Never Change
TAEYANG3 Here you are :)
Ronald Weasley glanced over at his Consort, the taller boy off to the side, silent.
After the first task, Neville had not approached Hadrian, in fact he had avoided Hadrian as well as the rest of their friends.
He hadn't even glanced in Ron's direction and it was beginning to worry the red head.
"Excuse me." he said, his tone apologetic as he raised a hand to stop Fred's next words. "Of course dear brother. Do come to me after you and Nev have had your..talk." smirked the older red head and Ron's cheeks warmed as he shoved the elder twin, brushing by and ignoring the laughter he heard in turn.
Ron sighed under his breath, unable to help the way his heart raced when Neville noticed his presence, the boy looking up. His grey eyes met Ron's big brown eyes and Ron tried his best to ignore how his body felt like mush all of a sudden.
He had not told Neville he loved the boy yet, Neville hadn't said anything either, but he knew he felt the same. He was just too stubborn to say so.
"Is there something wrong, darling?" Neville said, pushing himself off the wall to bring Ron into his strong arms. Ron wished he could stop noticing things like that..
Things like the fact that Neville's face had lost all the baby fat so now it was more chiseled than before. The bit of stubble on his jaw and cheeks. The way the grey in his eyes went dark after they shared a kiss. His grip sometimes getting tighter and needier when they were alone and how rough his voice got whenever Ron touched him.
He wasn't just a boy anymore and Ron was definitely not prepared for these new feelings of lust. He knew it was because they were teenage boys but no one warned him just how much things would change.
"Ron.." Neville's husky voice in his ear brought him out of his fantasizing and his face reddened when Neville gave a smile, just the slightest lift of his lips but it set a fire across Ron's skin.
He had the strongest feeling he knew who was being the girl in their situation.
"S-Sorry..are you alright?" he stammered out, his voice low and Neville paused, brows scrunched. "Why do you ask?" he replied and Ron shrugged, frowning as he fingered the Slytherin crest on Neville's robes lightly.
"You seem..distant. After the first task.." said the red head, motioning out at the common room which was alight with activity. There was music and streamers, food and laughter. Dancing as Hadrian and Draco were having a very heated snogging session in his usual chair.
The house of snakes were celebrating Hadrian, as well Cedric, Fleur and Viktor, coming back in one piece. The elder wizards chatting among themselves while the Inferno let loose.
Even Luna looked to be having fun, now dancing with a smiling George.
"You haven't asked me to dance. You didn't even congratulate them and don't tell me you did because Hadrian noticed. He's giving you space but we both know he'll expect an explanation." finished Ron, giving Neville a pointed look when he tried to interrupt.
Neville tensed up, pulling away from Ron to pace in front of the boy, running his fingers through his already messy hair.
"I suppose I am..afraid." he replied quietly, shrugging his shoulders.
Ron's brows shot up and he decided to choose his next words carefully.
"Of what?"
Neville made a face, almost as if he could not believe what he was going to say next, but continued on anyways.
"I am afraid of us losing. I know, I can't believe I'm admitting to such a thing but I'm not talking about the Tournament. I mean, us, losing it all. The fight against Dumbledore, the next war..all of it. I'm afraid of losing you, the new family we created. Even the Dark Lord himself. If anything happned to you, all of you..I don't know what I'd do.." Neville trailed off, processing his words but Ron did not interrupt.
"I know we have Lady Magick on our side. We have luck. We have power and knowledge, we have strength in numbers. The Dark Lord himself has overseen our training. We have what it takes to win..but why, why do I still feel so much dread?" his last words were just a whisper but Ron heard him clearly.
The tall boy was now hunched in on himself, his eyes hazy and his hands clenched tightly. His teeth were digging into his bottom lip and he seemed somewhat shaky and now Ron was really worried.
It took a lot to scare Neville. He was the toughest of them all besides Hadrian himself, and Blaise who never seemed affected by anything. Neville refused to show anything other than anger and his smiles, his happiness, he only ever showed around Ron and the rest of his family and friends.
"You need a break." Ron finally said, taking Neville's hand and dragging the boy toward their portrait.
"Ron-"
"Don't Ron, me. Hadrian is fine. In fact I think he's a little too fine from the sound of it." replied Ron, Neville snorting in response, which he thought was a good sign.
He uttered the password then the two left, the portrait closing behind them.
Ron laced their fingers together but other than that, the two were silent.
Neville looked over at his Consort, unable to help the wistful little sigh that escaped his lips. He didn't think he'd fall in love. Not only was it too adult and foreign to think about but, he never expected to be in love with a Weasley.
Sure they weren't so bad, and he admitted he liked spending time with the twins and their brothers, but he mostly saw them as extended family.
Ron however, was different.
He had thought the boy was an idiot. That he was loud and obnoxious and everything Ron hated. Dumbledore obsessed, naive and a follower. Oh yes they would follow Hadrian to the ends of the earth, but there were also followers that only chose their Master because of their status.
And that's what Neville had believed about Ron in the beginning.
