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Part Two | Pain & Fire

Thirty-Four. Presents

Pansy had thought it that the others leaving would be a long, dragging process, something drawn out, and most likely painful. Instead, it was sudden, and felt over in an instant.

"Good luck," she breathed, holding Daphne for minute longer than she probably should have, purposefully saying her goodbyes to the others first.

Daphne tried, unsuccessfully to hide the wobble in her voice. "We'll see you soon," the blonde replied with a watery smile.

"You will," Pansy. "Really soon."

She didn't realise just how not ready she was to see Blaise's hand reach for Daphne's shoulder, signalling to both girls that it was time. Feeling the same wobble in her own emotions, Pansy forced her eyes away from Daphne's face, knowing that tears that were a mere fraction way from cascading down her pale cheeks were going to make her lose face. It was a blessing, surely, that the Carrows were nowhere around.

Looking at each of her friends in turn, Pansy took in a deep breath through her nose, and nodded. "I love you all," her gaze rested, finally, on Draco. "Be safe."

He dropped his head in a single, expressionless nod. "Bye, Pans."

The others echoed his farewell, each taking a moment to linger their gaze on Pansy's face for an extra moment, as a thousand silent notions of good luck passed between the united Slytherins.

As they turned to leave, Pansy noticed a very similar scene to her right, where a bunch of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and a few spare Hufflepuffs were turning and walking away from a familiar figure.

He didn't look at her in return, but the soft smile that crossed his lips and softened his features told her that he wanted to.

Get it together, Pansy.

She turned on the ball on her foot, and took a few steps away from the Entrance Hall. "Please don't tell me it's just me and you staying here over Christmas, Longbottom."

He offered her something halfway between a smile and a smirk. "Looks like it is, how unlucky for you."

"Just...stay out of my way." Pansy narrowed her eyes, in the same way she knew meant that he most definitely was having conflicting thoughts over snapping a feigned snarky remark back at her, or slamming her against the pillar that was standing closeby.

"Duly noted."

Keeping her face nonchalant, thankful for the distraction from her friends leaving, knowing that all but one of them wasn't even going to board the train...all going to plan, that was, Pansy, not looking back, began to walk towards the stairs, making sure to exaggerate the sashay of her hips as she did.

She hadn't been back at the Head's quarters for ten minutes before a quick rap at the door drew her attention from the glass she'd only had the chance to take one sip from.

Pansy kept her voice light. "Good morning, Neville."

"You...are a tease."

Gasping, theatrically, Pansy flung one hand to her chest. "Me?!"

He took the step it took to close the gap between them, and she felt first a delicate sweep of his fingertips, and then the firmer grip of his palms over each side of her waist. "Yes, you." he began, planting a swift peck on her lips. "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

"I know," he kissed her again, before moving his arms upwards, still round her, to encase her shoulders, pulling her as close to him as he was able. "They'll be fine."

"I hope so."

He didn't reply, instead planting a soft peck on the top of her head. Wrapping her own arms around his waist, Pansy inhaled the scent of him. It was mostly earthy, a smell that once upon a time would have caused her nose to wrinkle as she imagined dirt. Now, however, she wished to bottle it and wear it as a perfume whenever he wasn't around.

"They will," he said, and Pansy knew he was forcing a confidence. "And so will we."

"And Dr-"

His voice was firmer this time, and Pansy didn't know if it was fully for her benefit, or for his as well. "And Draco."

"Okay," she squeaked in reply, willing herself to believe him.

Kissing the top of Pansy's head again, Neville squeezed her tighter. "Hey, it's almost Christmas."

Pansy's mind immediately brought her to a place of stilted conversation and gifts no child would ask for; tombs of pureblood ancestry and piles upon piles of dress robes. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Pansy cursed the tears that betrayed her, spilling onto Neville's chest. She wasn't sure if he felt them, or the shake that came from her rapidly failing attempt at not bursting into tears.

"Hey," he repeated softly. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Pansy gasped in reply, between the sobs that were now entirely impossible to either ignore, or hide. "You didn't...I'm sorry...I-"

Guiding her gently, Neville led the pair over to the nearby couch. Once seated, he wasted no time in pulling her into his lap. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I've just never...really liked...Christmas," she managed, the words sounding too feeble to properly convey her sadness, too nostalgic to feel the embarrassment that would no doubt overcome her soon.

