FAIRYTALE II

Draco had the house-elves running up and down all day, scrubbing floors, polishing silverware, even soaping walls and door frames. Well, maybe he was overreacting, but he couldn't help it. From the minute he received that owl he just couldn't relax even for a minute.

Ah, that owl. Neville's owl. His only true love, the only person he felt at home with, the only man he could show his true self, not needing to hide behind a mask. Until he himself, foolishly, utterly foolishly had put a wall around them. Their break up had been Draco's fault and he was punishing himself constantly ever since.

It was funny how they had met, Draco reminisced while getting ready for a short trip to Diagon Alley. It was just one of those nights when none of them could relax, none of them could sleep, both of them needed to walk a little, needed to talk with themselves. It happened to every student every once in a while they supposed, but that specific night it had happened to the two of them.

Neville and Draco, each one independently, left their dorm rooms and their common rooms and went the stairs down and up (respectively), talking with themselves, thinking silently and loudly, not paying attention to anything or anyone around them. It was a miracle no prefect had caught them, but again it was a bigger miracle they ended up leaning on walls across each other, their arms around their knees and their heads inside them crying their hearts out.

After a while they both calmed and took notice of the other figure. It was Draco who spoke first. "Just leave me alone, Longbottom, please. I can't stand to fight you now."

It was the sound of the words rather than their meaning that took Neville by surprise. It was totally frequent for Malfoy to insult and bully, but to cry and beg? No, that wasn't frequent at all. But he decided to follow the request anyway because he couldn't confront the other boy either.

Some time later Neville was calm enough to yawn. He stood up, turned his head towards Draco, who still had his head between his hands, said "I won't tell a soul about tonight" and returned to the Griffindor tower.

They met at the same spot a few nights later, incidentally again. This time they decided to talk to each other. They were both different than usually, both sad, both broken from various personal and family problems. They were both honest and found out that they made good company.

Draco's memories were interrupted as he entered Madam Malkin's, thinking what he should buy. He knew which colours suited Neville, of course. He had bought him dress robes before. But he didn't know his current size, he hadn't seen him for years, he only knew that Neville tended to gain weight during depressive episodes. So he bought three set of robes (trousers, shirt and cloak) three sizes bigger than last time. He could always charm them bigger or smaller if he needed to. He also bought dragon skin boots, Neville's favourite even since the Yule Ball they had attended together, so little and still so long ago.

He could have the house elves make dinner of course, but he didn't want to. After he was released from Azkaban he had found out that cooking, just like brewing potions, relaxed him. So he cooked regularly for himself, the elves and his mother and aunt Andy when they visited rarely. Today he would cook for Neville. It would be a move of good will. Making his way across the corridors of the muggle super market and filling his basket, he saw the candy section. Grinning widely, he bought at least ten chocolate bars.

It was a while after everything was ready and Draco was sitting in a sofa in front of the fire, smoking (another muggle custom he had picked up after Azkaban), when he heard the unmistakable sound of a portkey. He stood up so quickly that his cigarette fell off his fingers and fell on the sofa, making him look for it in manically, before it would burn the whole thing!

Neville, still holding the chocolate-portkey, gave him a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look. "Um, sorry, my cigarette fell and...." Draco started lamely. Oh fuck, this wasn't how he had planned it! "Er, anyway, w-welcome" he continued with an awkward smile. Luckily Neville was in no better condition himself, for he just nodded and went to sit on said sofa.

They spent a few minutes in a really awkward silence, none of them daring to look at the other. Finally, Draco spoke, still unable to face the other boy. "I... uh... I was really glad to receive your owl. Not because you needed to be saved -" FUCK! He didn't just say that, how stupid! "- Ah, I mean... I mean I missed you. I thought a lot about you all those years. After I was released I wanted to visit you, but I couldn't get myself to do it, I was too embarrassed."

"Oh, say something already!" he said again after a few moments of silence.

