Writing this, I was listening to – "Just You And I" by Tom Walker
Chapter 42 -
She pulled away slowly, her eyes like drowning pools. How Neville had missed her. His heart lurched as she pulled away as though bereft at the distance forming between them.
"Now drink some more water." She commanded breathlessly. He nodded as she flicked her wand, causing the bonds to evaporate. He flexed his fingers and sat up. He took the cup she was holding and downed it, the crisp taste refreshed his senses. He watched her for a moment as the silence spanned between them, only the faint sound of music filling the air. He handed her the cup, and she moved it out of the way. She studied her hands as they fidgeted nervously in her lap.
"So who are you supposed to be?" He asked huskily as he pointed to her outfit. She looked up surprised before looking down at her dress. She chuckled and smoothed the material over her legs.
"Morticia Addams" She snorted before glancing up to him. "I think Theo was trying to play matchmaker this evening."
"How come?"
"Did he not tell you anything about your costume?" She asked with a frown.
"He probably did but to be honest, I wasn't listening, I was only going down for an hour to keep an eye on you, and then I was going to make a break for it."
"To watch me?" She asked, her frown deepening.
He cringed as he rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Cornfoot and Rivers said they were going to… have fun with you, regardless of consent." He said delicately.
She sat still for a moment as she looked at him. "And you were going to watch me? To make sure I was alright?"
He nodded and looked away bashfully.
She put her hand on his face and turned him back to her. Her eyes glowing like the surface of the moon. She stole his breath away. "My stubborn, brave, chivalrous lion," She said softly. A faint blush appeared under her makeup, just warming her cheekbones. "Thank you,"
"I couldn't… I would never have forgiven myself," He said as he tried to avoid the look in her eyes. So tender and open.
"Shush, I'm fine." She assured him.
She turned to him more fully as she smiled. "Well, Morticia is the mother of this cooky family. She is sophisticated, intelligent, can speak fluent French. She is also deeply infatuated with her husband. They enjoy waltzing and do so often. They kiss each other passionately and would die for one another, believing that life without the other is the only true death,"
He nodded as she looked away and smiled bashfully. She chuckled slightly as she picked at a thread in the dress. "Gomez Addams is Morticia's husband." She glanced up at him before dropping her eyes again.
He blinked, and it clicked. He was Gomez Addams. Theo was a Slytherin indeed with his cunning machinations.
"Well, in that case, would you care to dance?" With a shy smirk, he offered her his hand. "As long as my legs will work properly that is,"
Her mouth parted in surprise as the blush on her cheeks deepened. She nodded and took his hand as he moved off the bed.
They faced each other nervously as Neville put his hand on her waist. She hesitantly slid her arm around his shoulder as he held her other hand against his chest. The steady beat from the music downstairs allowed them to sway in time to something. Her eyes were averted bashfully as he held her close. He took a deep breath and luxuriated in the scent of her.
The world had righted itself as he held her, feeling her heat against his chest.
"Neville?" She whispered.
"Mmm?" He replied as he looked down.
"How on earth did a clumsy fourteen-year-old boy learn how to dance so gracefully?" she smirked and the energy between them changed, relaxed. He laughed, not expecting the question.
"I'm surprised you remembered, it's not like you even glanced in my direction at the Yule Ball."
She bit her lips and looked away. "I may have glanced, once or twice," She shrugged.
"Yeah, ok." He replied sarcastically before chuckling.
She sighed as she put her head on his shoulder as they swayed from side to side. He closed his eyes as he rested his head on hers. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, perhaps his Gryffindor nature was seeping through. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, "Do you remember that night in the greenhouse?" He asked.
"You mean where you almost shot me?" She asked without lifting her head, but he felt her smile against his chest.
"Yes, when I almost shot you." He replied as he kissed her hand where the sparks had caught. "Do you remember you wanted me to talk about things?" She nodded. "You said to treat you like one of my flowers, that you wouldn't talk back, you would just listen."
She nodded again before looking at him, a curious look on her face.
"Just let me get it out, you don't have to say anything, you don't have to do anything, but I need to say it."
"Ok," She said before resting her head back onto his chest.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I scare myself every day with just how much I want you, but I want you all the same. I love you. I don't care how complicated things get, or whether you say it back, but I do."
