Remember that time? || Panville
Pairings- Pansy P. x Neville L.
A/N- I'm feeling a tad bit overdramatic today, and yesterday I read a prompt about "signet rings" and may have gotten a somewhat angst-y idea. It has a happy ending, obviously.
Remember when you "almost" got married?
Neville was cleaning up the attic of their house when he came across a dusty old trunk. Brushing off some of the dust, he saw his wife's initials carved into the trunk, next to the Parkinson family crest. "Pansy Parkinson," it read.
"August?" he called out for his son. His 14-year-old son ran up to the attic, giving a visible shiver. "Why'd you shiver, son?" Neville asked, concerned.
"Nothing, just this place has always given me the haunts. I am sure that this house has a ghost that sings at night; Francesca told me," August said, causing Neville to let out a hearty laugh.
"I assure you, there's no ghost in the attic. Besides, shouldn't you be used to ghosts? After all, Hogwarts has ghosts," Neville said as he pulled up the trunk, which was quite heavy. "What did your mum put in here? It's so heavy," he muttered absentmindedly.
"Dad, I'm telling you, there's a ghost who sings at night. I've heard her, when I was five," August insisted, trying to get his dad to believe him.
"Honey, are you sure it wasn't just Francesca singing in the shower?" Neville said.
"I heard that!" came a voice from downstairs. It was his middle child, Francesca.
"Whoops," Neville said. "Aug, I need you to go downstairs and ask your mum for the key to this trunk. Also, call her here; she might want to give away some of the things inside."
"Got it, be right back," August said, racing to the living room of the Longbottom household to find his mother. "Mum?" he called out, but there was no answer. "MUM?" he called out louder.
"I'm here, baby," his mother called out from the study. When he entered, he saw his older sister, Francesca, complaining to their mother. "Thankfully, I don't need to hear him say that again, ever."
"Say what?" August asked his sister.
"You know, when Dad starts every Herbology class with one of us in it by announcing, 'I'd like to inform you that I'm only sleeping with one of the students' mothers in this class,'" Francesca replied. August scrunched his nose in disgust. His sisters, Alice and Francesca, had been on the receiving end of this "joke" from their dad since their first year, and he did not find it funny at all.
"It's really not as funny as he thinks it is," August told his mom and his sister.
Pansy just laughed. "Let him have some fun; he's getting old, you know," Francesca told her brother, which earned her a playful glare from her mum.
"He's not old; he's quite strong and fit for his age," Pansy said to her daughter.
"You're only saying that because you're a few months older than Dad, and if we say he's old, that makes you OLDER," August teased his mother.
"I miss having Alice around. At least she'd take my side," Pansy said, crossing her arms.
"Too bad, Mum. Your favorite twenty-year-old decided to pursue wand making in Australia for a year," Francesca said.
Just before they could complete their banter, Neville came down the stairs, carrying the old heavy trunk with ease, and placed it on the table, flexing his very prominent arm muscles. Francesca muttered, "Show off," to her dad, to which he just sent a lovable wink in her direction.
"See? I told you, he's more than fit for his age," Pansy said, smirking at her husband.
"Ew, Mum, stop, or else Alice wouldn't be your only kid off to Australia. Aug and I'll go off too," Francesca said.
"August, did you ask your mum for the keys?" Neville asked his son.
"What keys?" August replied. "Oh—the keys to the trunk, right. Hey, Mum, Dad found this old trunk of yours up in the attic. He wanted the keys to it," August asked his mum. Neville just rolled his eyes at his son.
"I'm telling you, they switched up kids in the hospital when he was born," Francesca told her dad, which earned her a shove from her brother.
"I haven't opened this trunk since we moved in here. Been like twenty-two years since that. I think I have the key somewhere," Pansy said, opening one of the drawers in the wooden desk. She got out a bunch of antique-looking keys. "Try one of these."
"Why don't you just use the Alohomora charm?" August asked.
"It's an ancestral trunk. My father used this trunk for—well, things we don't need to talk about. Although your grandmother cleared out most of the dark magic, the privacy charms were too strong, and it can only be opened by the key," Pansy explained.
