"Thanks for letting me come over to speak with you." She said honestly and Hermione smiled, Draco was wearing a shit eating grin. It caused her to shoot him an unimpressed eyebrow.
"Of cour—" Hermione tried to say but Draco cut her off.
"We were expecting this honestly." He began then leaned back arrogantly into the sofa. "Took longer than I thought but please, go on with what you need our expertise for."
Astoria pursed her lips and Hermione gave Draco a warning look, it was a bit intimidating honestly. She sighed then figured there was no reason to sugar coat anything.
"I don't want to go to Germany. But I—I don't want to tell my parents about Neville. Not when—when our relationship isn't…clear."
Draco snorted and Hermione slapped him on the thigh.
"You're dating him, what's not clear?" He asked like she was stupid.
"We—haven't had that discussion yet. I mean, we've barely gone out on dates—"
"But Ron's said he's seen Neville and you walking out of Menagerie almost every night when he leaves the joke shop." Hermione interrupted with a questioning look. Astoria stopped talking and blushed.
"Gods, Astoria. If one as daft as Weasley can pick up on you two then it's quite clear that you're an item. I'm surprised your mother hasn't found out yet." Draco replied, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. She shifted in the chair across from them, eyes unconsciously taking in Hermione Granger's flat. It was a bit small, a very quaint feeling around her. She could identify things that were Draco's, things that were Hermione's, and seeing it mingled together made her body warm with longing and a tad of jealousy.
"How did you tell your parents?" She asked Draco directly, then looked at Hermione with a weird face. "About, the two of you."
"Don't do it the way Draco did it." Hermione interjected with a warning and Draco even made a face. Oh, maybe it had gone worse than what he's led on to.
"What erm," Astoria tucked her hair behind her ear. "What happened?"
Draco sighed dramatically then scratched his head. He leaned back up, coughing into his hand while looking regretfully at Hermione.
"I, well I honestly got pissed drunk because we were fighting." He started with a grimace. "I woke up still drunk and when my father and mother asked me what was wrong with me, I just flat out said; 'I'm in love with Hermione Granger.'" He explained and her mouth popped open. Hermione looked back to Astoria with an annoyed expression.
"We were fighting because we were trying to decide how to tell his parents, you see. I wanted to warm them up to the idea slowly. It was a five month long plan that would have worked honestly and probably would have made them tolerate me just a bit. But Draco didn't care and said my efforts would be wasted and the best bet would be to tell them straight up. So I asked him to leave me alone for the night and, like a child not getting his way, got drunk and ended up telling them anyway without my input." She furthered the explanation and ended it by crossing her arms over her chest and looking beyond annoyed at Draco.
He sat still, refusing to meet his girlfriend's face but looked a bit pained.
"It-it was bad." He admitted.
"To put it lightly." Hermione said sarcastically.
Astoria couldn't help but giggle which caused them both to look at her weirdly.
"Sorry, you're both just…wow, I can't believe you two are together. This is so cute the way you act." She said with a smile and Hermione and Draco both visibly loosened up. They sent each other a look, their slightly foul moods slipping away and thankful grins replacing it.
Draco took her hand, an action Astoria thought odd of him as she couldn't make out Draco to be affectionate, but he did it so casually, normal even. She wished Neville would do that.
"My advice would be to warm your parents up to the idea. I obviously don't know their position on…well muggleborns and supposed blood traitors, but they seem…less extreme than the Malfoy's." Hermione offered with an awkward face, checking on Draco who actually nodded in agreement with her.
"Surely they must notice your time away from the house more. Lean on that and maybe mention your spending time with just a man?" Hermione suggested unsurely.
"Who would be easier to convince of your relationship with Neville? Your mother or father?" Draco asked her and Astoria huffed.
"Father, obviously but he-he's still struggling without Daphne." She said quietly, looking away from them.
"Then see if you can come up with an organic conversation to tell your father there's a new prospect." Hermione said hopefully. "Or maybe gauge how adamant he is about setting you up in an engagement. Maybe that's where you can find a soft spot."
Astoria was silent, thinking about Hermione's suggestions and getting a sense that maybe this was all pointless. She didn't feel as hopeful anymore.
"Yeah, maybe."
