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FIC: Neville's Heart (Neville/Susan, multiple ships)
Title: Neville's Heart
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Neville Longbottom/Susan Bones; Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley; Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger; George Weasley/Luna Lovegood
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 1,052
Summary: On the day that Harry Potter wakes up, Neville finds a bit of love in his own corner as well.
Notes: Written for Valentine's Day 2007; pre-DH and now A/U.
Ginny seemed to know, before Susan even said the words. Her face, which had been drawn, tight, and anxious for so long, relaxed at last. In her eyes, the light of hope kindled, like a candle that was being relit after many months.
‘He’s awake, isn’t he?’ she said quietly.
‘He’s awake,’ Susan confirmed.
There was no squeal of joy, no gasp of relief. To an outsider, Ginny might have appeared completely calm. But Neville, sitting next to her, could feel her shaking.
‘Take me to him.’
She gripped his hand for support as she stood to follow Susan. It felt so cold, her palm. Neville tried to imagine how she must feel; very much the way he would if the Healer in charge of the Long Term Spell Damage ward arrived to tell him that his parents …
Ron and Hermione were waiting outside Harry’s ward, both with tears in their eyes and their faces wet. Neville wanted to say something to them, but ‘congratulations’ didn’t seem to cut it, and anyway, Ginny was pulling him forward, through the door that Susan held open.
She let go of him, then, flying across the room to the bed in which Harry lay.
It was a magical moment, the instant they touched. Neither spoke any words, but both seemed to light up the moment they connected.
He watched as Harry’s hand travelled over Ginny’s face, slowly and carefully, as if assuring himself that she was real. He watched as Ginny put her arms around Harry and lifted her mouth up to his, two lovers reuniting at last …
And he had to look away, to give them privacy. There was something about the whole scene that awakened an ache inside him, a longing to have someone to cherish as much as this pair of lovers did. Without thinking, Neville turned and headed for the door. This room was too filled with raw charged emotion, which he couldn’t intrude on any longer.
He nearly walked into the other pair outside the door.
‘He’s awake,’ Hermione was saying, her voice breathless with tears. ‘Awake.’
Ron said nothing, but pulled her roughly to him and kissed her, as though he had no other outlet for his feelings. Neville shook his head with mild amusement, and walked on down the corridor.
‘He couldn’t have picked a better day.’ He heard the voice of George Weasley just behind a door.
‘A Valentine’s Day gift for Ginny.’ That was definitely Luna, sounding dreamy.
‘Well, since my sister’s getting hers now …’ George trailed off, and Neville thought he knew what he was following his words up with. He smiled to himself. George and Luna - no one had seen that one coming. But they were happy, and that was all he could wish for a friend as loyal and worthy as Luna had proved to be.
Neville continued walking. He wasn’t quite sure where he was headed, but it was no big surprise when he ended up outside the door to his parents’ ward. It was a day to be spent with those he loved, after all. And since his friends were otherwise occupied, he should pay a visit to family.
‘Hi Mum,’ he said. ‘Hi, Dad.’
They stared at him blankly.
‘I just … well, it’s Valentine’s Day. Do you remember that?’
Of course they didn’t. They never did. Neville sighed.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day anyway.’ He patted his mother carefully on the shoulder. She was hunched over a box, ruffling around inside. After a moment, she held up something to him.
‘Droobles'?’ he tried to joke. She didn’t respond, only grabbed his hand and pressed the wrapper into it. Neville looked down.
It was a wrapper. But she had folded it into the shape of a heart.
‘Mum?’ he glanced at her, wide-eyed, but she was humming to herself now, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. He didn’t know if she even knew what she had given him.
Still …
‘Thanks, Mum,’ he said softly, kissing her cheek. He glanced at his father, who was now staring at him now, grinning stupidly.
‘Sometimes I think you know more than you let on,’ he told them.
‘Maybe they do,’ said a voice.
Neville jumped, and turned to see Susan standing by the door, watching.
‘How - how did you know I was here?’
‘I followed you,’ she said simply. ‘But even if I hadn’t …’ she shrugged. ‘I’ve often seen you in here, when I do my rounds.’
He wasn’t sure what to say to this. There was silence, broken only by his mother’s tuneless humming. Susan approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘I think they must remember you, somewhere in their minds.’
‘How do you know?’
Another long pause. And then: ‘I know I wouldn’t be able to forget a man like you.’ She said it so softly that Neville wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. While he was wondering if his ears had deceived him, the gentle pressure on his shoulder disappeared. Susan was walking away.
Still not quite sure what to do, how to respond, Neville stared dumbly at the carefully-folded heart-shaped wrapper in his hands.
‘I think -’ he glanced round at his parents. ‘I think she might like me.’ He felt a bit dazed, saying it out. His mother stopped humming, and looked at him. Was he imagining the hint of the smile tugging at her lips? Was it just him, or did his father’s stare seem encouraging all of a sudden?
‘I’ll - I’ll take that as a yes,’ he said, feeling a bit dazed. ‘Thanks.’
Then he got up quickly, and hurried out of the door.
‘Susan!’
He didn’t stop to wonder why she had been walking so slowly that she was only halfway down the corridor. He sprinted the length of it, skidding to a stop right before her.
‘Do you - do you want to go out for dinner tonight?’ Neville found himself holding his hand, the one with the little heart-wrapper, out to her.
Susan looked down at his palm in surprise, and then back to Neville’s face. Her eyes crinkled as she broke into a lovely smile.
‘I’d love to,’ she said. And she placed her palm in his, over the tiny heart, holding it there between their hands.
