Plants in the Moonlight (open)

The Slytherin table was all in a commotion as well. They of course took Draco's side and unlike most of the school who made assumptions that Draco had done something to Neville, they asserted that it was Neville who had bewitched Draco. Pansy was rounding on anyone who dared to whisper, giggle, or point at Malfoy. She snarled that her boyfriend wouldn't be caught dead with his lips near another boy, specifically and especially not Neville Longbottom. Draco was threatening anyone who dared to look at him oddly with the meaty fists of his two bodyguards, and the glare that twisted his paler-than-usual face was perhaps the most horrible one witnessed yet. It was such an expression that it probably would have been more at home on Snape's face.

"I would never kiss Longbottom, you sodding moron!" He shouted to a Ravenclaw girl as he passed the knot of gossiping girls outside breakfast. He was seething, and wondering if it was best to threaten or to play it cool, snorting at the very notion that he would be romantically involved with any boy at Hogwarts.

"Maybe it was that Gryffindor boy whose always lugging around that camera--what's his name? One of the Creevey brothers isn't it?" Pansy suggested, looking around for the boy.

Draco's silvery eyes however, landed on Hermione. He had seen her looking at a photo at breakfast and he could only imagine it was one of the photos of he and Neville snogging that had been spread around the school. Draco stormed over to Hermione, his nose in the air, and then he stopped in front of her sneering at her.

"Where'd you get that photo, Mudblood?" He took a step closer, backing her against the stone wall. "It must be some sort of hexed photo. You and all this dumb lot of students couldn't possibly believe that I'd be caught snogging Longbottom." He spat the name, not because he had any regret about the kiss or because he disliked Neville really, but because he had to keep up the appearance and especially to assert that he wasn't into such things.

Over his shoulder, Pansy watched with satisfaction as Draco snatched one of Hermione's books and turned it upside down, shaking it until the photo fell out. Draco stood on it with the heel of his shoe, making sure Hermione couldn't pick it up again.

"Tell me where you got it, before I set fire to that disgusting bush of rot you call hair." Draco stared hard at Hermione, his silver eyes boring into her. "Was it that brat with the camera? Or maybe this was someone elses idea of a fun prank--maybe the Weasel Twins--yes that must be it. Leave it to a couple of disgusting Weasley blood-traitors to pull such a nasty stunt as this."

Draco glared at her a moment longer, then bent to pick up the photo. He and Neville were snogging, their lips clearly moving against one anothers, neither looking forced or as if they didn't enjoy it. Draco felt his cheeks beginning to pink up with heat. He quickly flicked his eyes away from the photo, back to Hermione, and then tore the photo in half. He stuck the two pieces into one of his pockets, with every intent on repairing it later and stashing it under his mattress.

"I'm sure you, Weasel, and Potter know [/i]something[i] about this. The three of you are always having your noses where they don't belong. Trust that I will find out." He turned away from Hermione, to the group of students who had surrounded them with wide eyes. "Trust all of you to know that I will find out. In the mean time, you can all stop your whispering and giggling like fools!"

The whispers lasted through out the day; as did the blush that coated Neville's cheeks whenever one of those pictures caught his eye. He'd even managed to procure one to keep in his room hidden in one of his pillows. Each time he managed to steal a glance the two teens in the picture were wrapped around one another although at one point his photoself had managed work the photo Draco out of his robe and was making quite the feast of his neck.

Classes came and went; Snape had taken 15 points from Gryffindor for him just looking at the cauldron wrong and in the grand scheme of things it would have started a bickering war with Harry and Ron speaking up to defend him but they were too busy glaring daggers at Draco. Only once did their eyes meet and Neville had been the one to look away, his head dropped down to hide the blush that darkened his cheeks. It was the one time that he was glad that his hair was slightly longer; curling around his face to conceal the pink hotness that resided there.

As they were dismissed Milicent Bulstrode had cornered him in the corner of the room and his eyes darted around wildly as he looked for a way to escape. She had thinned down a bit from first year but she still had a certain huskiness about her. Her face with it's strong jaw line would have made her a very handsome male but as one of the softer sex she looked more likely to rip a guy to shreds.

"Longbottom." She practically cooed as she leaned in close, "That picture of you and Princess...that's not real is it? Tell me it was a doctored picture..."

