Author note: I couldve split this into two chapters but i didnt so enjoy this nice long one.

As always, reviews are appreciated. :)

stay safe out there you beautiful people xx

She looked like a ghost. Her skin was deathly pale in comparison to the black curls that framed her face. It made the bruise on her eye violently dark in contrast to the flesh around it. Her lips were dry and chapped. Her whole face looked hollow as if the life had been sucked out of her body,the gentle rise and fall of her chest was the only indication that she was in fact, still alive.

Neville curled his fingers around each other. He felt awful. There he was, enjoying his Christmas holidays when all along she'd been in pain. She had been suffering and he had done nothing. He took her hand which lay limply on her stomach. "Just let me help you," he whispered, "for once. Please." His eyes brimmed with tears but he blinked them back. No. He had to be strong. He needed to be strong for her.

She was already asleep when he'd found her on the train and he thought nothing of it. Ebony had been curled up in a ball with her head buried in her arms and she looked so peaceful that he didn't want to disturb her. So he didn't. For the train journey, he just read his new 'A-Z of Wizarding Plants (UK Edition)' that his uncle had got him for Christmas and quietly chatted to Trevor, realising that if Ebony had woken up she would have thought that he was insane.

When she finally did wake up Neville had never been more scared. For starters, her left eye was purple and swollen and when she stood up he saw all the colour drain from her face. Then she collapsed and he freaked out. He always liked to imagine that he would be the one to stay calm in a stressful situation but truth be told when Ebony passed out in his arms he almost wet himself because What the bloody hell was he supposed to do?

In the end, he just laid her back down on the seat and shouted for a prefect who ended up having to help Neville more than Ebony. He decided that he would not tell Ebony this and just have her believe that he handled the whole thing reasonably well.

Madam Pomfrey strode over to the bed, her harsh expression a little softer than usual. "Curfew's in 15 minutes so I think you better go." Neville's eyes lingered on Ebony as her face twitched in her sleep. Madam Pomfrey gave a quiet sigh and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can come back and see her in the morning." She squeezed his shoulder and then walked back over to her office.

Neville stood up and gently place Ebony's hand back onto her stomach. He gave her one last look before reluctantly walking away.

...

Ebony's eyes flickered open and for a moment she didn't know where she was. It was dark except for the soft glow of a candle next to her and a couple of streaks of sun coming through the windows from the dawn. She shoved herself into a sitting position - ignoring the quiet pounding in her head- and looked around, squinting in the low light. Only when a figure crossed the room in her direction did she realise that she was in the hospital wing.

"How are you feeling?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Tired."

"Well you've been out for a good few hours and the number of potions in your system will be making you feel drowsy."

"Right."

Madam Pomfrey took a bottle out from the bedside table. "Here drink this and I will sort out some breakfast."

Ebony did as she was told and watched as Madam Pomfrey walked away. She didn't even remember how she'd got here. She remembered getting on the train but not getting off. She frowned, was Neville there? She had a brief recollection of seeing his smile when she woke up but she wasn't sure if she was making it up or not.

Madam Pomfrey came back over and placed a plate of buttered toast on her lap. "Finish that and then I'll give you the next round of potions."

The smell of the toast made her stomach churn and suddenly the thought of eating made Ebony feel rather nauseous. "I'm not hungry.".

"I don't care, your body needs food whether you like it or not so you can eat it willingly or I will force it on you." Ebony obediently took a bite of toast, looking up at Madam Pomfrey with a scared smile who gave her a satisfied grin. "Eat it slowly, that way you won't bring it back up."

"Noted." She replied, nibbling at the crust.

"Now," Madam Pomfrey said, crossing her arms across her chest. "Do you have any ideas on why you passed out on the train?"

"Not really." She lied and, to her surprise, Madam Pomfrey didn't push. Instead, she just gave her a sympathetic smile and walked away.

...

