#for a long time it felt wrong to draw cozy homes and blooming plants

[the-upper-shelf]

"The intruder"

#fantasy #haelumians #personal art #digital art #humanoid #wings #monster #digital painting #nature #I did a big steppy for my mental health today #this summer my family's cottage burned down and it was my muse #for a long time it felt wrong to draw cozy homes and blooming plants #when all I had in my mind was blackened walls and the smell of burnt plastic #I was scared I would have never been able to do this ever again #but today I decided that if anyone was gonna pull me out of this sadness that was me

[delimeful]

golden harp

Day 21: Bean

warnings: fear, captivity, jerk giants :( 

jack and the beanstalk au based off the fake title prompt i made up here!

-

Virgil should have known better than to sleep after a failed bartering trip, but he was exhausted after a long day of traveling, and he hadn’t once gotten the feeling that someone was tailing him. He’d thought he was fairly good at guessing, but his luck had to run out eventually. 

It just so happened that it ran out for a more dangerous opponent than most. Because of course it did. 

While at the market, he’d refused the beans each of the three times the stranger tried to push them on him. Each time, the stranger’s price was lower than before and they grew more desperate, only confirming Virgil’s suspicion that whatever was wrong with those beans, he wanted no part of it. He’d been cursed before, and it was a pain in the ass to fix. 

Still, three was the customary number for these sort of things. He hadn’t expected to be followed home, and he certainly hadn’t expected the bastard to have planted the seeds under his porch, but here he was, clinging to his bed for dear life as his house rose further and further into the air. 

Outside his bedroom window he could see huge green leaves blooming quicker than any natural plant, the beanstalk growing and growing until the air grew thin and foggy with clouds. A final upward jolt, and everything finally stopped shaking around him. 

He hurried over to the window, scanning the landscape. Giant foliage, mountains over clouds. It was the Land of Giants, alright. 

Well, time to get the heck out. 

Virgil hurried from room to room, collecting his most important belongings and shoving them into a backpack. There were no giants visible outside now, sure, but he’d never put stock into the rumors that they’d gone extinct. The stories were all too convenient, bait to scam dumb adventurers into fights they couldn’t possibly win. Even just the local wildlife could be hazardous, anyways. 

No, he was going to get everything together and climb right down that beanstalk. His house could be rebuilt once he got back to a world his size. 

Luckily, most of his stuff was packed already from yesterday’s trip, so it didn’t take long. He was struggling to open his jammed door when he heard it. A rhythmic pounding, growing louder and louder. He’d never heard the sound before, at least not on this scale, but he wasn’t an idiot. Those were footsteps. And they were getting closer, quick.

His anxiety shot through the roof, and he gave up on subtlety as he slammed his shoulder into the door, once, twice- 

He broke through on the third hit, and just in time, for as soon as he hit the ground, there was a splintering crash behind him. He twisted, the blood draining from his face as he took in the shoe that had effectively stomped half of his house into wooden bits. That could have been him. 

“What in the- ?” A rumbling voice asked, and Virgil quickly scrambled to his feet. 

Correction: That could be him, if he didn’t get his head out of the clouds. 

He ducked through oversized blades of grass, doing his best to ignore the sharp cry of the giant as it spotted him. The giant footsteps on his tail were harder to ignore, though, and when a shadow fell over him he couldn’t help but cry out in fear, curling in on himself. 

Rather than being crushed into the ground, however, he was lifted into the air like a pillbug, tugged up by the bulk of his backpack. He clung to the straps, the ground pulling away too fast for him to try and slip out of it. All too soon he was brought to dangle in front of a giant face.

“Ugh, a human.” The giant frowned at him. “Come to trick and steal from us, then? You’re doing a tremendously poor job so far.” 

Virgil forced himself to take a breath, still all curled up as to present a smaller target. “I’m not. I didn’t mean to come here, I-”

“Oh, sure.” The giant’s doubtful voice overpowered his easily. “That’s what they all say, but you don’t climb a beanstalk on accident.”

“I didn’t! My house- !”

“A likely story. I know how humans operate, I don’t care what sort of grand tale you want to weave, I won’t be having it.” The giant reached up and tugged on Virgil’s legs, pulling on the bag at the same time. 

Despite his best efforts, Virgil’s grip was nothing in the face of that monstrous strength, and the straps were torn roughly from his arms, leaving his legs clenched in a giant fist. “No!”    