"Isn't that how a regular muggle trunk works?" Francesca said. "You can open that trunk with a simple Alohomora; you can't open this with any of the charms that exist."
After Pansy opened the trunk, Neville gave her a look, a question of permission. She agreed. Neville rummaged through the trunk, finding old books, old cardigans, photo albums, sweaters, and jewelry.
"Hey Mum, what's this?" August asked, digging his hand deep into the trunk. He revealed a ring with a snake carved into the letter P. It was quite small, but August thought his mum was always on the shorter side, which was ironic because his father was quite tall.
"Ah, that's my family's signet ring," Pansy said, with a look of disgust.
"A what ring?" Francesca asked.
"A signet ring. Previously, the heir to a pureblood family was given a ring with the family's crest on it," Pansy explained.
"What significance did it have?" Francesca further enquired.
"Well, now it holds no significance, but back in my parents' generation, where arranged marriages were quite common, the man usually gave his signet ring or the family locket to his betrothed as a symbol of promise and love," Pansy explained, slowly rubbing her thumb over the signet ring.
"Weren't most of them just marriages of convenience where they'd have extramarital affairs of some sort?" August snorted. Francesca and Neville burst out laughing at this.
"Honestly, August, think before you speak—but yes, you're not entirely wrong. But think before you speak," Pansy scolded her son while trying to hide her smile.
"Dad, do you not have a signet ring?" Francesca asked, looking up at Neville. He shook his head.
"My Nan gave me the one my dad wore after the war when she saw me 'worthy' of it, but I seemed to have lost it in my early days of teaching at Hogwarts."
"She gave it to you because she wanted you to give it to Hannah Abbott as a symbol of promise when she was trying to set you up with her," Pansy said, rolling her eyes. Even after being married to Neville for twenty years, she was still very possessive of him. She knew that her husband was a war hero, that she had been on the wrong side, and that women of all ages tried to suck up to her Neville. She tried to act as if it didn't bother her, but it did. Neville always told her that he was always hers and no one else's, but Pansy would always say he had the best glow-up in history and that everyone was going to eye him up and down like a piece of meat.
"You're still jealous? Parks, I thought you'd be over that. It's been twenty-two years since that," Neville said, laughing affectionately, pulling his wife to sit on his lap.
"WAIT, what do you mean set you up with Ms. Abbott? The Leaky Cauldron's Hannah Abbott? You were supposed to marry her?" Francesca asked, not believing what she'd just heard.
"Free butterbeer for life, that sounds so cool. No offense, Mum," August said, as Pansy raised her eyebrow at him.
"What did you bring to the table, Mum, so much so that ol' Herbology Daddy Dearest here ran behind you instead of lovely Ms. Abbott?" Francesca asked. Pansy was super offended at this, but not in a bad way. She knew her kids loved teasing her, a trait they'd gotten from their father.
"It's not about what one brings to the table, Francie. It's about the love, it's about—" Neville started saying before August interrupted.
"I'll answer that for you, Francesca. Two words: ancestral inheritance. That's what Mum brought to the table."
"Are you calling me a gold digger, August Longbottom?" Neville asked his son.
"Indeed, yes, I am," he said, laughing and cackling.
"Ancestral inheritance, and probably the fact that he'd gotten Mum pregnant, which left them no choice," Francesca said.
"Honestly, you two are talking as if you're our parents, and not our children," Pansy said, getting up from Neville's lap, to which Neville made a pout at her.
"Well then, tell us, how exactly did Dad almost get married to someone else?" Francesca asked.
Pansy had recently marked her fifth year of teaching at Hogwarts, which meant it had been six years since the Battle of Hogwarts. Those six years felt like six decades to her, as she had changed for the greater good, cutting off ties with her Death Eater father and helping her mother tip off the Ministry about his and several other Death Eaters' locations.
For Neville, he had just completed his first year of teaching at Hogwarts and knew he had found his forever passion. Within the first few months of teaching, he was unofficially crowned "Teacher of the Year" by the student body.
