"You're not coming with me."
With the amount of conviction in her voice, Neville almost gave in to the demand. But, before he could surrender, his mouth disagreed.
"You can't go alone to face Merlin-knows-what in some Greek hero showdown. I don't have magic to help you, but if something happens, being alone is the worst—"
"Yeah? And what if I die and you're left stranded in some hellscape? Greek mythology isn't known for being pleasant, Neville."
He turned to look at her, the certainty on her face evident as she sat atop a table in the greenhouse. He was going to have to find some method to sway her, but it wasn't going to be easy.
"No, but if there's a chance to save you, I will. I'm not exactly new to dangerous situations."
"You had magic at the battle. You had magic as an auror."
"Trust me, being an auror, you use a lot less magic than people expect. I can get by." Neville knew she had a point, but he didn't want to admit it.
"What if you can't, Nev? What if something happens to you?"
He struggled to answer for a second. Going with her, doing whatever it was, may be as simple as asking someone to flip the magic switch back on, or it could be dangerous. Angry gods would be more of a challenge than Death Eaters and Voldemort. "Let me choose to take that risk. I'm not trying to be a martyr, Kyle, but it would eat me alive to see you go off on your own and not know where you've gone."
He could practically hear her pout behind him, but her silence meant he was getting somewhere. At least he could count that as a victory. The sound of her feet hitting the ground let him know she had hopped off the table. She was probably up to something.
"C'mon, Neville," she whined, snaking her arms around his waist and making him put the canister full of glowing flower petals down. He placed his hands on her wrists, ready to pull her off if she kept trying to convince him not to come. "I'll be okay. You should stay here and take care of the castle and everyone inside."
"They aren't the ones who need protection and care, Kyle," he pulled her arms loose and turned around, letting her hold him again once he was facing her. "We're stronger in numbers, even if I have no magic. Let me go, I want to take that risk."
Kyle took in a deep breath, and paused as if she were mulling it over. Neville very much wanted to kiss away the pout on her lips, but it wasn't the right moment for that. He could see her start to break, tilting her head and squirming. She still seemed to want to fight him though, but as he wrapped his arms around her, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest.
"I'm so tired of arguing about this already. If you go, do you promise to be very, very careful? And not try to be a hero?"
He smiled, finally.
"Alright, you've got yourself a deal. I'll behave myself. Now, how about some tea?"
Kyle nodded, stepping back to let him pick up his canister with one hand and reach for her hand with the other. She didn't seem thrilled, but she gave him a little smile to let him know she was alright, if apprehensive, and they headed back inside his office.
On his desk, he made quick work of clearing away books and setting down the flowers, moving the sugar so it was in reach before Kyle lit a fire to boil water over. Before the pot began to steam, Neville retrieved his cups and set them out on either side of his desk.
"Thank you, Nev," Kyle said, growing tired of the silence.
"For tea?" He asked quizzically, tilting his head.
"No, of course not for tea!" She was losing the fight to keep a straight face, the corner of her lips turning up. "For caring about me. I'm worried about you coming along with me, but it means a lot to me that you would. Not many people would do that."
"Well, you mean something to me. You, and the whole of the Wizarding World. Maybe I'm still in 'protector' mode from being an auror, but I'm not as scared now as I was when I was a boy. I will fight for the things and people I care about." He could see the water begin to steam, and he turned back to it, monitoring it as she put a tea bag in each of their cups.
"You're brave," her voice was quiet, contemplative. "You mean something to me, too. We'll get through it together."
He smiled again, not yet turning to her. "That's what I like to hear. Optimism is a good thing." He pulled the pot off the fire, turning back to the desk to see her smiling at him, leaning comfortably on the desk. He wanted to keep seeing that smile. He could hardly take his eyes off her as he poured.
With the pot emptied and left to cool, he took his seat opposite her, leaning back to rest his eyes. He felt comfortable, maybe like a calm before a storm. He didn't have the anxiety he thought he would have. At least, less anxiety than when he thought she was going to be running off alone again.
Neville was beginning to drift off while she spooned sugar into her cup, humming to herself. The scent of tea and the fragrant, fresh-picked flower petals made him feel so relaxed. He was almost completely asleep when he heard a sharp gasp.
"Oh, no…"
He opened an eye. She appeared troubled.
"What's wrong?" Neville said before sitting up. Kyle was looking intently at her cup, clasping it in both hands.
"I think—the sugar and the flowers—this is going to be problematic." She tilted her cup, and he saw them immediately. Stuck to the bottom were three of the glowing flower petals, soaked in tea. "How many does it take to—"
"Just one," he groaned, embarrassed that he had been so careless by putting the flowers and the sugar so close together.
"I never even looked in; I didn't notice them." She cast her eyes down to the floor and bit her lip. "How bad do you think it's going to be?"
