Happy holidays, celandineb! -- Birthday Surprise [HP]
Title: Birthday Surprise
Author: angela_snape
Recipient: celandineb
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters or Pairing: Charlie Weasley/Neville Longbottom
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Charlie's birthday dinner has a surprise ending.
Notes: Thanks to A for the super-quick beta.
Nightfall came early this time of year; it was already dark in the Carpathian Mountains. The kitchen clock bonged five times as Neville added another log to the fire and lit the candles on the mantel. An oil lamp burned brightly on the scarred wooden dining table. Neville turned to the wood-burning stove, where a cauldron of hearty beef stew bubbled and scented the air with thyme and cloves. He dipped in his ladle, bringing it up to his mouth for a taste. Perfect.
A wave of Neville's wand opened the cupboards, and the table was set with heavy ironstone dishes and hand-blown glass tumblers. The crusty bread was keeping warm beneath a charm Neville's Gran had always used, and he'd seasoned the whipped butter with fleur de sel - another of Gran's cooking secrets.
Charlie arrived home in a blast of cold air and a thunk as the door shut behind him.
"How's Elena?" asked Neville.
"It's a dragon-scale fungus," replied Charlie as he hung his woolen cloak on a peg by the door. "Quite unusual for a Horntail to get this one. Severus sent me the recipe for a tonic that he's developed, and it seems to be working already."
"That's good news, then," said Neville. He kissed Charlie's cheek - cold from the bitter wind that had been blowing all afternoon - and pulled him towards the kitchen table. "I hope you're hungry."
"Ravenous." Charlie sat and began cutting the bread into thick slices.
Neville brought the cauldron of stew to the table and ladled out generous portions for both of them. For several minutes, neither of them spoke, and the only sound in their cabin was the fire crackling in the hearth.
"That was delicious," said Charlie when he'd mopped up the last of the gravy from his bowl with a crust of bread.
"I'm glad you liked it." Neville stood and moved to the mantel where he retrieved a small, wrapped box he'd tucked behind a picture of the Weasley family.
"Happy Birthday, Charlie."
Charlie tugged at the silver ribbon; the gold paper fell away, revealing a blue velvet box. Charlie glanced at Neville, his eyebrow crooked in question.
"Open it," Neville urged.
Charlie did, and his puzzled look deepened when he saw what the box contained. "Er… Neville?"
"They're bonding rings," said Neville. "I thought we could have a small ceremony at the Burrow when we go home for Christmas."
"Mum would love that," replied Charlie.
"So, that's a yes?" asked Neville.
Charlie stood and wrapped his arms around Neville's waist. "That's a yes."
Author: angela_snape
Recipient: celandineb
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters or Pairing: Charlie Weasley/Neville Longbottom
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Charlie's birthday dinner has a surprise ending.
Notes: Thanks to A for the super-quick beta.
Nightfall came early this time of year; it was already dark in the Carpathian Mountains. The kitchen clock bonged five times as Neville added another log to the fire and lit the candles on the mantel. An oil lamp burned brightly on the scarred wooden dining table. Neville turned to the wood-burning stove, where a cauldron of hearty beef stew bubbled and scented the air with thyme and cloves. He dipped in his ladle, bringing it up to his mouth for a taste. Perfect.
A wave of Neville's wand opened the cupboards, and the table was set with heavy ironstone dishes and hand-blown glass tumblers. The crusty bread was keeping warm beneath a charm Neville's Gran had always used, and he'd seasoned the whipped butter with fleur de sel - another of Gran's cooking secrets.
Charlie arrived home in a blast of cold air and a thunk as the door shut behind him.
"How's Elena?" asked Neville.
"It's a dragon-scale fungus," replied Charlie as he hung his woolen cloak on a peg by the door. "Quite unusual for a Horntail to get this one. Severus sent me the recipe for a tonic that he's developed, and it seems to be working already."
"That's good news, then," said Neville. He kissed Charlie's cheek - cold from the bitter wind that had been blowing all afternoon - and pulled him towards the kitchen table. "I hope you're hungry."
"Ravenous." Charlie sat and began cutting the bread into thick slices.
Neville brought the cauldron of stew to the table and ladled out generous portions for both of them. For several minutes, neither of them spoke, and the only sound in their cabin was the fire crackling in the hearth.
"That was delicious," said Charlie when he'd mopped up the last of the gravy from his bowl with a crust of bread.
"I'm glad you liked it." Neville stood and moved to the mantel where he retrieved a small, wrapped box he'd tucked behind a picture of the Weasley family.
"Happy Birthday, Charlie."
Charlie tugged at the silver ribbon; the gold paper fell away, revealing a blue velvet box. Charlie glanced at Neville, his eyebrow crooked in question.
"Open it," Neville urged.
Charlie did, and his puzzled look deepened when he saw what the box contained. "Er… Neville?"
"They're bonding rings," said Neville. "I thought we could have a small ceremony at the Burrow when we go home for Christmas."
"Mum would love that," replied Charlie.
"So, that's a yes?" asked Neville.
Charlie stood and wrapped his arms around Neville's waist. "That's a yes."