A Gift For digthewriter: Just a Latte, Neville/Charlie
Author: maraudersaffair
Recipient: Digthewriter
Title: Just a Latte
Pairing: Neville/Charlie
Rating: General Audiences
Word Count/Art Medium: 686
Summary: Charlie owns a coffee shop and Neville just wants a latte, or so he tells everyone.
Author's Notes: Thank you to my beta, L!
Neville knew exactly why he was at the Smoky Bean coffee shop. He just hoped everyone else didn’t know.
The coffee shop had an enormous dragon mural behind the counter, green and purple and gold whirling together. The place was run by Charlie, who was currently at the espresso machine, and Malfoy was working the till.
“Hello,” Neville said when he approached the till.
Malfoy’s smirk was too obvious. “Hello, Longbottom,” he drawled. “What can we make for you today?”
Neville couldn’t help but glance at Charlie. “Um … a latte. Just a latte.”
“Just a latte? Nothing else?”
Neville averted his eyes, feeling his face go hot. He hated that his crush was so obvious. “Yes, just a latte. How much do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house,” Malfoy said, still smirking. He glanced at Charlie as he wrote Neville’s name on the cup.
Neville escaped to a table, his face still burning. He tried not to watch as Charlie made his drink, but his eyes weren’t getting the message.
Ginny was wiping down the table next to Neville. She gave him a crooked smile and brushed the red hair from her forehead. “How are you doing, Nev?”
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just wanted a latte.”
“Oh, sure.” Ginny grinned and took up the chair opposite him. They stared at one another for a second. “You should just talk to him.”
“Who?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “You know who.”
Neville raised his chin. He thought about all his lovely plants at home and wished he was back with them. “I don’t know, actually.”
“Merlin,” she muttered. “Charlie. He wants you to talk to him.”
“No, he doesn’t! We’re not even mates!”
“Yes, you are. He likes talking to you.”
Neville shook his head. “No, he doesn’t know me. He couldn’t possibly like talking to me.”
She shrugged. “He talks about you.”
“What?”
Neville’s name was called, and he took the opportunity to run away from Ginny. He grabbed his latte from Malfoy, ignoring his smirk. He headed for the door, but a voice stopped him.
“Hey.”
Turning, Neville found himself faced with Charlie. Charlie’s red hair was slightly curly and his eyes were large and brown and warm. His soft mouth curled into a smile.
“Hey,” Neville breathed.
Charlie licked his lips, suddenly looking nervous. He motioned to Neville’s cup. “How is it?”
“Oh, um.” Neville took his first sip, and his eyes lit up. “Yum! It’s so good … like always.”
Charlie smiled again. “Good. I’m glad you like it.”
“The coffee you use … it’s so rich.”
“Yeah … will you sit with me for a while? Ginny’s agreed to make the drinks.”
Neville’s stomach clenched. He had a hard time meeting Charlie’s gaze. “Yeah, okay.”
They found a table in the back, and it was entirely too small. Their knees knocked together as they situated themselves.
“So,” Charlie said.
“I like your hair,” Neville blurted.
“Oh?” Charlie laughed, and ran his hand through his curls. “It probably looks like a mess.”
Neville shook his head and took an awkward sip of his latte. “No … it’s great. I wish my hair curled.”
“Your hair is nice, too.”
Neville felt himself blush. “That’s good.”
This made Charlie laugh again, and Neville was afraid he’d been rude.
“I mean - thank you for the compliment.”
“Hey,” Charlie said, and touched Neville’s hand. “I like it when you come in here. I … I’d like to get to know you.”
“Oh.”
Charlie gulped, his cheeks going a little pink. “What about a date? I know it’s abrupt … but I thought maybe you’d say yes.”
Neville sucked in a breath. “Oh, Merlin. Wow.” He tried to calm his heartbeat. “I mean … yes, I’d love a date with you. I want to get to know you as well.”
“Brilliant.” Charlie gave him a bright smile.
Acting on a whim, Neville leaned in and brushed his lips against Charlie’s. They both tasted like coffee.
“Oh,” Charlie breathed.
“I hope that was okay.”