"I have no idea. I've never tried to find out, it didn't seem like something a single man should worry about."
She pouted for a second, then looked up to him.
"Should I leave?"
The question hung in the air. Should she? He wasn't interested in having her do anything she wasn't already interested in. Before Minerva had interrupted them, they were practically all over each other, but that didn't mean she wanted it now.
"Do you want to stay? I won't touch you if you don't want me to, but you need to tell me now before—"
"Nev," She whispered, and he met her eyes. "Of course I want you to touch me. I need to know what you want me to do."
Oh.
"Then stay. I want you to stay," he tried to be a professional about it, to not let on how thrilled he was that she had vocalized her desire for him. When she nodded, he smiled. "I guess you can find out how powerful it is while we're here."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I think you're getting a kick out of this."
"Well, it's kind of funny," he rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "I guess it's not so funny to you, huh?"
"Maybe if I weren't so nervous."
He let out a little scoff, standing up from his chair and coming around the side of the desk to sit on the corner next to her. "What do you have to be nervous about? I feel like I'm the least intimidating person on Earth, and I think you know that I wouldn't mind… well..."
There was a little twitch at her lip, a brief smile that she managed to fight off. "'Wouldn't mind'? Is that all?"
"Oh, come on. You're not going to make me admit it, are you?"
Kyle jumped up, gathering her skirts in a hand and turned towards the door. "That's fine, I can go take care of this on my own if you don't—"
Before he could think about his reaction, his hands were on her waist, pulling her back against him. She gasped at the sudden movement and pressure against her back. "No, wait."
"Say it or let me go. I can feel it starting to work." she pressed her ass against his thighs, and even though he knew she couldn't help what she was doing, it was well-received. "So hurry."
"Kyle, you know what I want to do with you." He tried one last trick to get out of saying it directly, leaning down to bury his head in the crook of her neck, dragging his lips across fabric that barely covered her skin. The sigh she made and the way she loosened against him was a good sign. "You're feeling good, aren't you?"
She declined to respond then, instead dragging her fingertips over his hands, still on her waist. She took them in hers and turned in his hold to face him. "Not good enough."
Neville pressed his forehead to hers, and she let him replace his hands on her waist, a little farther back this time to pull her in closer. "I'd be more than happy to make you feel even better, then."
He didn't have to wait for a response this time. As soon as the words left his mouth she pressed her lips against him, her teasing tongue insistently seeking his. She reached up to tangle her fingers into his hair and hold him still while their tongues intertwined. He felt that familiar lightheaded, tingling sensation, loving the way she tasted and the way she felt against him.
When they parted to catch their breath, he took the opportunity to return to those sensitive spots on her neck, kissing through the fabric of her collar. She gasped as he found a spot to bite down on firmly, pulling him even closer against her.
"Wait—wait, Nev," she whined, and he pulled back reluctantly. He raised his eyebrows in concern, about to ask what was wrong, but her shaky hands came up to unbutton the top of her dress down to just below her breasts.
He couldn't do much but gawk for the moment, like a schoolboy seeing his first glimpse of a woman. He marveled at the way her carefully hidden scars twisted and turned across her skin, fading or thickening in some spots. The blushing across her body had brightened their color, causing them to stand out even more.
"Is it too much?" She asked quietly, and he realized very suddenly that she had been so nervous about him seeing that.
"No, you're… mesmerizing." He found himself whispering as well, taking her hands in his and bringing her closer. He pressed an almost chaste kiss to her lips and moved to continue working on the remaining buttons. Once he reached the furthest near her hips, he helped her remove her arms from the sleeves and let the dress fall to the floor, leaving her in her undergarments and white stockings she wore.
She stepped out of the dress and pushed it aside, reaching out for him. "Neville, please," she said, and he couldn't help but give her a lopsided little grin as he brought her back into his arms, kissing her until she practically melted in them. He slid a hand up her side and to her chest, cupping her breast through her thin bra. There was an increasing pressure in his trousers at the sweet sound of a moan as he found a nipple and gently squeezed.
"Fuck—don't stop," she whimpered, leaning her head to the side as his lips found her skin again. "Everything feels… so, so good…"
"That's exactly how I want you to feel, love." Neville felt the way she shuddered against him, the warmth of her body seeping into him as she wrapped her arms around him. His hands roamed her body, mapping out every curve and bump of her scars, the smoothness of her back, and reveled in how she shivered as he touched her upper thighs.
His hands moved to her back and struggled for a moment on the clasp of her bra before he unhooked them with a pleased grunt. She shrugged out of it as Neville moved to give her a little breathing space, but his hands were quickly back on her, kneading and pinching, listening to her gentle moans to find what she liked.
Frustrated with the height difference between them, he moved to grab at her ass and lift, twisting around to place her heavily on the desk, knocking a tea cup off that shattered loudly.
