Blaise usually took his lunch at home, or at least popped home to collect something, but he knew that most of the house-elves were trying to clean up the mess that was in his lab from a botched experiment the night before. He really didn't have time to have one of the house elves make him something in the mean time, so he decided to pop by the Three Broomsticks for a quick bite to eat. He also figured he could go for the stupid sentimental value, since he hadn't stepped foot in the place since his days at Hogwarts.

It wasn't busy at all, which surprised him, but after a quick glance to his watch, he figured many people didn't take their lunches this late in the afternoon. He also needed to get back to the clinic soon, as he had potion in stasis. Blaise walked up to the bar and waited for someone to wait on him.

Mac was sort of glad things were picking up a little. The place had been slow since Halloween with the exception of this past weekend. This past weekend had seemed back to the norm. People had been avoiding Hogsmeade, and she had hated that. She had not seen Neville either. He hadn't owled or anything. Mac was figuring she'd frightened him or something. Typical. Brody had been too stressed about the lack of business to allow her to wallow in her self pity though.

Her brother had also been full of piss and vinegar about Harry being in here over the weekend with some blonde. Mac had just laughed it off. Harry could see who he wanted. She'd tried explaining this to her brother, but he was a good brother. He didn't see why a bloke would prefer other lasses to his sister. Mac could think of a few reasons, but Harry was no longer the bloke she wanted preferring her.

There was a body sided up to the bar, so she decided to go see what it wanted.

"Afternoon. What can I do ya..." she actually saw him right then. "Oh fuck me sideways and twice on Saturday. What in bleedin' hell are ya doin' in here then?"

Blaise looked up slowly when he heard the familiar voice.

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me. Now I know why instincts told me to stay away from this little hellhole. Well, how's life treating you, Magpie? Still opening those lovely thighs for anything with a pretty face and a big dick?"

Mac made a growling sound and sent her balled fist right into his offending mouth. Her eyes were a bit wild as she watched Blaise Zabini topple off the bar stool and sprawl to the floor. Now that was fucking satisfying. Mac came around the bar with her fists ready. She'd stunned him with the force of her punch, so by the time he was reaching for his wand, she was sending her booted foot down on his forearm to prevent that.

"Mac!" Brody shouted. "What the hell?" Then he glared at Blaise. "What did ya do to m'sister, ya bastard?"

"Now, tha's a loaded question." Mac pressed down with her boot. "Dinna answer. That's not talk appropriate for public."

"Who is he then? Can I at least know who you're about to beat?"

"Blaise Zabini."

"Wait... he's no the one tha'..."

"Aye, he's the one tha'."

Brody let out a low whistle. He looked at Blaise. "Nice not knowin' ya, brother. Hope yer affairs are in order."

Mac watched as her brother backed away. He was not going to stop her. Good.

Blaise watched incredulously as Mac's apparent older brother walked away. Well, shit. I'm not sure if I'm happy with that or not. Since his wand was just out of reach and her boot was making a wonderful impression into his arm, he decided to fight fire with proverbial fire.

"I'll take that as a no to my earlier question." He quickly wrapped an arm around her leg and pinched the back of her knee, rolling when she buckled. He quickly grabbed his wand and got off the ground, pointing it at Mac. Blaise watched as her brother shouted and started forward. He was quickly calculating how long it would take for him to hex them both and be gone when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Blaise didn't even have an option of turning around before a hand came down on his shoulder and spun him around. The face was vaguely familiar in a way.

"Wrong move."

It was when the fist came at his face that Blaise realized he was staring at Neville Longbottom. Shit he got tall was his last thought before a fist met his face for the second time in a few minutes. He fell to the floor loudly, and his wand was knocked out of his grasp.

Mac scrambled across the floor to Blaise's wand, grabbing it. Then she stood up and made her way to where Neville was, pointing Blaise's own wand at him.

"I dinna think I'll ever tire of watchin' ya hit people, Nev. Is that wrong?"

Then she reached up and pinched his chest. Neville howled in pain.

"Owl a lass, will ya? I were thinkin' I'd offended ya, but I can see that isna true." Then she probably had that dopey look on her face again. "Ya can hit him another iffen ya like. He deserves it, Nev."

"Um," Neville said sheepishly, "Who exactly did I just hit? I just sort of saw him take you down and pull a wand on you, so I reacted."

"Yer lovely," Mac said, stars or possibly hearts in her eyes. "Ya dinna recognize Blaise Zabini, Nev? Pity. Does knowin' make ya want to hit him harder?"