Neville looked at him in the eye and spoke for the first time since he was portkeyed to the Malfoy Manor. "You know those seven stages of dealing with break up Muggle psychologists talk about? Well... I passed all of them, over and over again in different sequences every time. I thought I was over you --well, I still think I am-- but again, my life doesn't seem to get better. I just needed to contact you, that's all; feel like I'm talking with you, you know. I didn't expect you to want to contact me back."

Silence.

"So, maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all... I... I should probably go. I'm so sorry, I didn't want to disturb you."

And then he stood up to apparate home, but Draco suddenly stopped him. "No! Don't go! I mean... I have made dinner. Please, just stay for dinner. And then you can go, just, let me spend an hour with you." And then he finished with a obviously anxious "please".

Neville nodded and sat down again, while Draco busied himself and the house elves frantically. Finally, he showed Neville to a dining room set in all formality, like the Minister himself had come for visit!

"I hope you like it, it's roast beef, I remember how you used to like it. This time I made it myself, cooking kind of relaxes me" Draco smiled nervously.

Neville looked less distracted now that he had something to busy his hands with and a trivial topic to busy his mind with. "It's delicious" he said taking a bite. "Actually" he said taking another bite "it tastes like my Gran's. Did you...?"

"Use the recipe you'd given me? Yes" Draco grinned. "Your Gran really was a great cook. I remember this time we were at your place and she had cooked for, like, twenty people."

This time Neville smiled at the memory. "Yes, it was a Hogsmead Sunday I think. We flood from McGonagall's office and Gran apparated us to school afterwards. Ah, one of the last good times" he concluded, his smile slowly fading.

"Neville", Draco said kindly, "please do me a favour. Let's keep our old rule; no sad discussions during dinner. Let's just eat and talk and have a good time for now. I want to see that smile of yours." Neville nodded, his smile returning. "Besides, I want you to keep an open mind about desert. Believe it or not, it's a recipe I got in Azkaban."

"In Azkaban? Who was your cellmate? Jamie Oliver?" Neville laughed.

Draco chuckled. "Well, could be, the way he chopped vegetables in the blink of an eye, but no, it was a bloke from Liverpool who..."

After desert, Draco offered Neville coffee in the living room. All tension had paused between them, as long as they didn't discuss serious matters. But now, having returned to the same sofa, sitting side by side, both men felt nervous again.

Draco closed his eyes instantly taking a deep breath and started talking gently.

"Nev, I need to share something with you. When we broke up, I was sixteen years old. I needed to stand on my own, to face life with my own powers. It was a cruel thing to do leaving you and I didn't like it one bit myself, but I honestly thought I had to do it then.

"And then I was caught in my father's web. I was made to plead allegiance with the Dark Lord and fight for the wrong side. Then we were both arrested and I spent five years in Azkaban. When I got out, I knew everything was lost. My youth had passed, I had lost you. I failed you and me. I had failed us.

"I'm so sorry Neville. I wish I had acted differently. I now acknowledge my mistakes and I want to make right."

Neville didn't speak for a minute, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Drake, when we were together I always thought we would stay together for life or at least for a really long time. I was never a man to make it on his own. I was ashamed of that at first, but then it sank in and I accepted it. So, when I lost you and after a while my Gran, I was left alone. And I simply couldn't do it" he said in all honesty. "I'm sorry Drake, I can't help it, it's who I am. Just... take me or leave me, you know?" He chuckled sadly. "That's why I sent the owl, I was in my muggle flat thinking..."

Neville managed to stop right then. He almost told Draco of his other alternative but he wouldn't do it. This was not a matter of pity. It was a matter of true feelings and what they both wanted for their present and future.

Luckily, he didn't have to. Draco took Neville's hand and said gently "Shh, love. It's alright. We're together again. You don't have to be alone any more. You won't be alone any more. Now come on; we have a chocolate to eat!"

Neville grinned and Draco followed suite. They hugged. It was alright.

THE END

Author's note: Well, yes, it's romantic, sappy and silly to the bone. Exactly as it should be :D