A Lesson in Taking Chances

[bleedingangel84]

Title: A Lesson in Taking Chances

Author: bleedingangel84

Fandom: Harry Potter

Beta: None

Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, Blaise/Neville

Genre: Angst,Humour

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1,043

Written for: Prompt #5 at dove_drabbles

Warnings: Badass, slightly OOC Neville, melancholy Harry, suggestive and humourously crude references to male anatomy

Summary: Neville teaches Harry a lesson. Harry learns.

A/N: This is the kind of Neville I’d love to see more of in fandom. I didn’t even intend for him to be a character in this, but this fic took on a mind of its own. I love it when fics write themselves that way. There was no beta for this, so as always, if you see any errors, please tell me so they can be fixed. For some reason, I’m really proud of this. I usually don’t say that about my own work, but I do hope you enjoy this as much as I liked writing it.

A Lesson in Taking Chances

Harry heaved a loud sigh. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day. He should’ve been happy. Voldemort was dead. Instead, he just felt rather at loose ends. Everyone had expected him to join the Ministry as an Auror, marry Ginny Weasley and have the requisite number of offspring with green eyes and red hair.

Those dreams had all gone to Hell when he discovered he had a liking for men. He had caught himself staring at Draco Malfoy more than was strictly healthy. Luckily, his best friend hadn’t noticed. Ron was far too busy these days to pay attention to where Harry’s eyes chose to wander. He and Hermione were practically joined at the hip of late.

Harry was happy for them. The two of them deserved every bit of the joy they’d managed to find. Harry wouldn’t have wanted to intrude on that for anything. He told himself this every night before closing the curtains in on his bed, but he couldn’t stop something sour and bitter from curling his stomach when he thought that everyone but him seemed to be pairing off while he was alone. All the togetherness around him made him feel more isolated than ever. He’d never be able to have the one he really wanted. He thought he may as well learn to accept that now and save himself the heartache. Even if, by some miracle, Draco reciprocated his feelings, the magical world would never accept the two of them as a couple.

Harry was startled from his melancholy thoughts when he felt a touch on his shoulder.

“You like him, don’t you?”

“Neville! Bloody hell! Don’t sneak up on me like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Make some noise or something, would you?” Harry snapped peevishly.

“I called you twice, mate. You mustn’t have heard me. Mooning over Malfoy again?” Neville asked, calmly spreading Marmite over his slices of buttered toast.

“What nonsense are you on about, Nev? I was not mooning over Malfoy. You’ve gone mental, you know that?” Harry retorted.

Neville gave an inelegant snort before biting into his toast. He paused to swallow before pinning Harry with a knowing look.

“I have eyes, Harry. I’ve noticed you looking over at the Slytherin table a lot lately. You always have this frown on your face like you’re looking at a sweet you really want, but aren’t allowed to have,” Neville informed him.

Harry groaned, fighting the nearly overwhelming temptation to bang his head against the table in despair.

“He watches you, too, if that’s any help. I think you’d have a chance with him, if you want to take it,” Neville offered.

“You’d be okay with something happening between Draco and me?” Harry wondered.

“Of course, Harry. You’re my friend. I want you to be happy. If anyone deserves to be with the one they want, it’s you,” Neville declared decisively.

“But, what about everyone else? They’d hate me for being with him.”

“Sod what everyone else thinks, Harry. You saved the whole world from disaster. You don’t owe them anymore. Go after him. Where’s your Gryffindor courage?”

“It’s hidden under my Slytherin instinct for self-preservation. The Sorting Hat wanted me in Slytherin first year.”

Neville regarded him with a distinct lack of surprise.

“That’s all the more reason to take a chance with him, then. You two have some things in common. Start with that and go from there,” Neville advised.

“What if he hexes my balls off for approaching him?” Harry worried.

“He wouldn’t do that, mate. He watches your arse more than the Snitch when you two play Quidditch together. Your balls are safe. Trust me,” Neville answered smugly.

“I don’t know if I want to know how you know what you know, but thank you, Neville.”

“If that sentence wasn’t one of the most confusing to come out of your mouth in your life, I’ll eat my scarf,” Neville laughed.

“Oh, get on with it, then,” Harry said with a small chuckle.

“Seriously, why not send him a note? Start a conversation and see where it leads. It’ll be fine. Better yet, send him a Valentine. I happen to know he has a certain weakness for dark chocolate. They do say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, after all,” Neville commented mildly.

Harry gazed dazedly at Neville before frowning thoughtfully.

“Who are you and what have you done with Neville Longbottom?”

“We’ve all changed, Harry. I’m not the forgetful little oaf I used to be.”

“So I’ve noticed. How do you know he likes dark chocolate? Harry questioned curiously.

"You aren’t the only one with your eyes on a Slytherin. Blaise is Malfoy’s best friend, and I’m partnered with him in Charms. He mentioned it when he was talking about ways to get at Draco’s Potions notes.”

“That explains it, then. Wait, you like Zabini? Since when? “

“Two weeks into school when I heard him speaking Italian to calm down some Venomous Tentacula that was about to bite me. What can I say? I have a thing for guys with accents. A man with an accent like that who saves my life? I was arse over heels in love with the man,” Neville smirked.

Harry couldn’t help smiling at his friend’s explanation, but frowned when Neville’s smirk immediately conjured up thoughts of Malfoy.

“Go for it, Harry. Send him a note. Set up the Room of Requirement to seduce him. Don’t make me send you a stinging hex. I’ve got quite good at those.”

“All right, all right. Nev, I swear, you’re as bossy as Hermione,” Harry complained.

“You can thank me later when Draco Malfoy is warming your sheets, Harry,” Neville stated.

“I bet Malfoy won’t give me the time of day, Nev. You’ll see,” Harry groused.

“Just try it, Harry. I want to see you happy, and you’ve moped about this for much too long,” Neville encouraged.

“Fine, but if he hexes me, I’ll make you eat a sardine flavored Bertie Bott’s bean,” Harry warned.

“And if he doesn’t, the two of you will have to go on a Valentine’s double date with Blaise and I. Your treat,” Neville declared.

“Bet’s on then.”

That was one night Harry happily lost his wager.