“There we are.” The giant dropped the bag into his shirt pocket, far out of Virgil’s reach, and he felt his heart sink. He knew that he probably wasn’t going to get out of this one either way, but there was something incredibly disheartening about watching someone take everything you own away with one hand.

The giant adjusted his hold on Virgil, prodding him with oversized fingers. “You don’t have any weapons on you, right?” 

He wished. “No, I didn’t come to fight! I didn’t even mean to come here!” 

“You’re absolutely right you don’t want to fight. I could squish you like a bug, toothpick weapons or not.” The giant squeezed Virgil slightly in demonstration, and the band of panic around his chest tightened painfully. “But I won’t, since I’m not like your barbaric kind.” 

“Can you just let me go?” Virgil asked, voice faint. “I won’t come back, I don’t have any beans, please-” 

“And have you lead more humans up here to rob and murder us? I don’t think so. We’ll figure out what to do with you once I get home.”

Who’s ‘we’, Virgil wanted to ask, but his mouth barely formed the first syllable before his shallow breathing became too much, the edges of his vision darkening until he finally passed out. 

-

When he woke, he was laying on a cool wooden surface, and there were loud voices arguing above him. Wait. Not loud… Big.

“I don’t know what you want me to say. You know my thoughts on the matter-”

“And I think just ditching him out there leaves too much to chance! We wouldn’t even know if he made it back down there until an army of humans showed up on our doorstep.”

“Are you going to kill him, then?” 

A tense pause. Virgil regretfully acknowledged that this wasn’t a vivid dream he’d had while napping on the floor at home.

“... No.”

“Then what do you suggest we do, Roman?” 

“I don’t know!” The shout was enough to make Virgil flinch, only for a second. He went back to laying still, hoping neither had seen. 

“... He’s awake.” The colder voice stated, and Virgil grimaced. Still, he refused to move. The terrible situation he was in didn’t exist until he acknowledged it. 

A strong force prodded at his side, and he shot upright, coughing, and smacked the giant finger like an offended cat.

“Don’t pretend to be asleep and eavesdrop, you little sneak.” The giant from before was looking down at him, eyes narrowed in a glare. 

Virgil glared back, heart racing. “Maybe don’t kidnap me then!” 

“Maybe don’t trespass and steal, you-!”

“Roman.” The other giant cut him off, and oh god there were two giants. The second looked much less expressive than Roman, large glasses magnifying his cold gaze. 

Roman groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Ugh, humans…” 

Virgil glanced around him, taking in the huge ceiling over his head. He was in a giant dining room, sitting on a giant dining table, which was pretty much a nightmare in itself. He resisted the urge to draw further into himself. That would only make him easier to eat. 

There had to be a way to escape… 

A loud snap right next to him made him jump, and he turned to see Roman looking down at him with an irritated expression. “Hey, earth to human! Don’t you have any useful traits?” 

Virgil scowled at him, crossing his arms to hide their shaking. “Why would I tell you?” 

Roman huffed, offended, but the other giant was the one to respond. “Perhaps because it would help us decide whether or not to dispose of you. I assume you want to survive, seeing as humans are frequently more than willing to do terrible things for survival.”  

Virgil froze under his apathetic stare, mind racing. He had no doubt that these giants could kill him in any number of painful ways if he didn’t prove to be useful. He was willing to swallow his pride if it meant postponing his execution. 

“I… I can play the guitar.” He admitted. 

The unnamed giant’s eyes brightened slightly. “Ah, a human stringed instrument. That will work nicely.” 

Without another word, he seized Virgil in one hand, ignoring his panicked struggles and Roman’s exasperated sigh. He walked through the house at a speed that made Virgil feel as though he was on the brink of passing out again, grabbing a few glittering items with his free hand. The purpose of them became clear once he reached the living room, a cozy space with a roaring fire. 

Virgil wasn’t paying attention to the decor, though, not when the giant was setting a small, gilded birdcage on a shelf. He shook his head in protest, feeling his eyes grow hot with tears as he shoved his arms and legs out, trying and failing to keep the giant from maneuvering him through the open cage entrance. He was dropped onto the cold metal floor, and an ornate, angular harp was set down next to him. He rolled to his feet, watching numbly as the barred door snapped shut with a clang.

“I don’t even know how to play the harp.” He said, voice coming out small and hopeless. 

The giant turned away, mind already elsewhere. 

“You’ll learn.” 

