Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/358380. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: F/M Fandom: Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling Relationship: Lily_Luna_Potter/Original_Character, Lily_Luna_Potter/Lycoris_Nott Character: Lily_Luna_Potter, Lycoris_Nott, Neville_Longbottom, Alice_Longbottom_II Additional Tags: tomfoolery, School, Teenagers, Harry_Potter_Next_Generation, Hogwarts, Post_-_Deathly_Hallows, HP:_Epilogue_Compliant, Smut Stats: Published: 2012-03-01 Words: 3792 ****** Herbology, Interrupted ****** by ladielazarus, Tathrin Summary Professor Longbottom's fifth year Herbology lecture does not go as planned when a certain Slytherin demonstrates more than a passing interest in Lily Potter... "...why the Mandrake Root is as essential as it is dangerous,” Neville Longbottom said. His students nodded, their heads either bowed over their notes or turned towards the large, leaf-topped pots scattered across the long, dirt- spotted table. He took a deep breath, ready to launch into the standard warnings, threats, and disclaimers he gave before letting fifth year students anywhere near plants with the recreational properties of Mandrake Root, but before he could begin, the door to the greenhouse opened. The fifth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs turned to look at the intruder, as did their professor. A tall, weedy-looking boy with pale brown hair and a bored look in his eyes stood framed in the doorway. “Afternoon,” he drawled. Neville squinted, trying to remember which one this was. He had trouble, sometimes, telling certain students apart—mostly the ones who didn’t talk much to him, and shared certain family traits, and tended to wear green. It took him a moment to recognize the boy: sixth year Lycoris Nott. Neville frowned. “Can I help you?” he asked curtly. No doubt the boy had been sent by his Head of House to bother Neville, make him waste his time collecting all sorts of pointless ingredients for stupid potions, and Neville was not in the mood (not that he ever was) to cater to Slytherin’s Potions Master. "I doubt it,” Nott said, his thin face lifting for a moment in a sneer before he looked dismissively away from the Herbology Professor. “I’m here for Lily Potter,” said Nott, a strangely low timbre in his normally nasally voice. Neville’s scowl deepened. “We’re in the middle of a class,” he said sternly. “Surely whatever Professor Malfoy needs her for can wait.” Nott was already half-way across the classroom, not having waited for the Herbology Professor’s permission to enter, but he paused to give Neville a small smirk over his green-clad shoulder. “I’m not here for Professor Malfoy,” Nott said slyly. “I’m just here for Lily.” Lily, meanwhile, was staring at the Slytherin boy with a strange expression on her face. She had gone very red, and she seemed to be biting her lip in a vain attempt to restrain a smile, but her eyes were wide with horror. Neville’s frown turned very dark and threatening, and he found himself fingering the coin dangling around his neck. “What’s going on?” Neville growled. If this Slytherin boy was bothering Lily... Nott exchanged a glance with Lily, and shrugged. “Up to you,” he said quietly. He raised an eyebrow, apparently waiting for permission of some kind. Lily’s brown eyes widened. She shook her head quickly, then stopped and grinned, and dropped her gaze to the floor. She giggled reluctantly. “Okay,” she mumbled. Neville couldn’t understand what was wrong with her. Nott stepped forward and took Lily’s hand, pulling her up off her stool. Lily looked like she was going to either burst into laughter or tears, and Neville had no idea which. She clung to Nott tightly, though, and kept peeking up at Neville and then burying her blushing face against the Slytherin boy’s skinny shoulder. Another small giggle escaped her. "What is going on?” Neville demanded. "Lily has to leave class for a while,” Nott answered him slowly. His dull eyes sparkled with insolence. “I’ve been told she would like a good shag, so I’ve come to give her one.” "LYCORIS!” Lily burst out, her face stricken with horror, even though she was laughing. Neville couldn’t say anything. His jaw worked a few times, but no words came out. "What?” Nott looked at Lily. He was smirking, but shuffled his feet nervously. “You told me this is what you wanted.” "Yes,” Lily said, completely crimson—her face was so red it made her hair look pale—“but I didn’t think you would actually do it!” "But, you told me to,” he said quietly, looking confused. Nott frowned. “Would you rather I hadn’t?” he asked anxiously. "I—no,” said Lily, her voice going small. The grin was back on her face, although she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from the floor. "No, I really like that you...” Her voice trailed off, and she chewed on her smiling lips. "All right then,” said Nott. “Come on.” He pulled Lily behind him, the girl alternating between giggles and mute horror. She glanced up at her friends, all of whom were gaping at her in petrifying shock, then she caught Neville’s eye. Somehow Lily’s face turned even redder. She stumbled forward faster so she could bury her face in the back of Nott’s robes. He turned around at the door to give her a light kiss. That jolted Neville from his stupor. “Don’t you dare!” he roared. “Lily, get back in your seat! Nott, I’ll have you in detention for a month for this!” Nott stared back at Neville calmly. He seemed to be weighing the furious professor with his eyes. “Sounds worth it,” he said, and before Neville