When Neville came up the next morning after quickly wolfing down some cereal he was surprised to see an empty plate of crumbs next to Ebony's bed.

"She woke up?" He asked as Madam Pomfrey made up the next bed over.

"Briefly, very early this morning. Managed to get some food in her before the next round of potions knocked her out." She said not looking up from her task. "If you come back after dinner she should be awake again."

"Thanks."

He looked back over to his friend's sleeping form, curled up into a ball under the covers. He'd never quite realised how small she was, taking up less than half the bed. Ebony rolled over in her sleep pulling the sheets with her. Neville simply smiled and reached over to fix them when he stopped. Her pyjama shirt had ridden halfway up her back and all he could see were harsh red lines all across her pale skin. They had clearly faded with time but they were there, no doubt about it. This wasn't right. Anger burned in his chest but he swallowed it and fixed Ebony's blankets. He muttered something to Madam Pomfrey and fled into the corridor, his hands curling into fists.

It wasn't fair. He booted a suit of armour and swore when it, unsurprisingly, hurt. The thought that someone could want to hurt his best friend made his body swell with anger. She was so kind, so funny and, to him, one of the most incredible people he knew. She could make him smile without fail, drag him out of any foul mood.

The image of her in the hospital wing flashed in his mind. That wasn't her. Ebony had a smile that made the corners of her eyes wrinkle up. Ebony had eyes that twinkled. The girl in that bed wasn't her. It couldn't be. She looked too broken.

He knew that her life at home sucked, she always moaned about having to go home but this? He had never seen her so bad. Neville knew better though. He knew that she hid things from him all the time, Ebony didn't like to make a big deal of things because 'you'll just worry.' He gave the suit of armour another kick and, to his dismay, it came tumbling down with a spectacular crash. He sighed and knelt down to pick it up. Why'd it always have to be him?.

"Having a little trouble are we?" He turned to see Professor Lupin sticking his head out of his classroom door behind him. Neville tried to speak but just ended up wildly gesturing at the fallen armour, his face flushing. Lupin gave a soft chuckle and wandered over to the mess. "Allow me." He raised his wand and within moments the suit of armour was standing back where it started, good as new.

Neville got up and dusted himself off. "Thank you, Professor." He mumbled, looking down and scratching his nose.

"Is something bothering you?" Lupin asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Er... I guess I don't know, no, yes?."

"Well how about we start by going to my office and discussing how a suit of armour ended up all over the floor?" Lupin said with a small smile.

"Yeah, that's um.. yeah ok." He mumbled before shuffling after Professor Lupin.

...

Remus looked at the boy across from him and for a moment his chest ached. He hadn't really looked at Neville properly but now he could see how much he looked like Alice, from his eyes to his smile. His mannerisms however were more similar to Frank's, the way he chewed on his bottom lip and twiddled his thumbs. But Remus took a deep breath and straightened up, now was not the time for reminiscing about friends he had lost. This kid needed his help.

"So how exactly did that armour happen to find itself spread across the corridor?"

"Erm... I...I sort of kicked it." Neville mumbled, scratching the back of his neck and not looking him in the eyes. "I'd just been in the hospital wing to see Ebony and...well...I don't know..."

"I understand that it can be frustrating to see someone you care about in pain and feel helpless." Neville looked up then and Remus gave him a smile. "However I feel that there are possibly better ways to deal with that frustration than beating up antiques." Neville gave a small laugh but tried to hide it with a cough clearly thinking now was not the time to be laughing. Remus' smile twitched. Frank used to do that.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Just don't do it again alright?" He said.

"Yes, sir."

"Good," Remus replied, leaning back in his chair, "while you're here, is there anything I can help you with?" Neville sat and thought for a moment before finally coming out with,

"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

'Straight into the big stuff then' he thought. Remus smiled and shook his head."I may be a Professor," he said, "but there are some things that even I don't know the answer to."