#g/t #giant/tiny #sanders sides #ts virgil #ts roman #ts logan #My writing #oct prompts #hiddendreamer67 prompts #im doing day 20 still its just gonna be out of order 😔 sorry! #golden harp #gh

[6ixfics]

more than this / donghyun

rated M for smut word count: 2420

it felt like your world came crumbling down to your feet. the last thing that crossed your mind was being cheated on — but that was what happened. you got played, two-timed.

you let yourself wallow in self-pity and loathe as you drink the night away, losing count of the number of shots you’d taken, maybe even bottles. you don’t know. you just feel yourself getting number, and number, until it’s like you don’t know what it’s like to feel anything anymore. void of emotions, but your heart was aching, filled with sadness up to the brim.

you cry as you stumble your way to the bus stop, having to pause at the sidewalk a few times to throw up. you feel yourself getting grossed out — you just wanted to be in the comfort of your bed, curled up under your covers, hugging your big, soft plushie. but it’s dark out and the friday night is still young, with people clubbing and finding hookups.

it’s your luck your home was only a short 15 minute ride away from the little bar, and you tried your best to stabilise yourself as you make your way to the lift. god, your headache was killing you, and on top of that, there’s that sadness that’s starting to creep up your chest again. you can’t wait to finally be home and get a good rest and sleep in for the weekend.

“y/n? what the hell?” it’s donghyun. “hey, why didn’t you answer my texts, my calls– what happened?” his features soften upon seeing the tears threatening to fall on your cheeks, concern clearly written all over his face. he frowns and holds you still by your shoulders, cautiously brushing your hair out of your eyes. “let’s get you inside, okay? you can tell me everything later.”

but the moment you step into your cozy flat, you almost immediately fall to the floor, in the midst of your drunken clumsiness. donghyun catches you right before you hit the ground, slinging one arm around his shoulders and walking you to the small couch.

“what’s wrong? i know you have your tipsy days but you’re never this drunk…” he trails off, helping you get your purse off you. “y/n? you can tell me. i’m your best friend.”

“i got cheated on,” you tell him, short and flat. “i got cheated on, donghyun! someone else was better than me!” you laugh dryly, staring at him blankly before violently wiping at the tears at your tear ducts. “i feel like absolute shit, i just want to forget all of this ever happened tonight.”

you lean in close enough until your head lands on his chest. in your half-drunken state you snuggle closer and relish the attention he gives you. though in complete silence in a dimly lit living room, the atmosphere got you feeling a little hot and bothered.

“donghyun,” you whine, just the tiniest bit. “can you help me?” you look up at him through your lashes. you’re unsure if it’s going to end well — this friendship is going to make or break, and if it’s going to break, you figured, at least you’re drunk and not thinking straight. when he nods and pushes your hair away from your forehead, you blink one-two times, a little hesitant to say it. “help me. forget everything.”

he looks at you as if you’ve gone insane, but he recovers a quick moment later. he tilts your chin up with his index and his thumb, his eyes significantly darkening. “are you sure?” he grazes his thumb over your bottom lip, his index tracing down your jaw and your neck. “i’m not the nicest person in bed.”

“even better,” you tell him sluggishly, “you can do whatever you want.”

you forget about the hypocrisy the instant that donghyun covers your lips with his, the kiss quickly getting heated and fast-paced. he guides you to climb onto his lap, and his hands are hasty to creep beneath your fitted top and pull it above your head. with the new exposure of skin he seems way too delighted, working his mouth down to your collarbone and the vast expanse of your chest, his tongue teasing at the uncovered skin of your swells. donghyun can drive you mad, you decide, as he roughly sucks on the plane of your neck, your throat, your shoulder blades; each mark he leaves blooming like flowers of vivid reds and purples on your skin.

he unclasps your bra skillfully, pulling the pair off your shoulders and chucking it behind the couch, before throwing you on the cushions a little harshly, lips still connected. after he pulls away for a short moment, donghyun’s large hands roam wildly on your body, every touch making you feel like your skin was on fire. he trails kisses down your chest, your ribs, your stomach, his fingers already unbuttoning and unzipping your jeans.

you’re breathless when he strips the pair off you and lets it fall to the cold tiles, watching as his lips scatter themselves all over your hips and your thighs, careful to not get too near to your core. he teases — nibbling and sucking lightly at the sensitive skin of your inner thighs, pulling the waistband of your panties with his teeth and letting it go to hear it snap against your skin.

you hiss when he licks up a long stripe, not bothering to even push the fabric aside. donghyun looks up at you, his piercing gaze causing a chill to run down your spine and something indescribable to rush through your veins. you reach out to tangle your fingers in his soft hair, your free hand tugging at your panties, urging him to pull them off.

and so he complies wordlessly, dragging the thin strap down your legs and once again letting it disappear in the pool of clothes on the floor. his pupils dilate at the sight of you, drinking it in, not even trying to hide the hunger in his eyes as his tongue swipes across his lips.

