Chapter 4
Aster is a star shaped flower that can come in a variety of colors. (Also plant to save the bees!)
The shop was closed Monday's and Tuesday's, so Neville used to the time to catch up on paperwork if he had any, and tend to his greenhouses. It was usually a quiet two days he spent by himself that he desperately needed after the busy weekends. His hands buried in the dirt, the physical assertion, the smell of his garden that he poured his energy into… it was relaxing and necessary for his sanity. It kept his mind from wandering to the witch he had long ago lost and gave him an excuse to ditch Ginny or Luna if they tried to bug him into spending time together.
This time it was different. He spent the entirety of the two days thinking about the new witch on the block and wondering where the hell he knew her from. She had been surprised to see him, but offered no explanation only a name he didn't know: Rose Russo. But of course, like most of the wizarding world, she may simply just recognize him from his unwanted and long lived fame after the war. But there was something... he just couldn't place it. He knew her. Maybe.
Monday he went to bed exhausted, and fell into easy sleep thinking about Rose's bow shaped lips and wondering if she went to school with him. Maybe she had been in a different year, and that would account for the familiarity even if he didn't recognize the name.
Tuesday he felt obsession setting in, and he wanted to figure her out so badly and preferably while his cock was buried to the hilt inside of her. It was easy then, to fall into fantasy thinking about her.
He opened the shop bright and early on Wednesday morning, feeling relaxed(if a little frustrated) and determined to run into Rose again. Looking over to her shop, he wondered. Would he see Rose in the mornings? Would she become a part of his work life? Would he mind? Nope. He wouldn't mind at all.
He was hoping to get a glance of Rose, instead he saw another witch… and groaned. He had completely forgotten about his plans for that evening. "Maggie." he greeted the woman.
Maggie Mobley ran a small book and magazine shop three streets down from his own shop. The shop was okay but Maggie was beautiful. And young. Neville rubbed his jaw in thought as the witch caught up to him, leaning up to place a kiss against his lips.
"Hi Neville." she purred. Well he had taken her to his bed for a reason. She knew how to make men want her with her perfectly done hair and makeup, her outfit clinging tightly to places a man wanted to touch.
Asking Maggie out had been an impulse, not unlike most of his other dates. He just wished he could remember, was she after Julie and before Rebekah or? Maggie had been around, and he had asked her out. It ended with her in his bed much to both of their delights. Of course, he never got back together with her after that until she walked in a week ago and he needed sexual relief like crazy. Still did.
But then he had met Rose.
"Hello Maggie." she stepped back and put her coffee to her lips, doing her best to look sexy. Hell she did look sexy. "Still on for tonight?"
"You can pick me up at my place. You remember where that is, don't you?" she grinned and walked away before he could respond. The moment she walked out of his line of sight, he turned his gaze to Rose's shop and set his mind to think about a different witch.
She seemed quite interested in using his shop as a supply for her own and he decided he wouldn't mind if she did at all. He wanted to see her again. Then he could figure out where he knew her from. And if her lips were as kissable as they looked.
As he opened the front door, using a solid but empty planting pot to hold the door open, he glanced over to the potion shop again. He just wanted a glance of the witch his mind wanted to pick apart… there she was. She walked out and propped the door open herself before she turned and took a big breath of the fresh morning air. Wearing a pair of shorts with a bright pink tee shirt underneath an unbuttoned long sleeved white shirt, she looked summery and healthy both. The sun glinted off her dark hair and Neville couldn't stop himself from ogling her thick thighs that sat beneath those hips he admired so much. She had all the right curves. She hadn't noticed him yet and he took advantage, getting his eye full while he could.
She smiled again and turned back inside, vanishing for a brief moment before she reemerged with the peonies she had purchased the day he had met her. She pulled a set of gardening gloves from the back pocket of her jean shorts and tugged them on while also pulling out an old set of gardening tools from a pouch he hadn't noticed, and then she got to work planting her flowers beneath the large windows that sat at the front of her shop. He wanted to drool. A witch gardening? There was nothing hotter than garden sex. Fucking a woman right into fresh dirt, sure it could get messy but it was worth it every time.
Oh hell, I need to get laid! He thought to himself. Maggie would surely do the trick, but damn he wanted Rose if he were being honest.
She was a sight, he thought. He wanted nothing more than to join her, gardening being his ultimate passion and spending time with beautiful witches came as a close second. But someone had to open the damn shop, and Ian only worked weekends. Stupid Ian.
But instead of going about his opening duties, he watched her bend over, hands full of dirt, her fully rounded ass sticking in the air briefly. Beautiful witches that also gardened?
"Holy shit I need to get laid." he said outloud to himself, biting his lip before turning back into his own shop before he decided to keep it closed another day.
Wednesdays were usually slow, and he hadn't expected much, but after a few hours with only a few sales he decided to set up a chair outside so he could watch Rose work and go over receipts while he could. The sun had browned her legs and arms a bit, and her hair was messy with the work. And when she kept reaching up for the tall planters and her shirt would lift just enough to flash a belly button at him. So distracting.
After a few minutes, Rose noticed him, and she lifted her hand in a happy wave. A wave he returned with a smile. She blushed a little and went back into the shop. He crossed an ankle over his knee and started adding numbers in his head, enjoying the fresh air and the sounds of the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley coming to life around him. Time passed by, and a pair of witches walked into his shop. He greeted them cordially and asked if he could help.
"Just browsing. Hey you're Neville Longbottom right?" the younger of the two asked with a shy smile.
"Sure am." and sometimes he wished he wasn't. If he had known how life would've turned out… but it was done.
"Nice to meet you."
