The Boy Who Cried - Part I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alright, this is kindof a companion series to "The Girl who Loved". I
can only handle one pairing in a fic, and so this one is going to
deal with Neville and Draco, while the other concentrates on
Hermione and Ginny. There will be some... overlap... in a way, but both
fics should stand as well alone as they do together with any
luck. Eventually, if ppl continue reading, the two series will merge
into one for a seventh year finale- but that's only if ppl review!!!
Timewise for those of you also reading "The Girl Who Loved" (all three
of you), this takes place at the beginning of Hermione, Neville, and
Harry's sixth year. "The Girl Who Loved" started a few months into the
term, so the one scene you see in part III is *after* this.
Warning: This is slash, like all my Harry Potter fics. This is Neville
and Draco... but there isn't anything suggesting the pairing yet,
really. If you think slash is perverted though, just stop reading
here. Otherwise, read on!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never, it was said, had the house of Gryffindor seen such a coward as
Neville pass through its hallowed halls. For six years Neville
had waited for someone to tell him he wasn't a disgrace to the memory
of Godric Gryffindor, but if such a thought had ever been voiced,
Neville had not heard it.
And they were right, he knew. As Neville sat alone in a compartment
at the back of the Hogwarts train, watching the occasional student
pass through without a glance in his direction, Neville knew he was
worthless. With Harry, Hermione, and Ron already at Hogsmeade,
Neville was alone- no one else gave a second thought to his existence.
As those thoughts passed through Neville's mind, a familiar figure
entered the cabin and Neville realized with a groan that he was
wrong. Draco Malfoy, clad in black robes of the finest silk that
swiveled with each step he took, looked down at Neville with a
haughty air. But when he spoke, the words did not drip with the
characteristic venom Neville was so used to hearing in his enemy's
tone. Instead, Malfoy sounded almost pleasant as he inquired,
"This compartment full?"
Neville looked up warily at Malfoy. "No, it isn't." He replied
hesitantly.
Malfoy surveyed the empty seats thoughtfully. "What about the
boy wonder and his entourage? Don't you normally follow them
around?"
Something in Malfoy's words stung Neville to the quick- perhaps,
he thought rather ruefully, it was the truth in the statement
that made him so angry. But when he spoke, it was with all his
customary timidity. "They're already at school."
Malfoy settled gracefully in the seat across from Neville.
"Figures. Dumbledore would want his favorite students safely
ensconced with Voldemort out again."
Neville blinked at the use of Voldemort's name, reflexively
looking around the chamber as if the Dark Lord might pop out
at him at any moment. Belatedly he realized that Malfoy had
intended to insult Harry, and that if Neville were any true
friend he would defend Harry. But in truth, Neville didn't
see the point. Potter... that is, Harry... was more than
capable of defending his own honor against Malfoy. So
instead, Neville stayed silent.
Several minutes passed before Malfoy made another attempt at
beginning a conversation. "So Neville, I hear you've been
bumped up to the advanced herbology class for next year."
Neville looked at Malfoy sharply, expecting to see a mocking
smile on the slytherin's face. Seeing none, he nodded in the
affirmative. "Yes. You're in it, as I recall."
Malfoy nodded. After a few more minutes of akward silence,
Malfoy tried again to evoke more than a monosyllable reply
from Neville. "Rumor has it you're better with plants now
than that mudblood Granger."
Neville opened his mouth to defend Hermione, then closed it
again with an audible pop. Malfoy was right- why shouldn't
he be proud of finally besting Hermione? The term mudblood
gave him pause, but in all honesty that's what Hermione was.
What right did a muggle like her have to come out of nowhere
and make the pureblood students appear incompotent?
Even as Neville formulated a few bragging self endorsements,
Neville felt sick at his own thoughts. Hermione had always
been so helpful, and yet here he was, trying to engratiate
himself to someone who constantly belittled and insulted her.