“pretty,” he kisses your pubic bone, his finger outlining your clit, making goosebumps rise on your skin. when he slides the same finger down your folds, the ends of his mouth twitches up to form a small smirk. “and wet.”

you dip down to catch his lips in a kiss desperately, getting agitated at how slow this is going. “want your fingers in me,” you tell him impatiently. “please.”

“i got you, baby,” he whispers against your mouth. “we have all night, i’ll take my time taking care of you.”

donghyun teases again, slowly rubbing at your sensitive bud, his touch barely there. you whine and whimper, clawing at his arm, one hand placed on top of his to try to get him to go faster. but ultimately you fail, pretty horribly while you’re at it, because his empty hand catches your wrist and pins it above your head.

“you’re not telling me what to do, buttercup,” he mumbles as he plants small kisses on your jaw. “one more time you try me and you can only dream of cumming.”

his words made you squirm, and as he works his way back down to your clit he spreads your legs further apart, throwing one over the headrest of the couch. he hooks his arm underneath your thigh, positioning himself directly in front of you.

you think you can cry, as you feel his calloused thumb drawing circles on your bud, and his tongue working on your folds, licking up and down slowly. occasionally he would lewdly suck on your clit, his eyes not tearing away from yours, knowing the effect he has on you.

donghyun progresses to something else — giving you what you had wanted earlier. he presses in his middle finger, cautiously pushing it in. he looks up at you, careful not to hurt you, but still eager to finger fuck you and see you writhe and shake when you’re so immensed in the pleasure.

“so fucking tight,” his voice is quiet as he pushes it in up to his knuckle. you gasp and grip the armrest behind you, eyes shut tight as he starts moving it in and out of you in a slow, steady pace. “god, just look at you.” he fucks you through it, adding a second finger, later a third, keeping things as slow as possible, agonising you more and more. as he stretches you open bit by bit, he keeps himself busy, paying attention to your breasts, allowing his lips to dance across them like a waltz, scattering small and chaste kisses.

“fuck, fuck fuck fuck, donghyun, please–” you purse your lips together, holding back a scream when he hits the spot. your hand comes out again to rest on top of his, silently pleading for him to go faster. he knew you were approaching your high; he feels it in the way your walls clench around his digits, but his stamina is unbelievable, still keeping the pace constant and making you sit around and purr like an animal in heat.

he takes you by surprise, suddenly picking up the speed and fucking you with his fingers at an immensely fast pace. “ah, fuck!” you let out a scream, followed by a few more when he hits you in all the right places. “fuck, fuck– oh god, god, please, please don’t stop!”

what’s your luck? he stops the moment you said it.

“no, no,” you whine, your thighs trembling as you paw at his arms weakly. “nooo, go on, why’d you stop…”

you practically mewl as you watch him suck his fingers dry, not tearing his glinting eyes away from yours for even a split second. you reach out for his hand, and when he lets you take it you immediately put his fingers in your mouth, tasting yourself.

“please,” you beg quietly, guiding his hand back to your dripping wet core. “i’ll be good.”

he hesitates, but pushes his three fingers back in you anyway, not giving you time to react. he shifts in his spot to kiss all over your body, basking in the noises that tumble from between your lips as his fingers thrust in and out of you at a brutal, consistent pace.

“fuck, fuuuck,” you fist a handful of his shirt, desperately kissing him, letting him swallow your moans. he pulls away and glances down, a smirk making its way onto his lips.

he bites on your lobe, making you jump in your spot alongside your insides coiling into tight knots. “so fucking wet for me… you can hear it, can’t you?” his voice is octaves lower, and you only manage to hum pathetically. “cum. cum for me, cum for me, baby, let me see you.”

donghyun fucks his fingers in you through it, past it, until your knees are kicking this way and that and almost your whole body is shivering. “pretty,” he runs his hand down your chest, your abdomen, holding your hips down to stop you from shaking. “so, so pretty.”

“want you,” you unsteadily grip his shoulders, eyes glassy and blown wide, lips pursed into a pout. “please, i want you.”

he plants a kiss to your forehead, giving you a small smile before he gets rid of his jeans. he lifts you up to his lap, hands tight on your waist, while your forearms rest on his shoulders. slowly, his hands urge you to move, grinding against his cock.

he lets out a sigh, pulling you closer and biting at your shoulder blade, his hand still keeping the same slow pace as you feel yourself getting wet again. his boxers are stained with his pre-cum, but donghyun has next level patience.