"Honestly it would be a cake walk compared to a conversation with your mother." Draco commented and both women looked at him. "I heard the howlers my parents opened when I announced my withdrawal of interest. I think the shrillness of her voice broke a few glasses."
Astoria chewed on her lip, recalling the days her mother sent those and honestly believed Draco.
"Start with your father. He doesn't have to know every single detail and I doubt he would pry as much as she would. But you still should prepare for the worst." Draco said and her shoulders slunk down.
"Draco. Let's try to be positive for her sake. Every situation is different." Hermione chastised him in a stern voice. He simply rolled his eyes but pulled their still connected hands into his lap.
"True as that may be, pureblood families aren't the most understanding group of individuals. There's exceptions of course, but you should prepare yourself for a storm." He warned and Astoria gave out a pathetic noise.
"I'd like to think they won't have much fight left in them after the last storm they had to handle." Astoria muffled, looking down at her hands before viewing the couple in front of her. They both offered her expressions of pity, knowing that she was referring to Daphne. Hermione sighed deeply, turning to Draco once and then offering a final piece to their discussion.
"Well, whatever you need our help with, we'll be here to hopefully make it easier for you." She assured her.
A foreign sensation filled Astoria, one she hadn't felt since before Daphne left. But seeing Hermione and Draco both give her barely there smiles that expressed their genuine offer, she realized that she believed them. Trust was swelling inside her and it felt like a large weight had been taken off her shoulders, however brief the feeling might have been. The relief of having someone on her side was like stepping into a cool shower on a hot day.
Astoria conjured every ounce of bravery. Rising early to request the house elf that she herself bring her father's breakfast to him. The tiny elf looked unsure, nervous even but she assured the poor thing that everything was all right and her father wouldn't mind.
With Gladys walking beside her, meowing what Astoria took to be words of encouragement, she tentatively knocked on the door of her father's study and entered when she heard nothing.
"Dad?" She called, pushing the door to see him sleeping on the leather sofa. So he was still sleeping in here, it's been that way since Daphne left. She sadly wondered what her mother thought.
Carefully setting the tray down on the table, she walked over to him and lightly shook him awake.
"Dad? Dad I have breakfast for you." She said and then he stirred, eyes opening and gruff noises coming out from his mouth. His beard was long, mustache unkempt with gray hairs everywhere.
He slowly sat up, surprised to see her there and not the house elf who usually just left his food there.
"What's going on?" He asked, voice hoarse from sleep.
"Nothing I-I just wanted to have breakfast with you. I haven't been seeing you much lately since I've been working." She said, levitating their trays over to them as he sat up. She looked expectantly at him, waiting for him to say anything, like a thank you, or maybe I've missed seeing you around. But nothing. He began eating and so did she.
The silence stretched for the entirety of the meal. It wasn't until he was scooping up the last pieces of food into his mouth that Astoria finally found the courage to speak.
"Tomorrow I—" She said a bit loudly and her father jumped, side eyeing her strangely. She tried again, more calmly. "Tomorrow I will be spending time with a friend. All day."
He didn't say anything.
"It's— m-my friend is a guy…a man…I mean. He's-he's really—"
"Is this organized by your mother?" He gruffly interrupted and Astoria's stomach dropped with worry. She picked up her fork, rearranging it on her plate just to fidget.
"Er, no. This is a mutual friend from…school." She said with a flinch. Her father finished his food then handed her the plate, getting up to head to his desk. She sighed, her breakfast threatening to spill upwards.
"The point I'm trying to make, father, is that well, he could be someone who courts me. I think. I-I have a good feeling—"
"Have you discussed this with your mother?" He questioned, not looking at her.
"I—well no—"
"If you have a question about courting then ask your mother." He said and she frowned.
"It's not a question I just…wanted to tell you that someone was interested in me." She said with a sigh, shoulders slumping. While looking down to the ground, she shook her head and briefly shut her eyes. "Forget I said anything I—I have things to do. Have a good day, father."
She spun around, feeling dejected by the conversation. Hardly anything was said, but she could feel it in the air that if she revealed any more information, her hope would be crushed to dust particles.
Just as she was pushing the door to leave the office, her father's hoarse voice called back to her.
"Astoria?"
She paused, then turned slowly, half her body facing him.
"Yes?"
