DIDI Fest: Grow in the Garden
Title: Grow in the Garden
For: HP DIDI
Rating: PG
Pairing: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy
Prompt: Own
Summary: Relationships are never easy. Especially when its with Draco Malfoy. Throw in hang-ups about his amputated legs and life gets a little harder for Neville. EWE. Post-war. 21X100
Warnings: Self-hate, slight dysfunctional relationship
Word Count: 2100
Author's Notes: Thanks to the mods as I kept failing at completing this!
Disclaimer: Not mine. Otherwise I would keep Neville and Draco to myself :)
Before
I.
Draco Malfoy scowled darkly at his legs, or rather at the spot where they abruptly ended. His beautiful, long legs started their gentle taper above the knee only to stop their elegance when they realized that there was nowhere to go. There was only empty space where there had once been strength.
The stumps were smooth, rounded, and graceful for all of the abruptness in the ending. The Malfoy name was still tarnished, but his money still spoke loudly. His father may have been imprisoned, his mother may have fled to France, but he was still a Malfoy. Forever proud.
II.
Neville was a hero without a job, a girlfriend or a purpose. He may have killed a giant snake, may have led Hogwarts through a revolution, and may have kissed Ginny (her soft lips and her biting teeth and the horror that he felt when it was all done), but somehow in the life post-war this all meant nothing.
Herbology and a gift with plants does not exactly sound like hero material. And Longbottom Buys Fertilizer! does not make the best headline. Nor does Longbottom Has Been Dumped by Abbott!, but this one at least was never published. Just felt.
III.
It was two months after The Incident. Two months of hospital stays, of learning to live again without the ends of his legs. Things like wheelchair and pain medications entered his daily vocabulary.
Two months of having his mental health monitored after he did not react well to the notion of losing parts of his legs. Two months as an ex-fiancé.
Astoria Greengrass was a lovely girl, but she did have to look out for herself. The engagement was cordially broken off. Magic only fixed so much to begin with, and it could not repair a broken future. Nothing could.
IV.
It was pub night at the Leaky Cauldron and Neville felt out of place. Harry and Ron were laughing over some joke while Hermione tutted though a smile was threatening to spread across her face.
Ginny was laughing so hard at what they said that that she could barely spit out an even dirtier version that shocked Ron into silence. Dean had not shown up yet, and Luna had sent a message saying that she was wandering in Wales, so sorry. Neville realized that he needed a job if this was all he had to look forward to each week.
V.
Draco prided himself on the state of the Manor. Only, after The Incident, he had let things slide. It was difficult to run a manor from a hospital bed. The once beautiful and well-groomed gardens were in disarray.
The grass had gone to seed, the shrubs shapeless and the roses appeared to have turned into a wall of thorns blocking sections of the ground from view. Weeds had replaced the organized flower beds; everything was in chaos.
Later, while he ate his breakfast he couldn't help but think that he really should hire someone to take care of the grounds.
VI.
Looking for a responsible, experienced gardener with an extensive knowledge of magical and muggle flora and fauna. Must use specific instruction about the organization of the grounds, but must also be able to employ their own creativity for the unstructured gardens. The grounds have been abandoned for some time and will need a lot of time and work put into it. You will be paid handsomely. Please contact: Draco Malfoy. Be prepared to show that you will be the right fit for this job.
Neville considered this job posting with a frown. Then he wrote an owl responding to it.
VII.
It was Longbottom who answered the job posting. When Draco had Isby, his only house elf, open the door to admit the first (and only) applicant, he had almost ordered her to close the door again.
Only the unsure look on Longbottom's face kept him from doing so. Longbottom looked decidedly uneasy, his face and body saying what Draco felt.
Uncomfortable silence was only broken when Longbottom began to stumble over his words as he tried to explain to Draco what the grounds needed. Ten minutes later, he is finished and red faced. He is also hired on the spot.
During
I.
The first day on the job left Neville unsure if he wanted to return. Malfoy acted like a crotchety old man, yelling instructions here and there amidst a volley of insults.
Neville sweated his way through trimming the hundred shrubs that lined the entry way, Malfoy providing the entertainment from his wheelchair parked in the shade, Isby providing refreshments.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? Clip at a 45 degree angle!”
“That looks like a stallion, not a mare!”
“A circle Longbottom, a CIRCLE! That is an oval!”
But Malfoy did not mention the War or Hogwarts. Neville could live with that.
II.
Longbottom was driving him crazy. It had something to do with his quiet manner and his penetrating stare. He never asked why Draco had stumps for legs or where his mother was.
They had a routine. Everyday Longbottom showed up at 8am and left at 4pm. For an hour at noon, they ate lunch together out at the gazebo, Longbottom dripping sweat and reeking of it. Draco caught himself taking a few unnecessary sniffs when Longbottom walked by.
But Longbottom never came inside, never stayed longer then he had to, and never looked at Draco with admiration in his eyes.
III.
Neville could not understand Malfoy. The insults had mostly stopped after the first week, only appearing when Neville did do something disastrous.
Neville was careful not to upset Malfoy, in case he became so angry that Neville would be fired. Though he was burning with curiosity on why the Malfoy heir looked as he did, he never asked about it.
They had a routine that was never broken, but slowly molded and changed. Which is why Neville was so surprised when Draco asked for him to meet not by the gates as he usually did, but inside the Manor instead.
