Disclaimer: I really don't own anything. Except maybe the plot. . . maybe.
Title: To Brave the Flames
Author: wolfspeaker01
Gift For: Tori
Beta: Kamerreon
Rating: K+
Pairing: Neville/Harry
Warnings: Dumbledore-bashing, Creature!Harry, abuse (in the past), Good!Snape, slash.
Summary: Dumbledore needed the Boy-Who-Lived, not a fragile, broken Slytherin. No one ever noticed when he took steps to rectify the situation, until now. The shy outcast of Gryffindor would find the courage he never knew he had to save the one person who needed him.
The blue sky taunted Neville from the open doorway, the doorway that was currently blocked by one of the strongest wizards of the time. A wizard who wanted nothing more than to keep his charge from ever being free.
"I'm afraid I must insist that you and your. . . friend come with me, Mr. Longbottom." The pleasant tone did nothing to hide the anger in the twinkling blue eyes. Neville moved to stand in front of the shivering figure next to him, shielding the smaller boy from the old man with forced bravado.
"No." It was only through sheer willpower that he managed to keep his hand from shaking as he held the Headmaster at wand point. "You've lost your claim. He is not your savior or your weapon anymore. He is mine to protect, and I will not give him up so easily."
"It is not human. I only did what was best for the greater good, my boy. Surely you can see that?"
"No. He may not be human in blood and body" – Neville hid a pang as the smaller figure cringed away, but tightened his grip on the other's hand "– but his soul is more human than yours or any of your bloody Order. Ares would never sentence another human being to what you and yours have put him through since he came to this school. He would never cut away what made another what they were. And he would never pretend that everything he did was for 'their own good'."
Silent once more, Neville welcomed the comforting warmth as his companion pressed up against his back, thin, scarred arms wrapping around his waist in silent gratitude, giving him the strength to continue facing Albus Dumbledore in all his fury. He had waited for this day – for the day he would take the broken fae far away from the school that had become both a prison and a torture chamber to one who had needed its comforts the most – since fifth year, almost two whole year ago, when he had first met the young warrior face to face, and there was nothing in the world that would make him give it all up now.
Neville would never forget the way the boy who would become precious to him had moved so quickly upon finding him eavesdropping, holding Neville at wand point until he had sworn that he meant no harm, and then dropping to the floor like a stone, revealing his profusely bleeding back. The gentle expression on the most feared professor's face was etched in his memory, as was the promise the man had extracted – to do everything in his power to save Ares from those who used and abused him.
It had taken him so long: to find where Ares was held, to find a way to free him, to convince Ares that he deserved more than bloodshed and pain. . . but now, they were so close.
So very close.
"You don't understand. We need him to fight Voldemort. I had my doubts when he was Sorted into Slytherin, and when he refused to participate in the tests, I had to act."
Neville growled. "I do understand. You couldn't have the people knowing that their hero was nothing more than a creature, and he refused to let you hide it. So you got rid of him, hid him away where no one could see him, where you could torture him until he was what you needed, while some fake played the part you wanted people to see."
How no one had noticed the drastic change that had occurred in the Boy-Who-Lived over the summer after first year Neville would never comprehend. It had been so obvious to him that the outspoken boy who had called the Slytherins out on abuse and begged in front of the entire school to be re-Sorted had nothing in common with the tiny Slytherin who sat on the outskirts, who shied away from touch and yet watched people interact with sad eyes. But, being a loner himself, and more than a little shy, he had not dared ask about the change.
The Headmaster frowned. "Fifty points from Gryffindor. I will not tolerate such rudeness."
Neville laughed. "You can take all the points you want, I'm never coming back here."
"You may leave if you believe you must, Mr. Longbottom, but the creature stays."
"No –"
"Stupefy. " Neville pulled Ares to the ground at the sound, and the red light flew past them and hit Dumbledore, dropping him like a brick. Spinning around, Neville shoved Ares toward the now unprotected door, while holding his wand on the shadows. "Still as impulsive as ever, I see."
Neville breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he realized that the dark figure emerging from the shadows was none other than Professor Snape. "Thank you, sir."
The man looked affronted at the thought that he had actually helped the Gryffindor. "Keep Ha – him safe. They will be looking for him."
"Yes, sir." With a nod, Neville ran out the door where Ares was standing, waiting for him.
XX
The duo took shelter in the Forbidden Forest, in a clearing that Neville had used a pseudonym and money stolen from his parents' vault to have warded by an expert. No one would find them there. Not Dumbledore, not Voldemort, not even Gringotts' curse breakers could find the site and get into it without at least a year or two to do so.
"You're safe." Neville dropped to the ground. "We're safe." He began to tremble as he realized how close he had come to challenging the Headmaster to a duel, or just attacking him. What had he been thinking?
"T-thank you," Ares whispered. He shifted nervously before launching himself at his savior. "Thank you!"
Neville blushed at the sudden attack, but was quick to return the embrace, pulling the pointy-eared teen close. This was what he had been thinking of – this small, emerald-eyed faery who had stolen his heart.
"Love you, Ares. Love you so much," he whispered into the boy's hair. And he did. From the first time he had set eyes on the trembling teen, he had known that it would be his life's goal to protect the fragile – not weak, never weak – fae.
Their life would not be easy, not with Dumbledore after them and the wizarding world so prejudiced against elves and the like, but it would be their own.
And that made all the difference in the world.
FIN.