Between Pansy and Neville, there had been 'tension,' and not the bad kind—the kind where there's an unspoken agreement to leave any party together and wake up in the same bed the next day, only to pretend they were just colleagues until the next gathering. It was a full circle.
"Professor Longbottom? You've missed your morning mail," a fifth-year student said, interrupting the Herbology class with the second-year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors.
"Thank you, Mr. Cooper, but I'd be happy if you decided to knock next time," Neville said, smiling at the student. The student rubbed his hand behind his neck with embarrassment.
Neville tucked the letter safely into his pocket and resumed teaching the class.
Meanwhile, at the other end of Hogwarts, Professor Parkinson was brewing a potion. This didn't seem unusual for a Potions Master, but the potion was for a test—a pregnancy test. Pansy had suspected she was pregnant when she'd missed her period twice. She had assumed it was due to stress, but now she had a hunch.
She considered going to Madam Pomfrey because she would have the potion, and this wouldn't be the first time someone had gotten pregnant on the premises. But then she knew Madam Pomfrey would gossip about it to Madam Pince, to Madam Hooch, and then to the students. She decided it was safer to do it herself.
"Just two more minutes, and I'll have the result," she muttered as she gulped down the potion and waited.
"When my abdomen starts to glow golden, that means I'm with child. If it doesn't do anything, I'm not pregnant." She waited, glancing down at her stomach. She knew she was pregnant and who the father was.
Her abdomen started to glow with a very bright golden hue. Pansy didn't know how to feel. She was happy, yes, but she wasn't nervous because she knew she could care for this baby even if the father refused to.
"Well, I better let him know," she said, getting off the stool and walking towards the brighter side of Hogwarts, where the clink of her abnormally high heels was lost among the chattering of students and the chirps of the birds.
She went to the greenhouses. Neville hadn’t dismissed his class yet, but he saw her and came outside. "I have half an hour of class left," he said. "You could wait in my quarters."
So she went up to his quarters and started wandering around. "It’s much bigger than my quarters," she murmured. "He’s got an extra study attached." She entered the study and seated herself in the leather chair, noticing a letter and a box on the desk.
She tried hard not to open it, but the Slytherin in her thought, "Fuck it, I’m the mother of his child." She justified her actions and opened the letter.
How have you been, dearest? Great Aunt Agatha was asking about you a few days back when she came around for tea. You’ll turn twenty-four within a few months, and I’m not getting any younger either. My last wish would be to see you with a wife.
Agatha suggested that she’d look into pureblooded families, although there are very few of them left. She thought it’d be best to keep it within. She has a friend whose great-niece was in your year. Lovely woman.
Miss Hannah Abbott? She’s the barmaid of the Leaky Cauldron.
I was a little doubtful, considering it’s not the most conventional career, but from what I’ve heard, she’s made the Leaky into a lush, green, welcoming lodge. I’m suggesting that you meet her soon. Not pressuring, but it’d be good to see you with someone nice.
Also, I found your father’s signet ring, which belonged to my husband, your grandad. I think when it’s time, you can give it to your someone special. If all goes well, maybe I’ll see Hannah wearing this by Christmas time?
Pansy felt a pang of jealousy. Hannah Abbott was indeed pretty, a short blonde Hufflepuff who radiated innocence. Which guy wouldn’t like that? She didn’t know what got into her. She picked up the box holding the signet ring and stuffed it in her skirt pocket.
Running out of the study, she stood in front of the quarters instead of going in, to prevent suspicion.
"Parks, you could’ve waited inside. Nothing you haven’t seen before," Neville said, winking at the shorter woman. She huffed in annoyance and followed him inside, acting as if it were her first time back here today. "Your room is a lot larger than mine. Clearly, McGonagall played favorites," she muttered. He just laughed, undoing his tie a little and rolling up his sleeves.
"Perks of being a Herbology professor. But Sprout did have it all with yarn and patchwork pieces I had to clean," he said as he sat on one of the leather couches.
"What's that?" Pansy asked, pointing at his robe pocket, where the letter Neville had entirely forgotten about was tucked. The one his nan sent, probably 'sweetly' forcing him into a courtship with Hannah Abbott.