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Neville Longbottom/Susan Bones; Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley; Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger; George Weasley/Luna Lovegood
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 1,052
Summary: On the day that Harry Potter wakes up, Neville finds a bit of love in his own corner as well.
Notes: Written for Valentine's Day 2007; pre-DH and now A/U.
Ginny seemed to know, before Susan even said the words. Her face, which had been drawn, tight, and anxious for so long, relaxed at last. In her eyes, the light of hope kindled, like a candle that was being relit after many months.
‘He’s awake, isn’t he?’ she said quietly.
‘He’s awake,’ Susan confirmed.
There was no squeal of joy, no gasp of relief. To an outsider, Ginny might have appeared completely calm. But Neville, sitting next to her, could feel her shaking.
‘Take me to him.’
She gripped his hand for support as she stood to follow Susan. It felt so cold, her palm. Neville tried to imagine how she must feel; very much the way he would if the Healer in charge of the Long Term Spell Damage ward arrived to tell him that his parents …
Ron and Hermione were waiting outside Harry’s ward, both with tears in their eyes and their faces wet. Neville wanted to say something to them, but ‘congratulations’ didn’t seem to cut it, and anyway, Ginny was pulling him forward, through the door that Susan held open.
She let go of him, then, flying across the room to the bed in which Harry lay.
It was a magical moment, the instant they touched. Neither spoke any words, but both seemed to light up the moment they connected.
He watched as Harry’s hand travelled over Ginny’s face, slowly and carefully, as if assuring himself that she was real. He watched as Ginny put her arms around Harry and lifted her mouth up to his, two lovers reuniting at last …
And he had to look away, to give them privacy. There was something about the whole scene that awakened an ache inside him, a longing to have someone to cherish as much as this pair of lovers did. Without thinking, Neville turned and headed for the door. This room was too filled with raw charged emotion, which he couldn’t intrude on any longer.
He nearly walked into the other pair outside the door.
‘He’s awake,’ Hermione was saying, her voice breathless with tears. ‘Awake.’
Ron said nothing, but pulled her roughly to him and kissed her, as though he had no other outlet for his feelings. Neville shook his head with mild amusement, and walked on down the corridor.
‘He couldn’t have picked a better day.’ He heard the voice of George Weasley just behind a door.
‘A Valentine’s Day gift for Ginny.’ That was definitely Luna, sounding dreamy.
‘Well, since my sister’s getting hers now …’ George trailed off, and Neville thought he knew what he was following his words up with. He smiled to himself. George and Luna - no one had seen that one coming. But they were happy, and that was all he could wish for a friend as loyal and worthy as Luna had proved to be.
Neville continued walking. He wasn’t quite sure where he was headed, but it was no big surprise when he ended up outside the door to his parents’ ward. It was a day to be spent with those he loved, after all. And since his friends were otherwise occupied, he should pay a visit to family.
‘Hi Mum,’ he said. ‘Hi, Dad.’
They stared at him blankly.
‘I just … well, it’s Valentine’s Day. Do you remember that?’
Of course they didn’t. They never did. Neville sighed.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day anyway.’ He patted his mother carefully on the shoulder. She was hunched over a box, ruffling around inside. After a moment, she held up something to him.
‘Droobles'?’ he tried to joke. She didn’t respond, only grabbed his hand and pressed the wrapper into it. Neville looked down.
It was a wrapper. But she had folded it into the shape of a heart.
‘Mum?’ he glanced at her, wide-eyed, but she was humming to herself now, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. He didn’t know if she even knew what she had given him.
Still …
‘Thanks, Mum,’ he said softly, kissing her cheek. He glanced at his father, who was now staring at him now, grinning stupidly.
‘Sometimes I think you know more than you let on,’ he told them.
‘Maybe they do,’ said a voice.
Neville jumped, and turned to see Susan standing by the door, watching.
‘How - how did you know I was here?’
‘I followed you,’ she said simply. ‘But even if I hadn’t …’ she shrugged. ‘I’ve often seen you in here, when I do my rounds.’
He wasn’t sure what to say to this. There was silence, broken only by his mother’s tuneless humming. Susan approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘I think they must remember you, somewhere in their minds.’
‘How do you know?’
Another long pause. And then: ‘I know I wouldn’t be able to forget a man like you.’ She said it so softly that Neville wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. While he was wondering if his ears had deceived him, the gentle pressure on his shoulder disappeared. Susan was walking away.
Still not quite sure what to do, how to respond, Neville stared dumbly at the carefully-folded heart-shaped wrapper in his hands.
‘I think -’ he glanced round at his parents. ‘I think she might like me.’ He felt a bit dazed, saying it out. His mother stopped humming, and looked at him. Was he imagining the hint of the smile tugging at her lips? Was it just him, or did his father’s stare seem encouraging all of a sudden?
‘I’ll - I’ll take that as a yes,’ he said, feeling a bit dazed. ‘Thanks.’
Then he got up quickly, and hurried out of the door.
‘Susan!’
He didn’t stop to wonder why she had been walking so slowly that she was only halfway down the corridor. He sprinted the length of it, skidding to a stop right before her.
‘Do you - do you want to go out for dinner tonight?’ Neville found himself holding his hand, the one with the little heart-wrapper, out to her.
Susan looked down at his palm in surprise, and then back to Neville’s face. Her eyes crinkled as she broke into a lovely smile.
‘I’d love to,’ she said. And she placed her palm in his, over the tiny heart, holding it there between their hands.