Chapter 24
With the announcement that Darkness was once again at their doorstep, care of Magical Creatures went on hiatus. Unfortunately, no one was quite sure when those classes would resume. The Gryffindor trio was especially saddened by this. The four (this includes Draco) were all in Draco's "living room." Hermione was lying on the couch, her head on Ron's lap. Harry and Draco were lying on the floor, really, each other. Hermione was talking.
".done research on this cloud and I've talked to Percy." Hermione thumped Ron when he made a gagging noise. "It's not natural, whatever it is. It also doesn't appear to be anything anyone has ever heard of before." She looked thoughtful. "Though, Percy did say something Selcrus said rang a bell, but Oliver grabbed him, so who knows when he'll get around to doing the research."
"Eww," Ron complained.
"Oh, really, Ron. Please grow up."
"I plan to, but pictureing/hearing about my brother doing it with his boyfriend is completely unnecessary."
"Oh, I don't know," Harry commented, a smirk on his face, "Have you ever seen Oliver shirtless?" Ron nodded. "Then do I really need to explain? All those muscles, glistening with sweat." He broke off as Ron groaned in disgust and shut his eyes tight. Draco picked up where Harry left off.
"And I certainly know that attraction to Red-Heads, all that fire and passion.right 'Mione?" Hermione nodded firmly and giggled as Ron protested even louder, covering his ears and chanting, "I don't want to hear it."
The other three looked at each other and began to laugh, Ron joining in when Hermione began to tickle him into submission. Draco and Harry watched the two wrestle for control, Hermione finally admitting defeat, and Ron gently kissing her.
"Aww." They cooed in unison. Hermione threw a pillow at them.
***
Percy sat at his desk in his specially designed room, bent over his books, searching for what seemed so familiar about that cloud.
"It's got to be here somewhere," he muttered to himself as he slammed shut another book. He put his head in his hands and pulled at his hair back. "Grrr." He opened another book. Percy paused as he began to read, checking the name on the cover. "The Simirillion?" He shrugged. "You never know." He continued to read and was startled when a voice began to speak behind him.
"Now there's a sight sorely missed. Percy doing research."
Percy's head snapped up and he glared at Oliver through glasses that had slipped down his nose.
"Funny. Very funny."
"Yes, I thought so." Percy rolled his eyes.
"What is it you want, Oliver?"
"You mean besides a night full of passionate shagging with my sexy red- headed beloved?" Percy twitched behind the desk, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he bit his lip. Oliver grinned at him.
"Yes," Percy said, his voice slightly strained. "Besides that." Oliver shrugged.
"Just wanted to spend some time with you." Percy blushed, touched.
"Sweet, Oliver, I'm touched, but I'm doing research for Hermione.well, and Dumbledore, too, but Herm asked me first. It's about that cloud." As he spoke Oliver moved to sit on the edge of the desk.
"Any luck yet?" Oliver asked. Percy tore his eyes away from Oliver's denim encased thigh, mentally cursing his lover's ability to look partially edible in tight muggle denim, and his tendency to wear it often. Percy never complained, aloud, however. That would mean Oliver would stop.
"Uh, no, none yet."
"Then why don't you take a break. Stop for the night. You're obviously tired of reading." Percy looked up and studied Oliver. Tight, really tight, acid wash denim jeans. Open button down shirt. Tousled just-had-sex looking hair.
"You're trying to seduce me." Percy said, mildly shocked that Oliver had made it so obvious. He really didn't need to.
"That depends," Oliver replied.
"On what?" Oliver looked at Percy though lowered lashes.
"Is it working?"
Percy smirked as he wrapped his arms around Oliver's neck.
"Most assuredly."
***
Sirius sat on the bed in their old hideout, his les curled to his chest. His eyes stared strait ahead as he waited for his husband. He didn't move, however, once Remus entered the room.
"Sirius?" The animaji jumped.
"Remus? I didn't hear you come in."
"That's odd," Remus's brow furrowed. "Are you feeling ok? You're not getting sick, are you?" Sirius shrugged.
"Physically I feel fine. I'm not getting sick. No aches. No pains. I'm well rested. Well fed.But I'm uneasy. It's that bloody cloud, gets my hackles up. The dog in me doesn't like it."
"Neither does my wolf. It's evil, remember?" He sat on the bed next to his lover, scratching the hair on the nape of his neck. Sirius closed his eyes at the feeling of those graceful hand on the back of his neck. Remus chuckled. Sirius looked at him out of the corner of one cracked eye.
"What?"
