Chapter 12

Neville lifted his head and sniffed the air, certain that he could smell smoke coming from somewhere. He was sitting in his study, putting together the notes and other bits he would need to attend his quarterly seminar weekend in a few days, and the smell of something burning kept wafting into the room.

He frowned and put his papers to one side, deciding that the situation needed investigating. Heaven forbid Draco had set the cellar on fire with a potion gone wrong and was in need of rescuing. He followed the smell out onto the landing and realised it was coming from downstairs. It led him through the main foyer and into the kitchen, where he stopped in the doorway and tried to figure out if what he was seeing was actually real.

Draco was standing at the oven, a plume of smoke around him as he extracted something from it and all but threw it onto the countertop. Whatever it was was burnt to a crisp and smelt like melted plastic and the entire kitchen was in a state of disarray. The work surfaces were covered in some sort of goop that was oozing its way merrily down over the cupboards and it seemed that every single utensil and item of crockery had been used and littered all over the kitchen.

"Um…Draco?" Neville ventured, taking a step inside the room.

The man spun around and Neville could see that the gooey substance that was smeared all over the kitchen was also all over Draco too and had even made its way up into his hair. His cheeks were flushed and his shirt was clinging to him with the heat that was permeating the room.

"What…uh…what the hell's going on?" Neville asked, trying to keep the smile from his face. He was fairly certain that if he laughed Draco would hex his balls off and he was really rather fond of them.

"Nothing," Draco replied, flicking his hair out of his eyes with an imperiousness only he could manage in such a situation.

"Well…when you said you wanted to redecorate the kitchen I didn't think you were going for…this kind of look."

"Don't be facetious," Draco said with a sniff and Neville chanced getting a little closer.

"Um…" he said, peering at the burnt block Draco had pulled out of the oven. "Is that…is that a cake?" he asked tentatively.

"It was meant to be, yes," Draco huffed.

"You've…you've tried to bake?"

"Yes," Draco said, chucking down the oven gloves and turning to face Neville as the kitchen continued to smell like a bonfire and an errant whisk slid off the countertop and clattered to the floor. "I attempted to make a sponge because all the recipe books said that it was the easiest thing to make but clearly that was a big bloody lie because that thing fought back! I did everything I was supposed to, I followed the instructions to the letter and here I am! I have egg in my hair!"

Neville lost it at that point and burst out laughing, covering his mouth to try and stop it but ending up bent in two with hands braced on his knees as he wheezed with laughter. Every time he tried to compose himself he descended into fits of giggles again and he peered upwards to see Draco standing with his arms folded, looking mightily unimpressed.

"Well, I'm glad you find this so amusing," Draco said, managing to look oddly composed even with his clothes covered in sponge mix and his hair spiked up with egg.

"I do," Neville laughed, trying to breathe through his giggles. "I really do." He straightened himself up and eyed Draco with glee. "You really are a picture. What possessed you?"

"I wanted to try and bake something nice for Andromeda and Teddy coming over. I wanted to welcome them to our home with something I made myself but clearly I shouldn't have bloody well bothered."

Neville sniggered and reached out to brush Draco's hair off his forehead, laughing again when his fingers got stuck in the strands. "You have many fine talents but I don't think we can add baking to them any time soon. It was a lovely thought though."

"Don't patronise me," Draco said, but there was no bite to his tone and Neville merely grinned, trying to find a place to rest his hand on Draco that wasn't covered in goop.

"You look really cute," he told the man, giving the endeavour up for a lost cause and slipping his arms properly around the man, reconciling himself to the fact that he would get covered in the sponge mix too.

"Shut up."

"You do," Neville insisted. "Like a little cross baking gnome."

"I'm going to give you such a thump in a minute," Draco threatened, but slid his arms up to loop around Neville's neck, nevertheless.

"Absolutely adorable," Neville teased.

"You're an infuriating bastard."