"Ebony," Neville started quietly, "she doesn't deserve any of this."

"I don't think anyone deserves what's she's been through." Remus ignored the pang in his chest that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"What am I supposed to do about it? I want to help, I need, I need to help her. I want to fix things."

"I think talking to her is a good place to start."

" I try to," he said, frustrated, "but she either doesn't tell me anything or just changes the subject. I don't want to upset her but at the same time I'm her friend, she should be able to tell me stuff like this."

"Getting people to open up can be difficult, " he said. "Unfortunately, the best thing you can do is keep trying, you'll get somewhere eventually."

"Okay." Neville replied, looking a little disheartened.

"As for 'fixing' this, few things in life have a simple solution."

"I just don't understand," he said, "if they treat her like that, why doesn't she just leave?" Remus took a deep breath. The conversation was all too familiar. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the table.

"Maybe she will someday, maybe she won't. Families are complicated things Neville, they are her parents no matter how unpleasant they may be. They're all she knows, all she has."

"She's got me," Neville uttered almost silently. Remus smiled just as the bell rang. He stood up.

"Well I think you should go, Professor Snape is not a fan of latecomers I'd imagine." Neville seemed to almost physically shudder at the thought of his next class. He was just heading out the door when Remus called after him, "Oh and Neville?" The boy turned around. "It's going to be okay."

And with a final grin, he was gone.

...

She was sitting up when he came after dinner and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, you." She said weakly as he pulled up a chair.

"How you feeling?"

"Not as bad as I look honestly."

"You scared the shit out of me, passing out like that."

"You make it sound like I did it on purpose." They both laughed. "So how were your holidays, didn't get a chance to ask you on the train." Neville hesitated, it felt wrong sharing his stories when she had clearly had a horrid time. She poked his elbow. "Come on, they've got to have been better than mine."

Neville gave an uneasy laugh and started rambling on about the new book he got and how his Gran had finally managed to cook Christmas dinner without setting fire to something. She was in fits of giggles when he said that his youngest cousin had knitted Trevor a jumper.

"He looks so angry when he has it on."

"That toad has been through hell, poor thing," she said, still laughing.

Neville was twiddling his thumbs. He was trying to build up the courage to ask about her holidays. He knew he had to but he hated the face she always made when he brought it up and he really didn't want to dampen her good mood.

"Ebony, " he said gently, "You know you can trust me right?"

"Go on then." She sighed, her face falling.

"What?" Ebony just rolled her eyes.

"You know what. I can tell you're going to ask what happened to me. Just get it over with."

The air between them suddenly felt incredibly tense. Ebony just stared at the ceiling, picking at her fingers. Neville wasn't sure what to do. He was torn between wanting, needing to know what happened and not wanting to upset her. In the end, he decided just to go for it.

"What actually happened to your face?" Neville winced a little, it came out a lot harsher than he intended. Ebony ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath.

"My father happened."

"He..you mean.."

"He punched me? Yes." She said quietly.

"Why? Why would he do that?"

"I was being a smart ass." Neville just stared at her in shock. "I'd been stuck in my room for ages and I was bored so when he came in I made some snarky remarks. He didn't like that."

"That's not a reason to hit someone!"

"Well feel free to tell him that." Ebony sighed, clearly not a fan of the conversation already.

"Wait, why were you stuck in your room?"

"My father found the muggle book Hermione lent me and he got angry so he locked me in my room."

"He did all this over a book.?"

"To be fair he was very drunk."

"That doesn't make it ok!" Ebony just shrugged. "What about your back?" She turned and looked at him in alarm.

"What...how..."

"I saw when you were asleep." She looked away. "He did that too. Didn't he?" Ebony shrugged again.

"I've had worse."

Neville shook his head in frustration. Why couldn't she just speak to him? Why couldn't she see that all he wanted to do was help?

"Why are you so casual about this? Why can't you see that this isn't normal?"

"So it's my fault?" She scoffed.