"If you had a tail, it would be wagging." (a/n It's true! Males (and females, but mostly guys) react like a puppy when you scratch the back of their neck. It puts them to sleep, too.) Sirius responded by closing his eyes and letting his tongue hang from his mouth. Remus laughed and kissed Sirius' hair. Sirius grinned back and pulled Remus down to lay on/with him on the bed. The two of them lay there, staring at the ceiling until sleep claimed them.
***
Neville was sitting in his favorite place in the garden; on a stone bench in the rosebushes. His rememberall was in his hands, as always, a bright red. Neville scowled at the ball. There wasn't anything he was forgetting. He has all his homework done (with help from Hermione) and it was Saturday, so there were no classes. Professor Sprout had given him the day off from the greenhouse. Trevor was in his tank. There was no Hogsmead weekend this week. Why was the rememberall still red?
"Neville?" Neville looked up and smiled at the lumbering Slytherin before him.
"Hello Greg." Gregory Goyle sat next to Neville on the bench. "Aren't you afraid of being seen with the Gryffindor near-squib?" Goyle shook his head.
"No. I'm big enough nobody will care. Besides, only Pansy would give me any grief and she's busy with her other lackeys. Besides," he put his large hands around Neville's slender ones, rememberall in all. "You're worth it." Neville blinked, surprised but very pleased.
"Greg? You really think that?"
"I know that." Neville blushed and looked at Goyle sideways.
"I never knew you were so poetic; so romantic." Goyle shrugged, and continued to look at Neville. Neville returned the gaze, a faint pink still staining his cheeks, no longer from embarrassment.
"Neville, I-"
"Shh!" Neville said, placing a finger on Goyle's lips, Goyle kissed the finger and in the next moment had a lapful of happy kissing Neville.
Gregory Goyle couldn't be any happier.
***
"Well that's it. Now I've seen everything."
Severus looked over at Methos in interest.
"Neville," Methos explained, "is kissing his new boyfriend in the rosegarden." Severus raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going to regret this, I'm sure, but who is Neville's new boyfriend? Is it that Hufflepuff? Flitch-Fletchity?" Methos shook his head. "No? I'm surprised. I think that boy would kiss anything as long as it was male." Methos snorted. He had gotten the same impression.
"No. It's one of yours."
"What?" Severus looked out the window, surprised. He shook his head. "Well I don't believe it. Greg Goyle. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it."
"They look good together." Severus looked at Methos, bewildered. "What?" Methos asked innocently. Severus only shook his head and began to walk away. "Severus? What? Severus talk to me! What is it?" Methos followed his lover, smirking slightly to himself when the other man couldn't see, keeping up the innocently confused act all the way back to their rooms.
***
Neville pulled back slightly and gazed happily into Greg's eyes. Greg smiled back and kissed Neville's forehead.
"Can this mean what I hope it means?" Neville asked quietly. Greg smiled.
"I hope so. It's why I came out here."
"To be my boyfriend?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Neville sat still for a few moments in Greg's lap. Then he turned to his new boyfriend and asked.
"Are we going public with this? Cause if we aren't then we better get out of a public place, and if we are, then I want to remind you we'll get a lot of flack for this, especially in the beginning with the state the houses are in. Pansy will kill you."
"Pansy wont kill me," Greg replied, "She'll castrate me." Neville winced. "Until Draco returns to Slytherin and gives Pansy the boot it's not safe to be in the public eye. Bu as soon as she is gone, we can, you know."
"Show public displays of affection?" Neville asked impishly.
"Be seen together at all, really, but yes." Neville grinned.
"I can't wait." He tucked his head against Greg's chest, and Greg hugged him tighter. They stayed like that till they heard a snicker from before them. They opened their eyes.
Vincent Crabbe and Virginia Weasley stood before them. Vincent was smirking while Ginny smiled at them.
"Aww! You two look so good together."
"Yes. This does seem to be a popular trend, however, Gryffindors with Slytherins." Grinning leeringly, he turned to Ginny, his arms wide. "Come on, Ginny. Give me a hug."
"No," she said firmly, backing up slightly, her face mock frightened.
"Come here."
"No, get away." She began to run around the bench, Crabbe chasing her. He finally cought and hugged her, Neville and Greg laughing from the bench. As soon as his arms about her loosened, she pulled an arm free and bopped him on the head, causing him to let her go.
"Aww, come on, Baby, don't be like that."
"Aww, Baby, nothing. I like girls and it's not something I can change, you know."
"I do now."
"Oh," Ginny blinked. "Didn't I tell you?"
"No."
"Oh, well, yes. I like girls."
"Well I know that now," Crabbe said. He shook his head. "Bullocks. Now I'll never get a girl."
"Nope."
"Shut up Greg."
