Title : I'll show you mine…

Fandom : Harry potter

Genre : Slash, angst. (slightly AU maybe)

Pairing : so far, Draco/Justin Finch-Fletchley/Neville

Note : Companion to "I thought you cared" (song from Simple planShut up.)

Summary : Neville wonders what it's like to have friends; Justin and Draco have to share a compartment on Hogwarts express because they both have some issues with their respective housemates…

I'll show you mine…

If you show me yours first…

second part

It seems like everyday
I make mistakes
I just can't get it right

I feel bad about Justin. I should certainly have said something. Something reassuring. Maybe I should just have smiled at him to make him feel better. I'm usually so good at faking smiles.

What a dumbass.

And why was Draco so protective with him?

Are they together?

No, Malfoy despises muggleborns. Beside, when he came in, I remember him saying something about Justin and I being together. He wouldn't have if Justin was his boyfriend.

And Malfoy is certainly not gay… always hanging with that unbearable Pansy chick.

Burying my hands in my robes, I let out a heavy sigh as we enter the great hall. Hermione, Ron and Harry are smiling and joking beside me. What does it feel like to have friends?

Are Malfoy and Justin…friends? Well, it would certainly be weird…

But seeing as they have both been rejected by their housemates, it would make sense… a little.

This is stupid.

Why am I so disturbed by the whole idea? Maybe because I thought I had found a friend in Finch-Fletchley… then again, why did I react like I did when Malfoy told me Justin was gay? It shouldn't matter…

Well, I'll have to go see Justin and apologise for… for what? Not smiling at him, not telling him "if you're gay, it's okay"?

Hell… life sucks.

Two days later, I still haven't talked to Justin…

Well, here I go, wasting the perfect occasion to find a friend to make it all better.

I'm such a coward.

As expected, Justin is nowhere in sight as I carefully approach his former friends in hufflepuff. Still, it wouldn't do if I went to ask them where he is. It would just seem too… suspicious.

Crap, what a silly bunch of gossipers they are.

Gritting my teeth, I pass by them and enter the Library. Let's try to concentrate on my Herbology essay.

Slightly distracted, I head for the farthest corner of the room and start scanning through the bookcases. Seems like Sprout changed the order of her manuals… again.

"Twat…" I mutter.

"Maybe I can help" someone says softly behind me.

Startled, I jump around to stare wide eyed at the intruder.

"Oh, err… Hii Justin!" I grin.

"Hii Neville...' he smiles. "Looking for something in particular?"

"Err… hnnn, yeah. I, err… was looking for Braty Madewitch's 'Weeds and Potions'."

Frowning slightly in concentration, he starts rummaging through the bookshelves.

"Ahh, here it is!" he grins triumphantly, holding out the heavy, black-covered book for me. "Professor Sprout has changed the classification of her manuals again this year. She says it's easier to find what we want this way… then again, she claims so every year."

"Th-thanks" I stutter, grabbing the book and holding it to my chest.

An uneasy silence settles between us and Justin starts fumbling with the hem of his robes.

"So…" he says, eventually taking his eyes from his feet.

Okay Neville, find something casual, something normal to say.

"You have… very nice shoes" I smile, blushing softly.

Well, that was a pretty crappy thing to say.

"Oh, errr… well, thanks" Justin smiles, obviously very amused by my remark "and… your robes are very… cool, I guess"

"Sorry… it was a stupid thing to say" I moan, scratching the back of my head.

"No worry" he grins "I say pretty stupid things too most of the time."

Relived, I grin back, feeling a little more at ease suddenly.

"So… you were made Prefect?" I ask, waving at the shiny badge on his robes.

Startled, he looks down at himself and stares at the badge, frowning slightly.

"Oh. Ah yeahh" he exclaims suddenly "Hell…two days and I'm still not accustomed to it!"

"Well." I smile "At least you're not an authority-freak like Hermione"

"Well, that's a very kind thing to say about your housemate" He chuckles, sitting down at a table.

Chuckling softly myself, I take a seat next to him and we start discussing our choices concerning our Herbology essays.

Next time I see him, he's with Malfoy again, obviously in the middle of a heated argument. Draco is seated on the lakefront, his back resting against the thick trunk of a tree while Justin stands facing him, waving his hands to emphasis his words.

"C'mon, Malfoy! You can't let him! He has no right to! We could… we could go to Dumbledore… or to Snape, even."

"I've already talked to Snape about it…"

"What did he say? What's he going to do about it?"

"He already helped me with… you know." Draco waved his hands dismissively "I can't ask him to protect me all the time."

Swearing colourfully, Justin drops to his knees next to the blond slytherin.

"You can't let your father order you around, Draco. C'mon, you just can't! You have to do something to stop him before he… before he goes too far!"

"I'd rather stop this discussion right now, Finch…"

"But-- "

"We have a visitor…" Malfoy hisses, turning his clear piercing blue eyes on me.

Startled, Justin stands up suddenly to stare at me, looking slightly panicked.

"Ohh, hii Neville!" he greets me, taking a few steps in my direction.

"Next time you want to discuss 'important matters' with me, Finch-Fletchley…" Draco sneers as he gets up and starts walking back to the castle. "…Make sure your lovesick Gryffindork is not following you."

And there is just so much venom in that soft, hissing voice, that I can't even come up with a good thing to answer him…

"Malfoy, wait…" Justin winces, clenching his fists.

"I… I'm sorry, Justin. I just… it's stupid, I didn't even know you two were here… I didn't follow. I come here all the time to collect weeds and such…"

"I know, it's okay, don't worry." He says. "He's just… Malfoy. He's so full of it. I can't bear him!"

"Why are you hanging around with him, then?" I frown.

"Dunno… 'Suppose it's because he needs help and all. But he's so difficult"

Hufflepuffs…

"Anyway" he says suddenly "what you heard, you… don't spread it around, okay?"

"Yeah, of course, don't worry." I reassure him.

"Cool… thanks, Neville." He smiles, starting to walk back to the castle.

"Justin, wait…" I call him back.

"Hnn?"

"Is there… anything I can do?" I ask

"For Malfoy?"

And though I know I will somehow end up regretting it, I nod quickly.

"Well, I guess we're more likely to find a way out of this together. Help is always welcome." He smiles warmly, gesturing for me to follow him.

Crap…

What have I gotten myself into…?

End of Second Part