Happy holidays, leela_cat! -- Fruition [HP]
Title: Fruition
Author: celandineb
Recipient: leela_cat
Fandom: HP
Characters or Pairing: Harry/Neville, Hermione
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Neville has a plan for Harry's Christmas, but it takes a while to work it out.
Notes: Leela, I tried to work in a couple of unusual forms of magic, but I'm not sure I succeeded. Hope you enjoy this regardless!
The first Christmas that they spent as a couple, they exchanged stories of what their childhood holidays had been like. Neville had always found them a difficult time. Elderly relatives with anxious faces kept asking his Gran if he'd shown any signs of magical ability yet, and there was always a visit to St. Mungo's as well, which only emphasized his semi-orphan status, so different from most other children he knew.
Harry, though, had certainly had it worse at the Dursleys'. Neville at least knew that his Gran and his uncle Algie and the rest of his relatives loved him and were concerned about him, whereas the Dursleys invariably made plain to Harry that he was with them only on sufferance. If Neville received gum wrappers from his mum, it was because she couldn't distinguish between a gift and trash. The Dursleys knew full well that the presents they gave Harry were awful.
The idea of what he might do to make Christmas extra-special for Harry popped into Neville's head that very first year, but it wasn't until they made things official and bought a house together that he could carry out his plan.
There were three good-size greenhouses in their enormous back garden. Neville decided that one of them would be perfect for the purpose he had in mind, and took Hermione into his confidence to help him cast a disguise so that Harry would believe he was using it for storage.
"How long will all this take?" Hermione asked after she had set the spell.
Neville shrugged. "It won't be ready this Christmas, that's certain. Maybe next, more likely the one after that. Once it's finished and Harry's seen it, though, I'll invite you and all the rest of our friends to enjoy the results, too."
"I'll like that. It sounds like a fantastic idea." Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and Neville grinned back.
"I'm glad you think so; I hope Harry agrees."
Many of the plants that Neville wanted were ordinary ones, easy to find, but some were significantly more difficult. Neville had to locate a few from as far away as Mexico, Australia, and Siberia. Luckily Harry's work as an Auror meant that Neville found time to tend to the plants in greenhouse three without arousing Harry's suspicions, since he was developing a magical garden-supply business with what he grew in the other two greenhouses and was at home most the time.
"What do you want to do for the Christmas holidays this year?" Harry asked in mid-November, their third year in the house. "I was thinking that it might be fun to travel for a change, perhaps go to Greece or the south of Spain or something like that."
"Travel?" Neville gulped at his tea. If Harry insisted on going away, his plans to finish the project and show it to Harry this year would be upset. "What's wrong with staying home?"
Harry shrugged. "I thought it might be fun to do something different. Most of your plants are dormant now, you've said, so you could leave them for a few days, and I'm owed some holiday time. It seems like a good chance. Don't you want to get away together?" He put his hand on Neville's leg, inching it up suggestively.
"We could look into it, I suppose," said Neville, and leaned over to kiss Harry, hoping that the distraction would cause him to forget the idea.
Harry didn't, though, and seemed very keen to get away, so Neville agreed to go. He decided that he could delay implementing his plans until the following year.
They did have a good time on the Costa del Sol, Neville acknowledged, although they both agreed afterward that they missed having family and friends around. Neville was glad of that, since it meant Harry ought to be fine with staying home the following year. He used the twelve months and every bit of plant-related magic he commanded to ensure that his plan reached the fullest fruition.
Finally everything was perfect. On Christmas morning Neville told Harry to put on his outdoor slippers and come to the greenhouse with him. He made Harry close his eyes when they reached it, and led him inside, closing the door behind them.
"You can look now," he said softly then.
The expression of awe and wonder on Harry's face was all the thanks that Neville needed. He had created a veritable holiday wonderland in plants, just for Harry: Muggle and magical plants together formed a spectacular setting. There was a Christmas tree in one corner on which real fairies (bribed with sugar candy) held candles, lighted the moment Harry entered. Carefully pruned bushes of holly and box and yew formed a living depiction of Father Christmas with his sleigh and reindeer. A special variety of mandrake had been trained carefully by Neville to sing Christmas carols instead of shrieking loud enough to kill the hearer. Nor were those the end of it. Everywhere there was some new marvel, and all of it showed the care and love that Neville had devoted to the display.
"Wow," Harry whispered. When he put his arms around Neville, he was shaking, and clearly not from cold since it was quite warm in the greenhouse to keep the fairies and other creatures happy. "Neville, this is just fantastic. I can't believe you did all this for me."
"I'm glad you like it," said Neville, a little embarrassed although pleased by Harry's reaction. "I thought we could share it with our friends, too. Hermione helped me disguise the greenhouse while I was growing everything so that you wouldn't catch on too soon, and I promised her a look when it was finished."
"Absolutely," said Harry in firm tones. "We'll invite everyone, including Dennis Creevey; he's become a photographer in memory of his brother, and you could have him take pictures to use as advertising." He looked around the greenhouse again, shaking his head. "I still can't believe... I've never seen anything like this. It's truly amazing. Thank you - I think it's the best Christmas present I've ever had."