"Let me know if I can help you find anything." he said, standing and moving into his shop. He watched the two walk around browsing from behind the counter, busying his fingers with the tulip bulbs by the register. So he missed it when another witch walked in.
"Excuse me, Mr. Longbottom?"
He looked over his tulips and down… down to the small girl who stood in front of his counter with paint smeared on her face and clothes, a sketch pad held to her chest by her arms.
"You lost kid?" he said, leaning over.
"Nope I know exactly where I am." she insisted. Something about her dark hair and faded purple eyes struck him as familiar, but it was the paint that gave him the idea.
"You Rose's kid?"
"Yes sir. Penelope Harper Russo, sir. My mama said you have a garden in the back and I was wondering if I could visit for a bit, please?" she asked, bouncing on her heels the entire time.
He eyed her sketch pad again, not sure what to say. He settled for a, "Why not?" thinking it might mean Rose would come looking and he would get another chance to see her.
The little witch took off for the garden, her braids bouncing on her shoulders as she went. He felt a little bubble of delight form in his chest, a feeling he usually got when he was around Gin's kids.
He got busy then and let his work day take him away. Lunch came and went and he hadn't eaten yet when his watch beeped at 3 o'clock on the dot.
"Hey Neville." Finally.
"Hello Rose Russo." he turned and eyed up her dirty clothes and dirt stained knees. A witch after his heart, he thought. "Back for more?"
He put as much charm into as he could. He much preferred this witch with dirt on her cheek and knees than the dolled up Maggie.
Her cheeks blushed at his flirty tone. "I'm going to ask the question every mother dreads asking, but have you seen my child anywhere? About this tall, dark hair, probably had a sketch pad or some paints?"
"Ah ya, she's out back. Sketch pad." he winked.
"Ooh. Excuse me while I just go yell at her for wandering off by herself in a strange new place."
"S'all good. She's welcome to come over. So is her mama." he told her, watching the blush on her cheeks turn into a solid red. He walked by her to go greet one of his regulars that had just walked in, caught the scent of fresh dirt and lemongrass coming from her, and had to forcibly stop himself from leaning in and taking a kiss from her right there in the middle of his store. Instead he leaned in and whispered, "Anytime." as he walked by.
oOoOo
Rose watched him walk away with a smug smirk on his face, knowing full well her own face was red as a beet. Men didn't usually make her blush, but knowing Neville was coming on strong mixed with her secret until she felt like any relationship between them would be a horribly bad idea. It felt… dangerous. Add in the attraction between them… why was the first man she actually felt a spark for since Phil died have to be Neville Longbottom of all people? When he found out who she really was… well...
Shaking her head, she watched him greet an old and wrinkled witch, a regular based on their conversation, with a kiss on the cheek before he helped her bring her items up onto the counter. The two times she had been in his shop, and he seemed to know everyone by name. He had a handle on everything. He moved with a steady grace, unlike his younger self, and had a confidence she admired in men.
Phil had been confident. And kind. Everything a lonely recent art grad needed in a boyfriend. Gah, she wondered if she would ever be able to think about a man without comparing them to her late husband. She had been doing it all morning, while planting her flowers at the front of her shop. She had felt his eyes on her while she worked, burning more than the sun had. And damn her if she didn't enjoy it. Phil had looked at her like that too once upon a time, a look that made her body hum with anticipation.
She shook herself, attempting to get her head on right.
She strode out into the garden, immediately spotting Penny's dark head of hair between a row of sunflowers and a row of aster, the yellow and red contrasting brilliantly. Of course her daughter would want to come here to sketch, the colors alone were amazing. Where Rose preferred to use pencil or charcoal, her daughter went for the paints. Where Rose preferred to sketch people, Penny went for landscape. She couldn't wait to see what Penny had done so far, knowing Aunt Daphne had bought her favorite niece a magically color changing pencil. But first...
"Penelope Harper Russo."
Her daughter's head popped up, eyes wide with the knowledge that she was trouble. "Er - hey mama…"
"I told you not to go roaming around Diagon Alley alone."
"And I didn't go roaming… I just crossed the street! You said the garden was awesome back here!" Penny stomped over, brushing dirt off her shorts.
"Ahh. Think of how pretty my garden will be… when I feed it your murdered body." Rose threatened, grabbing Penny's hand.
"You can't kill me, mama. There are people that will miss me, okay?"
"Who?"
"My Aunt Daphne!" Penny insisted, clutching her sketch pad tightly.
"Nah, I've known her longer. She'll side with me." They walked back into the cool shop and Rose gave another small wave to Neville behind the counter, her mind immediately thinking about his flirting and his very solid arms. Why did he have to be so… fit?
"Ugh!" Rose threw her head back dramatically. "You need me!"
"Not really, I could just make another child. Why don't you thank Mr. Longbottom before we leave?"
Rose rolled her eyes before reaching the counter.
"Hey kid." Neville leaned forward, crossing his arms on the counter. "I held her off as long as I could."
"At least someone here is looking out for the little people." Penny said, shooting Rose a death glare.
"Little bodies are easier to bury. You know… the term grounded?" Rose grinned at Neville as she smoothed Penny's hair back, trying not to laugh at her own bad joke.
"Mama!"
"Completely unrelated, I'm sure."
Rose kicked the ground and then said sourly, "Thanks for letting me hang out in your garden, Mr. Longbottom."
"You're very welcome Ms. Russo."
"And if you haven't heard from me in a couple of days, send help." Penny deadpanned.
Neville laughed, and Rose felt her heart pounded at the sound. "Of course. I'll send the troops."
His eyes met Rose's, and she felt her entire stomach do a flip. Of course, she was attracted to this man, the spark was there, he was obviously interested… and he was nice to her kid.
Why, oh why did it have to be Neville Longbottom?