He was rubbing his hands over his face, maybe for thirty seconds. It was a long time before he finally spoke, and when he did, it almost looked like he was worried the Dark Lord himself would return to kill him for asking such a question.
"This man…that you're spending time with…is he a pureblood?" There was a pause between his sentences and Astoria held her breath the whole time.
Initially, she had no thoughts cross her mind, until it hit her. He was only asking as insurance.
"Yes he is." She said slowly, watching as he barely nodded then picked up a quill.
"Thank you for breakfast. You may go." He said and Astoria lingered for a few seconds, trying to make sense of him before finally leaving. She shut the door quietly, walking a few steps before having to lean up against the wall to support herself.
That was…good. A victory however minute. Perhaps her father would have reacted much more differently if her answer was no. Maybe he would have told her it was foolish to allow herself to be pursued when they'd be leaving for Germany. He could have told her to end ties completely, or even worse, said something to her mother.
But then she just grew irritated. Did it matter if he was a pureblood? Why did there always have to be conditions in her life? If there was a man that she was interested in, it should just be enough that he's interested back. Him treating her right and faithfully should be her family's main concern, not his stupid blood.
She wished she would have had the courage to ask him why it mattered, but a win is a win, and though it was barely detectable, she knew she was one step closer to easing her father into dating on her own.
Neville was surprisingly tight lipped about their date. He requested that she floo to his home, which immediately made her nervous, but assured her it was just for the sake of convenience. So at exactly noon, she fisted floo powder and shouted his address.
He was already there, standing in his living room with his coat on, a dark red beanie and a warm expression on his face. She felt her lips turn upwards, a now automatic response whenever she was in his company.
"Hello, you look beautiful." He greeted, reaching for her hand and leaning down to kiss her cheek.
He hadn't ever greeted her like that before, so it caught her off for a moment and made her chest constrict with a wave of excitement. With pink cheeks and a shy smile she tried to distract herself from his soft brown eyes.
"Oh thank you. You said we'd be outside for a bit so I hope this will be warm enough." She said, smoothing her hands down her long, powered blue coat. He grinned at her then reached for her hand again, leading them out his flat.
"Perfect. We have to travel by taxi, I hope that's okay." He said as she stepped outside onto the front porch.
Astoria's face lit up.
"You mean in a car?" She asked, her voice rising with excitement. Neville looked over his shoulder while locking the door, a curious expression on his face.
"Yes?" He responded then they walked down the cement stairs, he motioned to the black car in front of his place. "Is that alright?"
"Yes I've actually," She laughed a bit at herself. "I've always wanted to go for a ride in a car. I think they're so fascinating and muggles just know how to operate this massive lump of metal. Makes no sense." She rambled with wide eyes. Neville chuckled as he opened the door for her to slide in. She loudly greeted the cab driver, it made him chuckle more.
They were off and Astoria was on the edge of her seat, head turning from window to window, trying to get the best views of the city at once.
"Put your seatbelt on, love." Neville quietly instructed her when they pulled off. His hand reached across her body and. Astoria watched his fingers grab the belt and stretch it over her chest and waist. He had to lean a bit to help her, which allowed her a few seconds to smell his cologne and natural scent. She instinctively held her breath when his fingers clicked the metal piece into place, which happened to be right by her hip. He looked up with raised eyebrows.
"Good?" He questioned and she nodded slightly, biting her lip.
"So where are we going?" She asked, her head craning to look out the window.
"A place you've never been before." He cryptically said and she turned to him with her eyes squinted and her lips pursed while fighting a smile.
"Well that would be just about everywhere in London. So none of my guesses can be narrowed down." She said and Neville beamed at her, reaching for her hand to kiss the back of it through her glove. His eyes remained on her.
"That's the whole point with surprises." He told her with a smirk, causing her insides to flutter.
She remained fixated on the people passing the car, buildings and road names. This was a surprise in itself and she couldn't wait until whatever he had planned was over so they could ride in a car again. There was a bit of traffic and eventually Neville pushed the button that held her strap that connected to the seats. Astoria looked down then up at him.
"Are we here? What's going on?" She asked.
"Just a block away." He told her and she bounced once in her seat to see what he was looking at. She leaned in the middle, into his body and saw the large sign and entrance. She audibly gasped and looked at him with her mouth open.
"No bloody way!" She exclaimed.