"Oh! I'll fix—" Kyle began, but his mouth over her nipple silenced her. She pressed against him, holding his head to her chest as his hand toyed with the other breast, leaving her a panting mess.
Neville was content to remain there for a time, but Kyle seemed to have other needs. She took his hand away and guided it between her thighs.
He let go of her nipple, looking up at her unfocused, lust-clouded eyes. "More?"
"More. Please."
He lifted her off the desk, helping her pull off her underwear before setting her back down and parting her thighs, admiring the sweet expression on her face as she leaned back on her elbows and bared all to him.
She tried not to squirm as he first touched her, running a finger up through her already slick lips. Neville found her clit, drawing tight, slow circles around it with his thumb. No doubt she was more sensitive than normal thanks to the aphrodisiac, but regardless, her choked moans were heavenly to hear. He wanted more.
Kyle gasped, thrusting her hips up as he pressed two fingers inside of her, and she rocked back against him as he set a languid pace, seeking her most tender spots as he took his time with her. When he found what he seeked, her whole body began to shudder as he worked her like it was all he knew. A string of curses let him know to keep going, her writhing only adding to how aroused he was.
"Nev, I'm so close," she warned him, choking back moans. "Don't stop, please—"
"Come for me, Kyle," he said, leaning over her body as he continued his motions, kissing her greedily. When she did, she pulled away from him, crying out his name over and over as her hips jerked and her muscles spasmed around his fingers. She was babbling and twitching from the sensitivity as she came down, protesting as he withdrew his fingers.
"Tell me what you want, Kyle," he whispered, standing between her splayed knees and running his hands over the edges of her stockings. She shivered as his fingers traveled across her inner thighs, her body still flushed and her breathing unsteady.
"Neville, you know what I—"
"I want to hear you say it." He moved over her again, pressing against her as he kissed her neck. She whimpered and bit her lip as she mulled over all the things she wanted in that moment.
After a time, she seemed unable to take it anymore. "Please, fuck me," she hissed, pressing her hips into him before he had time to back away.
It was all the invitation he needed. He moved to pull his shirt over his head and discard the rest of his clothing before he moved back to her, pulling her by the hips so she was closer to the edge of the desk.
"You're sure?" He wanted to give her another out, to decide not to go through with it, but she immediately nodded.
"Neville, I need you. I'm sure."
He nodded, already pressing against her to feel her heat and adjusting her legs around him. His heart was beating out of control, thumping like mad in anticipation while he moved against her, the head of his cock teasing against her clit and making her jump.
Neville pulled back further, lining up with her entrance. He took a deep breath before he pushed into her, reveling in the way she grasped him inch by slow inch until, finally, he was seated inside of her, his eyes closed as he paused to regain his composure. It was hard to do so while she squirmed against him, needing more stimulation to appease the insistence of the drug in her system.
After he calmed, and she was begging for more, he finally began to move inside of her, slow shallow thrusts as he listened to her gasps and moans. He had forgotten how blissful it was to be buried inside of someone, and his breath was already beginning to catch as he fought the urge to fuck her harder.
Kyle reached out, trying to grasp onto the edge of the desk as she pressed back into each of his thrusts, whimpering out his name like it was the only word she knew. He upped the pace a bit, his hands tight on her hips. She felt so damn good as she squeezed around him, he knew he wouldn't last much longer.
His hand traveled from her hip back across her belly and down, until his thumb found her clit and began to circle it. Immediately she let out a cry that she tried, and failed, to bite back, and her back arched.
"That's it, come again for me," Neville whispered above her choked moans, still working her clit. "I want to feel you come around me."
She nodded, her eyes shut tight and knuckles white from gripping hard to the desk. "So… So close…"
When he first felt the telltale signs of her coming undone, the spasming of muscles and jerking of hips, he could feel his own orgasm close behind and he sped up again, chasing after that high. Then, he stilled, pressed deep inside of her as he groaned out her name, leaning over her body as he gave the last final twitches time to die down. They were both breathless, shivering, sweaty messes, everything on his desk shoved to the floor and their clothes scattered about. But they both seemed to feel worlds better, all the tension they felt before released in one simple act.
He took a moment to catch his breath then pulled out of her, unconcerned with the way their mixed fluids dripped onto his office floor. "How are you feeling?"
She sat up on her elbows, looking dazed and disheveled. "Better, but… I think this might last a while."
He couldn't help but grin. "Well, I have no problems taking care of you as much as you need. But how about something more comfortable?"
Neville didn't wait for a response, scooping her up and wrapping her legs around his waist to carry her to his bedroom. He was fine with not leaving there for a while. In fact, over the next couple days, they ignored most of everything except for meal times, instead spending their time undressing each other in his office, or hidden in the greenhouses, or even secret places in the castle. It was so nice to forget all their worries.