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A Single White Rose	By : Pat Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 5839 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
The Party

Aside from Hogwarts, Neville had never seen so many Slytherins gathered in one place. Fiorenza had him firmly by the arm and had introduced him to so many couples that Neville's head was spinning.

His granny was holding court with several local Slytherin families, who were happily trying to pump her for more inside information on Neville.

Across the room, Blaise was trying to extricate himself from the clutches of the Bergen sisters. Apparently, they were launching a last minute attempt to dissuade Blaise from his attachment to Neville. Several very cross looks in his direction seemed to indicate they weren't making much headway.

Muriel and Sam were chatting quietly with several young couples of their own age, while Albert stood quietly with them sipping his aged fire whiskey.

No help from that direction then.

Neville's palms were sweating and his feet hurt. Those new shoes his granny had insisted he wear tonight were a bloody nuisance. All he wanted was to be able to sit down in a quiet corner for a few moments but, alas, it seemed very unlikely. From the moment he and Blaise had entered the salon, Fiorenza had swept Neville away to be introduced to each and every one of her guests.

Neville felt like an interesting insect being inspected under glass. All the Slytherins had exquisite manners and were outwardly welcoming; nonetheless, Neville was aware of several raised eyebrows.

Neville listened with half an ear to yet another introduction to an elderly wizard, who was nodding and smiling.

Neville's eyes had begun to glaze over; it seemed that he and Blaise's mother had been at this forever, although he was aware that it was really only about an hour.

And just what did she mean when she called him Blaise's "dear friend"? Was that some kind of Slytherin code for boyfriend?

"So, young man, you're Frank Longbottom's son?" said the elderly wizard.

Neville's attention snapped back into focus. Damn. What was his name again, ah yes, Gregory Beeton.

"Yes, Mr. Beeton," Neville replied.

"Remember him well. Auror. Killed my brother Merrill back in 82'," said Mr. Beeton.

A horrified Neville sucked in breath between his teeth.

"I'm so sorry, sir," Neville stammered, not knowing what else to say.

Mr. Beeton snorted.

"Don't be. Merrill was a right bastard. Someone had to do it," he said with a sniff.

Neville felt Fiorenza gently patting his arm comfortingly. Well, what could one say in a situation like this?

"There you are, mum, you've kept Neville from me all night," said Blaise in an affonatonate, chiding manner, slipping his arm around Neville's waist.

Blaise gave a half bow towards Mr. Beeton.

"Good evening, Mr. Beeton. So nice to see you again. Will you excuse us?" said Blaise, steering Neville away.

Neville breathed a sigh of relief as Blaise took him to the refreshment table and handed him a much-needed cup of punch. Neville was parched, he felt as if his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Blaise ruffled Neville's hair in an affectionate gesture.

"You're doing very well, Neville, I would have run out of patience long before now," Blaise said, cracking a grin.

Neville moved in closer to Blaise so that their bodies were touching, seeking comfort in the contact.

Across the room, Albert joined his wife, who had just left Mr. Beeton.

"Happy now, my love?" Albert asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fiorenza smiled in a self-satisfied way.

"It's a start," she said. "Neville did very well under the circumstances. He's a little shy, of course, but we'll soon put that to rights," Fiorenza said while keeping an eagle eye on Blaise and Neville.

Fiorenza nodded approvingly as Muriel moved adroitly to intercept the Bergen sisters before they were able to corner Blaise and Neville.

"Poor little sod," said Albert with a shake of his head.

Fiorenza pinched her husband's arm in mock retaliation.

"Albert Zabini, you know very well that I'm only doing this to help him," she said.

Albert gently kissed his wife's forehead.

"I know, my love, I'm only teasing. I can see you've already taken young Neville under your wing," Albert said with a genuine smile.

"Yes, well, I feel a special bond with young Neville, and not just because he's Blaise's intended," Fiorenza said.

"Are you sure about that, my dear? Blaise hasn't said anything to verify that," said Albert in a bantering manner.

"Oh do try to keep up, Albert. Blaise will announce it tonight without fail," Fiorenza said with certainty.

"Ah. Then I bow to your expertise in these matters, my dear, but we've been introduced to several of his boyfriends and even one girlfriend in the past, what makes you certain that Neville is the one?" Albert said with real curiosity.

"Albert, look over there, at Blaise and Neville," Fiorenza said. "Tell me what you see."

