Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Graces Malfoy, who is my own. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or settings contained within. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line.
Authors notes: Wow, so I have like a million people to thank for this chapter. AuthurDent2 was not able to edit this chapter, but she did read through it and bring it to my attention right away that it needed a lot of work. So a big thank you to her for being honest with me. I then sent it to one of my readers to look it over as I worked on it.( I figured one of my followers would know what they want to read. )So a big thank you to Stikking55 for reading the first few drafts of this and letting me know if he liked it or not. Also thank you to my friends Chase and Aleah. Aleah who read my stuff and made suggestions on how to fix the scene and Chase for sitting in a bar with me for hours collaborating over the scene with me until it was more passionate and less pornographic. And finally thank you to Denarii for editing this chapter for me and giving it the final read over, despite being sick.
I know this chapter is late being uploaded, but I am really glad that both my betas were busy, because it needed a significant amount of work done on it.
Also special thanks to my readers DamonSalvatorelover, BlueRose22,n0156d,Snakespur,Lizzy B,the-compulsive-tea-drinker, and Morgan Morai for their reviews! I think the last chapter was the most I ever got review wise!
Phoenix: Wow! I am so in love with your last review haha I don't mind in the least that it was so long it was awesome! I love hearing what you as a reader like.
Olli: You want a secret rendezvous' make out session? You got it buddy, look for it in chapter 20 or 21. I haven't decided how I am going to split that chapter yet, but it is written in;)
Chapter 10
It was now Friday evening, four days since the hospital incident, and Neville still had not been able to speak with Graces privately. The Slytherin had been escaping him all week. She was never in any of her usual places anymore, it was like she changed her whole schedule just to avoid him. She no longer was tutoring the younger years in the library. She took breakfast and lunch away from the Great Hall, and now she seemed to always be near someone, mainly her brother, whenever she was walking the halls or studying in the Great Hall. Even in Herbology, where they were partners, she managed to avoid talking to him. On Tuesday Neville had come to class expecting to be seated in their usual spot, up front away from the rest of the class, where he would finally have the chance to talk to Graces about everything that had happened: the dagger, the night in the greenhouse, his relationship (or lack there of) with Hannah and her nightmares. However, when Neville had arrived to class Graces was not in the isolated desk at the front of the room but in the center table that was walled on all sides with students. Neville had given Graces a knowing glare, but the blond just continued to set up the desk as though she didn't notice. Hannah and Hermione, of course, were excited to have him back so near to them. Hannah had talked to him non-stop, any chance she could, throughout class, making it absolutely impossible for him to even mumble a sentence to Graces. After class Graces had made a mad dash to the door. Though she didn't need to, because as soon as class was dismissed, Hannah was right at his side chattering away, clearly not noticing his irritation.
So now here he was on a Friday night sitting in the Gryffindor common room in his favorite arm chair surrounded by the friendly chatter of his housemates and pretending to be studying for potions. In reality he was, once again, driving himself mad over Graces Malfoy.
"Hey, Nev?" Neville awoke from his thoughts, and looked up to see Dean standing in front of him, looking as though the world had been turned upside down. "Graces Malfoy is outside in the hall asking—well no, not asking—demanding to see you."
"Really?" Neville exclaimed excitedly, jumping out of his armchair and stumbling to the floor after getting caught in his robes. Probably should have finished uncrossing my legs before attempting that. Neville thought as he brushed off his robes and adjusted his tie, trying vainly to make himself more presentable before seeing Graces. Completely forgetting that his friend was still there in front of him, by the time Neville looked up Dean was frowning quizzically at him.
"I, uh, am really in trouble with this potions essay," Neville made up quickly, "and she's, umm, tutoring me."
Dean looked over at the potions book and practically bare parchment that had landed on the floor; he nodded and seemed to accept Neville's excuse for his excitement.
Neville ran over to the portrait hole; he could not believe that Graces was here. It was possibly the best thing that had happened to him all week. She was here and demanding to see him. He prayed that she had finally come around, and would at the very least talk to him. He longed so badly to talk to her, to make sure she was okay, rested, and not having any more of those nightmares. By the time he reached the entryway he was so enthusiastic he burst through the portrait hole. Luckily Graces, upon hearing the the Fat Lady's surprised cry of outrage, jumped back just as Neville stumbled out of Gryffindor Tower.