"I don't really like it either, if I'm honest," Neville began as Pansy nuzzled her face into the side of his neck. "Gran always ended up stressed, my uncle Algie was always drunk before we even ate Christmas dinner, and my auntie Enid, bless her heart, would always buy me the same toy broomstick set.

"You?" Pansy asked in disbelief. She recalled seeing Neville on a broomstick once, in first-year, and she was fairly certain he'd broken his wrist before any of the rest of the class had even left the ground.

Neville snorted a laugh. "What, you don't think that me and anything remotely related to flying mix?"

"I definitely do not," Pansy replied, granting his a quick kiss on the neck. "Gods, I'm terribly sorry about that."

"What?"

"That positively shameful Hufflepuff-esc display you just had to witness."

Tightening the hold his arms held around her, Neville chucked. "You're forgiven."

"And you better tell no one," Pansy stated, her voice falsifying a threatening tone.

Neville's hand wound its way to the side of Pansy's head, and using it, he guided her lips to meet his once, twice, and then three times, before replying, "Who would even believe me if I did?"

"Well, there is that."

"But, your sensitive, lovely secret...that Pansy Parkinson is capable of feelings, is safe with me."

"Most appreciated," she replied, before snaking her own arm up and running her fingers through his hair, and pushing all doubt and worry over her friends into kissing what might, actually, surprisingly, be a chance - for both of them, to have a good Christmas.

They had a few days, three to be exact, between the start of the Christmas holidays, and Christmas day. To Pansy and Neville, that meant three full days of almost entirely uninterrupted quality time. The majority of which was spent in Pansy's bed...as well as on Pansy's desk, against Pansy's wall, and, at Pansy's insistence, much to Neville's amusement, on Draco's chair.

"Didn't he once say he'd hex my dick off for this?" Neville asked, panting. A collective groan escaped them, as Pansy positioned herself over his erection, and softly began to move downwards, over him.

Snorting a laugh, Pansy replied, "He did."

He grinned up at her, as she slowly moved up and down, gaining a controlled rhythm. "Well, that's fantastic." Reaching around her, Pansy let out a surprised squeal as Neville's hands tightly gripped her behind. "As is this."

"It surprises me that you're an arse man," Pansy observed, determined to move achingly slowly, she leant down to offer him a quick kiss, letting out a moan as Neville's hands began to softly run over her behind.

"Don't think I don't love these just as much!" His hands left their position and moved around her body, and had began to caress her breasts, gently at first, but as Pansy's leaned down to kiss Neville again, his pressure increased, pinching and rolling the sensitive points between his thumb and forefinger.

"Mmmm," Pansy moaned, arching her back, pushing her breasts towards him and the movements of his fingertips, she continued to maneuver herself up and down.

Using the back of the chair to balance herself better, Pansy's moans became more strangled as she felt one of Neville's hands leave her left breast, the other remaining very firmly in place on her right. His spare hand moved southwards, and began to stroke her most sensitive point. "Ohhh, oh God-" but the rest of her exclamation was lost as Neville's mouth began to roam over her neglected breast.

It didn't take long for her to reach her climax as she increased her pace and Neville increased his own, and before long she was positively screaming, relishing in the fact the living quarters were deserted, save for themselves.

Neville's orgasm quickly followed suit as he gripped the sides of her thighs, groaning against Pansy's mouth as her movements began to dwindle. "Gods, I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Pansy gasped, suddenly exhausted. "I'm sleepy."

"Do you still want a bath?" Neville murmured against her temple.

Pansy snorted. "Are you trying to politely tell me that I smell?"

"Hmm...maybe-ahh!" Neville cried out as Pansy slapped him in the chest with her palm. "I mean, no, of course not! I was just wondering if you wanted me to run it for you?"

"I still think you think I smell," she replied. "But yes," she placed a soft kiss on his shoulder, "that would be nice."

"Alright, you're going to have to get off me first, though."

