What This Place Needs
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.
Title: What This Place Needs
Characters: Neville/Harry
Rating: fluff
Word Count: 750
A/N: Wow, I actually wrote something! It’s short and fluffy, but done. Thank you secretsolitaire for the prompt of 'Neville gets a new pet'.
“You know what this place needs?” Neville asked suddenly.
Harry looked up from his breakfast, and seeing that Neville was looking all around their cottage, also began looking all around. “A good cleaning?”
“A cat. I’ve always wanted a cat.”
“What for? They eat houseplants, you know.” Harry went back to his newspaper, confident the fancy would pass.
“Yeah, but they’re warm and they cuddle up with you at night.”
“I thought that’s what I was for.”
“I’m serious. I always wanted one in school, you know.”
“You seemed perfectly happy with Trevor.”
“I was. I am. I just thought it might be nice to have a cat.” Neville tossed his napkin next to his dish and got up with the same air of distracted anticipation that he usually displayed just before disappearing into the greenhouse for an entire Saturday.
“Where are you going?” Harry demanded.
“To see Hermione, of course!”
One loud crack of Apparition later, and Harry was sitting at the table with two rapidly cooling plates of eggs. He glanced over at Trevor, who blearrpped solemnly from his windowsill.
“Yeah,” Harry replied. “My sentiments exactly.”
* * * *
“I’m sorry, Neville, but I’m not raising any kittens right now.” Hermione drew the belt around her dressing gown as she let Neville through the door. “Did you try the Menagerie?”
“They aren’t open today.”
“Well, what’s the urgency?” Hermione asked, trying to steer him gently toward the kitchen. “Today, tomorrow?”
“It has to be today,” Neville insisted stubbornly. “I don’t know why, it just does.”
“Let me make you some tea,” she began. “And we can discuss whether you really want a cat.”
“I just had tea, Hermione. And I think I know whether or not I want a cat!”
Hermione regarded him for a moment, then nodded. “Try Minerva’s farm.”
* * * *
“Don’t you have a toad?” Professor McGonagall stared at him over the silver line of her bifocals. “And doesn’t Mr. Potter have an owl? Are you sure bringing a predator into your home is wise?”
“Couldn’t you spare one of the barn cats?” Neville asked hopefully.
“The term ‘barn cat’ suggests an unnamed working animal kept on the premises solely for vermin control. Every cat here is named, and loved, and going nowhere, Mr. Longbottom. Why don’t you ask Hagrid?”
* * * *
“Um, well, no, can’t say as I’ve seen any strays about the place lately,” Hagrid allowed thoughtfully, rubbing his beard as he gazed across the grounds. He seemed to be seeing right through the trees, as if taking stock of every creature large or small that lived within a hundred mile radius.
“Well, thank you anyway, Hagrid.” Neville sighed, and turned away.
“Could I interest you in a nice niffler? Got some o’those.”
“No, I’d better be getting home. I was supposed to weed the border today.”
* * * *
Neville stepped into the cottage and went to the front closet to get his gloves and trowel. While he ws rummaging for the second glove, he heard a loud clang from the kitchen.
“Harry? All right in there?”
Getting no answer, Neville set the trowel down and walked into the kitchen. He found Harry cleaning up kibble from the floor, and a brown tabby kitten chasing a bowl merrily across the tiles.
“What are you doing back so soon?” Harry cried, as the kitten charged through the kibble he’d just wiped into a pile and sent it scattering all over again. “It was going to be a surprise!”
Neville leaned down and gathered the kitten up in his hands. It was small and thin and soft and promptly ran up his arm. “Where’d you get him?”
“Mrs. Figg. She’s always got plenty that need homes. Finds them on her walks.”
Neville took the kitten off the top of his head and cradled it to his chest, rubbing one of its ears until a mighty purr rose up. “How’d you know I wasn’t going to come home with one myself?”
Harry shrugged. “Cats are popular with wizardfolk. I figured it might take a few days to find one here. Do you …do you like him?”
“He’s amazing, Harry,” Neville said earnestly.
Harry stood up and dusted off his trousers. “Glad you think so.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and scuffed the floor. “Wasn’t sure what kind you wanted. He sort of picked me out first, so I just said OK.”
Neville smiled at him. “That tends to work. I suppose Trevor and Ludwig are going to be jealous for a while.”
“They’ll get over it,” Harry said quietly, stepping up and adding his hand to Neville’s on the striped brown fur. “We know your heart’s big enough for all of us.”