"No! Of course not!"

"That's what it sounded like."

"Well maybe if you stopped feeling sorry for yourself for five bloody minutes-" The words slipped out before Neville could stop them. She looked at him, stunned. "No, wait I didn't mean..." His voice died off as he watched something inside Ebony snap.

"You ever stop to think that this is exactly why I don't tell anyone? That I'm scared that's exactly what someone would say? Or maybe I think that no one would care, after all, it's not like everyone hasn't seen me come to school with black eyes and cuts and they've done absolutely nothing." Her face was bright red with anger and a single tear rolled down her face. "You were the one person who wasn't supposed to act like this, or so I hoped."

"Ebony-"

"And of course I know this isn't normal but it's my life and has been for thirteen years so why should I kick up a fuss? I've lasted this long handling it on my own so I don't see any point in changing that now." She looked away from him. "I thought you were my friend. I thought you were my best friend and I trusted you." Ebony was chewing on her bottom lip. "Guess I was wrong." She said quietly before curling up and pulling the sheets over her head.

Her words cut through his heart like a knife. Neville just sat there, stunned, unsure of what to do, cursing himself for losing his temper. He tried to say 'I'm sorry' but no sound came from his mouth. Madam Pomfrey had appeared at the foot of the bed, looking between them both.

"I think you should go now." She said to him, her voice cold.

...

Seamus and Dean were having a pillow fight when Neville got back to the dorm. Dean tossed him a pillow as he walked in but he ignored it and went straight to his bed and closed the curtains.

He was an idiot. He was a fucking idiot. Shouting at your friend who is clearly feeling like utter shit and finally opened up a little? Nice one Longbottom. 'Well maybe if you stopped feeling sorry for yourself for five bloody minutes', the words were still ringing in his ears. Neville groaned and buried his face in his pillow.

"Hey Neville, what's up?"

Neville lifted his head to see Seamus kneeling by his bed, sticking his face through the curtains.

"Me and Ebony had a fight." A pillow came flying through the air and smacked Seamus in the back of the head. He grabbed it and flung it back towards Dean

"Not now mate, Neville's having girl trouble."

"That's not what this is at all." He grumbled. He really wasn't in the mood for teasing.

"Come on, we all know you have a crush on Ebony," Dean said with a cheeky smile, coming over to join them.

"I don't and that is really not what we should be focusing on right now," Neville said, exasperated. He propped his head up with his elbows and recounted the argument in the hospital wing. It sounded even worse the second time round.

"Fucking hell mate." Seamus said finally. " That's quite a mess you've got yourself into."

"Tell me about it." Neville shoved his face back into his pillow.

"I think, " Dean suggested, " That the only way you can fix this is by talking to her."

"Yeah, " Seamus agreed. "But maybe don't, you know, yell at her this time?."

"Thanks, Why didn't I think of that?" Neville said, grabbing the pillow from under his head and swatting Seamus in the face.

...

The breeze was cool as Ebony made her way down to the greenhouse. Neville was tending to some sort of vine-like plant and looked up with a smile as she came in.

"Hi." She said with a wave.

"Hello, bloodtraitor." He replied with a grin. Ebony's blood ran cold and she looked at him in shock.

"Wh-what did you ju-just say?" She stammered.

"I said," Neville's expression darkened as he spoke. "You're a pathetic, worthless filthy bloodtraitor." Ebony flinched away from his words but when she turned back it was her fathers face looking back at her.

"It's all your fault. It's all your fault. It's all-"

"Stop it!" She screamed, covering her ears. She tried to back away but vines had grown up through the floor and were twisting their way around her ankles and up her legs. She tore at them with her nails but it just made them thicker. As they slithered up her body they turned black and sprouted buckles. All the while her father's voice boomed around her.

