Harry Potter One-Shots

Surprise Encounter (Neville Longbottom)

WORD COUNT: 997

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, trying to push past the gaggle of drunk college-age students gathering outside the entrance to my favorite Muggle bar, O'Reilly's. The end of summer heat was overbearing, hanging heavy in the air leaving a thin sheen of sweat on my neck. After a long, gruelling work day at the Ministry, I was due for a drink, and when my best friend from childhood had reached out asking to meet for drinks this evening, it had seemed like the perfect opportunity to forget about the troubles of the week.

After finally pushing past the crowds and into the bar, I gave the room a quick scan before my eyes landed on a familiar face. Green eyes met my Y/E/C ones and it felt like the wind had been knocked right out of me.

"Neville?!" I gasped, and even though he was across the room and most definitely couldn't hear me, a matching expression of shock and happiness swept over his face. How long had it been since I'd seen him? Certainly not since the war, and we were five years out of school by now. His face had changed... he was much taller and leaner now, and the ghost of a five o'clock shadow graced his newly handsome face. How had I not noticed how attractive he was in school? Neville cocked his head at me, beckoning me over to where he sat, and before I could register, my feet were carrying me over.

"Y/N," he grinned, standing and wrapping me into a suffocating hug. My face squished into his strong chest and I breathed in the scent of his cologne. It smelled... expensive, and classy. "How have you been? It's been so long, you look great!"

"It's good to see you too Neville!" I couldn't help but smile at his youthful excitement. He'd changed physically, but his youthful excitement and energy was just like I'd remembered it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, gesturing around the room, and I was reminded of why I was actually here.

"I'm supposed to be meeting a friend, but..." I scanned the room again, looking for the shock of dyed hair I'd read about in her letter, but I couldn't find her anywhere. "It doesn't look like she's here yet." Typical, she was always late.

"Well, I wouldn't want to keep you from your friend, but if she's not here you can always sit with me until she gets here!"

I smiled. "That sounds great!" I pulled up the empty barstool next to Neville and took a seat, signaling to the bartender and ordering a beer to sip on while we talked. The minutes flew by like seconds, and it soon felt like almost no time had passed since the last time I saw Neville at school.

"Wait, so you're going to teach Herbology?" I gasped, downing the rest of my drink.

"Yes! McGonagall -- she's the new Headmistress, by the way -- wrote me last week to offer me the position since Sprout just retired, and she'd heard about all the research I'd been doing out in Panama with traditional medicinal plants and their uses in magic and she sounded really impressed!" Watching Neville talk about something he was clearly so passionate about made my heart swell with pride... or was it something else? I remembered him as an awkward, buck-toothed adolescent who was too shy to even express his interest in anything, much less talk about it with so much excitement as he was now. Never in my seven years at Hogwarts did I think I would find myself attracted to Neville Longbottom, but at the bottom of my second drink and deep into our conversation, here I was.

We talked for what felt like hours, ignoring the world around us, drinking more and more and becoming sillier by the drink. As the people around us in the bar got drunker and rowdier, the energy in the room rose considerably and soon I was pulling Neville by the hand onto the dance floor, clutching a drink in my other hand. The DJ was playing some Muggle pop song I was unfamiliar with, but it had a catchy beat and was easy to dance to. Neville was reluctant at first but eventually he gave in and agreed to dance with me, his hands resting gingerly on my waist as if he was afraid to touch me.

"You're a natural dancer!" I leaned in close to his face so he could hear me over the blasting music. He smiled sheepishly and rolled his eyes at me.

"It's easy to follow when I've got such a strong partner to lead," he teased back, sliding his hands together from my hips to my lower back and pulling me just slightly closer. Even in my drunken mind my heart was beating quickly.

"Is this your way of making a move on me Neville Longbottom?"

"I don't know, is it working?" Before I could answer, Neville's lips were pressed to mine in a frenzy, moving fast and carelessly. My hands tangled themselves in his hair and his latched onto my sides pulling me closer still. Even while being jostled by the couples dancing around us, we didn't break the kiss.

Eventually I pulled away, gasping for air and grinning like a schoolgirl. Neville had the same cheeky smile on his face, as though neither of us could believe what we had just done. Around us, most of the other dancing couples had left and it seemed late, like the bar would be closing soon. Neville grabbed my hand in his and pulled me toward the door.

"Whaddya say we get out of here?" He asked, looking back at me over his shoulder as we stumbled out the bar's door. I couldn't stop smiling stupidly and had to hold in a little giggle that threatened to escape.

"I'd love that," I replied, and with that, we Disapparated together.