A/N:
Finally, chapter 4! Exams are over and I'm home and stuff, so it my muse is kind, I'll get some more writing done before I have to go work.
Thank you for your kind comments! They do help me keep going. Those wanting Harry/Luna in this story...well...I'm sorry. I do ship them, but i can't really write Harry.
A great big hello to my international readers, as usual. You're amazing.
A note on Slytherin dynamics: A while ago, I read an essay about how JK surprised everyone with the characterization of Ravenclaw House. How their House work in much the way fanfic writers imagined Slytherin House to function. So I asked myself: how DOES Slytherin work?
This chapter contains most of my answer to this question. If you find it incompatible with your view of canon...oh well. It makes more sense to me that the House work this way anyway. To me, it seems fitting.
Another note: If you follow the webcomic Skin Deep, all I have to say for this chapter is: ;)
Chapter 4: A Sign of the Times
Neville decided to use all of his free time to wall himself behind a stack of books in the library. The Potions essay was due tomorrow, and with only half of it done, he was scrambling to find any information at all about the properties of Jub-jub bird feathers. Only one of the five bestiaries he picked up even had an entry on it, and even then, it wasn't very useful.
This is why I stick to plants...
Just then, he felt his hand wash over in pain, flattened by a gargantuan tea-stained volume. Wonders of the Land by Allifey McLorne - the book so unceremoniously dropped on him - belonged to Pansy Parkinson, who was now standing over him with a slight smile in her face.
"I couldn't find the Jub-jub bird either. Almost gave up until some scatter-brained Ravenclaw left it on the table next to mine," she proceeded to explain rapidly as she squeezed herself next to him. "Oh, scooch over already. Anyway, turns out Snape had decided to give us a lesson in history along with Potions. Jub-jub feathers hadn't been used in magic since the 1400s. Nobody's quite sure why. Apparently they had all disappeared or some such nonsense...why are you looking at me like that?"
Neville stared at Pansy bug-eyed and completely still, as though he was afraid that the Slytherin, true to her House's mascot, would strike him if he moved so much as an inch.
"Hellooo? Anybody home?" she waved her hand in front of his face
"...uh...why am I still alive? And... not hurting.. anywhere?"
Pansy sighed, "Oh..I suppose explanations are in order."
Neville nodded slowly, "Please."
"Well, ever since you saved Drakie from bleeding to death in that hallway, the House has been...uneasy about how to handle you. In general. But now that you've told him a secret...by our rules, you're practically one of us."
"Uh...what?"
Pansy adjusted herself nervously. "Our House laws...they were established by Slytherin students a while ago..We try to stay together by trading secrets and favours. It's how we make friends essentially. That way we can't betray each other to outsiders. You can never give away another Slytherin because chances are, they would have a secret about one of your friends and... Well you can guess what would happen. It all boils down to protecting ourselves from the other Houses, namely Gryffindor. There are loners of course...they end up getting a lot of the bullying."
"Don't pick on Gryffindor! You do quite a bit of bullying yourselves!"
"Yeah, it's a bit different now from what it was back then. But the laws have stayed. Kind of like how Ravenclaw's got that whole 'everybody for themselves' thing or you guys, where everyone's one big happy family. And maybe if my friend Kenny hadn't gotten flushed down Moaning Myrtle's toilet first year, I wouldn't be quite so mean to all of you." Pansy gave him an evil smile
"So because I helped Malfoy and told him a secret, you've decided to actually talk to me."
"Yeah. Don't expect anyone to get too chummy though. I think that's beyond the scope of many of us."
"Can you at least do something about that git McLaggen?"
Pansy laughed. "I don't know, Longbottom.."
"Could you, I don't know, make his nose turn purple or something?"
"You know what?...Deal."
As Neville wrote the remainder of his essay, he wondered if this was like making a deal with Loki and whether it was going to backfire on him in some completely unexpected way.
Limping into the Forbidden Forest, Neville waved hello to Arthur, Malfoy and Pansy. Carefully lowering himself down next to Wind, he sighed and reminded himself for about the fiftieth time that day to go to Madame Pomfrey. He'd woken up with intense muscle cramps in both his legs that made it nearly impossible to walk down stairs without putting all his weight onto the railing. After a couple of classes, he walked a lot of it off, but that was three days ago and it didn't look like the remaining cramps were going away on their own. Wind looked him squarely in the eye, nudging his useless-looking legs with a great paw. He could swear she already knew.
"It hurts to move them. I know I should, but as soon as I stop walking they get worse...I'm going to the Hospital Wing after this. Madame Pomfrey should have something for cramps."
Wind cooed. After a few chirps and other noises spoken to Gold, she passed Neville a note. Inside was a list of ingredients and some simple instructions, written in Gold's broken English. Wind cooed again and pressed her forehead to his. Neville realized that he had most of the list in his greenhouse, but a few ingredients were too rare. He'd have to get them from the school's Potions stores. And that meant talking to Professor Snape.
He gulped.
I can't talk to him. He'll just...glare...send me to the Hospital Wing probably...to not waste his ingredients...why should I bother...jus' go to Madame Pomfrey.
Wind started to purr again, like she did on his very first day. Neville found himself centering, focusing on the ground. His mind cleared, leaving him with a strong feeling of the wide earth beneath him...and an idea.
He disconnected himself from Wind and looked over at Gold. Arthur was standing in front of him with his eyes closed, holding a tall branch with both hands, like a staff or a sword. Gold was looking up at the boy like a general would look at a young recruit. Draco was off to the side, reading a (rather lengthy) note. Neville took a cleansing breath and looked back at Wind.
"Wish me luck."
Wind nodded, concealing an uncharacteristically sly look by shifting herself back. Neville stood up and slowly made his way to where Draco was fuming.
"Ummm..D-Draco?"
Neville abruptly halted at his cold eyes.
"I...kind of need your help. Wind gave this...salve to make...and I don't have everything..."
Draco snatched up the list and frowned.
"Fine. Your wobbling around was getting awfully embarrassing anyway."
Neville wondered how many other people knew what had happened. After all, he'd told no one. And why hadn't they said anything?
Perhaps, Neville thought, this is progress.
They were in the greenhouse, plants pushed to the sides to make room for the small table. Draco had 'borrowed' it from the Divination classroom after he'd decided it was safer to brew here, where few people would look for him. He'd cluttered it with all manner of instruments while Neville readied his portion of the list. Thankfully, nothing had to be dried. Gryphon magic, he remembered Hermoine telling him, always relies on things that can be found and prepared within minutes, which is why they don't need anything like a wand and why gryphon-made amulets are so rare. Straightening himself out, Neville placed the last herb bundle on the table, were Draco was already readying a small mortar. Some herbs were destined to be ground, others diced, still others, juiced – all mixed together in one bowl until they formed a light green lumpy mush. The simplicity of it was really astounding. Neville supposed he could have made it himself if it weren't for some of the more exotic plant parts.
Draco, still frowning, shoved the mixture into Neville's hands.
"There. Hope it works. You hold everyone up on the stairs."
Neville took off his top robe, rolled up his sleeves, and yanked his pants up to his knees to apply it. The table and all the supplies disappeared with the sound of falling plates. He turned his head just in time to catch Draco's eyes become stormy, wand suddenly in hand. He turned on his heels and flew out of the greenhouse, leaving Neville to wonder how close one had to be to Severus Snape to pick up that particular mannerism.