Pansy groaned, this time in frustration and not in pleasure. "Ugh," she grumbled, beginning to untangle herself from him. "Fine."

Standing shakily, partly due to the surge of adrenaline that had since dissipated, and partly due to her tiredness, Pansy found herself lightheaded, and, had Neville's strong hands not gripped her in time, she'd have fallen sideways.

"Sit down," he whispered in her ear, and Pansy obeyed, moving over to the sofa with Neville's help. They were both still naked, and Pansy watched with interest as Neville's pleasing behind walked towards the door. Smirking at the sight, Pansy sat back, her eyes gazing over the room that in a few days she would no longer call home.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. "NEVILLE!"

She could hear him busying himself with the running of the bath. "YEAH?"

"It's a really good thing Draco won't be coming back here!"

Neville's head popped itself around the door. "Yeah? How so?"

"We got spunk on his chair!"

Waking the next morning was unlike any Christmas Pansy had woke up to. Granted, in the more recent years, Freyja and Daphne, and even Draco had ensured that Pansy received presents she actually enjoyed, but her mother had usually, for some reason still unbeknown to Pansy, always insisted that Pansy return to her childhood home for Christmas. Enduring the same, strained family gathering which always involved the grand total of the three of them, was irritating at best, and downright painful at worst.

Before she was eleven, Christmas was never something Pansy looked forward to, like other children, instead she more often than not found herself wishing the holiday disappear altogether. Lilith Parkinson may have instilled it into Pansy that the girl was special, but rarely did she go out of her way to ensure her daughter believed it so.

This year, however, she awoke to a pair of strong arms surrounding her, in a bed that wasn't in any way her own, but, with him sharing it with her, felt more like home than anywhere ever had. Turning, so as to face Neville, Pansy was pleased to see his eyes open, and his smile widen when she looked at him.

"Morning," she said, croakily.

He kissed her forehead. "Merry Christmas."

"Oh yeah," Pansy's nose wrinkled, "that, too."

Chuckling slightly, Neville pulled Pansy closer into him. "I can't wait to give you your presents."

"Presents?" Pansy queried, "as in, more than one?"

"As in three."

"I only got you one!" Pansy cried, suddenly aghast.

"So?"

"So," Pansy whined, elongating the o sound, "you've made me look bad."

"I'm dreadfully sorry," Neville replied, kissing her forehead again.

Pansy huffed. "Good, you should be."

"Do you want your presents now?"

Pansy pulled away from him, and propped her pillows up, making herself a makeshift headboard. "Well, yes, I do."

Neville grinned as he placed his lips on hers briefly. He summoned his bag, which he'd moved to Pansy's room the day the holidays began, and pulled three beautifully wrapped parcels. Pansy felt a jolt rise in her chest at the sight. His isn't wrapped. Not that it really could be wrapped...could have bought a bow to stick on it, or something.

He handed the first to her, it was a funny sort of square oval shape, and Pansy couldn't even offer a guess as to what it was. Carefully, she began to peel the wrapping paper aside, until she was able to peer somewhat inside. A familiar, yet entirely unexpected blue leaf grabbed her attention. Bringing the potted plant away from its wrappings, Pansy let in an intake of breath. "It's our plant!"

"It is, I asked Professor Sprout if I could keep it, and she said yes. I know we're leaving but it shouldn't take up too much room in your bag, or mine, if you want."

Pansy's heart was thumping wildly. "Noone has ever given me anything...like this."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," she breathed.

"This one," he picked up a second present, a small, rectangle box, and passed to her, "is related to the first one."

Inside, was a wooden box, which housed five of small glass potion vials, a swirling mixture of both blue and green was inside each. Pansy opened her mouth in surprise. "Is this made from the plant?"

"Do you remember when we were writing about it? After we finally worked out what it was? And we discovered it had-"

"Healing properties," Pansy interjected, nodding.

"Right, and in order for them to work, parts of the leaves had to be-"

"Extracted and melted down."

Neville was grinning again. "You do remember."

"What we didn't realise, was that once you do that, the potion is scented."

Gingerly, Pansy took a vial and uncorked it. "It is?" The scent that hit her was, surprisingly, refreshing and pleasant. "So, it's like a perfume?"

