Hope you enjoy as always ^^

Chapter 4

Perched in the hallway with his face staring at the glossy white door, Neville appeared to be a marble statue.

Shuffling could be heard through the walls, Draco's voice ringing with annoyance as Snape's told a more sympathetic story which seemed to irritate the other further and his shouts became louder.

Harry stood next to Neville, a familiar smile splattered across his features as he tried to ignore the conflict directly beside him.

"We should go through, you might be able to reason with him. You are the only one he has had contact with for a while," said Harry gently but there was a hint of command in his tone.

Deciding doing what he was told was a pleasant distraction from Draco's rage, he pranced straight into the mouth of the Dragon while conviently forgetting exactly who he was genuinely furious with.

Draco's face was white but his features were pulled into a sneer, his voice dripping fury as he continued to rant at his godfather, listing the risks of holding a fugitive especially when your own freedom was so disputed.

Neville almost felt sorry for Draco as he appeared to be completely unaware to the ways in which wizarding society had changed. They were still completely terrified of any possible Death Eaters and the return of Voldemort that many of them believed to be readily possible now but the ministry were better equipped to deal with any such problems. Due largely to the spread of Order members across every department and the new minister.

"Look Malfoy, you don't have to worry. It will be easy to clear your name, we just need to talk to some people," said Harry.

"Of course you just need to talk to some people! Do you think I want your fucking help Potty, why the fuck didn't you try that before!" snapped Draco, standing in front of Harry's face.

"You disappeared before the final battle, what the hell could I do about that?"

Draco growled and sank his fist directly into Harry's nose, it crunched horrifically as Neville and Snape stared on, agape. Both wondering where Draco had managed to draw the strength.

Harry sighed, waved his wand over his face and the blood was cleared, his nose magically resetting itself.

This easy recovery seemed to instil a further fire in Draco and he launched himself forward, his fists colliding harshly with any part of Harry he could reach.

Snape grabbed a hold of Draco, pulling him away from his partner and hissing in his ear.

All the while, Neville stood watching as though it were a movie scene and not something playing before him.

Relieving himself from the steel grip of his godfather, Draco straightened himself but remained still. Clearly realising that attacking Harry appeared to be getting him no closer to his escape. He turned to Neville, a cruel smile littered across his sweat damp face.

"Useless as always Longbottom? So it's just not in bed where you just cannot perform?"

Mortification caused Neville to colour a deep shade of red and he whipped around, running for the front door to try and avoid the shocked and amused faces of Harry and Snape.

He charged out of the door and towards the bottom of the garden, hitting an invisible force which propelled him backwards into a flowerbed, his limp frame crushing delicate blooms.

His heart was racing as his blood ran through his body at dangerous levels. It was as though lying there was impossible but moving seemed to be a feat beyond his capabilities too, so he remained there in the soft earth while breathing harshly, trying to forget the situation he was still submerged in.

"He's irrational when he's angry Snape said. I'd say more like a whiny bitch but that's Malfoy for you. I don't understand why he thinks getting fucked by greasy old men would be better than being surrounded by your people," Harry said, sitting beside Neville on the flowerbed while clutching an ice bag to his left eye.

"I think he is trying to protect Snape. I don't think he realises how things are different," said Neville quietly, while praying he had the courage to ask his friend to just leave him alone.

"I guess but he didn't need to freak out."

"Guess that is how he reacts."

"What did he mean? Did you have sex?"

"We didn't…"

"You were going to?"

"I didn't go through with it…"

"Do you like him? Wanna fuck him, like him?"

Neville sighed and sat up, turning to face the house. It was completely silent and he wondered if Harry had retaliated and knocked Draco unconscious, he had seen Harry fistfight before and it had not been a pleasant experience for his attacker.

"Nev?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

"I don't really know right now…"

With his eyes closed, Draco could only hear distant hints of Severus fumbling in the kitchen and it reminded him poignantly of the first time he had found himself at Longbottom's apartment.

The noise the tea tray whilst being placed on the table wakened Draco from his wonderings and he was confronted by the stern face of his godfather.

"You should not have been so vicious towards Harry."

"Sorry, assumed Potter was your bitch. Must be the other way around."