"Oh, Merlin, sorry. I almost knocked you down there. I guess I rushed through a bit too fast, but anyways, hi! You're here! You're really here! I'm so glad. I thought, well it doesn't matter what I thought, because you're here and I—" Neville stopped his rant immediately when he actually took the time to look at the girl in front of him. Here he was chatting up a storm, smiling like a fool, and Graces looked extremely uncomfortable, even frightened, of his enthusiasm. "I… uh… well, did you come here to talk to me?"
Graces pulled out her hand and faced it palm up. Showing Neville that the scar that she had from the life debt was beginning to open. The sandy-haired boy could feel his heart sinking deep into his stomach. Graces was not here to see him because she wanted to talk to him; she was here because the scar from her life debt was giving her a warning.
"Oh," Neville murmured deflated.
"I was hoping we could start tonight," Graces said quietly. "That is, well, that is if you're not busy."
Neville nodded somberly. "Just let me get my books."
The walk to the abandoned classroom where Graces was to tutor him felt longer than it was. Neither student uttered a word until they entered the classroom.
"We're going to start with a test," Graces stated, placing a large amount of parchment down and moving to the front of the room to sit at the desk usually reserved for the professor.
"A test?" Neville gulped, not liking the idea of Graces grading an exam of his.
"Yes, but don't worry. There are no wrong answers. It just lets me know how you learn, so I will know how to tutor you."
"How I learn?" Neville echoed, taking a seat and looking down at the long test before him.
"Everyone learns differently," Graces explained, leaning back in her chair and holding her wand casually. "Some people are visual learners. They tend to do better looking through books, like Granger. Then there are auditory learners. These are people that do better when a subject is vocally explained to them. Auditory learners are more likely to succeed in a subject where they can discuss the topic. A visual learner is able to read something in a book and remember it, but an auditory learner is more likely to remember something they heard in a lecture or discussed. Lastly, there are hands on learners. These people tend to do better if they are physically engaged with a subject. I think I already know which one you are, but I want to be sure. Don't write anything that you think I want to hear, just be honest. Like I said earlier, you can't give me a wrong answer."
Neville hesitantly took his seat. He was still a bit nervous about taking a test Graces would be grading. Neville was very aware that he was not always the brightest of students. His gran had pointed that out many a time. He didn't inherit his father's abilities in school, but he didn't really fancy the idea of Graces knowing. He gave one final look over at the blonde, who was doing her own homework at the desk, before beginning.
As he took the test he was relieved to see that Graces had not lied. There really didn't seem to be any wrong answers. All of the questions asked him things about himself: what classes he preferred, what subjects he did well in, if he found his mind drifting through lectures often, what he enjoyed about various subjects and how he preferred to study. It was just pages of questions all about him. After about an hour he had finished. Graces was still seated at the desk, engrossed in a very large book. Neville awkwardly walked over to her and cleared his throat to gain her attention when she didn't look up.
Graces looked up and took the exam from Neville. She glanced at a few pages for a moment, before nodding. "I'll review this tonight and we can begin your tutoring tomorrow evening. You can leave now." She made no movement to get up as she dismissed him. Instead she looked back down at her book and continued along the paragraph she had stopped at.
"That's it?"
"Yes, Longbottom, that is it." Graces dismissed coldly, again. "You are free to enjoy your Friday night."
"You don't want to talk to me at all?" Neville asked, staring down at the blonde who still had not looked up from her book.
"No," Graces deadpanned, "I don't want to talk to you at all."
Neville could feel his frustrations boiling over. He was so sick and tired of the same song and dance that Graces insisted on putting him through. One minute she was friendly, the next she was cold. She went from helpless and vulnerable to scary and dark, from sweet to ferocious and the list went on and on. It was absolutely insane; no one could possibly be this frustrating all the time. Deciding that enough was enough, Neville reached down and slammed Graces' book shut. That got her attention. Graces was now staring up at Neville murderously. He was actually surprised that he wasn't scared, that he felt no need to back down. If anything he just felt more inclined to continue.
