Wolfsbane // Neville Longbottom

Chapter 30: Dean & Seamus's

"Do you need any help, Dean?" Cassie asked him as Seamus took their coats.

"That would be great. How about you help me cook and Nev and Seamus set the table?" he suggested.

"Deal," she said, sliding over next to Dean behind the kitchen counter and taking a knife and cutting board from him, cutting the bell peppers for his dish. Seamus and Neville started setting the table before disappearing into the living room.

"Good. They're gone. Now tell me everything, Cassie," Dean smirked, glancing over at her while stirring the dish he was preparing. "Neville told me some bits but I'd like to hear your side of the story. Two professors in love. How romantic," he chuckled. She rolled her eyes a little and slid the bell peppers into the pan.

"Well, we just started to hang out a lot. A lot. Truly, like every day. And erm, I don't know. He just makes me feel really safe and lovely and just bubbly. Like whenever I'm around him I feel happy. That started to happen and I was terrified. It took me a moment but eventually, I accepted how I felt and how he felt and well, the rest is history," she told him.

"Bah! You're even vaguer than he is," Dean teased. Cassie nudged him with her elbow playfully. "Oi oi! Tell me, Cassie, what's he like?"

"You know Neville. He's kind and caring and-"

"In the sack, Cassie," he whispered, shooting her a wink. Cassie chuckled softly, her cheeks turning pink.

"I have a friend that I'm sure you will adore," she laughed. "But fine. Honestly? He's the best I've ever had. He's so passionate and loving and fuck, he always makes sure that I finish either first or just at all. If he finishes first he'll... you know... to make sure that I finish too. But he's just so amazing. Like all that shyness? Goes away within a second. And just the feeling of his hands around my body... Gosh," she chuckled, her cheeks glowing red. "I mustn't go into detail."

"I happen to love details," he said, chuckling softly. "I always knew that there was something hiding behind that shyness." Cassie laughed and shook her head softly.

"New topic, please. When did you realise you like Seamus? You've been together officially for two and a half? Three months?" she asked curiously. A smile appeared on his lips and he nodded.

"Yes. So you may think it's quick that we're living together," he chuckled, "But we were already living together for two years. And kissing and cuddling and  sleeping together and doing things you do in a relationship for almost the same amount of time." Cassie looked at him, surprised.

"Really?" she asked. "Then why did it take you so long to take another step?"

"Well... I've been in love with Seamus since our Sixth Year at Hogwarts. I was just afraid to tell him. He's been my best friend since we've met and I didn't want to ruin that. I also wasn't sure if he liked guys. It was a big risk and I was too scared to take it," he explained.

"That's totally understandable," Cassie nodded. "It's always scared to take the leap of confessing your feelings. I can't even fathom what it's like when it's to your best friend of a decade who you aren't sure is even attracted to your gender."

"Right," he nodded. "So you know, I kept it hidden and then on the night when we got reunited at Hogwarts, after the Battle, we went home together and he kissed me. He kissed me and told me he had missed me so much he wasn't sure how to express it. We kissed and cuddled all night,"

"After that, he backed away a little. You see, Seamus grew up in a very homophobic family. He's told me all about it. I came out to him and all my friends a little bit after all that. He accepted me right away, but he would be calling me 'bro' and punching my shoulder instead of sharing the intimacy we had shared before,"