Albert did. Blaise's arm was curled protectively around his boyfriend and was looking down at him with a rapt expression.

"I see. Yes, I see it. He's looking at Neville the same way I looked at you when we were courting," Albert said in a quiet voice.

"Exactly," Fiorenza whispered. "And I can only wish them the same amount of happiness that we've had all these years," she said with a quick kiss on her husband's lips.

They stood quietly arm in arm, watching the ebb and flow of their guests.

Back at the refreshment table Neville put down his glass of punch.

"That's better, I was getting parched," he told Blaise.

Blaise tweaked his nose gently.

"I think it's time for the announcement, Neville. Are you ready?"

Immediately, Neville's face broke out in a sweat and his hands felt clammy.

"Now?" squeaked Neville.

"Now, love. You've met everyone here, and Anne and Christian will have to go to bed soon and I want them to be here as well," said Blaise nodding in his siblings direction, who were stuffing themselves with sweets and cakes at the other end of the refreshment tables.

Neville took a deep steadying breath as Blaise led him towards his parents.

"It's time," said Fiorenza to her husband while catching the eye of Muriel.

Muriel quickly retrieved the younger Zabinis, despite their vociferous protests, while Albert gracefully managed to extricate Erica Longbottom from the group of Slytherin matrons surrounding her.

Neville could feel the blood rushing and pounding in his ears, his mouth went dry and he started to tremble slightly.

Blaise's hand tightened momentarily on his in a gesture of support.

I'm going to faint, Neville thought. I'm going to embarrass myself, Blaise and his family. Dear Merlin, don't let me faint.

Neville's feet felt numb as they reached Blaise's parents.

"Mother, father, Neville and I have an announcement we'd like to make," said Blaise calmly.

"Of course, Blaise, just wait a moment until we have the entire family here," said Fiorenza.

Neville's head whipped around and he saw Albert bring his granny over and Muriel, with Anne and Christian in tow, approaching as well.

Neville's trembling increased.

"Neville," he heard whispered in his ear. "It will be alright, love."

Neville looked up into Blaise's shining green eyes and was mesmerized by the expression he saw in them. In that moment, everything else faded away for Neville. This was Blaise, the man he loved, the man he would be bonded to for the rest of his life.

Somewhere very far away Neville heard Blaise's father calling the crowd to attention.

He felt Blaise gently kiss his hand and draw him forward.

Neville blinked as he looked out at the now silent crowd of Slytherins staring at them. He could feel the Zabini family and his granny move in close behind them.

The hush was absolute.

Blaise started to speak, pitching his voice so that even those in the back of the room could hear him.

"Neville and I have an announcement to make," he began.

"It gives me the greatest of pleasure to tell you that I have asked Neville Longbottom for his hand in marriage, and he has honoured me with his agreement to become my bondmate," said Blaise as a rising murmur of surprise and pleasure started to break within the crowd of party-goers.

"Please welcome the future Neville Longbottom-Zabini," Blaise said, holding up both their hands high to the crowd.

The crowd started to applaud loudly. Blaise turned to face his family. He was sure this came as no surprise to his parents but he was still anxious to see their reaction.

His mother was beaming at him. His father coughed behind his hand as he often did when overcome emotionally. Anne and Christian were jumping up and down with unchecked enthusiasm. Muriel and Sam nodded quietly to him. Of them all Granny Longbottom looked the most overcome. She was dabbing at her eyes with a large embroidered handkerchief. She blew her nose once hard.

Neville stared at his new family, still numb. The family moved as one to embrace them. Neville distantly felt Anne and Christian tugging at his hand. He became aware of Granny's loud smacking kiss on his cheek. His hand was tugged apart from Blaise as Fiorenza pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Welcome to the family," Neville heard Fiorenza say.

Blaise was shaking hands with Sam and laughing as Neville seemed to disappear under the weight of the Zabini family.

"Good work, my boy," said Sam. "He's a keeper."

"I know, I'm very lucky to have found him," Blaise said, looking besotted.

"Oh, that's so sweet," sniffed Muriel.

"Muriel, love, don't start. This is a happy time," said Sam.

"Don't be silly, Sam, these are happy tears," said his wife.

"Well done," said Albert, clapping Blaise on the back.

Blaise grinned at his father.

