“It’s not that you’re wrong, exactly, you’re just extremely not right.” - Panevillenet #panevillepromptchallenge
Blaise kissed Pansy’s cheek before she walked in the store and he continued on her way. Neville was used to this routine, every morning before ten Blaise and Pansy walked together and he dropped her off, giving a small wave to Neville, kissing her cheek, and leaving for his work.
“Good morning,” Pansy greeted as she walked in, taking off her sunglasses and throwing her coat behind the counter where Neville was, cutting up the poisonous thorns of a bunch of winter roses.
“Good morning,” Neville replied and gave her a reproaching look. Pansy sighed and picked up her coat and went to the back to hang it in a proper place. “How’s Blaise?” Neville asked casually as the roses hissed at him.
Pansy returned to the front, wearing a perfectly clean, pink apron that looked nothing like Neville’s. “He’s alright.” She shrugged and looked at Neville. “Why do you ask?”
Neville and Pansy looked at each other for a second too long, and he got the feeling that they were both looking for something in each other’s faces.
“No reason,” he finally said. He handed Pansy the now thorn-less roses. She took a piece of ribbon from under the counter and wrapped it around the flowerpot and then with her wand twisted it into a fancy bow. Neville watched her work and smiled slightly. “When are you going to ask him out?”
Pansy didn’t look up at him, but she laughed as she shook her head. “Not this again, Longbottom.”
“Come on, it’s clear you like him,” Neville insisted, still not taking his eyes away from her.
“You’re wrong,” she said simply, and then she looked up and pointed at the floating flutterbies near the ceiling of the shop. “When are those due?”
Neville looked at the plants. “Half past three today. Mrs Babcock is going to pick them up.”
“Good. Let’s get started.” Pansy left the counter and started lowering the floating plants with her wand, effectively putting an end to the conversation that Neville wanted to have.
The next day was the same, except Pansy was the one who kissed Blaise’s cheek before entering the shop, leaving a bright red mark on his skin.
“Good morning,” Pansy greeted, walking to the back and leaving her coat and purse there at once. She seemed to be in a good mood.
“Good morning,” Neville rasped, his voice a little rough. He waited for Pansy to return to the front as he spritzed water on some plants, but she never did. Maybe she had fallen asleep on the small patch of musical grass again. Neville went to the back to investigate and found Pansy by the window, untying a letter from an owl’s leg. He cleared his throat and she turned around in a flash, hiding the letter behind her back.
Neville frowned. “Everything alright?”
“Yes. I just got a letter. Sorry, I’ll start working right away.”
Neville couldn’t help but notice the pink blush on her cheeks and he cocked his head to the side, giving her a teasing smile. “From Blaise?”
Pansy rolled her eyes. “None if your business, Longbottom.”
Neville’s heart dropped. It wasn’t what pansy has said, it was the way she said it. It brought Neville back in time, to a time where every time Pansy looked at him she sneered, and every word directed at him was an insult. It had been a while, but Neville remembered that time vividly, even though he had spent many months peeling away at Pansy’s tough exterior because he knew there must be something else to her than just disdain, and if they were going to work together, he had to at least try. He hadn’t expected to find so much, though. He thought this ministry mandated job she had would simply be bearable if they got along, and instead he had found an unexpected friend.
Neville didn’t say anything, he merely turned around and walked away, too angry to even argue with her.
Neville stopped, not because Pansy was speaking to him, but because she had said his first name and he didn’t remember that ever happening before.
When he turned around she took a few steps towards him and then hesitated, like she wasn’t sure of how close to get. “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice
“If this Blaise business is so sensitive for you, consider it dropped; I won’t talk about him anymore.” Neville made to leave again, but Pansy was shaking her head as she took another step.
“You can talk about Blaise if you want,” Pansy said with a shrug. “But he and I aren’t dating.”
Neville tried to stop himself, but something told him that it was a good idea to say it. “Pansy, it’s clear you like him.”
Pansy didn’t sigh or roll her eyes this time. Instead, she smiled. “It’s not that you’re wrong, exactly.” She took a few more steps until she looking up at Neville, right in front of him, her eyes gleaming. “You’re just extremely not right.”
Pansy got on her tiptoes and crashed their lips together with such speed that Neville didn’t process what was happening until after his lips were moving on his own and kissing her back. Pansy’s wrapped her arms around his neck, and Neville grabbed her by the waist and leaned further into the kiss. His insides were cheering with joy, like he was finally doing something he had dreamed of for months but had no idea of how much he wanted it until now.
He didn’t want to pull away, he really didn’t, but his mind was starting to clear and the questions he had didn’t let him concentrate fully the way he wanted to. So he slowed down the kiss and pulled away, opening his eyes and waiting for Pansy to do the same. Her face was flushed and she looked extremely relieved, like she couldn’t believe Neville hadn’t rejected her.
“You really don’t like Blaise, huh?” he asked softly, not letting go of her.
“Do you really need more prove?” Pansy pushed her body just the slightest bit closer to his and Neville almost leaned in again.
Pansy opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. Neville gave her a pointed look, so she sighed. “Blaise is the one that likes you.” Neville’s eyes went as big a saucers, but Pansy continued before he could say anything. “More like he wants to hook up with you. Or wanted, because I told him yesterday to back off.”
Neville’s jaw dropped a bit and he didn’t know what to day, so he simply stood there, staring at ansy with his mouth hanging open and his heart pounding.
“Blaise took it really well,” Pansy continued. “He even sent me ideas for our first date.” Pansy showed Nevilled the crumpled letter she had in her hand and he finally smiled.
“Remind me to thank him next time he comes by,” Neville said, tightening his grip on Pansy.
Pansy nodded. “But thank me first, then.”
Neville spent the rest of the working day thanking her.
