"Grim's child I tell you! I will not let you curse our family anymore!" Draco and Harry woke up to a screaming woman's voice.

"Bu-but", a squeak sounded.

Snapping up into alertness, Draco cautiously stood up on silent feet, peering around the alley, a wandless Disillusion Charm up.

There was a round-faced big-eyed little boy cowering against the alley wall and a woman on the opposite side, looking at him like he was a disease.

"Don't come back, Neville, you aren't part of this family anymore", the woman spat and proceeded to disapparate with a pop!.

That was when the little boy (apparently his name was Neville) broke out in pitiful, howling cries, curling into himself even further.

Draco groaned as the ground rose up, dirt and asphalt spraying everywhere, hitting him and Harry in the face before he put up a shield. Goddamn accidental magic. Or perhaps an Earth elemental.

Walking over towards the crying boy, Draco waved off his Disillusion Charm and put a hand on Neville's knee, startling him as the boy let out a yelp.

"Neville", Draco whispered. "Please stop".

Now, Draco didn't know anything about social skills or comforting and that showed as Neville started bawling his eyes out even more at his words.

Contemplating the idea of just silencing the boy and put up protective wards on his alley, Draco sighed. No, he couldn't do that.

"Neville, I won't hurt you I promise", Draco whispered. "Erm are you disowned?"

Draco took the increase of tears as affirmative.

"Erm I am too. And so is Harry", he awkwardly continued, pointing at the raven-haired boy behind him.

The tears seemed to slow down a bit at that.

"Here eat", Draco conjured up ice cream for the boy. It apparently made people feel better or at least that was what the Dailey Prophet advertisements said.

Neville looked up at the ice cream and proceeded to continue crying with the added on stealing of ice cream.

Draco looked up at Harry for help but the only thing he saw on his face was scorn. Right. Harry had told Draco about his life: the neglect, escape, orphanage, all of it. "Emotions are pathetic, Draco", Harry had said.

Accepting that he was on his own, Draco flashed in a Calming Draught and handed it to Neville. Obviously recognizing the drink, he immediately downed it without protest.

As the cries subsided, Draco saw Harry opening his mouth, probably to say something scathing and make him start bawling again. Draco was not about to let that happen.

Without even looking, Draco shot a silencing charm at Harry and was glad when he didn't hear anything else from the raven-haired boy.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked in a whisper.

"I- kill- grandma- left", Neville replied brokenly as his sobs started again.

He killed someone and then his grandma left him here. What did she mean by Grim's child? Grim's child is the basilisk. Eyes... He has basilisk eyes. Draco's own eyes widened as he stared at Neville. Or he could literally be Grim's child and be able to kill someone just by willing them to die. Probably not though. Only the Grim can do that. Unless he shapeshifted into this human. But no, his magical aura is untainted by shapeshifting magic. Albeit, it is very strong.

"Did you um, look at someone's eyes and then they died?" Draco asked, testing one of his theories.

Neville let out a nod, crying harder. Well that proved it.

"Uncle Algie- push me out- window- saw red- die", Neville continued and Draco nodded.

Basilisks have two eye skins. Second is a protection against the mortals they don't want to kill. Once opened, the basilisk can kill. Huh. Well, his uncle Algie apparently wanted to kill the kid so I can't blame him.

Draco turned to Harry. "Basilisk eyes. Kill with eye contact. He apparently killed his uncle".

Harry's expression morphed into a poker face. Well, at least it wasn't open scorn. Draco could tell Harry understood what Neville was going through and was sympathetic enough.

Draco turned back to Neville and realized that the boy had cried himself to sleep. Sighing, Draco conjured a mattress and apparated Neville over to it, dropping him unceremoniously.

"Are we taking him in?" Harry asked.

"I suppose so", Draco sighed, rubbing a hand on his face. "I'm continuing my lycanthropy research. Don't disturb me. Tell Neville that too. And for Merlin's sake, don't be rude".

Harry nodded in understanding. He wasn't about to make Neville cry again. Firstly, it was annoying. And secondly, he could understand Neville. They were all monsters. Spending the past few weeks with the blonde, Harry coaxed out that Draco had tortured people before. Draco told him about how he had fed nightmares to people until they went insane because because the blonde 6-year-old boy was angry with the world. And how said boy had discovered that when he was crying angry, jealous, and/or sad tears, they burned through skin in the most torturous way. Draco used that at one point. He took pleasure from the torture and the revenge but felt hollow inside afterwards.

It was like a drug.

Harry completely understood that.

They all understood.


The phoenix's child, the basilisk's brother, the dementor's friend.

But that wasn't all.


A/N Fun. Neville joined the party. WeLp.

Constructive criticism is appreciated. I edit every one of my documents every time I update so if you want to go back and check it out be my guest (I don't really edit much though so you don't have to).

Question:

Time skip or no?

Circi