Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 573


Be Irresponsible (With Me)


Neville threw the newspaper on the table with a groan, leaning back in his chair to look at Harry, who was watching him from the counter, sipping his coffee to block his smile.

They hadn't been up long, and watching Harry in the morning was one of Neville's favourite things to do.

"How do you deal with this?" Neville asked, gesturing to the paper with a scowl.

"Talk less, smile more," Harry replied with a shrug. "I'd say it will die down but… well. I'll let you know when it dies down for me."

"Yeah, but you're Harry Potter. That's like being… I don't know. The Queen, for the muggles. I'm just Neville."

Harry summoned the paper with a wave of his hand, raising his eyebrow. "You're not just Neville anymore, mate. You're Neville Longbottom, the young man who slayed The Dead One's Snake and helped to save us all!"

"Why do I come to you for sympathy?"

Harry shrugged. "Beats me. Nice picture of you wielding the Sword of Gryffindor, though. I kinda want to know who was wandering around the battle with a camera, though."

Neville watched as Harry's smile fell suddenly and felt an uncomfortable churning in his own stomach when he thought about Colin.

"They're probably taking pictures from pensieve memories," Neville soldiered on. Harry offered him a grateful smile. "They had photos of me with Luna and the Thestrals last week though, remember, and I have no idea where that one came from, since Luna would never give out memories."

"I should go see Luna myself," Harry murmured. "It feels like it's been an age."

"She's been spending a couple of days a week at Hogwarts, helping the rebuild and visiting with the animals in the forest. She even speaks with Aragog without being eaten."

Harry shuddered. "Giant spiders are a serious hard limit for me, I don't know how she's got the balls to go near them."

Neville chuckle. "She's got an affinity with animals, you know that. She's talking about going traveling in a couple of years."

"That'd be good," Harry replied, a wistful expression on his face. "Traveling is at the top of my to do list… you know, when I finish torturing myself with Healer training."

Neville fell silent, a pensive look overtaking him for a moment. "We could take a break? Just… leave. For a while."

Frowning, Harry shook his head. "We're both smack in the middle of apprenticeships, Nev."

"But… We could go if we had permission. So… we should ask for permission."

"You really just want to drop your life to go traveling with me?"

Neville stared at him for a long moment. "Harry… there's nowhere and nothing I wouldn't wanna go or do with you. I thought you knew that by now?"

Harry hopped off the counter and moved around the kitchen until he was leaning on the back of Neville's chair, making the other man twist awkwardly so he could still see him. Harry leant down to steal a chaste kiss.

"You know, I was always envious of people who had someone who would do anything for them. I just… sometimes I forget that I'm one of those people now."

Neville smiled, tugging Harry around the chair and into his lap. "Uh huh. You are one of those people. So… what do you say? Want to be irresponsible with me?"

Laughing, Harry nodded. "I really do. It sounds perfect."

Written for;

Character Appreciation - 27. Sword Of Gryffindor

Book Club - Moon Eye - Sympathy / Spider / Pensive

Showtime - 29. Newspaper

Bex's Biscuits - Hobnob - Wistful / Envy / Thestral

Hamilton Mania - A1. 19. Neville Longbottom / Extra - 17. "Talk less, smile more."