FIC: Pluck an Ivy Branch for Me (Draco Malfoy/Neville Longbottom)
Title: Pluck an Ivy Branch for Me
Author: reeby10
Characters: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy
Prompt number: 61
Word Count: ~1400
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Neville is called to Malfoy Manor to help rid the garden of a rather dangerous plant.
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Title is from the poem “Song” by Christina Rossetti.
Author’s Notes: Wheee, a Draco ship fic from me that's not from Draco's POV for once, how exciting! Thank you to my beta. I hope you enjoy, dear prompter!
Pluck an Ivy Branch for Me
The letter came completely out of the blue. It was a quiet evening, finally starting to warm up after an unseasonable cold snap. Neville was just finishing eating dinner, alone as usual since Gran died a few years ago, when a rather vicious looking hawk owl flew in through the window.
“Um, hello?” he asked, approaching a little nervously. Surely he was imagining that the bird was glaring at him, but when he carefully reached out to detach the letter and saw who it was from, he suddenly wasn’t sure.
“Why is Draco Malfoy writing me?” he breathed, chuckling a little at himself when the owl just shrugged a wing and hopped over to peck at the remains of his dinner.
Much to Neville’s surprise, the letter was almost totally devoid of insults and snide comments. He’d expected something a bit more confrontational, even if the entire point of the letter was that Malfoy needed help. And quite a lot of help, as far as Neville could tell.
The garden greenhouse at the Malfoy Manor had somehow become overrun with a particularly vicious strain of flesh eating ivy. It wasn’t something that could be left alone for long because the plant was also highly invasive and would soon be a danger to anyone and anything on the manor grounds. Malfoy wanted it taken care of before that could happen. He apparently thought Neville was the best person for the job, being currently one of the most promising young herbologists in Britain, at least according to The Daily Prophet.
Neville grimaced as he remembered the piece that had run about him a few months ago. He hadn’t been exactly excited to be interviewed, but he’d known it would be good for his on-call herbology business. And it had somehow been even better than expected. He blamed the overly effusive language of the interviewer, making him out to be some ridiculously talented prodigy that could take care of any magical plant problem. He was quite confident in his skills, but he rather thought that was going overboard.
Apparently everyone else hadn’t thought so though. Since the article ran, he’d had almost more letters and fire calls than he could handle. Business was booming, and he certainly wasn’t hurting for customers now.
The question remained whether or not he should accept this job from Malfoy. It was unquestionably one of the higher levels offers he’d gotten, and on the one hand he would love to test his skills on it. On the other hand, it was a job for Malfoy. They hadn’t seen each other in years, not since the Battle of Hogwarts, but they’d certainly never gotten along in school and Neville was a little nervous about the possibility of seeing him again.
The owl seemed to be getting impatient for an answer, apparently finished picking at Neville’s leftovers, and was now glaring balefully at him. Again. Sighing, Neville told it to wait and went to find some parchment and a quill. In the end, he decided, his desire to take out such an exciting plant outweighed his apprehension over Malfoy. He could only hope he’d made the right decision in accepting.
***
Two days later, Neville apparated to just outside Malfoy Manor. He’d never been there before, and the sight made him stop in shock. He knew in theory that the Malfoys were loaded, but seeing the enormous house and grounds was another thing altogether. The white peacocks strutting around were somehow so ridiculously over the top that they seemed to fit.
Shaking his head at the extravagant show of wealth, Neville passed through the gates and made his way up the walkway. The front door opened before he could even raise his hand to knock. A house elf dressed in a ratty length of cloth bowed to him in without a word and he followed it to a beautifully decorated sitting room. He wasn’t bad off, but just this room seemed to absolutely overshadow the entirety of his own family home. He tried not to roll his eyes at the ostentatiousness of the whole thing, but it was a near thing.
“Thank you for coming.”
Neville turned from his examination of the room to see Malfoy standing in the doorway. They hadn’t seen each other in a few years and it shocked him to see how much the blond had changed. Malfoy had always been attractive, but now… Neville had to choke down a highly inappropriate reaction. He was here to work on the garden, not on Malfoy.
“My pleasure,” Neville replied after a beat of silence that was just a little too long, and reached out to shake Malfoy’s hand. “So the garden?”
Malfoy nodded. “I’ll take you. But prepare yourself, it’s gotten worse since my letter.”
Unfortunately, that turned out to be quite an understatement. The ivy had spread through the entire greenhouse and was quickly working its way out. There were small bones scattered throughout the tangled vegetation that indicated that a few small animals from the nearby forest had already been ensnared. It was imperative that the ivy be taken out as soon as possible.
Neville went immediately to work, glad he’d brought more supplies than he’d expected to need. He wasn’t entirely sure now that they’d be enough to take the ivy out completely, but it would be a start at least. As long as he could keep it from spreading to the grounds, he would call it a win.
