Thanks for the reviews and follows! This chapter is from Neville's POV and most chapters will flop between him and Pansy. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 2
Primrose petals range from pale yellow to pink to white and a faint sweet, floral scent.
Neville lifted a bag of dragon dung fertilizer over his shoulder and decided he should grab extra just in case. Saturday's were his busiest day and with summer at the front door business was booming. Last Saturday had been busier than the Saturday before, and today was shaping up to be a big money day. Since he opened the store several years ago, his business has slowly gotten better and better. He had broken down and hired Ian to help him out on the register so he could work the floor. If business kept up, he might need another hand. He didn't mind. It kept his mind off… things. And kept money in his pocket.
It was easy to get lost in the bump and grind of the physical work that came with running the store, especially when he had help running the register. He could focus more on helping his customers and work with his plants. That's what took up most of his day. It usually went wake up, workout, work, work, work, count receipts, close the shop, go home, workout, eat, sleep. Repeat.
Sometimes Gin would make an appearance, force him to a Quidditch game, or Sunday Dinner at the Burrow with a million Weasley's and their children. Sometimes Luna would come around and keep him occupied with star readings and Quibbler chat. More often than not, he would meet Harry and Ron for a drink to catch up and play some darts. And sometimes he would meet a cute little witch and get a different kind of work out.
He didn't mind the simple life he lived, it kept his mind off… things.
He dropped the bags of fertilizer in the corner with the other types he carried, pointed out the shelf with the gardening supplies to a couple on a daisy mission, and made change for Ian, before he took a second to look at the witch that caught his eye earlier.
She wore her hair in two pigtail braids and she wore this paint-stained white button up shirt over jeans that cupped her ass when she bent over. He got a clear view of her bottom when she bent down to get a pot of creeping ivy that somehow found itself in the garden flowers.
She surprised him though, when she turned and put it back in its rightful place with a smile. It couldn't be helped, he wanted to put his hand in her back pocket and palm her ass and… other things.
Rose Russo. He could've sworn he had met her somewhere before, but he didn't recognize her name and couldn't place why she felt so familiar to him. Her basket was loaded, and she had several buckets of plants and herbs set aside for purchase. Even though she had sweet brown eyes that reminded him too much of Hannah, she was cute and hips that could kill. He was attracted from the start, but he didn't know if it was because of the jeans or the amount of money she was about to spend or because he hadn't had sex in 3 months. Not since Rebekah had dumped him over Valentine's dinner.
He turned away. He didn't need to spend any time thinking about that if he could help it. Once upon a time, he had the love of his life on his arm. Even after all these years, Hannah's brown eyes still haunted him, along with all the unfulfilled promises they had made each other. And that was probably why all his relationships since have failed. Miserably. It wasn't exactly Rebekah's fault that he was still hung up on his ex after all these years. Still, dumped on Valentine's wasn't the greatest thing that ever happened to him.
Just focus on work.
His mantra, his slogan, his way through life. He worked and kept himself in shape incase he ever had need to put the Auror's badge on again and run off fighting only God knows what.
"Excuse me, do you carry any Bart's Blood?" a voice asked from behind him, tearing him away from his thoughts about Rose Russo and the curve of her ass.
"Sure do, right this way." rolled off his tongue and he gestured the older wizard to follow him to a shelf on the back wall.
He focused on what he was good at. He tended his greenhouses and ran a successful shop selling potion ingredients and his plants, average, rare, magical, and anything in between. He made a good living off it, though he mostly just put the money away. He lived in the room in the back of the shop so he could avoid his Great Uncle Algie.
"Excuse me!" someone caught his attention and he walked them to the garden behind his shop.
When he finally got back inside, he looked for Rose Russo and spotted her eyeing up the essential oils. He watched her pop the top off the first bottle, bring it close to her nose, and take a long sniff. Her brown eyes rolled heaven forward, a look of bliss spread across her face, and he felt a stirring in his stomach that reminded him he hadn't had sex in three. Bloody. Months.
No woman should look that good shopping, Neville was actually kind of annoyed. Why was she getting such enjoyment from a stupid essential oil? Did she really like the scent of lemongrass that much? She had a full bucket of it already for fuck's sake.
He rolled his eyes and thought of Snape in his grandmother's clothing in an attempt to calm his rushing blood and went off to shoo some kid who decided swimming in the Stranglekelp pool was a good idea. Never mind the sign across the tank clearly said : DANGER.
He grabbed the kid the by the collar and lifted him out of the tank. "You okay, kid?" he asked.
"Sure thing, Neville!"
He had long since gotten used to complete strangers knowing his name and just shrugged it off as he checked to make sure no kelps took any damage. A vicious bit tried to wrap around his wrist, but relaxed when he pinched the base of the leaf. He was just untangling the bit of plant when he heard her laugh. It filled up the entire shop. He spun around, ripping the plant straight from its home. Her head was thrown back, a hand on her chest, as she laughed deep and long at something Ian had said.
Stupid Ian.
He stuffed the ripped plant into his pocket and walked towards her completely unsure of what he would even say.
"I think I have more than enough, thanks though Ian." she said sweetly as Ian rang her up for her items. Her voice reminded him of someone, though he couldn't place it. He'd probably met her before, in passing. His shop had been opened for years and before that he had worked as an Auror with Harry and Ron. If she spent any time in Diagon Alley, they'd probably met before… it just bothered him he couldn't place her pretty face.
"No problem. I can help carry your items to the shop for you if you need, Ms. Russo." Bastard Ian. How dare he provide good customer service.
"I can do that for her." Neville said. He scooped down and grabbed all her bags, threading his arm through the handles easily. "Lead the way, Rose."