"I-I-I...."

"Neville?"

He jerked his head to the side and let out a sigh of relief when he seen Ron standing in the door way. Milicent took a step back and he used it as a way to escape, heading over to the red head taking a grateful gulp of air.

"I was just wondering where you'd gone mate. Was a bit worried."

"Milicent...uh had a question for me." He turned to her and nodded her head, giving a noncommittal answer of "Yes" before he turned and followed Ron out of the room.

"Y'know mate I think those snakes have it in for you." Ron said conversationally as they headed towards the Great Hall for dinner.

The entire room grew quiet as they entered and Neville closed his eyes for a moment, the color in his cheeks back as the person closest to him whispered to their table mate. 'He had to have been bewitched, to willingly kiss him' He wasn't sure if the he was him and the him was Draco.

It's probably the other way around. After all, why would any one want to kiss me? He thought miserably as he reopened his eyes and followed Ron over to the table. He'd barely sat down when Seamus practically fell into his lap, his fair skin aglow as he leaned in to whisper into Neville's ear.

"Aye Mate, just make it look good. That's all that I ask."

Neville didn't have a moment to digest anything before Seamus's lips were over his and a tongue was sweeping around his mouth. Cheers erupted from the table and when Seamus pulled away both teens were breathless and Seamus winked roguishly at him before sliding from his lap.

"Ye got pretty lips Mate, I'd fancy a snog anytime."

Confused as to what that kiss was supposed to get across and completely at a loss for what to do Neville rose; taking a roll from the piled high plate and leaving the Great Hall. He made a quick stop at his dorm; hiding his picture--which now showed that photoDraco had managed to get his photoself's shirt off and was plunging a hand down his slacks--in his pillow case.

His outfit for the night was a plain pair of khakis, a long sleeve button down shirt and a scarlet and gold sweater vest. He grabbed his black dragon hide gloves, a set of earmuffs and his Gryffindor scarf before setting off across the grounds. It wasn't that it was cold, but he wanted as many layers as he could get so that no one in their right mind would mistake his outfit for something that could be worn to seduce anyone.

Just as his hand rested on the knob for Greenhouse 3 a hand touched his shoulder and he jumped, fumbling for his wand before noticing it was Seamus.

"Oi, you about gave me a heart attack." He breathed as he put the wand away and let them both into the greenhouse. "Wot are you here for?"

With a flick of his wand the lights in the greenhouse were on and it started to warm considerably. He removed his robe and after a moment his sweater vest, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows.

"Well it's common knowledge that ye tutor that snake every night, I merely thought that it would be a good idea tae accompany ye tae keep the rumors at bay."

Neville smiled but shook his head as he put his gloves and earmuffs on one of the tables. "I thank you Seamus, but it's not necessary. Draco is taking his his assessment tonight to see if he needs any more tutoring. With how smart he is, I doubt he'll need my help after tonight."

"Are ye sure Nev." Seamus flushed red as he leaned in and stole a quick kiss before backing up, "Perhaps we can, y'know go to Hogemeade here together on the next trip."

Neville opened his mouth to answer but didn't want to hurt the other teen's feelings. He liked Seamus, he did, but he didn't see Seamus in that light. With a nod he put his hand on Seamus's shoulder, speaking lowly.

"I'd like that. A day of friends is always a good time."

The use of the word wasn't wasted on Seamus and he nodded, mumbling something before leaving Neville to continue setting things up for that nights test of Draco's retained Herbology knowledge from the tutoring.

Draco knew he couldn't stand Neville up. Tonight was his assessment. He knew that eyes would be watching him closer than ever though, and so he took Pansy with him to the greenhouse. Just in case anyone was watching, they held hands and kept close, and Draco even leaned in to nibble her ear a couple of times. When they passed Seamus on his way out of the greenhouse, Draco pulled Pansy close to him and gave her a quick peck on the lips, looking pleased with himself.

The two Slytherins moved into the greenhouse. Pansy walked quietly down one of the plant rows, stopping now and then to study a leaf or a bud.