He felt her stiffen in his arms, and he cursed himself. Had he ruined everything with his big mouth? He kissed her head before she could move away from him. She pulled back, and her face was carefully blank, only her eyes gave away any emotion. Tears gathered in her dark lashes.
"Like I said, you don't have to say it back." He said as he cupped her face, eager to reassure her.
She shook her head and looked away. He cringed as she gently pulled away and sat down on the bed, leaving him to stand alone. "Have I ruined everything? Pretend I didn't say anything."
She focused her eyes on a spot somewhere on the floor as she clasped her hands in her lap. He rubbed at his face and swore in frustration. He knelt down in front of her and covered her hands with his. The mounting tears escaped in large fat drops onto her dress. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry. I take it back."
"You can't," She said with a shake of her head.
"I'm sorry,"
"Stop accepting liability!" She chuckled weakly as she wiped at her face.
"But you're crying, and it is my fault," He frowned.
"Only one person in my life has ever told me that they loved me," Neville frowned at this tragic confession as he stroked her hands. "It just caught me off guard." She admitted as she looked down at their hands together.
"So, we're ok?" He asked tentatively. She nodded and smiled as she looked up at him. "And I don't have to take it back?"
"You do, and I'll kill you," She sniffed. Neville laughed as the panic in his chest loosened.
"No, you wouldn't because you wouldn't want to live without me," He laughed. She joined him as she pushed the rest of her tears away.
"True," she nodded. "Now kiss me." She demanded.
"Ok, my love." He grinned as she pulled his lips towards hers. He pushed his hands around her face and held her tight as he took control of the kiss, pouring in every ounce of love he felt for her into it. She moaned at the little nips he made at her lip and squeezed his hips as he moved to kneel between her legs. Her dress bunching up to her thighs.
He let out a shuddering breath as her noises reverberated in his soul, hardening him immediately. He pulled her hair back, tilting her head up, giving him access to her neck. He trailed kissed down the pale skin, he bit gently with his teeth, making her shudder. She reached up to grab his head and groaned, but not in passion. He smirked and pulled away from her neck to look into her eyes. He hand had touched the gel in his hair.
"Maybe we should get cleaned up first." She offered, her eyes fluttering closed as his thumb brushed one of the protruding nubs in the front of her dress.
"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea." He nodded before biting her neck again. She shuddered and wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. His cock brushed against her core, and they sighed together at the friction.
"No Fucking! Remember?" She remarked with a huff of laughter.
"Absolutely!" he agreed with a grin as he pinched at her nipple. "Everything else is allowed though, right?"
She nodded eagerly as he straightened his legs, pushing her back into the bed. He pulled the curtain closed behind them as he claimed her lips again.
With one hand he slid the dress up her thigh to expose her sexy black stockings. He growled as he felt the lace with his fingers.
"You know how much I love these things!"
She nodded with a grin before lifting her bottom from the bed. He took the opportunity to push the dress higher, exposing the tiniest pair of knickers he had ever felt. He paused and pulled away as he looked down, a small patch of material separated him from her most valuable treasure.
He could practically smell her arousal as she took the opportunity to pull the dress completely off. He knelt, utterly speechless as he gazed down at her.
She smiled shyly up at him as she lay naked from the hips up. His mouth grew dry.
"You are so beautiful" He whispered as he lowered his face to her chest, taking one of her nipples into his mouth.
She cried out as her hands twisted into the material of his suit jacket.
"Neville," She breathed into the air, the desperation in her voice stealing his breath and stilling his heart.
He needed to hear her, feel her, undo her. He gripped her breasts, sucking one while pinching the other. Her eyes fluttered closed as she clutched her hair, pulling off the wig. He smiled at the sight of the green and purple as he bit into her nipple. The wig went flying as she flung her arms wildly out.
He lifted his mouth from her nipple before blowing on it and watching the abused flesh, pucker. He moved his lips to the valley between, trailing kisses across her skin. He needed to brand her. She was his. He latched his mouth to her breast and sucked hard. She cried as he pinched her nipples together, bucking her back as he did so.
He moved his hand down her body, stroking the skin between his face and her bottom. He slowly worked his way to his target. She mewled and moaned as his hands stroked and tickled as they went. Watching her squirm was irresistible.