Charlie leaned in for a proper kiss. “More than okay.”
Recipient: Digthewriter
Title: Just a Latte
Pairing: Neville/Charlie
Rating: General Audiences
Word Count/Art Medium: 686
Summary: Charlie owns a coffee shop and Neville just wants a latte, or so he tells everyone.
Author's Notes: Thank you to my beta, L!
Neville knew exactly why he was at the Smoky Bean coffee shop. He just hoped everyone else didn’t know.
The coffee shop had an enormous dragon mural behind the counter, green and purple and gold whirling together. The place was run by Charlie, who was currently at the espresso machine, and Malfoy was working the till.
“Hello,” Neville said when he approached the till.
Malfoy’s smirk was too obvious. “Hello, Longbottom,” he drawled. “What can we make for you today?”
Neville couldn’t help but glance at Charlie. “Um … a latte. Just a latte.”
“Just a latte? Nothing else?”
Neville averted his eyes, feeling his face go hot. He hated that his crush was so obvious. “Yes, just a latte. How much do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house,” Malfoy said, still smirking. He glanced at Charlie as he wrote Neville’s name on the cup.
Neville escaped to a table, his face still burning. He tried not to watch as Charlie made his drink, but his eyes weren’t getting the message.
Ginny was wiping down the table next to Neville. She gave him a crooked smile and brushed the red hair from her forehead. “How are you doing, Nev?”
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just wanted a latte.”
“Oh, sure.” Ginny grinned and took up the chair opposite him. They stared at one another for a second. “You should just talk to him.”
“Who?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “You know who.”
Neville raised his chin. He thought about all his lovely plants at home and wished he was back with them. “I don’t know, actually.”
“Merlin,” she muttered. “Charlie. He wants you to talk to him.”
“No, he doesn’t! We’re not even mates!”
“Yes, you are. He likes talking to you.”
Neville shook his head. “No, he doesn’t know me. He couldn’t possibly like talking to me.”
She shrugged. “He talks about you.”
“What?”
Neville’s name was called, and he took the opportunity to run away from Ginny. He grabbed his latte from Malfoy, ignoring his smirk. He headed for the door, but a voice stopped him.
“Hey.”
Turning, Neville found himself faced with Charlie. Charlie’s red hair was slightly curly and his eyes were large and brown and warm. His soft mouth curled into a smile.
“Hey,” Neville breathed.
Charlie licked his lips, suddenly looking nervous. He motioned to Neville’s cup. “How is it?”
“Oh, um.” Neville took his first sip, and his eyes lit up. “Yum! It’s so good … like always.”
Charlie smiled again. “Good. I’m glad you like it.”
“The coffee you use … it’s so rich.”
“Yeah … will you sit with me for a while? Ginny’s agreed to make the drinks.”
Neville’s stomach clenched. He had a hard time meeting Charlie’s gaze. “Yeah, okay.”
They found a table in the back, and it was entirely too small. Their knees knocked together as they situated themselves.
“So,” Charlie said.
“I like your hair,” Neville blurted.
“Oh?” Charlie laughed, and ran his hand through his curls. “It probably looks like a mess.”
Neville shook his head and took an awkward sip of his latte. “No … it’s great. I wish my hair curled.”
“Your hair is nice, too.”
Neville felt himself blush. “That’s good.”
This made Charlie laugh again, and Neville was afraid he’d been rude.
“I mean - thank you for the compliment.”
“Hey,” Charlie said, and touched Neville’s hand. “I like it when you come in here. I … I’d like to get to know you.”
“Oh.”
Charlie gulped, his cheeks going a little pink. “What about a date? I know it’s abrupt … but I thought maybe you’d say yes.”
Neville sucked in a breath. “Oh, Merlin. Wow.” He tried to calm his heartbeat. “I mean … yes, I’d love a date with you. I want to get to know you as well.”
“Brilliant.” Charlie gave him a bright smile.
Acting on a whim, Neville leaned in and brushed his lips against Charlie’s. They both tasted like coffee.
“Oh,” Charlie breathed.
“I hope that was okay.”
Charlie leaned in for a proper kiss. “More than okay.”