veiled truths by ayumi-nb

Rating: PG13
Genres: Angst, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 4
Published: 01/04/2013
Last Updated: 01/04/2013
Status: Completed

[sequel to “built in the cold”, 7th year au] They became official that very night and everything
was great. But then everything went horribly wrong. Headmaster Dumbledore died and Harry decided it
was better to be noble than to be happy.




1. veiled truths
----------------



So, yeah, I couldn't really help but think what would the 7th book be like if
Neville had been there instead of Ron. I suppose it'd be very different, or maybe not, I mean
essentially they would still need to search for the Horcruxes (as I decided to keep that part of
the canon), but one thing is sure.

Neville wouldn't have left. No matter what. I just don't see him walking out on Harry
and Hermione if they became the best friends they were to Ron.

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**“veiled truths”**

**(sequel to “b****uilt** **i****n** **t****he** **c****old****”,
7****th** **year au // They became official that very night and everything was
great. But then everything went horribly wrong. Headmaster Dumbledore died and Harry decided it was
better to be noble than to be happy.)**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****** **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

This is what it takes.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

In the end, Hermione wins the argument and he gets to drink the Polyjuice Potion.

Not that he considers it a victory, the stuff is completely gross, but Neville supposes it's
a small price to pay when compared with what Harry has had to deal these last seventeen years.

*A Horcrux. Bloody fucking hell.*

Now *that* is an argument he does not wish to revisit. Ever. *(He can still hear the
screaming, the denial, the heart-breaking sobs, the apologies, the forgiveness; he can still
remember the exact moment their perfectly constructed charade fell apart.)* But, in hindsight,
it really wasn't that surprising, and it explained a lot *(the Parseltongue, the*
**connection***)*.

As he waits for the transformation to end, Neville realizes his companions are arguing, yet
again. He sighs, wishing they would stop pretending, wishing they would realize how utterly idiotic
is to suppress their feelings in a misguided attempt to protect each other. But, Neville knows, he
can wish many things; ultimately though, Harry and Hermione are the most stubborn people and if
they don't want to acknowledge their mistake, then no one will be able to force them.

Sometimes, he really wants to slap some reason into them.

“I have to go, Hermione! You *need* me to sense the other Horcruxes,” says Harry, almost
snapping at her.

Hermione tries to resist, battling with her very instinct to protect him, and really, protecting
Harry is their priority now, but the green-eyed boy has a point. So, she sighs resigned. “All
right. *But*. You will do as I say, Harry. Do not go off alone and do something rash; no
playing hero tonight, we're only going to see if there's something that will help on our
quest.”

Harry looks like he's about to complain, and seeing as the minutes are ticking by and they
only have an hour before the effects of the potion fade, Neville steps in. “She's right,
Harry,” he says, coughing a few time, unused to having his voice sound so raspy. “We're not
going to engage any Death Eater in battle.”

Harry clenches his jaw but nods nonetheless and drapes his Invisibility Cloak over his
shoulders. “Let's go then.”

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Godric's Hollow is peacefully quiet on this Christmas' Eve.

Of course it is; these people know nothing of the chaos and destruction Voldemort is leaving in
his wake.

He walks through the deserted street, Hermione at his side, in silence. Harry trails them;
making use of the footprints he leaves on the snow to avoid being discovered. They pass by the
monument of his family and the silence turns suffocating. They don't stop, that's not the
purpose of this visit, he knows, but Neville wishes they could, if only to allow Harry some kind of
moment with his parents. They pass by the Potter's house and he can tell Harry's still
following them because of the pained gasp echoing behind him.

Neville doesn't think he's ever admired Harry more as he does now, for he knows that, if
*he'd* been in his place, he would've stopped in front of the monument and the house;
he knows he would've collapsed, the pain too much to bear.

They stop in front of a kissing gate, though. Neville is about to ask why when he sees the
graveyard, a few meters ahead of where they stand. He probably misses a cue or something, because
Hermione glances behind him and nods, then turns and starts walking ahead and into the graveyard.
As soon as they start wandering among the graves, he feels Harry brush past him, and he
understands.

Footprints appear out of nowhere in front of him and Harry walks away.

Hermione nudges him with her elbow, pointing to their left. “Let's look around for a
bit.”

He nods and follows her, casting a sidelong glance in the direction he thinks Harry is. After a
few minutes, Neville starts to wonder if Harry found the place he is looking for, but he can hear
the crushing of snow under boots and knows Harry is stills walking around, because he and Hermione
have stopped in front of a tomb with the symbol of the Hallows engraved on it. Hermione is
murmuring something, but he doesn't pay attention, his focus on their surroundings.

It's how they work. Hermione is the genius of the trio, so of course he and Harry take
charge of making sure no one and nothing sneaks up on them while she's working on something
while away from their camp. And now that Harry is… occupied elsewhere, it's obviously his
responsibility to ensure their safety.

Hermione stops murmuring and stands, only then, it comes to Neville he can no longer hear
Harry's footsteps. Cursing inwardly, he grabs Hermione's arm and starts walking around. He
knows they've wasted too much time here already, and they still need to find Bathilda Bagshot.
Luckily, before they start calling his name, Harry takes his Cloak off, reappearing a few feet to
their left. They hurry to his side, a reprimand on the tip of Neville's tongue that gets caught
there as his eyes fall on the names engraved on the tomb.

Neville stops, respecting the need for Harry to do this alone *(like he does every time he
visits his parents)*, but Hermione keeps walking until she's standing right next to him. He
watches as Hermione conjures up some flowers and lets Harry place them on his parent's grave.
Once Harry stands up again, Hermione slips her arms around him and presses her face into his
shoulder.