"Why is it, Papa, that I don't think this was much of a surprise?" said Blaise.

Albert snorted with a suppressed laugh.

"My boy, you should know by now that nothing gets past your mother," he said.

The crowd that had held back to allow the family a few minutes of their own private celebration now started to move forward to offer their congratulations.

Anne and Christian bounded off to get some more cakes and sweets from the now deserted refreshment table while the Zabini family formed a protective circle around the newly engaged couple.

Their Slytherin game faces on, the family monitored the conversations in the crowd as they accepted the felicitations of their friends and neighbours.

"Not a penny to his name, or so I hear," said one matron.

"Good bloodlines, though, old pureblood family anyway," said another.

"But a Gryffindor, my dear," said another catty matron.

Mr. Beeton ploughed into the older matrons at that point.

"Sound family," he said looking down his long sharp nose at them. "Better than most," he said sharply. The group of matrons shifted nervously and gradually drifted apart.

Muriel overheard snatches of conversation from the Bergen sisters.

"I told you he liked boys better," hissed the older sister to the younger. "Now we've wasted all that time on him," she said plaintively.

Muriel hid her smile and caught another snatch of conversation from two wizards she couldn't see.

"A deep game the Zabinis are playing," said one.

"A dangerous game, you mean to oppose he-who-must-not-be-named so openly," said an oily voice.

Muriel stiffened. This was what the family needed to know, who stood with them and who opposed them, but she couldn't see who was speaking without being terribly obvious about it.

"I'm afraid the time is coming where we will all have to make our choices," drawled a third voice. "Follow a madman or stand up to him. I think I know where that puts me."

Muriel breathed a sigh of relief. She recognized the voice of Gerard Milton, the Zabini's nearest neighbour, until now undecided about which way to swing his family's support. This was a piece of very good news, the Miltons were a highly respected Slytherin family.

Granny Longbottom basked in the glow of Neville's triumph. Getting the respect of Slytherins was no easy task, but she was happily drinking in the respectful admiration of the older matrons who offered their congratulations.

Fiorenza, hand in hand with Albert, moved through the crowd trying to measure the reaction. Most of it good, some bad, some neutral. Pretty much what she'd expected.

Her hand tightened around her husband's as she saw two families preparing to withdraw from the party. Ah. The Morrisons and Blakes, both with ties to the Death Eaters.

Albert felt his wife's signal. Time to draw the battle lines.

He and his wife moved over to the couples preparing to leave.

"Leaving so soon?" he said to Matthew Blake and his wife Lilah.

"I'm afraid we must, although it's been an entertaining evening," said Blake in a manner that suggested otherwise.

"Yes, we're so looking forward to the wedding," said Lilah with a bored expression.

Fiorenza forced a smile.

"Yes, indeed it will be the event of the season, I'm sure" she said. "I'm planning on asking Albus Dumbledore to stand up for dear Neville," said Fiorenza firing the opening round.

"An...unusual choice for a Slytherin family," said Blake with a raised eyebrow, the message having been received.

Albert stepped in smoothly into the fray.

"But then our family has always been forward thinking," he replied in a self-assured tone. "Never ones to be left behind," he said blandly.

Matthew Blake stiffened slightly.

"To be sure," he said in an oily voice. "But then it's always best, I've found, not to be unaware of all the currents of power around us," he said in a barbed tone.

"I'll take that advice to heart," Albert said with a stony expression.

"Good night then," said Fiorenza cheerfully, waving them off.

They exchanged a set of hurried goodbyes with the Morrisons, who seemed disinclined to chat, and then moved back towards Blaise and Neville.

"Well, that went pretty much as expected," said Albert in a low voice.

"Yes, I'm sure, being the good little Death Eaters they are, they'll have a full report to you-know-who before the night is out," said Fiorenza, bowing and smiling to couples as they walked.

Blaise watched with pride as his parents approached. He'd seen the little tête-à-tête between them and the Blakes.

His parents looked unruffled, but he was aware that the gauntlet had well and truly been thrown down by his announcement earlier.

The Zabini's were now committed to overthrowing Voldemort. The family would either succeed beyond their wildest dreams or be utterly destroyed in the upcoming war.

Blaise pulled Neville in closer to him. Neville looked up at him with understanding in his soulful brown eyes.

