I commissioned art for this fic from Avendell. I don't know if they will be posting it on their personal site, but I have posted the art on the Ao3 account for you all to see. It's an image of Graces and Neville stargazing from chapter 58 and I absolutely love it. I posted it in chapter 105 and 58 for everyone to take a look at. So drop by and let me know what you think! Or leave a kudo for me I could definitely use kudos on that site haha I hope you all enjoy it thank you so much for reading and being apart of this. If you look in the first chapter on Ao3 you can also see a bigger image of the fanart that Jbadgr gifted me back in 2015 :)
Special thanks to Undo Zofia, Janeth16, neatfreak15, Mikasa Yeager, Guest, Geayjpy, Lunas was a goo, Luxxyy, Bharm, Malfoy Mouth James-MMJ, Billyeyelash, Redkitsune2016, Riosho, amazinggurl, infinateconstellations, saffron-savage, Ihatecarbonara, ThestralBalerion, Naruhina1519, Guest, and Sam for the reviews. You all make my day whenever I get a notification.
Chapter 105
Neville was hunched over a book and writing down a series of notes when Graces arrived in the greenhouse. She nervously played with the muffin she had grabbed him when she noticed he skipped breakfast. A house. She gave away his house and didn't even talk to him about it. She also wanted him to use his connections to get all those portkeys made. She didn't even know if he could do that for her.
"Hey."
Neville, who had been so absorbed in whatever he was doing, blinked up at her and then grinned. "Hey," he echoed, smiling up at her still.
"I brought you a muffin," she murmured sheepishly, setting the pastry down on the desk between them. "I didn't see you at breakfast."
"McGonagall snagged me this morning, we had an early breakfast in her chambers."
Graces eyes widened as she felt her stomach drop to her shoes. "So you know about the house then," she said slowly.
Neville nodded.
"I-I obviously am going to pay you for it," Graces sputtered.
"Graces, there's no need. I—"
"No. I am."
"Are you?" Neville asked, his brows raising slightly as he crossed his arms.
"Yes, of course," Graces nodded, taking a piece of paper from Neville's pile and the quill he was using. She bit her lip and decided to offer a bit more than what was appropriate and turned the piece of parchment around for Neville to inspect. Neville looked pensively down at the number, before taking his quill back and crossing the number out. Graces frowned as Neville began to write a counter offer on the parchment, but used his other arm to prevent her from seeing what it was he was writing.
When Neville was finished he turned the paper back over to her. Graces nervously looked down at the paper and flushed at what Neville had written there.
"Neville!" Graces exclaimed, taking the parchment and crumbling it up as if someone else was around to see. Neville just laughed as she incinerated the paper mid air and shook her head at him. "You're such a perv," Graces scoffed, causing Neville's grin to widen.
"Now, now, Malfoy, I didn't ask for anything that we haven't already done and that you did not enjoy."
Graces cheeks pinkened more at that, but she brushed off her embarrassment and demanded Neville be serious.
Neville shifted, as if this discussion wasn't necessary and just making him uncomfortable. "The house is still mine, I will remain the secret keeper and all that is happening is that it's occupied. This is not at all an imposition. I am more than happy to do this. I also already had given it to you and yours to use for this purpose."
"You gave it to me and I gave it to—"
"It was always the plan for Thomas and his family to be there with you. All that has changed is John will be there and you will not."
Graces nodded and toyed with the edge of Neville's textbook.
"You should probably take your seat, Malfoy, before people start coming in," Neville pointed out. Graces looked up and smiled slightly to herself as she saw the pure glee in his eyes. Despite his words Neville was exceptionally happy she was standing there talking to him.
"We have quite some time," she said simply, moving her hands from the book and meeting his eyes steadily.
"I need you to consider the risk this will impose on your family, Neville, on your family and you."
Neville pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. He sat up and for a moment seemed to really be considering what Graces was saying before leaning over the desk towards her.
"I understand," he swore quietly. "The house is still yours, I will remain the owner and the secret keeper."
"You don't have to do all that."
"It is more prudent to do it this way," Neville pointed out. "It's my house. I will keep the responsibility that comes with it."
"Being a secret keeper is dangerous, Neville, and—"
"And no one would ever expect me to be the Higgs' secret keeper. They disappear and no one would ever even look my way to think I may be the one hiding them. Whereas you and Draco will definitely be looked at."
Graces couldn't argue with any of that, so she nodded in agreement. She hovered at the desk knowing it was time to leave, but not being ready to just yet.
