Christmas love.
Being taken for a snob had been a simple mask for Percy Weasley to hide behind when his insecurities became too much, as he was shy and surprisingly clumsy, he hadn't made many friends at Hogwarts even as he drew into his seventh year. Over the summer Percy had received a letter telling him he was head boy, he had been so proud, even if Fred and George had teased him mercilessly for it. As term started back Percy noticed some one he had never seen before, a boy, probably in Ron's year was sitting by himself at the Christmas feast. Instead of going to sit at the top of the table with his fellow prefects that had stayed, he felt strongly drawn to sit next to the boy.
Percy introduced himself and found the boy was Neville longbottom, the Neville longbottom who's had to live with his overly strict grandmother because his parents were tortured and sent to st. mungos hospital. Something about Neville intrigued Percy and he spent the whole of the feast talking to him and listening to his past. "So how are you getting on? Who are you friends with? My brother Ron hasn't mentioned you before." Percy asked but instantly after the words had left his mouth he knew he had said something wrong "sorry" he blurted seeing the self-loathing and fear in Neville's soft hazel eyes.
With extreme control on his emotions, Percy left the hall and stormed outside, voices inside his head shouting at him for being so stupid. Losing some of his emotional control he picked up a near by stone and threw it as hard as he could into the lake, where it landed with a plop.
Neville sat in the great hall in silence for a while thinking about what had just taken place with Percy, he subconsciously laid his hand where Percy had been sitting next to him. Cursing himself inwardly he also left the hall, deciding the best thing to do would be to find Percy and apologising. 'Where would I go if I was upset?' he asked himself even though he knew the answer, to the garden behind the greenhouses. Where there was a stone bench for two to sit on and the flowers smelled beautiful and glowed slightly in the night sky, almost reflecting the starlight.
He started to head that way, but saw Filch hanging around with his dreadful cat Mrs Norris outside the entrance hall, Neville quickly hid in a spare classroom as Filch walked past "anyone there my sweet?" ha asked, before moving away down the hall away from Neville. Sighing thankfully he snuck back outside and walked solemnly towards the greenhouses looking around for any sight of Percy.
He felt so guilty for making the older boy 'and head boy' a stern voice added inside his head, upset. 'Stupid' 'clumsy' 'idiotic' 'brainless' 'squib' they all chanted, a particularly nasty voice sounding suspiciously like professor Snape sneered "its your fault your parents are in st mungos" and one that sounded like his grandmother "its your own fault for not having any friends, you always manage to upset people why cant you be good like everyone else?" The last statement echoed in his ears bringing tears to his eyes.
The floodgates opened and Neville broke down, he ran, ran away from the safety of the castle towards the forbidden forest, but without knowing it he had run straight into someone. A pair of warm hands clamped onto his shoulders "Neville?" Percy's voice almost whispered. Neville's soft tear streaked face looked up into those amazingly blue eyes of Percy's. Blue Neville noticed, Ron's were hazel and the twin's eyes were brown. Only Ron and Percy were different from all the Weasley's, but Percy was the most different, they were blue like the colour of the sky in the middle of a cloudless summer day.
Percy looked down on Neville 'I just want to look after him, he deserves love more then anyone.' He thought seeing the complete sadness in Neville's features. And within a second Neville found himself in an embrace he had never felt before, he felt loved, he felt safe, he felt. . at home.
The full moon peaked over some clouds in the sky and illuminated their figures. If anyone had chosen to look out onto the grounds they would have seen a wondrous sight, snow over the grounds and standing under the moonlight, lovers in an embrace that could not be broken by anything. One shining like gold and the other as red as flames.
This was the night they would remember for the rest of their lives.
* * * * * * * * * *
"//I have many times I can tell you
Times I trade innocence for company
And children saw me crying
I thought I'd had my share of that
And warm winds
That embrace me
Just as surely kiss your face//
Times before I found you, well found your love, when I was alone, it goes for both of us but I choose to phrase it like that. The winds are no longer cold and harsh but warm and filled with light that comes from you, my Sun." Percy writes the words of the little poem-ish thing he has made from that memory in a little leather bound journal Neville brought him for his birthday. He closed it shut and stroked the cover lovingly it had a pair of initials on it, in the centre was 'PW' surrounded with ivy leaves and in the corner was a 'NL' inside a flower. Slowly Percy took of his glasses and put them on top of the journal on the bedside table and switches off the light. He slides further into bed, further into the warmth and turns to his side to look at the man he loves, "good night Neville" he whispers kissing Neville on the forehead. Neville has been asleep for almost an hour "mmn" Is all the reply he gets, except Neville buries closer to his boyfriend, covering Percy in a second warmness.