She looked a bit nervous every time he said her name, and he liked it. A little. He really liked the paint stains on her shirt. And he could definitely make her laugh more than Stupid Ian could.
"Oh please, I can handle it. I have a wand you know." she smiled at him, grabbing her bucket of lemongrass. She held it in the krook of her elbow, and that matched with her pigtail braids made her look cute as hell.
"I'm sure you could." he started, looking her up and down. She gulped under his stare. "I'd love to see the new shop on the block though." he continued.
She let out a nervous laugh. "Alright, follow me then." she turned to Ian politely. "I'm sure I'll see you again, Ian. Have a nice day!"
He had definitely met her before somewhere, Neville thought. He just couldn't place her. Hmm.
Thankfully, she turned her back to him and started walking which gave him a very pleasant view. She led him out of his store and into the street, the breeze that hit the back of his sweaty neck felt refreshing and brought the scent of her mixed with lemongrass to his nose.
"How long have you worked here?" she asked him amicably as they walked to the slanted building that only a few months ago had been the eyesore of the block.
"I bought the place a few years back. Couldn't find a vendor I liked to sell my product."
"Oh you own the shop? It's charming." she gave him a sweet smile as she opened the door to her own shop.
He had seen the work done to the outside for weeks now, the slanted roof was fixed and the walls painted a pleasing color that would surely bring customers in, but the inside was more impressive. His steps echoed against the bare white walls as he took a look around.
"I scoped this building out when I was first shopping around, it was a mess. You did a good job restoring it."
"It was disgusting." she insisted, dropping her bucket by the door. "You can drop those bags anywhere. Thank you for carrying them over for me."
"Anytime. So can I get the grand tour?" he asked, once her load of bags were set gently on the wide counter.
She shrugged and it made her braids bounce. "This is pretty much it. Over here is a small closet and there's a back storage room."
"Where will you brew?" he wondered, and for some reason the question made her blush.
She led him through the storage room and through a slim door that led out back and he tried to flirt with her as much as he could. Every word made her cheeks flush pleasantly.
The surrounding buildings were fenced off, creating a small patch of ground directly behind the shop. A stone walkway divided it down the middle and led to another building.
"This is where I'll brew, and where my daughter and I will live." she said shyly.
He looked her up and down, thinking she was around his age. He silently thanked her unknown daughter for the decent curve in Rose's hips and looked at the building before she caught him admiring the curvy parts of her. "Here? Looks like an old storage building."
It went up about four stories and looked grimy and dingy from front to back.
"The outside still needs a bit work, but the inside has been renovated to my liking, would you like to come inside? I haven't been in yet. Today is moving day." she unlatched the front door, the large slate of wood slid up and over before the door cracked open.
He wanted to blow off work and really get to know her, physically. "I'd love to, but I better not leave Ian alone for much longer. Maybe another time?"
She nodded in affirmative. "Come over anytime."
His face broke into a grin. "I'll do that."
He left her blushing in her doorway and made his way to his shop to rescue Ian.
Later, after the sun had gone down and he had cleaned up the shop and started counting the till, the bell over his shop door chimed and he looked up.
"Heya Gin. What are you doing out and about?" he called to his long time, and very pregnant, friend.
"I had to get out of that house." she snapped sharply walking behind the counter and reaching into the cabinet where he kept cool drinks. She downed a juice and immediately belched loudly.
"That's attractive." he remarked, continuing his counting.
"All he does it dote on me, makes me dinner, rubs my feet, does all the housework…"
"Grounds for divorce if I ever heard it."
"... takes care of the wash, makes all the beds, plays with the kids…"
"I'm sorry I haven't been listening to a word you've said." he smirked as she huffed violently.
"Damn it Longbottom, you're being an ass."
"I know." he said as he closed up the register, and took his deposit to the back room. Ginny waddled after him complaining the whole time.
"We said we would stop after three, but no, here I am. I just wanted a back rub. I'm sick of him all over me all the time…
He locked his deposit in the safe and walked back out into the main room, taking his wand out to send a broom to get sweeping. He waved it again and cast a Misting Charm and then locked the front door.
"... constantly asking how I am doing, if I need an extra pillow…"
He wiped the counters and organized the shelves before walking into his room in the back. She followed slowly, the swell of her pregnant belly significantly larger than the last time he had seen her.
"... if I need water or warm milk…"
"Gin -"
"He's just so nice! I'm sick of it!"
"Ginny please-"
"And his damn kids, they all are so nice! They get that from their father. When I was a kid, I had George and Fred and Ron to pick on me. Toughen me up."
"Hey Gin!"
"What!?"
"You want a drink?" he asked, holding up his half empty firewhiskey bottle.
She slapped his shoulder. "NO! I'm pregnant!"
"I noticed. You seem stressed." he took a large swig from the bottle and collapsed into his bed.
"I am not stressed, I am tired of being doted on and needed someone to complain to." she sat on the bed next to him and immediately began rubbing her belly.
His room had a large bay window on one side that looked out over his garden and into the street on the opposite side from his shop. Neville had propped it open earlier before he opened the shop trying to get some fresh air in the room.
This time of year, nights could still be a bit chilly, but during the summer couples would walk by with giant ice creams and families would run around in the grassy area. Now he could see a single figure walking down the street with a giant purse and something clutched between her ear and shoulder.
"Looks like Daphne Greengrass." Ginny remarked.
"Yeah… wonder what she is up to these days?"
The retreating figure marched down the sidewalk with quick steps and disappeared from view just as a small owl landed on the window sill and hopped in, dropping a note on Ginny's belly.
"Oh bloody hell, it's Harry."
"Did you tell him you were leaving?"
She scrunched up her face at him. "... No."