Special delivery for ozma_katiebell Title: Making a Splash Author/Artist: Recipient's LJ name:ozma_katiebell Pairing(s): Neville/Lavender Rating: NC-17 Summary When her date with Neville turns potentially disastrous, Lavender finds a way to salvage the evening. Word Count: 4623 Warnings/Content: Shower sex Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction set in the Harry Potter universe – all recognisable characters and settings are the property of J. K. Rowling and her associates. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Author's/Artist's notes: Thanks to R for the beta. Ozma_katiebell, I hope this fic is to your liking!
She shouldn't be so nervous.
It wasn't as though this was a first date, after all, Lavender mused whilst trying to decide between the drop earrings or the gold hoops. It wasn't even their first date. She and Neville had been seeing each other regularly for nearly six weeks now, and she had a strong suspicion tonight would be The Night. At least, it would be if she had a say in it.
She had dated other men since her divorce from that cheating bastard Eddie Carmichael several years before, but none had lasted longer than a few months. Then she had reconnected with her old schoolmate, Neville Longbottom, a couple of years following the death of his wife, and sparks had flown ever since the first time he'd asked her to dinner.
They hadn't yet acted on those sparks, other than some increasingly hot and heavy snogging sessions. Neville, while far from virginal, had been instilled with a deep streak of traditional values, due to being raised by his autocratic grandmother. He hadn't kissed her until the end of their second date, and although he was obviously interested in more, he hadn't acted on that interest beyond passionate kisses. It was nice having a boyfriend capable of gentlemanly behaviour and terrific kissing ability, but Lavender wanted to see his less courtly side. She'd seen the banked desire in his eyes, ruthlessly suppressed in the name of propriety, and knew that he found her attractive. Tonight, she intended to find out exactly how far that attraction went.
She decided on the hoop earrings, slipping them through her earlobes. Smoothing down the skirt of her cherry-coloured crushed velvet dress, she carefully slicked on some lipstick in a matching shade that glistened invitingly without looking overly wet and wanton.
The Floo chimed precisely at six. Lavender shoved her feet into her red heels and grabbed her purse, a small clutch in the same cherry shade as her dress, and went to meet Neville.
"I do love a punctual man," she said, entering the lounge. Neville paused in the act of brushing flecks of soot from his robes, eyes widening slightly upon seeing her. Lavender didn't give him time to speak, slipping her arms around his waist and standing on tiptoe to kiss his mouth. "You look smashing. Blue is definitely your colour."
"Thank you." Neville drew back with a slight smile, admiration in his eyes. "You look lovely, too. If I look good in blue, you look even better in that shade of red."
"You don't think it's too Gryffindorish?" Lavender returned his smile, one hand reaching up to cup his cheek, thumb stroking one of the old scars there. "It seems almost cliché, you know...former Gryffindors wear red, Slytherins in green. Although you don't really see too many former Hufflepuffs dressed all in yellow, so I oughtn't feel redundant."
"No, you should feel beautiful, because you are," Neville replied, and Lavender nearly melted then and there. Neville's compliments were always so earnest. The fact they were so genuine and unfeigned was a major part of his charm, although if pressed he would deny it, blushing the entire time.
Instead she let her smile widen, allowing him to tuck her arm into his. "You're very sweet," she murmured. "What's on tonight's agenda? Something romantic, I trust?"
"I hope so. There's a new water garden at the memorial park in Hogsmeade. I thought we could walk there, maybe watch the sunset before dinner?"
Lavender nodded, privately regretting her choice of footwear. If she'd known about a stroll beforehand she might have chosen something with lower heels. Ah well, too late now. Besides, she'd heard nice things about the new park addition. Surely there would be benches where they could sit.
"It sounds like a wonderful way to spend an evening," she said, giving Neville's arm a squeeze. "I'm ready to go when you are. Apparate, or Floo through the Three Broomsticks?"
"And get any potential soot on that dress? I figured we'd Apparate."
