Harry Potter | Neville Longbottom/Susan Bones
Title: Finding Laughter
Author/Artist: Zelda Ophelia (zeldaophelia)
Theme: Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500
Stages: Attraction | Romance | Passion | Intimacy | Commitment
Author's Notes: Cross-posted to fanfic100
As far as Neville was concerned, she didn't laugh nearly enough. Since losing her aunt and her parents to the second war, Susan had become even quieter than she had been in school. Occasionally, when everyone had gathered at The Three Broomsticks (bought out by, of course, Dean and Seamus after the war) she might be seen smiling while talking with Hannah or Luna. But he didn't believe that he'd heard her laugh ever since the end of the war.
It was his mission after that day in the greenhouse, to bring out her laughter again. It didn't seem right that the prettiest, sweetest girl he knew didn't have anything to laugh about.
When Susan found the small daisy sitting at her usual place in the Three Broomsticks, she first thought that it was unintentionally left by a previous patron. Perhaps a gift from one lover to another, a small token of love, that brought a smile to her lips. By evening's end no one had returned to claim it, so she took it home with her, placing it in a small vase and enjoying the small ray of happiness it bestowed upon her kitchen.
The next night a large, happy, bright red gerbera daisy waited for her accompanied by a small strand of baby's breath. A smile teased her lips when she saw them. She couldn't believe that they were for her, but when the giver never appeared she decided they were accidentally left by someone else. They joined the daisy in her kitchen, the sliver of sunshine growing therein. Over the week more and more flowers found their way to her, changing her mind. Not just at The Three Broomsticks, on her desk at Auror Headquarters, arriving via owl post, even waiting for her on a work bench in the greenhouse at Hogwarts when she arrived to help. Tulips, snapdragons, peonies, leafy greenery, lilies and more joined the original daisy she received, each arriving with another flower. All members of the family Asteraceae, she explained to Hannah as she slipped the coneflower waiting for her into her bag, be they sunflowers, yarrows or the luscious gerberas, they were all in the daisy family. Hannah, being Hannah, just rolled her eyes and informed Susan she shouldn't be analyzing what plant families all her gifts were from. Instead she should concentrate on how many people knew daisies were her favourites and just who her mysterious suitor might be. She chuckled at the thought, laughing for the first time in ages, with a wistful look crossing her face.
It wasn't until after a particularly bad day at work - a suspect managed an elbow to her eye while trying to elude capture - that she learned who her suitor was. When she opened her door, cold compress in one hand, on the other side stood Neville with a small bouquet of rather appropriate Black-Eyed Susans.
Sometimes, Neville thought, laughter was the sweetest sound of all, especially when it came from her.
Author/Artist: Zelda Ophelia (zeldaophelia)
Theme: Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500
Stages: Attraction | Romance | Passion | Intimacy | Commitment
Author's Notes: Cross-posted to fanfic100
As far as Neville was concerned, she didn't laugh nearly enough. Since losing her aunt and her parents to the second war, Susan had become even quieter than she had been in school. Occasionally, when everyone had gathered at The Three Broomsticks (bought out by, of course, Dean and Seamus after the war) she might be seen smiling while talking with Hannah or Luna. But he didn't believe that he'd heard her laugh ever since the end of the war.
It was his mission after that day in the greenhouse, to bring out her laughter again. It didn't seem right that the prettiest, sweetest girl he knew didn't have anything to laugh about.
When Susan found the small daisy sitting at her usual place in the Three Broomsticks, she first thought that it was unintentionally left by a previous patron. Perhaps a gift from one lover to another, a small token of love, that brought a smile to her lips. By evening's end no one had returned to claim it, so she took it home with her, placing it in a small vase and enjoying the small ray of happiness it bestowed upon her kitchen.
The next night a large, happy, bright red gerbera daisy waited for her accompanied by a small strand of baby's breath. A smile teased her lips when she saw them. She couldn't believe that they were for her, but when the giver never appeared she decided they were accidentally left by someone else. They joined the daisy in her kitchen, the sliver of sunshine growing therein. Over the week more and more flowers found their way to her, changing her mind. Not just at The Three Broomsticks, on her desk at Auror Headquarters, arriving via owl post, even waiting for her on a work bench in the greenhouse at Hogwarts when she arrived to help. Tulips, snapdragons, peonies, leafy greenery, lilies and more joined the original daisy she received, each arriving with another flower. All members of the family Asteraceae, she explained to Hannah as she slipped the coneflower waiting for her into her bag, be they sunflowers, yarrows or the luscious gerberas, they were all in the daisy family. Hannah, being Hannah, just rolled her eyes and informed Susan she shouldn't be analyzing what plant families all her gifts were from. Instead she should concentrate on how many people knew daisies were her favourites and just who her mysterious suitor might be. She chuckled at the thought, laughing for the first time in ages, with a wistful look crossing her face.
It wasn't until after a particularly bad day at work - a suspect managed an elbow to her eye while trying to elude capture - that she learned who her suitor was. When she opened her door, cold compress in one hand, on the other side stood Neville with a small bouquet of rather appropriate Black-Eyed Susans.
Sometimes, Neville thought, laughter was the sweetest sound of all, especially when it came from her.