"Evening Neville. Interesting day, wasn't it?" Draco glared, not at Neville but just at the days events in general. "I knew this would happen." Draco muttered. "I should have kept everything to myself as I had been." He took his cloak off with a huff, and flung it over the back of a chair, and slumped down into it. "Can we get this over with then? I feel like the walls have eyes right now."

He looked around the greenhouse, as if just to check.

"It was some day." Neville agreeg, feeling guilty for some unknown reason as Draco glared. With a sigh he nodded towards the gardening equipment. The test would be a mix od written answers and some physical work as well and he'd wracked his brain to make the questions easy enough that even Crabbe and Goyle could've passed without so much as a blink. The way in fact that Draco could fail was if he did so on purpose and with the recent picture fiasco he was certain that Draco would do anything to put it behind him.

"Gather your things, your assessment is going to cover everything we've gone over, you have two hours to complete it." With a flick of his wand a neatly hand written test of about 15 pages appeared and moved to side. "Hopefully you will have retained what I've taught you so that you won't need the extra help any more and this...rumor will be a thing of the past."

He heard Pansy moving around the greenhouse and left Draco to take his test, walking up besides her and giving her a shy smile as he spoke quietly so as not to disturb Draco any.

"Anything you would like to know Ms. Parkinson? Or perhaps you'd like some tea while we wait for Dr--Mr. Malfoy to finish his test?"

"I'm fine." Pansy raised an eyebrow, then let it drop back down. "So after the lessons are over, how are you and Draco going to see each other?" She asked, leaning against one of the windows. "Don't worry, I know because Draco told me, and I don't mind. Draco and I are only friends, but friends help each other out and keep secrets. Understand?" Pansy twirled her wand a couple times, watching it spin, around her fingers, and then slipped it up her sleeve.

Meanwhile Draco was bored going through the many pages of his test. There was no way he could have bungled these questions, even as distracted and moody as he was. He went through page after page of questions, his mind on so many things that they began to blur together until he realized he was on the last page, which left him certain things to do with the plants and various gardening tools Neville had put out. Draco worked on those too, until he was finally on the last task.

Neville stood still for a moment, his face in flames before he cleared his throat and looked away. "I don't think it would be in his or I's best interest to see each other more than a day to day setting such as class. You seen how the school erupted this morning. I-I can't do that to him. He's a Malfoy, he has certain obligations to uphold and sullying his name with that of another boy--doesn't matter that I'm pureblood or if I was a muggleborn--it's not done." A tear started to well up in his eye and he dashed it away forcing a smile. "You said a friend keeps secrets, well I'm keeping his and protecting him from it at the same time. His test is so easy that even Goyle could pass so this will all be a distant memory within a week."

Besides I'll always have my picture of what could have been.

Pansy glared at Neville for a moment, and thought of coercing him into some sort of continued arrangement with Draco. She didn't want to see them have to dissolve the beginnings of what might be something good, but Neville was right about everything he said. She looked across the greenhouse where Draco was finishing up. He had dragged his hand across his face smearing it with dirt and looked unhappy about it. Her lips curled up into a fond smile, but just as quickly the smile sank away.

"How...very Gryffindor of you." She finally said. "I hope we find out who snapped those photos. I'd like for their face to meet my fist." She said, curling one of her hands up.

"I'm finished." Said Draco, moving over towards them. "That was so easy a first year could have passed it, I think. I understand I was behind, but do you insult my intelligence, Neville?" Draco nudged him playfully, the insult not spat from his mouth like a sour taste, but in a way that would have been simple harmless harassing between two friends. Pansy looked from one of them to the other, sadly that the two had to be parted just now.

"We better go then." She said quietly, her fingertips brushing Draco's.

Draco frowned, looking back towards the castle. Inside he knew lots of prying eyes waited for him, and when he got back to his dorm he would be the object of whispers, staring, questions that clamored to be asked of him.

"I rather wouldn't." He said darkly, and then looked at Neville, and something sank in making his spirits fall even further. He tried not to show it. "Then...are we...finished?"

He wasn't talking about the lessons. Pansy licked her fingers and rubbed away a smear of dirt on Draco's cheek. Normally he would have fussed about it, but now he wasn't even paying attention. He was watching Neville's eyes, wondering with an unexpected knot in his throat, if things really had to end before they even had a chance to begin.