"I know," Neville said as he lowered his head and licked a bit of the mixture that had managed to find its way to Draco's neck. "Mm, that's not bad."

"Oh well I'll just serve it to Andromeda and Teddy off my skin, shall I?"

"Probably wouldn't go down too well," Neville murmured as he continued to lick at the sticky substance, letting his tongue dance up to the shell of Draco's ear. "Blimey, this stuff's managed to get everywhere."

"Are you cleaning me?" Draco asked with a laugh, squirming as Neville's actions tickled him.

"I'm attempting to. Oh, what was that I just licked? What the bloody hell did you put in this anyway?" Neville asked as he continued his trail down the man's throat and over a collarbone, holding his shirt aside to aid in his mission.

"I just followed the recipe," Draco replied as he emitted a little hum of approval, responsive and pliant in Neville's arms. "Mm, fancy joining me in the shower?"

Neville glanced up at the clock and said, "We don't have time."

"Just a shower," Draco insisted, pulling back and giving Neville one of his patented innocent looks.

"That's likely, isn't it?"

"You think I can't behave myself?"

"I know you can't behave yourself," Neville said with a grin. "Go on," he said, lowering his hands and letting them rest on Draco's backside. "Go and clean yourself up and I'll sort this mess out."

Draco pouted. "Spoilsport. Think of the fun we could have had."

Neville smiled and squeezed Draco's backside lightly, saying, "Think of the fun we can have later without any time constraints."

"You win," Draco said, a glint in his eye, and Neville knew the man would be making good on the promise later.

Reluctantly, they disentangled themselves from each other and Neville tackled the mess in the kitchen while Draco went to wash off the mess and change his clothes. It was times like this he was thankful for magic; cleaning the kitchen without it would have been a hideous task and one that would have likely taken hours. It would probably be for the best for all concerned if Draco was banned from all attempts at baking in the future.

They were both clean and presentable in time for Andromeda arriving with Teddy. Draco greeted her with a kiss and took Teddy from her arms, the little boy absolutely delighted to see his cousin and giggling happily as Draco covered him in kisses.

"Andromeda, welcome," Neville said, stepping forward to shake her hand. He only knew the woman from the few times they'd spoken when she'd been present at a Weasley gathering or when they'd met in passing at Harry's flat.

"Neville, lovely to see you again. Thank you so much for inviting us."

"Our pleasure, it's lovely to have you. Please, come through."

They made their way to the main parlour, the house elves already having set up a tea service with, Neville noticed with amusement, a lovely looking cake. He served them all while Draco sat on the floor with Teddy, who was eyeing the cake with great interest.

"How have you been?" Neville asked Andromeda as he handed her her tea.

"Well enough, thank you. This one keeps me busy," she said, nodding at Teddy, who was trying to make clear to Draco what his intentions were when it came to the cake waiting on the table. "He's starting at nursey soon, though. It'll only be a couple of days a week but it'll give me the chance of a reprieve."

"He must be a handful."

"He's a little star," Draco said, relenting and cutting a slice of cake. "Shall we share this?" he asked Teddy, who looked thrilled at the prospect.

"Toddlers are handfuls even when they're little stars," Andromeda said with a laugh. "And how are you two? How's married life treating you?"

Neville shot Draco a look and the man smirked back at him. "It's…probably not what either of us expected," Neville said, deciding the diplomatic response was the safest option, "but we're muddling along well enough."

"I still can't believe she called in the life debt that way," Andromeda said with a shake of her head. She sipped at her tea and added, "Although I wouldn't put anything past my sister."

"She um…she still doesn't know that you and Draco are in contact?" Neville asked, looking between the two of them.

"I wouldn't care if she knew," Andromeda said with a shrug, "but Draco seems to think it best to err on the side of caution."

"I'd just rather she had as little knowledge about my private life as possible," Draco said, feeding Teddy a little cake in a move Neville recognised as an attempt to distract himself from an awkward conversation. "I like to keep things…just mine."

