Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Graces Malfoy and Thomas Higgs who are my own. I do not claim ownership of the characters or the settings within. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story.

Author's notes: Huge thank you to my beta Denarii for editing and my best friend Aleah for reading it over.

Special thanks to ladymoonscar, vinny-nicole, Blue Luver5000, omgitsfranklin, Sonia, noone297, AnnyJackson19, A regrettable decision, snowflake2410, char170217, Bharm, orangezauber, guest and Phoenix for their reviews!

I believe I told some of you I planned on this being eighty chapters… I was seriously mistaken. I've added, deleted and divided chapters so much that my outline is still not nearly complete! It's definitely going to be over eighty haha hopefully none of you mind. Some really good scenes are coming up and I can't wait for you all to read them! Thank you for sticking by me so long! Sixty-nine chapters, I can't believe I'm at sixty-nine chapters and it's been two years. I just wanted to thank you all so much for being such an amazing community and supporting me in writing.

Chapter 69

Algie watched his great nephew turn the next page in his book and felt himself missing Christmases past. He missed the Christmas mornings when little feet would be running down the hall to the stairs and it would only be a few more moments before there was an excited knock on his door telling him it was time to wake for Christmas morning. He missed the loud afternoon that followed with a pint-size wizard laughing in the middle of the room and playing with his new toys while he and Augusta watched. It wasn't like that anymore. Christmas was quiet now.

It was still warm. He could feel the warmth that came from being with your family during Christmas. It wasn't lacking in love. Neville kept looking up from his new book at him and smiling, Augusta was filling the house with scents of all their favorite treats from the kitchen and he had just finished the last touches on the Christmas decorations, but he missed the noise. It was times like this when he missed Frank and Alice.

It had been nearly two decades, but he could imagine them here now. He could see Alice sitting next to her son invested in her own book, every once in a while leaning in and whispering something humorous in his ear. Alice had this quiet way about her. She never raised her voice, and even her laugh was quiet, but it never kept her from being heard. He could see her there right now smiling at her own humor and he could see Neville rolling his eyes but laughing with her.

He could hear Augusta scolding Frank in the kitchen for stealing a finger of frosting, his brother jokingly yelling at Frank to make a run for it and their loud laughter echoed through his mind to the point where he felt his chest tightening. This is what made holidays hard, remembering things about them and knowing what they would be doing if they were here now.

Neville put his book down after a moment, grabbed his empty glass of water and headed to the kitchen, leaving Algie with phantom memories.

"I saw that, Neville Longbottom," Augusta called, as Neville emerged out of the kitchen his finger in his mouth.

"I know. I did it right in front of you. It's not like I was trying to be sneaky," Neville grinned, smiling at his grandmother through the doorway.

"Neville, do you think any of us want to eat a cake that you put your fingers in?"

"That can be my piece."

"That's an awfully big piece, young man."

"Yeah, I know," Neville grinned, his smile mirroring the mischievous one his father used to have. "Good thing carrot cake is my absolute favorite." Augusta made some scoffing sound that didn't seem to have any effect on Neville's smile. "Thank you for making my favorite dessert, Gran."

"Get out of my kitchen."

"I am out of your kitchen."

"Neville!"

Neville laughed and sauntered back to his chair where he left his book. It had been days since there had been smiles in the home, since they all felt they were allowed to be happy despite the news they received. Algie didn't even know he had still hoped that Frank and Alice could one day be well until Augusta came home from the hospital in tears and Neville sat him down and told him the news.

Told him the news like a man and not some confused teenager. Told him the news with strength like his father but gentleness like his mother. He was the best of them, the very best. All Alice's patience and kindness with wisps of his father's humor and strength… and both of their courage. And then there were things so uniquely Neville.

"Uncle Algie, you have to take a look at this charm. If I could master this charm we could have whatever plants we wanted along the walkway year round."

And perhaps a bit of me.

"I'm too old to be bending over you to take a look at it. Bring it here." Neville stood up and brought the book over. Algie read a few lines about the charm, but was more interested in all the things Neville had written in the margins of the page, lines and lines of notes. There were some to note what he had deemed interesting, others to remind him of an idea for his little business and a few small ones here and there that made him think that his nephew was thinking of a home of his own.

"You know, there's a lot out there, Nev. You should take a year after you graduate to go see some things. Travel, meet new people, try new foods, look at different plants. There's a big world out there," Algie said quietly, ignoring how tight his heart clenched at the thought of Neville being gone and the house becoming quieter. "You should see it all."

