Ficlet: Harry, James, Neville
Title: Bloody Plant, Part 3
Words: 946
Rating: PG-13
Characters/pairings: Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Neville Longbottom
Summary: James and Harry seek Neville's help with James' "problem", leading to a bit of an argument between Neville and Harry.
Author’s Notes: The slightly overdue sequel to "Bloody Plant, Part 2".
"Your dad's Patronus said you'd been poisoned! What's going on?" Neville asked James breathlessly as soon as he and Dad landed in the office.
James looked at the floor, wishing he could melt through it. His face felt as if it were on fire. He tried to open his mouth, but it wouldn't work.
Dad cleared his throat and said, "There was . . . a bit of a mishap with Muriel. I believe her unusual defensive mechanism involves poison."
"Yes, most magical plants do become poisonous if angered, and Muriel and Mabel, and the others are no exception. All five of my kids learned about Mabel the hard way. They wanted to pet her, and she tolerated it for a bit, then got irritated and slapped their hands with a vine leaving a nasty red welt. It's fixable, though." Neville looked at James, whose hands were in his pockets.
James took a deep breath and said, "It's not my hand. It's my bum."
Neville looked surprised. "Muriel's poison must be much stronger than Mabel's to go through layers of clothing."
James closed his eyes and wished for death, but if it were possible to die from embarrassment, he would have already done it last night.
"Er . . ." Harry cleared his throat and declared, "There was a bit of a mishap with James' clothing. He was wearing conjured clothes at the time of the incident with Muriel."
Neville chuckled as he opened the cupboard behind James and began removing supplies. "This must be a really good story, Harry. You've used the word "mishap" twice and are speaking in Official Auror Voice."
James looked up, interested.
"What are you talking about?" Dad asked, his voice a bit higher than normal.
Neville said, "You've always been 'just Harry' and still are. Except when you're hiding something, then your voice changes, and you use words like 'mishap' and 'incident.' But not to worry, James, I promise I won't ask either of you for details. Let's see the problem, then."
James, reminded why he liked Uncle Neville, felt a bit less like he wanted to die as he showed him what Muriel had done.
Neville used his wand to mix ingredients in a glass bowl. "I know very good stories about your parents when they were your age."
"Which you are not going to tell him," Harry growled.
"Oh don't give me your Man-Who-Killed-Voldemort Stare, Harry. It won't work. I faced him, too."
James laughed, actually feeling better even though his bum still hurt, and he didn't know what Uncle Neville was doing.
"So James, how much has your dad told you about what he got up to when he was at Hogwarts?"
"Neville . . ." Harry began threateningly.
James said, "Dad always tells us the stories from each year after we've completed that year. So at the start of summer hols, I heard all about Dad's sixth year-the lessons with Headmaster Dumbledore that helped him defeat Voldemort, how he got in big trouble for using some wonky curse on Scorpius' dad, battling Death Eaters in the castle when Uncle Bill got hurt . . . "
"Oh, so he told you about snogging your mum in front of about sixty people in the Common Room, did he?"
"What!?" James gasped.
"Neville!" Harry chided.
"Oh, left that out, did you, Harry? Did you tell him about petrifying me?"
James said, "Dad! You petrified Uncle Neville?"
Harry spoke over him, "That was Hermione! And it was in first year!"
"Aunt Hermione petrified Uncle Neville?!"
"Or did you tell him about lying to me so you could get away from me to sneak out of the castle to go to Hogsmeade without permission?"
"When did Dad sneak out?"
"That time? Third year."
"That time?"
"Neville, have you been storing all this up or something?" Harry groaned.
"You never know when you might need good material." Neville winked at Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"All done, James."
"Thanks," James muttered, pulling up his trousers. "So do I get to hear these stories about Dad?"
"No. You don't. He doesn't need you to encourage his delinquency, Neville."
"Me?" Neville asked innocently. "The stories are about you."
James laughed. Harry grabbed his arm in preparation to side-along Apparate.
"Thanks, Uncle Neville," James looked him in the eye this time.
"You're welcome, James. Come by for tea sometime during term, and we'll see what stories I can remember about your parents that you haven't heard yet."
"Only if he behaves himself," Harry stated before James could answer.
"It's a deal," James and Neville said in unison. Harry rolled his eyes again, waved to Neville and Apparated.
When they arrived home, Harry asked, "Your bum feeling better now?"
"Yeah, Uncle Neville fixed whatever Muriel did."
"Good. Why don't you Floo Rachel and see if she wants to come over?"
"What?!"
"You heard me."
"I'm allowed to see Rachel?"
"Of course. I told you your punishment was no wand for two weeks. You can see Rachel, although I would like to meet her, and you are not allowed to take her to your room."
"DAD," James whined. "I told you we weren't doing anything."
"And I believe you, but she still is not allowed in your room, especially not when we haven't finished our conversation from this morning, and you don't have a wand."
"DAD. Honestly . . ."
"We will continue our discussion when you get your wand back. Until then, though, I figure you've had a bad enough day, so Floo Rachel. I have experience in how being with the girl you fancy can be a comfort and make everything better. I'll be in my office when she gets here. Bring her by."