Neville and Andromeda shared a look and Neville wished he could fathom the strange relationship between Draco and his mother. He knew there was love there, he'd witnessed for himself, but it was complicated and, at times, even a little twisted. Draco wanted to break away from Narcissa, that much was clear, but he felt a certain amount of loyalty and affection that not even Narcissa's ruthless actions could erode.

"This is a lovely house, Neville," Andromeda said, tactfully changing the subject. "This room is so bright and airy."

"It's all down to Draco," Neville said with a smile. "He's slowly transforming it into a fit place to live. My gran had…quite old-fashioned tastes and wasn't particularly keen on modernising things. I'll admit I found it quite a gloomy place to live until Draco came along."

Draco looked up from Teddy with a look of surprise. His cheeks flushed and he said nothing but when he looked away Neville could see the corners of his mouth tugging in a pleased smile. Little expressions like that did odd things to Neville's stomach and he found the man's unexpected shyness so endearing it was sometimes overwhelming.

"Have you much else to do?" Andromeda asked.

Neville laughed and said, "Oh this one's got loads of ideas. He says the full plan will take at least five years. I just sit back and nod."

"And then send the bill to Narcissa?"

Draco snorted and said, "It's the least she can do. After what she's done to me and Neville I'd say she can bloody well make up for it by footing the bill for a little make-over."

"Neither of you seem to be faring too badly from her actions," Andromeda said with an arched eyebrow, an expression that made her relationship to Narcissa eerily apparent.

"Neville's a good man," Draco said quietly, his eyes still focused on Teddy. "He's kind and gentle and I'm lucky that he was the one she decided to marry me off to. I could have easily been palmed off onto a tyrant who made my life hell. Forced marriage isn't what I would have chosen but I'm not insensible to the fact that things could have been a lot worse."

Neville's chest felt tight and his palms prickled. Draco's words were heartfelt and sincere, and they meant more to Neville than the man probably realised. "You're not the only one who feels lucky," he said softly and Draco met his eyes, his pale skin still flushed.

Teddy clapped his hands and the spell was quickly broken, Neville clearing his throat and saying, "I should give you the tour, Andromeda. Let you have a proper look at the place."

They finished their tea and Neville showed Andromeda the house, Draco following with Teddy on his hip. It was surprising just how good Draco was with the little boy and Neville could see that he'd built a solid relationship with him. He was also very comfortable with Andromeda and it was nice to think that Draco had family he could enjoy outside of the stunted confines of Malfoy Manor.

Andromeda was different in almost every way to Narcissa and yet her manner and expressions were sometimes eerily similar. She was also physically similar to Bellatrix, something that made Neville feel confused and conflicted as he showed her around the family home, reminding himself that this woman had nothing to do with the unfortunate fates of his parents.

She was very maternal, something that was apparent in the way she spoke to Draco and interacted with Teddy. She was caring and gentle but quite clearly not a woman to be messed with; Neville wouldn't have wanted to be on the wrong side of her. He didn't know how she'd coped with the loss of her husband and only child and his heart hurt to think of the terrible grief the woman must have to bear.

She and Teddy stayed until late afternoon, leaving with an open invitation to visit whenever they liked. It was good for Draco to spend time with them and the manor was his home to receive guests as much as it was Neville's. Besides, Neville had enjoyed having them there and was always enchanted to watch Draco interact with Teddy.

"Have you always been good with kids?" he asked as they sat in the garden that evening, having eaten dinner on the south-facing patio and enjoyed a lovely meal.

"I've only ever really known Teddy," Draco replied as he sipped his wine, his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankle. "I fell head over heels for him the moment I met him. He's a great kid."

"He's lovely," Neville agreed, "although I'm pretty useless with children. They baffle me if I'm honest. I always worry that I'll do the wrong thing and set them off crying."

Draco laughed and said, "I think that's pretty common; most people are a little overwhelmed with children, especially very young ones. You'll be different when it's your own." His cheeks flushed and he scratched his nose, suddenly flustered. "I mean…not that…I don't mean to imply…just ignore me," he huffed, taking a large swig of his wine.

