CHAPTER ELEVEN: CONFRONTATION

And you put on a wonderful show
But do you really, really think I don't know you,
Black and white boy?

-Crowded house-

They had nearly reached the camp when Snape and McGonagall came walking towards them.
Draco spotted the weary, dangerous up-all-night look on Snape's face immediately and decided to cooperate with everything the head of his house would say.
McGonagall only fixed them sternly with her steel grey eyes and Draco realised without looking at Neville, that his Gryffindor was blushing severly.
"Do you know what time it is?" McGonagall asked, not really expecting an answer.
"I'm sorry, professor" Neville murmured, sounding very sincere.
Snape glared at Draco with promises of dire consequences, but the usual scolding look was mixed with something else, reminding Draco of...bitterness?
"What did I tell you?" Snape hissed, low and threathening.
Draco was tempted to point out that Snape hadn't been specific, but one glance at his professor warned him that any overstepping of boundaries would mean a punishment ten times worse than his father could ever come up with.
So Draco just hung his head a little, looking at his feet and hoped that he seemed regretful enough.
"Where were you?" Snape demanded, mercilessly. "Spit it out!"
Both Neville and Draco stood in frightful silence, not daring to say a word, but McGonagall stepped in to the rescue.
"I suggest we have this discussion tomorrow." she said. "Mr Longbottom, you may go to your tent."
"Thank you, professor" Neville whispered, grateful to be released from Snape's burning stare.
With one slight touch of Draco's hand he wandered back to his tent, turning only once to meet Draco's reassuring gaze.
"Mr Malfoy, you should be in bed too." McGonagall continued. "The students are to rise in less than an hour."
Draco made a nod, ready to walk off, but Snape's lips curled into a really mean smile.
"No, Mr Malfoy, I'm afraid not." he said, way to smoothly.
"Minerva, if you don't mind, I'll handle my own students."
McGonagall and Snape exchanged glances and McGonagall turned away and shook her head.
"It's your choise, Severus. I'm going to catch the short sleep I might have before breakfast."
Then she looked meaningfully at Snape, as if warning him, and returned to her tent.
Draco stood frozen on the spot until Snape told him to follow. They walked until they were out of earshot from any of the tents and then Snape grabbed Draco's arm, pulling it very harshly.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Draco really didn't know what to say. His rulebreaking was too blatant and obvious for words to defend it and he only hoped whatever punishment to come would be swift, since he was exhausted.
"You realise", Snape said in a whisper "what you've exposed Mr Longbottom to, if he's seen the mark?"
"He didn't see it!" Draco lied, his heart suddenly working faster.
"No?" Snape raised an eyebrow sceptically. "However, your secrets will be read as an open book by the Dark Lord the moment you approach him. Did you take that into consideration?"
Draco went paler than before. Snape's words struck home and Draco suddenly felt truly scared. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He hadn't been given even one thought to the mind gifts of the Dark Lord.
Snape shook his head slowly, clearly reproaching.
"One mistake could bring your fall, causing Mr Longbottom to fall with you in the blink of an eye. And you just made that mistake."
Draco looked up at Snape in despair, giving him the most pleading gaze ever. It couldn't have been that good only to be destroyed this easily, by one fatal mistake. All kinds of bribery fluttered through his mind, but Snape had proven himself intact to it and even worse, Snape was a member of the Dark Lord's inner circle, fanatically loyal to the cause. All that was left now, was to grab Neville and run for it, if he could only get away from this horrible confrontation.
"I know what you're thinking." Snape said. "The Dark Lord have ways of finding his servants wherever they may be. Which brings us to the crucial point: Are you going to take precautions?"
"He doesn't mean anything to me, professor." Draco tried. "I'll just find a spell to hide my thoughts if my memories leads The Dark Lord to believe anything else."
Snape pulled his arm again, as if he wished to shake Draco sane.
"If you cannot even make your lies convincing enough to me, then how do you expect The Dark Lord to believe you?"
Draco fell absolutely silent, forgetting to breathe while trying to hold his mask of indifference in place. Snape's eyes told him it was absolutely useless.
"So" Snape continued, his voice cold with dislike, "How are you going to protect your mind?"
"I'll find a spell, I'll..."
"No."
"But..."
"I said NO, Malfoy!"
Snape had that sneer again, showing how fed up he was with everything.
"If you think I'll let you continue your rulebreaking by another dull-witted adventure, you are gravely mistaken."
Draco got chills from the caustic voice and Snape's tone grew more poisonous than ever as he continued.
"This will not do. Starting on Tuesday next week, you will attend my office six o'clock for occlumency lessons."
Draco took a few seconds to reflect, before remembering what occlumency was. It actually looked as if Snape wanted to help him!
"Thank you, professor." Draco said, drawing a deep sigh of relief.
"I couldn't care less about your gratitude." Snape sneered, releasing Draco's arm contemptously. "Your father will stay out of this, because if you involve me in any sort of personal situation due to your little games, I assure you that the Dark lord's presence will be a lot safer than mine."