"It's all your fault. It's all your fault. It's all your fault"

Her father's face morphed into her mother's. "Oh look, it's the family disappointment." Her voice was shrill and sliced through the air. "Never thought a child of mine would grow up to be such an embarrassment."

Ebony was still covering her ears. "Stop it." She was begging now. "Please..."

"How about I teach you a little lesson sweetheart?"

No. No. No.

"Please mother, don't..."

"Crucio!"

Ebony sat up with a gasp, drenched in sweat, panting. She looked around in panic only to find that she was still in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was sat on the side of her bed with the end of her wand lit and hand on her shoulder. "It was just a dream."

Ebony screwed up her face and rubbed her eyes, wincing when she forgot about her bruise. It wasn't real. She took a deep breath. It wasn't real.

"Here," Madam Pomfrey held out a small vial.

"What is it?"

"Dreamless draught, " she said, "It'll help you get some sleep. Your body is weak, it needs rest."

Ebony took the bottle and drank. It tasted like sour milk. Madam Pomfrey tucked her back in.

As she sank back against the pillows a wave of coolness washed over her head. Everything suddenly felt empty. Like all the weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She felt as though she was floating, like on a cloud or in the middle of the ocean.

...

Neville spent the rest of the following day with a knot in his stomach. He knew he had to go and see Ebony and make things right but what if she didn't want to see him? What if she never wanted to speak to him again? She was the only proper friend he had, she understood him in a way that no one else did. While other people laughed at and mocked his forgetfulness, Ebony always helped him find what he had lost and remember things ( of course she always laughed at him first but that went without saying.)

He finally decided to go after dinner when he wouldn't be interrupted by needing to go to class.

When he arrived at the hospital wing he spent five minutes pacing outside the door before building up the courage to go in.

His nerves weren't helped when he was met with the harsh glare of Madam Pomfrey. She raised her eyebrows at him and jerked her head towards Ebony's bed. "I'd rather you didn't upset her again, she had a rough night." She said sternly before striding off down the ward.

Neville swallowed before edging his way over to his friend, if he could even still call her that. She was sat up in bed reading and didn't seem to notice him come over. He cleared his throat. "Hi."

"Hello." She said but didn't look up. Neville bit his lip and sat in the chair by her bed.

"Look, I'm sorry, I was an arsehole. I got frustrated and I took it out on you." He was trying hard not to sound like he was pleading. He had to stay calm and collected, at least that was what Seamus had told him to do. "I really am just trying to help. Honestly." He said earnestly. "I just don't really know what I'm doing."

Ebony gave a small sigh and closed her book. "Well, I guess I'm sorry too." She turned to look at him. "I may have overreacted."

"I don't think you did." He said. She shouldn't be apologising. She hadn't done anything. "I said some pretty shitty things." A sad smile played on her lips.

"It's just, talking about it, I was scared and I got upset and... well I guess I'm just not used to it"

"What?"

"People caring about me. Because I don't think anyone ever really has." Neville just stared at her, the words ringing in his ears. I don't think anyone ever really has. The next thing he knew, he was slipping onto the bed next to her and wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders.

"I care," he whispered, "I care so much it scares me." She tensed up initially, clearly unsure of how to react to the situation. Slowly but surely however she relaxed and melted into him and it wasn't long until he felt her grip tighten on his shirt, clinging onto him for dear life.

"Thank you." It was so quiet, more of a breath than actual speech, he almost missed it. His eyes began to water but this time he didn't try and stop the tears from flowing down his face. It killed him that she was grateful for something so simple. When they eventually broke apart Ebony was beaming, her eyes shining. "I care about you too, you know." She said, wiping his face with her sleeve.

"I'd bloody hope so, someone's got to help me not forget my own name." He said, giving a watery laugh. She snorted. "On the whole, I think we're both a bit shit at the whole sharing our feelings thing." Ebony laughed again and Neville couldn't help but feel his heart flutter in his chest. He decided it was his favourite sound in the whole world.

"You can say that again."

...