"Where does this anger come from exactly?"

"Why the fuck couldn't Longbottom just leave me where I was?"

"You would prefer to be there?" asked Severus in disbelief.

"I did not want to come back to a world where I could not express anything I thought to anyone as I could not trust them. I could not even trust my parents…"

"Things have changed since the end of the war, they are a lot more simple. You would not have to reassess yourself every thirty seconds."

"Perhaps but I cannot be bothered with the continued glorifying of Potter when he had Dumbledore and everyone else giving him a step by step guide at every interlude."

"They all seem like petty reasons to flee your home."

"This is not my home. I do not belong here anymore. Did anyone besides you every wonder where I was? It was not like Potter had gone missing, no that would be the end of the world…"

"Jealousy was never becoming on you Draco," sighed Snape, his hand stirring his tea leisurely.

"I'm not jealous, I just did not want to become another member of the "We Owe Harry Potter Our Lives" Club…"

"You don't, I believe you owe Longbottom."

Draco snorted, " Yes as he is the perfect example of a hero. Run away and let everyone else deal with the explosion."

"Considering you are not the typical damsel in distress I do believe Longbottom does not have to be the typical knight in shining armour."

"What are you trying to imply?"

"You are more than just a pretty face Draco, you know what I mean."

"He clearly cannot handle me," Draco stated, opting not to dance around the issue.

"Well perhaps if you left him better equipped, maybe Longbottom needs an incentive to put in the effort."

"I honestly do not get you…"

"If you made Longbottom realise his efforts would not be in vain, he might be more willing to make the effort."

"Trying to say Longbottom is lazy?"

"No at all, just that he is not confident enough in his own abilities to believe he can capture you all on his own. That would be why he was willing to pay for you services."

"He wouldn't let me do anything."

"He has a strong moral code as a lion."

Silence descended but it was comforting. The way they were before this all happened, when Draco would sit in Severus' rooms with him during the weeknends, both reading and completely enchanted by the words in front of them but still appreciative of the other's presence.

"Why can you read me so well?" he asked finally.

Severus smirked, placing his teacup to his lips.

"Simple, Draco. You are just like your father only sane."

Swallowing his pride, Draco stepped into the garden and sat cross-legged beside Neville.

Harry turned his head suddenly, glaring in Draco's direction but occasionally his gaze would lightly ghost over Neville for a second.

The Great Protector, though Draco.

"Can I talk to Longbottom for a second," Draco stated more than asked.

Potter looked tempted to say no but slipped away, his steps sharp as Draco paid close attention, waiting for them to fade.

"I'm sorry" he announced suddenly.

Part of brain celebrated while the other half was dumbfounded, Neville was unsure whether to believe what he just heard.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah but I stupidly trusted you not to run to Potter, I had a right to be angry."

"I guess…I just wanted to…stop you suffering."

"You could have saved me, you didn't need to call the Gryffindor brigade."

"I couldn't've," he muffled softly, defeat clear in his voice.

Falling back into the flowers, Draco let millions of thoughts drift in front of him. Whilst trying to avoid considering his next action, as various irrational and ridiculous ideas seemed to the forefront of his mind.

Then a weight over him made him open his eyes.

And there he was.

His eyes were intense, flecks of amber through the hazel flamed and caused a strong sense of hunger to radiate from the orbs. Lazily, his tongue skirted over his bottom lip, he was nervous but determined and continued to stare down at Draco.

Finding the desperate need in his stomach impossible to bare and unable to deny those eyes, Draco pulled those lips against his.

Perfect.

Like before but better.

Barriers had vanished.

Nothing existed but their bodies and the natural rhythm of their lips as Draco sunk further into a deep but warm ocean, Neville's body above him the only thing keeping him from drowning but he wondered if really drowning in this way would really be so bad.

Then he was gone.

Draco opened his eyes again.

Neville was flushed, his skin covered in a dusty of pink as his eyes were wide and the thudding of heart could be felt through the thin, damp layers of their clothing.

He made to move but Draco grabbed the back of his neck.

"Not this time you don't," he panted, pressing their lips together and floating back into the ocean.

Another chapter done.

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