Neville was yawning all the way to the tent. He was beyond tired and beyond worried about any consequences for their nightly escapade. Even an expulsion didn't seem too bad, considering that Draco could visit him easier then, if he was away from Hogwarts.
He crawled into the tent as silently as he could, not to awake Harry and Ron. Smiling at the dull ache in some very private parts, he snuck into his sleeping bag with his robes still on. He wanted the smell of Draco close while falling asleep, imagining them still entwined in each other's arms.
But he never had time to lay his head on the pillow.
A hand touched his arm, giving him a real start.
Harry was awake, his green, almost glowing eyes, seriously fixed on Neville's.
"Oh, Harry!" Neville whispered. "I didn't think you were awake."
Neville shot him a nervous smile that quickly faded as Harry frowned at him.
"Where have you been, Nevvy? We've been worried to death, as both you and Malfoy went missing in the same direction."
Harry's voice didn't sound as worried as accusing.
"I...got lost." Neville said, averting his eyes. "Look Harry, can we talk about this tomorrow?"
"No, Neville, we can't!" Harry hissed, sounding too much like Snape.
In the gloom, Neville saw Ron coming to life, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Where the hell were you, Neville?" Ron whispered, as his eyes landed on the newly arrived Gryffindor.
"Uh, look guys. I'm really tired..." Neville shyly looked at his pillow.
Neither Ron nor Harry seemed to listen. Ron stared at his neck and Harry took hold of Neville's arm. Not a hard grip, but a very demanding one. Neville's heart started to race a little, as he was too tired to hold his ground efficiently against his classmates.
"Just answer me this." Harry said, very slowly. "Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that Malfoy is not your boyfriend?"
"Stop it Harry! What are you talking about?" Neville said, very sternly.
But he felt his hands starting to tremble. Harry whispered his next words very quietly, but seething with anger.
"I saw you!"
Neville blinked. Then he swallowed, before his own temperament rose.
"So what, Harry? Do you think you know anything about him?"
Now it was Ron's turn to react. He looked completely freaked out.
"NOWAY! Tell me you're kidding!"
"Have you lost your mind?" Harry almost yelled at Neville. "Has he brainwashed you so much, you've forgotten why you hated him in the first place?"
"You hated him!" Neville yelled back. "You never wanted to give him half a chance, 'cause everything is about what Potter thinks!"
Harry's eyes shot daggers at him.
"What about your parents then, Neville?"
"He didn't do this to them." Neville whispered. "He can't help he's got parents like that."
"Tell me you're kidding." Ron echoed.
"Oh, and he can't help he's a walking asshole, terrorizing the school with his bullying attitude to everything that's in sight, including you?" Harry said in a mordant voice.
"He's changing Harry, just give him a chance!" Neville snapped.
Ron clasped his hands to his head in frustration.
"Tell me you're kidding!"
Harry spoke in a very Snapeish hiss next.
"His kind murdered my parents and they've raised him to be every inch like them and he is and he will be!"
"THEY TOOK MY PARENTS TOO!"
Ron and Harry flinched a little and Neville wasted no time to tell them off, now that his fury was lit.
"You just can't judge him for something he hasn't done! Not even you are that thick! And Dumbledore has approved of this Harry, he helps us. Now tell me that he is wrong!"
"Oh no..." Ron said, letting his hands fall down to his lap again.
"Can't you see it?" Harry spat, his voice rising as well. "The Malfoys are such a clever, sneaky, traitorous breed! He's tricking you, Neville! And if Dumbledore is in on it as you say, then he has tricked him too!"
Ron broke in, his voice shaking.
"I just have to ask... You and Malfoy, you haven't, like...the marks on your throat..."
"Yes, Ron!" Neville said, his voice sharp as a knife. "We've done it and I really mean we've done it!!!"
The silence almost echoed in Neville's ears. His two roommates were staring at him with such horror that he thought their eyes would pop out of their sculls. Ron's face was redder than his hair.
There was no end to the disappointment he felt about them. But oddly enough, he stole all control from them, feeling superior to Harry for once. The-boy-who-lived were unable to handle something that Neville could deal with. And that added not as little to Neville's growing self-assurance.
"You want to know what we did?" he provoked. "I bet the both of you have still to discover what I'm talking about."
Harry shook his head.
"You're out of your mind, Neville!"
Ron's face had turned slightly green.
"I'm gonna be sick", he said in a faint voice.
"Be that way then." Neville said with finality. "You can't change what we feel for each other and if you won't listen, then don't talk to me about it."
He turned his back on them, creeping into his sleeping bag again, determined to shut them both out. This was the best night in his entire life and they were not going to ruin it for him. But deep inside he was badly hurt that his two close friends couldn't accept something that mattered to him so much.
"You saw them do it, Harry?" Ron's voice was full of pity and disgust.
"No." Harry said. "But it made him talk, didn't it?"
Neville bit his tounge not to start shouting at Harry again, but he couldn't prevent himself from making a venomous remark.
"You use tricks worthy of a Slytherin and you blame Draco?"
Harry was over him in less than a second, pulling him up from the cover by his robes. Neville grabbed Harry's wrists, to make sure he wouldn't be hit next.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Harry bellowed, looking just as enraged as he had done in the train compartment on their way to Hogwarts.
"A SLYTHERIN, HARRY! GO ON, HIT ME TO PROVE HOW RIGHTEOUS YOU ARE!"
"IF ANYBODY'S A SLYTHERIN, IT'S YOU!"
"Harry's right!" Ron agreed. "You have betrayed your house and you expect us to just take it?!"
Neville let his gaze move back and forth between them. He had feared but not believed the reaction would be so hostile. It was quite scary. Harry looked as if he was actually going to hurt him and Ron's face was twisted into a mask of complete disgust.
The rescue came from the most unexpected source of them all.
"POTTER!"
A familiar, bitingly cold voice rang from outside the tent.
Harry let go of Neville as a pure reflex and Ron went pale.
Snape's voice continued, low but very audiable.
"You are waking up the entire camp. Move out of that tent with your sleeping bag, NOW."
"Aawww, the bastard!" Ron groaned.
"Detention, Weasley." Snape said. "And twenty points from Gryffindor for insulting a teacher."
Harry started to move out of the tent, cursing under his breath, while Ron bit his lip to keep quiet. Neville drew a sigh of relief, but his stomach ached worse than ever. Judging the look Ron gave him, it was as if Neville were conspiring with Snape.
"I will not let your inherited arrogance and self-occupation affect the other students." Neville heard Snape say.
Harry started to protest, but Snape threatened him with further withdrawal of points and only murmurs were heard in response. Outside, the heated discussion died out, as Snape obviously led Harry away from the tents. Not another word was spoken between Ron and Neville as they lay down to sleep. Instead, Neville wept silently.
He had lost two close friends that he had really counted on.

