Neville's Education

by Fakegirl23

Pairings: multiple, mostly m/m

Disclaimer: I really hate reading these when people take them seriously. I mean, really, if I were a successful published writer would I be posting on a fanfiction sight? I think not. I would be out looking for precious, barely legal (but legal none the less) boys to act out scenes for an upcoming fantasy..Ehhmm, I mean novel. So in case you are too dense to get this (in which case, I seriously doubt your ability to understand my story, but admire your ability to have even found your way to this sight) I don't own these characters.

Neville's Education

That first time I didn't get it. Honestly, I was just a chubby little first year and Gran sure hadn't told me about people doing anything like that. And now, reflecting on it, I'm glad she didn't it would have probably scarred me for life. So anyway, that first time I saw Fred and Lee in the locker room I didn't know what they were doing.

After my embarrassingly public fall from my broom during the first flying lesson, I'd started to practice early in the morning when no one was up yet. I was never as clumsy, or as afraid when I was alone. I was rather glad for something to do in the mornings, too. Gran had always had the whole household up by six-thirty every morning and I couldn't seem to sleep in 'til seven-thirty like the rest of the dorm did, even though I could, now.

It was mid-November and rainy. I totally soaked after just twenty minutes of floating in circles with my heels just skimming the grass. My shaggy blonde curls hung in sopping mats around my face and my nose was running. Since it had become so wet in the mornings, I'd gotten used to taking a shower in the Gryffindor locker room to warm up. It was locked when there wasn't a game or a practice, but I'd heard Harry telling Ron the password and it was probably the only password I'd ever be able to remember.

As I walked up to red and gold painted door of the locker room, I resisted the urge to scratch my head. My hair was so thick that it took a long time for the rain to soak completely though, but a few drops would make it to my scalp. They would flow between the strands and feel like bugs crawling all over my head. I was feeling pretty miserable. I hadn't been able to get more than maybe eight feet off of the ground, I'd fallen six times, and I felt like I was coming down with a cold, but I didn't want to see Madame Pomfrey. She gave me the creeps and I already had the feeling that I'd be seeing a lot of her before I graduated.

I smiled as I said the password though.

"Slytheryns are slimy gits." The door slid open with the happy sound doors give when you get the password right the first time. The first thing I heard after I had walked in and pushed the door closed was something banging into the lockers. I tiptoed over and peeked around the corner, scared that I'd walked in on the Slytheryns attempting sabotage or some such. When I saw it was just one of Ron's twin brothers (I could never tell them apart) and Lee looking like they were changing (probably to go play quidditch I thought, feeling smart) and rough-housing with each other, as usual, I sighed with relief and walked around the corner.

"Good morning,' I greeted them, timidly. They were upperclassmen after all and the tricksters of the school. Lee yelped and slammed himself back against the lockers and clutched at his pants that were half undone and sliding down his hips. The Weasley twin gasped and stumbled back from where he'd been standing right in front of Lee and ran into the bench behind him making him sit. Their reactions made me jump too. Somehow I managed to hit myself in the nose with my broom. For once I was grateful the cold had numbed most of my appendages.

"What are you doing here, Longbottom?" the redhead asked in a breathless tone. His eyes were so wide; I could see white all the way around them.

"I was practicing flying," I said slowly, confused at the behavior. I thought nothing could surprise a Weasley twin. "I got wet and wanted a shower." They both nodded their heads in too-quick understanding. I turned to the locker where I'd stored an extra set of robes and started to undress. They both stayed where they were taking deep breaths. I was careful not to turn my back on them. You had to be cautious around either of the Weasley twins, you never knew when they were going to do something and leave you with twitching rabbit ears or purple-feathered hair. As for Lee, I always kept him in sight when he was near. Even though he was in league with the Weasley twins, he was so cool. He was the announcer for all of the school games even though he was only a third year and his dreadlocks always looked soft, like if I touched them they'd feel like felt. He had the friendliest looking face I've ever seen, too.

After I'd gotten completely undressed and had a towel around my waist (I'd taken off my underwear from under the towel so I wasn't ever totally naked in front of them) I realized they hadn't moved.

"What were you guys doing?" I asked to break their unusual silence.

"Fred and I weren't kissing!" Lee immediately shouted. Fred cringed. "I mean, we, um, we were just, uh… you know…yeah," Lee finished lamely, at a loss for words for once. He was staring at an open locker across from him as if considering weather or not he could crawl into it. I'm not totally stupid, though. I know that if something is denied that quickly and harshly it's generally true.

"You two were kissing?" Fred looked at me.

"Yes?" He asked more than said it. I thought for a moment.

