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Neville had been struggling for days now, he’d been trying to cast the easiest of charms. The expelliarmus charm should be easy! They learned it in their first year even! But he couldn’t do it. Nothing he tried worked.
He threw his wand through the room. Harry squawked as the the wand sailed past him as he opened the door of their dorm room. “Sorry!” he calls out, even as he feels the tears in his eyes. It was stupid, why couldn’t he-?
“Are you okay?” Harry asks, gently scooping up the wand, and holding it out to him. “They’re not really meant to be thrown,” he adds, grinning a little cheekily. His green eyes are shining again, now that he’s no longer being made fun of for being in a championship he really doesn’t want to be in.
“I know,” he grumbles, taking his wand back into his hand. “I- uh- I was just practising,” he mutters.
“Oh?” Harry tilts his head, looking a little like his familiar. A curious owl with big eyes. “What were you practising?”
“Disarming,” he mutters, softly. He feels his cheeks flush, embarrassed, but Harry is about the only boy that hasn’t made fun of him in one way or another. He knows that they say everything in good fun, just how everyone says that they should watch out whenever Seamus goes near a cauldron, but it still doesn’t feel nice.
“Oh,” Harry hums, furrowing his eyebrows, “you’re having trouble with the spell?”
Neville looks at his feet, but he nods.
“Want help?” Harry offers his voice gentle and kind. “I’m kind of hiding from Hermione and, uh, girls in general,” he says blushing, “Hermione’s hounding me for not figuring out yet what the egg means,” both their eyes turn to the golden egg hidden under Harry’s bed. “And- girls keep asking me out.”
Neville can’t help but snort, “yes, must be hard to be asked out all the time,” he drawls.
Harry mutters something, his cheeks red. When Neville raises an eyebrow he looks away, “they just wanna go with me because I’m a champion, and Harry Potter.” He shivers, “could do without girls wanting to go to a ball with me because of having dead parents.”
Neville is pretty sure girls have always liked him, mostly because he’s very handsome. Neville swallows thickly, not the time. He shakes his head, “so?” Harry asks, smiling a little, “want help?”
“Sure,” Neville says, “I should be able to do this, it’s a first year spell,” he mutters.
Harry smiles, “well, how about first we go and see how you cast it?”
Neville feels a little worried, but he holds out his hands, enunciating the words as strongly as he can, turning his wand.
“Okay,” Harry says slowly, as Neville fidgets. Not even a little fizzle of magic had happened. “Well, remember that it’s ex-pel-liarmus,” he says, “two l’s. Think of it as expel and then liarmus to make it sound fancy,” he says with a grin.
Neville can’t help but laugh. “Armus means weapon in latin,” he says.
Harry blinks at him, “huh,” he says before he’s snickering, “well, who cares,” he says waving his hand, “I’m not fluent in Latin, but it sounded like you said ex-pe-liarmus, you know?”
Neville frowns, holding his wand out, there’s just a little fission of magic when he pronounces it correctly. But there’s more then there used to be.
Harry beams at him, eyes shining with power that Neville will never have. But he grins back, “see, we’re getting somewhere,” Harry says, “now the hand movement,” he says sheepishly, “you’re doing the wrong one.”
Neville blinks, “but it’s just a swirl?”
“Eh, not really,” Harry says, and he holds out his own wand, “it’s more like this.” Neville watches as Harry’s wand does, what he thought he was doing, power flushing out of it with ease. It leaves a scorch mark on the walls. Neither of them care. It’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last mark of their dorm. “See?”
“Not really,” Neville whispers, winching. God how can he be so-
“Okay, no problem,” Harry says happily. “Hold out your wand,” he says, and Neville does, “now, no power, yeah, I’m just gonna grab your hand and move it like I would. Let you feel it instead of see.”
Neville nods and he feels his cheeks flush when Harry comes to stand by his right side, hand curling around his. His breath is close to his, and he shivers lightly, trying to fight the way his heart trips over itself. Harry’s just helping him! Nothing else.
Harry smiles, “like this,” he says, and Neville focuses on his hand, feeling the way he moves down and adds a little flick away at the end of the spiral. “See the difference?”
