Fic: Love Potion Number Eight (Neville/Pansy, implied past Neville/Hermione
Title: Love Potion Number Eight
Author: quietliban
Rating: M (passing mention of miscarriage, swearing, nothing overt really)
Prompt Set: 50.4
Prompt: # 8 Unforgivable
Word Count: ~850 words
Summary: You can’t change the past and some things are unforgivable.
Notes: For 100quills. A list for other fic in this series is here.
Dread. That is what Neville feels when he sees Hermione sitting at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of tea beside her. Neville feels dread because he knows that it’s the end now. That the past is past, but they can’t move beyond that. It’s over now; suspended, not to go on.
“Have I been relegated to the realm of the general public now?” she asks. Her eyes are sad and questioning, and Neville wonders if he knew that it would come to this. Somehow, he doesn’t think he did.
“She didn’t want you to know,” Neville tells her, sliding into a seat opposite her.
Hermione snorts. She grips her tea mug with one hand, bringing it towards her. She blinks once, twice. “No, I don’t suppose she did.”
“What you did…” Neville begins, but stops. They’ve dealt with that. They’ve dealt with it over and over and there’s nothing left there. It belongs in the past, not in the present, but it seems to be stopping them from the future. The ghosts of what she did, of the love potion, of the baby, of Ron, and of the fighting haunt her eyes. Neville doesn’t want to set them free again.
“Is not what I’m here about.” Her voice is stony, but Neville can hear the cracks. They stand on such fragile glass, the three of them.
Neville sighs and he wonders where Pansy is. He wonders how Hermione made it into the cottage with Pansy about, because surely… “Did she let you in?”
“She opened the door.” Hermione nods.
“I love her very much,” Neville tells Hermione. He knows he shouldn’t have to, that he doesn’t need to, but it makes him feel better. He feels relieved knowing that Hermione has heard it from him.
“I hope so. You married her.” Hermione takes a sip of her tea and makes a face, putting the mug down again. It is her old mug that she sips from. Her old mug from when she used to live here during all the fighting.
“Why are you here?” Neville asks. He hates the strain that is in their conversation, but it is her doing. Hermione smiles, it is a small smile, a self-depreciating smile.
“I wanted to see if it was true.” Hermione’s hand snakes out and squeezes his.
“To see if what was true, Granger?” Pansy steps into the kitchen. Her eyes are focused on where Hermione holds Neville’s hand.
Hermione’s expression falls at the sight of Pansy and she lets go of Neville’s hand like she’s been stung. Neville frowns before looking at Pansy. “Pans-“ he starts, but she shakes her head.
“No, Neville.” Pansy doesn’t look at him. She looks at Hermione and there’s hatred in her eyes. “You know, Granger, I used to think that I could forgive you for what you did. I used to think that, and I really ought to forgive you. I really ought to, because you were so fucked up, really, really fucked in the head, but the thing is, I can’t. I can’t forgive you for what did to me, for what you did to Neville. I know that probably makes me the mean petty girl you always thought I was, but I just can’t excuse you. You made me think I lost him, that I wasn’t enough for him. You made me think that only thing in my life that made any sense was gone. You took away his choice, and you abused his friendship, and I can’t forget that. Neville might be able to, but he’s…well, he’s always been a much better person than me. So if you’re offended that you weren’t informed of our nuptials or that I don’t want you to have anything to do with me and mine, then I suppose you will just have to deal with it. You betrayed me, and you betrayed Neville. I don’t know how you can live with yourself.”
Neville stares at his wife. Pansy meets his eyes before turning and walking out. Hermione stares at where Pansy stood. Neville thinks he might see tears in her eyes.
“You know how disgusted I was with love potions when we were at Hogwarts?” Something in Hermione’s voice is almost pleading.
“You weren’t in your right mind, Hermione. You’d just lost the baby and-“
“Don’t make excuses for me, Neville.”
“We’re moving to Spain.”
Hermione nods. “Harry’s selling the cottage.”
“Was he the one who told you?” Neville asks.
Hermione laughs. It’s a sad and bitter sound. “Oh, no, I read it in the ‘Announcements’ page of The Prophet.”
Neville feels like he’s kicked her and guilt wells up in his chest. “Oh, Hermione, I’m so sorry.”
Hermione holds up her hand. “Don’t be. I hope you’re happy, Neville.” She stands. “I hope Pansy is happy, too.”
Neville smiles at her. “I…this is for the best isn’t it?” he asks suddenly realising that his is the end; the end of their friendship.