"I will have the keys to you by lunch," Neville promised. "Go sit down, Malfoy."
"Okay," Graces sighed. "I am going to find a way to thank you, Neville."
She left before Neville could do something silly like tell her there wasn't a need. She sat down at her desk in the quiet room and once again hated that she couldn't just spend time with Neville. No one was even in the room yet and they were forced to play this odd charade.
"Hey." Graces jumped as Neville approached her desk and set a folded up piece of parchment down before stating "My real demands" and returning to his seat.
Graces hesitated and then gently unfolded the parchment.
A picture of you. Doesn't have to be now, but I would like one to have for over the summer. I'll be careful with it, I promise.
She damned the tightness in her throat and the fluttering in her chest. She wanted to write back something stupid and sappy like 'after I tell Draco we'll find Creevy and take a picture together' instead she stood and made her way back over to Neville where she kissed him firmly. Neville pulled away shaking his head.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Malfoy."
"Plenty of time before class. Who comes to Herbology this early?" Graces grinned, her hands resting on his shoulders.
As though the gods themselves wanted to put her in place Hermione Granger entered the room. Graces moved to step back, but to her surprise Neville's hands remained firmly on her hips. So she remained, turning away from Hermione as though it was fine the other girl was seeing this. She was uncomfortable, but if she learned anything from her father it was to present a united front. Hermione knew about them and Neville's face told her enough. For some reason or another he wanted to rub this in Hermione's face.
She dipped down to Neville's ear. "Did you know that you're quite sexy when you're mad."
The corner of Neville's lip twitched and his attention returned to her. "You should go sit down, we'll talk later."
Graces nodded and went back to her desk. Hermione pointedly did not acknowledge her presence and Graces was a bit relieved at that. She knew Hermione had seen more than just what she walked in on now, but she couldn't help but still feel uncomfortable that she had seen. She frowned slightly. Neville wanted them to be more careful; it was interesting that when Hermione walked in he threw that caution away. She would have expected him to be careful regardless of Hermione knowing.
I underestimated how angry he is with her, she thought, looking over briefly at the girl. She considered what that anger meant. Neville had disclosed once that he had fancied Hermione, so on some level he must care for her quite deeply. The more Graces thought of that the more she realized how Hermione had been up until this year one of his close friends. She even partnered with him consistently in wondered if Neville missed the friendship then she wondered if she would even be comfortable with his friendship with Hermione.
She pushed those jealous feelings to the side and decided to focus on setting up the desk. Sprout arrived a few moments later and Graces was relieved when she stopped next to her and Hermione to ask a few questions regarding how their project was doing. Hermione seemed, for once, exceptionally disinterested in what a professor was saying and Graces wondered if she was retaining anything of what Sprout was telling her. Apparently there were some books she thought they would like to read and she also thought that the practical aspect of their project could be expanded if they were feeling a bit adventurous.
Graces for one was not at all feeling like making this project more time consuming and she was relieved to hear Hermione delicately mention she was quite busy with other classes to put the time and effort into such complicated work.
"Also, I don't think Malfoy is up to the challenge," Hermione added with false disappointment.
Graces blinked at the insult, before turning to glare at the girl next to her.
"I think Graces is a bit more capable now, she's done quite well this year," Sprout complimented, giving Graces a kind smile.
"Thank you, Professor Sprout," Graces said tightly, reminding herself that two fights with Hermione Granger would not do well for her.
The older woman smiled and gave her a wink before walking up to the front of the class to get ready for the rest of the students' arrival. Graces chanced a glance at Neville, wondering if he had heard the conversation and saw that he most certainly had. His back was stiff and Graces wondered at the effort it was taking him to not turn around and say something. She realized that Neville may have goaded Hermione in the beginning, but Hermione seemed to know how to press his buttons as well.
Class was tense from then on. Graces far preferred the sitting in tense silence over having to work on their project together. She kept praying that Sprout would take longer in lecture, or that someone would ask more questions on the subject, but, alas, none of that happened. She inwardly sighed as she and Hermione stood to leave the greenhouse to work on their project. Graces had been avoiding asking for help, but today she had a feeling she would need to ask Hermione. Her plants were not flourishing, Neville had even given her some tips, but alas they didn't thrive.
"Are you ready to take these to the forest?" Graces asked, hoping that once they implanted them there to grow they would do better.