"Well too bloody bad, because I want to talk to you. And I don't give a shite if you want to talk to me or not!" Neville shouted, his hand still firmly on her book, keeping it closed.
The blond, clearly seething with fury, stood up from her desk and proceeded to savagely pack all of her things to leave. She had just thrown her rucksack over her shoulders and was about to walk away, abandoning her book, when Neville grabbed hold of her arm.
"You are not running away this time, Malfoy," Neville pledged, ignoring the way Graces was trying to tear her arm away.
"Let go of me!"
"No! Not until you talk to me, and I mean really talk to me."
"Why? Why do I have to talk to you?"
"Are you serious?!" Neville asked in exasperation. "Never minding all that I have done to protect you. Talk to me because I care about you, and am worried out of my mind about you. Talk to me so that I can sleep at night again!"
Graces was now struggling harder to move away from Neville's grasp. "You don't care about me! Just let me go!"
"Are you mad? How can you say I don't care about you?! I carried you to the hospital wing. I stayed by your side so you wouldn't be alone and hurt. I am keeping your secret about the dagger, and I have done my very best to try and be there for you. I was willing to die rather than see you in Azkaban or worse. I care about you. I care about you very much, Graces. Please, talk to me."
"Well thankyouverymuch, but I don't need you to be there for me! Why don't you stop worrying about me, and focus on your bloody girlfriend!"
"Girlfriend? You really are mad! I don't have a girlfriend!"
"Oh sure," Graces quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You and Hannah Abbott are just friends. Hannah is just a friend that talks to you constantly in Herbology, batting her eyelashes and touching your arm every chance she gets. Just a friend who visits you in the hospital wing when you are ill and kisses you on the staircase for the whole bloody world to see!"
Neville growled in frustration."We are just friends. She wants more, but I don't. And yes, I talk to her in class, but I am not the one flirting and we only kissed once!"
"I don't really care, Longbottom," Graces said, looking away.
"Then what was the point of bringing it up?" Neville challenged, "Apparently you care if you have been watching my interactions with her that closely."
Graces flushed and then pushed Neville so violently he had to catch himself on a desk. "I DON'T CARE! YOU CAN KISS WHOEVER THE BLOODY HELL YOU WANT. I DON'T CARE!"
Neville stood up against the desk and stared at the screaming girl before him. Slowly he walked over, so that he was nose to nose with the furious witch. "Yeah?" he challenged coldly, "You really you don't care? Whoever I bloody well want?"
Graces scowled. "Yeah, Longbottom, whoever you fucking want. Go kiss a muggle if it makes you happy."
Neville nodded before pushing Graces up against the stones of the castle wall and capturing her lips in a fiercely savage kiss. He poured all of his pent up passion for Graces in that one kiss. This kiss was so different from all the ones they had shared before. It was ferocious, he knew, but there was so much under the surface that it wasn't malicious. He needed her, he wanted her and for once in his life he wasn't going to be the guy that kept silent about what he desired. He had finally found someone with whom he truly felt he could be himself with and he was not going to give her up without a fight.
Graces Malfoy was potentially the most insufferable woman, but through some twist of fate she was the only one he could yell at like this. It wasn't that he liked arguing with her, but it was the fact that he could argue with her. He would never dare argue like this with anyone else, too afraid of what they would think or that he may offend them beyond repair. It wasn't like that with Graces though. He felt like he could tell her when she was being a prat just as easily as he could tell her that she was beautiful. Which she was. Graces was so beautiful, inside and out. She was a flower that only bloomed at night, hidden from the rest of the world except one who is willing to wait. As he pulled away from her, he couldn't help but think of how he would rather live the rest of his life in darkness if it meant she would always be in bloom.
Neville couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. He just wanted to bask in how wonderful it felt to have kissed Graces again and to feel her flesh pressed against his. He could still feel her intoxicating breath on his lips. He had yet to unweave his hand from her long golden hair. It was as though the dam holding all of his desire splintered to pieces. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes to the cold depths of reality, a reality that Graces could never allow to happen. He knew that if he opened his eyes and she was upset, he could never attempt anything like this again.
