charms, an alternate universe "shock" prompted drabble
warning: use of coarse language and mildly dark themes

Neville leaned back coolly against the wall outside of Professor Flitwick's classroom. He had only been waiting for a couple of minutes, his mind going over the blonde's words. Did he know what he was getting into just by having his back pressed against that wall? Sure, everyone thought the timid Gryffindor was harmless enough, but all he really needed was the right situation (or the right person) to coax him out of his shell and into the limelight like he had always been capable of handling.

He inhaled sharply as the door flew open and he was glad he hadn't decided to hightail it, for in front of him stood Draco Malfoy. His hair was ruffled so that his bangs stood on end, he was laughing at something with his hand stretched in the air, just enough to untuck the front of his crisp white shirt, Neville noticed. His hand fell and he regarded him with an even smirk, his lips quirked in the corner.

"Longbottom." He drawled his greeting, pronouncing each syllable slowly and lazily, "What are you doing here?" His tone was feigning innocence and he took a challenging step towards the Gryffindor. A growl formed in Neville's throat and it startled him for a moment. This all seemed such a change of pace but he was going to live in the moment for once.

"Cut the small talk." He snapped at the blonde, reaching out and curling his fingers around the tie at his neck. He yanked and they crashed together, his lips finding Draco's awkwardly. The blonde seemed to be the expert of the two, prying at Neville's lips with his own sharp tongue, pushing the dark haired boy against the wall as he probed his mouth. His fingers curled in the scarlet and gold tie, pulling at the knot half-heartedly as his attention was more focused on the fact that they were snogging.

In a not so empty hallway.

"I'll be sure to never put you together in class again, Mister Malfoy. Longbottom." Snape sneered in a way that only the Potions Master could have managed, looking down the length of his hooked nose at the two ruffled boys that had separated themselves reluctantly. Even trapped between Malfoy's body and a wall, Neville was fixing him with an unkind look of his own. "No matter how far you shove your tongue down one of my students' throats," his gaze flickered disapprovingly to the blonde, "I assure you, it will not transfer any brain cells, Longbottom."

"I'm fully aware," the Gryffindor barked back.

Snape looked affronted. "You should be careful of your tone, Longbottom. One might find it disrespectful."

Neville pretended to look thoughtful for a moment before he reached for Draco's hand, slipping between him and the wall. He pulled the Slytherin with him as he responded. "You're right," he started, turning to face him as he walked backwards, "One might find it disrespectful. One might be right about that."

"Detention," Snape's voice cracked like a whip and Neville fired back.

"No."

For a moment, the world seemed to spin in retrograde as Neville Longbottom, who often quivered at the sight of Snape, had just refused his detention.

"Detention is not optional, Longbottom!"

"It isn't mandatory," he said, dragging Draco further down the hall, "so it is optional. No."

The sounds of Snape stifling swear words and indignant noises were the only things that met Neville's ears as he continued to lead Malfoy away. Eventually, the blonde found control of his voice, although it started as a series of noises much like the ones Snape had been making. Neville didn't stop to look at Draco until they were in another hallway, shadows dancing under the torchlight.

"Longbottom," he started breathlessly, leaning back against the wall and watching the Gryffindor as if he had been newly hatched out of a shell, "you—I can't believe—Snape—"

"What?" Neville said, now mirroring a signature Malfoy smirk. He placed his hands on either side of Draco's head, the wall holding him up as he leaned in. Draco's eyes closed in preparation for a heavy, intense session of snogging, but he was disappointed when Neville's lips only ghosted over his, brushing gently.

"Shocked?"