"I would like to know too. I never even seen the camera go off." Neville looked down, feeling completely and utterly at a loss about what to do.

The playful jolt and teasing words teased his lips into a tiny smile and as he looked over at Draco he wondered if he could truly be the Gryffindor that every one seemed to see. He knew that they couldn't be public because of the implications, but that didn't mean that they had to forgo anything. Neville knew that Draco would pass the assessment and that once Professor Sprout seen the results that their lessons and alone time would be taken away...unless.

Neville blinked as a sly smile curled his lips. He was shite in potions, everyone knew that. Draco was best in the class. If he had to take extra classes to bring up his lagging grade...well there was more time they could spend together. Neville's chest expanded almost painfully as he looked over at Draco and over at Pansy.

"Perhaps not." His voice was rather unsteady and it took him a moment to acutally get his words to come out right. "Draco, I'm horrible in potions, which I'm sure you know. If I were to be tutored by the best in the class..."

He closed his eyes forcing himself to finish calming his jumpy nerves; didn't want this to end and he had the feeling that even if Pansy accompanied Draco to each lesson until the rumors died completely that they'd still find some to learn things other than the subtle art of potion making.

"We'd just have to make it look like it's the worst thing in the world and if we could get Professor Snape to put the command for tutoring in place then it would be perfect. I think we can make people believe that we hate one another. Don't you? I can even..." Neville's face grew warm and his stomach rebelled just a bit, his next sentence making him feel horrible for what he was about to suggest. "Seamus, he wants to be more than friends...you have Pansy as a cover, if everyone thinks Seamus and I are..well..together or something then they won't have a leg to stand on and the rumors will be gone."

With his little plan, which he realized with a start was underhanded and Slytherin like, explained Neville waited with a held breath for either swan song of what could be a good thing for the first living breath. He hoped it was latter as he'd been staring at Draco's pale pink lips the entire time and fighting himself to keep from pulling him close and kissing him senseless.

Draco's lips curled into a smirk of approval. He wondered why he hadn't thought of it himself, but he chalked it up to being to overwhelmed lately to really think things through properly.

"That's--"

"Oh Neville, maybe you're wearing the wrong House colors." Pansy crossed her arms over her chest, looking smug and victorious enough for both Draco and Neville.

"Perfect." Draco finished. "I'm sure I can convince Snape, after all, I'm his favorite student!" Draco beamed proudly, his whole mood seeming to have shifted. Draco moved close to Neville, and wrapped his arms around Neville's neck. He leaned close to Neville, and then turned to Pansy as if suddenly remembering her. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and she chewed at her lip a little. "You're not going to stand there and watch, are you? Go find a corner or something."

"Yes Mum, I've been a bad girl, off to my corner." She grinned at the two of them, and then left them, finding a shadowy corner of the greenhouse to lurk in and give them a moment to themselves.

Draco kissed Neville, pressing their bodies close together, his fingers looped into some of the long curls at the back of Neville's neck. His teeth scraped gently over Neville's pouty lower lip, and then the warm, soft, tip of Draco's tongue brushed over the same spot. He murmured lowly against Neville's lips, a small, pleased sound, and then pulled back a bit, his fingers still toying with a couple of curls.

"Good night, Neville. See you in potions." His silvery eyes flashed mischievously.

Neville blushed at Pansy's comment and the color got deeper with Draco's praise. It wasn't that he was starved for any positive interaction, he got that enough when he and Hermione worked together on anything but potions. It felt good to be recongized for something other than a fail of any proportion.

When Draco pulled him close he couldn't help but smile; his hands moving automatically to Draco's hips to steady him. He laughed a bit at the play between Draco and Pansy and when she was gone he wet his lips in anticaption. The first touch of their lips and Neville whimper quietly, the fingers on his one hand threading in Draco's hair as the other moved to slip into Draco's back pocket.

He didn't want the kiss to end but when Draco pulled away he couldn't help but smile goofily.

"Goodnight Draco, until I blow up the next cauldron." He teased as he leaned in and stole another kiss, returning the light scrape and lick to Draco's bottom lip before pulling away. "I have a test to grade and results to send to Professor Sprout."

Even though his mind was on the fact of getting the test graded, he still couldn't help but think that things were possibly looking up for him and Draco and slowly started to plot to get close to Seamus without any involvment so that he didn't lead the other teen on and hurt him n the long run.