The Albus Dumbledore Memorial Park had been created by the people of Hogsmeade shortly after the conclusion of the Second War. It had originally consisted of a simple obelisk listing the names of all the fallen from the Battle of Hogwarts, a few carefully tended flowerbeds, and a walking path. Over the years the garden had expanded, and now included several types of gardens, a zoo of magical creatures, a picnicking area and playground for families, and more walking paths meandering through the various areas of flora. The paths always returned to the obelisk in the centre of the park, a subtle reminder of the reason why the place existed.
The water garden was the latest addition, consisting of a series of small lily ponds connected by a tiny stream. The ponds had been stocked with bright goldfish, darting amongst the ponds, and the whole could be traversed via a gravel path, interspersed with the occasional arched bridge from where one could stop and watch the water and the fish. It was meant to be a quiet, serene place, perfect for a romantic stroll or a moment's introspection.
Lavender and Neville Apparated to a spot on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, close to Neville's small house. His grip around her waist was firm as they appeared with a loud popping noise, taking a moment for both of them to catch their breaths after the squeeze of Apparation.
The park wasn't very far from the Apparation point. They stopped first at the obelisk, pausing briefly to remember fallen friends and classmates before Neville cleared his throat and pointed toward a path flanked by two trees festooned with fairy lights. "The water park's over there, unless there was another part you wanted to visit first?"
"I'm looking forward to seeing the lily ponds," Lavender replied. "I'm surprised you didn't bring Trevor along."
"Trevor's not much for swimming, much less basking on a lily pad," Neville chuckled. "He'd be more interested in hopping in the mud next to the water, looking for tasty flies. I may bring him along next time, though."
She threaded her fingers through his as they began walking again, taking the flagstone path between the two weeping willow trees marking the entrance into the water garden section of the park.
"How is your hybrid project coming along?" Lavender asked, carefully navigating the flagstones in her high heels. Next time she was definitely wearing something less perilous for her ankles, she thought ruefully to herself. "Are they still dying on you?"
"I was going to mention it, but I'm always afraid I'll bore you to tears when I go on a tear about the plants," Neville replied, eyes brightening in quiet excitement. "Actually, I did have a breakthrough of sorts. At least, I hope it's a breakthrough. I won't find out for certain until the next sample group has a chance to germinate."
"You never bore me when you talk about plants. It's why you're such an excellent professor. You make it interesting," Lavender assured him. "Listening to you almost makes me want to retake Herbology. Almost"
Neville laughed and squeezed her hand. "Probably just as well you didn't. I'd be distracted too much to teach properly."
"How very sweet of you to say," Lavender did her best not to coo. She wasn't quite sure she succeeded. Neville really was adorable, without even trying. "Now, what was this possible breakthrough?"
"Well, I've already told you we're trying to crossbreed prickly pears with crabby apples, without success. We'd tried different amounts of sunlight and different sorts of fertilisers, but the plants were still dying. I wondered if maybe it wasn't the soil itself that was the problem. Prickly pears grow best when the ground is dry and sandy and alkaline, but crabby apples do better when the soil is wetter and more acidic; so my hope is that if I try to sprout this next batch of seedlings in a soil medium that's somewhat balanced between acid and alkaline, maybe they'll have more success. It can't hurt any worse than the other failures."
"It sounds like it's worth a try," Lavender agreed. "I would never have thought about the soil, even if it was something Professor Sprout taught us back when we were ickle firsties."
"I think that's why it took me so long to even think of it," Neville agreed, "simply because pH balance in soil is basic first year Herbology. Everyone wants to believe any problems are something much more rare and esoteric, and that's not always the case."
They arrived at a low, arched bridge, spanning one of the lily ponds. Unlike the path, the bridge was constructed of wood treated to resemble mahogany and Charmed to repel weather elements. The low railing had been carved into a fanciful lily pad motif, complete with frogs and fish.