Neville smiled and said, "Draco, don't worry about it. We are married, after all. It's a conversation we'll have to have at some point."

"Not quite the way you would have planned to have kids though, eh?" Draco said, his voice tinged with bitterness, as it always was whenever he referred to the nature of their marriage. It was a point that he found harder to come to terms with than Neville had and it seemed to fill him with embarrassment and resentment.

There was nothing really to say so Neville decided to stay quiet. No, it wasn't the way he'd imagined having children, nor was his marriage one he'd ever expected to have but what Draco had said earlier in front of Andromeda was true. They could have been in a much worse situation than they were in and, despite all Neville's initial worries, they hadn't made each other miserable.

Something else that Draco had said earlier was playing on Neville's mind and he was keen to clear the air. He'd been agonising over his decision to speak to Narcissa behind Draco's back, no matter his motives, and the fact that Draco had kept his relationship with Andromeda a secret in order to minimise Narcissa's control over his life was giving Neville pause for thought.

"Draco," he began, then took a glug of wine for fortification. "There's…something I should tell you."

"Sounds ominous," Draco replied, still looking a little flustered from their previous topic of conversation.

"Well, I doubt you'll like it very much," Neville said with a sigh. "When you were attacked…when you told me that it was your father who was responsible…I was really worried. I wanted to make sure that it wouldn't happen again so…I went to see your mother."

Draco's lips pursed and his jaw clenched but he said nothing. Neville continued, "I don't know what she plans to do but I believe her when she says she'll handle it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I went to see her or that I didn't consult with you beforehand. I was just…I was scared and I didn't want to see you hurt again."

Draco placed his wine glass on the table and looked as though he was taking a moment to compose himself. He slowly got to his feet and said quietly, "Excuse me. I need a moment."

Neville nodded, not sure whether or not to be relieved that the man hadn't blown up at him. In some ways that would have been easier; they could have had an argument and got it out of the way but Neville didn't know how to deal with this calm yet obviously displeased demeanour.

Draco left the patio and disappeared around the corner of the house, leaving Neville to sit alone and question whether or not he'd done the right thing. He knew he'd had to tell the man what had happened; it hadn't sat right with him ever since he'd met with Narcissa and he didn't want to be the kind of person that went behind his spouse's back, even under the guise of doing so for their own good.

At the time he'd been so worried he would have done anything to make sure that Draco had been safe but the man was a grown adult who should have had some autonomy in the matter. His relationship with Narcissa was a complicated one and it certainly didn't need any help to make it more so. Still, Neville knew that Narcissa was the only one who could have stopped Lucius and he didn't regret involving her, only that he had lied to Draco about it.

Thankfully, it was only twenty minutes or so later when Draco reappeared. Neville stood when he saw him approaching and was relieved to see that the man looked relatively calm. "Don't say anything," Draco said, holding his hand up as Neville opened his mouth. "I'm angry, although probably not as angry as I might be. I understand why you did what you did and I'm…touched by the sentiment but I'm angry that you went behind my back and that you felt you could decide things with my mother as though my feelings didn't matter."

"I know," Neville said with a contrite nod. "It was a bloody stupid thing to do."

"It was," Draco agreed. "My mother already has far too much control over my life and I don't need you giving her more ammunition. I don't want to end up with no say over my own life while my husband and my mother make decisions for me."

"You know it would never be like that," Neville insisted. "We're equals, in everything…it was just this one thing."

"Except it wasn't," Draco argued. "Everything about our marriage was arranged without any consideration for me. All the contract negotiations were done between the two of you and it's just my good luck that you were fair and reasonable. For all I knew, back in March I was walking into a marriage where I'd been stripped of all rights and you could behave like a domineering tyrant."