He chuckled and then thanked their driver as he paid with muggle money. They slid out the car, standing side by side as they took in their surroundings, Astoria obviously more than Neville.
"You brought me to a muggle zoo!?" She squealed, staring at the massive entrance to the London Zoo. Her mind was running with excitement as she thought of all the possible creatures she could finally see for the first time. Polar Bears, monkeys, alpacas even…oh—
"Are there sloths here?" She asked loudly, taking his bright smile as a yes. He dragged her forward, heading towards the ticket booth. "Neville—Are. There. Sloths. Here?"
Her repeated question and the loud volume of her forcefulness caused Neville to finally look at her. He rolled his eyes, his lips a bright pink in the cold.
"Of course, they have sloths, Astoria. A baby has just been born actually." He told her and his chest filled with pride when her eyes lit up and mouth widely hung open. She shrieked and threw her arms around his neck, bending him forward while she leaned backwards to hug him. Neville chuckled into her neck, arms coming around to grasp her tightly.
"I'm going to see a sloth! A baby sloth! Thank you for this!" She cheered, lightly bouncing up and down. He had to pull her away and walk them forward before the line grew any longer. Astoria clutched his arm tightly, grinning up at him and talking eagerly.
"Can we see them first? Oh! Maybe see them last? But no, if we see them last I'll just rush through all the other animals and that wouldn't be fair. Some time in the middle then? Maybe get the animals I have seen before or don't care for all that much first, sloths in the middle then everything else after." She planned out loud and he nodded along, handing her her ticket.
"Whatever you want to do." He said, opening the park map to get a feel where everything was. Astoria looked on as well, her cheek resting on his arm.
"Look there's their exhibit. So let's hit all the animals that are outside first, make our way through the reptile enclosures then if we cross here, we'll be by the monkeys, sloths and other mammals." She grinned then looked up at him briefly concerned for a second. "Is that okay?"
Neville pulled her into his side and started heading off in the direction she stated they should start. She felt his lips kiss over her wool hat, mouth just above her ear.
"Honestly, we could spend all day looking at the sloths if that's what you want to do. My only request is that we get to see the black bears." He told her and she looked at him questioningly.
"Why those?" She asked and Neville shrugged, his cheeks turning pink a bit from the cold temperature and most likely his answer.
"It's my patronus actually." He admitted.
"A black bear?" She said to confirm and he nodded.
"I couldn't cast a corporeal one for the longest time. But when the war was finally over, and, I started visiting my parents more consistently and my job was going great, don't know. One day I just felt it inside of me. So I tried and thus…a black bear." He explained and her forehead spasmed.
"Felt what inside of you?" She asked.
"Happiness." He said softly with a shy smile.
Astoria blinked up at him then slowly turned her stare in the direction of the wandering crowd. She obviously learned about the patronus charm but hadn't been able to cast one at Hogwarts. She never tried after school, feeling the confidence in her drain anytime she tried to cast the spell and saw her wand barely flicker light. It just confirmed what she already knew about herself; she wasn't happy, not really at least. Tha,t and she wasn't powerful. Two things that had ruined her confidence in herself and abilities.
But hearing that Neville was not able to originally cast one and now only finally being able to gave her a spark of hope. Neville had dealt with the misfortunes in his life, finding happiness even in life's hard periods. He had grown, matured, and flowered. He had found happiness, and Astoria felt entirely jealous of him in that moment but also extremely proud.
Realizing she had been silent for longer than normal, she cleared her throat and offered him a smile.
"The black bears before we head inside then." She confirmed and looped her arm around his, holding on to his bicep. He briefly looked down to the movement, seeming shocked seeing as Astoria was not often the one to be forward, but Neville lightly nodded with a tiny smirk.
Animals that did well in colder climates were the first exhibits they stopped at. Penguins, seals, walruses and polar bears, animals like that. Astoria laughed when she heard the seals barking loudly at the people passing and delightedly watched them dive into the water.
They stopped at a vendor and picked up some hot chocolate to warm them a bit. Astoria took a sip, humming into the sweet drink as they made their way to see the black bears.
"Bears are so cute." She observed as they watched the two animals playfully wrestle together.
"Yeah but insanely strong, sometimes vicious." Neville commented.