TBC
With the announcement that Darkness was once again at their doorstep, care of Magical Creatures went on hiatus. Unfortunately, no one was quite sure when those classes would resume. The Gryffindor trio was especially saddened by this. The four (this includes Draco) were all in Draco's "living room." Hermione was lying on the couch, her head on Ron's lap. Harry and Draco were lying on the floor, really, each other. Hermione was talking.
".done research on this cloud and I've talked to Percy." Hermione thumped Ron when he made a gagging noise. "It's not natural, whatever it is. It also doesn't appear to be anything anyone has ever heard of before." She looked thoughtful. "Though, Percy did say something Selcrus said rang a bell, but Oliver grabbed him, so who knows when he'll get around to doing the research."
"Eww," Ron complained.
"Oh, really, Ron. Please grow up."
"I plan to, but pictureing/hearing about my brother doing it with his boyfriend is completely unnecessary."
"Oh, I don't know," Harry commented, a smirk on his face, "Have you ever seen Oliver shirtless?" Ron nodded. "Then do I really need to explain? All those muscles, glistening with sweat." He broke off as Ron groaned in disgust and shut his eyes tight. Draco picked up where Harry left off.
"And I certainly know that attraction to Red-Heads, all that fire and passion.right 'Mione?" Hermione nodded firmly and giggled as Ron protested even louder, covering his ears and chanting, "I don't want to hear it."
The other three looked at each other and began to laugh, Ron joining in when Hermione began to tickle him into submission. Draco and Harry watched the two wrestle for control, Hermione finally admitting defeat, and Ron gently kissing her.
"Aww." They cooed in unison. Hermione threw a pillow at them.
***
Percy sat at his desk in his specially designed room, bent over his books, searching for what seemed so familiar about that cloud.
"It's got to be here somewhere," he muttered to himself as he slammed shut another book. He put his head in his hands and pulled at his hair back. "Grrr." He opened another book. Percy paused as he began to read, checking the name on the cover. "The Simirillion?" He shrugged. "You never know." He continued to read and was startled when a voice began to speak behind him.
"Now there's a sight sorely missed. Percy doing research."
Percy's head snapped up and he glared at Oliver through glasses that had slipped down his nose.
"Funny. Very funny."
"Yes, I thought so." Percy rolled his eyes.
"What is it you want, Oliver?"
"You mean besides a night full of passionate shagging with my sexy red- headed beloved?" Percy twitched behind the desk, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he bit his lip. Oliver grinned at him.
"Yes," Percy said, his voice slightly strained. "Besides that." Oliver shrugged.
"Just wanted to spend some time with you." Percy blushed, touched.
"Sweet, Oliver, I'm touched, but I'm doing research for Hermione.well, and Dumbledore, too, but Herm asked me first. It's about that cloud." As he spoke Oliver moved to sit on the edge of the desk.
"Any luck yet?" Oliver asked. Percy tore his eyes away from Oliver's denim encased thigh, mentally cursing his lover's ability to look partially edible in tight muggle denim, and his tendency to wear it often. Percy never complained, aloud, however. That would mean Oliver would stop.
"Uh, no, none yet."
"Then why don't you take a break. Stop for the night. You're obviously tired of reading." Percy looked up and studied Oliver. Tight, really tight, acid wash denim jeans. Open button down shirt. Tousled just-had-sex looking hair.
"You're trying to seduce me." Percy said, mildly shocked that Oliver had made it so obvious. He really didn't need to.
"That depends," Oliver replied.
"On what?" Oliver looked at Percy though lowered lashes.
"Is it working?"
Percy smirked as he wrapped his arms around Oliver's neck.
"Most assuredly."
***
Sirius sat on the bed in their old hideout, his les curled to his chest. His eyes stared strait ahead as he waited for his husband. He didn't move, however, once Remus entered the room.
"Sirius?" The animaji jumped.
"Remus? I didn't hear you come in."
"That's odd," Remus's brow furrowed. "Are you feeling ok? You're not getting sick, are you?" Sirius shrugged.
"Physically I feel fine. I'm not getting sick. No aches. No pains. I'm well rested. Well fed.But I'm uneasy. It's that bloody cloud, gets my hackles up. The dog in me doesn't like it."
"Neither does my wolf. It's evil, remember?" He sat on the bed next to his lover, scratching the hair on the nape of his neck. Sirius closed his eyes at the feeling of those graceful hand on the back of his neck. Remus chuckled. Sirius looked at him out of the corner of one cracked eye.
"What?"
