short fic - unintended - draco/nevelle - pack1ife - g
Title: Unintended
Summary: Draco gives Neville a gift, Neville wishes to return the favor.
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Neville, mentions of others
Genre: Fluff, Angst, Not Crack
Challenge: This was for the In-House Gryffindor gift exchange this last Christmas.
Rating/Warnings: G/About midway through Half-Blood Prince, no real spoilers, first time doing this pairing
WC: 720
Note: huge apologies for late postings for point gatherers!!
In Chinese language, the word for "chaos" is the same for "opportunity."
Above all, Draco wished to be innocent again. That's all growing up really is, an acceptance of one's fate. Draco thought he might have a little longer, but apparently that isn't a certainty anymore. Nothing was. He wanted to be able to just sit and listen to Pansy and Blaise prattle on about Christmas plans. He wanted to be excited about the ski trip to the alps Goyle's family was planning for everyone. Well, almost everyone. The specifics were never discussed -- out loud -- but they all knew well enough to know that not only would Draco be unable to join his friends for many other activities, but there was a good chance he would not survive the year. He wished he could escape into that blissful ignorance his friends seemed to so easily, as he used to, but there were far more pressing things on his mind. Despite Pansy's occasional reassuring words, he watched their pupils turn to gravestones.
He has long since tired of study and this silly little school, but Professor Snape insisted that they have a clearly defined, researched plan before taking any action. After one such study session in the Hogwarts library in early December, Draco accidentily ran into several books and papers of a fellow student who had the audacity to leave them in piles on the edge of the desk.
"Bloody hell, Longbottom!" Draco cursed, turning sharply on the offender, unconciously picking up the books and papers out of his path. "I almost broke my neck!" Voldemort's conditioning exercises had made him nervously aware of disorder lately for some reason he didn't have time to investigate. He would though. It sickened him how weak it made him feel.
"I'm sorry," Neville stutters, "Do you want me to get those?" as he watches with some confusion as the items are returned to their place, pushed several inches away from the edge, in neater stacks. Like something his gran would do before cursing him and telling him to clean it himself. It was not unlike Draco to remove his things from where they were, but returning them was something new. Harry did say he was acting strange this year. This would definitely qualify. "What are you doing?" He finally inquired.
"Trying to get through the library in one piece," Draco sneers, "What's it look like?"
"No," and Neville thought he had a spotty memory, "Why are you...helping?"
Madam Pince's infamous "Ssh!" can be heard from across the room, as though Neville's statement alone wasn't enough to set Draco slightly off-kilter...more so. He finally waved, "Bugger off."
Then he disappeared down the hall.
Now, Neville was willing to shrug this off as some kind of natural phenomena. After all it was Draco Malfoy. Maybe one of the professors finally slipped him a "politeness potion" or something. Maybe Neville just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time -- once again. It didn't really matter to him. Only a few days had passed and he was still thinking about it. The Snapping Dragon Lily only just barely took his nose off in Herbology. And Trevor only look at him twice as though bored from listening. All was well.
Just a week shy of the break, the owl delivered a last minute piece of mail from his gran. Neville had become accustomed to these care-packages being intercepted by Malfoy and his cronies, but it seemed that this year he might actually have a chance to enjoy it. However, he still found himself glancing across the Great Hall at the Slytherin table, only to find that Draco was not there. Then he reminds himself that he doesn't care and continues on his way.
As he ascends the stairs to Gryffindor tower, he is once again caught off guard by the approach of Draco Malfoy, looking pale and hurried as ever. But now, it seemed, for different reasons. Instead of asking the obvious, "What are you doing here?" all Neville could manage was, "Would you like a biscuit?"
Time suspended on the stairwell as they locked in a stare of pure panic and concern. Was Malfoy actually concerned? Was Neville actually for Malfoy? Draco tries to smile it off, queerly, "I don't think so."
Mirroring his awkwardness, Neville feels odd to insist, but, "They're not cursed or anything."
Draco rolls his eyes, "That's reassuring."
"W-well, here" Neville says, handing him one from the package, "on me."
"Okay," Draco eyes him, about to take him on that offer, cookie in hand, as Neville walks past and upwards. "Uh, thanks." He finally says once Neville disappears behind the staircase.
He takes a bite. He must have stolen these baked goods every year up until this one, yet this time, nothing had ever tasted better.