"A lot of work went into this," Lavender noted, bending slightly to study the carvings more closely. "Look at the fins on that fish. You almost expect them to move."
"I'm a bit surprised they didn't Charm them to," Neville said, joining her at eye-level. "Maybe they thought it would be overkill?"
"They probably didn't want to distract from the water garden itself." Lavender straightened, looking out over the serene pools of dark water, studded with green lilies and bright blooms of white, pink, and red. "It really is quite lovely here. I'm glad you brought me to see it."
"Would you like to see more?"
"Oh yes, please!" Lavender smiled up at Neville, slipping her arm through his once more. "I want you to show me everything."
They continued deeper into the water park, pausing every so often so Neville could point out a favourite water lily or lotus blossom. Along the way Neville bought two lemon ice lollies for them from one of the kiosks, and a bag of bread crumbs from another. They stood at another bridge, savouring the sweet-tart taste of the lollies and tossing bread crumbs to the ducks waiting below, laughing when the waterfowl squabbled over what they considered particularly choice bits.
"I'm beginning to think I should have packed a picnic basket," Lavender said, tossing another bit of bread into the water. "We'll have to do that next time."
"Funny you should mention food just now. I'm getting hungry." Neville glanced up, judging the angle of the sun. "No wonder, it's getting close to suppertime. There's a little bistro that opened up recently in Diagon Alley, where Fortescue's used to be. Want to go and find out whether or not the food is any good? Or have you eaten there already?"
"I haven't, but Parvati and Dean went earlier this week, and she said the food was to die for. I've been wanting to go ever since."
"Well, here's your chance." Neville tossed the remaining bread crumbs in his hand to the ducks below and dusted his palm against the front of his robes. "Let's go before everyone else gets the same idea and we end up having to wait two hours for a table."
Sprinkling the rest of her crumbs to the group of ducks not already battling over Neville's portion, Lavender turned to accept Neville's arm. "Let's go, then."
The heel of one red shoe caught between two of the bridge's wooden slats, breaking off with a loud snap. Thrown off-balance, Lavender reached for the bridge railing, missed, and tilted backward, her hips connecting with the missed railing. Momentum tilted her back even further, and she scrabbled frantically for Neville, one hand snagging in the sleeve of his robe just as she went over the side of the bridge. Neville, caught-off guard, was yanked over the side also with a cry that sounded like sheer terror as they fell. The ducks scattered with indignant squawks as they landed in the pool below with resounding twin splashes.
Lavender sat up, spluttering, glaring at the broken heel on her shoe. Neville surfaced a second later, spitting water and flailing, until he realised the water was only knee-deep. Blushing, he gave Lavender an embarrassed grin.
"Sorry for screaming like a schoolgirl in your ear; I never learned to swim, and I didn't know when I was going over the side just how deep the water was or wasn't." He sat up, scraping his soaking wet hair back from his face. "Are you all right? I didn't land on top of you, did I?"
"I'm fine," Lavender growled, kicking off the broken heel and standing. "I'm wet, covered in mud, with only one good shoe and a ruined dress. Things couldn't be better if they tried!"
"I'm just as wet," Neville pointed out, "except my clothes aren't ruined. I think dinner will have to be postponed, though." Standing, he helped Lavender to her feet. "Hold on, I'm taking you back to my place."
She felt the breath-stealing squeeze of Apparation a moment later, reappearing in a gleaming white-tiled bath with green and wicker accents. An open door revealed a room with a large, rumpled bed. The sight reminded Lavender of her ultimate goal for the evening, and she repressed a small smile. Perhaps the fall into the lily pond wouldn't be such a disaster, after all.
"I'm afraid I don't have any women's clothing," Neville was saying, pulling some towels from a wicker shelf, "but I can loan you a T-shirt and some track pants, if you don't mind slumming it for the time it takes you to Floo or Apparate back to your place."
"Who said I was leaving right away?" Lavender said. "Besides, I think I'd like some company while I shower. Care to join me?"