"Only when needed. Black bears are an actually reserved animal. Attack when provoked or when their loved ones are being threatened." She replied absentmindedly then something clicked inside her brain. She looked up to Neville, nudging him with his elbow.
"I see why your patronus is one." She told him and Neville raised his shoulders in a shrug, still carefully watching the animals.
"I guess." He replied blandly but there was a certain admiration over his features as he watched the bears continue to play around. She felt like she was looking onto a private moment and her stomach twisted with pleasure when she saw his faint smile widen.
"Surely you must know more about your patronus? What did it say?" Astoria asked, curious as to what the bear truly meant in the magical world.
"Mainly power and confidence were the center of the explanation." He said while focusing his attention on her. She grinned.
"No wonder it took on the figure then." She complimented which made him smirk. He stepped closer, turning his body so one of his hands rested on the railing, the other loosely by his side. Astoria's stomach twitched at the new proximity. She nearly took half a step back so she could tilt her head up to properly look at him. Neville's tongue poked out from the corner of his mouth, his warm hazel eyes much brighter on this surprisingly sunny December day.
"Also mentioned bears excel in leadership positions whether they seek them out or not." He continued on and she nodded.
"A weird memory just popped into my head; you killing that snake and helping destroy the Dark Lord." She teased as she feigned to struggle to remember the scene. Neville lightly chuckled, the corner of his eyes squinting tight. Astoria loved it. "What else?"
"Hmmm." He hummed, his eyes still on her. Brown and green swirls made her never want to look away. "Supposedly they're good at helping others heal in difficult times."
Astoria felt her smile drop just a bit, but the warmth in Neville's expression never left. She wanted to pull away, somewhat irritated he could see her so clearly and it often felt like an unfair advantage. But instead, she willed herself to stay grounded and let him see her emotions run over her face.
She softly nodded and swallowed the forming lump in her throat.
"I'd agree with that." She quietly said.
Neville had a neutral expression, eyes taking her in as she struggled not to run away or vehemently disagree with what he was saying. He brought his other hand off the railing and circled his arms around her waist. A small gasp left her lips but Astoria let him tug her closer, her own hands resting low on his forearms.
"It also said—" He began, arms tightening and voice lowering. She shivered, not from the weather but from the sudden shift in his tone. "Black bears often enjoy a challenge when they want something they're after."
Astoria looked up at him with wide eyes, her heart stuttering and her pulse suddenly thrumming up against her skin. The layers of her coat and clothes felt overbearing, heat pooled between her legs when Neville's voice came out breathy and low. His eyes moved away from her stare, lingering lower until they caught her lips. It made her squirm in his hold but he didn't let go.
"I-I don't believe you." She challenged, her voice barely a whisper. His lips quirked upwards, finding her amusing.
"Don't need to." He said, his soft earthy colored eyes peeking up at her once. "I know it's true." He finished confidently before bending down and kissing her.
Astoria was remiss to say Neville ended their kiss very quickly. It was a peck more than anything. He pulled away with a grin and took her hand into his, leading them to the reptile exhibits. A tingling sensation danced down her back, and a soft smile was worn as they continued to explore.
"Sloths are next!" She cheered while clapping her hands, eagerly grabbing Neville's hand as she pulled them away from the orangutans. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and general giddiness, allowing himself to be nearly dragged to the next building.
Neville checked his watch and smiled widely at the back of Astoria's blonde head. She was rambling that he wasn't walking fast enough despite his long legs and was trying to sabotage her time with the sloths. He couldn't stop laughing at her jousts, knowing she would soon be speechless.
They entered the building where the sloths and other animals were living. Astoria looked for signs that would lead them directly to the animal. He pointed across the hall to a tiny section where there was a crowd of ten.
"I think there." He said, seeing the zookeepers speak to the crowd.
"Where? I don't see." She said, stretching on her toes and craning her neck to try and view her surroundings better. Neville led them to the area that was away from the walkways and directly to the zookeepers speaking with the attendees. He heard Astoria gasp and concealed a chuckle when she realized what was happening.
"—She is nine and a half months old, so she no longer clings to her mummy, but she will follow her around in their habitat." The zookeeper told the crowd and Astoria stood with her mouth hung wide open as she observed the tiny sloth cuddled in a blanket in the zookeeper's arms.