"Longbottom?" Snape looked skeptically down his large nose at Draco. "You want to tutor Longbottom? I had no idea you had the abundance of patience and lack of forethought required to tutor Longbottom. I hardly see why you, Draco, would desire to waist your time on such a lost cause."

The change in character could not have went unnoticed by Snape. He was far too observant for that. Draco had always had it out for Neville, had always sneered and grinned with satisfaction when Snape pointed Longbottom's failures out in class, and Draco certainly never went out of his way to help anyone who was not in his own house. Something was amiss, that much was certain. Snape wondered if Draco might be changing his thinking. He knew the sort of ideals Lucius had instilled in his son, but change was not impossible. Snape knew this from experience, but when one was as set in their ways as the Malfoy's were, it took something big to rock that boat--and even bigger to turn it around so it was bound upstream against the current of Old Ways.

It was just tutoring...but it could mean something more, and so Snape would keep an even closer eye on Lucius' son than he already did.

"I know." Draco answered back. "If such a skilled Potions Master as yourself couldn't get through Longbottom's thick skull, then maybe it really is a lost cause. I really like potions though, and would like the opportunity to work with them more and further my skill. If nothing else, watching Longbottom's continued and pathetic failure will be highly amusing." Draco finished, with a sneering smirk curling the corners of his mouth.

Snape looked down at him with an expression that might have almost been proud. Draco chalked it up to Snape being flattered by his words and impressed with his insults. Such an impression was fine with Snape and was in fact his intention. But really behind it all, Snape was more proud of Draco to see the boy making an effort to accept others. Though Draco was an intelligent and cunning Slytherin, Snape had not missed the look in Draco's eyes when Snape had labeled Neville a 'lost cause'. This request for tutoring was much more genuine than Draco would have Snape believe it to be, and Snape knew it. It was a good sign, a sign that there might still be hope for Draco to form his own opinions apart from his father's, which would lead the boy into the same mistake Snape had made as a young man, though for very different reasons. If Snape could do anything to covertly help nudge Draco away from his impending entry into the Death Eater circle, then he would. Allowing this tutoring might be a first step in the right direction.

"Well then. I couldn't deny my favorite student more time to perfect his potion skills. It isn't often I'm gifted with a student who actually wishes to learn, and enjoys the subtle art of potion-making. I can hardly disapprove your request. After classes, this room is protected with a charm to prevent break-ins. You will need the password, and I trust you with it."

Draco took Neville aside after dinner that night, and told him in hushed tones that he had convinced Snape to allow the tutoring, and it would begin tomorrow evening after dinner.

So the next night came and it was then and there, sitting on one of the tables in a deserted potions dungeon, that Draco waited for Neville so they could continue their 'lessons'.

Neville had been leaving the dining hall when Draco pulled him to the side. The students flowing around them hadn't paid any attention as they shared a hushed conversation. Neville's face had been red when Draco finally left, the implications of the arrangement suddenly real in his mind.

He spent the night with bout of nerves and he was surprised that he didn't cause any more accidents than normal with the way his mind was preoccupied during the day. Dinner was a nibbled affair; his stomach was too upset to really keep much down. A couple of the others at the table noticed his preoccupation and questioned him about it but he just managed a squeaked "Potions tutoring."

Finally he pushed himself away from the table and headed out of the dining hall and down to the dungeons. He stood at the door for a moment before pushing it open and stepping inside. He seen Draco perched on the desk and he grinned as he moved towards the front of the class.

With a shy smile he put his things on the table next to Draco and asked quietly. "What's on the list of lessons first...Professor Malfoy."

"Professor Malfoy?" Draco raised an eyebrow, then let it drop back down. "I have the ingredients and instruments laid out for you to make a simple boil curing potion. The ingredients we will need to use are dried nettles, snake fangs, stewed horned slugs, and porcupine quills. The most important thing about this potion, is that we need to add the porcupine quills--two of them--lastly, but before doing so you must take the cauldron off the fire."

Draco motioned to the snake fangs.