"Thanks, Dad. For everything."
Words: 946
Rating: PG-13
Characters/pairings: Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Neville Longbottom
Summary: James and Harry seek Neville's help with James' "problem", leading to a bit of an argument between Neville and Harry.
Author’s Notes: The slightly overdue sequel to "Bloody Plant, Part 2".
"Your dad's Patronus said you'd been poisoned! What's going on?" Neville asked James breathlessly as soon as he and Dad landed in the office.
James looked at the floor, wishing he could melt through it. His face felt as if it were on fire. He tried to open his mouth, but it wouldn't work.
Dad cleared his throat and said, "There was . . . a bit of a mishap with Muriel. I believe her unusual defensive mechanism involves poison."
"Yes, most magical plants do become poisonous if angered, and Muriel and Mabel, and the others are no exception. All five of my kids learned about Mabel the hard way. They wanted to pet her, and she tolerated it for a bit, then got irritated and slapped their hands with a vine leaving a nasty red welt. It's fixable, though." Neville looked at James, whose hands were in his pockets.
James took a deep breath and said, "It's not my hand. It's my bum."
Neville looked surprised. "Muriel's poison must be much stronger than Mabel's to go through layers of clothing."
James closed his eyes and wished for death, but if it were possible to die from embarrassment, he would have already done it last night.
"Er . . ." Harry cleared his throat and declared, "There was a bit of a mishap with James' clothing. He was wearing conjured clothes at the time of the incident with Muriel."
Neville chuckled as he opened the cupboard behind James and began removing supplies. "This must be a really good story, Harry. You've used the word "mishap" twice and are speaking in Official Auror Voice."
James looked up, interested.
"What are you talking about?" Dad asked, his voice a bit higher than normal.
Neville said, "You've always been 'just Harry' and still are. Except when you're hiding something, then your voice changes, and you use words like 'mishap' and 'incident.' But not to worry, James, I promise I won't ask either of you for details. Let's see the problem, then."
James, reminded why he liked Uncle Neville, felt a bit less like he wanted to die as he showed him what Muriel had done.
Neville used his wand to mix ingredients in a glass bowl. "I know very good stories about your parents when they were your age."
"Which you are not going to tell him," Harry growled.
"Oh don't give me your Man-Who-Killed-Voldemort Stare, Harry. It won't work. I faced him, too."
James laughed, actually feeling better even though his bum still hurt, and he didn't know what Uncle Neville was doing.
"So James, how much has your dad told you about what he got up to when he was at Hogwarts?"
"Neville . . ." Harry began threateningly.
James said, "Dad always tells us the stories from each year after we've completed that year. So at the start of summer hols, I heard all about Dad's sixth year-the lessons with Headmaster Dumbledore that helped him defeat Voldemort, how he got in big trouble for using some wonky curse on Scorpius' dad, battling Death Eaters in the castle when Uncle Bill got hurt . . . "
"Oh, so he told you about snogging your mum in front of about sixty people in the Common Room, did he?"
"What!?" James gasped.
"Neville!" Harry chided.
"Oh, left that out, did you, Harry? Did you tell him about petrifying me?"
James said, "Dad! You petrified Uncle Neville?"
Harry spoke over him, "That was Hermione! And it was in first year!"
"Aunt Hermione petrified Uncle Neville?!"
"Or did you tell him about lying to me so you could get away from me to sneak out of the castle to go to Hogsmeade without permission?"
"When did Dad sneak out?"
"That time? Third year."
"That time?"
"Neville, have you been storing all this up or something?" Harry groaned.
"You never know when you might need good material." Neville winked at Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"All done, James."
"Thanks," James muttered, pulling up his trousers. "So do I get to hear these stories about Dad?"
"No. You don't. He doesn't need you to encourage his delinquency, Neville."
"Me?" Neville asked innocently. "The stories are about you."
James laughed. Harry grabbed his arm in preparation to side-along Apparate.
"Thanks, Uncle Neville," James looked him in the eye this time.
"You're welcome, James. Come by for tea sometime during term, and we'll see what stories I can remember about your parents that you haven't heard yet."
"Only if he behaves himself," Harry stated before James could answer.
"It's a deal," James and Neville said in unison. Harry rolled his eyes again, waved to Neville and Apparated.
When they arrived home, Harry asked, "Your bum feeling better now?"
"Yeah, Uncle Neville fixed whatever Muriel did."
"Good. Why don't you Floo Rachel and see if she wants to come over?"
"What?!"
"You heard me."
"I'm allowed to see Rachel?"
"Of course. I told you your punishment was no wand for two weeks. You can see Rachel, although I would like to meet her, and you are not allowed to take her to your room."
"DAD," James whined. "I told you we weren't doing anything."
"And I believe you, but she still is not allowed in your room, especially not when we haven't finished our conversation from this morning, and you don't have a wand."
"DAD. Honestly . . ."
"We will continue our discussion when you get your wand back. Until then, though, I figure you've had a bad enough day, so Floo Rachel. I have experience in how being with the girl you fancy can be a comfort and make everything better. I'll be in my office when she gets here. Bring her by."
"Thanks, Dad. For everything."