The regular disclaimer stays I only own the AU and OC, the rest is borrowed from JKR's world.(np)
Chapter 29
Blaise Zabini had eased a sigh when he had heard Neville Longbottom growl and shut the door close behind him. Since the time he had seen Neville lead the offensive of Dumbledore's Army, he had grown weary of the man. Yes, the fumbling, shattering, cauldron exploding boy, had grown taller, confident and oddly quiet.
Zabini knew from handed down experiences how perverse where the pureblood families, how sinister where their decadent minds. He would have bet on his wand if the Slytherin housemates were unaware of the many tortures Neville Longbottom had undergone in the hands of the Carrows siblings. The death eaters were known to be innovative and their own children must have tasted the leftovers of their parents' regal or worse, they might have fallen prey in the hands of some notorious acquaintances of families.
Taking a deep breath, he had intently watched Pansy. He had known her since? He could hardly remember. It seemed they had grown up altogether. Draco, Pansy, Astoria, Daphne, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, himself…and Hogwarts was just a step to solidify that childhood friendship. The Slytherins were treated like pariahs, and the Slytherins chose to live like Kings and Queens, heads held high and always protecting their own. Their dorm was their world, where they could live freely, without watching over their shoulders without pretending to be nasty snobs.
He had taken some time to look about the room. It was not overcrowded, neither was it sparsely furnished. It was not a teenager's den, it was just simple. There were small orchids placed inside a glasshouse near the window. There was a trunk at the foot of the single bed. There was an ordinary dresser, a mirror near to it. There was a study table, a worn-out chair, and a bookshelf. Getting up from the bed, he had walked up to it. Though several of the tomes were falling apart, definitely second hand, or handed down through generations, not all of them were on herbology- Longbottom's favorite subject. There were muggle books on studies like science, botany, anatomy, chemistry, zoology…to think Longbottom was an avid reader!
"How little we knew of you, Neville! Does Professor Snape know, that you are so thoroughly invested into so many things, does Hermione know, you are no less know it all, what would Draco have to say, if he ever walks into this room…"Blaise had run his finger over the spines of the muggle books. They felt odd without the habitual buzz of magic. Turning back to the still sleeping form, Blaise had leaned back at the table and had continued to watch his friend.
Pansy had been lying on her side, the blanket secured over her body. Neville would take care of her. Gryffindors are lions. He had caught a movement from the corner of his eyes. From the window, he could see a trapdoor from the entrance of the barn swing open and Neville walking out of it.
"Blaise…Oh my god, Blaise is that you…" Before he could even decide how to reply, Pansy had jumped out of the bed and had hugged him tight. "Blaise please, please take me out of this place, Blaise please!" she had whispered close to his ear.
"Panse! Pansy, just, just settle down, now, now, there is nothing to cry, Pansy, let go of me!"
She might have eased her choking grip but she had looked up at the tall man. Squinting her eyes, she had asked, "Why? How come you are here? Who are you?"
"Panse, It is me Blaise, and Neville has asked me to be here, Panse, why don't you sit down on the bed, and…" he had looked away from her, suddenly conscious of her undressed state. Realizing that in utter excitement she had forgotten to wrap the blanket around her tightly, Pansy had blushed and had returned to the single cot, this time hitching up the blanket and securing it around her torso.
In a cold calculated voice, she had murmured, "Why are you here Blaise, why is n't Draco here?"
Turning the chair to face her, Blaise had sat on it and had run his hands over his face, taking a deep breath he had finally looked up at his childhood friend. And the first thing he had seen, was the long claw marks on her shoulder, running over her collar bone and down below…He had closed his eyes and had gathered his wits once again. If he could get a chance to fight with Greyback he was certain, he would not think twice before casting the fiendfrye curse.
"Some of us know, that you were attacked by Greyback. He has marked you. Pansy…no…listen to me…That beast had gone after Stori and Daph. That beast had kidnapped Fluer Delacour's sister, had raped the little girl, barely a teen and had forced her to carry his child, poor thing, she died in a cave due to childbirth…Pansy, if Greyback has a wind of your location, he would do the same with you!"