"Surely you know I wouldn't – "

"I know," Draco said with a sigh, "but you take my point? I don't want to be a second-class citizen in my own marriage, even if it is a sham."

"Don't call it that," Neville said, the word sending an ugly twist through his stomach.

"What would you call it? It's not real, is it?"

The assertion hurt and Neville frowned. "Well…no, not in the conventional sense but…well…I thought we both wanted to make this work…to make the best of it."

Draco gave a sad smile. "Yes, make the best of it," he said quietly. "I suppose that's what we've both been doing. Only thing for it really." He gave himself a shake and said, "Please don't speak to my mother again without telling me."

"I won't," Neville said, wondering what the hell had just happened and how they'd come to this strange impasse. "Draco – "

"Leave it for now," Draco said with a shake of his head. "I'm…going to bed. I have a headache."

He turned and walked away, Neville watching him go and feeling as though he'd been punched in the gut. Everything had seemed to be going so well and he knew that what had just happened was about more than his meeting with Narcissa. It had been a while since Draco had referred to their marriage as a sham and Neville himself hadn't thought about it in those terms for a long time. He didn't know what to call it, in all honesty, but he'd thought that at least he and Draco were building a friendship that might, in turn help to make things a little more solid.

He didn't see much of the man for the next couple of days, which hurt more than Neville would care to admit. He'd grown used to sharing mealtimes with him, to curling up in the den together in the evenings and stealing a kiss from him as they passed each other in the corridors. He didn't know what had happened or how to fix it and it was making him feel wretched.

"I um…I'm off to my conference tomorrow," he ventured when Draco came to dinner a few days after their altercation.

"Yes, I know," Draco said quietly. "I'm going to visit Blaise in Paris."

"Oh," Neville said, deflated.

"Well, I didn't much fancy hanging around the house on my own."

It was a small comfort, at least, to think that Draco might possibly miss him while he was away but the thought of the man in Paris with Blaise made Neville feel oddly uncomfortable. "I…I'd wondered if you might perhaps want to come with me."

"Come with you?" Draco echoed with a frown.

"Yeah…well…sometimes people bring their partners or families…it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere. Never mind though…you have plans."

"Only because I didn't realise the option was there to go with you," Draco said quietly, stabbing at his food and showing little inclination to eat it.

"Well…next time?" Neville ventured hopefully. "It would be nice to have you there with me."

Draco looked up at him and, to Neville's relief, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Alright," he said, "next time then."

Neville smiled and felt some of the tension of the last couple of days melt away slightly. The feeling that had been clawing at his chest unclenched its fist a little and Neville hoped it would lead them back to the way they'd been only a few days prior.

The following day Neville packed his things and made his way down the to the den to find Draco there, Blaise with him.

"Oh, are you leaving?" he asked, struck with the feeling that he was missing Draco already and they hadn't even parted ways yet.

"Yes, I was just about to come and find you to say goodbye."

There was a strange kind of tension in the air and Neville couldn't put his finger on it. They were being awkward with one another, far more awkward than they'd ever been, even right at the start of their marriage. Something had gone off kilter and Neville wasn't sure how to right it.

"Don't worry," Blaise said with his usual charm, "I'll take care of him."

Neville forced a smile and said, "I'm sure you'll have a great time. I'll um…say bye then."

If it had been a week ago, Neville wouldn't have thought twice about wrapping his arms around Draco and kissing him goodbye but now all he could do with smile ineffectually at him before stepping through the floo to the hotel where his seminar was being held. He arrived in the foyer and barely glanced at his surroundings before he retrieved his key from reception and trudged up the stairs to his room.

He chucked his bag down on the bed and slumped down in the armchair beside it, resting his chin on his fist and emitting a heartfelt sigh. He didn't know what had gone wrong, how he'd gone from kissing and cuddling Draco at every given opportunity to feeling as though they were strangers. Now Draco was off to spend the weekend with Blaise and Neville couldn't help but imagine what they might get up to.

