Got to do one of these every once in a while so here we go.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 7: Voldemort? Crazy? Madam Pomfrey?
So Longbottom wants to help? How very Gryffindor of him. It annoys Draco. Well, at least he has back up. He is not crazy. Yay. But crazy or fight Voldemort with bumbling Auror Longbottom and a traumatised kid? Crazy? Voldemort? Crazy? Voldemort? Crazy? Voldemort? Draco would prefer crazy. Screw Malfoy pride, he is going to die.
Longbottom is still standing there. "So, you need my help?" It has not quite registered with Draco that was what he asked. Before Longbottom can answer Ollie, who while they were distracted had slinked next to them and silently watched their exchange, interrupts. Draco thanks Merlin in his head. He does not need Longbottom of all people to think he is awkward. He has just been having a rough couple of days.
"You're Neville Longbottom," Ollie observes quietly. "The famous Auror." It does not sound like she is surprised by this. In fact, she seems a little awed by Longbottom. Longbottom. It is an injustice according to Draco, that it is not the Malfoy receiving the awe. Oh wait, he forgot his entire family name has been tarnished for generations to come.
Though Longbottom looks a tad astonished by the attention himself, he nods curtly. "You remember?"
Draco cuts across any response Ollie might have had. "Obviously," he drawls. "Idiot," he adds for good measure. Longbottom crosses his arms, resembling a stern parent about to reprimand a child. It irks Draco he is considered the child in this scenario.
"There's no need to get hostile, Malfoy. We can't afford to let past animosity," this is clearly a jab at Draco's previous bullying based on the pointed look aimed at him, "get in the way while we're dealing with this. We have to work together." So Longbottom is being the bigger man and not biting back. It is utterly infuriating. Damn Auror and his damn improved social skills. And truly, Draco cannot fault him for his impeccable vocabulary, spoken like a true Pureblood – albeit a lesser one, which technically he is. Draco thinks he can taste the burn of bile in the back of his throat. Conceding to Longbottom's not complete incompetency and sickening Gryffindor chivalry. This week keeps getting better and better. By that he means it is terrible.
How does one acknowledge his own defeat while still retaining his (quickly receding) pride? Do so grudgingly and slightly mockingly. Draco does so perfectly; "Yes, work together. Wonderful." Longbottom ignores the sarcasm.
"First thing's first, can you both walk me through what happened to you?" Oh goodie, Longbottom has entered interrogation mode. Did it have to be him? Draco laments in his head.
Thankfully Ollie takes the lead. Draco is relatively glad she is here, otherwise he and Longbottom might have already torn each other apart. "I just went to sleep like usual," based on Ollie's reaction earlier Draco doubts there is anything "usual" about her sleeping habits, "and I woke up two years younger. My roommates were acting different, like they didn't know…" she trails off, pale. After a moment she shakes herself and continues; "Then someone was talking about Professor Riddle and I ended up here." For a second Draco is grateful Longbottom is too much of a gentleman to ask her to elaborate. If he were in the same situation he is not so sure he would be as tactful and Ollie is sensitive. But just for a second.
Expectantly, Longbottom looks to Draco. His turn then. "The same with me basically," he grunts, leaving the insult he wants to throw in out. And it is a good one too – "Not that you can grasp the concept of basic beyond your stupidity." Damn it. Draco tucks it away for later. With Longbottom around to serve as inspiration his pillow will definitely be receiving a lot of masterful and witty slander soon. Maybe he will lighten up on the whole 'having a conscience' thing. After all of this Draco deserves a little opportunity to let his frustrations out on actual people. "I went to sleep, woke up at Hogwarts with a headache, found out the wizard who ruined my life is alive and apparently respected and went berserk on him, snapping his wand and winding up in the Hospital Wing for being 'crazy'. What about you, Longbottom? Have you got any heroic tales to tell? Any illuminating information to share?" Okay, Draco may be overdoing the sarcasm. He is stressed. Really, really stressed and Longbottom is the perfect target. He is not so cruel as to taunt a traumatised girl. Come on, give him a little credit!
Yes, Draco is really, really, really stressed.
"No," Longbottom replies without a hint of malice. Goddamn it! "It was the same with me, without the freaking out and cursing Voldemort," Longbottom adds awkwardly, scratching behind his ear. It is nice for Draco to know he is not a completely different person. How different can Neville Longbottom get in two years? "Honestly, I have no idea what is happening," Longbottom admits. "But we need to figure it out." Man, does Longbottom sound like a cheesy, overly brave and self-sacrificing stereotype or what? Draco should be paid to listen to this.
Before Longbottom can launch into a full-fledged motivational speech Madam Pomfrey bustles in, looking prepared to shoo him away with a broom. "It has been over five minutes," she declares, her tone implying Longbottom should be thankful for that much. "The patients need their rest." Draco swears she could have been a bodyguard for how fiercely protective she is. One look could scare away the toughest of criminals.