"I…I.." the memories of Greyback holding her, pinning her, ripping her clothes, abusing her…had flooded back.."Why..why…"
"Pansy. I am sorry to be blunt…but you need to trust Neville, he had been instrumental in saving your neck from Azkaban. Ever since, the Battle of Hogwarts, he has been lobbying on your behalf, he was the one to save you from Greyback, he had alerted Snape and the rest of the Order, he has also worked day and night to come up with a sort of a remedy to cure…those…" He had pointed to the scars, angry and red against pansy's soft pink skin.
"Pansy…don't push Neville off, he..he means no harm, you can have my word on it….you do know…how terrible the Carrows can be…or do I need to remind you with specifics?"
"Do you think they had…?"
"What makes you think otherwise Panse,wasn't that their most favorite way of punishing…?"
"Oh, Gods…"
"Pansy, look before to you, think before you judge, and read the person before you…and only then decide how you are going to deal with him. Like all of us, Neville Longbottom is damaged. Lost, wounded, hurt and struggling. And so are you. Accept this law, if not for anything, for your own safety. Because I am certain, Longbottom will not flinch to swing that sword once again."
"How can you speak so highly about him?"
"Look at you? Judge yourself…I don't see you being mistreated, I see you are being fed, I see you are being taken care of, I smell healing balms on you, apart from those ghastly scars you have got, there were other wounds, which Longbottom had taken care of. I see you are allowed to sleep it out. He has not touched…can you name anyone, who would not take advantage of your situation?"
"He…he had pinned me against the wall…and had tried to force me to…"
"To what Panse, kiss him…?"
"YES!"
"And then?"
Pansy had shrugged and looked away.
"I know what happened next…you might have provoked him, but he did not rise to that bait, you might have lost it, and he had sat next to you holding you healing you and covering you with the most expensive blanket the man could afford. And if I am not reading into things too much, Longbottom cares for you more than he gives away."
Fiddling with the corner of the warm blanket, she had stupendously inhaled its scent. Male, earthy, mossy, warm.
"What does he plan to do?"
"Simple heal you."
"What…you mean…" pointing at her scars she had looked back wide-eyed, "you mean to say, Longbottom would help me get rid of these…"
"Pansy, he is determined. I would insist you give the man a chance…"
"He…how, can I?"
"Pansy, look at him, he is not the same sniveling boy, you know that don't you?"
"Draco?"
"Is Married! Hell, woman, we are all getting married, with the drop of a hat, we don't like it, but we need to to stay safe, the magical binding spells assure safety..why can't you see it!" hanging by the end of his patience, Blaise had growled and had yelled at the covering girl.
"Pansy...I am sorry…but this is the only way…!"
"And I insist Mr. Zabini, that henceforth you speak to Mrs. Longbottom with respect, friend or old acquaintance, I don't care."
They both had turned to find Neville standing at the doorway, his jaws clenched hard, his eyes burning, his wand trained on Blaise Zabini. The Gryffindor had looked at his wife once and had returned his menacing glare back to the Italian.
"I am sorry Mr. Longbottom."
"And you should be, I may not have the fortune to show off, but I am an honourable man, and so must my wife be regarded as one, do not step out of that line, speak to her respectfully."
"Long...Neville…Blaise didn…I had pushed him far…" Pansy had managed to stammer.
Neville had nodded once and had turned to leave when her voice had floated back to him. He had stiffened at that. His name on her lips. It sounded sweet. Was there a way to hear the flow of ambrosia…?
"Don't sugar coat, Mrs. Longbottom, I am not Draco Malfoy, the one you have been pining for…I don't seek love or affection. I mean to ensure your safety and consider Mr. Zabini standing next to you, as the guarantor. Once you both have finished with your chat, please come out…we need to start the procedure…"
With that, he had walked out and had softly closed the door behind him.
A/N: Thoughts Please.