She was too stunned to form any competent words or thoughts. The only thing running through her mind was that she was two meters away from her favorite animal.
"Penny here is quite adventurous. She loves exploring all parts of her home and interacting with the other sloths." The zookeeper kept explaining while lightly bouncing the sloth in her arms like she would a baby. Astoria couldn't focus on anything that was said, only the tiny creature in front of her.
Neville had stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his chin on top of her head. It was the first time in minutes she looked away from the presentation and remembered where she was. She glanced up and tilted her neck to see his face, Neville peered down and offered her a smile while gripping her waist more snug. She cuddled further into his chest, smiling a bit when he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"Now do any of you do a little happy dance when you have to use the bathroom really really badly?" The zookeeper asked and some of the small children also watching the informational exhibit nodded and agreed.
"Yeah! Like this!" A little boy beside Astoria started hopping around on his legs mimicking what he does when he needs to pee. Everyone laughed.
"Very good. Well, just like humans, sloths also do a funny dance, but the only difference is, it's when they have to poop!" The zookeeper told them and some of the little kids made digested noises while the adults laughed.
"I knew that." Astoria muttered under her breath. Neville heard her and chuckled. "They wiggle around a tree and then poop then wiggle again to cover up their defecation." She whispered and Neville hushed her.
"You're not running the show." He teased.
"I bloody well could." She challenged with a huff that made him chuckle a bit louder.
"So sloths get ready to poop by clinging on to the base of the tree! They wiggle their little behinds to clear the area for them, give them a small space and all that, then proceed to handle their business. When they're done, they dance again to cover everything up with leaves or dirt or things like. Imagine when you see a dog using the bathroom? And they kick their legs back to cover it up with grass, yeah? It's something similar." The zookeeper said.
Astoria looked up and over her shoulder with a coy grin.
"Told you so." She said and felt Neville lightly squeeze her hips so she squirmed in his hold.
"Now if any of you are interested, you can all form a line so everyone can pet Penny." The zookeeper said with a smile.
Astoria audibly gasped, so loud that everyone around looked at her with a worried look. The zookeeper raised her eyebrows and Neville stood up straight to release her body, thinking something was momentarily wrong. With a blush and quickly realizing attention was on her, Astoria commented on her actions.
"Sorry, I'm just…really excited." She mumbled and everyone chuckled.
They stood last in line together, Astoria bouncing on her tiptoes and watching as children and adults softly petted Penny the nine and a half month old sloth.
When they were next in line, Neville had to put his hands on her shoulders and she instantly stopped bouncing.
"So jittery." He said through a smile. "You'll get your turn. I never would have pegged you as an impatient one but now I'm thinking otherwise."
Astoria gave him a smirk, ready to comment back to him but the people in front of them moved away and she was now face to face with the animal.
"Oh gods! She's so cute!" She cooed with a pained face that was clearly from the fact that she was experiencing so much affection for the animal. The zookeeper watched with a smile and Astoria pet the top of the little animal's head.
"Since you two are the last ones, would you like to hold her? I don't let the kids hold any animals since they can be a bit reckless." The zookeeper offered and Astoria looked up like she was disarmed for the first time in DADA.
"I can hold her?" She repeated and the zookeeper laughed.
"Yes yes dear. Just let me wrap this over your shoulders. Her claws are still dangerous." She said then handed her thick towels to hand over her shoulders. Astoria adjusted them then lifted her hands with anticipation. "Okay, now just cradle her body. She'll latch onto you right away. Might try to munch of your hair but she'll spit it out quickly."
The keeper transferred the baby sloth into her arms slowly and carefully, Neville standing beside her watching her face glow brighter than the most powerful lumos.
"Oh my gods Neville, I'm holding her! I'm holding a sloth!"
He laughed and lifted an arm to pet the top of it's head.
"I know. I wish I had a camera." He told her.
"Or a bloody pensieve." She muttered under her breath and the zookeeper looked confused but didn't say anything. "She's just so sweet! Look how pretty she is!"
Astoria continued to beam at the sloth who literally looked like she was smiling up at her. She giggled and rocked her in her arms.
"Don't mean to cut it off too early, but I do need to get her back in her area so her mum doesn't get worried. They still stress when they're away for too long." The zookeeper said, holding her arms back out to take her away.