Neville nods slowly, “okay, well why don’t-“ he’s caught off when the door opens, showing Hermione. Harry practically jumps away. “Bloody hell, Mia!” he cries out, his cheeks are flushed.
Neville’s own heart is thrumming quickly. He feels like he’s been caught doing things he shouldn’t. Instead of practising normal spell work.
“You said you’d be down soon,” she says arms crossed. She flicks her eyes between them, squinting. “What were you doing?”
“Nothing,” Harry says, and his cheeks are pink and he looks away, “just, uh, practising,” he says, “I’ll come down okay, promise.”
“Fine,” she huffs closing the door again.
Harry gives a soft sigh, “sorry, I have to go,” he says, snickering, “but practice the wand movement! I bet with that too, you can do it!”
Neville doesn’t feel all that certain. “We can try together tomorrow, if you want?” Harry asks, and he sounds hopeful.
“I’d like that,” Neville whispers, feeling flushed for a reason he can’t explain. Harry sends him one of his dimpled grins, before he rushes over to his bed, grabbing his things and rushing out after his best friend.
“Nev!” Harry calls out, jogging over to him in their spot by the lake. It’s something they’ve started doing after Harry and Ron’s fight. Hanging out near the great lake. Harry rushes forward to him, alone. Neville feels a little pleased that he’s alone and not with Ron, even though they’ve made up.
“Hi,” he says blushing. His legs are in the water as he looks around to see if he can find some rare water plants from Professor Moody’s book but he hasn’t had much luck yet. He feels like he looks like a fool.
“Isn’t that bloody cold?” Harry asks, looking at the water. “It’s winter.”
Neville shrugs, “it’s a little cold, but the great lake is a magic lake. It has a water source from inside the mountain, which I think is what keeps it relatively okay? Some authors say that there’s actually a way to enter the sea from this lake. That’s why there’s a Selkie colony here, and the water is salty.”
“It is?” Harry asks, “wow.” He looks at the lake, “I just thought it was a lake. Should’ve known better,” he adds with a laugh. “The giant squid should have clocked me in, huh?”
Neville laughs, grinning, “maybe,” he drawls and Harry throws a crumpled paper to his head, gasping in mock pain. “You asked.”
“You’re supposed to say that I’m forgiven because I was raised by muggles,” Harry grumbles.
Neville laughs, “oh I didn’t know that there were natural water squids for muggles,” he drawls and Harry scowls harder even as he walks towards the shore. “Nah, I mean I suppose we could have those? Selkies are salt water creatures though, and I think all squids at least partly want salt water.” He shivers as he steps on the towel he’d laid out. The air was still cold even though being in the lake wasn’t cold.
“You know you’re really smart, Nev,” Harry says softly, “you just think that the things you know are general knowledge.” Neville hums, maybe, he doubts it. Especially compared to other purebloods he’s not that smart. Though also not dumb as the truly inbred ones. “Have you tried the wand movement?” he asks.
“I did,” Neville says softly, worrying his lip, “I haven’t tried it out yet though.”
Harry grins, “Let’s try then!” he says, clapping his hand.
Neville comes over to stand by him, his wand aimed towards the water. Better to have a spell go in there then to accidentally start a fire if he did, well, anything.
He clears his throat, he’s practiced a lot, and he thinks he could do the hand movement in his sleep now. He moves his hand, and Harry grins already. He seems so sure that it would work.
He clears his throat, and takes a deep breath. He holds out his wand and slides down, spins, flicks, “ex-pel-liar-mus” he calls out and a red jet springs out of his wand.
He hadn’t expected it to really work, and it hits Harry’s egg, shooting it backwards into the lake.
“You did it!” Harry cries out, grinning brightly.
Neville makes a surprised sound when Harry hugs him, “only because you were there.” He says it softly, gently.
“No! I knew you could do it! We just only had shitty teachers besides Remus, and Remus focused on creatures! It took me way longer to learn this spell,” he says grinning, “I bet it’s gonna come in handy though.” He snickers, “only now my egg’s in the water. My fault for bringing it.”
Neville winches, but Harry’s laughing anyway. “Sorry, I’ll get it.”
“Thanks,” Harry says, and Neville trudges out. His pants are still rolled up anyway. The egg glints in the water.
“It opened up,” he calls out. He pulls it up from the top handle thingy, looking up at Harry.