"I'm glad," Neville said, and held Harry tight.
Author: celandineb
Recipient: leela_cat
Fandom: HP
Characters or Pairing: Harry/Neville, Hermione
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Neville has a plan for Harry's Christmas, but it takes a while to work it out.
Notes: Leela, I tried to work in a couple of unusual forms of magic, but I'm not sure I succeeded. Hope you enjoy this regardless!
The first Christmas that they spent as a couple, they exchanged stories of what their childhood holidays had been like. Neville had always found them a difficult time. Elderly relatives with anxious faces kept asking his Gran if he'd shown any signs of magical ability yet, and there was always a visit to St. Mungo's as well, which only emphasized his semi-orphan status, so different from most other children he knew.
Harry, though, had certainly had it worse at the Dursleys'. Neville at least knew that his Gran and his uncle Algie and the rest of his relatives loved him and were concerned about him, whereas the Dursleys invariably made plain to Harry that he was with them only on sufferance. If Neville received gum wrappers from his mum, it was because she couldn't distinguish between a gift and trash. The Dursleys knew full well that the presents they gave Harry were awful.
The idea of what he might do to make Christmas extra-special for Harry popped into Neville's head that very first year, but it wasn't until they made things official and bought a house together that he could carry out his plan.
There were three good-size greenhouses in their enormous back garden. Neville decided that one of them would be perfect for the purpose he had in mind, and took Hermione into his confidence to help him cast a disguise so that Harry would believe he was using it for storage.
"How long will all this take?" Hermione asked after she had set the spell.
Neville shrugged. "It won't be ready this Christmas, that's certain. Maybe next, more likely the one after that. Once it's finished and Harry's seen it, though, I'll invite you and all the rest of our friends to enjoy the results, too."
"I'll like that. It sounds like a fantastic idea." Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and Neville grinned back.
"I'm glad you think so; I hope Harry agrees."
Many of the plants that Neville wanted were ordinary ones, easy to find, but some were significantly more difficult. Neville had to locate a few from as far away as Mexico, Australia, and Siberia. Luckily Harry's work as an Auror meant that Neville found time to tend to the plants in greenhouse three without arousing Harry's suspicions, since he was developing a magical garden-supply business with what he grew in the other two greenhouses and was at home most the time.
"What do you want to do for the Christmas holidays this year?" Harry asked in mid-November, their third year in the house. "I was thinking that it might be fun to travel for a change, perhaps go to Greece or the south of Spain or something like that."
"Travel?" Neville gulped at his tea. If Harry insisted on going away, his plans to finish the project and show it to Harry this year would be upset. "What's wrong with staying home?"
Harry shrugged. "I thought it might be fun to do something different. Most of your plants are dormant now, you've said, so you could leave them for a few days, and I'm owed some holiday time. It seems like a good chance. Don't you want to get away together?" He put his hand on Neville's leg, inching it up suggestively.
"We could look into it, I suppose," said Neville, and leaned over to kiss Harry, hoping that the distraction would cause him to forget the idea.
Harry didn't, though, and seemed very keen to get away, so Neville agreed to go. He decided that he could delay implementing his plans until the following year.
They did have a good time on the Costa del Sol, Neville acknowledged, although they both agreed afterward that they missed having family and friends around. Neville was glad of that, since it meant Harry ought to be fine with staying home the following year. He used the twelve months and every bit of plant-related magic he commanded to ensure that his plan reached the fullest fruition.
Finally everything was perfect. On Christmas morning Neville told Harry to put on his outdoor slippers and come to the greenhouse with him. He made Harry close his eyes when they reached it, and led him inside, closing the door behind them.
"You can look now," he said softly then.
The expression of awe and wonder on Harry's face was all the thanks that Neville needed. He had created a veritable holiday wonderland in plants, just for Harry: Muggle and magical plants together formed a spectacular setting. There was a Christmas tree in one corner on which real fairies (bribed with sugar candy) held candles, lighted the moment Harry entered. Carefully pruned bushes of holly and box and yew formed a living depiction of Father Christmas with his sleigh and reindeer. A special variety of mandrake had been trained carefully by Neville to sing Christmas carols instead of shrieking loud enough to kill the hearer. Nor were those the end of it. Everywhere there was some new marvel, and all of it showed the care and love that Neville had devoted to the display.
"Wow," Harry whispered. When he put his arms around Neville, he was shaking, and clearly not from cold since it was quite warm in the greenhouse to keep the fairies and other creatures happy. "Neville, this is just fantastic. I can't believe you did all this for me."
"I'm glad you like it," said Neville, a little embarrassed although pleased by Harry's reaction. "I thought we could share it with our friends, too. Hermione helped me disguise the greenhouse while I was growing everything so that you wouldn't catch on too soon, and I promised her a look when it was finished."
"Absolutely," said Harry in firm tones. "We'll invite everyone, including Dennis Creevey; he's become a photographer in memory of his brother, and you could have him take pictures to use as advertising." He looked around the greenhouse again, shaking his head. "I still can't believe... I've never seen anything like this. It's truly amazing. Thank you - I think it's the best Christmas present I've ever had."
"I'm glad," Neville said, and held Harry tight.