"If you had a tail, it would be wagging." (a/n It's true! Males (and females, but mostly guys) react like a puppy when you scratch the back of their neck. It puts them to sleep, too.) Sirius responded by closing his eyes and letting his tongue hang from his mouth. Remus laughed and kissed Sirius' hair. Sirius grinned back and pulled Remus down to lay on/with him on the bed. The two of them lay there, staring at the ceiling until sleep claimed them.
***
Neville was sitting in his favorite place in the garden; on a stone bench in the rosebushes. His rememberall was in his hands, as always, a bright red. Neville scowled at the ball. There wasn't anything he was forgetting. He has all his homework done (with help from Hermione) and it was Saturday, so there were no classes. Professor Sprout had given him the day off from the greenhouse. Trevor was in his tank. There was no Hogsmead weekend this week. Why was the rememberall still red?
"Neville?" Neville looked up and smiled at the lumbering Slytherin before him.
"Hello Greg." Gregory Goyle sat next to Neville on the bench. "Aren't you afraid of being seen with the Gryffindor near-squib?" Goyle shook his head.
"No. I'm big enough nobody will care. Besides, only Pansy would give me any grief and she's busy with her other lackeys. Besides," he put his large hands around Neville's slender ones, rememberall in all. "You're worth it." Neville blinked, surprised but very pleased.
"Greg? You really think that?"
"I know that." Neville blushed and looked at Goyle sideways.
"I never knew you were so poetic; so romantic." Goyle shrugged, and continued to look at Neville. Neville returned the gaze, a faint pink still staining his cheeks, no longer from embarrassment.
"Neville, I-"
"Shh!" Neville said, placing a finger on Goyle's lips, Goyle kissed the finger and in the next moment had a lapful of happy kissing Neville.
Gregory Goyle couldn't be any happier.
***
"Well that's it. Now I've seen everything."
Severus looked over at Methos in interest.
"Neville," Methos explained, "is kissing his new boyfriend in the rosegarden." Severus raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going to regret this, I'm sure, but who is Neville's new boyfriend? Is it that Hufflepuff? Flitch-Fletchity?" Methos shook his head. "No? I'm surprised. I think that boy would kiss anything as long as it was male." Methos snorted. He had gotten the same impression.
"No. It's one of yours."
"What?" Severus looked out the window, surprised. He shook his head. "Well I don't believe it. Greg Goyle. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it."
"They look good together." Severus looked at Methos, bewildered. "What?" Methos asked innocently. Severus only shook his head and began to walk away. "Severus? What? Severus talk to me! What is it?" Methos followed his lover, smirking slightly to himself when the other man couldn't see, keeping up the innocently confused act all the way back to their rooms.
***
Neville pulled back slightly and gazed happily into Greg's eyes. Greg smiled back and kissed Neville's forehead.
"Can this mean what I hope it means?" Neville asked quietly. Greg smiled.
"I hope so. It's why I came out here."
"To be my boyfriend?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Neville sat still for a few moments in Greg's lap. Then he turned to his new boyfriend and asked.
"Are we going public with this? Cause if we aren't then we better get out of a public place, and if we are, then I want to remind you we'll get a lot of flack for this, especially in the beginning with the state the houses are in. Pansy will kill you."
"Pansy wont kill me," Greg replied, "She'll castrate me." Neville winced. "Until Draco returns to Slytherin and gives Pansy the boot it's not safe to be in the public eye. Bu as soon as she is gone, we can, you know."
"Show public displays of affection?" Neville asked impishly.
"Be seen together at all, really, but yes." Neville grinned.
"I can't wait." He tucked his head against Greg's chest, and Greg hugged him tighter. They stayed like that till they heard a snicker from before them. They opened their eyes.
Vincent Crabbe and Virginia Weasley stood before them. Vincent was smirking while Ginny smiled at them.
"Aww! You two look so good together."
"Yes. This does seem to be a popular trend, however, Gryffindors with Slytherins." Grinning leeringly, he turned to Ginny, his arms wide. "Come on, Ginny. Give me a hug."
"No," she said firmly, backing up slightly, her face mock frightened.
"Come here."
"No, get away." She began to run around the bench, Crabbe chasing her. He finally cought and hugged her, Neville and Greg laughing from the bench. As soon as his arms about her loosened, she pulled an arm free and bopped him on the head, causing him to let her go.
"Aww, come on, Baby, don't be like that."
"Aww, Baby, nothing. I like girls and it's not something I can change, you know."
"I do now."
"Oh," Ginny blinked. "Didn't I tell you?"
"No."
"Oh, well, yes. I like girls."
"Well I know that now," Crabbe said. He shook his head. "Bullocks. Now I'll never get a girl."
"Nope."
"Shut up Greg."
TBC
