ship_manifesto

Title: An Easy Fit
Author:

shadowkittykat_
Fandom: Harry
Pairing: Harry Potter/ Neville Longbottom
Spoilers: Significant through 5th, minor for 6th book. Reference to movie 4.
Disclaimer: I'm way too tall and way too young to be the glorious JKR.

I wrote this essay a while ago, meaning to post it eventually. Well, now I've finally got around to doing it. I wrote this mostly because it seems, at least in this fandom, that while there are loads of pairings that are hot-looking or sensational, there aren't very many that are feasible as an actual, healthy relationship in any real sense. This is one of the few, the proud, the realistic.

(Even if I still luff Snarry non-con slave-bond fics.)

An Easy Fit: Harry and Neville

Harry and Neville, at first glance, or even second, seem nothing alike.

Harry is confident, Neville shy. Harry stands up to Snape while Neville cringes in terror.

But Harry himself realizes how easily their roles could have been reversed, Neville as the Savior of the Wizarding World and Harry as just Harry. But they aren’t that different.

They lost their parents at a very young age, sent to live with relatives that are unsympathetic or, to Harry, downright cruel due to their “otherness”, being a near-Squib or a wizard of great power. Either could have been “The Chosen One”. Since birth they were connected. Bella has stolen love from their lives (Neville's parents, and Sirius from Harry) . Neville can see the Thestrals.
Harry's stands up on behalf of Neville in first year even when they barely knew one another. He also breaks school rules and chances expulsion to get his Rememberall back. Neville must have something lurking deep inside to make him a Gryffindor, some glimmer of courage. Harry is brave, to great fault at times, but lacks judgment and a soft place to fall when he jumps, and crashes hard, often. Neville is softer, gentler, with an abiding courage instead of instant bravery to leap. When he does leap, he soars, breaking free of the Inquisitorial Squad and following Harry into danger, and still there, in the end, able to land instead of crash, and bring Harry to safety also, defeating the Death Eater strangling Harry, even after he is unable to do spell-work. He wants to spend time with Harry, inquiring after the DA.

In movie!cannon he supplies the means to the second challenge, doing his best to protect Harry and worrying over his well-being.

At the beginning of 6^th year, Harry finally realizes that Neville is a friend, his friend, and a very loyal one at that.

What is the next logical step?

More-than-friends.

They make a good couple. Friendships often bloom into love of another sort, and the complement one another well. Most importantly, they understand one another, having similar experiences.

There wouldn’t be any of the angst of certain, more popular, pairings. No fight for supremacy or attempt to “bring (back) to the light”, such as in some “Drarry” or “Snarry fics”, no need for creature or slave bonds to force union, no need for messy plot devices where there is capture, torture, pain, and just barely enough compassion to get them together, no startling rows to nearly wreck things and cause untold contortions on the author’s part just to keep them from coming to their senses and leaving one another, but an easy, equal partnership, well balanced and beneficial to both involved.

An easy fit.

Fanfiction:

This is definitely a "rarepair". Therefore, there isn't a whole lot in the way of fic floating around that I can find.

The best resource is the Harry/Neville F-Q-fest at http://remembrall.slashcity.net/wod/

P.S. I’m not trying to rag on Drarry or Snarry. I’m a huge Drarry fan myself, it was the ship that sailed me into Port Slash for the first time, and I like the angst as good reading material. My point is just that those relationships, while the makings of hot porn and delicious witty banter, are not really that healthy, and Harry needs something rather more stable and comforting while doing his whole “Chosen-Nutcase-That-Lived” duty and bringing down Voldemort.

PPS Anything missing? *please* let me know. I waas kinda busy when I posted this...