"Something my nan sent. Besides, you wanted to talk?" He focused on her.
"No, no, I can wait. Write back to her," she urged him. He got up, and she followed him into the study.
"Another letter?" she asked Neville as he sighed, sitting in the chair and reading it to himself.
I spoke to the Abbott family. They are wonderful people, none of the pureblood superiority nonsense. They just want a strong, nice man for their only daughter.
Although they did remind me, she might be a little sensitive, considering she just got out of a courtship with one of the Oolong boys. I suggest you meet her tomorrow. She's coming around to Hogsmeade to look around the Three Broomsticks.
"Abbott, huh? Sexy," Pansy whistled as she read the letter over Neville's shoulder. He looked at her, rolled his eyes, and said, "Privacy?"
She shook her head in response and asked, "Are you going to go? I mean—to Hogsmeade to meet Abbott?"
"I don't know," Neville said unsurely. "I think I should meet her. Gran and Great Aunt Agatha might stay away from my path then."
"I think you should. Abbott is lovely. She'd make you a lovely housewife with four wonderful little blondies and brunettes toddling around," Pansy said jokingly.
"Lovely? Parks, you realize that this is the same Hannah Abbott you bullied during our years at Hogwarts because she was 'curvier' than you were. You literally dunked her head in the girls' toilet," Neville said, amused.
"That was eight years ago. Besides, I'm much curvier now, and I'm a changed woman," Pansy scoffed.
"You know it shouldn't really bother you who's curvy and who's not. It doesn't really matter," Neville said, furrowing his eyebrows. The things he said made her go weak in her knees.
"Yada yada, Longbottom. Go on the date, score a pretty blonde. Besides, you're getting old. The Potters are expecting their first kid by February. You're hanging back," Pansy tutted, knowing deep inside how much she wanted him to NOT go.
"Parks, you're older than me. Aren't you hanging back?" Neville retorted.
"My friends haven't had kids yet. Well, everyone except Zabini. His wife gave birth to the HOTTEST kid alive, Caesar. And before you stop me, that kid is liquid fire, I'm telling you."
"So are you going to go?" she prompted.
"Do you want me to go?" he asked, stepping close to her.
"It's not what I want; it's what you want," she said.
"Excuse me?" she asked, surprised. Yes, she wanted him to not go, but this was sudden. She had loved Neville, and every moment she spent with him, she loved him more. But she refused to acknowledge that. She assumed she would end up co-parenting alongside Neville.
"You heard me. If you want me to go, I'll go," he said casually. Pansy was getting angry. She didn't know why, but she was. Hormones maybe? She was, after all, two months along.
"Go, I don't care," she said, turning on her heel and walking toward the door.
"Have you seen my ring?" he asked. As she turned back, he was frantically searching for the package that was hidden deep inside her skirt pocket.
"You're going to propose to her?" she asked.
"No, it's my dad's ring. Gran sent it over," he said, looking in the drawers. She took off her own signet ring from her ring finger, held his hand, and placed the ring in his palm.
"You can give this to her," she said as she walked away.
"Parks, that's not how it work—" Neville's voice was cut off by the thud of the door shutting.
"Hannah, you seem amazing, but—" Neville started, but Hannah cut him off.
"But your heart resides with another," she said understandingly.
"Not exactly, but somewhat along those lines," he exhaled.
His mind was running with thoughts of the short Potions professor, how she had avoided him for the entire day without even telling him the 'important' thing she wanted to share in the first place.
"Pansy, right? Parkinson," Hannah said. Neville looked confused. "Your heart, it belongs to Pansy. You love that woman," she said, smiling.
"I guess so. How'd you figure?" he asked, intrigued.
"You're preventing blood flow to your pinkie because of her ring. Besides, her giving you the Parkinson signet is a way of telling you that she will forever love you, no matter what."
Oh. Neville didn't know that.
"Hey, Abbott, I have to go," he said, getting up and throwing some coins on the table, then frantically running to the castle, drawing several looks from students visiting Hogsmeade that weekend.