“No close it! It’s gonna-“ Harry’s eyes widen when the egg reaches the surface, and a song comes out. Neville frowns, pulling it out.
The scream is piercing when it’s out of the water completely. He drops it, hands shaking.
“What the fuck?” Harry whispers and he’s already toeing off his shoes, pulling up his pants and wading out into the water with him. “Huh, it’s kinda nice.”
Neville grins a little and he watches as Harry slowly pulls it up again. When half of the egg is still submerged the song plays to them.
Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took.
But past an hour - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.
“Oh my god,” Harry breathes out, “water. That’s where their voices sound. What- Selkies, they live in here, what- what do their voices sound like when they’re above water?”
“When they’re not in human form?” Neville asks, “uh, no clue,” he says sheepishly. See not so smart.
Harry laughs, grinning, “guess Hermione’ll get her way after all. I’m gonna need to hit the books.” He grins, before he freezes. “Wait,” he whispers, “I’m going to- to have to swim in there?”
“I think so,” Neville says, “for an hour sounds like. And they’re deep in the water, so- well- you’ll need to be able to keep your head under for that time.”
“No, no no no,” Harry whispers, “I can’t- that- I can’t do that!” he whispers, eyes wide and scared. “You- you don’t understand,” Harry whispers, when Neville starts to assure him, “I can’t swim. You- they’ll- I’m going to die.” He whispers.
Neville doesn’t think. He just pulls Harry in a hug. “You’ve got a little under two months to learn how to swim,” he says, “we’ll do it. I’ll teach you. You taught me magic, I’ll teach you swimming.”
“Really?” Harry asks, breathless.
Neville nods, “promise. I heard that the prefects bathroom is like gigantic. We can try there, we’ll just have to get the password,” he frowns, “you’re friends with the twins, I bet they know, or know who we can ask.”
Harry’s breath slows a little, “okay, okay,” he whispers, “you’ll really do that? For me?”
Neville would give Harry the world if he could. “Course,” Neville says, “and hey, at least you know it won’t be too cold?” Harry gives a wet sounding laugh, he worries his lip.
“Hey Neville,” Harry whispers, softly. His cheeks are flushed, “I- I was wondering-“ he looks away, before he looks at Neville, “would you go to the ball with me?” he rushes out.
“Wha- what?” Neville whispers.
Harry’s cheeks flush even brighter, “I- I thought maybe you didn’t have a date yet either, and- well- you’re brilliant,” he says blushing, “and- and I thought maybe you’d like to? Go to the ball with me? If- if you’re not- if you don’t want that please forget I asked.” He winches, “shouldn’t have asked, you’re- I’m sorry, forget-“
“Yes,” Neville whispers.
Harry freezes, looking up at him. His cheeks are a fiery red. His lip red from biting on it. “Yes?”
Neville nods, blushing himself, “yes,” he whispers.
“We need to dance, in front of everyone,” Harry whispers, “I mean you’re brilliant at dancing, but I’ve got two left feet.”
Neville laughs softly and it seems to make Harry’s shoulders relax. “Well, I’m sure we can figure it out,” he says. “Maybe if you’re not trying to lead it’ll be easier,” he offers.
Harry smiles, that beautiful smile, “yeah, maybe,” he says. He grins, “great, thanks,” he says.
Neville isn’t sure if this is because they’re friends and Harry knows that he doesn’t have a date yet or because Harry likes blokes and likes him. But he’s afraid to ask. Even if this is just as friends it’s going to be loads better then going alone. He’s not going to muck it up by asking if it’s a romantic or platonic date to the ball.
Neville is pretty sure it’s a romantic date. Harry’s lips are on his, clumsy but brilliant. Harry laughs against his lips, pulling back again. “I- I was scared you thought we were here as friends,” Harry whispers, his cheeks are pink and his eyes are nearly sparkling with light. Neville kind of really wants to kiss him all over again.
“I was scared you asked me here as a friend,” Neville whispers. He can’t believe he got to lead Harry around the dance floor as they opened the dance. It was scary as hell to dance before literally everyone but the moment he and Harry had started to dance together, it became really easy. And then afterwards he had got to keep hold and watch Harry laugh and dance even more. He got to watch him grin brightly.