Hermione just smiles sadly and nods before leaving the table, the kitchen, the cottage, and Neville’s life.
Author: quietliban
Rating: M (passing mention of miscarriage, swearing, nothing overt really)
Prompt Set: 50.4
Prompt: # 8 Unforgivable
Word Count: ~850 words
Summary: You can’t change the past and some things are unforgivable.
Notes: For 100quills. A list for other fic in this series is here.
Dread. That is what Neville feels when he sees Hermione sitting at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of tea beside her. Neville feels dread because he knows that it’s the end now. That the past is past, but they can’t move beyond that. It’s over now; suspended, not to go on.
“Have I been relegated to the realm of the general public now?” she asks. Her eyes are sad and questioning, and Neville wonders if he knew that it would come to this. Somehow, he doesn’t think he did.
“She didn’t want you to know,” Neville tells her, sliding into a seat opposite her.
Hermione snorts. She grips her tea mug with one hand, bringing it towards her. She blinks once, twice. “No, I don’t suppose she did.”
“What you did…” Neville begins, but stops. They’ve dealt with that. They’ve dealt with it over and over and there’s nothing left there. It belongs in the past, not in the present, but it seems to be stopping them from the future. The ghosts of what she did, of the love potion, of the baby, of Ron, and of the fighting haunt her eyes. Neville doesn’t want to set them free again.
“Is not what I’m here about.” Her voice is stony, but Neville can hear the cracks. They stand on such fragile glass, the three of them.
Neville sighs and he wonders where Pansy is. He wonders how Hermione made it into the cottage with Pansy about, because surely… “Did she let you in?”
“She opened the door.” Hermione nods.
“I love her very much,” Neville tells Hermione. He knows he shouldn’t have to, that he doesn’t need to, but it makes him feel better. He feels relieved knowing that Hermione has heard it from him.
“I hope so. You married her.” Hermione takes a sip of her tea and makes a face, putting the mug down again. It is her old mug that she sips from. Her old mug from when she used to live here during all the fighting.
“Why are you here?” Neville asks. He hates the strain that is in their conversation, but it is her doing. Hermione smiles, it is a small smile, a self-depreciating smile.
“I wanted to see if it was true.” Hermione’s hand snakes out and squeezes his.
“To see if what was true, Granger?” Pansy steps into the kitchen. Her eyes are focused on where Hermione holds Neville’s hand.
Hermione’s expression falls at the sight of Pansy and she lets go of Neville’s hand like she’s been stung. Neville frowns before looking at Pansy. “Pans-“ he starts, but she shakes her head.
“No, Neville.” Pansy doesn’t look at him. She looks at Hermione and there’s hatred in her eyes. “You know, Granger, I used to think that I could forgive you for what you did. I used to think that, and I really ought to forgive you. I really ought to, because you were so fucked up, really, really fucked in the head, but the thing is, I can’t. I can’t forgive you for what did to me, for what you did to Neville. I know that probably makes me the mean petty girl you always thought I was, but I just can’t excuse you. You made me think I lost him, that I wasn’t enough for him. You made me think that only thing in my life that made any sense was gone. You took away his choice, and you abused his friendship, and I can’t forget that. Neville might be able to, but he’s…well, he’s always been a much better person than me. So if you’re offended that you weren’t informed of our nuptials or that I don’t want you to have anything to do with me and mine, then I suppose you will just have to deal with it. You betrayed me, and you betrayed Neville. I don’t know how you can live with yourself.”
Neville stares at his wife. Pansy meets his eyes before turning and walking out. Hermione stares at where Pansy stood. Neville thinks he might see tears in her eyes.
“You know how disgusted I was with love potions when we were at Hogwarts?” Something in Hermione’s voice is almost pleading.
“You weren’t in your right mind, Hermione. You’d just lost the baby and-“
“Don’t make excuses for me, Neville.”
“We’re moving to Spain.”
Hermione nods. “Harry’s selling the cottage.”
“Was he the one who told you?” Neville asks.
Hermione laughs. It’s a sad and bitter sound. “Oh, no, I read it in the ‘Announcements’ page of The Prophet.”
Neville feels like he’s kicked her and guilt wells up in his chest. “Oh, Hermione, I’m so sorry.”
Hermione holds up her hand. “Don’t be. I hope you’re happy, Neville.” She stands. “I hope Pansy is happy, too.”
Neville smiles at her. “I…this is for the best isn’t it?” he asks suddenly realising that his is the end; the end of their friendship.
Hermione just smiles sadly and nods before leaving the table, the kitchen, the cottage, and Neville’s life.