Gift exchange
Neville was not sure why things like these kept on happening to him. While he had manage to gain a lot of confidence and didn’t let little things bother him like they used to some how he was still the one to trip on the bit of root that poked outside of the ground. He no longer floundered with wand movements and spoke spells with confidence but inexplicably would be the one to sit on the wet bench.
He had spent 5 years in the Aurors and had a distinguished career and still was the one to end up the vomit on his shoes (not his) or blood all over his uniform (okay some of that was his).
So obviously he had drawn that person in the gift exchange. A gift exchange which usually involved his small group of friends and had been started to have it be simple and with a set budget. Which in recent years had exploded into a competition of who could by the best gift giver.
He blamed the Slytherins. While Neville had always been thoughtful in his gift giving, Blaise (included courtesy of courting hermione) and Pansy (included courtesy of being best friends with Blaise and funnily enough Susan) played at a whole different level. For the most part this was all done in good fun and no one was really hurt by it, it did make buying presents for those two specifically ridiculously hard.
And for some reason Neville always got Pansy.
This year when he tried to talk to hermione about it. She just looked at him like he had kicked Crooks. “Nev I made this spell my self are you insinuating that I am orchestrating something? They are set to be random and sometimes random means you get the same person more than once.”
It’s not that Neville disagreed; but three years in a row? Every year since Pansy, Blaise and Theo had been added to the exchange? Of course it only happened to him.
It wasn’t even that Pansy was the hardest one to buy for or that she somehow always managed to get the perfect gift for whom ever she had. This gift thing became more and more complicated the more he got to know her.
It should probably be the other way around and yet.
The problem wasn’t knowing her the problem was that he was falling for her and she obviously didn’t know and wouldn’t want his attention or advancements.
It’s not like falling for Pansy Parkinson was something new for him. He had, after all spent a good chunk of his years in Hogwarts attempting to not show how fascinated he was by the tiny menacing girl with the perfect bob, ruby lips and quirky stockings.
This though was different. Worse. At least at that time he could remind himself that she was a mean bully and that was that.
Now she was not only the most beautiful woman in his life, delicate, fierce, witty and snarky. She was also kind and generous. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but she was the reason she had finally quit the Aurors. Why he had finally accepted Pomona’s offer to become her assistant and then take over her post in Hogwarts.
So not only was he I love with her, he OWED her.
In the end he does what he does every year. He brings the gift he bought her three years ago a long with the now usual bouquet of flowers.
The first year he had intended to give her both. The flowers that year(crocus, daisies,lilacs, baby’s breath and wheat) a signifier of new beginnings. Hooding she would know the meaning and feel welcomed into the group. He chickened out of giving her the actual gift feeling like it was maybe too weird or personal.
The next year after helping her with some of her potions research and getting to know her as she was now and not how she used to be. He had prepared a bouquet with zinnias, apple blossoms, eucalyptus and finally pansies. A bouquet meant for friendship. Fully intending to give her both flowers and gift he ended up backing out.
This year he is taking the plunge. This year he has mustered all his gryffindor courage and is going for broke.
When it’s her turn (last so everyone’s eyes are on her because of course) he hands over the slim rectangular package, wrapped in shiny paper that showed the wear of three Christmases.
“What’s this? I was looking forward to my usual bouquet. I’ve been enjoying decoding your messages.”
“There will be a bouquet as is tradition by now but I am finally ready for you to open this gift.”
She looked at him curiously before delicately opening and taking out the pearl studded stockings. She smiled widely letting the silk slide through fingers. “I used to have ones exactly like this ones.”
“I know.”
“You remembered?”
“Impossible not to when they were responsible for my low grades in potions. And now your bouquet”
Blush roses for a blossoming romance
Cornflower for hope in love Sweet William for gallantry
Honeysuckle for devoted affection