But later on, as he grew closer to Ron, he got to see a side he knew the boy tried to hide. Unlike the rest of the pureblood Slytherin, it was clear that he had a good heart. That even though he had tortured people as much as they did, he was still warm. He liked to make the others feel welcomed and instead of calling them stupid when they made a mistake, he would encourage them.
He liked to laugh and he would cry to Neville or the twins. And he was extremely smart, but still dense sometimes.
Slytherin was where he belonged and thrived but Neville reluctantly admitted he had the heart of a Gryffindor.
Which wasn't a bad thing. It reminded him of Sirius in a way.
He adored Ron's soft touches and his firm stares, his loud laugh and the way his face would burn up whenever Neville teased him.
When their lips couldn't get enough of each other and Ron would look away embarrassed at the girly sounds he made.
This stupid red head had made Neville soft and he had no idea if he liked it or if he wanted to throw the boy halfway across England.
"Baby?"
Neville's heart jumped and his skin burned as he met Ron's confused gaze. His face was red and Neville tilted his head. "Yeah love?" he replied, smirking when Ron groaned in annoyance. "What perverted thing were you thinking about?" he huffed, Neville raising a brow.
"How do you know it was perverted?" he replied, tensing up when Ron leaned in close, kissing his jaw roughly. "Because your eyes get darker when you think like that or whenever we pull away from a kiss. And now, your hand has tightened around mine." smiled Ron, though Neville could tell he was nervous.
Yet excited.
Ron was teasing him.
Neville snickered at that, pushing his Consort against a column, one hand on his hip, the other lifting his chin.
"You're adorable Weasley." he murmured lowly, warm breath fanning over Ron's neck and the latter swallowed roughly, trying to ignore how his trousers felt tight just then.
"If someone sees us.." he muttered, Neville rolling his eyes in response.
"Fine..why are we here?" he said, removing himself from Ron as he looked up to see they were just about to enter the courtyard. No one was out, as most were indoors keeping warm or discussing the first task.
"To get you some fresh air. And because I wanted to be alone with you." said Ron, leading his Consort further out.
Neville let him, watching as Ron retrieved a basket from his room with a spell, laying out a blanket and putting up silencing wards and heating charms.
The Ron sat down first, then looked up at Neville, patting his lap invitingly.
Neville smiled and slowly sat down, positioning himself so he laid splayed out in front of the red head, letting his head lay in his lap comfortably.
He closed his eyes and hummed when he felt Ron's fingers massaging his scalp and playing in his hair.
"I won't treat you like a Gryffindor. Or those light wizards. I'll say this bluntly. We most likely will lose people. People will die. It is inevitable in war. Even if the war isn't now, it will happen. All you can do is prepare. Watch each other's backs and prepare some more. There will be traitors, those who want to rise for more power not caring who gets in their way, and death. That is just a fact. But Hadrian, won't die. I know to you, he is your brother, but you know him best save for Draco and the Dark Lord." murmured Ron, kissing Neville's head lightly.
The Lestrange heir gave a heavy sigh, staring up at his boyfriend.
"You are right I know. I know Hadrian will be fine. I know we will be as prepared as we can. I know some of us will still die. But I can't lose you. I can't." he whispered, Ron's eyes wide with the taller boy's words. His heart beat rapidly against his chest and he blinked, not sure what to say.
Neville reached up, his hand laying on Ron's soft hair and bringing his head down further until their noses touched.
"I love you. So I can't lose you. Losing you would be like losing apart of myself. And I'm afraid of that. I'm afraid of what you've done to me. But I wouldn't change it. It just makes me want to protect you more. To be an even better wizard and partner to you. I just love you so damn much." he said, tears in his eyes and Ron stammered over a response.
"I-I love you more and you won't need to protect me. I'll make sure we can fight side by side." he squeaked, Neville chuckling at his obvious embarrassment. "I know you will. And I know I don't, but let me. Please. If nothing else. Let me protect you. Everyone else is so much stronger than I am. You could do better, but you chose me and I will forever thank you for that." he said.
"How about we protect each other? I worry about you too, Neville. Way more than you know." smiled Ron, leaning back when Neville sat up suddenly, pushing the red head back gently to hover over him. He leaned in, pressing his lips to Ron's, smiling when the shorter wizard immediately kissed back, parting his lips to let Neville's tongue inside.
"Mm.." breathed Ron, face red but his hands reaching up to bring Neville closer, heart pounding when Neville let out a quiet groan of pleasure, his tongue lapping a Ron's eagerly. His movements became rougher and needier and soon his hands were going places Ron should have been embarrassed about, but found himself wanting more of.
"Neville, you can't do that here." he rasped, his brain fuzzy and Neville let out a groan of annoyance, pulling back to see a breathless Ron.
His chest was heaving and his face crimson as he stared up at Neville, panting quietly.
Neville gave a soft smile and pulled the boy up into a tight hug.
"Never change Ron."
Ron snorted at that, but hugged back all the same.
"You'd better not either."