His eyes widened. "I just punched Blaise Zabini? Why the hell did I do that?" he said in a near panic. "Well, besides he had his wand on you. I can't believe I punched someone!"

"Ya thought ya were rescuin' me. I coulda handled tha', no trouble, but ya thought he was hurtin' me. Ya care then. It were better than flowers, tha'."

Blaise groaned. "I can't believe I just got punched twice. I'm not sure which is worse- getting punched by a girl or Neville Longbottom. At least Magpie has a fucking reputation!"

Neville scowled and kicked Blaise's shin rather hard, making him moan and roll over.

"That fucking hurt, you prick!" Blaise howled.

"Well, don't insult Mac, and I won't hurt you, you bitch!" Neville hissed before stopping and looking at Mac in surprise. "I just called Zabini a bitch!" he whispered.

She could eat him alive. He was so wonderfully amusing. Could she have a bigger crush on him? Probably not. Mac smiled at Neville before kicking Blaise in the hip. He let out a howl.

"Dinna call m'Nev a prick, ya festerin' arse wound."

He stopped groaning and looked up at Mac with a curious expression. "Where did that come from? You certainly developed a harsher mouth than when we last were together." Blaise slowly stood up and grinned. "Although you screaming 'fuck me' is pretty harsh."

Neville's eyes widened and he sucked in a breath through his nose.

"Say tha' a wee bit louder so's m'brother can hear ya," Mac snapped before attempting to slam her boot into his crotch. Blaise moved, and his thigh got it but good.

"Fuck, Magpie!" Blaise hissed as he gripped his thigh. "Watch where you aim that thing!"

"Her foot should be the least of your worries," Neville said in a low growl. "If you insult her one more time I'll make sure you won't be able to form a coherent thought for the rest of your life. How does a permanent residence in the insanity ward sound? You'll be on a liquid diet for the rest of your life and drooling all over yourself by the time you're thirty because your brain will be scrambled. Now stay the hell away from both of us."

Blaise narrowed his eyes at the tall man and considered scoffing, but since Longbottom now had one hand in a tight fist and his wand in the other, he figured too much more and Longbottom would come through on his threat.

"Well, someone certainly grew some balls."

"And someone is about to lose theirs," Neville retorted back.

Mac was staring at Neville with a dreamy grin on her face. His voice when he was angered sent chills down her spine. It was dead sexy to her.

"Nev, did ya need a drink or somethin'?"

"Just came to see you."

"You two are kind of gross," Blaise said.

"Yer face is about to be kinda gross. Why dinna ya be on yer way, Zabini. Yer no' welcome here." Mac said as she chucked his wand towards him. It landed near Blaise's foot.

"Really?" he asked sarcastically as he snatched his wand from the floor. "And here I was thinking you punched all your clients."

"Five seconds, Zabini," Neville said, raising his wand.

Blaise rolled his eyes and backed out of the Three Broomsticks. Damn, his thigh hurt, and he was sure his face looked terrible. Good thing he knew a healer. I wonder if I can explain this without really telling her what happened, he thought as he left the pub.

Neville turned back to Mac as soon as the door was closed. "Did he hurt you when you fell down? Do I need to do a diagnostics check on you or anything? Are you alright?"

"Ya can check anythin' ya like so long as ya use yer own hands."

Neville was giving her this glare.

"I'm fine. He canna hurt me anymore, Nev. He did once, and tha's done. Canna happen again. I dinna make a mistake twice."

"He... hurt you?"

"Aye. No' like yer thinkin' though. He broke m'heart."

"Sometimes that's worse," Neville said, taking her hand and leading her over to a bar stool. "You're sure you're alright? Imagine my surprise when I walk in to see you on my short lunch break, only to find you suddenly flipped to the floor and him standing over you with his wand. It scared me to death. I'm the Gryffindor in this relationship, not you."

Relationship? They had a relationship? Mac didn't know what to do with that. Not at all. Up until a few minutes ago, she had thought she'd scared him off. Oh no, not him.

"I dinna want ya scared," Mac whispered in an uncharacteristically shy moment. "Iffen it helps, ya dinna look scared. Ya looked ready to hex his bollocks off. It were sexy."

Neville made a face. "I think you're one of the few people who find someone wanting to hex bollocks off sexy."

"Likely. Are ya hungry? I could get Brody to make ya a sandwich."

"You wouldn't make it?"

"Hell no. Ya want to be able to eat it, aye?"

{SUMMARY} Mac runs into Blaise again after a few years. Things get very ugly. Neville shows up and hits people. It's greatness. Neville is made entirely of awesome.