Hermione nodded and the two of them set forth to find a good area. Hermione had not planned to plant the ferns in the forbidden forest, but Graces had insisted it be done. Fern flowers were rare. They would only bloom at midnight on the solstice, and only if magic allowed. When they started this project, Abbott and Granger were very into the plant biology of allowing them to thrive, but seemed to turn their nose up at the ritual aspects.
"This area looks good," Hermione noted.
Graces shook her head. "No, we must go farther."
"How far do you want to go?" Hermione demanded.
"They should be so far as to never hear children playing, a dog bark, or a rooster crow," Graces recited, climbing over a fallen tree trunk.
"And so far that no one could hear me scream," Hermione pointed out, causing Graces to turn abruptly.
"What?"
"You heard me," Hermione said evenly.
They stared at one another for quite sometime before Graces pulled out her wand and tossed it to the other girl. Hermione stared at the piece of wood and Graces was a bit proud to see how utterly surprised the Gryffindor was.
"There. Now let's go."
Hermione tucked her wand into her cloak and followed a few paces behind. Graces made sure to keep her movements casual, lest the other girl realize how nervous she was to be in the forest unarmed.
"Going this far into the forest is dangerous," Hermione hissed, moving closer to Graces as they lost sight of Hogwarts.
"We are two very capable witches."
"You don't have a wand!"
Graces rolled her eyes. "If something comes out I trust you to give it back."
"There are many magical creatures living in this forest, all of which would not be happy to find us here."
"All of which are active at night."
Hermione brooded silently for the rest of the walk. Graces listened to forest, the birds chirping, the leaves rustling and twigs breaking with her steps, until suddenly she heard the forest no more. She stood in a clearing waiting to see if the silence broke, but it remained. Her heart steadily beat in her chest and the hairs on the back of her neck raised. She looked over at Hermione and saw the bushy haired girl staring about in all directions as though expecting something to jump out.
"Here," Graces decided.
"I think we should go," Hermione whispered.
"No, we're fine," Graces promised. "This place, it's touched. That's what you're feeling. Whatever magic was here once, is just buried into the land. The plants will feel what you're feeling and a fern flower will come."
"The whole of Hogwarts is magical, this whole forest is magical. We-"
"Not like this," Graces said quietly, bending down on both knees slowly to begin. "This is different, it's... it's holy in a way."
Hermione scowled and Graces knew that the other girl thought her ridiculous. She fought back the urge to say something about her heritage, how her kind was ignorant to what was and was not sacred in their world. By the time Hermione bent down to help her Graces had already dug out a good portion of land.
As they worked Graces noted Hermione was moving closer and closer to her as the unsettling feeling grew the longer they stayed. Graces almost teased the Gryffindor for it, but held her tongue. She too felt uneasy and Hermione being close gave her the same comfort. It was said that evil spirits were attracted to fern flowers, that they stayed close to the plant waiting for blooms. Graces had put that in her notes for the paper, she knew Hermione had read it, but she had a feeling the other girl didn't believe it. Even now she could see Hermione telling herself she was just being silly, that her nervousness was from the creatures in the forest or being alone with Graces.
She chanced a glance at the other girl, and pressed her lips together to keep her amusement from showing, but Hermione definitely saw. The other girl pinked and that Gryffindor fire seemed to be lit inside her through sheer determination.
"There we go, Granger," Graces grinned. "Keep that Gryffindor bravery up for the next twenty minutes and then we can book it to the castle if you need. I'll even hold your hand as we run away," Graces teased.
Hermione gritted her teeth and said something very unbecoming of a lady towards her. Graces just chuckled and continued on. When all the holes they needed were done Graces searched her satchel for a pair of shears.
"What are you doing?" Hermione gasped, as Graces cut her palm open.
"It's fine, Granger," Graces laughed. "Witches used to protect their ferns with some blood magic. Help ward off muggles and other animals from coming and picking them, eating them or destroying them. I'll set some blood in the holes then I'll make some runes around them and we will be guaranteed their safety."
Hermione paled, but Graces continued on.
"Blood magic comes with cost," Hermione murmured. "It's dark."
Graces let out a sigh. "It does, but the cost for this is different. I'm not seeking revenge, harming another, or asking for protection of myself. This is different, the cost is small. Dark isn't evil, I promise this is okay."
"What's the cost?"
"For this? I'll probably get a little sick and no potion will help with the discomfort of that. It won't be very sick, I may not even get sick at all since I suspect this place is touched. We're fine, Granger."