"So the first thing we need to do, is crush six snake fangs with the mortar and pestle. Once they're crushed..." Draco held up small spoon. "We put four measures measures of it into the cauldron, and heat it at 250 for ten seconds. It's important that the measurements, temperature, and time are all correct. Potions are really finicky things. For example this one...if you were to add the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire, the potion would send of horrible stinking green fumes, the cauldron would melt, and if the potion were to spill onto skin it would cause burns instead of preventing them due to the error in adding the quills."

Neville nodded as he discarded his robe and rolled his sleeves up. When going down to the basics potions was very much like Herbology, you had know everything down to the exact time in which to plant, harvest, feed and water or else you'd fail. He pulled up a stool and counted out six fangs and started to grind them; and once they were a fine powder he measured out four tiny spoon fulls.

The cauldron had been on at 250 for a bit so it was nice and heated. As the powered fangs heated Neville read over the other instructions; his mind focused solely on the project at hand. After ten seconds he stirred in the dried nettle and slowly added the stewed horned slugs. He'd been about to add the quills when he remembered that he had to take the cauldron off the fire. Grabbing his robe it used it as a make shift pot holder and slide the hot hunk of metal off the flames and then added the quills.

There was a poof and Neville jumped back; expecting it to explode with in a matter of seconds. When the tell tale 'boom' and splatter didn't happen he opened one eye and cautiously looked at the cauldron. It was sitting there calmly, a little curl of smoke raising to meet the air. He blinked and look at Draco as if he couldn't believe it.

"Di-did I do it right?"

Draco looked into the cauldron, seeing that the potion had turned the proper blue color. It was really an easy recipe. He noticed that Neville was still edgy but he seemed less nervous when he wasn't in a dungeon full class which included Snape ghosting down the isles and peering down his long nose at students as they worked, sneering barbs at many of them about their ineptness.

"It looks fine, Neville. Let's see if it really works."

Draco moved towards one of Snape's cabinets, looked over the rows, and pulled out a bottle and two droppers. He moved back to the table, uncorked the bottle, and sucked up a bit of potion into the dropper. "This potion causes boils. Your potion should cure that." Draco pulled a mouse out of the inner pocket of his robe. He'd captured it before the lesson and brought it with him just for such purposes.

The tiny brown mouse gave a little squeak that sounded like 'eek!' as if it knew what was in store. Draco touched the mouse with his wand, immobilizing it first. He then put a droplet of the bottle potion on the mouse's back. A moment later, an angry looking boil sprouted up from the fur. He used the second dropper for Neville's potion, and the moment the blue liquid touched the mouse, the boil disappeared. Draco took the immobilizing charm off the mouse, and let it scamper away across the dungeon floor.

"All done, and properly too. Now we just have to put this all away. Snape would be grumpier than usual if we left his dungeon in a mess. After that...then I guess we're done and it was a short lesson. Unless...you have anything else in mind. Maybe something to celebrate the victory of a well done potion." Draco smirked at Neville, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

He grabbed up the various ingredient jars and walked over to the cabinet to replace them, swaying his hips as he went. He was amused. He wouldn't have imagined that he'd ever be teasing Longbottom--much less enjoying it so much.

It took a moment for it sink in that the potion had worked and as his eyes tracked the small mouse across the floor it still felt like he was going to wake up and the potion will have exploded and he'd be rushing to the hospital wing. Opening and closing his mouth silently a couple of times he watched as Draco put things away. It was then that Draco's last words filtered through and a blush settled on his face.

Neville busied himself with scooping the potion out and bottling it; marking the label carefully and then sending the dirtied caldron over to the side to get cleaned. When Draco returned he reached out and lightly curled his fingers around Draco's pale wrist; pulling him close.

It wasn't often that Neville was the aggressor in anything so as he stood there just holding Draco close he felt out of character. He was going to pull away but instead he bent his head towards Draco and very lightly brushed his lips across the blonde's, his hands resting lightly on Draco's hips.

Though the first kiss was a chaste and shy affair the second one was more controlled and eager with Neville tracing the wet seam of Draco's lips before nipping and pulling lightly on the bottom one.

"For a potion well done." He murmured against Draco's lips when he pulled back a bit.

Draco nudged Neville onto one of the stools and climbed onto his lap.

"You didn't melt a cauldron or blow us up, I think that calls for a nice snogging session."