"Oh of course of course. Goodbye Penny you adorable, lovely babe. And thank you so much, sloths are my favorite animal." She said to the worker who politely smiled and told them she was very happy Astoria was able to hold her for a bit.
They watched the sloth and it's keeper walk back into a securely locked room and Astoria began sadly waving before releasing a heavy sigh. She spun around on her heels then threw her arms over Neville.
"That was bloody fantastic!" She said into his chest. "Best day of my life!"
Neville lightly lifted her feet from the ground and he smiled into her shoulder, happy that she had a good day.
"I'm happy to hear! How do you feel?" He said, seeing her eyes twinkle and her cheeks pink.
"Like I learned how to fly all over again." She told him. "Ugh she was so cute Neville! So tiny and just so so cute! I can't wait to tell Daph—"
Astoria paused. Daphne's name coming out but her sentence hangs offensively in the air. Her smile fell and she awkwardly looked up at Neville and fluttered her eyelashes with a smile, attempting to hide her slip up.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." She said, trying to hang on to the excitement of what just transpired. "This was such a smart idea. I can't believe you brought me here." She expressed.
Neville smiled again, hoping his features didn't betray his curiosity and concern for the way she looked when she mentioned Daphne.
"Of course, I loved seeing you smile like that. Wait until Ms. Breen hears what you did this weekend." He began making conversation with her, taking her hand and walking them to the rest of the displays so they could finish up their day at the zoo.
After another hour of checking out the rest of exhibits, Neville wordlessly casted a warming charm around them when the wind began to pick up and suggested they grab food. Astoria was beaming at him the entire time, amazed that he had taken her to see her favorite animal and enamored by the jubilant feeling that overtook her. When they finished their meal, Neville chuckled at her incessant staring and finally gave in to ask her what the look was for.
"What look?" She replied innocently. Truly not knowing how he perceived her.
"That. You have stars in your eyes." He said, grinning down at her as they walked slowly on the sidewalk. Her arm around his and shoulders touching. It was comfortable.
"I'm just…happy." She simply stated. "Anything wrong with that?" She smartly said, earning herself a chuckle from him.
"Not at all." He commented, softly. "It looks good on you."
Astoria's stomach twisted at the words and she involuntarily stepped closer to his body. Neville then ducked them into a hidden alley to apparate back into his home, promising her they can take a cab again soon but didn't want to waste time since it'd be dark in a bit. They were tugged through the air with a loud crack and landed safely into the warmth of his home.
Turning to look up at him, Astoria smiled fondly, not removing her arm from his. He reached up to remove his beanie, scratching his hair and making it messy.
"Thank you again. This day was just—" She was speechless for a moment, lost in his shimmering hazel eyes. "Unforgettable."
Half of his mouth turned upwards, his eyes lowered.
"It was my pleasure." He replied, a certain emphasis on the word 'pleasure.' Her stomach felt like she just fell off a ten story building. Astoria remained grinning but it began slipping off her face when Neville gave her a strange look. Purposeful and intrigued. His face neared hers and soon his warm lips covered hers.
She gasped at the force of his lips, his hands held her face in place as he passionately kissed her. Astoria couldn't help the squeak of surprise when his tongue swiped into her mouth, stroking hers slowly before retreating back into his mouth like he had never been there. They traded long, fulfilling kisses, Neville diving his tongue deeper the more frantic they grew..
Astoria pulled away for a quick breath, but returned to his swollen lips with a fever. She fisted the lapels of his coat, body shaking with anticipation when one of his hands traveled down her back to rest just above her bum. She instinctively gripped his coat harder and stepped into his body, stomachs pressing.
Neville humphed a noise of interest, his smooth lips sucking on her bottom lip as his teeth barely scraped the flesh. He took a step forward, Astoria moved with him, he took another step and another and another, until she felt the sofa on the backs of her legs.
Soon they were panting, lips tangled and hands tentatively roaming where they hadn't before. Astoria pushed under his coat, feeling the cotton of his shirt run warm from his skin. She hummed joyously and began rubbing her hands up and down his chest.
Neville took his own and began undoing the buttons of her coat, popping each one out at a pace that made her mouth water. His meticulous movements caused Astoria to lift onto her toes and grab the back of his head, forcing her mouth open wider as she kissed him harder. A surprise moan vibrated through her mouth and Neville finally pushed her coat open. Astoria removed the sleeves then threw her arms around him as he pushed her stomach, signaling her to move.