Neville blinked. "Join?"
"Me. You. Shower. Don't tell me you've never showered with another girl before." Lavender took off her remaining shoe. "You might as well bin this. The other one's broken, not to mention still in the water back at the park."
"Right." Neville bent to pick up the shoe, backing slowly into the bedroom. "Consider the shoe binned. You're sure?"
Lavender giggled at him and stripped off her sheer stockings, smeared with mud. Closing her fingers around the hem of her ruined dress, she pulled it up and over her head, dropping it onto the floor. Clad only in her sodden bra and knickers, she walked over to Neville, standing on tiptoe and brushing her lips over his.
"So, I take it that means you're interested?" she asked saucily, slipping away before he could close his arms around her. She unfastened her brassiere as she re-entered the bath, dropping it onto her dress in full view of Neville, glancing over her shoulder. "Coming?"
Nodding wordlessly, Neville tossed away the shoe in his hands. Lavender heard the clatter as it struck the rubbish bin. He didn't even look to see whether or not it had gone in, hurriedly undoing the front of his robes and letting them drop and toeing off his shoes before shucking off his trousers and socks.
"I'm right behind you," he said, following her into the bath in nothing but a pair of boxers.
Grinning, Lavender turned toward the bathtub and turned on the water, letting it warm. The tub was an old claw footed one, with a curved shower rod suspended above. Stepping into the tub, she pulled the lever switching the water from the tap to the showerhead. Making sure there were enough towels for two on the nearby rack, Lavender peeked around the shower curtain, making sure Neville was watching before shimmying out of her knickers. Pulling the elastic back, she fired them at Neville's chest, giggling at the look on his face before tugging the shower curtain closed and stepping into the warm spray of water.
Neville followed her into the tub, closing the curtain around them completely. His arms wrapped around Lavender from behind, pulling her back against his chest as the water pounded both their backs.
"Minx," he growled softly into her ear, just before he kissed her, hard, lips pressing firmly over hers, tongue sliding into her mouth. Lavender gave herself over to the kiss freely, humming softly as her tongue tangled with his, humming softly with pleasure. Resting her hands over his, she undulated her hips against him, smiling into the kiss as it deepened further.
Oh Merlin...
Her knees nearly gave way as his fingers slid between her legs, finding her centre and stroking. Lavender gripped his arms and leaned against him, feeling his hardness nudging her backside. She pressed against him again, more firmly, and spread her legs for him, arching her back, anything to give his hand easier access to her core. His fingers circled her clit, and Lavender gasped into his mouth.
"Lavender..." Neville broke the kiss, breathing hard. "Here?"
She leaned her head back against his shoulder, gasping as his fingers slid into her. She wanted him inside her, badly. Reaching up, she twined her arm around his neck and moaned softly. Swallowing thickly, she nodded, her fingers rubbing at his nape. "Yes, here. I've wanted you, so much."
"You have?" Neville asked, his lips barely brushing over her ear, his fingers thrusting slowly into her. "Like that, do you? Want me to keep going?"
"God, yes," Lavender gasped, writhing in Neville's arms, her own tightening around his neck. "Don't stop..."
Lowering his head, he kissed her pulse point, tongue flickering over the sensitive spot. Lavender tilted her head for him, mouth falling open as Neville's lips moved over her skin. Her other hand slid down to cover his, pressing it more firmly against her. His thumb brushed over her clit, circling gently yet insistently.
Carefully, so as not to slip, Neville manoeuvred them to the edge of the bathtub closest to the wall and sat, back against the shower curtain and the tiled wall, legs braced. Lavender followed willingly, straddling his thighs, Neville's hand still working between her legs, his arm around her waist, his chest firm against her back as he nuzzled her throat without commenting on the old scars there.
"Yes," she hissed, arching against him again as his thumb continued its relentless circling over and around her core. She let out a whine of protest when he pulled his fingers free, but it was only to lift her up, positioning her over him. Slowly, he started to ease her down onto his cock.
