The Auror and The Innkeeper

Chapter 3: (Not Quite) Another Dull Day

Neville walked into work that day with a slight smile creeping across his face. He was clocking in when he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Neville!" Harry, practically screaming, greeted, "Good Morning!"

Neville sighed, "Morning, Harry."

Harry waited for Neville to finish clocking in and then he threw an arm around Neville. He swallowed harshly and his eyes shot in the opposite direction of Harry.

"Gin told me she thinks you're in love." Harry stated loudly.

Neville stopped in his tracks and Harry's arm dropped from Neville's shoulders, "What?"

Harry laughed, "I told her it was ridiculous, but I knew I wasn't the only one who saw your smooth conversation with Hannah Abbott!"

Neville crossed his arms defensively, "Hannah was always helpful in school. And she's just easy to talk to."

Harry nodded suspiciously, "Alright, alright. Call it what you will. All I'm saying is Ginny was exactly the same."

Harry walked away, shaking his head. Neville huffed and continued on his way to his desk. He passed Ron on the way, who was talking to a rookie Auror, but upon seeing Neville, Ron smiled brightly and said,

"Morning, Nev!"

Neville smiled small, "Morning, Ron." Neville sat down and was immediately met with a stack of paperwork dropped on his desk, "Woah. Did everyone get this much work, Larson." he picked up the stack of papers with both hands.

Lacey Larson, a young witch that was just hired on, shrugged, "Don't know. I just print and hand out."

Lacey walked away. Neville watched her walk away with slight scowl on his face. He didn't like Lacey. She was one of those kids at Hogwarts that heard the stories of people like Draco Malfoy and had heart eyes. If she'd actually experienced any of the bullying ensued from Malfoy, she wouldn't feel that way, and maybe she'd actually be a decent person.

Neville pulled his focus back to the stack of paperwork before him. It wasn't actually that much when you actually try to get it done, but today, Neville was distracted by an unnatural pounding from his heart. It started when Harry mentioned Hannah.

Actually, it started when he saw Hannah that morning. Neville had never felt that way for anyone. His eyes had lit up once with Luna - when he learned she was okay after the Battle of Hogwarts - but never again after that. But it happened the day before when he reunited with Hannah as well.

He couldn't shake the thumping in his chest, so he picked up the stack of paper and went to find a quiet place to do it. He thought that if he left the company of others and be alone with his thoughts, then his thoughts would calm down.

He found a windowless conference room and sat down. Pulling out a pen, he ran his eyes down the endless little words, before taking his wand out and enchanting the pen. His pen lifted off the table and started writing notes in the margins, connecting the notes to the sentences with lines.

"Maybe a small nap will help me." he mumbled as he lay his head down, comfortably adjusted in the crooks of his arms. And he was snoring.

He lay in bed next to a woman, but he couldn't assign her a face. She suddenly turned over in her sleep. Neville still couldn't tell who she was, but when she turned her breasts found their way to rest in his hands. He couldn't help himself. He had to know what they felt like.

So, he squeezed. They were great. Round. Perfect. She moaned a little as he squeezed and pressed her body closer to his. He moved one of his hands down to her sweet spot and played with her. She moaned in her sleep some more and he rubbed her some more, feeling her tense around his fingers.

He kissed her collarbones, slowly up until he reached just below her ear. Then, he moved his lips slowly toward her mouth until finally he was kissing her. Slow and tenderly.

He suddenly heard himself moaning and saying words that his mind wasn't processing. But he wasn't tempted to wake until his mouth decided to name the faceless girl in his dream. He felt great, like something was healing in his heart. And then, he heard himself say.

"Oh, Hannah-"

Neville bolted awake suddenly. His pen was just finishing up with half of the paperwork as he did so. He raked his hand through his hair slightly before rubbing his eyes.

Had he really just dreamed about Hannah Abbott? And did he really not mind it?