucking know up from down anymore.
He thought about her question, what did he want to happen with Neville? He wanted the man in his bed and very much naked if possible. That much was obvious to him but he wanted more too. He wanted him to be his date to Hermione's birthday masquerade and he wanted to get to know him because he didn't know anything about Neville at all other than the obvious bits from their school days and the war. And he didn't want to fuck random men anymore. He'd been teetering in that direction for a long time now but seeing Neville had just pushed him over the edge somehow.
He nodded to himself, coming to an obvious conclusion. "I want to date him. I want to get to know him."
"Then that's what you should go for. Ask him out on a date." She smiled at him as though it was the easiest thing in the world while his stomach was all bungled up in knots.
For the first time in his life, he was completely out his of depth. How the bloody hell did anybody go about asking a stranger out on a date?
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