He couldn't get her screams out of his head. He was sat at the Slytherin table, unable to eat his dinner. All he could see was her, screaming out in pain as one after the other, the class repeatedly put her under the cruciatus curse, the majority of them laughing at her. He was relieved when the bell went off indicating the end of the lesson. He didn't know what he would have done when it got to his turn.

He looked up from his food, and scanned the great hall. It was a subdued affair. In previous years students would be talking to one another, laughing, and disscussing christmas. Now all he could see was scared looking faces.

Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked towards the Gryffindor table and saw Longbottom leaving the Great Hall. His mind was made up. Nobody paid him any attention as he stood up and followed Longbottom out of the hall. He saw him at the top of the marble staircase. Casting a quick look around to make sure nobody was following him, he ran up the stairs, two at a time, and called out.

"Longbottom!" it was more of a whipser, hoping that he wouldn't be overheard. Neville turned round, his wand at the ready. Blaise smiled slightly. He'd always been jumpy like that. Neville frowned slightly.

"What do you want Zabini?" he asked, a little uncertainly, casting a nervous look around. Blaise sighed and took a step forward. Neville took a step back. Blaise frowned, unsure of how to say want he wanted. Neville's wand was still pointing at him. Blaise closed his eyes, trying to think. The castle was eerily quiet. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that Neville's wand arm had lowered slightly. That was good sign. He took another step forward, but Neville raised his wand again. Blaise smiled.

"Fair enough." He muttered as he withdrew his wand as well. Blaise could see the slight fear in Neville's eyes, but there was defiance as well. Blaise bent down and put his wand on the floor. Neville frowned. Blaise straightend up again, and kicked his wand towards Neville. Now Neville really was confused. His eyes darted from the wand on the ground, to Blaise, to the wand again. "I just want to talk." Blaise said into the slience.

"What about?" Neville asked, still unsure of what was going on.

"I need you're help."

Neville started laughing and shaking his head. "And why would I help you?" he asked. It was now Blaise's turn to frown. He knew he was asking a lot, and it was a slim chance that Neville would actually help him.

"You wouldn't." Blaise said. That took Neville by surprise. "But you'd help someone else. Someone who was badly hurt. You've been doing it all year." It came out in a rush, and Neville finally lowered his wand.

"Who's hurt?" Neville asked as he picked up Blaises wand too.

"Aurora."

"Aurora?"

"Simmons. Hufflepuff Beater, year older than us. My Dark Arts class before lunch was a little too enthusiastic just now. When one stopped torturing her another would start straight away. They were laughing." Blaise muttered the last part, but Neville could still hear him. "I would take her to the hospital wing, but Carrow will just find her and start it all over again tomorrow. She's been here a week." Blaise hadn't noticed that he'd been walking towards Neville and was surpirsed to find himself standing right in front of him. "And it's been like that everyday, and if it carries on, she'll be dead before long. Carrow told us that she kept fighting against them, so we needed to brake her." Blaise looked at the floor, suddenly ashamed. "I should have done something to stop it. But I'm just a coward." Neville's hand was on Blaise's shoulder.

Blaise slowly looked up at Neville again and could feel the tears in his eyes. "I've been indifferent towards everything for the past 6 and a half years. It's about time I didn't something, don't you think? When we left the classroom, she wasn't moving. I thought that, if she went with you, she'd be safe. The Carrows don't know where your hideout is, so I know she'd be safe. You'd look after her, won't you?" he asked. Neville still hadn't said anything, his hand still on Blaise's shoulder. "Please Neville. Keep her safe." Neville squeezed his shoulder slightly and nodded.

"Quickly. The Carrows are still at dinner." They started walking towards the DADA classroom, Neville handed Blaise his wand back and he pocketed it. "You carry her, I'll show you the way." But Blaise had stopped walking. Neville turned around, confusion on his face. "What is it?" he asked.

"You'd show me the hidout? But I'm the enemy." Blaise whispered, but Neville was shaking his head.

"If you were the enemy, you wouldn't have told me about Aurora. You would have just left her there. You want to help Blaise, this is were you start." Neville started walking again, and Blaise had to run to catch up.

"Who are you, and what have you done with the forgetful Longbottom we know?" they both chuckled slightly as they turned into the corridor. It was deserted. Blaise overtook Neville and opened the door of the classroom.

She was still there, and a smile fell on Blaise's face as he rushed into the room. Aurora was sitting up against on of the desks, her eyes closed, and breathing deeply. "Aurora?" Blaise whispered from in front of her. Her eyes slowly opened as she looked between Blaise and Neville, who had crouched down next to Blaise.

"We've come to get you out of here." Neville said as he took hold of her hand. Blaise saw her gently squeeze his hand in thanks. Neville turned to Blaise. "On the count of three then?" Blaise nodded, looking slighlty worried. He put one arm around the back of Aurora's shoulders and the other under her knees. "One, two, three." Blaise picked her up with ease. He was shocked when she put her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder.

With Neville in front, Blaise following close behind, they made their way to the fourth floor. Neville stopped in front of a solid wall. It dissolved at his touch. Blaise was impressed. Before Neville started walking through the passageway, Blaise stopped him.

"Take her." He said. Neville frowned as Blaise handed Aurora into his arms. "I'm not coming in. I don't think I'll be welcome. Just make sure she gets better, and get her out of here as soon as possible." Neville nodded and turned into the tunnel.

"Thank you." Aurora whispered, looking over Neville's shoulder towards Blaise. He saw her smile slightly before the wall materialised in front of him. A sense of calm came over him. He knew he'd done the right thing. Now he just had to go back to being indifferent so nobody noticed the difference in him.