Harry grins, “thank god for magical mistletoe,” he grins, looking up. Neville laughs, and pulls Harry out from under the plant. Now that they’ve given the proper sacrifice to the plant they can move on. Neville’s kiss on Harry’s cheek hadn’t been sufficient enough for the plant first. Because the plant was charmed to only release the barriers for the kiss both parties wanted the most. He’s pretty sure that if he walked under it with Snape the barrier wouldn’t even snap in place. Certainly not as quickly as it had for him and Harry.
Harry giggles as he steps closer, and presses another kiss against his lip as they stumble into an alcove to the side. “Been thinking of kissing you,” Harry mumbles against his lips. Neville holds back a wide giddy grin because apparently it’s hard to kiss when you’re really happy and grinning. “Wanted to- really badly,” Harry whispers.
Neville blushes, and he kisses Harry back eagerly. He did too, so badly. Harry’s habit of worrying his lower lip always made it so plump and red and god Neville wanted to kiss it. And now he- he got to. Honestly he can’t even believe his own luck.
“This is why I didn’t like the girls asking me out,” Harry whispers, “cuz I wanted to go with you,” he confesses, “and because girls are scary.”
Neville laughs, “I don’t even like girls,” Neville whispers, “just- just you.” His entire body is buzzing and it makes him so flustered but so happy! He can tell Harry this, and Harry won’t make fun of him, at all.
Harry beams at him, holding his hand. “I really like you too,” he whispers. “Couldn’t believe you said yes at first, I was worried you were going to think I meant as a friend. But then I was worried that you would take it back if I specified, and I really wanted to go with you.”
“I couldn’t believe you asked me!” Neville whispers back, blushing. “And I didn’t know either, and I also just, just wanted to go with you.” Harry bites his lip again and Neville can’t help but catch his lips against his again.
Whatever Harry wanted to say is swept away. Their kisses have been quick pecks and longer kisses, but now Harry grabs his neck and pulls him closer. Neville’s hands landing on Harry’s sides, pulling him close. Neville feels his tongue against his lips, and he opens his mouth in answer. He always hated it when people said you’d just know what to do when you kissed. That suddenly you would just know what it was like and how to kiss back in an instant or something. But it was true.
All he could think about was Harry’s hands in his hair and his mouth and tongue, and how it made his spine tingle. How Harry was kissing him, his tongue was sliding against his and it felt really good. He definitely understand why people are always making out with each other.
Harry was panting when they pulled apart. He giggles, smiling softly at him, “we should probably go back before people start looking,” he whispers, “besides the weird sisters are starting soon,” he adds, “they’re you’re favourite band, we don’t want to miss that.”
“Right,” Neville murmurs, but he’s already leaning forward and Harry meets him in the middle anyway. Like he cares about a band when he could be kissing Harry instead.
A throat clears loudly besides the alcove they’re hidden in and they jump apart. Their cheeks are flushed and they’re both panting, “Merry Christmas boys!” Dumbledore says brightly. Neville cringes. “I see one of the errant magicked mistletoe has caught you, those twins really know how to pump up the festivities, don’t you think?” he says, his eyes twinkle happily, a smile on his lips, “why don’t I walk you both back to the party, make sure we don’t encounter any more, hm?”
“Right,” Harry says, he sound breathless and a little like he’s holding back a laugh, “that’s very kind, sir,” he splutters, and they exchange a wide eyed look. Neville smooths his hair a little, it’s a hopeless case, and he knows his lips are a little too red likely. He really can’t even bother to care about what he looks like right now.
Dumbledore sets off and they quickly hurry after him. Harry laughs behind his hand, eyes crinkling and sparkling. Only Harry could have the fortune of the person catching them be Dumbledore.
“Careful now, boys,” Dumbledore says at the entrance, “we wouldn’t want either of you to get stuck under any mistletoe again,” he winks, before striding off.
“He’s soo weird,” Harry laughs, “but thank god. For a second I thought Snape caught us.” Neville snorts, nodding. The way the clearing of his throat had sounded, he really had thought for a second that it was Snape. And they would have been eviscerated, Snape’s most hated students, kissing each other while they should be dancing? They both would have lost at least 20 points.
“Caught you doing what, Harrykins?” two voices drawls behind them in harmony.