Suddenly, his mind forced him to face reality and embrace Graces' reaction. Immediately regret flooded his body. Graces was looking up at him with a most peculiar expression. He couldn't sense if she was shocked, angry, confused or just thought he lost his mind. Quicksilver orbs just peered up at him, piercing his very soul with their gaze. Neville stepped back, unsure of how to act, but realizing he should give her some distance. Graces extended a tentative hand touching her swollen lips as though she were still trying to piece together what had transpired. Neville felt the hair on his arms stand at attention, this was the calm before the storm, and it took all his willpower to stand his ground while at the same time he could not stand this mercurial silence.
Oh Merlin, I was mistaken. How could I kiss her? That was rash, stupid and… UGH. She just wanted me to leave her alone. I'm the one that can't let go. I was the one that forced her into a life debt where she has to see me. I was the one that pulled her into that closet. And I was the one that refused to leave her side in the hospital wing… well, wait… that last time she didn't ask me to leave. She wanted Hannah to leave, not me.
But she wants you to leave her alone now, she just said for you to leave her alone and instead you kissed her. She clearly does not want to be around you. She was even avoiding her life debt and now she HAS to be with you. You trapped her.
Neville's realization made him sick. He never wanted to trap Graces. He truly did not intend for this to happen. He just wanted to talk to her, to know her, to care for her. But he wasn't taking care of her. He was only making her miserable. They had shared one night together, a night that Graces had made clear was only about needing comfort, yet he was pushing for more despite her saying she didn't want more. All she wanted now was for him to leave her alone, let her move on with her life. He had seen her brokenness. On multiple occasions he had witnessed that she was not okay, but he still continued to want more of her.
"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly, unable to even look at the girl before him. He was so ashamed. "I'll leave you alone."
"Don't."
Neville had barely registered the word before Graces' arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her as she kissed him. And oh, Merlin, she was kissing him. The shy boy never even realized someone could kiss like this. He thought this was nothing more than another dream, that he would once again wake up alone in his bed, surrounded by the gentle breathing of his roommates. He would soon feel the usual disappointment that followed his dreams of Graces. She was not here. She was not tangling her fingers in his hair. It was the dream Graces that was pressing her body against his, contentedly sighing as her lips met his. Any moment he would wake. She would be nothing more than an apparition. Neville held her tighter at that thought, as though holding her tighter would make it so she wouldn't go away with his awakening.
"Oh Merlin, please don't let me wake up," he prayed, as Graces' lips were working their way up from his neck and back to vigorously kissing his lips.
"This is no dream," Graces breathed against his lips.
"You always say that," Neville groaned, blending his hand into her soft, flowing hair as he kissed her, passionately reveling in her taste and smell. His whole body was riddled with a consuming desire to be one with her, to feel her slight frame against his grander one, losing himself as much as physically possible in her before he awoke. He pressed himself into her more, causing both of them to stumble backwards until Graces was pressed against the wall, wedged between the castle and him. Neville felt as though he were floating out of his body. He was euphoric. He did not give a damn if he ever reentered reality as long as the beautiful creature pressed against him would forever stay in his arms. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his bottom lip. Instinctively, he pulled away, bringing his hand to his lips, realizing that Graces just bit him. He stood there, his chest heaving from all the excitement, staring at her.
"This is no dream," Graces repeated.
All Graces could hear was the sound of her heart pounding out of her chest, as she stared at the disheveled boy before her. The air around her was thick with anticipation. She waited for Neville to say something. She was just about to break the maddening silence when Neville's body thrust itself into hers. Their bodies clumsily crashed back against the wall. A low moan escaped from her as she felt the heat from inside Neville's mouth mix with her own and something hard pressed into her waist.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew what she was making a huge mistake, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she did care about were Neville's dreams of her. When he laid down his head at night he thought of her and he continued to think of her even when he was no longer awake. That he was not lying when he said that he didn't think of Hannah like that. He was telling the truth. He dreamt of only her. She spent every day trying desperately to forget Neville. At the end of the day when she laid down in bed, she lost. And now, as Neville in one swift motion bent down and captured her legs, lifting her up the wall, she was prepared to lose the war.