“ride me,” he strains out, flush high, and you climb out of his lap for a moment to allow him to strip off his boxers. you obey, sinking into him, hands linked behind his neck.

he lets you take control, bouncing on his dick at a good pace, and though you’re a little embarrassed and try to hide your face behind your hand, he pries it away and instead gently holds it in his own. you start to get inconsistent, too caught up in the pleasure, throwing your head back and massaging your breasts and pinching at your nipples, shaky breaths escaping your mouth.

but donghyun knew better.

with your legs wrapped around his waist, he lays you down to your previous spot. without warning, he thrusts into you quickly, making your chest heave and fall as you try to catch your breath. his elbows are placed at either side of your head on the armrest, and when you glance down you can see his dick moving in and out of you through your skin.

the new angle sends your eyes rolling back and back arching. the tempo is consistent and relentless, angle precise and unforgiving. you cry and twist, thighs shaking and chest heaving again, until your whole body seizes and your legs give out. donghyun watches you, drunk on pleasure and writhing beneath him, a constant stream of moans and abrupt gasps coming from you.

he pulls out, giving himself a few quick pumps, and then he cums, hips stuttering as his cock twitches, drooling cum onto your stomach. he dips down to kiss you, clean hand wiping away the sweat, caressing your face gently.

“i love you,” he tells you, only inches away from your face. “i mean it. i love you, y/n. i do. not as your best friend, but from a guy to a girl. i love you,” donghyun runs his fingers through your hair. “but i don’t know if you’ll remember this in the morning…”

but just hearing him talk again made you feel like you’ve already sobered up. “i will,” you reassure him weakly. “i hear you. i know… what’s happening.”

for a few minutes, he’s on top of you, gently kissing down your body, squeezing your sides and your arms and your thighs. he takes his time with you, his touch barely there, soft and featherlight. when he kisses you it’s slow and placid, and you feel yourself melt into his touch.

“let’s get you cleaned up, okay? before you fall asleep right here with cum on you,” he chuckles lightly, lifting you up so you’re clinging onto him. “you’re like a baby koala bear.”

“complaining?” you grumble tiredly.

“no, you’re cute,” he kisses your nose. “so cute.”

#ab6ix #ab6ix imagines #ab6ix smut #ab6ix drabbles #ab6ix blurbs #donghyun #kim donghyun #donghyun imagines #donghyun smut #donghyun drabbles #donghyun blurbs #kpop smut #kpop imagines #requested

[emeraldbirdcollector]

Creation event for @nevilledefensenet: Life After Hogwarts

Hannah Abbott had not been having the best of days. She was hot and tired, her blonde hair escaping the knot at the nape of her neck and tickling her shoulders, her eyes dark-rimmed with lack of sleep. It had been a busy evening at the Leaky Cauldron, and she'd just managed to get a breather in between crowds. And of course, just when she was feeling particularly sweaty and nasty and unattractive, the gorgeous guy she'd had a crush on for years, the one she hadn't seen all summer, walked into the bar. Every female eye in the place  followed him, and, she noticed, some of the male eyes as well. Perfect timing, just perfect, she thought to herself wryly, but put on her brightest smile for him nonetheless.

“Hey, Neville. How was your summer? Something to drink?”

“A Butterbeer, please, and it was lovely. How are you, Hannah?”

She reached for a clean mug and held it under the tap, careful to get just the right pour. “Doing just fine, thanks.”

He took a sip. “Have you done something to the recipe? This is much better than I remember it.”

She dimpled at him. “Thanks! I convinced Tom to let me fiddle with it a bit – my aunt's old technique. He says,” and here her voice deepened into a convincing imitation of Tom's gruff grumble, “as long as you're taking over the place anyway, you might as well start putting your own stamp on it.”

“So you have.” He looked around at the windows, now full of greenery, blooming and twining and reaching for the sunbeams. Even the darker corners had shade-loving plants in them, some of them singing softly to themselves.

“Home is where the plants are, as Professor Sprout always says...”

“Agreed.” He lifted his mug to her, his kindred-spirit grin making the blood in her veins fizz and sparkle. I've missed him so much.