She lowered herself onto the couch, bracing a knee behind her and keeping one on the ground. Neville kneeled with her and briefly pulled away to remove his own jacket, throwing it somewhere unimportant. He leaned forward, forcing her body down onto the cushions while frantically kissing her. Astoria placed her hands on his shoulders and neck, sighing when she felt his heated skin.
Neville felt different to her. Less like the kind boy that has taken her out on dates and held her while she cried, less like the awkward guy who blushed when he knocked over candy when she agreed to go out with him. Now he was more of the confident man who would smirk at her, and more like the man that would call her beautiful or cute or grab her hand just to see her blush.
Her stomach muscles clamped when a wide hand splayed over her hip and stomach. His body lowered closer to hers, a forearm keeping him upright. She felt his fingers trail downwards until they reached the hem of her blouse. The pads dipped underneath, feeling the quivering of her stomach.
She felt all the air leave her lungs as his hand lightly soothed her skin and took its time to make their skin acquainted. Astoria felt like she was suffocating under the warmth, but she'd be damn if she tried to come up for air.
Their tongues hadn't stopped fighting, and with swollen lips and a hot face, Astoria squeezed her eyes shut and bravely lifted her hips. A jolt of pleasure rolled through her when she felt Neville's clothed erection and heard his pained moan. Her center throbbed so she did it again, eliciting her own melodic sigh and continuing her busy exploration of how to make Neville moan.
With another grind of her hips, she was stunned when his suddenly and forcefully pinned hers down. She gasped, excitement flowing through her like a river broken free from its dam. But it quickly died when Neville pulled away and rested his forehead on hers, removing his hand from under her shirt.
"Maybe we should stop." He whispered hotly, trying to catch his breath. Astoria slowly opened her eyes, letting her hands slide back onto his shoulders.
"Why?" She croaked, voice dry.
"I—" He said and sighed deeply, almost groaning with regret then buried his face into her neck. Astoria melted into the embrace, inhaling his scent. "It'd be best if we took it slower."
She shivered when his breath hit her neck, inadvertently causing her hips to rub against his. Neville inhaled sharply and pushed himself off of her, the coldness that followed caused Astoria to feel like she did something wrong.
She sat up, looking at him from the couch.
"Did…did I do something?" She asked insecurely.
"No, bloody hell not at all." He said with a chuckle and bent down to grab her hands, forcing her to stand up. "I— don't want you to do something you're not comfortable doing."
Astoria blinked at him. Seeing a look of hesitation, she decided she wasn't offended but rather confused.
"I…I am comfortable with you though." It didn't seem normal that her heart was beating so fast at her words. It's not something she would tropically say. Vulnerability wasn't her strong suit.
"I am with you too. But I know—Godrics—I-I don't want you to think we have to rush into anything." He stuttered while saying, bringing his palms up to rest softly on her neck. His hazel eyes looked so worried that he was saying the wrong thing, but she was almost grateful for his hesitation. She didn't want to voice her lack of experience out loud, and Neville was already acting as the perfect gentleman. In the back of her mind she wondered how he knew, but also didn't want to bring it up unless necessary.
Astoria brought her hands over his and nodded.
"I'll tell you if something is too much. But I liked what we were doing." She said innocently and Neville's eyes flashed dark as he looked at her lips for a second. His mouth pulled into a smile.
"Me too." She smiled knowingly back at him, raising up on her toes and fitting her mouth over his. A tender, lasting kiss. Neville pulled her back before she could even nibble on his lip.
"Thank you for spending the afternoon with me." He told her and she smiled brightly up at him.
"Can I—" She started then flushed, shocked that she was ready to be so open about her wants with him. Swallowing, she pushed the words forward. "Can we have dinner sometime this week? After work?"
Neville grinned and kissed her swiftly.
"Pick a place and I'll take you whenever you want." He promised. A thunderbird was surely flapping it's wings inside her stomach. Astoria nodded and then grabbed her coat, wishing him farewell with a consuming smile on her face.
A/N: apologies for not updating sooner, but i have finished the outline for this story and will be focusing on this and my other wip to provide frequent updates. Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!
