The Boy Who Cried - Part II
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Author's Note in Part I explained this story's time, etc, so
make sure you read that first. Thanks to everyone who reads this
series and "The Girl Who Loved"... especially everyone who reviews,
it makes my day everytime I recieve a message from the Review Alert!
Warning: This is slash, like all my Harry Potter fics. This is Neville
and Draco... and some thoughts towards the pairing rear their head
in this story. So please avoid this fic if you are homophobic/
intolerant/ etc.
Warning even to People who can Tolerate Slash: You aren't going to like
my potrayal of Neville, I can almost guarantee it... but please read
anyways!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville and Draco walked in silence, feeling the eyes of Slytherins
and Gryffindors alike upon them. "You'd think we were dancing naked
through the halls for all the stares we're getting." Draco murmured
quietly to Neville, suprising a laugh out of him. The laugh was only
half hearted, however, for the image of Draco dancing through the
halls was one that Neville knew he would stare at- but not mockingly
in the least.
As the two wordlessly turned their footsteps towards the library,
Neville inwardly cursed his reaction to the thought of a scantily
clad Draco Malfoy. True, Draco had fine features, elegant and
regal, and his paleness, far from detracting from his beauty,
instead added a supernatural quality to Draco's charm. From the
glimpse of white skin that occasionally peeked out from beneath
the folds of Draco's black robes, Neville imagined that the pale
alabaster skin of his companion remained smooth and perfect over
his entire body. That would indeed be quite a sight- but it was
not a sight for Neville's eyes.
After all, there was simply no way Neville could be interested in
another boy like that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Settling down at a quiet corner table in the library, Neville
looked at Draco and murmured, uncostumary wryness in his tone,
"Normally it is easier to study for herbology when one has a
herbology textbook with them."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I didn't bring you here to discuss plants.
Surely you already knew that."
Neville nodded in acknowledgement of the fact, and waited for
Draco to continue.
"I brought you here... to discuss the future. And the past."
"A future where the world is ruled by You-Know-Who?" Neville asked
ironically. "Isn't that the only future your family hopes for?"
Shrugging, Draco did not try to deny the charge. "Yes. But that
doesn't have to mean the end of the world for you."
Neville's nervousness returned twofold. "I am loyal to the
Ministry... and to Dumbledore." And to Harry, he wanted to add,
but couldn't.
"But are you not also loyal to your parents?" Draco asked in a
soft, almost seductive voice.
"My parents are dead..." Neville's voice faltered. He knew that
wasn't true, but what he meant was dead to *him.* Last time
Neville had gone to visit them, they had just sat there,
expressionless and motionless. They might as well have been
dead, for they certainly no longer knew him.
"No they aren't." Draco dismissed the thought with a wave of
his hand. "If you were to find yourself a new alliance... they
wouldn't even have to be as they are now."
For the first time in years, a flicker of hope entered
Neville's eyes. "What do you mean?" He stuttered, leaning in
to regard Draco intently.
"I mean just what I said." Draco said quietly. "Lord Voldemort
is capable of undoing what he has done. You could have your
family back."
Tears entered Neville's eyes as he imagined what his parents
would be like... imagined his mother holding him in her arms,
imagined his father standing in the audience at graduation
with a beaming smile on his face... But the image faded to be
replaced by another, one of the dark mark. "Why would... He...
want to give my parents back their sanity?" Neville asked
warily.
"Because Voldemort sees that you have potential to be a
great wizard someday. And he would rather have you as an ally
than as an enemy."
Neville looked at Draco, trying not think on the implications
of the boy's words... someone actually seeing him as a
potential ally... even if that somebody was Voldemort, it was
still a glorious first for Neville. "Why are you saying this
to me?" He demanded angrily. "I could go to Dumbledore right
now and report you. You'd go to Azkaban for this..."
"You forget, the school alone is Dumbledore's domain. He has
no effect on the outside world. The ministry doesn't believe
Voldemort has returned... doesn't want to believe." Draco
smiled wryly. "If the ministry won't believe Dumbledore, why
would they believe you?"
Neville sighed. Draco was right, of course... no one would
listen to him. No one respected him- not even his so called
friends who laughed at him behind his back every day. Neville's
hands clenched the Rememberall in his pocket with renewed
resolve. "Fine. I'll join you. I'll join Him."
