A/N: I think this one's the longest so far. xD It was one of the most fun to write, too! Alas, I still have no reviews. Is this pairing really that unpopular?
When Draco stumbles across Neville, it's almost eight o'clock at night, on a Thursday, in the middle of winter. By any rights, all Gryffindor's should have been in bed and fast asleep, safe from being caught out of bounds by a teacher. Not barricaded in one of the bathroom stalls on the fourth floor - which was exactly where he is right now.
At least, Draco thinks it's Neville. No one else has a toad loyal enough to sit on the sink directly across from a closed stall. Or a toad at all, for that matter.
"Longbottom?" he drawls, rapping his knuckles against the closed stall. Purely because he wants to be able to rat on the boy later, of course, because it's the only closed stall in the entire room.
There's no answer. Just the sound of too-loud breathing that echoes off of the porcelain walls.
Slightly concerning actually, because Neville always answers. Doesn't matter who's speaking to him or poking fun at him, he always answers. He's naive like that, Draco knows, even though he's already in Third Year.
Slightly irritated at being ignored, and maybe a touch set off, he raps his knuckles on the stall again. "Longbottom?"
Again, no verbal answer. There's a shuffling sound though, like robes being moved, and a slight thud as something bumps into the wall.
"I know you're in there, Longbottom." snaps Draco, and why hasn't he just left yet? The boy isn't even in Slytherin, is far from his friend, but hadn't he gotten Draco that book on Herbology last month?
"Go 'way..." mutters Neville, and his voice is muffled, words slurred.
It sets all sorts of alarms off in the blond's mind and, suddenly, he's using his wand to force the door open and flicking on the lights at the same time. And then he's frozen because, while he didn't know what to expect, it certainly isn't this.
Neville's sprawled on the floor, back and shoulders leaning against the wall; his hair is sopping and dripping down onto his face, his shoulders, his back; robes are torn and disheveled. There's blood too, smeared across his chin and mouth, dripping down from a crooked nose, covering the left eye, which is painted in bold shades of blue and purple and ringed in black. He looks more than battered and just shy of broken.
Draco's mouth moves but he isn't aware of anything coming out. Something must though, because Neville shifts and looks at him, eyes not really focused.
"Dr'co?" he manages to ask, and then Neville finds himself hauled to his feet by magic, floating in air and no longer hurting - and, yes, Draco is taking the Gryffindor child to the medical wing, and bullocks on anyone who asks.