"You smell so good," Neville murmured against her skin, sending shivers down her spine as he nibbled at her behind her ear.
"This is wrong," she moaned, as he pressed himself between her legs.
"It doesn't feel that way," Neville argued, running a trail of kisses down her beautifully defined collarbone. Graces again entwined her fingers in his hair. He pulled away so he was nose to nose with her. His eyes shuttered as he basked in the sensation of her breath ghosting over his lips."Do you want me to stop?"
Graces knew how she should answer, it was all very simple. She should just say yes, but for some reason even though she decided that was what she should say, "No, please don't stop." is what escaped her lips, her lips that were pressed against Neville's wonderfully sweet warm ones. And instead of asking to be let down, she wrapped her long legs around his waist and pulled him further into her. In doing so she fueled the fire igniting in her veins. Graces' passion burned from the inside out. She pulled the object of her lust into her more. Her skirt was now being raised as Neville's groin ground against hers.
As wonderful as all of this was, Graces still didn't feel satisfied. Her body ached to have Neville. She felt the rising heat boil up from under her skin, causing her to broil from the inside out with a maddening urge for more of Neville as he continued on with his primitive acts. Even with Neville's groans she could hear her own breathing becoming increasingly more erratic and could feel her clothes cling to her moistening skin. And that was without mentioning the sensations she was feeling between her legs. Every time she felt Neville's length rubbing against her itt seemed more taunting than pleasurable. After another heated kiss, she decided that she couldn't take it anymore and began hurriedly taking off her Slytherin tie and unbuttoning her shirt.
Neville immediately followed her lead and was wrestling with his own tie while planting kisses along any part of her exposed skin. She giggled as she watched him struggle to disrobe while continuing to hold her up. The sandy haired boy growled playfully at her antics before whirling her around so that she was lying on a bare desk with her legs still firmly clutching his waist. Graces couldn't help but continue giggling. Playful Neville was definitely a sight she wanted to see more of. "You're such a prat sometimes," Neville teased as Graces sat up and began gently removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt while staring up into his eyes.
"Not all the time though, right?"she pouted seductively.
Neville smiled down at her and Graces could feel her heart pounding in her chest at the site. "No, not all the time," he agreed softly, his hands now trickling up her exposed legs "You have beautiful legs, Graces," Neville complimented, his voice dropping an octave lower causing Graces to blush. "Do you have any idea how many nights I have lost sleep thinking of your legs and what I would give to be between them again?"
Graces had no idea what to say. Her whole body was shuddering as she struggled to contain her excited expectation for what was coming. Neville's hands were gliding higher and higher until he entered her inner thighs. Slowly he slid her panties down her legs, keeping his eyes locked on hers the entire time. The anticipation tortured her. Graces wanted nothing more than for him to caress her. She would have given her whole vault in Gringotts for Neville to end her wait. Finally, he slid his hands slowly back between her legs and gently ended her wait.
"Oh Merlin," Neville groaned, closing his eyes as he slowly felt more sending shivers down Graces spine with each precise movement of his fingers. It reminded Graces of when she had been given her grand piano. She had sat at the new instrument for hours, softly playing at the ivory keys, knowing exactly where to touch to make the grand instrument sing throughout the walls of the manor. She now felt as though she were the piano and Neville was the pianist. With every movement of his fingers he was making her come alive.
"I need to have you," he whispered huskily, as his composition in between her legs became grander with each movement. "Please, Graces."
Graces had no idea what she said, but as soon as she said it—or very likely just moaned it—Neville was tearing her panties off and was hurriedly unbuckling his belt all the while kissing her with such passion that she was afraid she would finish long before he began. She felt Neville moan deeply into her mouth as he entered her and she could feel herself become, if possible, more aroused. Just from the feeling the vibrations of that sound against her lips and the knowledge that she caused that sound.