He tried to distract himself with preparation for the weekend ahead, throwing himself into his work and concentrating solely on the lessons he'd be attending. It helped, to an extent, but thoughts of his husband crept in, nevertheless. He was thankful when there was a knock at the door and Nikhil was on the other side of it, greeting him with a grin.

"Hello, teacher's pet."

"Very amusing," Neville said, pleased that he finally had someone to take his mind off things.

"Fancy going down for a drink before dinner?"

"God, yes," Neville said, grabbing his key and shutting the door behind him, wanting to find something to shut out his intrusive thoughts.

They spent a pleasant hour catching up with one another and Neville felt himself unwind a little as the conversation flowed easily and naturally. It turned, as always, to Herbology and others joined in with them as they headed in to dinner. Neville caught up with his professor, which took up another hour, earning himself yet another assertion from Nikhil that he was indeed the man's favourite.

Throughout the night, his thoughts turned to Draco and he couldn't help but wonder what his husband was up to. Was he having dinner with Blaise in a nice little Parisian restaurant? Were they with other people? Perhaps there were other people that Neville had to worry about besides Blaise. His mind was on overdrive and he was wondering if he should just smack his head against the wall and treat himself to a concussion.

"So," said Nikhil as the evening drew to an end, "you're…still taken?"

Neville gave a somewhat humourless laugh and said, "Yeah, I am."

"Shame. These things aren't quite the same without a little nightcap to round the night off."

"I'm sure you can find someone else to see the night out with."

"None as good as you," Nikhil said with a wink. "Goodnight then, Nev. I'll see you bright and early in the morning. I've got to keep up with the teacher's pet."

They parted ways and Neville returned to his room, thoroughly fed up and wanting nothing more than to floo to Paris, grab his husband and tell him that he was missing him. He wanted to air out whatever it was that had gone on between them and go back to the way they were before. He tortured himself with thoughts of Draco sleeping with Blaise or even some random stranger and wished, for the first time, that he hadn't had the bloody fidelity clause taken out of the contract.

He was distracted and out of sorts for the whole weekend. He barely said anything in his seminars and he was caught out, more than once, staring out of the window with none of his attention focused on the lecture his professor was giving. He made few notes and spent his time wishing the hours away so he could get home.

When the weekend ended, he didn't hang around as he usually did and spared only the briefest of goodbyes to Nikhil and his professor before he made his way back home. It was, to his disappointment, empty. There was no sign that Draco had returned yet and Neville had no indication that he would even be back that day. Feeling the need to kick something hard he threw his bag down in the corner and went for a walk.

He wondered if he'd be able to tell if Draco had slept with someone else or even if Draco would tell him. Maybe he'd rub his nose in it just to illustrate how much of a sham their marriage was. Maybe Neville should have slept with Nikhil after all; at least it would have provided something of a release and he and Draco would have been on the same footing.

He walked for an hour and arrived back in the house with a nervous twist to his stomach. He wanted to see Draco so much it was almost painful but he didn't want another argument or to be confronted with the fact that the man had spent the weekend being unfaithful. Was unfaithful even the right word? Could one be unfaithful in a marriage that they hadn't chosen?

He walked in through the kitchen and could hear voices from further inside the house. His stomach flipped and took a deep breath before he ran a hand through his hair and straightened his clothes, crossing the foyer into the den. Draco was there with Blaise and Neville's pulse quickened to see him, the last three days having felt like an eternity. His whole body was crying out to wrap the man up in his arms, to hold him close and tell Blaise and anyone else who might come along that neither of them were on offer.

"Hi," he said instead, standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh hi," Draco said, turning to face him. "You are back. I wondered."

Neville nodded. "Arrived about an hour ago, just been out for a walk. Did you…have a nice time?" he asked, wondering if he could tell just by looking at them if they'd spent the weekend shagging each other.

"Yes, it was lovely, thanks. I always enjoy Paris."