"Blaise, I love you. Through good and bad I'll always be there for you, no matter what happens, you know that don't you?" said Neville, his hands reaching up to cup either side of Blaise's face.

Neville studied his lover for a moment before bringing his head down for a passionate kiss. He wanted to mark Blaise, to let everyone know that Blaise was his, and they would live and love together, no matter what fortune came their way.

Blaise recognized the depth of emotion that overcame Neville's normal shyness. He picked the shorter boy up and opened his mouth up for Neville's exploration. Neville's shoes were several inches off the ground.

Cat calls and whistles greeted this display of ardour. Finally Blaise and Neville broke off their snogging, blushing and breathless.

"And when were you planning on having this wedding?" said Fiorenza to her young son.

Blaise blushed under his mother's sharp eye but answered readily enough.

"We thought as soon as we graduated from Hogwarts, Mum" said Blaise.

"Only a year and a half to plan the wedding?" Fiorenza said in horrified tones.

"What, what?" said Erica Longbottom as she bustled up to the group.

Muriel, who had been standing by her mother-in-law, filled Neville's granny in on the news.

"It's a jolly good thing I'd already started the invitation list," said Erica Longbottom.

"Granny!" said Neville hotly embarrassed by his Granny's audacity.

Blaise sniggered into Neville's neck.

"Don't be missish, Neville, I'm sure Fiorenza already has some ideas," said his Granny sharply.

Fiorenza beamed at his Granny.

"Absolutely spot on, Erica. I've already made up my preliminary list and I've looked into several sites for the ceremony, convenient to both sides of the family," Fiorenza said, bustling over to join Erica.

Blaise's jaw dropped. It was Neville's turn to snigger.

Muriel joined her mother-in-law in the conference.

"And I have just the idea for the favours, my sister is getting married and she's found a company that makes the most darling, unique ones," she excitedly explained.

Albert rolled his eyes and gathered Sam to his side.

"Would you like another fire whiskey, Sam? I don't think we'll be needed for a while," said his father.

"Perfect timing," Sam said with a small shudder. "Now you see why I insisted upon eloping," he said as they walked away.

"Come on, Neville, let's leave them to it," Blaise said and pulled his fiancé towards the French doors leading to the garden.

Blaise waved off several well-wishers and finally made it through the doors with his Gryffindor in tow.

They saw several snogging couples in the darkened areas of the garden, but Blaise led Neville through the light snow-covered path until they reached a small summerhouse.

Blaise brought Neville in and shut the door. He then pulled Neville down into his lap as he sat down on the bench.

"Cold, love?" Blaise murmured into Neville's neck.

"Not with you here," Neville said, nuzzling Blaise affectionately.

They sat cuddling for a few moments before Blaise broke the silence.

"Where would you like to go for our honeymoon? Your choice," asked Blaise.

"You mean your mother hasn't decided that yet?" Neville said with his eyes opening wide.

Blaise let out a crack of laughter.

"No, my love, that's entirely up to you, although I'm afraid my mother is already well and truly on the path to taking over the wedding plans," Blaise said ruefully. "Do you mind?" he asked, watching Neville's face carefully.

"Not a bit," said Neville. "I'd be hopeless trying to plan anything like that, besides, all that matters to me is that you will be standing beside me on that day," Neville said steadfastly.

"Good, that's the way I feel, too," said Blaise in a slightly hoarse voice. "I'm a very lucky man, Neville, and I know it," he said.

"This is the single happiest moment of my life, Blaise, and no matter what happens in the future I want you to always remember that," said Neville, gently running his fingers over Blaise's mouth and face.

Blaise pulled Neville down into a torrid kiss. Eventually, they both came up for air.

"We'd best get back to our guests love," said Blaise.

Neville sighed. "Just a few minutes more? We'll pick up our responsibilities soon enough," said Neville, arching and stretching into Blaise's touch.

"A few minutes then," said Blaise contentedly, tightening his grip on his lover.

Neville and Blaise sat cuddled together for some time in the chilly summerhouse, drenched in winter moonlight, making plans for their future together, at peace with themselves and their love.

The End.

[Author's Notes: Or rather TBC. Yes I'm bad to leave it there. But the story of Neville and Blaise will continue in the upcoming "Slytherin Oath" that will follow the fortunes of Harry & Severus as well as Blaise & Neville as war with Voldemort breaks wide open.]
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A Single White Rose