There was no hesitancy from Neville this time as there had been the first time they were together. It was passionate and demanding, each partner trying to gain control over the other in a long dance. Graces was delighted to feel Neville take the lead so forcefully from her. It felt amazing to just have someone else take care of her needs and wants while at the same time fulfilling their own. There was no great sacrifice on Neville's or her part. They both were in turn getting what they wanted. She felt her body giving in to pleasure and letting go of all that had been straining it before. Her stress, worry, anxieties and fear were melting away as she felt growing warmth overtake her sex and strong hands move about her body. The feeling that was deep inside her was growing greater and greater with every thrust Neville bored into her. She opened her eyes unaware that she had closed them for this long and looked up, seeing the man that she had been wanting for so long. It was thrilling to see the same want in his eyes and watch his mouth move and eyes close with pleasure.
She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth as he thrust with more passion. She melted into his movements, closing her eyes delighting in each spike of pleasure that coursed through her. She could feel herself tightening around him and bit her lip, to keep from containing her ecstasy, as he took her hips and moved deeper into her. "This can't be wrong," he moaned, bending over so that his chest was pressed against hers lowering her slowly back to on the desk where he continued to cover her exposed chest with affection.
"It is though," Graces whispered breathlessly, "It's so—oh gods—wrong."
Neville knew, somewhere in the logical part of his brain, that Graces was right, but as he kissed her collarbone and listened to her gentle moans while her unique scent of lilies, white cotton and lavender filled his nose. "Then I don't want to be right," he decided. He didn't give Graces another chance to protest, covering her mouth with his and kissing her into silence. Graces was now grinding herself into him and it was taking all the Gryffindor's willpower not to come in her then. He wanted to tell her to stop, to slow down, but he couldn't bring the words out of his mouth. It all felt too amazing, too wondrous, and he didn't want her to stop, not really. He just wanted her fulfilled before he was. "Oh Gods, Graces, if you don't stop I'm going to—"
"Good," Graces gasped, writhing beneath him and arching her back so that he was pushing against her wall. Neville groaned at how tight she was around him. He could feel her becoming more wet and could barely contain himself from driving into her as fast and hard as he possibly could. Unable to contain his own excitement any longer, he thrust into her and felt himself reach his peak as Graces screamed in pleasure. He soon felt her clenching all around his throbbing erection causing him to go over the edge with her, until they were both drowning in a sea of ecstasy.
Neville laid on Graces chest panting with exhaustion. "Thanks." He said quietly nuzzling into the stomach of Graces' shirt. The moment he said the word he blushed violently. Did he really just thank her for sex?
"Uh... you're welcome… I guess." There was a distinct pregnant silence following and Neville knew that Graces wanted him to bring his upper body off her, but he was too mortified after what he said to move. Finally he mustered all his Gryffindor courage and stood up. When he did Graces didn't move, she was laying on the desk staring up at the castle ceiling and yet not looking at anything at all.
"Graces?"
Graces looked over at him and then bolted up from the desk. "I have to go." She said hurriedly buttoning her top not even bothering to tuck it in and dashing around the room for her things in a panic.
"Go?! Now?"
"Yes, I ... Oh Merlin, I have to go." Neville watched, stunned for a moment, as the blonde hurried towards the door.
"Wait!" Neville was scrambled to get his trousers buttoned and hurried after the blonde buttoning his own shirt as he ran. "Graces, don't do this!" Graces was already out the door sprinting through the hall desperately trying to get away from him. "Graces! Wait! Malfoy!"
Graces didn't wait, though. She continued her mad dash down the hall away from him. Neville cursed and tried to follow suit, but she was much faster and clearly in much better shape than he was. He then remembered that she was the keeper for the Slytherin quidditch team and based just on her playing skills she must work out frequently. Still, Neville pushed himself to continue after her even when the only signs that she had been there were the distant echo of her feet through the hall. He had just rounded another corner when one of the schools suit of armors came crashing down on him.
Neville moaned and looked up to see Peeves the school poltergeist laughing insanely at him.
"PEEVES!"
"Hello, Longbottom!"
"What did you do that for?" Neville knew why Peeves did it; the damn ghost loved pranking the students.
