Work Text:
December 20, 2001
Neville and Theo were in their home, arguing how to decorate their house. Theo wanted to let the elves decorate the manor but they would decorate the living room, Neville on the other hand wants to decorate the whole manor themselves. Neville doesn’t seem to understand how large their home really is.
“Love, I know you want to decorate the manor, but it’s fifteen bedrooms, seventeen bathrooms, seven offices, a five floor library, two drawing rooms, and four living rooms. We don’t have the time or energy to decorate the whole hous
e, but we have elves, we have elves we pay to work for us, they want to decorate for us. Ziggy is my family, she was my nanny elf, and she wants to decorate the family home. Ask her, Ziggy!!” Theo called for the elf and before he could finish his breath she was there.
“Master called for Ziggy?” The small elf asked, pulling on her large ears.
“Yes, Ziggy, I did. Do you wanted to know if you’d like to decorate for Christmas?”
“Masters is going to let Ziggy decorate for Christmas? Masters is letting Ziggy make the family home look nice after years of bad wizards treating it poorly? Oh Ziggy is so happy, the masters love Ziggy, this is the best present!”
Theo looked pointedly at Neville, raising his eyebrows to say, ‘I told you so”.
“Yes, Ziggy, you can decorate but we want to decorate the living room that we’re hosting Christmas in.”
“Oh yes, Master Neville, I’ll leave the living room for you. Ziggy will do the rest.” Ziggy popped out of the room before anyone could say anything else.
They spend the rest of the day shopping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville went to his last day of work before the break, he works at Hogwarts doing a herbology mastery under Professor Sprout- who insists that he calls her Panoma.
Theo got to decorating, he was going all out, he went and bought a twelve foot Christmas tree. “Ziggy!” Theo called for his favourite elf.
“Master calls for Ziggy?“
“Yes, thank you for coming, Ziggy. Do you think this tree is going to be big enough? I’m worried I’ll need a bigger one. Also, would you be able to bring the Christmas decorations Neville had put away when he moved in? I would love to put them up, this is our first Christmas living together and I want him to feel at home here. Thanks Ziggy.”
Ziggy popped out of the room to go get Neville’s Christmas boxes, shaking her head lightly at Theo’s tree antics. The tree was certainly large enough, the small elf watched enough to know that her Master was nervous, and desperately trying to be good enough for Neville without scaring him away. Theo was a very eccentric man, he would be too much at times, stressing Neville out. Theo found it slightly hilarious that the man who cut Nagini’s head off got stressed by his energetic attitude.
Once Theo had all the Christmas decorations he got to work, flicking his wand to have the boxes start opening themselves and placing their contents around the room. Expect one box
He looked at the box curiously, it was quite worn and the handwriting on the box didn’t match Neville’s. In fact the more Theo looks at it the more he realises he doesn’t recognise the handwriting at all. At first glance he thought it was maybe Lovegood’s or Hermione’s but it wasn't loopy enough to be Luna’s and far too graceful to be Hermione’s.
“Well, what could this be?” He wondered aloud, gently lifting the box to exam and open it. He placed it on the coffee table and sat down on the couch to begin going through it. “Oh my Gods.”
The box was full of candy wrapped and some very old decorations. Theo quickly realised that these were Neville’s parents’ decorations and the writing was his mother’s. Theo gently began taking them out, looking at them with awe. Neville’s small footprint on one decoration, a moving photo of baby Neville and his parents- they were kissing his chubby baby cheeks. All of the candy wrappers Alice had given Neville on all his visits to St. Mungos to visit his parents. Theo hadn’t realised he was crying until a tear dropped onto his lap.
Theo put everything down and took a steadying breath. He ran his hands down his face, letting out a shuddering breath, a small laugh escaped- his steadying breath hadn’t worked. “Ziggy,” he whispered.
Ziggy popped in, her head down, looking at the floor, “Master calls ZIggy?”
“Ziggy, can you… can you help me with something?”
Ziggy nodded vigorously.
Theo softly laughed, “Of course you can. Would you help me put this box of decorations up? They’re very special to Neville and I don’t want anything to happen to them.” Theo paused, thinking, weighing his options. “Ziggy… would you also bring out something from storage for me? I would like to put Mum’s decorations up too, it’s been long enough, she deserves it. They all deserve it.”
“Master is wanting to take Mistresses Christmas decorations out? Is Master sure?”
“Yes, Ziggy, I am sure. It’s time. With Father gone it’s time to let Mum come back out. I know she’s gone, and has been for years, but help me honor her memory. I think having her decorations and the Longbottom decorations out is a wonderful way to honour them, don’t you?” Theo looked at the house elf, who was shaking.
“Yes, yes Ziggy will help. Ziggy is so excited you asked Ziggy to help. Ziggy loved mistress. Ziggy also loves Master Neville. Thinks it will help everyone heal. House used to be evil, Master and Master Neville help make it a good house. Mistress would be proud of Master,” Ziggy proclaimed, big tears threatening to fall out of her large eyes.
Theo pulled the small elf into a strong hug, “Thank you, Ziggy.”
They worked together to put up all the old decorations, using extra cautions to not harm the fragile decorations.
~~~~~~
Neville walked through the floo and looked around, seeing many decorations he knew, and many he didn’t recognise. “Theo!”
Theo came strutting in, “yes, Love?”
“What the bloody hell is this?” Neville half asked, half exclaimed.
“Well, I asked Ziggy to get your decorations and she had brought them, including your parents' decorations. Once I realised what they were I thought that there was a perfect opportunity, an opportunity to bring out my mum’s decorations as well. I know I should have asked but I wanted it to be a surprise.” Theo explained, looking around with a soft smile.
“You brought your mum’s decorations out too?” Neville asked, shocked. Theo didn’t talk about his mum, and he definitely didn’t touch her things.
“I did, I thought this would be a great way to honour them, I know your parents aren’t gone but they aren’t here either.”
Neville noticed something shiny on the tree, “Are those my mum’s candy wrappers?” His voice was small.
“Yes, I wanted her to be here with us in a bigger way. You kept these for years, she still gives you them, they’re her gift to you.” Theo explained.
“Mum would have loved you, so kind, caring, considerate. You always know what to do.” Neville smiled lovingly at his boyfriend. “Do you want to tell me about your mum and these decorations?”
“I would love to, but first, I left this for you.” Theo pulled a large red star out from behind him. “This was my mum’s, she was a Gryffindor, I thought it was only fitting for you to put it up. “
Neville smiled at him and took the star, he slowly levitated it up to the top of the tree. “Perfect. It looks perfect up there. I love you, Theodore Nott.”
“I love you, Neville Longbottom.” Theo reached for Neville's neck and pulled him into a perfect Christmas kiss.