And of course, it was just at that point that the pair of really aggravating young women who had been getting on Hannah's nerves all evening decided to chime in. “Aww, come on, handsome,” one of them giggled tipsily. “Why waste your time on her? She's just a Hufflepuff, after all...” Oh crap, here we go again. I can't let myself rise to the bait, they're customers and I'm working...but why does this have to happen now, in front of Neville?

But then she saw Neville's face. “What do you mean, 'just' a Hufflepuff?” His voice was soft, but it could have frozen Fiendfyre.

The girl shrugged, clearly not knowing when to stop digging. “Well, everyone knows it's the house of leftovers, where you go if you're not smart enough or brave enough or sneaky enough for the others. The rejects.”

“Then everyone knows wrong. Where were you during the Battle of Hogwarts?” he demanded. “I don't remember seeing you there.”

She backed away defensively. “I'm an only child. My parents insisted I evacuate, because they didn't want to lose me. I couldn't help it.”

“I'm an only child too. So is Hannah. And while you were safe at home, she was with me and Dumbledore's Army, fighting Death Eaters as bravely as any Gryffindor. Braver than some.” He withered her with a look. “There were people from every other house, Gryffindors and Ravenclaws and Slytherins, who chose to stay home in safety last year or worse, join up with the Death Eaters. But not from Hufflepuff. Every single Hufflepuff who was old enough was with Dumbledore's Army giving everything they had to stop Voldemort. Some of them died. Too many of them died. And they didn't do it for the glory, they didn't do it for fame or fortune or recognition, they did it because it needed to be done. That's Hufflepuff for you, every single time, doing what needs to be done no matter what it costs them. They're the best of the lot of us, really. You aren't fit to polish her shoes, let alone sit at her bar and order her around.”

When he finished, the bar was dead silent, listening. Suddenly, a round of applause burst from a table containing several Gryffindor students. “You tell 'em, Nev!” shouted Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas, his arm around Seamus's waist, seconded the cry. The applause spread through the bar, and Neville turned an appealing shade of pink. Hannah would have enjoyed it more had she not been aware that she herself was blushing even harder. 

The troublemaker's friend nudged her urgently to her feet, and they tried to look as though they were stalking out in a huff. It rather spoiled the image, though, when the girl who had been doing the talking knocked over her bar stool, spilled her drink, fell face first into the puddle, and had to be picked up by her friend, covered in Firewhisky and shame. The bar roared with laughter, and then cheerfully settled back into its normal evening buzz as the girls slammed the door behind them, announcing the end of the show.

“Sorry, Hannah, I didn't mean to make a scene,” said Neville, righting the stool and mopping up what was left of the spilled drink with his napkin.

“Neville, I...uh...” She realized she was stammering, and stopped short. “Thanks for standing up for us,” she finally got out, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “She's been pulling that all week, because everyone knows how easy it is to get me riled on that particular topic, and I can't lose my temper with a customer...”

“Some people are just rotten. Every word I said was true, especially the part about her not being fit to polish your shoes.”

He paused, swallowing another mouthful of Butterbeer. “I begged the Sorting Hat to put me into Hufflepuff, you know. And not really because I thought it was the soft option, if that's what you're thinking. I wanted it because it was the cozy option.” His face softened, and he seemed to shed years. “I was a lonely little kid, didn't have too many friends my own age growing up, all my relatives were convinced I was a Squib, and my parents were, well, gone. Hufflepuff seemed so warm and welcoming and cozy, like a big family with room for everyone. I wanted that so badly, Hannah. And yeah, I found friends in Gryffindor too, just like there's plenty of courage in Hufflepuff. But you guys represent everything that's best about Hogwarts, the heart of everything we were fighting for last year, and don't ever let anyone make you forget that. I never will.” His eyes met hers, all earnest sincerity, and she felt her insides dissolve into jelly.

Merlin’s beard, Longbottom, do you have ANY IDEA what you do to me? But she only reached out and put her hand on his. “I've still got one year to finish at Hogwarts, and during that year, you have a standing invitation to our common room at any time. Not one of us would ever deny you entry, not you. You may have the courage of a Gryffindor, but you've got the heart of a 'Puff, too. And you can be one of our family any time you want, Gryffindor or not.”

“I think that's the highest compliment anyone's ever given me.” And how on Earth is a girl supposed to resist a smile like that?

But then a call from another table summoned her, and she didn't have time to continue the thought before another rush began and she was busy pulling drinks and carrying trays. When she was finally able to turn back, she found Neville gone, but in his place, a little napkin drawing of a lion hugging a badger, and a note: You're worth twelve of her, you know. N.L. 

#nevilledefensenet #neville longbottom #hannah abbott