"I... I have to go..." Neville stammered as he pulled himself
clumsily to his feet and headed blindly for the door. Fumbling
with the sticky door handle, he stumbled out and away from
Malfoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malfoy watched Neville leave with an odd smile on his face. Father
had been right, he knew now, Neville had potential. The challenge
for him would be in harnessing it.
With that thought, Malfoy slowly rose to his feet and went to join
Crabbe and Goyle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville let the gossip of Gryffindor table pour over him as he
nibbled unenthusiastically at his dessert. The dessert was typical
of the fine cuisine offered at Hogwarts- rich chocolate cake artfully
decorated with rasberry syrup and shavings of white chocolate. But
it held no joy for Neville. His mind was far away, on the Hogwarts
Express, reliving and analyzing his short and seemingly innocent
conversation with Draco. Something about it still bothered Neville,
but he just couldn't seem to put his finger on it.
While Neville pondered, the feast was winding down, and most of the
students were leaving in groups. As he made his way from the dining
table, one student paused by the Gryffindor table. Neville looked
up and met the familiar gaze of liquid silver that belonged to
Draco Malfoy alone.
Smiling - not smirking, Neville noticed absently - Draco walked right
over to Neville and asked, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all
the surrounding Gryffindors, "Ah, Neville, glad I caught you. Listen,
I was having a tad of difficulty understanding that herbology
assignment we had over the summer. I don't suppose you could spare
a moment to accompany me to the library and give me your view on
the material?"
Suprised, Neville stared at Draco slack jawed for a moment. Whatever
Malfoy wanted to discuss with him, Neville knew with increasing
certainty, it wasn't the herbology assignment. But the politeness
of the other boy intrigued him, so Neville nodded his consent,
ignoring the gasp from some of the Gryffindors around them. Looking
down at his unfinished meal, Neville shrugged and rose from his seat,
walking beside Draco from the hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be Continued.... My thanks to everyone who reviewed The Girl Who
Loved, the next part of that will be up shortly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alright, this is kindof a companion series to "The Girl who Loved". I
can only handle one pairing in a fic, and so this one is going to
deal with Neville and Draco, while the other concentrates on
Hermione and Ginny. There will be some... overlap... in a way, but both
fics should stand as well alone as they do together with any
luck. Eventually, if ppl continue reading, the two series will merge
into one for a seventh year finale- but that's only if ppl review!!!
Timewise for those of you also reading "The Girl Who Loved" (all three
of you), this takes place at the beginning of Hermione, Neville, and
Harry's sixth year. "The Girl Who Loved" started a few months into the
term, so the one scene you see in part III is *after* this.
Warning: This is slash, like all my Harry Potter fics. This is Neville
and Draco... but there isn't anything suggesting the pairing yet,
really. If you think slash is perverted though, just stop reading
here. Otherwise, read on!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never, it was said, had the house of Gryffindor seen such a coward as
Neville pass through its hallowed halls. For six years Neville
had waited for someone to tell him he wasn't a disgrace to the memory
of Godric Gryffindor, but if such a thought had ever been voiced,
Neville had not heard it.
And they were right, he knew. As Neville sat alone in a compartment
at the back of the Hogwarts train, watching the occasional student
pass through without a glance in his direction, Neville knew he was
worthless. With Harry, Hermione, and Ron already at Hogsmeade,
Neville was alone- no one else gave a second thought to his existence.
As those thoughts passed through Neville's mind, a familiar figure
entered the cabin and Neville realized with a groan that he was
wrong. Draco Malfoy, clad in black robes of the finest silk that
swiveled with each step he took, looked down at Neville with a
haughty air. But when he spoke, the words did not drip with the
characteristic venom Neville was so used to hearing in his enemy's
tone. Instead, Malfoy sounded almost pleasant as he inquired,
"This compartment full?"
Neville looked up warily at Malfoy. "No, it isn't." He replied
hesitantly.
