School Boys Sneaking Around
Neville wants a quiet year. That’s all he wants, quiet. He wasn’t prepared for a life of war, he was begging the hat to be placed in Hufflepuff his first day year, and he wasn’t prepared for anything that was going to happen to him. If you had told first-year Neville that he’d be one of the main reasons Voldemort is dead, he would’ve had a heart attack that sent him to St Mungo’s.
1st year had Harry fighting Voldemort, the fear behind his name no longer made Neville shiver in his place.
The 2nd was all the mayhem with the chamber of secrets.
During 3rd there was an alleged murderer going around looking for Harry.
4th was the dreaded Triwizard tournament and the return of Voldemort.
5th was a mess all around, what with the sneaking around to go to D.A. meetings and then fighting off death eaters in the ministry with the said murderer.
6th was an absolute nightmare, he hated thinking back to it.
Finally, came 7th year — or the war.
So Neville wanted silence, just silence 8th year was looking up though, nobody was planning a major life-ending event a month into Hogwarts, and Neville called it a win. He had his plants, friends, and everyone else who critiqued him so harshly for being in Gryffindor finally laid back and respected him. All in all, it was good up until he heard a crash in the Greenhouse.
Neville hastily pulled out his wand ready to aim at whatever was coming, he was a bit hidden considering he was looking in the back for some fertilizer. Though they were in a school for Witchcraft and Wizardry, some things still required to be done the muggle way.
Neville took to a wall to gain an advantage over whoever was coming in, but that's when he heard giggles. Who in their right mind would enter the greenhouse to giggle?
Oh
Oh!
They’re here to snog! Neville wants to run out at this point but he doesn't get the chance, all he hears are quiet private murmurs and Neville’s here listening to all of them! He really should say something, he should leave, as fast as possible.
He finally musters up the courage to go out and apologize for all that he's heard, but then he sees a flash of blonde, not the yellowish type blonde. No, it had to be anything but that. It was platinum blonde, it was unmistakable to realize that it was Malfoy.
Neville had moved past the war, it brought no good to anyone if they were to dwell on it, obviously, he still has his nightmares where he wakes up in a cold sweat, worrying if anybody had seen but then he glances back at Harry’s bed and sees that he's not asleep either — just in what seemed to be a haze. In a weird sort of way, Neville finds this comforting like he's not the only one who wants to move past it but quite literally can't.
There it was, the platinum blonde hair, paired with jet-black unruly hair. Neville had come to the conclusion much faster than he would've thought, he always saw them staring at each other all across the great hall, now more than in the past. He never thought any of them would have the guts to admit it to each other thought.
In a moment of utter shock, Neville drops the empty (thank god) brown pot, and both the boy scramble over each other to appear like they weren't just snogging each other meticulously, it's a bit funny, Neville can't lie.
The three of them just stare at each other in silence now, nobody knows what to say, or if they should say anything at all.
“So, you're snogging Malfoy.” Neville really can’t help but laugh, he never thought he'd ever have to say these words.
“I am.” that's all Harry can come up with, the brave and courageous Gryffindor, the boy who lived, the chosen one, and all he could up with was 2 words. Neville really hasn't a clue about what should happen now. So he just laughs.
He laughs with everything in him, because what else should he do? Draco and Harry just stared at each other in great confusion and shrugged, the pair didn't have a clue what was happening honestly. This made Neville snicker even more.
“Look if you’re gonna make fun-” He's cut abruptly by even more laughs, a couple of ‘No it's not that’ thrown into the mix.
“God Harry, how much of a tosser are you? It’s funny because I’ve seen you pining over each other for the past 3 years and one of you finally had the guts to tell the other. I truly couldn't be happier for you — It's a bit funny is all. Ok, tell me, who told who?”
All Neville hears is a grumble coming from Harry’s direction “Im sorry what?”
“It was Draco.” Oh, this is the greatest day of Neville's life. Maybe his last considering the way Draco is staring at him though, but if this is how he goes, he wouldn't regret a thing.
“Hell was it actually?” Draco looks a bit smug now if you managed to confess your undying love to the savior of the Wizarding World and then manage to snog him, who wouldn't be smug “Look Neville you can’t say anything. Not a single word to anyone.”
It wasn't like he was planning to enter the 8th-year common room and start screaming “MALFOY AND POTTER ARE DATING! GET ON THAT!” he was never going to do that to either one of them.
Harry liked his privacy just as much as the next person, ok maybe that's a lie, maybe he likes it a bit more, but with his entire life being plastered on TheDaily Prophet who wouldn't enjoy a bit of peace?
“Mate, don’t worry, I’d never to either one of you, especially you Harry. You're happy now, that's all I care about” The look in Harry’s eyes seemed like he was about to break down into the other boys’ arms, so instead Harry grabbed Neville into a blood-curdling hug. Neither of them knew it at the time, but this would grow to be something neither of them would ever forget. Something they'd both cherish
Once the 5-minute hug was over, Neville left the greenhouse giving the pair the moment of privacy they were looking for before he intruded. He could see Draco’s smile appearing by the second.
Neville never really appreciated change. Change is what drove his parents to insanity, change is what created the prophecy, and change is what caused the war. What he did appreciate was a routine, a single routine he'd stick to for the rest of his life. However, after 4th year, it was evident having a routine would no longer suffice.
He never grew to like that change either, but maybe, just this once. He could appreciate this change. It brought the 2 most oblivious people together and brought him a great amount of laughter, he should be infinitely grateful really.
As he walks down the corridor he can briefly see Luna, he catches up to her and they walk down to the Great Hall. Neville knows that Luna knows about Draco and Harry, she's absolutely rubbish at keeping secrets. They walk in a condemned silence, something unusual for Luna, but she seems — content. He doesn't want to ruin that so all he asks is “Have the nargles got to you, Luna?”
She turns towards him and hums a tune, Neville isn't sure which one to be perfectly honest. Everything is finally right in the world.