Neville wants to sink through the floor. They turn around, and George’s grin is big and shark-like. Taking in their faces, both flushed, both with red kissed lips, Neville’s hair a complete mess. “Oh, I think I know,” Fred says, nudging his twin. “Is this why you asked for the prefect bathroom password?” he wiggles his eyebrows.
“Wha- no,” Harry says flustered, “that’s for other things,” he mutters, blushing. But he still grabs Neville’s hand stubbornly, sticking out his chin, “if you must know, we got stuck under one of your bloody mistletoe.”
“None of them should make your lips so red, Harrykins, but nice try,” George grins.
Harry huffs, but his cheeks are flaming red, “we’re going, come on, Nev, let’s dance! I think I see Hermione over there.” Neville laughs and lets Harry drag him into the fray of dancing people. Holding him close and near. Harry seems completely content with that, grinning up at him, holding him just as close.
“Nev,” Harry whispers, after they watched Ron and Hermione fight together, after he’s comforted Hermione and told her how much he doesn’t care who she takes to the ball as long as she’s happy. “I like you, a lot,” he whispers, “and- I- ah-“ Neville watches him as he worries his lip and fidgets with his hands, “I just wanna be sure you- we’re on the same page,” he says quickly.
For a second his stomach sinks, for a second he thinks that he should have known it was too good to be true. But this was Harry they were talking about, and Harry- he looked so nervous, “I really like you,” he whispers, “and I want to keep kissing you, because it’s brilliant, and- and I want to go on silly dates with you. I- ah,” Neville grabs his hands and laces it together, smiling at him, “you want that too?” he whispers, his eyes are wide with hope.
“Yeah,” Neville whispers back, he grins, “I- ah- I love spending time with you,” he whispers, “you’re the only one who doesn’t stop me when I talk about plants,” he adds softly, “and you’re very- very pretty.” He winches, he’s pretty sure boys don’t want to be called pretty. “Handsome too,” he whispers, because Harry is both. “I- ah- I really like you too,” he whispers.
Harry is beaming at him, “yeah? So- you- do you want to be my boyfriend?” he rushes out, his cheeks are pink and his eyes are wide and hopeful.
Neville can’t really say yes, but he nods eagerly, grinning. Harry laughs happily before kissing him very briefly. “We can keep it just between us, if- if you’re not ready to tell people you like boys,” Harry whispers.
Neville grins, “we kind of already told the world that, with going to the ball together?” he smiles at Harry, “I don’t care who knows, grandma already knows I like boys.”
Harry grins, “and- and you don’t mind that- that people will know we’re together? Because- ah- the papers and all that,” he whispers.
“I couldn’t care less,” Neville grins, “the daily profit is a load of bull more than half the time anyway.”
Harry lets out a delighted scandalised laugh, “wanna go up to the common room? And maybe kiss some more?” he whispers. His cheeks are red and Neville nods eagerly, flushed. They giggle and rush up to the common room together. This is probably his very favourite christmas ever, and he even gets to stay at Hogwarts and spend so much time with Harry. He’s going to spend loads of it kissing him, and teaching him how to swim in the prefect bathrooms. They’re going to do that with shorts because he’s not ready for anything else but it’s going to be brilliant. He might sort of really hate the tournament because it’s putting his friend, no boyfriend, in danger but well, it also created this in a way. He grins at Harry, and follows him into the common-room eagerly.
***
Harry’s breath is stuck in his throat. He can’t find Neville anywhere. “Ron! I can’t find Neville,” he says frantically. He lets his eyes scan the whole crowd around the docks. Harry’s got the gillyweed in his pocket and his swimming clothes on. But he needed and he wanted his whispered goodluck and the squeeze of his hand, and maybe even a sweet peck on his lips.
“I don’t know mate! I can’t find Hermione anywhere either,” he says, looking around. That’s not good. He looks at Victor, looking around just like him, and it seems like all the other champions are looking for their people.
He swallows thickly stepping up to the edge when the announcer calls out. “Today’s test is one of endurance and strength,” the announcer says, “we have taken one person for each champion, and hidden them in the great lake. It will be the task of the champion to find their person, before an hour runs out, or they will loose them forever.”