IV.
“Yes?” Draco asked, aware of what the house elf would say and hoping that she would not embarrass him in front of Longbottom
“Sir is to be coming to breakfast now. It is being time for Sir's potion. Sir remembers what happens when Sir doesn't eat and take his potion.” Though her tone was firm, Isby's ears were drooping from the fear of addressing Draco so.
Draco nodded sharply at her, and she disappeared back into the empty manor. Longbottom had the grace to look away. It did not stop the flash of shame from spreading through Draco.
V.
After Neville saw that moment between Malfoy and his house elf, he started to pay more attention to Malfoy.
He saw Draco:
drink his pain potion every few hours.
grimace in his uncomfortable wheelchair.
rub his stumps absentmindedly.
and other little habits that he has never noticed before. Like when Draco smiled, his whole body glowed.
He must have been staring too hard, because Draco yelled, “Oi! Am I paying you to work or to ogle? Though I must say that you have good taste.”
It was enough to make Neville smile and bring his focus to his work.
VI.
Draco started seeing Neville everywhere. He began to start showing up at 7:30am in the foyer to eat breakfast with Draco, Isby fluttering around and glad to be able to feed another mouth.
Neville sometimes lost track of time and stayed late after work, talking about his childhood, or about the recent debate of muggle vs magical means of fertilizing. He became so animated when he talked about the things that he was interested in that Draco found himself arguing about excrement.
And Neville began to appear at night, in Draco's dreams that were oh so steamy hot and wicked.
VII.
It was pub night. Neville had been avoiding his friends. He knew that they would question him all about Draco and that he would not want to answer.
This was what happened; he was painfully interrogated. Ron questioned his sanity, Dean looked hurt, and Harry just watched him. Luna was not there (oh how he wished she was), and Hermione's lips were pressed into a thin line. The scar on her neck is white. Ginny turned as fiery as her hair and asked the questions that hurt the most.
Neville did not go to the Manor the next morning.
After
I.
The snitch twirled in front of him before plunging 10 meters. Draco dropped into a steep dive to follow it. The other seeker, face unknown, was behind him and trying vainly to catch up. Draco smirked as he leaned closer to the broom. No one could catch up to him. No one. The snitch was right in front of him now and if he just reached a bit more....
When he woke up his hand was still outstretched reaching for the snitch that he would never catch. Just like he would never be able to catch Neville while wheelchair bound.
II.
Three weeks had gone by and still Neville had not returned back to work. He had not replied to any of Malfoy's owls, nor to a desperate plea from Isby.
His days turned monotonous, just like they had been before. He only really left the house for pub night, and while he was welcomed back into the fold, he did not feel at home among them anymore.
Coming home tired from a pub night, Neville opened his front door only to find that Malfoy was sitting on his couch, wheelchair nearby.
Malfoy stared at him and said, “Lets talk.”
III.
The talking started with a stuttered apology from Neville and ended with them lying side-by-side kissing softly on the couch.
Draco yelled. Neville listened. Neville grew angry. Draco threw a cushion at him. Neville pinned him on the couch. Draco kissed him. And Neville kissed him back.
When morning came, they were still lying on the couch, Neville's feet hanging off the edge. Draco woke first but could not sneak away as Neville was between him and his chair. He lay there until his bladder could take no more.
He woke Neville whose eyes fluttered open as he whispered “Hello.”
IV.
Things changed after this. Sometimes Neville did not come home after work, instead choosing to stay the night with Draco under the stars in the warm summer heat.
Isby loved having another person around to boss Sir Draco. Draco did not appreciate this as much.
Draco also did not appreciate Neville's desire to constantly kiss and touch him.
The first time Neville reached over and touched the remains of Draco's leg in middle of a kiss, Draco sent Neville home without another word.
The second time Neville tried, Draco sent a quick Stupefy! at him.
The third time never happened.
V.
Neville quickly learned that some things were off limits. Touching Draco at the knee was only one of them.
Talking about his mother was another. His father was a fairly safe topic, though it usually made Draco a bit sad afterwards.
The one Neville did not expect, or maybe he should have, was quidditch. Even casually mentioned in passing was enough to make Draco freeze and quickly change the subject.
Neville guessed that if he lost the use of his hands, he would probably feel the same way if someone talked about gardening.
The last forbidden topic was The Incident.
VI.
“Why won't you tell me? Do you not trust me? Have these past 6 months shown nothing?” Neville angrily spat, his eyes like stone.
Draco just glared back, and wheeled his chair around so that he was no longer facing Neville.
Neville reached forward, grabbing the back of the wheel chair and spun him back around. Draco gripped the arms of his chair until his hands went white.
The two men just glared at each other, staring each other down. Never had the height difference been so obvious as now.
Neville stepped back and said a soft “Sorry.”
VII.
Its pub night again, a year after Neville stopped going. He hesitates by the door of The Leaky Cauldron, Draco right behind him.
“Are you ready for this?” Neville asks Draco, nervous himself.
Draco just snorts.
The look on the faces of the normal pub crew is amusing in their horror.
Luna is the the only one who seems pleased. She jumps up, waves and turns to the rest of the crew saying, “I told you that Neville was hit by an arrow!”
Life may be complicated, Neville thinks, but at least he has Draco at his side.