Once out of the room, the emotions came crashing down. He watched as Pansy's hands trembled as she slid against the wall to the floor. He knew that a lot of the Slytherins had spent time in Azkaban over the summer as they awaited trial. It had been a testament to Minister Shaklebolt and the reforms that he had put in place, that they hadn't been left there to rot. He knew that Harry's testimony on behalf of the Malfoys and the other students played a large part in it.
It never really registered to him just how much she may have been affected by it. He slid down to the floor next to her and put his arm around her. Her trembling frame seemed to reverberate through and into him. He stroked her arms and pulled her close, anything to get her to stop shaking. He shushed her quietly as he stayed close. Her eyes were wide and distant as if remembering something. He had seen Hermione and Harry do similar things when something triggered them. It was as though the nightmares could strike during daylight hours and plague them in full colour.
He held her hand, stroking repetitive patterns with his thumb and whispered comforting words, as he waited for her to return to him.
"It's ok, you're safe. I've got you." He whispered. She nodded as the wild look remained in her eyes.
He waited patiently as the trembling seemed to lessen. With every breath, she seemed to find her way back to herself.
"Better?" He asked eventually as she looked around in surprise. She looked at him for a moment as if she didn't recognise him. He waited and then smiled when recognition returned.
She nodded and swallowed, her eyes wide and haunted as she gripped onto his robes.
"I'm not going back to Azkaban," She muttered, he wasn't sure whether she was asking or telling but either way he shook his head and held her close.
"Never." He confirmed, "They would have to get through me first." He offered.
"That makes me feel so much better." She said with the ghost of a smile on her lips. He smirked softly as he kissed her hands.
"I don't like to brag, but I'm not just a pretty face." He added. He just wanted to see her laugh.
She smiled weakly. "Definitely not!" She murmured as she tried to get up. He helped her up and held her steady.
He smiled softly at her.
"Do you need me to take you to the hospital wing?" He asked carefully. She shook her head.
"I should get to Arithmancy, Theo and Blaise will be wondering where I am."
"I'll walk you if you feel up to it?" She nodded, and they walked.
He felt uneasy letting her go into the class without him but knew that she needed to be with her friends and those who had experienced what she had. He returned back to the common room. He was in desperate need to finish some of his assignments. In all of the confusion, he was running behind. He trudged up the stairs and pushed open the door, confident that the room was safe with Hannah still with McGonagall and the boys in the hospital wing.
He headed towards the kitchen and set his bag down. He needed coffee and lots of it. After getting himself settled, he started to focus while he waited for Pansy to return.
Two hours seemed to fly by in a blink when a pair of hands smoothed over his shoulders. He looked around startled as a crowd of people descended upon him. Theo, Hermione and Blaise were having an in-depth discussion about Arithmancy which Neville failed to follow.
"I missed you," She whispered into his ear with a kiss as she pulled out the chair beside him.
"I missed you too, how do you feel?" He asked as he kissed her wrist. Her eyes still looked haunted, but she smiled warmly.
"Better," She nodded as she pulled out her books from her bag.
Neville watched as Hermione, Theo and Blaise followed suit. He had never really noticed before, but usually, he joined other people, where ever they were sitting, or he would move to join others even after he had settled down. It was such a nice feeling that people had joined him. It was small, but it made him smile. It was in such stark contrast to what Hannah had said about him being someone who hangs on.
"Have you managed to get much done?" She asked as she took his hand.
"I managed to finish my Charms essay, and I'm halfway through my Runes assignment. I still have to get Muggle studies, Defence and Herbology out of the way."
"I've done the Muggle studies assignment if you need any help,"
"No cheating," Hermione warned as she sat down with her mountain of books. Pansy smirked and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Mother," Hermione rolled her eyes as she continued her conversation with Blaise.
"I've got to do Defence and Herbology too, but I've also got Alchemy to finish."
"Well, If we can get as much as possible done tonight, it means we may not have much to catch up on after our date tomorrow." He smiled as he stroked her hand.
"Ah yes," She smiled "Our date," She pushed her hair out f her face and nodded.
"So what's the plan?"
"Up to you, what would you like to do?"
"Well, we must go to Dogwood and Deathcap so that you can see whether you can find your plant, other than that, I don't know. We could always play it by ear?"
"Sounds like a plan," he agreed.
"Going on a date are we?" Theo asked suddenly. Neville blushed and smiled.