Neville knocked on Pansy's door. "Parks, come on, open up, please."
"Honestly, can't a woman rest? I'm fatigued, Professor Longbottom," Pansy said sternly as she opened the door, dressed in her nightgown.
"The ring," Neville panted. Pansy thought he had figured out that she had nicked his signet ring from his office.
"What ring?" she replied nonchalantly.
"Your family ring. What does it mean? The custom," he questioned.
"Oh, something along the lines of promise, true love," she said.
"And you gave yours to me when I couldn't find mine. What does that mean?" Neville asked.
"It could mean two things: either I'm a very good friend who wants you and Abbott to get engaged, or it could mean that I will love you no matter who else you love," she said monotonously, as if she hadn't just potentially confessed her love for Neville.
"You what—wait, let me just rewind. You just said you love me? Is that right, Parkinson? Well, fifty percent chance," Neville asked, slowly regaining his composure.
"Yes, I might. Big deal," she said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. These maternity potions have been taking my energy off," she said, closing the door.
After two seconds, Neville realized what she'd just said. "You're pregnant?"
"Why else would I be taking maternity potions? Oh, also, it's yours. The child. You're the father," she replied, shocking Neville once again.
"What? Wow. You're not scared? I mean, I'm really happy. I'd love to be part of this. Let me help you in any way. This is great news, Pansy," he rambled.
"Nev, the best help you can give right now is probably to allow me to get some rest. Also, you could get me those herbal tea leaves you have in your quarters, and then maybe you'd like to join me in here?" Pansy questioned, the last part tinting her cheeks red.
Neville nodded and took off to his room.
"Wait, are you still on with Abbott?" Pansy asked.
"I left her midway so I could come here, so I don't think so," Neville replied.
"That's great, not the leaving her alone part, though. You've got to apologize."
"Wait, so you stole my signet ring?" Neville asked his wife, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Wow, he's really getting old, huh? Mum's mentioned that probably eight times, and he asks her that question," August whispered to his sister, causing her to giggle.
"I heard that, August Longbottom," Neville said, not looking away from his wife, who was now avoiding the question.
"Come on, Dad, it's been like twenty years. Bet you forgot about the ring before this," Francesca reasoned.
"I did think about it. When I wanted to propose, I had to get Gran's ring, which wasn't really modern-looking," Neville told her.
"I love your Gran's ring. Besides, if you want the signet ring back so bad, I'll get it for you," Pansy said, rolling her eyes.
"Sometimes it's hard to believe that I am her son, y'know?" August piped up as Pansy left to get her jewelry box.
"Because you're not. You're adopted. In fact, on a rainy day, we found you outside the house," Francesca teased her brother.
"Doesn't rain during March, genius," Neville said, shaking his head.
"Here, take your lovely signet back, Longbottom," Pansy said, handing it back to him, probably after twenty years.
"Honey, it was always yours to keep, but I'd have been happier to give it to you myself," Neville said, hugging his wife.
"When I found out I was pregnant with Alice, I thought you wouldn't want to be part of her life, considering you had the fame, and women, and men running behind you. So, I took it as a keepsake for Alice," Pansy whispered.
"I'm hurt you'd think that. I love you, Pansy Parkinson. I always will."
"It's Longbottom now," she said, rising up on her tiptoes and kissing him.
"And here I thought you'd say you love me too," Neville said, laughing.
"If she didn't, neither one of us would be here," August said, causing everyone to laugh.
"Also, I think we should give the ring to Alice, considering it was nicked for her," August continued.
"She has her whole life left to give a promise to the one she really loves," Neville said, getting a little overprotective.
"Yeah, she could give it to Fred," Francesca said. Pansy and Neville gave her a confused look. "Come on, it's been like five years since they've been together. Who do you think is her roommate back in Australia? Fred Weasley the second."
"Nev? I think we need to have a talk with Alice once she's home again," Pansy said after a while.
"And I need to talk with Fred," he replied.
August and Francesca gave each other a knowing look, realizing they'd just thrown their sister under the bus.