Peeves just shrugged his shoulders and continued to knock over the rest of the suit of arms around. "That Malfoy girl was running as though she was being chased by a Basilisk, and taking this school's history into account, I thought she may be. So I decided to save the day and be her Knight and since I can't be in shining armor I just decided to use the armor around the hall." Peeves continued to just laugh boisterously as Neville climbed up to his feet.
"Where did she go Peeves?"
"Where all snakes go at the end of the day," Peeves teased, smiling wickedly. "To their common room."
"And that is where?" Neville asked impatiently.
"Oh, I can't tell you that," Peeves said, flinging another knights helmet to the ground. "That's a Slytherin secret."
Neville growled in frustration then remembered something.
"Oh, I see," Neville laughed, smiling widely at the poltergeist. "Too scared of the bloody baron." Peeves stopped dismembering the armor and looked over at Neville. "I mean it makes sense, no one has ever accused you of being the Gryffindor ghost."
Peeves ears let out steam showing his displeasure in Neville's comment.
"Fine," he bit out, tossing aside a shield, "Follow me."
Neville couldn't suppress his grin as he followed Peeves deep into the dungeons of the castle. He was just going to knock on their common room door and ask to speak to Graces. It should be easy enough, she after all had done that very thing earlier. Peeves took him before a suit of armor which stood motionless for a few moments before asking for the password in a dark raspy voice.
"Uh..." Neville looked over to Peeves for assistance.
"Just keep knocking, eventually a student will hear."
Neville did as Peeves suggested and waited by the armor. Peeves smiled and slipped through the floor leaving him alone. Suddenly the suit of armor stepped back and the wall's bricks shifted, but Graces did not appear. Instead Severus Snape appeared.
"Longbottom," Snape greeted dangerously, "What are you doing at my private quarters at this hour of the night?"
Neville opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. He could feel his palms sweating and his skin was itching from nerves. Snape loomed over him like a dark figure of death. Neville had always been afraid of Snape. The man tortured him daily in class. He never understood why the Professor hated him so violently, but he did, and now here he was in front of him with no idea of what to say.
Snape's cold black eyes darkened, "I am waiting."
"I... uh.. I was looking for.. uh, Malfoy..." Neville watched in anticipation as his Professor looked at him with definite surprise, which he quickly masked.
"And why do you need to see Mr. Malfoy at this hour?" Snape asked slowly, moving out of his doorway and circling Neville, like a panther stalking his prey.
"Uh well... not Mr." Neville could feel a drop of sweat move from the back of his neck down his spine. "I- uh- wanted to speak to... Miss Malfoy not -uh -Draco Malfoy."
Snape grabbed the boy in front of him and whirled him around so that his hooked nose was almost touching Neville's. "Tell me, Mr. Longbottom, how I should feel about a boy searching out one of my students, one of my female students, at this hour of the night."
Neville's head went blank, he had no inkling of an idea on what to say to that. Snape looked as though he were ready to dismember him if he thought that Neville had any impure intentions for Graces.
Oh Merlin's beard if he ever found out...
"She'stutoringme," Neville blurted out. "Owes me a life debt... and well, I had a question and I was just—"
"And this question couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Snape interjected, bringing himself up slowly to loom over the frightened student before him.
Neville blushed. "I.. didn't think of that... We just finished studying a bit ago, and I thought I could catch her before she went to bed and, well, Peeves said this was where the Slytherin common room was and… yeah."
"Detention with Filch, tonight, for not knowing better than to call on a girl at this hour, and for disturbing my sleep, Mr. Longbottom. We shall see how you enjoy going without rest."
Neville just lowered his head and let the angry Potions Professor lead him through the hall to Filch's office. He waited outside the door for the two men to reappear, not at all happy about how his night had turned out. After a few minutes, Snape stepped out and was once again looming over Neville in a predatory manner.
"Also, Mr. Longbottom, the Slytherin common room's location is secret for a reason. I will not have you looking around the dungeons for it again or you will suffer the consequences and I won't be as pleasant next time," Snape threatened, before leaving the Gryffindor to suffer with Filch through the night.
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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to review/follow! Also, I think I am going to post a time line with this. It's so easy to get confused as to when all of this is taking place. Would that be something you all would want?