"I don't need to see it all at once," Neville shrugged, clearly not caring for the idea. "I would rather see it bit by bit."

"You're young," Algie chuckled. "You should go see it while you're young. You should at this age be itching to see the world. Go explore while nothing is holding you back."

"Trying to get rid of me?" Neville asked, his brow raised in a way that reminded Algie of someone. "And here I thought you liked having me around." Is that a smirk? "Now, I get it. You and Gran want your freedom. Done raising little wizards?"

The older man stared at his nephew. His rounded cheeks, strong jaw, warm eyes. So many things were familiar, so many things were generations blended into one another. But that smirk. That raised eyebrow. That-that drawl. Who was that? Surely, not Neville.

"What?"

"I—did you just smirk, Neville?"

"Yes," Neville said slowly, apparently seeing nothing wrong in this. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You don't smirk."

"Apparently I do."

"You do now," Algie admitted. "But never before." Neville frowned slightly, but Algie held his stare. "It's… it's familiar."

"What is?"

"That… that smirk." Neville's face paled slightly, only slightly before he schooled his features into nothing. Another thing that wasn't at all like Neville.

He didn't know why it bothered him. Why those small expressions rubbed him so wrong. It reminded him of someone. Someone that made his stomach turn and his blood boil.

"I didn't mean to make you upset."

"I'm not upset," Algie snapped, surprised at the reaction he was having to such a simple thing. "I'm sorry," he whispered, gathering himself. Reminding himself that this was Neville and he was just tired and worn from the week. "I'm sorry, son," he rasped, more ashamed than anything. "It's been a hard week. Old wounds have been reopened and… I'm sorry, I must just be overly tired."

Neville stood there for a moment, absently fiddling with the book in his hands and staring off at the floor in deep thought. The older man remained silent, knowing the telltale signs of when Neville wanted to speak but wasn't sure enough of himself to act. After a few more moments of internal debate Neville looked up at him, his eyes full with a mixture of emotions rawer than he had ever seen before.

"I didn't ask Graces Malfoy out because she was pretty. I asked her out because I genuinely wanted to be with her. I asked her out because when she's not in a mood, and is playful, that condescending Malfoy smirk is no longer cynical… and it's the best part of my day." Neville moved away from him and went back to his chair where he opened his book and hid his face behind the page. Algie wasn't sure what to say, or if Neville wanted him to say anything at all, but after a few moments of tangible silence he continued. "I'm not shallow, and she's not vapid. I like her."

Not past, current. He likes her.

"Even after she was-she was so cruel to you?"

"Even after."

Algie could see Neville closing up. Putting up walls around him, protecting himself from what he thought he may say to him. Expecting to hear disapproval, readying himself for a scolding he apparently had no desire to take to heart.

"What do you like about her?" Algie did his best to make the question sound inviting. He disapproved, he disapproved entirely, but he didn't want Neville to have a relationship with him where he felt the need to hide his feelings.

Neville looked up from his book cautiously, clearly debating if this was a trap. When did he become so suspicious.

"Too much to list."

"Top three then."

"You wouldn't believe me if I did."

"Try me," the older man challenged.

Neville considered for a few moments, his eyes flashing over to him unsurly, before he lifted his book closer to him and said no.

"You hate her."

"I have said nothing of the sort."

"I could see it when you looked at me when I smirked. You hate her."

"I hate Lucius," Algie hissed, trying to keep his temper on a leash. "I do not hate that girl."

Oh this was bad… Really bad. he could see the tension in Neville's every muscle. That girl, Graces Bellatrix Malfoy, had a hold on him, a great one. He didn't understand it, but looking at Neville now he knew that his reaction to expressions earlier put him on edge. For some reason he cherished that witch.

"Neville, please talk to me."

And there it was, something pure Neville shining through. The Neville that always forgave. His endless empathy.

"Do you remember when the Higgs clan was slaughtered?" The older man nodded. "Well, I-I offered her my condolences. I knew she was close with the Higgs clan and I wanted her to know how sorry I was. I told her if she or Thomas needed anything to owl me."

Algie could already see where this was going. He remembered Augusta raging about Neville's fire call. They debated over what she should do all through the night and in the end it had been him that convinced her to do as Neville said. He convinced her because he thought Neville truly believed the child needed youth. He believed he made that choice as a patriarch and wanted to ensure that the Ministry continued honoring the importance of that title. Making sure Octavian was given to a Patriarch who had the rightful claim.