"Yes, we are."
"Can we come?" He asked with a wink. "You know you're supposed to be chaperoned," Theo winked.
"Chaperoned?" Neville and Hermione asked with a frown.
"Stupid pure blood rule, I should have a chaperone with me at all times. As I'm sure you've noticed, I tend not to follow that rule."
"You mean there are rules you actually follow?" Blaise asked with a sneer.
"I'll have you know I follow a great deal of the rules my parents have set for me. Just not the ones I don't like."
"What other rules?" Neville asked. He couldn't imagine his Gran being so strict with him, but maybe it was different for boys.
"The main one, I am not to have sex. I must remain pure for my husband" she rolled her eyes.
"She must be chaperoned at all times," Theo repeated.
"She mustn't wear revealing clothes," Blaise smirked.
"She mustn't swear," Theo rolled his eyes and smiled.
"No running or physical exertion,"
"No emotional outbursts," The two former Slytherins looked at each other and nodded.
"That's all of them," Neville glanced at Hermione before they both turned to Pansy who looked glum and red.
"As I said, I follow all the ones I like," She smirked "Fuck the rest of them," She snorted as they all started to chuckle.
"How do you live with all that pressure?" Hermione asked.
"When you are a pure-blood, you follow the rules, or you get disowned." She shrugged.
"And you're not worried about being disowned?"
Pansy shook her head. "I'm their only child, I'm not sure they would have the heart, However, what they don't know can't hurt them."
Hermione shook her head in shock before looking back at her homework.
"Think we can follow those rules?" Pansy asked as she looked at him. Neville snorted and nodded.
"Why not, it's not like we've broken any of them already," He said. Pansy smiled slyly, and Neville blushed.
"Just please, see whether you can do something about your hair, your parents will drag me into it if you return home for Christmas like that." Blaise sighed.
"It's the first of October tomorrow, I've got time for it to fade before I have to go home."
"I dread to think of the look on your father's face if you return with hair that colour. I believe he would even cancel the party if you did."
"Yeah, knowing your father, he would prefer to lock you away than cancel that party."
"It is an important party," Pansy shrugged without looking at them. "It's the Parkinson Yule celebration, They've held it for hundreds of years. My mother always said it was a way of celebrating the worst time and ensuring our survival for the future. They always have grand gestures planned,"
"Grand gestures?" Hermione asked.
"We won't discuss last year, it was rather more morbid than I dare mention," Theo added grimly. "But a few years ago they held a masquerade and a Wickerman burned in the grounds."
"Wickerman? Like the muggle film?" Hermione asked. Neville shrugged as did the others.
"It's a large wicker cage shaped like a man or an animal which they fill with offerings and burn."
Hermione nodded in understanding. "Just without the human sacrifice then?" She smiled. Blaise, Pansy and Theo looked at each other but didn't answer.
Hermione's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"It has been known, especially with the Dark Lord in attendance," Theo said quietly.
"It's rarely been that bad," Pansy tried to assure them. "Sometimes it's about new business ventures undertaken, marriage contracts signed, celebrations of births and deaths from the previous year. My father treats it as a business fundraiser for the most part. There are always ministry and international bigwigs there waiting to sign away their money to another money-making scheme."
Neville watched as Pansy spoke and realised that she seemed disgusted by the whole thing. The way she played with the hem on her robes, twisting it tightly in one direction before tugging it and turning it in the other. Pansy didn't have many ticks he recognised, but this was a huge one.
"We'll have to write to George and see if there's anything we can do about your hair before then." He squeezed her hand and smiled. She smiled in return.
The mood around the table was subdued until they heard the door from downstairs open. They looked over and watched as Hannah walked hurriedly to the stairs. She noticed them looking and started to run. She looked terrified as she disappeared up the stairs.
He turned back to the table and found Theo and Blaise sharing a look at Pansy. He couldn't read the look. He caught Blaise's eye, and he nodded. Neville nodded back and hoped that all would become clear later on.
"We have an hour before lunch is served, I suggest we get started," Hermione added. They all groaned but knuckled down much to Neville's amusement. It was almost like school had been with Harry and Ron complaining.
He looked at Pansy and squeezed her hand again. She smiled, and he hoped that the haunted look would fade, but as her mouth straightened, the tormented look returned. He would have to work especially hard to get rid of that.