With those words, Neville expected to feel his conscience eat
away at him, to feel the guilt of his betrayal sink in just
because of one phrase- one promise. But instead, he felt a
surge of elation. Maybe now, working in the service of a man
that wizards around the world feared even to speak the name of,
Neville could make a name for himself. A place for himself in
a family, and surrounded by people like Draco... people who
had finally acknowledged his worth as no one else had
done before.
Draco smiled at Neville. "Words are all very well, but it is
action that our dark lord requires to prove loyalty. You
won't be meeting him for a while, of course... you wouldn't
want those silly 'friends' of yours to be suspicious... but
I can teach you of the magic that holds real power." Draco
looked into Neville's eyes and decided a bit more praise
was in order. "The dark lord thinks you may have quite an
aptitude for it."
Neville beamed, happy for the praise and no longer caring who
the messenger was. But when he glanced up and saw a familiar
bushy haired girl entering the library, he sighed. "Then, I
will see you again later. I should go make sure Hermione
doesn't worry." He hesitated. "Goodbye, Draco."
Smile widening, Draco murmured, "Later, Neville. Don't let those
goody two shoes push you around."
Neville laughed as he got to his feet and headed to intercept
Hermione. When he came to the slight bump where stone met ragged
carpeting, he stepped over it without his usual tripping.
There was a new spring in his step, silly as it may sound. His
head was filled with thoughts of his parents and of showing
the world that he wasn't just a clumsy squib as he accompanied
Hermione back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco sat alone at the round table, studying the scratches on the
table's dark wood as he waited for Neville to leave. For all his
suave postering and careful manipulating of Neville, Draco didn't
feel like his mission had been successful. He didn't feel like
he'd gained control of Neville, indeed, it was more like Neville
had taken control of him. Certainly, Draco couldn't get the timid
face and thin frame of the Gryffindor laughingstock out of his
mind now.
Shaken, Draco rose and walked absently back to the Slytherin Common
Room. He might have been the victor of today's meeting, but it
seemed this match of wits might have two players after all. For
now, Draco needed to contact his father. A pair of former aurorers
were due for a visit... and perhaps some medical aid. Neville's
response had been too promising to lose him now because of a
broken deal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be Continued.... My thanks to everyone who reviewed the first
part, I know Neville seems a little OOC but when you think about
it years of being the slow bungler combined with watching your
parents deteriorate further and further into madness are going
to have some effect on the poor guy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Author's Note in Part I explained this story's time, etc, so
make sure you read that first. Thanks to everyone who reads this
series and "The Girl Who Loved"... especially everyone who reviews,
it makes my day everytime I recieve a message from the Review Alert!
Warning: This is slash, like all my Harry Potter fics. This is Neville
and Draco... and some thoughts towards the pairing rear their head
in this story. So please avoid this fic if you are homophobic/
intolerant/ etc.
Warning even to People who can Tolerate Slash: You aren't going to like
my potrayal of Neville, I can almost guarantee it... but please read
anyways!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville and Draco walked in silence, feeling the eyes of Slytherins
and Gryffindors alike upon them. "You'd think we were dancing naked
through the halls for all the stares we're getting." Draco murmured
quietly to Neville, suprising a laugh out of him. The laugh was only
half hearted, however, for the image of Draco dancing through the
halls was one that Neville knew he would stare at- but not mockingly
in the least.
As the two wordlessly turned their footsteps towards the library,
Neville inwardly cursed his reaction to the thought of a scantily
clad Draco Malfoy. True, Draco had fine features, elegant and
regal, and his paleness, far from detracting from his beauty,
instead added a supernatural quality to Draco's charm. From the
glimpse of white skin that occasionally peeked out from beneath
the folds of Draco's black robes, Neville imagined that the pale
alabaster skin of his companion remained smooth and perfect over
his entire body. That would indeed be quite a sight- but it was
not a sight for Neville's eyes.
After all, there was simply no way Neville could be interested in
another boy like that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Settling down at a quiet corner table in the library, Neville
looked at Draco and murmured, uncostumary wryness in his tone,
"Normally it is easier to study for herbology when one has a
herbology textbook with them."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I didn't bring you here to discuss plants.
Surely you already knew that."
Neville nodded in acknowledgement of the fact, and waited for
Draco to continue.
"I brought you here... to discuss the future. And the past."
"A future where the world is ruled by You-Know-Who?" Neville asked
ironically. "Isn't that the only future your family hopes for?"
Shrugging, Draco did not try to deny the charge. "Yes. But that
doesn't have to mean the end of the world for you."