"She wanted your grandmother's vote," Algie whispered horrified. "You gave-you gave her your grandmother's vote."

Neville nodded.

"I told her no at first," Neville continued, looking away. "I told her that Thomas was just a child himself, that he wouldn't know what to do with an infant. But she was… she was so desperate. She begged me and when I told her I couldn't, that it was impossible to give Octavian the child when he wouldn't be home to care for it because of school she then volunteered herself as sacrifice."

Algie frowned, unsure of Neville meant.

"She told me she would drop out of school, that she would raise the child. She said she would not allow Thomas to lose the only family he had left."

"They're not even family," Neville went on, almost in tears from the memory. "He's not related to her. She can't gain anything from him. The Higgs army is gone, but she still was there. She was more than just there. She was going to give up her education, her life, to raise a child for a boy she had no obligation to. Who does that? What sixteen year old girl does that?"

Neville was silent for a few moments lost in his thoughts and... admiration.

"Graces Malfoy does that," he whispered. Algie noted the way Neville said her name and did his best not to recoil.

"I still said no. I wasn't going to let her do that. Instead I told her she needed to get Thomas' great aunt to raise the child."

"Why wasn't that the plan to begin with?"

"Thomas' great aunt is a squib, and there was a very good chance she wouldn't give up her life in the muggle world to return to this one," Neville let out a long sigh, as though the memory alone made him tired. "Graces convinced her to, though, and from there she buried Thomas' dead and made him a new life."

"You have no idea what she did for that boy," Neville rasped, his face twisting in anguish. "No idea. She's-she's walked through hell for him. She would die for him. She would die for any of the people she loves."

"So there it is. Caring, selfless and brave. Three things I like about her."

Algie wanted to ask more. He wanted to ask a lot more. He wanted to ask how he could feel that way when the girl could be so cruel, how he could justify giving her his affections like this when she was so prejudiced, but before he could ask any of this Augusta was calling them to the dining room for dinner.

It went without saying that this conversation could not continue in front of her. He sat at the table with his little family and tried to pay attention to the things Augusta was saying, to the happy family conversation, but he couldn't put his heart in it, not when his mind was still in the other room hearing about Graces Malfoy and seeing Lucius Malfoy's smirk on his nephew's face.

It all felt so unreal. He never in a million years would have believed Neville would compromise himself for a girl. To use his power as patriarch to give Graces Malfoy his grandmother's influence… If Augusta ever knew it would tear their family apart from the inside out. The only thing that pushed the Malfoys from his mind was Mable running into the dining room squeaking that the Weezies had been attacked.

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Graces took another deep breath and convinced herself to continue. She had been doing this for the better part of an hour. She laid in the bed Neville left her, breathing in his scent and willing herself to continue in this life.

It was gone. All gone. There was no escaping her hell. This was her life now. She was shackled to this fate. When she was younger she believed the fates had smiled on her. She believed the gods had favored her, graced her with pure blood, beauty and power, power that didn't just live in her veins, but power that lived in her vaults and heritage. She never believed for one second anything bad could fall upon her. If anything ill happened, she had her father.

But now, she just had Draco who was now a stranger to her. She knew it was her fault as much as his, possibly even more, but the pain of not knowing the man he was becoming stung. She was so frightened. Frightened for herself, frightened for her mother, frightened for Draco, for Thomas and Octavian… for Neville. She knew she shouldn't be so worried about him, but she was.

She wished he was there with her. She wanted him to pull her into him and promise her things he had no business promising her. That everything would be all right. That he would stay by her side till the world came crashing down. She knew she shouldn't want such things from him, but she did. Her world was gone. It hadn't just fallen apart. It was truly gone and this was the world she was left with. Her fragile strength was gone and this new world had pushed her down and wouldn't allow her to get back up. She needed Neville to lift her up.

The past few weeks without him had been miserable. She and Draco could barely look at each other since the failed escape. His anger was tangible and hers was silent. She punished him with her silence and he punished her with glares and growls. Everything was a wreck. Thomas and Graham didn't know what transpired. Draco made it very clear she was not to tell anyone what their mother had tried to do.

She didn't blame him for that. If word got out it would be death. It would be cruel to give that knowledge to Graham. If he kept it a secret it put his life at risk, and if he didn't… it was theirs. As for Thomas, she couldn't bear it if she saw the same disappointment in his eyes that she held in her heart.