Blaise frowned at him but said nothing, as though he wanted to correct him but thought better of it. "I'm sure I bored him to tears with talk of my fashion studies," he said with a smile.

"Not quite, but you gave it a damn good go," Draco drawled. "And you?" he said, turning back to Neville. "Did you have a good time?"

There was something in the question that Neville couldn't fathom, a guardedness and a slight wariness in the man's tone that Neville couldn't decipher. "Yeah…it was fine."

Blaise looked between them then said, "I should…be on my way."

"You're welcome to stay," Neville forced himself to say; Blaise had done nothing wrong after all and he was a perfectly decent bloke. "You could join us for dinner."

"That's kind, thank you, but I have a dinner engagement. Another time though."

He gave them both a charming smile and clapped Draco on the back before he turned and stepped through the floo with more elegance than Neville could hope to possess. Neville shifted from one foot to the other and said, "Who's he off to dinner with then?"

"His boyfriend," Draco said and Neville tried to keep his expression neutral.

"His boyfriend?" he echoed, hoping he didn't sound too pleased.

"Mm," Draco said with a nod. "They've been seeing each other for a few months now, sounds like it's getting quite serious."

"Oh," Neville said, feeling giddy. "So you didn't – "

"I didn't what?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," Neville said, feeling his cheeks heat. "I'm…glad you had a nice time."

"Well…I should unpack," Draco said, picking his bag up from the floor.

He moved past Neville through the doorway and in that split second Neville's brain kicked in and told him to bloody well act now or throw all the progress they had made over the last few months out of the window. He grabbed the man's arm and pulled him backwards, kissing him before anything else could be said. His fears that Draco would pull away were banished the second he heard the man's bag clatter to the floor and felt his arms snake up around his neck as he responded to the kiss with the same passion he usually did.

Neville held him tightly, revelling in having the man back in his arms, feeling as though it had been years rather than days since they'd last been like this. They stumbled back into the den and Neville felt Draco's hands on him, his fingers going to the buttons of his shirt and a desperation permeating the air that Neville hadn't felt before.

He wasn't sure how they managed to shed their clothes without halting their kissing even for a second but before he knew it he was on the sofa with Draco straddling him, the man sinking down onto his hard length. Neville's head fell back against the back of the sofa, his eyes closed as he revelled in the feel of Draco's heat surrounding him. His hands gripped the man's hips as Draco rode him, all fears that the man had slept with someone else now banished and his sole focus on enjoying the privilege of being this close to him.

"Slower, baby," Neville whispered. "I want to savour you."

"Long weekend?" Draco said breathlessly, slowly the roll of his hips and letting Neville revel in the delicious movement on his prick, wanting it to last forever.

"God, you have no idea."

Neville's hands slid up Draco's back, the muscles firm and hard beneath his palms. Their torsos pressed together, Draco's weeping cock trapped between them, moving against Neville's stomach with each movement Draco made. It was sheer bliss and Neville was so relieved he hadn't slept with Nikhil; nothing could ever compare to this and he didn't want any vague, second-class facsimile of it.

His pleasure built slowly and quickly all at once, the intensity of it overwhelming. He didn't want it to end, he wanted to stay joined to Draco for as long as possible, to keep their reunion for as long as he could. It couldn't last though, as much as he wanted it to, and he was soon coming hard and with a groan, gripping Draco's hips tightly as he did so. He felt the man's own release coat his stomach and Draco's head to came to rest on his shoulder, his breath hot and ragged against his ear.

"Oh Drake," Neville sighed, his fingers twining through the man's hair. "I missed you."

"Missed getting your leg over, hm?" Draco asked, pulling back to look down at him.

"No," Neville said softly, cupping his jaw, "I missed you."

"Daft sod," Draco said with a sniff, although Neville could quite clearly see the pleased smile the man was trying to hide.

"I am," Neville said with a laugh, never happier than to be home and to be reunited with the man in his arms.

AN: What's that you say? A little spark of feelings creeping in there? We're on the up, kids ;)