Hours later, the last thread of ivy shrivelled to dust. Neville took a step back, exhausted but very much pleased. He’d done better than he thought, and quicker too.
“That was quite impressive,” Malfoy said from somewhere near the entrance, and Neville jerked around. He’d forgotten the other man was there, which was actually pretty impressive considering how the Slytherin had been watching him so intently the whole time he worked.
“Thank you,” Neville replied, probably sounding quite a bit more smug than he meant to. He tried to tamp it down, but he really was very impressed with himself. “I suppose we should discuss payment and then I can get out of your way.”
Malfoy waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve already sent the instructions for payment to Gringotts,” he said. He started walking forward, a strange look in his eyes that Neville couldn’t quite name but that made something warm uncurl in his stomach. “I’m sure you’ll find it quite satisfactory.”
“Um, yes, I’m sure,” Neville replied mindlessly, too busy wondering what Malfoy wanted to really think about what he was saying. “Er, what are you doing?”
“I thought I’d show my appreciation in a little more… hands on fashion,” Malfoy said, a dangerously attractive smile on his face.
Before Neville could ask what that meant, Malfoy reached forward and kissed him. It took a few seconds for his mind to catch up, but soon Neville was returning the kiss just as fervently. He wasn’t sure exactly why Malfoy was kissing him, he just knew he didn’t have any plans to argue. They may not have gotten along in school, but Malfoy had been surprisingly polite and agreeable all day. Plus he was hot, and there was just way Neville was going to say no to that.
When they pulled apart an interminable time later, they were both panting. Malfoy- he should probably call him Draco by now- was smiling, a small smile, but one that Neville thought seemed to actually go to his eyes. It was, he decided, a very good look on the blond and he really hoped he’d have the chance to see it again.
“That was… nice,” he said a little awkwardly.
Draco let out a huff of laughter, shaking his head in amusement. “It was,” he agreed readily. “And if you’re agreeable, I’d like to do it again. Just maybe not in a greenhouse next time.”
Neville stared for a moment, barely believing what he was hearing. Even after that kiss it was still a surprise that someone like Draco would want someone like him. They seemed to exist in entirely dissimilar orbits, but then again, this wasn’t Hogwarts anymore. They were both very different people now.
With a nod, Neville reached out and took Draco’s hand, smiling when he didn’t pull away. This just might work after all. “I’d like that a lot.”
Author: reeby10
Characters: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy
Prompt number: 61
Word Count: ~1400
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Neville is called to Malfoy Manor to help rid the garden of a rather dangerous plant.
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Title is from the poem “Song” by Christina Rossetti.
Author’s Notes: Wheee, a Draco ship fic from me that's not from Draco's POV for once, how exciting! Thank you to my beta. I hope you enjoy, dear prompter!
Pluck an Ivy Branch for Me
The letter came completely out of the blue. It was a quiet evening, finally starting to warm up after an unseasonable cold snap. Neville was just finishing eating dinner, alone as usual since Gran died a few years ago, when a rather vicious looking hawk owl flew in through the window.
“Um, hello?” he asked, approaching a little nervously. Surely he was imagining that the bird was glaring at him, but when he carefully reached out to detach the letter and saw who it was from, he suddenly wasn’t sure.
“Why is Draco Malfoy writing me?” he breathed, chuckling a little at himself when the owl just shrugged a wing and hopped over to peck at the remains of his dinner.
Much to Neville’s surprise, the letter was almost totally devoid of insults and snide comments. He’d expected something a bit more confrontational, even if the entire point of the letter was that Malfoy needed help. And quite a lot of help, as far as Neville could tell.
The garden greenhouse at the Malfoy Manor had somehow become overrun with a particularly vicious strain of flesh eating ivy. It wasn’t something that could be left alone for long because the plant was also highly invasive and would soon be a danger to anyone and anything on the manor grounds. Malfoy wanted it taken care of before that could happen. He apparently thought Neville was the best person for the job, being currently one of the most promising young herbologists in Britain, at least according to The Daily Prophet.
Neville grimaced as he remembered the piece that had run about him a few months ago. He hadn’t been exactly excited to be interviewed, but he’d known it would be good for his on-call herbology business. And it had somehow been even better than expected. He blamed the overly effusive language of the interviewer, making him out to be some ridiculously talented prodigy that could take care of any magical plant problem. He was quite confident in his skills, but he rather thought that was going overboard.
Apparently everyone else hadn’t thought so though. Since the article ran, he’d had almost more letters and fire calls than he could handle. Business was booming, and he certainly wasn’t hurting for customers now.