Draco went back to kissing him, his tongue pushing past Neville's lips to explore more. One hand at the back of Neville's head curled into his hair, the other working on loosening Neville's tie and popping some buttons on the collar of his shirt. His hand slipped inside the freed material to touch the warm skin beneath, and his mouth, lips puffy and pink from kissing, broke away from Neville's and moved along his jawline and then downwards, nipping the sensitive skin of Neville's neck in between the kisses he laid along the pulse.

If anyone would have ever told him that he'd be doing this with Neville, he would have laughed in their face, but now he was so lost in the closeness, feel, scent, and reaction of the other teen. In the moment he wasn't ashamed of his preferences, there was no thought of the rules he was meant to abide by, there was right now no fear of being caught and outed. It was just Draco and Neville locked away behind a charmed door and nothing or no one could bother them now. Draco sighed against Neville's skin as he continued to bother it with his mouth. He was pleasantly aroused, happy and in peace in this moment, and it was such a good feeling.

Neville's eyes were closed tight as his hands were fisted in Draco's robes. Between the feather light kisses were hard nips and each one brought out a moan that seemed to be ripped from the very pit of his soul. After the first couple of minutes and after the initial fear that Snape was going to bust in on them and find them in the intimate position, Neville started to respond in a more aggressive manner.

His one hand that was clutching Draco's robes moved up and threaded through the pale blonde locks, tugging lightly as the other worked it's way into the black flowing material and past the barrier of Draco's clothes to find warm skin.

"Haa..Dra--bloody hell."

He managed to stutter out before he used the hand in Draco's hair to pull him back up for a kiss. The feel of Draco's arousal pressed against his belly gave an occasional twitch and he blushed hard as his responded in kind; the hardness pressing hard against Draco's rear where he was sat firmly on his lap. His body was craving more and the unknowledge of what it was asking for sent a small fissure of fear skittering through his body and pulled away with a shaky breath; his lips only inches away from Draco's.

"I-I....think Draco that we need to...I think that we need to stop for now..."

Draco moaned in his throat a little, his eyes alight and a bit of a wolfish expression on his face as his hair tumbled over his forehead. He kissed Neville's lips once more, and then shifted his weight a bit. He was going get out of Neville's lap but he couldn't help but linger just a bit longer. He was enjoying the hard bulge that was pressing against his bottom. Draco was used to getting his way. If he wanted something, it wasn't often that he was denied it. However, Neville was right and if Neville didn't want to take this any further just yet Draco knew he had to respect that. He had spent so long disrespecting Neville that if he wanted them to continue being on friendly terms--and he did, he was beginning to genuinely like him--then Neville would have to trust him. Neville had respected him enough to keep Draco's secret. Draco would do him the courtesy of respecting him as well. Besides, they had many other 'lessons' and all the time in the world to discover each other.

"Very well." Draco slid out of Neville's lap and smoothed his clothing a bit. He combed his blond hair back with his fingers, but it just fell back onto his forehead again. "We'll stop then." Draco leaned back against the table, studying Neville a bit. "How are things with Seamus?"

Neville took a moment to compose himself, taking a few deep breaths to help calm the fire that was slowly seeping through his veins. The sudden empty feeling that settled on him had him wanting to pull Draco back to his lap, and he allowed him a bit of an indulgence. He spread his legs and pulled Draco between them, smiling a bit as he stole a kiss before speaking.

"Seamus." He sighed as he looked down. "I think he's getting the wrong idea. Yes we do things together, but I've made it clear that we're nothing more than friends....though I think he's spreading the rumor that we're together." His ears pink up a bit as he clears his throat. "I think I have to lay the law down a bit firmer with him."

Draco was surprised at the wave of jealousy that welled up inside, despite knowing well that Seamus was just Neville's cover. He found that he didn't like the idea of Seamus trying to make moves on Neville. Sure Pansy made sure to lay on the affection and touchy-touchy in public to solidify their 'relationship' but that was different. Neville knew that Pansy wasn't possible competition--wait, what was Draco thinking? Competition? He was Draco Malfoy, that eliminated competition. Why would Neville want anyone else when he had Draco Malfoy in his lap? Draco blinked, realizing he had moved onto Neville's lap again without even realizing it. He slipped his hand into the pocket of Neville's pants, giving the healthy pad of Neville's rear a just as healthy squeeze. His face was close to Neville's, their noses nearly touching. It was hard not to pick up where they had left off on their snogging session.