"Of course. Thank you for allowing me to see them," Longbottom says sincerely. Someone pass Draco a bucket, he is going to throw up. He can practically see the considerate light and polite sparkles shimmering off of him. Longbottom leaves as Madam Pomfrey leads Ollie back to her bed.
"Come along now dear," Madam Pomfrey coaxes. They do not get far. A crackle of lightning, spitting sparks, strikes the middle of the Hospital Wing. It sends Madam Pomfrey and Ollie flying to the ground. Longbottom barrels back into the room, wand raised while Draco mindlessly screams; "What the fuck was that?!" He scrambles for his wand but realises it is in Madam Pomfrey's office. Well. Crap.
Another bolt of lightning resounds down the wall, leaving harsh black trails in its wake. Longbottom fires a spell and Madam Pomfrey, recovering from her daze, pulls her own wand out of her billowing sleeve and proceeds to do the same. Draco yelps as the windows shatter, glass raining down near his bed. He jumps up only to have another realisation he has nowhere to go. Well. Double crap.
Ollie sprints across the Wing, shrieking as she dodges the sudden stream of burning electricity with the help of a fast spell from Longbottom. If he had not cast that spell quickly enough she would be fried. The thought terrifies Draco. But he has no time to worry about the reckless abandon of a third year, technically a fifth year, in the chaos. Several charred bodies, nearly formless with rippled grey skin, tumble from the ceiling. They look like unconscious acrobats performing for a crowd, after being burnt alive. Oh Merlin, Draco is going to throw up for real! No sarcasm involved to make a point now. Not with the rotting stench blanketing his senses, gag reflex kicking in as a response to the assault. Instead of hitting the ground the bodies jerk up and down like puppets, apparently attached to spider web thin strings. One is close enough that Draco can see the grey skin flaking from its misshapen body. Arms and legs jut out from its torso at unnatural angles, a poor imitation of life in a peeling, wrinkled shell. Fuel for nightmares. Madam Pomfrey knocks two down, one crumpling and the other's limbs thrown across the room, leaking black sand-like substance. Longbottom explodes one into dust with an echoing reducto.
Something red and sticky starts to seep onto the floors from seemingly nowhere as another lightning bolt booms. Screw his wand, Draco is getting out of here. Dashing madly, Draco slips on the liquid covering the floor and lands in it as he flees, on all fours. The position of the pathetic, the weak. Prey. With a passing thought – is this blood? – he skitters to his feet. A puppet corpse thing seems to bounce out of nowhere into Draco's path, its empty face level with him. It dances forward as Draco jumps back but with all traction lost he loses his footing again. The corpse flops onto Draco as he hits the ground, smothering him. It is not cold and clammy like he expected but warm and wet. Draco imagines in a brief flash someone hugging warmth into them. Or siphoned blood so abundant that it poured out, leaving husks lined with escaping heat. With those images fresh in mind, Draco shudders and pushes it off him. He slips and fumbles towards the door, racing out of the Hospital Wing. Ollie bursts out behind him, followed by Longbottom, both drenched in the red substance.
"We need to get out of here!" Longbottom cries.
"You think I don't know that?" Draco shouts back, already running after the Auror.
Careening after them, Ollie yells; "What about Madam Pomfrey?" They run past some teachers, screeching for information at their backs and attempting to stop them. The three are too fast and escape the scene.
"The teachers will help her!" Draco responds without slowing. And so Longbottom, Draco and Ollie press on.
A/N: I am not one hundred percent satisfied with my characterisation of Draco. He is missing some of that bullying bite he had in the books, which is disappointing because it was part of his... well, not charm but I suppose interest as a character. But there is more to him than that and I hope I retained most of it while also developing his character (as it has been two years and he went through a very harrowing experience). Please tell me what you think in reviews or PMs. I also realise that his swearing may seem out of character but I have thought long and hard on the topic. I did not just add them because they are part of my everyday vocabulary or for no good reason but because Draco always idolised his parents and his lifestyle. I saw signs during the war that Draco was beginning to rebel slightly against them and I believe this was only the beginning. Up until that point I did not really see true rebellion from him but as a teenager and with Draco's personality it was more than likely he might. In my opinion his anger and angst that probably evolved after the war would cause him to act out, even if it is only in small ways. So my Draco started using swears, alone of course, he isn't that much of a rebel. This goes against his upbringing while not being full-blown. In a way it is very cunning rebellion as it is simple, something he consciously chose to do, easily hidden but also contrary to everything he was ever taught. It does not even require much effort. So Slytherin. Draco knows the power of words, he was never very physical after all. Also it is convenient to express Draco's changed persona but at the same time something that can seem very Draco. He is somehow dirty but polished simultaneously.
Maybe you agree, maybe you don't. Let me know. Reviews, even negative ones, are always appreciated. Though constructive criticism is more welcome than hollow flames. Suggest improvements! I wish to learn. Draco's character analyse over. Sorry about rambling. I was just getting that off my chest.