The question remained whether or not he should accept this job from Malfoy. It was unquestionably one of the higher levels offers he’d gotten, and on the one hand he would love to test his skills on it. On the other hand, it was a job for Malfoy. They hadn’t seen each other in years, not since the Battle of Hogwarts, but they’d certainly never gotten along in school and Neville was a little nervous about the possibility of seeing him again.
The owl seemed to be getting impatient for an answer, apparently finished picking at Neville’s leftovers, and was now glaring balefully at him. Again. Sighing, Neville told it to wait and went to find some parchment and a quill. In the end, he decided, his desire to take out such an exciting plant outweighed his apprehension over Malfoy. He could only hope he’d made the right decision in accepting.
***
Two days later, Neville apparated to just outside Malfoy Manor. He’d never been there before, and the sight made him stop in shock. He knew in theory that the Malfoys were loaded, but seeing the enormous house and grounds was another thing altogether. The white peacocks strutting around were somehow so ridiculously over the top that they seemed to fit.
Shaking his head at the extravagant show of wealth, Neville passed through the gates and made his way up the walkway. The front door opened before he could even raise his hand to knock. A house elf dressed in a ratty length of cloth bowed to him in without a word and he followed it to a beautifully decorated sitting room. He wasn’t bad off, but just this room seemed to absolutely overshadow the entirety of his own family home. He tried not to roll his eyes at the ostentatiousness of the whole thing, but it was a near thing.
“Thank you for coming.”
Neville turned from his examination of the room to see Malfoy standing in the doorway. They hadn’t seen each other in a few years and it shocked him to see how much the blond had changed. Malfoy had always been attractive, but now… Neville had to choke down a highly inappropriate reaction. He was here to work on the garden, not on Malfoy.
“My pleasure,” Neville replied after a beat of silence that was just a little too long, and reached out to shake Malfoy’s hand. “So the garden?”
Malfoy nodded. “I’ll take you. But prepare yourself, it’s gotten worse since my letter.”
Unfortunately, that turned out to be quite an understatement. The ivy had spread through the entire greenhouse and was quickly working its way out. There were small bones scattered throughout the tangled vegetation that indicated that a few small animals from the nearby forest had already been ensnared. It was imperative that the ivy be taken out as soon as possible.
Neville went immediately to work, glad he’d brought more supplies than he’d expected to need. He wasn’t entirely sure now that they’d be enough to take the ivy out completely, but it would be a start at least. As long as he could keep it from spreading to the grounds, he would call it a win.
Hours later, the last thread of ivy shrivelled to dust. Neville took a step back, exhausted but very much pleased. He’d done better than he thought, and quicker too.
“That was quite impressive,” Malfoy said from somewhere near the entrance, and Neville jerked around. He’d forgotten the other man was there, which was actually pretty impressive considering how the Slytherin had been watching him so intently the whole time he worked.
“Thank you,” Neville replied, probably sounding quite a bit more smug than he meant to. He tried to tamp it down, but he really was very impressed with himself. “I suppose we should discuss payment and then I can get out of your way.”
Malfoy waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve already sent the instructions for payment to Gringotts,” he said. He started walking forward, a strange look in his eyes that Neville couldn’t quite name but that made something warm uncurl in his stomach. “I’m sure you’ll find it quite satisfactory.”
“Um, yes, I’m sure,” Neville replied mindlessly, too busy wondering what Malfoy wanted to really think about what he was saying. “Er, what are you doing?”
“I thought I’d show my appreciation in a little more… hands on fashion,” Malfoy said, a dangerously attractive smile on his face.
Before Neville could ask what that meant, Malfoy reached forward and kissed him. It took a few seconds for his mind to catch up, but soon Neville was returning the kiss just as fervently. He wasn’t sure exactly why Malfoy was kissing him, he just knew he didn’t have any plans to argue. They may not have gotten along in school, but Malfoy had been surprisingly polite and agreeable all day. Plus he was hot, and there was just way Neville was going to say no to that.
When they pulled apart an interminable time later, they were both panting. Malfoy- he should probably call him Draco by now- was smiling, a small smile, but one that Neville thought seemed to actually go to his eyes. It was, he decided, a very good look on the blond and he really hoped he’d have the chance to see it again.
“That was… nice,” he said a little awkwardly.
Draco let out a huff of laughter, shaking his head in amusement. “It was,” he agreed readily. “And if you’re agreeable, I’d like to do it again. Just maybe not in a greenhouse next time.”
Neville stared for a moment, barely believing what he was hearing. Even after that kiss it was still a surprise that someone like Draco would want someone like him. They seemed to exist in entirely dissimilar orbits, but then again, this wasn’t Hogwarts anymore. They were both very different people now.
With a nod, Neville reached out and took Draco’s hand, smiling when he didn’t pull away. This just might work after all. “I’d like that a lot.”