mini_fest | FIC: Mistletoe Annoyance (Draco/Neville - 850

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Title: Mistletoe Annoyance
Author/Artist:

reeby10
Pairing(s): Draco/Neville
Prompt:

snax0: Hogwarts has a mistletoe problem. Or maybe just a 'student putting mistletoe everywhere to trick their crush into kissing them' problem.
Word Count: 850
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Draco is annoyed by all the mistletoe popping up around the castle. That is, until he finds out who has been putting it up and why.

There was mistletoe absolutely everywhere, and Draco hated it. He hated seeing couples making out in doorways, hated having to dodge the girls who were hoping to catch him under the mistletoe, and more than anything, he hated feeling like he was the only one who didn’t have anyone special to kiss.

It was really annoying. And a little humiliating when he saw even Crabbe and Goyle crammed into a corner with two Hufflepuffs. If those louts could get some with the people they fancied, why couldn’t he?

Watching so many nauseating displays of far too public affection made him grumpy and more than a little distracted. In classes it was fine since none of the professors would allow such ridiculousness to happen in their classrooms, but out in the hallways and other public areas, it was a much different story. Draco tried his best to ignore it, but it wasn’t something he could just avoid.

One day, still a week before they would break for Yule, Draco found his usual passageway between the DADA classroom and the Great Hall blocked by a couple standing beneath one of the ever multiplying patches of mistletoe. They were on the verge of giving the other students a show they probably weren’t intending to, so Draco found himself turning down another corridor to escape. He turned the corner just in time to smack into someone else coming from the opposite direction.

“Sorry!” the person exclaimed immediately.

“Watch it,” he snapped, fed up with everything, before even looking to see who it was.

Neville Longbottom was standing before him, biting his lip a little, eyes cast downward. He had a rather large armful of mistletoe, almost enough to block his face. That was probably what caused him to not see Draco, though Draco didn’t want to admit that he didn’t have anything so good of an excuse himself.

Draco frowned, looking again at the mistletoe, then narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindor in growing suspicion. “Why do you have mistletoe, Longbottom?”

“I, um, like plants?” Longbottom replied, eyes darting to the side like he was trying to find an escape. Suddenly, it all came together.

“You did this!”

Longbottom blinked, flushing a little. “I did what?” he asked, starting to edge away a little. “I already apologized for running into you.”

“That’s the least of my worries,” Draco said, waving a hand distractedly. He glared down at the mistletoe still in Longbottom’s arms. “I’m talking about all the bloody mistletoe all about this place. You did that.”

For a long moment, there was only silence and Draco began to doubt himself. Maybe seeing all the mistletoe and happy couples had finally driven him mad. Or maybe he’d just really wanted to see some connection between Longbottom and mistletoe, though he’d never admit that he’d been hoping more than a little it would be mistletoe hanging above them rather than just sitting innocuously in Longbottom’s arms.

“I’m… sorry?” Longbottom finally said, the flush on his cheeks spreading to cover his entire face and what was visible of his neck.

Draco firmly told himself that it wasn’t cute. That he was mad, very mad. Apparently his face looked the part at least, even if it was hard to feel very mad anymore. Though he was very curious.

“You went to all the trouble of putting up mistletoe at practically every doorway and intersection in the castle,” Draco said slowly, still trying to work the rest of it out, “because you… like plants?”

Longbottom mumbled something, turning away like he didn’t want to see Draco’s reaction. Even more curious. Draco stepped forward until Longbottom’s back was at the wall. “What was that?”

“IdiditbecauseIwashopingforanexcusetokissyou,” Longbottom said, all in one breath. Draco just stared him down, something like hope fluttering in the pit of his stomach. Longbottom closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, then repeated himself again. “I did it because I was hoping for an excuse to kiss you.”

Draco felt a grin growing on his face before Longbottom had even finished speaking. He felt a little like he was dreaming, but even if he was, he wasn’t going to let this chance go to waste. Everyone else had been taking advantage of the mistletoe, so it was time he did too.

He leaned in and kissed Longbottom. Surprisingly, there was only a brief moment of confused hesitation before Longbottom was kissing him back, sure and firm. Draco felt the mistletoe land between them as Longbottom dropped it in favor of reaching out to take him by the waist, pulling him closer.

Eventually they pulled apart to breath, not moving more than a few inches away from each other. Draco felt a little lightheaded with giddyness. This was exactly what he hadn’t allowed himself to hope would happen.

“What was that for?” Longbottom asked, voice soft even as his grip tightened on Draco’s hips like he didn’t want to let go.

“Mistletoe,” he said, shrugging, but he couldn’t stop grinning. Longbottom’s answering smile had him warming from the inside out, and he found himself leaning in for another, briefer kiss.

“I guess it worked, then.”