"Please," She cried as his hand found the small patch of material keeping him from his prize.
He lay beside her and whispered into her ear as his fingers moved over the delicate lace. He could only imagine how infuriating this was, but he wanted her to beg. He wasn't sure where this new side of him had come from. Maybe it was the loss of her making him bold, wanting to do everything he wanted with her.
"I believe I'm ready for that story,"
She blinked at him, her eyes glazed and unfocused as she tried to understand.
"What story?" she gasped as he moved a finger and slid it under the material and into the hot folds of her. Her eyes closed as he slowly caressed her.
"The one about the hare and violin tapestry." He smiled. She was flushed and red and stunning. She chewed on her bottom lip as he worked her up further into a frenzy
"Neville, I- mmm" She moaned as he increased his speed.
He took pity on her and leant forward, taking her lips in his. He ushed his fingers further inside her as his thumb continued to work at the ball of nerves. She cried out against him as she gripped his hair, completely oblivious to the gel this time.
She began to pant and buck against him as he pounded his fingers into her. He let go of her lips and nibbled on her nipple again. She cried out, and he thought maybe that he'd hurt her at first, but she continued to move with him, gripping and pulsating around his fingers. He longed to one day be able to plunge those depths the way he was meant to, feeling her throb and clench around his cock. He wouldn't push for it though, he knew it would be worth waiting for.
She arched off the bed as she clawed wildly for something to hold onto.
He moved his mouth next to her ear as she hovered on the edge.
"Come for me, my love." She nodded jerkily and screamed in response as he flicked his thumb against her clit one last time. She clenched around him so tightly that he couldn't have moved anymore if he tried. He drank her in as her breasts quivered as she fell to pieces, her skin dappled in goosebumps and sweat.
When he was able to, he pulled out his fingers slowly. Pansy moaned feebly in complaint causing him to grin. He wiped his hand on the bed, it needed cleaning anyway, his hair gel was everywhere. He pulled her to him and took her lips and gently kissed life back into her as she lay boneless in his arms.
He stroked her cheek and brushed the hair away from her face. Her lips were bitten red, the crimson lipstick, long gone. She smiled blissfully as she blinked up at him. She sighed and held his cheek.
"I missed you so much!"
"Only because I'm good with my hands" he winked and kissed her head.
"That too!" She nodded as she cuddled closer to him.
"Hold that thought." He said as he climbed up and away from her. He grabbed his wand and cast a quick cleaning spell on the sheets and his hair, removing the last remains of the gel. He would need a proper shower in the morning, but this would do for now.
She watched him then, as he started to undo his tie, and then his shirt before sliding everything off.
"Keep this up, and I'll be wanting to go again," She grinned as she looked down her body at him.
"Keep looking at me like that and I may insist upon it." He laughed back as he started undoing the fly.
She chuckled as she scooted up and under the cover, shimmying beneath and hiding her nakedness. He pouted playfully.
"Well hurry up so that you can join me." She said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk.
Neville grinned as he slid everything off and dumped them outside his curtain. He left his boxer shorts on as he wriggled in next to her. He was desperately eager to hold her, feeling her skin on his.
Her cool skin was soft and goosepimpled as he pulled her back flush against his chest. He nestled his head in the space at the nape of her neck and breathed in her sent, mulled cherries and powdered violets.
"I missed you desperately." He whispered into her skin. "Every breath was agony,"
"Don't leave." She muttered quietly.
"Leave?" He asked, peering over her shoulder.
"Don't join the Auror's, stay at Hogwarts and finish out your final year," She said solemnly
"Why? I thought you liked the idea of me in uniform." He expected her to laugh, but she didn't.
"Just promise me! Regardless of what happens between us, you'll sit your exams?"
"Alright, I promise," He agreed seriously.
"I would never forgive myself if you dropped out. Without your N.E.W.T's, you'll never be eligible for any research grants or expeditions nor will you be qualified to join the faculty when Sprout eventually leaves."
"Ok, I promise." He nodded.
"Good," She nodded as he settled back down. "And Neville?" She asked sleepily as she wiggled back into him, forcing them even closer.
"Mmm?" He murmured.
"I love you too!" He smiled and kissed her skin as they settled down to sleep. His heartfelt light and fluttery as the words bounced around it. She loved him back. Heaven was here with her in his arms.