Bloom, Part One
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neville100Title: Bloom (Part One)
Author:maraudersaffair
Pairing: Neville/Draco
Word Count: 100 x 5
Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Neville and Draco meet in a bookshop after the war.
Challenge: Prompt 456 Muggles; I also included previous prompts.
A/N: Unbeta'd
Muggles
Neville liked being around Muggles. They were just so active - like bees in a hive.
He didn’t appreciate what they did to Earth, how they destroyed natural habitat; but he could understand why they found it necessary.
London was a maze that swallowed a bloke up. Neville liked being swallowed up; he especially liked old Muggle bookshops that were the size of a shoebox.
It was in one of these bookshops where he ran into Draco Malfoy.
The shop was dark despite the yellow electric light. Neville had to blink several times. Malfoy around Muggles? It couldn’t be.
Blossom
Malfoy sneered a little at him. His blond hair gleamed under the electricity. “Hello, Longbottom,” he drawled.
Neville blinked. He didn’t remember Malfoy being attractive.
His stare made colour bloom on Malfoy’s cheeks. Malfoy dropped his eyes; in that moment, he looked almost demure.
Malfoy blossoms nicely, Neville thought.
“Do you like books?”
Malfoy frowned at his shoes. “Yes.”
“Me too. I’m surprised you’re at a Muggle bookshop; did you get lost?” Neville chuckled at his own joke.
Malfoy rolled his eyes. “I’m looking for a Muggle book that’s out of print.”
“You collect Muggle books?”
Biscuit
Malfoy shrugged.
“Have a cup of tea with me,” Neville said.
“What?”
“We can talk about books.”
“I don’t know … I have other engagements today, you know.”
Neville nodded. “I’m sure you’re terribly busy.”
“Yes.”
“A cup of tea won’t take very long, I promise.” Neville gave him a big grin.
“Oh, all right.”
They left the bookshop and headed for a tiny cafe at the end of the street. The day was crisp, the wind kicking up leaves.
Malfoy’s eyes looked pretty in the sunlight. Neville couldn’t help but stare.
In the cafe, they ordered tea and biscuits.
Forgetful
Neville stared at the attractive man across the table from him. They weren't schoolboys anymore.
Malfoy stirred his tea. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’ve forgotten what it was like to hate you.”
“I’m not so forgetful.”
“Do you still harbour resentments?”
Malfoy raised his chin. “Of course.”
Neville ate an orange and cardamom biscuit. ‘What are you doing with yourself these days?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“I heard you were working in a shop in Knockturn. Is that true?”
Malfoy’s cheeks went slightly pink again. “What’s with all the questions?”
Shrugging, Neville ate another biscuit.
Sweets
“I’m the Herbology professor at Hogwarts now.”
“I know.”
Neville raised his eyebrows. “You’re allowed to know about my profession, but I’m not allowed to know yours?”
“I don’t have a profession. I work in a shop, that’s all.”
“What kind of shop?”
Malfoy fiddled with his serviette, looking angry. “It’s a bookshop - like the one we were just in. I do like books. That wasn’t a lie.”
Malfoy drained his tea and stood. “I have to go now. I hope this inquisition satisfied you.”
Neville grinned. “Not at all.”
Looking at Malfoy had been like eating sweets.
Author:
maraudersaffairPairing: Neville/Draco
Word Count: 100 x 5
Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Neville and Draco meet in a bookshop after the war.
Challenge: Prompt 456 Muggles; I also included previous prompts.
A/N: Unbeta'd
Muggles
Neville liked being around Muggles. They were just so active - like bees in a hive.
He didn’t appreciate what they did to Earth, how they destroyed natural habitat; but he could understand why they found it necessary.
London was a maze that swallowed a bloke up. Neville liked being swallowed up; he especially liked old Muggle bookshops that were the size of a shoebox.
It was in one of these bookshops where he ran into Draco Malfoy.
The shop was dark despite the yellow electric light. Neville had to blink several times. Malfoy around Muggles? It couldn’t be.
Blossom
Malfoy sneered a little at him. His blond hair gleamed under the electricity. “Hello, Longbottom,” he drawled.
Neville blinked. He didn’t remember Malfoy being attractive.
His stare made colour bloom on Malfoy’s cheeks. Malfoy dropped his eyes; in that moment, he looked almost demure.
Malfoy blossoms nicely, Neville thought.
“Do you like books?”
Malfoy frowned at his shoes. “Yes.”
“Me too. I’m surprised you’re at a Muggle bookshop; did you get lost?” Neville chuckled at his own joke.
Malfoy rolled his eyes. “I’m looking for a Muggle book that’s out of print.”
“You collect Muggle books?”
Biscuit
Malfoy shrugged.
“Have a cup of tea with me,” Neville said.
“What?”
“We can talk about books.”
“I don’t know … I have other engagements today, you know.”
Neville nodded. “I’m sure you’re terribly busy.”
“Yes.”
“A cup of tea won’t take very long, I promise.” Neville gave him a big grin.
“Oh, all right.”
They left the bookshop and headed for a tiny cafe at the end of the street. The day was crisp, the wind kicking up leaves.
Malfoy’s eyes looked pretty in the sunlight. Neville couldn’t help but stare.
In the cafe, they ordered tea and biscuits.
Forgetful
Neville stared at the attractive man across the table from him. They weren't schoolboys anymore.
Malfoy stirred his tea. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’ve forgotten what it was like to hate you.”
“I’m not so forgetful.”
“Do you still harbour resentments?”
Malfoy raised his chin. “Of course.”
Neville ate an orange and cardamom biscuit. ‘What are you doing with yourself these days?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“I heard you were working in a shop in Knockturn. Is that true?”
Malfoy’s cheeks went slightly pink again. “What’s with all the questions?”
Shrugging, Neville ate another biscuit.
Sweets
“I’m the Herbology professor at Hogwarts now.”
“I know.”
Neville raised his eyebrows. “You’re allowed to know about my profession, but I’m not allowed to know yours?”
“I don’t have a profession. I work in a shop, that’s all.”
“What kind of shop?”
Malfoy fiddled with his serviette, looking angry. “It’s a bookshop - like the one we were just in. I do like books. That wasn’t a lie.”
Malfoy drained his tea and stood. “I have to go now. I hope this inquisition satisfied you.”
Neville grinned. “Not at all.”
Looking at Malfoy had been like eating sweets.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 08:43 pm (UTC)I’m excited for more too! I like how the 100 challenge makes me simplify my writing. I have a lot of plot to cover in such few words.
It also makes me think about how many words I could cut from my other writing and still get my point across to readers.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-26 04:11 pm (UTC)I like how the aim at exactly 100 words makes me edit out all unnecessary words, as I often find it hard to discard any text I've come up with. That was the reason why I once decided to write a bit longer (2k, it turned out) fic as a series of 100-word drabbles, while otherwise each of my drabbles has been meant to work separately.