DRABBLE: Any Port (Hermione/Neville)
Title: Any Port
Character Pairing: Hermione/Neville
Prompt: let the tempest howl
Rating: G
Word Count: 503
Summary: Hermione and Neville are caught alone during a storm.
Author's Notes: A fairly tame introduction to my Hermione/Neville ficlet series! I have the worst time containing myself to short stories so I hope these drabbles will help me work on that. Hope you enjoy!
Link to Prompt Table: Prompt Table Here
"I hope no one was caught out in this." Hermione worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she watched the rain lash against the greenhouse glass.
"We haven't had a storm this bad since..." Neville's face scrunched as he thought. "Well, not in our lifetime, at any rate. My Herbologist's Almanac said we were in for a rough autumn, but this is unreal."
"This glass is magically reinforced, right?" Hermione asked. She'd intended it as a joke, but the squeak in her voice belied her tension.
Neville's gaze drew away from the panes and focused on her face. "You're safe here," he murmured soothingly. Hermione had heard him use the same tone on his plants before, and she'd always found it sweet. Now, however, she felt a faint stirring of emotion in her belly that had nothing to do with sweetness. She had the insane impulse to throw herself into his arms and beg him to keep talking to her in just such a manner.
She cleared her throat and tore her gaze away. "Yes. Well. Is there anything you need done while we're stuck here? Something I can help you with?"
Professor Longbottom kept his greenhouses immaculate, she knew. He had taken over for Professor Sprout two years ago, and Hermione herself had been part of the crew that helped him clean, repair and update the greenhouses. He was exacting in his standards, but he obviously loved what he did and his pride in his work sparkled as much as the freshly-washed windows.
She watched Neville as he glanced around the greenhouse. He rubbed the back of his neck before looking sheepishly at her. "There is one thing...but it's difficult and you'll get extremely dirty. Never mind."
"Oh, I don't mind being dirty!" Hermione exclaimed. Immediately she wanted to take the words back and she felt a flush rise on her cheeks. "Um, with dirt, I mean. Dirty with dirt."
Neville's lips twisted in a strange grimace. She suspected he was trying very hard not to laugh at her. "Then this will be perfect," he said finally. Again, she suspected he'd had to choke back his laughter.
He showed her to a pile of wooden bins that seemed innocent enough. Then he grabbed a crowbar and pried the lid off of one. Hermione tried not to watch the muscles of his back and shoulders flex, really she did; but it was hard not to stare. Since the end of the war, Neville had grown into himself, carrying his confidence in a whole new manner.
"Couldn't you just magic the lids off?" she asked to get her mind back on track.
"No," he grunted, opening another crate, "it'll destroy the nutritive properties of the soil."
And before she could question him further, the smell finally hit her. "UGH! Neville, what-what is that soil?"
He straightened and grinned fully at her. "Highest quality dragon dung fertilizer. Imported from Romania. Still willing to get dirty?"
Hermione considered taking her chances with the storm.
Character Pairing: Hermione/Neville
Prompt: let the tempest howl
Rating: G
Word Count: 503
Summary: Hermione and Neville are caught alone during a storm.
Author's Notes: A fairly tame introduction to my Hermione/Neville ficlet series! I have the worst time containing myself to short stories so I hope these drabbles will help me work on that. Hope you enjoy!
Link to Prompt Table: Prompt Table Here
"I hope no one was caught out in this." Hermione worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she watched the rain lash against the greenhouse glass.
"We haven't had a storm this bad since..." Neville's face scrunched as he thought. "Well, not in our lifetime, at any rate. My Herbologist's Almanac said we were in for a rough autumn, but this is unreal."
"This glass is magically reinforced, right?" Hermione asked. She'd intended it as a joke, but the squeak in her voice belied her tension.
Neville's gaze drew away from the panes and focused on her face. "You're safe here," he murmured soothingly. Hermione had heard him use the same tone on his plants before, and she'd always found it sweet. Now, however, she felt a faint stirring of emotion in her belly that had nothing to do with sweetness. She had the insane impulse to throw herself into his arms and beg him to keep talking to her in just such a manner.
She cleared her throat and tore her gaze away. "Yes. Well. Is there anything you need done while we're stuck here? Something I can help you with?"
Professor Longbottom kept his greenhouses immaculate, she knew. He had taken over for Professor Sprout two years ago, and Hermione herself had been part of the crew that helped him clean, repair and update the greenhouses. He was exacting in his standards, but he obviously loved what he did and his pride in his work sparkled as much as the freshly-washed windows.
She watched Neville as he glanced around the greenhouse. He rubbed the back of his neck before looking sheepishly at her. "There is one thing...but it's difficult and you'll get extremely dirty. Never mind."
"Oh, I don't mind being dirty!" Hermione exclaimed. Immediately she wanted to take the words back and she felt a flush rise on her cheeks. "Um, with dirt, I mean. Dirty with dirt."
Neville's lips twisted in a strange grimace. She suspected he was trying very hard not to laugh at her. "Then this will be perfect," he said finally. Again, she suspected he'd had to choke back his laughter.
He showed her to a pile of wooden bins that seemed innocent enough. Then he grabbed a crowbar and pried the lid off of one. Hermione tried not to watch the muscles of his back and shoulders flex, really she did; but it was hard not to stare. Since the end of the war, Neville had grown into himself, carrying his confidence in a whole new manner.
"Couldn't you just magic the lids off?" she asked to get her mind back on track.
"No," he grunted, opening another crate, "it'll destroy the nutritive properties of the soil."
And before she could question him further, the smell finally hit her. "UGH! Neville, what-what is that soil?"
He straightened and grinned fully at her. "Highest quality dragon dung fertilizer. Imported from Romania. Still willing to get dirty?"
Hermione considered taking her chances with the storm.