could do anything else, he had tugged Lily behind him out the door. Neville raced forward, slamming the door open so hard that the heavy glass strained dangerously, and leaned out. “Get back here!” Neville shouted, his own face red with fury and embarrassment. He looked around, but the two students had already vanished. “Lily, I mean it!” Neville yelled. “You have no idea how much trouble you’re going to be in, young lady. This isn’t funny!” He would have run after them, dragged Lily back into the room and shaken her until she saw sense again, and had that awful Nott boy locked in the dungeon for a few days, but he knew he didn’t dare leave a whole class of fifteen and sixteen-year-olds alone with a fresh crop of Mandrakes. Neville gave an inarticulate growl of rage, and stomped his foot, and clutched his coin so hard it bit into the palm of his hand, but there was nothing he could do but turn back around and resume his interrupted (and now loudly gossiping) class as best he could. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Harry. * * * Lily burst out laughing as they stumbled out the door together. The heavy glass banged shut, and Lycoris yanked Lily around the corner of the greenhouse. “I can’t believe you did that!” Lily squealed, “I can’t believe I did that!” Lycoris dragged Lily into the bushes after him and they pressed themselves against the warm glass wall. Lily heard the door slam open, and then Uncle Neville shouting. She buried her face in Lycoris’s robes and tried not to laugh. She was going to get in so much trouble! Lily pressed her fingers against her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t believe she’d just done that in front of the whole class—in front of Uncle Neville! The Herbology Professor growled angrily and slammed the door shut again, stomping back inside. Lily took several deep, hiccoughing breaths, willing herself not to give in to panic. She should go back in, apologize, tell him it was just a silly prank...laugh it off; make big, pleading eyes, the sort that always got her dad to give in when she really wanted something...she knew she should go back, before it was too late... “Why did you do that?” she whispered to Lycoris, her voice wavering a little in a wail. "Because you told me to,” Lycoris answered simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Because you said you wanted it, that it would make you happy.” Lily threw her arms around his neck and snogged him, hard. Lycoris stumbled a bit, surprised by her sudden embrace, and the leaves all around them rustled violently. Long, thin arms snaked around her waist, and Lily pressed up tighter into the kiss. She felt like she was on fire, little tingles like electricity running through her whole body, from her lips down to her pink-varnished toes. They broke apart, gasping for air, their arms still wrapped around one another. Lily looked up at Lycoris through her half-lidded lashes. She grinned, shy and daring all at the same time. “Do you remember what else I told you?” she asked him quietly, her lilting voice gone low and husky. "Yes,” Lycoris said. His voice was little more than a gasp, quickly stifled against Lily’s lips. The arms around her waist tightened, lifting her up. Lily found herself thrust back suddenly against the warm wall of the greenhouse. She yelped a little, the metal slats of the glass was hot even though her robes, but then she grinned. "Seriously?” she asked, her face gleeful. "Seriously,” Lycoris replied. Then he was holding Lily’s slim wrists together easily in one long-fingered hand. He lifted her arms over her head and pinned them there, then leaned in for a kiss. Lily tried to press forward into the embrace, but he refused to let her arms leave the greenhouse wall. Lily moaned happily. "I always remember what you say,” Lycoris told her quietly, his breath warm on her neck. “And I’ll do it, too. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll do anything...even,” he added with a grin, “throw away house points and slog through a month of detention for your sodding Professor Longbottom.” Lily giggled, but her laughter cut off with a gasp as Lycoris’s other hand began gliding up her leg, under her skirt. She strained towards him, but remained pinned helplessly against the wall. “Lycoris,” Lily begged. "Yes?” Lycoris said immediately. “What is it you desire?” "You,” Lily said. Lycoris Nott readily obliged. * * * Alice Longbottom sat in Greenhouse Three, absolutely frozen with shock and horror. She watched her father stomp around the room, his face red and angry, and he snarled at students that he never would have ordinarily even frowned at. The students barely even noticed their irate professor, so engrossed were they in their frantic, whispered conversations. Everyone’s eyes were very wide, and several people were blushing. Alice knew that her own face, for instance, had to be quite nearly beet red. She could barely wrap her head around what had happened, and she liked to think that she knew Lily Potter better than anyone. They had, after all, been best friends practically since birth. But never in a million years would Alice have suspected that Lily would ever run out in the middle of class in order to—to be with her boyfriend, let alone leave in such a horrifyingly blatant manner as that! Alice shook her head, determinedly avoiding meeting her dad’s eye. She didn’t have any explanation for Lily’s sudden burst of insanity, but she was sure dad expected her to come up with something. They werebest friends, after all. Alice just looked away and shrugged, hoping