Summary: Draco gives Neville a gift, Neville wishes to return the favor.
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Neville, mentions of others
Genre: Fluff, Angst, Not Crack
Challenge: This was for the In-House Gryffindor gift exchange this last Christmas.
Rating/Warnings: G/About midway through Half-Blood Prince, no real spoilers, first time doing this pairing
WC: 720
Note: huge apologies for late postings for point gatherers!!
In Chinese language, the word for "chaos" is the same for "opportunity."
Above all, Draco wished to be innocent again. That's all growing up really is, an acceptance of one's fate. Draco thought he might have a little longer, but apparently that isn't a certainty anymore. Nothing was. He wanted to be able to just sit and listen to Pansy and Blaise prattle on about Christmas plans. He wanted to be excited about the ski trip to the alps Goyle's family was planning for everyone. Well, almost everyone. The specifics were never discussed -- out loud -- but they all knew well enough to know that not only would Draco be unable to join his friends for many other activities, but there was a good chance he would not survive the year. He wished he could escape into that blissful ignorance his friends seemed to so easily, as he used to, but there were far more pressing things on his mind. Despite Pansy's occasional reassuring words, he watched their pupils turn to gravestones.
He has long since tired of study and this silly little school, but Professor Snape insisted that they have a clearly defined, researched plan before taking any action. After one such study session in the Hogwarts library in early December, Draco accidentily ran into several books and papers of a fellow student who had the audacity to leave them in piles on the edge of the desk.
"Bloody hell, Longbottom!" Draco cursed, turning sharply on the offender, unconciously picking up the books and papers out of his path. "I almost broke my neck!" Voldemort's conditioning exercises had made him nervously aware of disorder lately for some reason he didn't have time to investigate. He would though. It sickened him how weak it made him feel.
"I'm sorry," Neville stutters, "Do you want me to get those?" as he watches with some confusion as the items are returned to their place, pushed several inches away from the edge, in neater stacks. Like something his gran would do before cursing him and telling him to clean it himself. It was not unlike Draco to remove his things from where they were, but returning them was something new. Harry did say he was acting strange this year. This would definitely qualify. "What are you doing?" He finally inquired.
"Trying to get through the library in one piece," Draco sneers, "What's it look like?"
"No," and Neville thought he had a spotty memory, "Why are you...helping?"
Madam Pince's infamous "Ssh!" can be heard from across the room, as though Neville's statement alone wasn't enough to set Draco slightly off-kilter...more so. He finally waved, "Bugger off."
Then he disappeared down the hall.
Now, Neville was willing to shrug this off as some kind of natural phenomena. After all it was Draco Malfoy. Maybe one of the professors finally slipped him a "politeness potion" or something. Maybe Neville just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time -- once again. It didn't really matter to him. Only a few days had passed and he was still thinking about it. The Snapping Dragon Lily only just barely took his nose off in Herbology. And Trevor only look at him twice as though bored from listening. All was well.
Just a week shy of the break, the owl delivered a last minute piece of mail from his gran. Neville had become accustomed to these care-packages being intercepted by Malfoy and his cronies, but it seemed that this year he might actually have a chance to enjoy it. However, he still found himself glancing across the Great Hall at the Slytherin table, only to find that Draco was not there. Then he reminds himself that he doesn't care and continues on his way.
As he ascends the stairs to Gryffindor tower, he is once again caught off guard by the approach of Draco Malfoy, looking pale and hurried as ever. But now, it seemed, for different reasons. Instead of asking the obvious, "What are you doing here?" all Neville could manage was, "Would you like a biscuit?"
Time suspended on the stairwell as they locked in a stare of pure panic and concern. Was Malfoy actually concerned? Was Neville actually for Malfoy? Draco tries to smile it off, queerly, "I don't think so."
Mirroring his awkwardness, Neville feels odd to insist, but, "They're not cursed or anything."
Draco rolls his eyes, "That's reassuring."
"W-well, here" Neville says, handing him one from the package, "on me."
"Okay," Draco eyes him, about to take him on that offer, cookie in hand, as Neville walks past and upwards. "Uh, thanks." He finally says once Neville disappears behind the staircase.
He takes a bite. He must have stolen these baked goods every year up until this one, yet this time, nothing had ever tasted better.