The return to school held many surprises. Within a short span of time, Dumbledore disappeared from school and the impopular Umbridge took his place as a headmaster. With this, all morale practically started to fall apart. The discipline was hard enough for the Weasley twins to go berserk with all their tricks, leaving school in a dramatic way that would be legend for years to come.
Draco found it a lot harder than before to get any moment alone with Neville, even though the need seemed greater than ever. And worst of all, the Umbridge toad were all over him all the time, praising his father and family as if Draco really cared. But he was at his best in her presence, not daring to deviate the slightest from the expectations on him.

And then there were the Occlumency lessons with Snape, putting further pressure on him.
But he worked like a restless demon with it, seeing it as a first priority to protect Neville and himself from the potential disaster. And more than once, his efforts brought a nod of approval from Snape, whose mind seemed to be a impregnable fortress. But it was a very uncomfortable experience when Snape broke the defences and roamed freely in his head. It didn't take Snape long to figure out that the Death eater mark was revealed to Neville and he had a real go at Draco for it.
But nonetheless, there was progress.

Neville seemed to be a lot more on his own now, not hanging as much with Potter and Weasley anymore. It suited Draco just fine, but he didn't like the sad look on Neville's face. He really hoped for Potter's own good that he hadn't been bothering Neville in any way.
If he had, Potter would be the next person tied to a tree with a hairburn, Draco decided.
And he would see to it personally.

It seemed to be an entirely ordinary day as Draco went down to the great hall for breakfast, with Crabbe and Goyle at his side as usual. Before they could reach their destination, Draco saw his father approach him in the corridor. Draco's immediate instinct made him mobilise all he had to meet potential trouble. But his father looked his usual haughty self, even flashing Draco a slight smile as he stopped to greet the Slytherin trio.
"Good morning."
Lucius sounded authorative even when he greeted people.
"Good morning, father." Draco said, hoping that he sounded as politically correct as possible.
Crabbe and Goyle murmured their greetings politely.
"I'm here in business errands, unfortunately." his father continued. "But we shall see each other soon enough."
Lucius beamed proudly at him.
"It has come to my attention that you have very promising grades this year. The new headmaster is very pleased with you."
"Thank you, father." Draco answered, desperately keeping all feelings distant.
Lucius nodded approvingly and gave his shoulder a pat before moving on. Always perfect in public. But Draco knew as well as his father did that they still had a score to settle since Christmas.
Draco continued to the great hall, but he couldn't shake off the creepy feeling that emerged when his father had touched him. It was slightly unnerving having Lucius here right now, since it was hard enough seeing Neville already.

As soon as breakfast was over, Draco went up to the Slytherin dormitories to fetch his history books. Then he noticed the silvery owl on the windowsill.
His mother's owl.
He casually took the parchment from its foot and decided to read it quickly, before heading for the lesson. While Crabbe and Goyle carried his books to the lesson, Draco eyed through it curiously.

Draco

I hope all is well with you and it is unfortunately about urgent matters that I write.
We will have a very serious family meeting about this, once you get home.
Your father found the note under your bed and the author of it was way too obvious.
I truly hope that the note was an intended misleading clue, as your mentioning of Potter.
If not, I suggest you intercept your father since he is coming to Hogwarts to put
the matter straight. See you soon.
Love

Narcissa

Draco let the note slip out of his hand. Before it reached the floor, Draco had dashed out of the room, running faster than he ever had in his life.