Malfoy surveyed the empty seats thoughtfully. "What about the
boy wonder and his entourage? Don't you normally follow them
around?"
Something in Malfoy's words stung Neville to the quick- perhaps,
he thought rather ruefully, it was the truth in the statement
that made him so angry. But when he spoke, it was with all his
customary timidity. "They're already at school."
Malfoy settled gracefully in the seat across from Neville.
"Figures. Dumbledore would want his favorite students safely
ensconced with Voldemort out again."
Neville blinked at the use of Voldemort's name, reflexively
looking around the chamber as if the Dark Lord might pop out
at him at any moment. Belatedly he realized that Malfoy had
intended to insult Harry, and that if Neville were any true
friend he would defend Harry. But in truth, Neville didn't
see the point. Potter... that is, Harry... was more than
capable of defending his own honor against Malfoy. So
instead, Neville stayed silent.
Several minutes passed before Malfoy made another attempt at
beginning a conversation. "So Neville, I hear you've been
bumped up to the advanced herbology class for next year."
Neville looked at Malfoy sharply, expecting to see a mocking
smile on the slytherin's face. Seeing none, he nodded in the
affirmative. "Yes. You're in it, as I recall."
Malfoy nodded. After a few more minutes of akward silence,
Malfoy tried again to evoke more than a monosyllable reply
from Neville. "Rumor has it you're better with plants now
than that mudblood Granger."
Neville opened his mouth to defend Hermione, then closed it
again with an audible pop. Malfoy was right- why shouldn't
he be proud of finally besting Hermione? The term mudblood
gave him pause, but in all honesty that's what Hermione was.
What right did a muggle like her have to come out of nowhere
and make the pureblood students appear incompotent?
Even as Neville formulated a few bragging self endorsements,
Neville felt sick at his own thoughts. Hermione had always
been so helpful, and yet here he was, trying to engratiate
himself to someone who constantly belittled and insulted her.
"I... I have to go..." Neville stammered as he pulled himself
clumsily to his feet and headed blindly for the door. Fumbling
with the sticky door handle, he stumbled out and away from
Malfoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malfoy watched Neville leave with an odd smile on his face. Father
had been right, he knew now, Neville had potential. The challenge
for him would be in harnessing it.
With that thought, Malfoy slowly rose to his feet and went to join
Crabbe and Goyle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville let the gossip of Gryffindor table pour over him as he
nibbled unenthusiastically at his dessert. The dessert was typical
of the fine cuisine offered at Hogwarts- rich chocolate cake artfully
decorated with rasberry syrup and shavings of white chocolate. But
it held no joy for Neville. His mind was far away, on the Hogwarts
Express, reliving and analyzing his short and seemingly innocent
conversation with Draco. Something about it still bothered Neville,
but he just couldn't seem to put his finger on it.
While Neville pondered, the feast was winding down, and most of the
students were leaving in groups. As he made his way from the dining
table, one student paused by the Gryffindor table. Neville looked
up and met the familiar gaze of liquid silver that belonged to
Draco Malfoy alone.
Smiling - not smirking, Neville noticed absently - Draco walked right
over to Neville and asked, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all
the surrounding Gryffindors, "Ah, Neville, glad I caught you. Listen,
I was having a tad of difficulty understanding that herbology
assignment we had over the summer. I don't suppose you could spare
a moment to accompany me to the library and give me your view on
the material?"
Suprised, Neville stared at Draco slack jawed for a moment. Whatever
Malfoy wanted to discuss with him, Neville knew with increasing
certainty, it wasn't the herbology assignment. But the politeness
of the other boy intrigued him, so Neville nodded his consent,
ignoring the gasp from some of the Gryffindors around them. Looking
down at his unfinished meal, Neville shrugged and rose from his seat,
walking beside Draco from the hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be Continued.... My thanks to everyone who reviewed The Girl Who
Loved, the next part of that will be up shortly.