dad would be too horrified himself to try and talk to her about it now—or hopefully, ever. A muffled thud made Alice look around, hoping that no one had dropped a Mandrake pot. Of course, if a pot hadbroken, and the Mandrake been exposed, it no doubt would have started screaming by now, and they’d all be taking a very long nap—if they were lucky. Alice looked around again, trying to figure out what had made the noise. No one else seemed to have noticed; they were all too busy whispering together. Besides, now that Lily had—left—no one was near her little corner of the classroom. They probably would have been too far away to hear the quiet thump, even if they hadn’t been talking ceaselessly, which they all were. The conversations only stopped when Alice’s dad stomped by right next to them, and the students started up again the moment he had walked past. Over the sound of their own hushed gossip, they hadn’t heard anything else. Alice had, though, although it took her a moment to figure out where the noise had come from. She turned around curiously, thinking that something must have fallen into the side of the greenhouse. One of Hagrid’s pets, perhaps, gotten loose of it’s pen...? Then Alice quickly turned back around in her seat, gasping. Her face felt like it was on fire. She couldn’t believe it, but she knew what she had seen; even though the thick, murky glass of the greenhouse, there was no mistaking what her wide eyes told her. The thing that had slammed into the greenhouse wall had been Lily, her back pressed up against the panes and her wrists held firmly over her head. Alice chewed her lip, her stomach roiling with nerves. They couldn’t—couldn’t possibly be doing—doing what she thought they were... But Alice knew better. There were really only so many reasons for a person to be shoved up against a wall, and Lily and Lycoris had made their intentions pretty clear on the way out the door. Alice covered her face with her hands. It felt like she had grabbed fire, her cheeks were so hot. Her best friend had lost her mind! Alice Longbottom took a deep breath. Resolutely not looking behind her, or at anyone else in the room, especially her dad, she slid her stool sideways a little, so that she was now sitting directly in front of the blurry shadow on the glass that was Lily’s back. Between the thick, tinted panes of glass that made up the wall and the deep, murky shadows of the bush growing beside the greenhouse that they were standing within, Lily and Lycoris were practically invisible, even to Alice, who was sitting right next to their patch of wall. But Alice was Lily’s best friend. And even if she had in fact gone totally mental, Alice wasn’t going to let her get into trouble. Well—not into any worse trouble than she already was, at least. Alice grimaced and turned her attention to the large pot sitting in front of her. She picked up the delicate pruning shears and, with shaking hands, started to snip at the Mandrake’s overgrown foliage. Alice ignored the occasional muffled sound behind her and she very, very resolutely, did notturn around. * * * On the other side of the sun-drenched glass, Lily and Lycoris remained pressed tightly together. His hand stopped just shy of her knickers and his thin face curled into a smirk. “Lycoris,” Lily begged again, not caring how sickeningly desperate she sounded. “Please,” she said, “I...you...” "Me?” Lycoris’s grin widened. “Whatever do you mean?” Lycoris. Please.” When he leaned forward and captured her lips in another deep, searing kiss, Lily decided she was no longer content to remain completely passive. Instead, she lifted one leg and wrapped it around Lycoris’s hip, using it to pull him closer. He grunted, pulling away only to drop his head and lay a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck. It felt like an actual trail of fire, and Lily absolutely wanted to burn. His free hand reached up and slowly pressed on her knee, lowering her leg to the ground. She broke the kiss and cocked her head inquisitively. "I apologize, my love, but it was, most unfortunately, necessary.” Lycoris slid his hand back under Lily’s skirt, this time catching the waistband of her knickers and dragging them down, reluctantly releasing his hold on her wrists in order to slide the cotton garment all the way to the grass at her feet. He stood slowly, dragging his hands up the outside of her legs on the way. She shivered. This time, it was he who lifted her leg and wrapped it around him before he kissed her again. She sighed and rolled her hips against him, and he responded with enthusiasm. The feel of his wool trousers against her now-bare skin sent little flares of sharp pleasure in Lily’s brain and she grunted. She needed more, though. This just wasn't enough. Lycoris lifted her arms from around his neck and, gripping her wrists in his hand once more, slammed them against the glass and she pressed her hips against him again, trying to create still more friction. Lycoris moaned, that time, pushing her even harder against the sun-heated surface behind them. "'Coris...” She sighed into his ear and bit down on his earlobe. He growled, deep in his throat and moved back, getting enough room between them to slide his free hand up her abdomen, palming one of her breasts through the white, button-down shirt of her uniform. She bucked against him again, smiling a little when he gasped into her ear. "Lily,” he murmured, leaning back and pressing his forehead against hers, “what do you want?” "Just... Please just...you.” She blushed again. He shook his head. If he was going to