Chapter 7
It’s over. Voldemort is gone. The Great Hall is once again filled with people, but the energy is better than it had been in the brief time they’d been given to mourn those who fell in the first half of the battle.
Pansy sees Seamus, Dean, and Blaise talking with Aberforth, smiles on their faces. She sees Parvati, Cho, Daphne, and Hannah talking in a corner. (It’s quite nice to see four girls with different colored ties having a conversation and helping each other mourn.) She sees Susan and Luna sitting together without speaking, just taking comfort in each other’s company.
Ginny is sitting with her family, head on her mother’s shoulder. Pansy watches as Ron, Hermione, and Harry leave the Great Hall.
She’s not worried about them. They’re going to be okay, she knows.
Pansy finds Theo and Draco in the crowd and heads over to them. Theo’s hand is resting on Draco’s shoulder as Draco stares into space.
“You alright?” Pansy asks.
“I think my parents are going to be in Azkaban for a while, but yeah, Pansy, I’m doing okay,” Draco says.
“I’m sorry,” Pansy whispers.
“Not your fault. They made their choice. And I’ve been paying for it my whole life.”
“Theo, how are you?” Pansy asks.
“Glad it’s over. You?” Theo says.
“As well as can be expected, I guess,” Pansy shrugs. And it’s true. She’s grieving her friends, she’s looking around at the death and destruction that’s happened in this place she loves, but she’s alive. And happy they’ve won.
Theo sees something over her shoulder and his face splits into a grin.
“I think you’re about to be doing better,” he sing-songs. Pansy turns to see what he’s looking at, confused, and sees Neville limping into the Great Hall.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Pansy says to the boys, standing and beginning to make her way through the crowded hall to Neville.
“Damn, Longbottom shows up and it’s like we don’t even matter,” Draco says dramatically to Theo.
“It’s just cause she likes him,” Theo says back. Pansy flips them off over her shoulder, to their amusement.
Neville’s looking around, scanning the Great Hall for something, and Pansy sees the exact moment his eyes land on her.
His posture sags a bit and he raises his hand in greeting. She smiles back.
As soon as she’s close enough, he reaches out to take her hand, intertwining their fingers as he leads her out of the Great Hall.
They end up under a tree by the lake, and as soon as he lets go of her hand, she’s throwing her arms around him. He reciprocates the hug immediately.
Once again, Pansy finds herself crying. The war is over. The war is over and she’s in the arms of her favorite person and they’re both alive and safe. Her tears are completely soaking his shoulder, she knows, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
All too soon, he pulls back.
“Hi,” he whispers.
“Hi,” Pansy laughs. “I believe you had something you needed to tell me?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Um. So. I… Fuck, I don’t actually know how to say this.”
“You gave a speech in front of literally everybody an hour or so ago.”
“That’s different, though.”
“It’s just me, Nev,” Pansy reminds him.
“Yeah,” he says softly. “That’s why this is different. Now shut up for a minute while I say this.”
Pansy nods and he takes a deep breath.
“I’m kind of a little bit in love with you,” he says quickly. He’s looking down, but she can see how pink his cheeks are. Pansy blinks. Whatever she’d expected him to say, this was not it.
“Actually, no, that’s not true,” he says. Pansy bites the inside of her cheek. She should have known.
“I think I’m actually in love with you a lot? Like not a little bit at all, I’m just very much in love with you.”
Wait, what?
“And obviously, I get it if you don’t feel the same and I’m not gonna be offended cause I get it, but I just needed to tell you that-”
Pansy cuts him off by reaching up and taking his face in her hands, pulling him down into a kiss. He freezes in shock for a second, but almost immediately wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her impossibly closer as he kisses her back.
Pansy’s embarrassed to admit that she’s thought about doing this before, but… it’s honestly nothing like she’d thought it would be.
It’s better.
Neville is kissing her sweetly and slowly like he has all the time in the world, and she can feel his smile against her lips.
It makes her giddy. She’s kissing Neville Longbottom, who is in love with her, apparently.
Holy shit.
Unfortunately, air happens to be a necessity, so Pansy reluctantly pulls away, letting her hands fall to rest on his shoulders. His hands are resting on her hips, which is incredibly nice, but the look on Neville’s face is just… well it’s not as great as kissing him, but it’s pretty damn close.
His eyes are wide and shocked and his smile is brighter than she’s ever seen it.
Pansy thinks she’d do just about anything to see that look again.
Neville huffs out a small laugh and he leans forward to rest his forehead against hers. She wraps her arms around his neck as he pulls her closer by the waist.
“I can’t believe you interrupted me when you promised you wouldn’t,” he grins.
“Are you complaining?” Pansy teases.