"It can be," Neville replied, "if you want it to be. Or you could keep the potions just for healing, they don't work as well as dittany, or any healing spells, but a few drops will speed up blood clotting, and kill any potential infection. It does something to your bacteria, basically jump starts most healing."

Pansy's eyebrows were raised at his words. "That's amazing." She took a small amount on the pad of her index finger and patted it around her neck, and wrists. "I think I'll use one for perfume, and keep the rest incase we ever need it."

"Good plan."

Smiling, Pansy gave her wrist a quick sniff. "Can I give you yours now?"

"Of course."

Reaching over to the far end of her bedside table, Pansy reached behind a lamp and pulled forth the small cardboard box, the top of which was littered with holes. "Sorry it isn't wrapped, but...you'll see why I didn't."

Neville took the box, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"I, well I felt bad...after you told me about Trevor, and well…" she gestured vaguely.

His eyes widened in utter shock as he carefully opened the top flaps. "Oh my-"

From the top of the box, a small orange head bobbed its way upwards, a pair of unblinking beady black eyes fixed entirely on Neville.

"Hello," the wizard breathed, and Pansy was relieved to see there seemed to be excitement laced with his shock. "Who are you?"

The small corn snake slithered upwards, and maneuvered onto Neville's hand, and then continued further up his arm, before reaching the top of his shoulder, which, apparently, was a good resting point.

"She's a girl," Pansy explained, "but she doesn't have a name yet."

"Clementine," Neville stated, and Pansy noticed his eyes narrow slightly, in a most un-Neville-like fashion, as though daring her to berate his name choice.

"I like it," Pansy smiled. "And I hope you like her."

"She's great," Neville replied happily, reaching a hand upwards to pet Clementine's scaly head. "Thank you," he reached for Pansy's hand and brought it to his lips. "You're the best."

"I try."

"Want your last present?"

"Please!"

He handed her the last, another box, this one smaller. Beneath the wrapping paper black velvet met her fingertips. Upon opening it, Pansy gasped, her hand meeting her mouth as she heard nothing for a few seconds except her own heart beating.

"Neville I can't-"

"Yes, you can."

"It's too much, oh my Gods."

Taking the delicate, silver chain from its box, Pansy felt the magic it contained weaving in and out of her fingers. "This is a shikkane."

"It is," Neville replied, "it was my mother's, my dad bought it once they passed their Auror exams."

Pansy had learned about the charmed jewelry more than once. Laced with protective enchantments, which were enhanced when the wearer had been gifted the item by someone protective of them. Once they were worn, they needed to be charmed off, but the wearer was granted protection.

"Are you sure? Your mum..." Pansy breathed.

"Turn around and lift your hair up."

She swallowed, and did as he instructed.

She felt the chain rest against her throat, once more aware of the magic emanating from it. "My mum would be honoured, Pansy."

Turning back to face him, a single tracking its way down her cheek. She touched the shikkane, flush against the skin of her neck, it fit her like a choker. "This is...so incredible."

"You're incredible."

"You're incredible," Pansy countered.

A hard banging on Pansy's door interrupted their conversation. Instinctively, both Pansy and Neville reached for their wands. However, their guards were let down when Winky's unmistakable voice rang out through the wood. "If Miss Pansy wishes to eat breakfast, Winky insists both she and Mr Neville make their way downstairs."

Fighting the desire to laugh, Pansy raised her voice to reply. "We'll be right down, Winky."

"Ah yes, that's good, so it is. Winky doesn't wish to be on her lonesome, no she doesn't."

"Aw Winky, we won't leave you on your own at Christmas," Neville replied, as he and Pansy exchanged a look of raised eyebrows.

"Good good, Mr Neville. Oh, and an owl appeared, with a letter for you, Miss Pansy. The writing is in Mr Malfoy's hand."

"Oh, okay. Thanks!"

"Winky will see you in a minute, yes she will."

At that, they heard the elf begin to descend the staircase.

"I wonder what Draco is sending an owl about," Pansy mused, her brow furrowed as a feeling of unease overtook her.

Neville began to rise from the bed. "Only one way to find out."

"Yeah," Pansy followed suit, "let's go."