"Boys can kiss?" I asked them. They looked at me oddly. I blushed. "I-it's…just, that I thought…only grown up men and women having great romances with each other could kiss." They both started to smile and Lee bit his lip like he was trying not to giggle. I blushed harder, feeling incredibly childlike and exposed in my towel. "I- I mean like on those radio broadcasts, on the drama station? My gran listens to it a lot." I finished very quietly because by then both of them were laughing.

Lee calmed down first and looked at me. I noticed that his cheeks had a plum-colored tint to them that was so pretty with the darkness of the rest of his face. He took a deep breath and then answered me.

"Yes, Neville, boys can kiss each other. And they can kiss girls and girls can kiss girls. It's just not as accepted to kiss someone of the same sex and some people can be really mean about it and that's why I denied it and why we're trying to keep people from knowing."

"Oh, well I won't tell," I quickly assured him and was rewarded with a smile. Fred was still giggling.

"Hasn't anyone explained to you about sex and stuff," he asked with laughter in his voice. I was offended.

"Of course!" I replied, immediately. "My sex is male and like, um… Professor McGonagalls sex is female…" I looked at the boys, confused. They were laughing again and I was beginning to get annoyed at them laughing at me and after I said I'd keep there secret, too.

"Oh, Merlin," Fred finally gasped after about thirty seconds. "I do not want to think about McGonagall and sex at the same time." Lee snickered, then looked at me and took a deep breath.

"Do you trust any of the men in your family?" He asked me.

I thought about my Uncle Albert and what it felt like to fall out of that window thinking I was really going to die and shook my head. He frowned.

"Well then, maybe I ought to explain it to you?" He sounded really uncertain and suddenly seemed to remember his pants were undone and started to do them up quickly. He frowned down at his hands for a second before looking back up at me. As he opened his mouth to say something, we heard the large creak of the door opening and George's voice talking louder than normal to Percy. Fred quickly buttoned up his shirt and pants as the other two Weasley's turned the corner. Percy looked at all of us with his patented scowl of disapproval.

"Neville," Lee said, with a forced smile. "Why don't I finish telling you about announcing Quidditch this afternoon after classes, so you have time for your shower before breakfast." He winked at me, and I couldn't help, but grin.

"O.K., that'd be good." I smiled at George and Percy and nodded my head once, before backing my way to the showers. Even with Perfect Percy there, I didn't trust the twins enough to turn my back to them. They seemed to think I made an excellent guinea pig and considering how often I fell for the things they did, they were probably right. Just before I turned on the shower I heard Percy interrogating Fred and Lee about what they were doing and what I was doing here. I grinned as I realized that Lee was calling me 'Neville' and not 'Longbottom' and that he had called me that for the entire conversation.

When I finished my shower, and went back into the dressing room, the twins nad Lee were gone, but Percy was waiting for me. He was actually folding my clothes that I'd dirtied. He looked up as I walked in and cleared his throat.

"I spelled these clean and dry for you, Longbottom," he said in his crisp and precise tone and gave a quick twitch of his head to get the hair out of his eyes. The shaggy curls that were several shades darker than anyone else in his family were the only things about Percy Weasley that were not neat, precise and orderly. I suspected he was vain about how pretty it was. But I wasn't stupid enough to ever say so out loud. It also set him apart from his family. I realized he was staring at me waiting for me to thank him.

"Oh, uh, thanks." I took the clothes and started to get dressed with my towel on. Percy stayed where he was. I quickly searched my brain for any rule about not being on the Quidditch field, but couldn't think of one. "Uhm… Am I in trouble for something?"

"Oh, no, of course not. I just wanted to apologize for my brothers bothering you." He smiled at me quite kindly. I smiled back with a bit more reserve.

"They weren't bothering me." Percy just raised his eyebrows.

"Really, Longbottom, there is no reason to lie. I know they've made a sort of target out of you." He reached out and touched my arm. I was confused at his touch. I blushed and moved away.

"I meant they weren't bothering me this time." He smiled and looked down at the hand he had touched me with.

"You know, Nevi- er, Longbottom, if you ever need to talk with someone, about anything, I can always make time. It doesn't matter what it is and I'll give you a secrecy promise. I won't use anything you say to get you or anyone you mention, in to trouble unless you want me to."

I looked at him as I pulled my scratchy wool sweater. He was being so nice I was half tempted to ask him about sex instead of Lee because Lee was a friend of the twins and it might be a trick, but I decided against it. Even if it was a trick, I was looking forward to talking with Lee alone. I smiled at Percy.

"Thank you for that. I'll keep it in mind." I smiled again as I quinkly walked out and left Percy in the locker room staring at his hands.

At breakfast, somebody put something in my porridge that made me see everybody as giant bunnies for the rest of the day. Lee whispered in my ear that it was a gift as he left the Great Hall. I twisted my napkin tightly in my hands and hoped he never found out that I was afraid of rabbits.

AN: will be much more grafic and lovely next chapter (if I get reviews) as Neville will be older.