She didn't know what to do anymore. She had never fought with her brother like this. There were a few times after the incident that she almost raised her wand to him… and a few times he seemed inclined to do the same. They had both settled for screaming. Each of them telling the other how they were going to get them killed, but neither changed their mind or opinion. Draco believed what he did was best and she believed he had thrown away their best chance of survival.

Graham had dared to try and talk to her, to figure out what had happened, and she had walked away, refusing to speak a word to him. Draco needed him anyways. With her refusing to speak he needed someone to talk to. They were growing close, he and Graham. He even made Draco smile a few times at Yule. He was a good man.

She stared at the letter sitting on the nightstand, the one Graham had slipped into her hand after she finished dinner and was hurrying to leave, not wanting to speak to her brother.

Graces,

We need to talk, not scream, talk. Have lunch with me tomorrow.

Draco

She rolled over in bed, refusing to allow that letter to plague her more. She didn't know if Draco wanted to bury the hatchet or demand, as the patriarch of the family, that she trust him and his decision. He didn't understand. He didn't have to do this. He had a chance to save not just his life, but his soul and he turned away from it. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and a sob racked through her chest.

Draco wasn't a killer. He was her other half. Her soulmate. And not in the way people saw soul mates. They were joined by something, something so strong she was convinced they were intertwined. He couldn't be someone's weapon. He couldn't. It would change him. This task, this war. It would change him.

She believed wholeheartedly they had it in them to be killers. She knew she could take someone's life. She knew Draco could too, but not like this. They could kill to protect the ones they loved, but not as someone's weapon. This wasn't their agenda. She knew if Draco succeeded the Dark Lord wouldn't just stop there. He would use her brother again and again to slay his enemies. And they would become shells of themselves.

Father didn't.

Because father enjoyed it.

Graces held her breath to keep from getting sick. She felt the bile burn her throat, but it didn't go further. She hated that she knew this about her father. She hated Severus Snape for so many reasons. She wished he never told her about her father. She didn't care that remaining ignorant was a coward's way. She missed not knowing. She loved her father. She didn't want to know these things about him.

Another part of my old world I will never be able to get back.

Graces didn't even have the tears to cry for that. She had spent almost every night crying herself to this point where exhaustion began taking over and her eyes were so swollen they wouldn't even stay open. She pulled the covers around her and pretended for her last moment of consciousness that Neville was there with her. He had come back early and he was going to hold her as she cried herself to sleep. A few more days, a few more days and Neville would be back with the rest of the school and when he came back she would hold him and make love to him until the pain subsided. She knew she couldn't tell him about what had happened. She didn't want to see that break in him, but she could have him. She could have him and sooth her soul.

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Neville stared at Graces as she laid in bed. The morning light softly caressed her cheek and brought her golden hair awake with color. He missed her so much over the break. He didn't even feel whole until he walked into the room and saw her sleeping, tucked away from the world where he had left her. He sat down beside her on the bed and moved a few strands of hair so he could better see her face.

His heart clenched as he saw the tell tail signs of tears. She hadn't told him anything in her letters. He should have known something was wrong, though. Her writing had been less engaging. He of course devoured every word she wrote like a fine wine, but now that he read those letters over again in his head he saw the lack of heart in them. He reached his hand out and took the handkerchief that was clenched in her fist and placed it on the nightstand before stripping down to his underthings and slipping into bed with her.

She was wearing his shirt. She was wearing his shirt and burying her nose in the sheets in which his scent still lingered. He was glad he came back early. He had felt so guilty leaving them to be with her for a few days, but now that guilt was gone. He must have known. Somewhere deep in his bones he must have known she needed him. He had missed her so much the past few weeks, but it seemed that the feeling had intensified after just barely a week.

It was a physical pain to be away from her. He felt on edge, like he had bit down and dragged a fork along his teeth. It was miserable.

He gathered her into him and smiled as she didn't wake, but let out a content sigh before entangling herself closer to him. Her long bare legs wound around his and the curves of her breasts pressed against his chest. Neville's heartbeat thundered in his ears and he didn't dare breathe until he regained his control. Her scent was all around him, teasing and enticing.

His head became cloudy and it took every ounce of self control not to kiss her awake and move on top of her. His hands wandered on her bare legs. She was so soft and he missed her so much. He leaned in and kissed her just once, just a small brush of his lips to sooth the fire roaring in his veins. When she just smiled and didn't wake he made his decision. Graces would sleep. He could wait. They had plenty of time. She was done running and he was done chasing. They had finally come together and now could just be.

Don't forget to follow/review! Can't wait for you to read next the chapter!