“Definitely not,” he tells her. He gives her another kiss, this one barely a peck. “But it would be nice if you’d let me finish. It’s important.”
“Nev, what you were saying seemed like it was gonna be really self-deprecating,” Pansy tells him.
“... It might have been,” Neville admits. Pansy laughs. “But since you interrupted me I think I should get to tell you something else without you interrupting me!”
“Alright, fine! As long as it’s not self-deprecating,” Pansy agrees.
“Just, let me talk, okay?” he says. Pansy looks up at him and waits for him to begin. He smiles and kisses her once more.
“Sorry, I just really wanted to do that. I’m starting now, and I will let you know when you get to talk!” he tells her. Pansy laughs. “I’m serious! No interruptions!”
Pansy just nods, smiling widely. Neville grins back.
“Okay. So. I really love your smile.” Pansy blinks in surprise. “Especially because at first, it was kind of rare for me to see you smile, but then you started smiling more and it was really nice, especially when I knew that I was the one making you smile. And yes, I am ridiculously proud of the fact that I know how to do that,” he says. Pansy laughs and his smile widens.
“And I love your laugh. Some of the same reasons, honestly, but mainly because you just look so beautiful when you’re laughing and or smiling. And I love your bravery. No, don’t interrupt me! You are brave. People don’t go against the Carrows if they’re not brave. They don’t join a rebellion if they’re not brave. And they don’t risk their life for a war like this if they’re not brave. You’re brave, Pansy. Face it, you could have been a Gryffindor.”
Pansy’s jaw drops in mock offense. Neville just laughs and kisses the tip of her nose.
“I love your sense of humor and I love your kindness and I love your sarcasm and I love that you have such a strong sense of justice and I love how you’re so protective of the people you care about. I could go on and on for hours, probably, but I can tell you really want to interrupt me so I’ll make it quick and say that I just love everything about you. And I probably will tell you the rest of the things I love about you later. So. Now you can talk if you want to,” he tells her.
Pansy pulls him into another kiss. How the fuck did she manage to fall in love with somebody so genuinely good and how did he fall in love with her of all people?
“Merlin, Nev, you might actually be the death of me,” she says when she pulls away.
“I sure hope not,” he murmurs.
“Shush. Your turn to listen to me, now. I’m not nearly as good with my words as you are, but um. I can try. I… Honestly, I didn’t even think we’d be friends, much less that I’d fall in love with you, but… I don’t even know, Neville. You’re just so genuine and sweet and kind and I honestly have no idea why you put up with me at first, but I’m so glad you did because you’re… You’re Neville. And I know you’re not good at taking a compliment, so I’ll save those for later, but I’m just so in love with you.”
Neville is smiling wide enough that Pansy is sure his cheeks are hurting as much as hers are. He leans in again to kiss her forehead, her nose, each of her cheeks, and then finally he kisses her lips again.
Merlin, Pansy’s really happy right now.
Later, they’re joined by Luna, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Hannah, Theo, Blaise, Draco, Daphne, Cho, Parvati, and Susan. Pansy and Neville are sitting with their backs against the tree, holding hands. Neville’s rubbing circles absentmindedly on the back of her hand while he tells her a story when the others come up.
They all sit down in a large circle, and Pansy’s actually quite pleased to see Draco and Ron are deep in conversation about Quidditch.
Ginny’s the one to notice what’s changed first. (Pansy doesn’t miss how Harry’s arm is around Ginny and he keeps looking at her as if to make sure she’s alright.)
“Did you two finally get your shit together?” Ginny asks loudly. Pansy and Neville exchange a look, roll their eyes, and then Neville raises their joined hands in the air in a silent response to the question. Ginny lets out a happy squeal and practically launches herself across the circle to hug them both.
“Took you long enough,” Seamus says, but Pansy can tell from his smile that he’s happy for them.
“Wait, you weren’t already together?” Dean asks.
“Nope,” Seamus tells him. “Because someone kept pretending Pansy couldn’t possibly like him back.”
“Shut up, Seamus,” Neville mutters. Pansy laughs. She’s been doing that a lot in the last half an hour or so.
“Listen, Neville,” Theo says, clapping him on the shoulder. “I like you. But if you hurt Pansy, I will be legally obligated to murder you and make sure no one finds your body.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, Theo,” Neville says. “But you know as well as I do that Pansy’s gonna be the one to do that.”
That makes everyone laugh. Pansy just grumbles about how she ‘won’t be killing him, thank you very much.’
Neville leans over to kiss her cheek, though, so she can forgive him for the comment.
This is why they fought a war. So that they could live life like normal people, without being worried for their lives and for the future of their world.
So that they could enjoy time with their friends and partners.