Lavender gasped, panting. Spreading her legs around his, she pressed back against his chest, her head falling back onto Neville's shoulder as he slowly filled her. She was shaking by the time he entered her fully, seated deep inside her. Stroking his cheek with one hand, she reached for his fingers with the other.
"It's not too much, is it?" he asked, once he was completely inside, voice rough.
"Neville," she whispered. "Oh...oh...wait." She turned her head, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Your wand. I didn't...contraception?"
He stiffened when she mentioned contraception. "Wand, right." It took a couple of attempts, but he managed to Summon his wand from the bedroom and perform the necessary contraceptive spells.
"It's not too much?" he asked again, a bit nervously. "We can adjust if it is, I think. This way, you're the one who does all the moving. You can..." He gasped as Lavender tightened around him experimentally. He felt fantastic, as far as she was concerned. "You can control how deep you want me inside you."
"It's fine," she said softly, trying to bring her breathing under control. "It's just...it's been awhile." Lavender rolled her head against his shoulder, turning her face toward him and brushing the line of his jaw with her lips. She could feel him deep inside her and closed her eyes, feeling wonderfully close to him.
She felt incredibly full with him so deep inside her, and it took a few moments before she felt acclimated enough to move. Tentatively, she shifted her hips, feeling him move within as she tilted her pelvis. Flexing her legs, she lifted just a bit before settling down again, moaning quietly at the increased sensations.
"Nice," she whispered against his jaw, licking her lips, her hold around his neck tightening.
"It's been awhile," Neville agreed breathlessly, his forehead pressing against the top of her head. His hands moved carefully over her sides and along her belly as Lavender began moving over him, gingerly and then with more confidence. His hands went to her hips, grasping her and helping her lift, rising and falling over him until she'd established a slow, maddening rhythm. His head fell back against the tiles as he whimpered, "God, Lavender..."
Heat pooled low in her belly and between her legs. It was easier having Neville's arms around her, lifting and lowering her and she maintained the pace, moving slow and steady, muscles tightening and releasing around his length, trembling as her body strained for more.
"You feel so good," she murmured brokenly, losing herself in their careful rhythm. The angle was new to her; Neville seemed to touch parts of her she hadn't even known existed until now. "You're so deep...I love it...I love you."
Neville's hips shifted, hands curving more tightly over her as he pulled Lavender down and thrust into her, a deep, pulsing entrenchment. Lavender made a needy sound deep in her throat at the increased force. He thrust into her again, and again, moving faster toward completion with each quickening breath, and Lavender tightened around him, wanting more.
She slid one hand down over her mound, touching herself, teeth sinking into her lower lip. He felt absolutely brilliant and she squeezed harder around his cock, feeling her legs start to shake. She could feel him when she pushed her fingers back a bit further, touching him where their bodies joined, wet and hard and sliding into her so very deep with each thrust.
"So...good..." she gasped again, unable to think of anything more original.
"Better than...good," Neville answered, breath puffing across the back of Lavender's neck, hips snapping up to meet hers. "Just like...just like that...nnngh..."
She loved the sounds he made, loved knowing she was the reason behind the gasps and groans. It was becoming difficult to speak, difficult even to think as the pleasure built up within her, a low, deep ache within her belly. Neville's hand left her hip, grazing her skin until he found her clit again, rubbing it with his fingers. His hips jerked up with gathering speed and force despite having Lavender in his lap until she practically bounced up and down on his cock, and she thought she might die from sheer exhilaration.
"Oh god," she breathed. She was so very close, driven closer to the edge with each driving thrust pounding into her and the touch of Neville's fingers on her clit, stroking hard and fast. Lavender tensed, trembling. Oh yes, right there, yes, yes, yesyesyesyes...
She cried out, entire body bowing as her release took hold, shaking and convulsing, her head pressed against his shoulder so hard it had to hurt. His hand stayed on her hips, still thrusting into her as she shuddered around him, which only made everything better, more intense, and Lavender came again, sobbing Neville's name. She never wanted it to end, he felt so good fucking her.