They're crying.

Briefly, Neville wonders what it will take for them to realize that this “we're just best
friends” charade is on huge mistake. He has no answer. For now, though, he'll give them their
privacy and be their protector.

**~**

*(Neville looked up from his homework and smiled. He was in the library with Harry and
Hermione. And even though it'd been two years since Harry had the fallout with Ron, since Harry
chose to start spending time with him, since he became part of the new Trio, he still found it hard
to believe.*

*Two years, obviously, fell short to the three years of friendship they had with Ron, but
maybe that was why his betrayal hurt Harry so much—Ron* **shouldn't** *have
doubted.*

*He probably shouldn't feel good about that, but it gave him two great friends and,
looking at the big picture, Ron never really* **was** *a good friend.*

*Looking up again, Neville caught Harry and Hermione sharing private glances; he grinned. They
broke the glance and turned back to their homework; Hermione's face lighted up with a gentle
blush while the back of Harry's neck shone a bright red. Neville grinned again, shaking his
head slightly, and resumed his scribbling.*

*It puzzled him to see those two still dancing around each other—the signs were all*
**there***! Neville knew, had he not interrupted them two years ago when Harry nearly drowned
in the Black Lake, they would now be an official couple. But they were not, officially. Because,
while he had never walked in on them kissing or anything, the slightly prolonged touches and
secretive smiles and unspoken conversation and shared looks spoke of a bond much deeper than those
of simple best friends. Granted, Harry and Hermione had never been* **simple** *best
friends, but their level of closeness had never been quite what it was now, like… like it was*
**imperative** *that they be together whenever they could—close, always so close,* **too
close***.*

*It was an unconscious thing on their part, he knew, because he asked Harry once and the
raven-haired boy only gave him this confused look in return. He could ask Hermione, but honestly,
he didn't wish to have his bollock hexed off.*

*Looking at his mostly blank parchment, Neville thought he should stop thinking about his best
friends' love life and finish his essay, but something compelled him to look up again.*

*He did. And stared.*

*Harry and Hermione were doing it again, sharing their looks. But this felt different,
like—like they came to a long awaited decision, Neville thought. And he was right, because then,
forgetting about him completely, they both stood up and walked away, disappearing behind some
bookshelves.*

*Looking at his mostly blank parchment, Neville thought he* **really** *should stop
thinking about his best friends' love life and finish his essay. Instead, he stood up as well
and followed them.*

*He stopped before rounding the corner where he saw them disappear. Most students avoided this
part of the library a**s* *it had ou**t-dated books and they all preferred the*
*newest editions. Neville avoided it too, but of course Hermione would not. The library was
mostly deserted so of course they would have more privacy back there.*

*So Neville was not really surprised to find them kissing. He wasn't surprised when the
kissing turned into snogging and Harry pressed Hermione against one of the bookshelves, his hands
getting lost under her jumper while hers tried to gain access to the skin under his shirt. He
wasn't even surprised when Harry grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up onto the bookshelf, but
he did thought he ought to respect their privacy. So, Neville turned and went back to their
table.*

*Minutes later, they returned; their clothes were rumpled and their hair wilder than usual,
but they were smiling genuinely, without restriction, and holding hands, so Neville just smiled
back and asked Hermione to help him with his essay because he was hitting a brick wall and
couldn't complete it.*

*They became official that very night and everything was great.*

*But then everything went horribly wrong. Headmaster Dumbledore died and Harry decided it was
better to be noble than to be happy.*

*They became unofficial again before they board the Hogwarts' Express for the last
time.)*

**~**

The Polyjuice Potion fades seconds after they enter the house. Neville can't shake the
feeling that *that's* some sort of sign for them to leave before something happens.

Harry follows Bathilda Bagshot up the stairs while he and Hermione are left to wander the house.
Immediately, Hermione goes for the bookshelves, searching for anything that might be useful to
their search, so he decides to search the other rooms.

When he finds the bloodied room there's an explosion coming from upstairs. Hermione is
already up when he reaches the stairs and it's probably for the best, because she's just in
time to push Harry out of the way. Neville sees the snake *(Nagini)* rear back, getting ready
to strike again, and he acts impulsively. His arm snaps up and the Reductor Curse leaves his wand
before he can't properly think, but it does its job and he has just enough time to reach their
side.

Harry's wounded and he's pressing his scar, Hermione's holding a broken wand, and
Nagini is ready to strike again. Neville has just enough time to grab hold of their hands.

And then he Apparates them back to the camp.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hermione manages to flush Nagini's poison out of Harry, but it takes her time and there are
too many close calls. She succeeds, but just barely.

Harry remains weak and in bed for two days, Hermione remains by his side at all times, only
because Neville offers to take over the watch until Harry recovered fully. Not that she puts up
much of a fight. And he doesn't resent her, really, she's his best friend and he wants the
best for her.

And maybe it is his doing that she's glued to Harry's side now. Maybe it's his doing
that Harry stops his attempts at keeping her at arm's length. Maybe it's his doing that
they're back to being official again.

*“We almost died,* **again***. So why do you keep each other at arm's length? You
two don't want to end up crying over a corpse and regret the lost time, do you? Your parents
found happiness in darker times, Harry. Why can't you?”*

No, not maybe. Definitely.

So, this is what it takes.

The proverbial kick in the arse. And just in time, too, thinks Neville as they watch the Sword
of Gryffindor glistening under the frozen lake, because there's no time for unwanted tension
and words that veil the truth.

Not when, *finally*, they are one step closer to end this bloody War.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****** **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**End.**

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