"I want to take you somewhere, Neville. What I mean is, I want to take you on a date. We can sneak away one evening on my broom. We could go to Hogsmeade...there's a decent enough restaurant there called Phoenix Landing. It's a bit out of the way and off to itself."

Neville hadn't been paying attention to what Draco had been saying; it was hard to do with his lips being so close and he supposed he should have at least been paying a little bit, Draco could have been lining up their next lesson. Instead the moment Draco had stopped talking he'd leaned the rest of the way in and captured Draco's lips for a chaste kiss. Well it had been chaste for all of three minutes before he found himself nipping and licking at Draco's lips.

As he rodded the moist seam of the kiss swollen and flushed lips it sunk in what Draco had been talking about and he pulled away, stuttering a bit as he looked at Draco with wide eyes.

"A-A-A date? S-s-s-sneak out of school? Hogsmead?" Blushing he cleared his throat and attempted to sound a bit more in control; even if his voice did squeak a bit. "I mean, thats sounds wonderful. What night do you want to go?"

"How about tomorrow? Meet me at the Quidditch pitch at eight...and don't worry. We'll be fine. We wont be caught." He placed a last kiss to Neville's lips. "Night, Nev. I'm sure Snape will want to question me tomorrow about tonight, and I'm sure he won't believe me when I tell him how well you did--and that you didn't blow up his dungeon."

Draco slid out of Neville's lap and moved towards the door, then stopped with his hand on the knob.

"See you tomorrow."

Neville blushed as he nodded. "Tomorrow, 8 oclock." He breathed as he worked to bring himself under control. It wouldn't do too well for him to return to the tower out of breath and looking like he'd just run a mile. He finally got to his feet and followed after Draco, leaning in playfully and nipping at his neck before moving away.

"Snape will think that you did all the work tonight since there is no injury to you or I." He laughed.

Draco parted ways from Neville and headed to bed, sleeping well.

--

"You're going to be late." Pansy drawled as she lounged lazily on Draco's bed. Of course she wasn't supposed to be in the boys dorms and would be in trouble by Snape should she be caught, but if any of the Slytherin boys happened to come in none of them would dare say anything of it.

She and Draco were the only ones in the room right now anyway. Draco had ordered everyone out and just to make sure they weren't bothered he left his goons guarding the door.

"I'm not going to be late, Pans." Draco said, turning this way and that to inspect his look from different angles. Various articles of clothes lay all over the room, as he had tried on and discarded most of his wardrobe even though all of it looked perfectly made for his sleek form. He frowned, running his hands over his shirt. "I never realized that most of what I own is black." The sweater he wore now was a nice fit, the soft material hugged his body close, but the long sleeves and turtle neck seemed way too conservative. "Merlin, my wardrobe looks eerily Snape-like."

Pansy shook her head as Draco peeled his shirt off and tossed it aside, though she couldn't complain about the view she had as she reclined on Draco's bed. His torso was bare and amazing. She would have loved to have been pressed close to it, or for her hands to be roaming over it. She bit her lip, watching longingly as Draco bent over to pick up a shirt he had already rejected earlier.

"Mm...Draco, just pick something already. Neville will love whatever you wear."

Draco turned to her as he buttoned the shirt, smirking.

"Pansy, are you alright? You look flushed."

She glared at him.

"Shut up." She tossed his pillow at him, but he batted it away.

"You'll mess up my hair." He touched the pristine blond locks gingerly. Pansy wasn't sure if he was serious, or trying to humor her by being overly prissy.

He had chosen a slim fitting black button up shirt. The top couple buttons were popped, and there were small silver snakes at the cuffs. His dark jeans were snug on his rear and fit him perfectly in all the right places. His boots were white dragon hide and they were perfectly kept--not a scuff on them. He was finally satisfied with how he looked, and ignored Pansy's bothering about the time.

Draco grabbed his broom and was out to the Quidditch pitch with five minutes to spare. He sat hovering on his broom, waiting for Neville, enjoying the cool night air against his face.