Harry’s breath hitches, no no no. He can’t loose another person. Not when he’s only had him for such a short time. He’s only starting to learn everything about Neville. They haven’t even gone past kissing for way too long and some very light touching when he was learning how to swim!
His ears are ringing and he pops the Gillyweed in his mouth, nearly gagging at the taste. He jumps in the water frantically turning the timer on the watch Neville let him borrow.
He nearly screams when pain sears through his body, but it takes just a moment before the Gillyweed works, gills forming on his neck, webs between his fingers. Okay Harry! You practised this with Neville. Sweet sweet handsome Neville who’s in danger.
Harry starts swimming frantically. He remembers Neville’s story. The lake is inhabited with salt water creatures. They’re everywhere. Harry’s wand is strapped to his thigh and there’s a knife to his ankle. He swims as hard and as fast as he can, desperately trying to figure out which way he needs to go.
He hears the first trails of a song after an hour of swimming. He’s exhausted, his leg hurts from a bite of a grindylow, and he’s only not bleeding because of the seaweed bandage thing he tried to create. It didn’t get any skin but he’s sure it’s going to scar with the salt water in it now.
But he needs to keep going, needs to find Neville. And the song is the way. He rushes forward, aching inside. He needs Neville, needs to find him. He can’t loose him.
There’s a town in the water. Structures made from mud and plants, rising in the distance. It looks similar to the engravings around the egg. He swims harder. He checks his watch. He’s got another five minutes.
No one was there yet. Four people were strung on ropes. Ankle tied, and suspended in the water. There were selkies around and Harry swam up to Neville quickly, grabbing his face. It was scary to see, eyes glassy. Hermione was besides him, Cho besides her. There was a pretty young girl with blond hair on Neville’s other side.
Harry debated with himself. Everything ached inside himself to take Neville and rush him up, but he also needed to know that everyone was safe, and they said that if they weren’t there in an hour that they would be lost forever.
Part of Harry would never believe that Dumbledore would let that happen, but he needed to make sure that his people were safe. He checked his watch, one more minute. Fuck it!
He unsheathes his wand, and casts the strongest cutting curse he knows. All four people are cut loose. The selkies clearly don’t like that because they advance on him in seconds, but Harry doesn’t care. He casts a strong protego against them, another water blasting, and he grabs Neville and the girl. He nearly jolts when there’s another person. Krum! He takes Hermione, and then Cedric comes up, holding Cho. He comes over and takes the girls other arm and they swim together towards the surface.
The plant is working out, and Harry fights to swim up, gasping for breath together with all hostages. “Neville,” Harry breathes out, he nearly drowns a little. But Neville holds him up.
“Let me take her!” Neville calls out, and Cedric gives the crying french girl over. Harry nearly drowns again when Neville says something in soft french. Holy shit that’s hot. He feels his cheeks pink and he forces himself up and towards the edge of the platform again. Fleur is there, screaming for her sister.
“Why did you do that, Harry,” Cedric asks softly, “cut them all loose?”
“The time was about to run out,” Harry says softly, “I- I didn’t want to risk it. I know that Dumbledore would never let anyone drown but- but what if something happened? I couldn’t risk it.”
He nearly falls over when he stands on his foot, crying out. Neville is there in a second, “what happened!” he says.
Harry sits down, taking the seaweed off. “Grindylow, hurt like hell,” he says.
“You should’ve pulled out!” Neville says, eyes wide with worry, “it must’ve hurt.”
“Yeah but they had you,” Harry says, eyes wide and earnest, “couldn’t risk it. It’s just a bite, at least it’s sort of even now,” he adds with a joke, nodding to the other bite he had from Ripper. Neville frowns, but doesn’t say anything but to call Madam Pomfrey towards them.
Harry earns the most points of all, the boys were all at the same time but Harry could have won and risked it to keep people safe. It made him flush, because he had been overreacting, which Hermione had admonished him about later. But Harry wasn’t going to risk anything with his friends.
Or his boyfriend. Harry snuggled in his warmth, smiling and happy before the fire as they warmed up together. The party around them loud. No one looked twice when Harry turned around and kissed him eagerly, warming up as much inside as on the outside. He’ll protect his people hundred times over even if that makes him desperate and reckless. It was worth it.