The Boy Who Cried - Part VI

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To learn more about this fic and its place in the altraverse I've
created, go to my website at http://www.geocities.com/ratheramutemwiya/

Warning: This is slash, like all my Harry Potter fics. This is Neville
and Draco... a pairing I have *never* seen before I wrote this, but if
anyone knows of a Neville/Draco fic out there somewhere, lemme know in
the review so I can read it!

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!!

Note to readers: This one might seem to move a little quickly
shipper wise, but I'll try to explain *why* that is. Tell me if I
succeeded in making it believable in a review, please!!

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Draco hovered in the doorway of the room as Neville talked to his
parents. He ignored their conversation, for he knew most of it to
be lies, for Neville present to his parents a glowing tale of his own
life and his studies, leaving out all of his brushes of darkness.
Why Neville did this Draco did not quite know, but apparently Neville
wanted his parents to feel proud of him. That way, perhaps, they would
not feel so guilty for having missed much of Neville's life already.
Draco ignored the glorified lies, and kept his attention focused instead
on Neville himself.

The other boy had a certain glow about him, a confidence and pride that
even Draco had never seen in him before. He suspected that when Neville
returned to Gryffindor this night, no one else would know what to make
of the change either.

It was strange, how much love was shown in this reunited family. Years
had passed where they all had been separated, but it didn't seem to
change the bond among them. Draco could not imagine caring for his own
father and mother that way, even with all the time he'd spent in their
household. They were more strangers to him than these two... madmen,
for lack of a better term... were to Neville now. As Draco watched
their exchanges, Draco saw a simplicity of conversation that turned
to topics that Lucius and Narcissa would scorn outright.

Always Draco had been raised with visions of a glorious future already
set in stone, as long as he remained focus on his Master's will. His
father had told him nothing else mattered, that all concerns of the
present were petty in comparison to this grand scheme. But now, watching
Neville and his mother exchange a hug of farewell, Draco would have
traded all the supposed glory of his future for a moment with a loving
family.

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As the time was fast approaching for them to return to Hogwarts,
Neville rose. He hesitated before walking out, not wanting to leave,
and yet knowing that though these people were his parents they had
been separate from his world too long for the situation to be one of
comfort if he stayed. "I have to leave now." He whispered, impulsively
wrapping his arms around his mother in a hug, the first hug exchanged
between them for many years.

Neville's father stood up to shake his son's hand, an akward gesture
but one Neville appreciated nonetheless. He glanced in the doorway,
noticing Malfoy for the first time. "Is this one of your friends?"

Neville glanced back at Malfoy. Friend? Now that was a word he'd never
thought of for Draco, at least, not in the sense Ron and Harry were
friends. But... "Yes. This is Draco Malfoy" Neville said firmly. Draco
shifted uncomfortably, but years of training in ettiquete caused him
to approach Mr. Longbottom.

"Your son is very successful at Hogwarts, monsiuer. You should be proud
of him." Draco's words were distant and rather formal, but there was
still truth behind them.

Mr. Longbottom's eyes had darkened for a moment at the name as he
came to terms with a rather bitter truth. It seemed that without his
supervision, without his presence, somehow his only son had fallen
into the same circle as the son of a deatheater. How far the family
had fallen, he mourned, but there was nothing he could do. "Thank
you, Draco. Keep an eye on Neville for me." He glanced back at his
son with tears in his own eyes. "Take care, Neville. I hope to see
you again."

Neville nodded, then turned his gaze once more to the clock. "We
should... we should go then." He went to Draco's side unsteadily,
and Draco clasped his hand comfortingly. "Goodbye, father...
mother..."

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Outside, Neville and Draco found Professor Snape waiting for them,
accompanied by Ron Weasley. Snape was pacing irritably in the lobby
when Draco cleared his throat. "We're ready to leave, Professor."
He said quietly.

Snape unwillingly let his gaze drift to Neville, and shuddered. Before
him stood yet another victim of his own selfishness, of his own false
pride and poor allegiances. I'm so sorry, Neville. The words came to
his lips, but he did not voice them. Instead, he half snarled, "Very
well then, if we don't hurry we will miss dinner. Come with me."

The boys followed without another word.

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The speed of the Knight Bus was not fast enough for any on board.
Ron shifted uncomfortably under Draco's cold gaze. Finally Draco
asked Snape suddenly, "What is *he* doing here?"

Snape glanced back at Ron with the slightest of smiles, so slight
that Draco was not even certain he had seen it. "He was serving
detention with me, when Dumbledore asked me to come and pick you
two up. Since he'd heard the situation regardless, I decided it
would be best to bring him."

Neville winced at Snape's words, causing Draco to look at him with
a questioning air. "Later," Neville whispered piercingly, blocking
any queries from Draco.

Draco nodded, and tried once more to lose himself in the sights of
evening.

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Dinner was halfway over when Snape led the three into the room.
Rumors had already began to circulate through the crowd by the time
Neville and Draco were seated at the Slytherin table. Crabbe
leaned across the table to whisper to Neville, "Well? What happened?"

Neville looked down miserably at his plate. He wasn't up to talking,
wasn't up to anything. All he wanted right now was to be a child
again in his mother's arms, with his father beaming down at him.
He'd felt their disapproval when he'd left the room hand in hand with
Draco. If they had known what he thought of the other boy, and what he
had begun to suspect Draco thought of him, they'd go insane once more
from the shame. Why couldn't things be simpler?

Crabbe exchanged a glance with Draco when nearly a minute passed with
no answer. "Let him be for now, Crabbe." Draco murmured. "He needs
time."

Time. Yes, Neville thought, time was exactly what he needed. Time with
his parents. Time to reshape himself into the person they'd clearly
wanted and expected him to be. But, looking across the room at the
table that housed the Gryffindors, Neville wasn't even sure he wanted
that.

Neville felt a hand clasp his own, and looked up to see Draco's worried
face. The two said nothing, for no words were needed. Neville felt
Draco slip a piece of paper into his fingers, and he took it numbly.

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That night, Neville slipped out of bed and past Harry's curtained
retreat to kneel before Harry's trunk, fumbling with the lock. Neville
was no master of charms, but over the years he had picked up a lock
breaker, and he used that now.

Under photo albums and crumpled robes, Neville clasped the soft folds
of the invisibility cloak. He'd known of the cloak's existence since
Harry had first recieved it, but he had never been invited to join
the infamous trio's midnight excursions under it. Now, he had a
midnight excursion of his own to make. And the cloak was just what
he needed.

Neville crept past the fat lady and saw, to his shock, that Peeves was
there apparently flirting with her. Well, to each their own, he thought
with a half grin. At least it meant that Peeves would be out of his way
for the rest of the night.

As Neville slipped up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, he heard the
impatient footsteps of another already there. "Draco?" He whispered to
the shadows.

"I'm here."

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To be Continued.... See the box below? Write something there and I
in turn will write faster. Pretty please!!!