Title: What This Place Needs
Characters: Neville/Harry
Rating: fluff
Word Count: 750
A/N: Wow, I actually wrote something! It’s short and fluffy, but done. Thank you secretsolitaire for the prompt of 'Neville gets a new pet'.
“You know what this place needs?” Neville asked suddenly.
Harry looked up from his breakfast, and seeing that Neville was looking all around their cottage, also began looking all around. “A good cleaning?”
“A cat. I’ve always wanted a cat.”
“What for? They eat houseplants, you know.” Harry went back to his newspaper, confident the fancy would pass.
“Yeah, but they’re warm and they cuddle up with you at night.”
“I thought that’s what I was for.”
“I’m serious. I always wanted one in school, you know.”
“You seemed perfectly happy with Trevor.”
“I was. I am. I just thought it might be nice to have a cat.” Neville tossed his napkin next to his dish and got up with the same air of distracted anticipation that he usually displayed just before disappearing into the greenhouse for an entire Saturday.
“Where are you going?” Harry demanded.
“To see Hermione, of course!”
One loud crack of Apparition later, and Harry was sitting at the table with two rapidly cooling plates of eggs. He glanced over at Trevor, who blearrpped solemnly from his windowsill.
“Yeah,” Harry replied. “My sentiments exactly.”
* * * *
“I’m sorry, Neville, but I’m not raising any kittens right now.” Hermione drew the belt around her dressing gown as she let Neville through the door. “Did you try the Menagerie?”
“They aren’t open today.”
“Well, what’s the urgency?” Hermione asked, trying to steer him gently toward the kitchen. “Today, tomorrow?”
“It has to be today,” Neville insisted stubbornly. “I don’t know why, it just does.”
“Let me make you some tea,” she began. “And we can discuss whether you really want a cat.”
“I just had tea, Hermione. And I think I know whether or not I want a cat!”
Hermione regarded him for a moment, then nodded. “Try Minerva’s farm.”
* * * *
“Don’t you have a toad?” Professor McGonagall stared at him over the silver line of her bifocals. “And doesn’t Mr. Potter have an owl? Are you sure bringing a predator into your home is wise?”
“Couldn’t you spare one of the barn cats?” Neville asked hopefully.
“The term ‘barn cat’ suggests an unnamed working animal kept on the premises solely for vermin control. Every cat here is named, and loved, and going nowhere, Mr. Longbottom. Why don’t you ask Hagrid?”
* * * *
“Um, well, no, can’t say as I’ve seen any strays about the place lately,” Hagrid allowed thoughtfully, rubbing his beard as he gazed across the grounds. He seemed to be seeing right through the trees, as if taking stock of every creature large or small that lived within a hundred mile radius.
“Well, thank you anyway, Hagrid.” Neville sighed, and turned away.
“Could I interest you in a nice niffler? Got some o’those.”
“No, I’d better be getting home. I was supposed to weed the border today.”
* * * *
Neville stepped into the cottage and went to the front closet to get his gloves and trowel. While he ws rummaging for the second glove, he heard a loud clang from the kitchen.
“Harry? All right in there?”
Getting no answer, Neville set the trowel down and walked into the kitchen. He found Harry cleaning up kibble from the floor, and a brown tabby kitten chasing a bowl merrily across the tiles.
“What are you doing back so soon?” Harry cried, as the kitten charged through the kibble he’d just wiped into a pile and sent it scattering all over again. “It was going to be a surprise!”
Neville leaned down and gathered the kitten up in his hands. It was small and thin and soft and promptly ran up his arm. “Where’d you get him?”
“Mrs. Figg. She’s always got plenty that need homes. Finds them on her walks.”
Neville took the kitten off the top of his head and cradled it to his chest, rubbing one of its ears until a mighty purr rose up. “How’d you know I wasn’t going to come home with one myself?”
Harry shrugged. “Cats are popular with wizardfolk. I figured it might take a few days to find one here. Do you …do you like him?”
“He’s amazing, Harry,” Neville said earnestly.
Harry stood up and dusted off his trousers. “Glad you think so.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and scuffed the floor. “Wasn’t sure what kind you wanted. He sort of picked me out first, so I just said OK.”
Neville smiled at him. “That tends to work. I suppose Trevor and Ludwig are going to be jealous for a while.”
“They’ll get over it,” Harry said quietly, stepping up and adding his hand to Neville’s on the striped brown fur. “We know your heart’s big enough for all of us.”