longbottom

Even though they’d be dating for nearly a year Alicia still found herself getting butterflies whenever Neville kissed her. It had never been like that with Oliver and although she hadn’t told anyone she was certain that it was a good sign. “I’m glad I could make you happy. I’ll keep it in mind to call you adorable next time you’re grumpy.” She humoured lightly. “No, you’re a great boyfriend so unless you want to break up with me I’ll be sticking around for a while.” Alicia assured him as she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.

Neville bit his lip. "I, especially, know the consequences and dangers of being an auror. Which makes this decision really, really hard. It's not something that I thought of on the spot, I've been contemplating this since Halloween. It's just become more important now." He sighed and smiled faintly. "I knew I could count on you to understand." He smoothened her hair and pressed his lips to her scalp. "You're the reason the choice is so difficult. If something happened to me, you're all I care about. So thank you." A laugh escaped after she joked, "If you begin to get grey hairs, a simple hair spell will fix that. I'm sure you could ask Hermione how to manage it. And you're not a head case at all."

Alicia pulled a hurt face as Neville gave her a playful shove then held her hands up in surrender, “Alright you’re the most adorable and lovable scatterbrain to grace the Earth. Happy?” She teased as she leaned back into him. “Well then you’re up for severe disappointment because he absolutely loathes me. Herbology is important though, I mean I may suck at it and it’s extremely boring but plants save lives and the 2% of students that have jobs involving Herbology will be creating all sorts of remedies and potions thanks to their Professor Longbottom.” She defended him, “Oh how could I be so silly? We’re absolutely disgusting together.” She played along.

Neville smiled and kissed her lightly. "Mhm, I'm happy now. That's all I wanted to hear, because yes, I am. Like I said, I'm basically the equivalent of a teddy bear." He shrugged as if to say what can you do?  He frowned, "Who is this guy? I'd threaten to beat him up but we both know I'm incapable of that sort of violence. Besides, it's unnecessary... wow, I really am an awful boyfriend. Why are you even still here?" He raised an eyebrow. It was a question he asked himself often. "When people see us walking together, they probably think 'ew, they're the worst couple to ever grace the planet.'" Neville kept up the charade. 

Hope everyone had a happy Christmas!

I've been lost in my new apartment for the last few days.

“You are thinking of astrology, that is part of divination,” Draco explained. He was glad that Neville didn’t take it personally when he made his comment. “It was a lot of work but it made my mother so happy. She’s the last Black, and despite their affiliations she is proud of that. So Scorpius carries a little of it with him.”

"Astrology? Astronomy? Sounds the same to me, but I never really had any interest in that sort of stuff," Neville wrinkled his nose. He nodded as Malfoy described the Black legacy even further. Though Neville was a pureblood, he was fairly sure he was not a Black, thank god. Most of them, besides Sirius, were Slytherins and they all had to live up to their family name. Neville wouldn't be able to do that. But he did think it was kind of cool how their names came from constellations.

“Considering you would have learned it in Astronomy, not Divination might be the source of your problem,” Draco said with a smirk. He couldn’t help himself but he hoped that Neville would take it in the good humor in which it was intended. “Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. Yes, Draco and Scorpius are minor constellations. I spent days going through astronomy texts before I came up with a suitable list, which I had to cross reference with the Black family tree. It was a lot of work for a name, to tell you the truth, but it made my mother happy.”

Neville waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't even aware that Astronomy was offered as a course. Which is pathetic, seeing as I am a professor. I thought it was a part of Divination and that I just never paid attention." He shrugged and chuckled at his mistake. "It sounds like a lot of work. It's no wonder that Astoria would have wanted to name her child something simple, so you two wouldn't have to go through all that trouble." He wrinkled his nose. "I have no idea how I was named, my parents probably just liked the name Neville. It's not a common name, though."

Alicia raised an eyebrow, “Who on Earth said you were a lovable scatterbrain?” She joked. “Just because you love me it doesn’t mean everyone else has to but yes he’s an idiot, a big idiot. Probably because from the time my articles leave my hands to the time they end up in the Prophet their quality has fallen greatly. And you’re a spectacular teacher, I mean it’s no wonder that we make such a good couple.” She beamed back at him, Alicia had heard first hand from some of Neville’s students that the Herbology Professor actually made the class somewhat interesting.

Neville deadpanned. "Excuse me?" He shoved her away from him playfully and crossed his arms over his chest. "Everyone adores me. I'm the teddy bear you can play with all you want. Wait, that sounded wrong. I don't — eh, whatever." He rolled his eyes and slouched. "It makes me a lovable scatterbrain. And yes, that does mean he has to like you. And ha! Even if I am a spectacular teacher, it means I'm spectacular at teaching something that 98% of my students will not pursue." He shrugged, "I still love it." He laughed, "Who said we make a good couple? I, for one, think we are repulsive," He attempted at a joke.