Hermione didn't seem to like any of this, but she returned to sitting near her and even offered her a clean handkerchief she had along with her wand. Graces took both and pressed the linen into her palm.
"Do I need to put blood in?" Hermione asked tentatively.
Graces glanced up at her. "No."
"Because my blood is dirty?" Hermione asked disdainfully.
Graces' eyes narrowed. "Because the sacrifice has been made and there isn't need for more. Now let's get these planted."
They began planting the ferns into the holes. They had to do some adjusting. Some of the roots needed larger holes, but both girls were working diligently as to not be late to returning to class.
"Neville will never be a Death Eater,"
Graces hummed an agreement.
"He won't," Hermione swore savagely, as though Graces agreement wasn't sincere. "It doesn't matter what he does with you, and yes I know what he's doing with you, he's not going to change sides."
Graces snorted. "I know you know, Granger," Graces scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Do you honestly think Neville wouldn't eventually tell me? As for him not changing sides I am aware of that. It's interesting though how you seem to say one thing, but believe another."
Hermione flushed, but remained tight lipped. Graces continued to work and in her mind considered if she should point out all the ways Hermione was ruining her friendship with Neville.
"So what are you doing? What do you want from him?" Hermione demanded eventually, clearly caught off guard with Graces earlier response.
"I want to marry him and have all his babies," Graces said absently, picking up a plant and examining its roots. It was doomed, she set it down and was glad Hermione was too distracted to notice she just ruined a part of their project.
"Be serious."
"I am being serious," Graces mumbled, pressing the roots deep into the hole and trying to coat it with as much of her blood as she could. Maybe her blood and the sacredness of this land could amend her mistakes.
"Question, Granger. You and Neville are close, I mean you were close," Graces amended. "Do you think he would agree to naming a boy Lucius? Like obviously not the first son, but any to follow?"
"You're sick," Hermione whispered.
Graces sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Too dark. Shame, I always wanted to name one of my sons after my father." Graces thought for a moment. "Neville is quite forgiving though, obviously not towards you, but usually. He could forgive for my sake I think."
Hermione's mouth twisted with words she was refusing to say, too smart to take the bait and she went back to their project, her small shovel digging angrily into the soil as she seethed openly. A part of Graces was happy to see Hermione so angry, this girl had violated her privacy and Neville's, but she slowly also remembered that this girl was one of Neville's closest friends for a long while. If Snape targeted him in class and said Trevor was to drink whatever potion he made she had whispered him instructions saving his beloved pet. Now Neville hated her and the odd thing was as much as she had just enjoyed toying with her she realized it was wrong. That their break in friendship was even wrong.
"Granger," she frowned, sitting up on her heels.
"What?" The other girl said sharply.
"If you ever want to be friends with Neville again, you need to trust him."
"I trust Neville, I don't trust you."
"And you shouldn't," Graces nodded. "But Neville's never given you a reason to not trust him. His relationship with me is private. He's not obligated to tell you or anyone else about his private life. And, well, Neville is exceptionally private."
Hermione was now looking at her. Her brown eyes were skeptical, but curious.
"Regardless of how you feel about me, what you think I am up to, you should know Neville enough to allow him to pursue what he wants and know that he would never compromise others for selfish reasons."
"He thinks he loves you."
Graces nodded slightly. "I hope he does."
Hermione blinked at that, before she regained her bearings. "People do stupid things for love and you yourself once said love is blind."
"It is," Graces agreed swallowing. "But Neville's Neville. Even if he was blind to me he wouldn't get lost in me. He's too anchored to this world. To what is right and good. He's more grounded than you think. Maybe because he knows more pain and disappointment than you know of."
She could feel Hermione's eyes searching her, trying to figure out how much of this was sincerity or if she was simply using some sincerity to manipulate her. She didn't seem to know and Graces decided that was progress enough.
"Just let him be," Graces said quietly.
"I heard you trying to get him to take the Mark," Hermione reminded. "I heard everything, including you telling him that you could not love him if he didn't do it."
"If you heard all that, you also heard him say no,"Graces said evenly.
There was something admirable in Hermione's will. The fortitude that she could maintain. Graces could see the bushy haired girls mind raising with all kinds of possibilities. The possibilities of it she was telling the truth and if she was lying. She seemed for a brief moment as though she were torn with her own logic.
