Title: Only Time, Chapter Eight
Author: frkwerewolf
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Draco/Neville
Rating: R
Summary: Arranged marriage. Contracts. Ruined Life. Possible Romance. Crazy Families.
Chapter Summary: Draco attempts to cheer up Neville. Things happen.
Draco found Neville in the owlery, hunched in the corner with a piece of parchment and quill. He was writing furiously, practically ripping the sheet to shreds. Draco sighed dramatically, agitated that he had to deal with such a moody person. "So, what is your plan?"
"What?" Neville asked, looking up briefly.
"What is the plan?" Draco repeated. "Where do you plan to run off to, Longbottom?"
"Well... We could go stay in the winter cabin for the rest of the week. Of course, it would be just you, me, and two psychotic house elves for an entire week." Neville replied. He paused, before quickly finishing. "Or we can go to your house."
"Pardon?" Draco blinked. "My house? Has it slipped your mind that I am meant to submerge myself into the Longbottom way of life this week? To integrate the deepest recess of your family's teachings, all in order to use them to get along with your insane relatives?"
"Please." Neville snorted. "More like use them to your advantage."
"Well, that as well." Draco admitted. He stared at Neville for a moment, as the Gryffindor blinked back up at him. The boy looked a lot calmer than when he was in the dining room, but he still had a tension to his posture that needed to be dealt with. Draco would not be found with a finicky fiancé. Which lead Draco to the conclusion that he needed to perk the boy up, somehow.
"You know..." Draco said slowly. "I thought I saw a greenhouse on your property. Why don't you give me a tour?"
"Excuse me?" Neville narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to distract me? Because I'm going to finish this letter, Malfoy." Draco's mouth opened slightly in shock. Neville had never actually called him Malfoy before, not in the same tone that Potter used anyway. "I... Well, bloody hell. Fine. Let's go."
Draco stared at the Gryffindor, unsure if it would even be safe to respond. Choosing the quiet method, Draco followed Neville to the greenhouses.
xXx
"And this is a Baby-Toothed Snapdragon." Neville said in a robotic voice, pointing at said flower. Draco fought back a yawn. It turned out the greenhouse was a lot bigger than Draco had suspected, and Neville was not making this tour any fun. He merely pointed at a plant, spoke it's name, then continued on. They had been doing this for thirty minutes.
"All right, that's enough!" Draco snapped. "Will you stop acting this way? I know you've never been the most intelligent person, but Merlin-!"
"Thank you, Draco." Neville hissed, interrupting Draco's tirade. "You wanted to learn the secret workings of the Longbottom family? Guess what, you just did. Simply interrupt me, insult me, and treat me like a fucking toy!"
"Wha-" Draco's jaw dropped, before his expression hardened. "I, for once, am not the enemy here. So why don't you bloody well get a hold of yourself, Longbottom. This may come as a shock, but I don't care about how your family treats you. My family ignores me, unless I'm doing something that will influence the Malfoy name. The older I get, the colder my mother turns. So, never think that your world is so fucking pitiful, because it's not."
"Just ignore them, Longbottom." Draco literally ordered. "They aren't worth it. Once we get married, you never have to see them again if you don't want to."
"Never see my family?" Neville asked, his voice holding a strange emotion that Draco could not identify.
"Well, I may allow that Algie fellow to hang around." Draco smirked. "That man is a riot."
"That man is insane." Neville corrected.
"That, too."
"You really mean that?" Neville asked, after a moment of silence.
"I don't' lie, Longbottom. Well, not unless I have a good reason, anyway." Draco sighed. "Look, here is the thing. If I could, I would choose someone else to marry. But I can't. I'm stuck with you, and frankly you are stuck with me. Malfoys don't involve themselves with petty things like divorce and affairs. So, we are stuck with each other, for the rest of our lives. I might as well get on your good side early, because Salazar knows that you will be a bloody mess to deal with when you get angry."
"Is that so?" Neville asked, his eyes narrowed.
"God, you are so fucking unbelievable!" Draco suddenly burst into laughing. "Why don't you act this way at school? Do you realize Potter and his little gang of misfits would pee their pants to see you like this?" Neville rolled his eyes, but his mouth turned up at the corners. "Neville, let me tell you something... This? I like it. I like you acting like you have complete control. Like you could kick my ass at anytime. It's a thrill to say the least. But when you get all melancholy over how people treat you? I seriously want nothing more than to throw you into the lion's den and let them eat you for dinner."
"That is... Very enlightening." Neville replied. Neville looked away, hoping Draco didn't see the slight shake of his shoulder as he chuckled silently. It never ceased to amaze him how Draco could make anything seem overly dramatic.
"You're laughing at me." Draco accused from behind him.
"No-" Giggle. "I'm no-" Chuckle. "I'm not!" Laughter.
"Bloody Gryffindor." Draco muttered.
xXx
"I'm not sleeping on the floor." Draco insisted later on that evening, once it had been settled that they would remain at the Longbottom residence. They stood in Neville's bedroom, both wearing a robe - one black and the other a rust-red.
"I'm not asking you to." Neville said in a very small voice.
"Oh." Draco said, startled.
"The thing is big enough for the both of us." Neville mumbled. He glanced over at Draco, his face going red, before carefully removing his robe until he stood in just dark green pajamas. Draco noted the color and smirked just as Neville had predicted he would. "I like green."
"I see that." Draco said, his voice teasing.
"Plants are green." Neville defended.
"Not saying a word, am I?" Draco replied.
"Let's just go to bed." Neville grunted, stomping over to his bed. He quickly crawled in and attempted to ignore Draco as the Slytherin did the same.
Both shifted around on the bed a moment, trying to get comfortable. They both stiffened when their hands brushed against each other. Quickly created a foot of distance between them, Draco and Neville settled down for the night.
xXx
Draco savored the mornings. They were, after all, what you based the rest of the day. If you wake up in a foul mood, fall out of bed, and hit your head on the dresser then you can assume the rest of the day will suck. If you awaken refreshed and smiling? Well, despite the fact that Draco didn't voluntarily smile, you would have a good day.
This morning, however, Draco awoke to a sensation he didn't often feel. He was warm. What was even more bizarre was that there was a solid weight wrapped around him. And he didn't mean the comforting wrapping of a blanket, no this was arms and limbs holding on tightly. So tightly, in fact, that Draco nearly screamed.
But, thankful for the other residents, he realized at the last moment that is was Neville.
Which only resulted in him freezing in fear and horror, because really... Neville Longbottom, cuddling him? It was the most horrifying thing since Potter's birth.
Not as horrifying as Draco realizing he was enjoying the sensation, however. Neville cuddled closer, murmuring in his ear about some type of fern. And really, could this day get any worse?
"Yes! I win!" Algie's voice echoed through the room, awakening Neville in the process. Neville sat up straight, eyes wide.
"It was the crocodile!" Neville screeched, before blushing heavily.
"Uh, Uncle? They're dressed. I win." One of Neville's cousins said softly from behind the leering man. Algie's eyes narrowed, taking in Draco and Neville's pajamas.
"Great Merlin's ear hair!" Algie cursed, stomping his foot. "Neville, you were suppose to seduce him."
This whine was followed by a door slam as Algie left. They both could hear him refusing to pay up to the bet outside the door.