Neville pulled a face when Alicia kissed his forehead, but resolved it with a faint smile. "Yes, I know, I know. But I'm a lovable scatterbrain." He shrugged. "If your editor hates you, then he's an idiot. Who could hate you? He's probably just jealous of your talent; you're a spectacular writer. And I'm not just saying that because I have to. It's true." He smoothened her hair and smiled at the brunette. She really was extremely talented. Neville himself got jealous of her writing abilities sometimes, but he remembered that not everybody could be all star Quidditch athletes and a smart ass — there needed to be Herbology nerds.

“Yes, Scorpius. My mother really wanted us to name him the traditional Black way, after a constellation and I thought it was the least we could do. Astoria fought it the whole way though, she wanted some plain common name for him, I forget what now,” Draco started to ramble. It had been the major fight of her pregnancy along with the bedrest that Draco demanded and the fight to determine when they would get married. At least they both wanted to get married, that was one of the few things they agreed on back then. “Astoria would kill me if I asked to take a 7 month old on trips around the world. She is a very protective woman, but I am sure you can believe that,” he said with a smile.

"Huh, I didn't know that was how you lot were named. Draco is a constellation? I've never really heard of it. No offense. Though I didn't exactly pay close attention to Professor Trelawney's class during third year. That was an interesting class... to put it nicely." He winced. He and Sybill were acquaintances now, since they were both professors, but he really did hate that class. "I can believe that. I think if it were Alicia and I had married her and I had a 7 month old son, she wouldn't let me do anything with him. She'd probably think I'd drop him on his head. Which..." he made a face, "I might actually do. Though I've become really awesome with babies, since all of my friends have 'em."

News || Longnett

Neville had been reading the final chapter of his Herbology textbook when a teacher came in to offer him an extra butterbeer. So now, he was sipping his drink from the portable mug while grading papers. To him, that was the perfect image of winter, even if most of the students' papers were much less than exceptional. He was in the middle of grading a particularly well written paper, written by one of the Creeveys, when he heard a knock on the door. Smiling at the familiar voice he placed the quill down and spun around in his chair.

Draco tilted his head to the side. He still had the thoughts, the insults in the back of his head, but now he didn’t say them out loud. Some habits were harder to break than others, and forming insults was one that he was still brilliant at. But instead of commenting on the man’s overly sized head or his large teeth, Draco just nodded. He sat down at his desk and picked up a photo frame and handed it to Neville. Inside the frame was a photo of his small family, Draco and Astoria on their wedding day with an infant Scorpius and a grinning Narcissa. “She’s great, although she hates that I am always traveling and not around very much for our son.”

Neville smiled, looking at the photo that Malfoy handed him. "Looks like a wonderful day. It's great that you two are happy together." He offered it back to Malfoy and sat back. "What's your son's name? Scorpius?" If they hadn't just made up, he would have made a remark about how stupid that name was, but he kept the insult to himself. "How old is he now?" He laughed, "Everyone's all grown up with their husbands and wives, and babies, and all that." It made him happy to see everyone settled down, but he felt a little left behind. "Maybe you could bring him along on some of your travels. I bet he'd love that."

Draco had learned of what his Aunt did to Neville’s parents when he was taken in as a death eater. It was a story of triumph for the organization how Bellatrix had driven two of the ministry’s best aurors into insanity. Draco frowned, thinking of his own son having to grow up without him there. Without either of his parents. Neville had had a rough life, as did Draco. “Thank you,” Draco said reaching for his hand.

"I can see that you have changed in some ways... like you haven't talked down to me yet." He shrugged and followed Malfoy back into his office. "How is Astoria doing, by the way? I haven't contacted her in ages. Last I heard from her... oh, I can't even remember!" It was true that Neville did have an awful memory. He sat in a chair opposite Malfoy and opened his knapsack. Examining the contents of it — he still had the auror application from his earlier visit to the ministry — he looked up at Malfoy.

Neville turned around and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he looked at Malfoy's scars. Their significance dawned on him: Malfoy had been beaten as a child, as a teenager. Neville had always wondered if he was treated badly — psychologists had always said that bullies come from a bad place. But that still didn't justify the means. Neville sighed; he knew he had to forgive him, at least so they could have a civil conversation. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I don't know what having a father is like, but having a father who did that to you might be worse than not really having a father at all." He hesitated. "Death eaters have both affected our family and our lives, so I guess we can relate in that way. I'm not, in any way, forgiving you for what you did to me. But... I suppose it's in the past."