Neville's rhythm faltered, breath coming in hard, fast pants interspersed with low grunts and gasps, and then he was arching up also, pulling Lavender down hard onto his cock with a low, exhaled, "Oh, fuuuuck". His prick spasmed as Lavender felt him come, feeling each deep, slow throb of his erection as he spent into her.
Slowly, his arms came around her, holding her close, nose nuzzling at her ear. She cuddled into his chest, feeling secure and safe and pliant, breathing heavily and listening to him try to catch his breath as well.
"I think I like that position," he said eventually, nipping at her earlobe. "We'll have to try that again sometime soon."
"Very soon," Lavender agreed, smiling widely.
Carefully, Neville slipped out of her, levering both of them back onto their feet. "You know the saying: Lather, rinse, repeat. Now, we rinse."
Lavender laughed softly and turned in Neville's arms, feeling slightly sore but fantastic nonetheless. "Sounds like a plan to me." Grabbing the bottle of shampoo, she poured some into her hand, tugging Neville back under the shower spray. "Close your eyes," she instructed, reaching up to work the shampoo into a thick lather, fingers stroking his scalp. She rinsed his hair and reached for a flannel, soaping it up and rubbing his chest.
"You're spoiling me," Neville murmured, clasping his hand over hers.
"It's the least I can do, after pulling you headfirst into a lily pond," Lavender replied. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Should I?" he asked, smiling. "Do you want me to tell you if you miss a spot? You do realise I'll need to return the favour. It's only fair."
"Then I'd best make certain I'm thorough, since you're returning the favour." Lavender smiled up at him, washing one arm and then the other. "Turn around so I can get your back."
He obeyed, letting out a sound suspiciously resembling a squeak when she pinched his backside. "What was that for?"
"You really have a nice bum. Did you know?" Lavender concentrated on soaping his back, working her way down in a slow massage.
"Right," he said, his tone disbelieving. "If you say so."
"I say so. It's very nice." Lavender gave his arse a final squeeze and grabbed his hips, turning him to face her again. She looked into his eyes, studying his face as she took his now-flaccid penis in her hand. She heard his breath catch when she began washing his genitals, taking extra care to keep her touch gentle as he stood stock-still. "Tell me if I hurt you accidentally, all right?"
"You're fine, so long as you don't squeeze or, um, yank too hard," he replied, voice hoarse. "It's just...it's so intimate. Almost more than the sex. That, and there's the fact that if you keep touching me like that for too much longer I'm not going to stay quite that, um, limp."
"Promise?" Lavender asked throatily, finishing up. True to his word, his prick had begun stirring again in her hand. She knelt, washing his legs, and leaned forward, pressing her lips to the tip of his cock. "I'm game if you are."
Neville let out a small, breathy sound of pleasure, hardening further in her hand. "Lavender...you don't have to if you don't want..."
"I want." Pushing back the foreskin, she closed her lips around the sensitive head, swirling her tongue over the velvety skin for a moment before drawing back. "In fact, I suggest we finish up in here, move into your bedroom for the rest of the evening, and maybe afterward we can Floo for takeaway. Sounds like a brilliant plan to me."
Neville's hands dove into Lavender's wet hair, his stance widening, and she took him back into her mouth, suckling gently. A long, low moan escaped his lips, his head falling back, fingers tightening against her scalp as she drew him in further.
"Brilliant plan," he gasped. "I like your brilliant plans."
Lavender chuckled and released him, climbing back onto her feet. "Then we had best get me cleaned up first, and we can finish what we so wonderfully started," she said, handing him the flannel. The chuckle became outright, delighted laughter when he practically snatched it from her grasp and reached for the soap.
"Minx," he teased, and Lavender laughed again. She'd ruin a dozen dresses and a dozen pairs of shoes, if it guaranteed this sort of result!