"I trust Neville," Hermione stated firmly. "But you're only going to hurt him. Because either you're lying and you do want something that he will never give, or you're telling the truth and lying to yourself."
Graces suddenly felt small. Her gray eyes stared into Hermione's brown and she knew what the other girl was thinking. That she would be too cowardly to do what needed to be done to be with Neville and he would be devastated. The worst part of it all was it was a real fear that Graces pushed away daily. Telling Draco, the fall out that would come and ever since telling McGonagall she had been trying to gain the courage to do it and failing. Once again she felt as though she were stabbed in these woods and bleeding out.
"I think we should go," she said tightly, standing up and brushing the earth from her hands. Looking away from Hermione so she wouldn't see how much those words affected her. It was too late though and she clearly did see. Hermione looked away and Graces wondered if that was doubt she saw in the other girl's face.
When the last of their things were gathered they began to leave the clearing. Hermione walked next to her this time instead of behind. They were a few feet when Graces from the corner of her eye saw Hermione about to look back.
"Don't," Graces snapped, grabbing the other girl's arm violently.
Hermione called out in pain, but Graces held her firmly. "Do. Not. Look. Back."
Hermione's lips pressed together tightly. "You do not believe all this rubbish. You can't honestly."
"I do," Graces stated firmly.
"You honestly believe that there are evil spirits back there, that they are attracted to—"
"Keep your voice down," Graces warned.
"You think they're going to follow us back?" Hermione said flatly, raising a brow.
Graces bit the inside of her cheek. "You want to look back. You have a vague feeling something is behind you; you think logically there is nothing. We hear nothing behind us following, but yet you want to look back. You want to prove to yourself that there is no danger. And maybe there isn't, but before you got here did you believe in ghosts? Poltergeists? Werewolves? Witches? All the things you were told weren't real and just stories."
Hermione fidgeted uncomfortably. "Nothing has ever been proven to—"
"I know. I know it's just legends, folklore, rituals with no founding truth to you, but that doesn't mean there isn't some truth hidden in there. Maybe it's not an evil spirit, but maybe it's something. These are not common flowers. Liquid luck isn't made often for a reason. Few grow these, most are stumbled upon. The few that do grow these follow ritual."
"Only because each generation taught them to," Hermione pointed out.
Graces shook her head. "Don't."
"I don't know why you're so scared. If the legends are true it would only be me. If you don't look then you will be fine. You'll have a nice story about how the mudblood didn't listen to you and got what she deserved."
"Hermione," Graces whispered. "Please."
To Graces' relief the other girl relented. They continued walking back towards the castle in silence. Hermione's words played in her head with each step. She couldn't be lying to herself. She told McGonagall, she told Sprout, her decision was made. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to tell Draco. She didn't even have a plan to tell Draco, or words rehearsed in her head for that moment. She told herself that she just wanted things to be right between the two of them and that once things became right she would know what to do and say. But nothing was right between her and Draco. Every interaction was so manually operated that she didn't even feel like she was in her own body around him.
"I'm going to trust Neville."
Graces paused in her thoughts. "Good."
"I still don't trust you."
Graces took a deep breath. "I'm—I'm lazy in a way," Graces admitted quietly, stopping at the edge of the forest so that they were still slightly surrounded by trees. "Maybe it's because everything has always been handed to me. I'm very privileged and... the thought of my life changing, the life that I like, frightened me. Frightens me," Graces amended.
"Asking Neville to change, to come into my life was easier. I didn't want to pay the cost of what being with him could be. That doesn't mean I don't think Neville is worth that cost," she said evenly.
Hermione looked openly torn as they stood there looking at one another.
"I'll trust Neville," Hermione repeated, turning away and walking briskly back to the greenhouse. Graces stayed there at the tree line for a few moments.
She was tired. Every day she was growing more and more tired. She felt as though she were tumbling down a hole and grabbing at anything to try and get her to slow down. She couldn't stop the fall, but that didn't mean it had to hurt so bad when she hit the ground. No, not ground, water. This fall was just the beginning, once she stopped falling she would be submerged in water and forced to swim to shore. She had to tell Draco and from there she needed to do more work. But it didn't feel right to do that now, it felt as though telling Draco now would just drown them both.
She didn't want Hermione to be right, but she also wasn't ready to prove her wrong.
Don't forget to check out the art on Ao3! Seriously, let me know what you think I am so excited to hear from you all. My pen name and fic name is the same on there so you shouldn't have a difficult time finding me :)