spend the rest of his adolescence in detention, then she was not getting off that easily. "Be specific, please.” He kissed her throat, where her pulse was jumping so hard that it might break through the skin. She felt as if that one simple gesture removed every bone from her body. "Um. I. Um.” She faltered, looking for the words, which was tricky when she couldn’t exactly remember how her brain was supposed to function. "Access your vaunted Gryffindor courage and tell me what you want, Lily Potter.” Lycoris was not content to remain still and wait for an answer. He dropped his hand between her legs, and, at an excruciating pace, worked one slim finger in and out of her. Lily knew that she had to be soaking wet by now, and his self- satisfied grin confirmed it. She sighed. It was not enough, but it was nearly too much at the same time. "I want you to... Um. You know.” She squirmed, trying to bring more of his hand into contact with her where she needed it most. Lycoris removed his hand, and Lily couldn't stop her small noise of disappointment. He chuckled and laid a hand on her hip, stilling her movements. "Regardless of what you may or may not want from me, love, if you continue what you’re doing, there will be at least one option that is non-existent.” "What do you---Oh.” She blushed harder, if possible. “Sorry.” "Oh, no. Never apologize.” Lycoris chuckled, although the fact that he’d resumed kissing her neck and collarbone meant that she felt is as well as heard it. Gooseflesh raised on her skin, which only caused him to do it again. She groaned, low in her throat. “Tell me what you want.” "I want you to-- um.” She faltered again, knowing full well what he wanted her to say, but unable to say it. Not out loud. She dropped her eyes, feeling the all-too-familiar blush rising on her face. "Lily,” he stopped kissing her throat, and snapped his eyes up to meet hers with fierce intensity. “Tell me.” His tone demanded instant compliance and Lily suddenly felt as though she'd been dosed with veritaserum. "I want you inside me." Whatever reaction she’d been expecting from Lycoris, the sheer intensity with which he kissed her took her totally by surprise. She struggled to keep up with him as best she could, desperately trying to match his passion with equal passion, and still feeling as if she was left a little bit behind. She was so wrapped up in her efforts that she didn't even notice him remove his belt or work his zip down. Therefore, when he, insistently, pressed inside her a few seconds later, her breath caught hard in her throat, and she gasped. "Is this what you wanted?" he ground out, into her ear. She nodded, focused on staying quiet. If they did happen to get caught, at this moment, then there would probably be no amount of detention that would salvage their Hogwarts careers. When he began to move, a few seconds later, Lily had to bite down on his shoulder to keep that particular future at bay. Lycoris maintained his grip on her wrists, not allowing her to meet his thrusts with quite as much enthusiasm as she might have, otherwise, but that only served to increase her desire. She tried to use what little leverage she had to increase the pace and Lycoris shook his head. She groaned in frustration. "Lycoris. Please." She whined, not caring that it was a desperate plea. "I'm so close. I need... Please... Need more." "Do you? Do you ache for it?" His breath came in pants against her ear and she shivered. "I... yes. I do. Lycoris, please." Something in the tone of her plea snapped the last of his resolve, as she'd hoped it would, and he stopped teasing, now driving into her in earnest. He, once again, captured her lips and sucked her tongue into his mouth. The sensory overload was too much for her and she shuddered, coming hard enough to see stars behind the eyelids that fluttered closed. She felt him reach his own orgasm not even a minute later, and they both stood, panting and trying to regain basic motor function, murmuring love and other promises to each other in the aftermath. Eventually, Lycoris let go of her wrists, placing a kiss on each one where they were slightly reddened from his grip. She dropped her leg and he stepped back. She sighed at the feeling of deprivation as the motion let him slip from inside her. After he righted his trousers and shirt, he pulled his wand from his robes, casting a quick cleaning charm on the both of them, and Lily sighed appreciatively. She gripped his still-fastened tie and pulled him to her in a soft kiss. "Thank you," she whispered when he pulled back. He bent to the grass, picking up her knickers. He slipped the light blue cotton fabric over her black mary- janes and moved them, with deliberate care, back up her legs and into place, letting her skirt fall back to where it belonged. He smiled easily at her and Lily felt her stomach flip the way that it always did when he did that. "Of course. I told you, Lily. I'd do anything for you." She stepped away from the greenhouse and straightened her robes before she offered him her hand. He took it and they moved off towards the castle. "You do realize that we're going to be in incredible trouble, right?" She giggled, suddenly reminded of the sheer absurdity of what they'd just done. "Oh, yes." He nodded, running a hand through pale, brown hair. "I expect we are. Are you going to be all right?" Lily shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Totally worth it," she said. She'd made a decision; it was time to pay the penalty. "No argument here, my love." Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!