Neville's nervousness returned twofold. "I am loyal to the
Ministry... and to Dumbledore." And to Harry, he wanted to add,
but couldn't.
"But are you not also loyal to your parents?" Draco asked in a
soft, almost seductive voice.
"My parents are dead..." Neville's voice faltered. He knew that
wasn't true, but what he meant was dead to *him.* Last time
Neville had gone to visit them, they had just sat there,
expressionless and motionless. They might as well have been
dead, for they certainly no longer knew him.
"No they aren't." Draco dismissed the thought with a wave of
his hand. "If you were to find yourself a new alliance... they
wouldn't even have to be as they are now."
For the first time in years, a flicker of hope entered
Neville's eyes. "What do you mean?" He stuttered, leaning in
to regard Draco intently.
"I mean just what I said." Draco said quietly. "Lord Voldemort
is capable of undoing what he has done. You could have your
family back."
Tears entered Neville's eyes as he imagined what his parents
would be like... imagined his mother holding him in her arms,
imagined his father standing in the audience at graduation
with a beaming smile on his face... But the image faded to be
replaced by another, one of the dark mark. "Why would... He...
want to give my parents back their sanity?" Neville asked
warily.
"Because Voldemort sees that you have potential to be a
great wizard someday. And he would rather have you as an ally
than as an enemy."
Neville looked at Draco, trying not think on the implications
of the boy's words... someone actually seeing him as a
potential ally... even if that somebody was Voldemort, it was
still a glorious first for Neville. "Why are you saying this
to me?" He demanded angrily. "I could go to Dumbledore right
now and report you. You'd go to Azkaban for this..."
"You forget, the school alone is Dumbledore's domain. He has
no effect on the outside world. The ministry doesn't believe
Voldemort has returned... doesn't want to believe." Draco
smiled wryly. "If the ministry won't believe Dumbledore, why
would they believe you?"
Neville sighed. Draco was right, of course... no one would
listen to him. No one respected him- not even his so called
friends who laughed at him behind his back every day. Neville's
hands clenched the Rememberall in his pocket with renewed
resolve. "Fine. I'll join you. I'll join Him."
With those words, Neville expected to feel his conscience eat
away at him, to feel the guilt of his betrayal sink in just
because of one phrase- one promise. But instead, he felt a
surge of elation. Maybe now, working in the service of a man
that wizards around the world feared even to speak the name of,
Neville could make a name for himself. A place for himself in
a family, and surrounded by people like Draco... people who
had finally acknowledged his worth as no one else had
done before.
Draco smiled at Neville. "Words are all very well, but it is
action that our dark lord requires to prove loyalty. You
won't be meeting him for a while, of course... you wouldn't
want those silly 'friends' of yours to be suspicious... but
I can teach you of the magic that holds real power." Draco
looked into Neville's eyes and decided a bit more praise
was in order. "The dark lord thinks you may have quite an
aptitude for it."
Neville beamed, happy for the praise and no longer caring who
the messenger was. But when he glanced up and saw a familiar
bushy haired girl entering the library, he sighed. "Then, I
will see you again later. I should go make sure Hermione
doesn't worry." He hesitated. "Goodbye, Draco."
Smile widening, Draco murmured, "Later, Neville. Don't let those
goody two shoes push you around."
Neville laughed as he got to his feet and headed to intercept
Hermione. When he came to the slight bump where stone met ragged
carpeting, he stepped over it without his usual tripping.
There was a new spring in his step, silly as it may sound. His
head was filled with thoughts of his parents and of showing
the world that he wasn't just a clumsy squib as he accompanied
Hermione back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco sat alone at the round table, studying the scratches on the
table's dark wood as he waited for Neville to leave. For all his
suave postering and careful manipulating of Neville, Draco didn't
feel like his mission had been successful. He didn't feel like
he'd gained control of Neville, indeed, it was more like Neville
had taken control of him. Certainly, Draco couldn't get the timid
face and thin frame of the Gryffindor laughingstock out of his
mind now.
Shaken, Draco rose and walked absently back to the Slytherin Common
Room. He might have been the victor of today's meeting, but it
seemed this match of wits might have two players after all. For
now, Draco needed to contact his father. A pair of former aurorers
were due for a visit... and perhaps some medical aid. Neville's
response had been too promising to lose him now because of a
broken deal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be Continued.... My thanks to everyone who reviewed the first
part, I know Neville seems a little OOC but when you think about
it years of being the slow bungler combined with watching your
parents deteriorate further and further into madness are going
to have some effect on the poor guy!
