alisanne

Title: Full Circle
Author:

alisanne
Pairing/Characters: Neville Longbottom/Draco Malfoy.
Word Count: 100 x 12
Rating: PG
Challenge: Written for

neville100/

neville100's prompt# 360: Full circle.
Warning(s)/Genre: Angst, Pre-slash.
Beta(s):

sevfan and

emynn.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

~

Full Circle

~

“You’re serving detention with Malfoy, Longbottom.” Alecto Carrow smirked. “He’ll be practicing his Cruciatus Curse on you this evening.”

Neville tried not to flinch, but he couldn’t help it.

Alecto’s smirk widened. “Looks like everything’s about to come full circle. Malfoy’s aunt is the one who made your parents who they are today with that curse. Isn’t that perfect?”

Neville clenched his hands into fists, slowly unclenching them when he noticed Malfoy’s complexion had turned a bit green.

Alecto, moving towards the door didn’t notice. “And feel free to experiment, Malfoy. I give points for…creativity.”

“Yes, Professor,” Malfoy said.

~

“Make it good, Malfoy,” Alecto cackled. “I’ll circle back later.”

When the door closed, Malfoy sighed. “Relax, Longbottom, I’m not hexing you.”

Neville raised an eyebrow. “You’re meant to be perfecting your Cruciatus Curse on me.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes. “I’m aware of what I’m meant to do, but I’m not obeying that horrible, inbred cretin.”

“Okay. Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why?”

Malfoy huffed. “This wasn’t what I signed up for. You’re a pure-blood, part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.”

Neville hummed. “So you’d be okay torturing, say, Seamus?”

Malfoy sighed. “No. I don’t want to torture anyone.”

~

Neville frowned. “Then why stay here? Why not…leave?”

“I’ve no choice! He’s taken over my home, my parents are hostages, he’s already upset I when couldn’t kill—” Malfoy paused.

Neville stared at him. “You’ve killed?”

Malfoy pulled back his left sleeve, displaying his surprisingly clean arm. “See a Mark?”

Neville shook his head.

Malfoy’s shoulders sagged. “To earn it, I must commit murder. But I’m no killer, so—”

“So get out,” Neville whispered. “Escape.”

“And go where?” Malfoy sneered. “Home isn’t safe, they’d hunt me down, circle me like a Crup and kill me rather than let me go.”

~

Neville bit his lip. Was this a trap? But no, Malfoy was sincere. He coughed. “I’ve a way.”

“To?”

“Escape.”

Malfoy snorted. “If you can escape, why’re you in detention with me?”

Neville smiled. “For Ginny.”

Malfoy’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

Neville shrugged. “I took Ginny’s place. They blamed her for something, so I said I did it. Then—”

“She disappeared last night—” Malfoy licked his lips. “Where’d she go?”

“We’ve a hiding place,” Neville said. “She’s safe.”

“And you’re offering me the same chance?”

Neville nodded. “You’ve spared me, so your good deed’s come full circle. Interested?”

Slowly, Malfoy nodded.

~

“Make this look good,” Neville said once they’d hashed out the plan.

Malfoy shot him an irritated look. “I’ll play my part, Longbottom. Just make sure you play yours. I don’t want this circling back to bite me in the arse.”

“Me either.” Neville eyed his torn shirt critically. “Maybe more blood?”

“Fine.” Waving his wand, Malfoy conjured more blood onto Neville’s chest. “Satisfactory?”

“It’ll have to be.” Neville lay down, closing his eyes. “She’s back.”

“How are—? Oh!” Alecto sounded surprised. “What did you do?”

“Hexed him.” Malfoy sounded smug.

“Excellent, Malfoy! We’ll make you a Death Eater yet.”

~

“Longbottom?”

Neville, on a cot in the infirmary, sat up. “Over here, Malfoy.”

Malfoy crept into the infirmary, eyes circling the room. “Are you the only one here?”

“Yes. The others returned to their dorms.” Neville smiled. “Madam Pomfrey’s…a friend.”

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. “She’s helping hide students?”

“She doesn’t know where they are, but when I told her I needed to stay here tonight, she knew what that meant.”

“Useful.” Malfoy inclined his head. “Can we go now?”

“Nervous?” asked Neville, swinging his legs out of bed. Dressing, he grabbed his bag.

“You blame me?”

Neville smiled. “No.”

~

As Neville led the way, Malfoy asked, “Are we going to the Room of Requirement?”

“You know about that?”

“It’s how I let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts last year,” Malfoy said. “We…I mean I haven’t been able to locate it since.”

A wave of adrenaline washed through Neville. “I haven’t seen it since fifth-year when Umbridge burst in,” he lied, passing the correct spot.

“Ah.” Malfoy nodded. “So where are we going?”

Neville gestured. “We’re circling back to Hufflepuff. There’s a way out through there.”

“Is there really?”

“Umhm,” Neville hummed. And then everything went to shit.

~

“Good work, Malfoy,” purred Alecto, stepping into the hallway. “He led us right to their exit. I knew you could be persuasive if inspired.”

Neville spun, glaring at Malfoy. “I tried to help you!”

Malfoy looked away. “I’d no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.”

“Enough talk!” snapped Alecto. “I’ll take it from here. Malfoy, take him to my office. I’ll deal with him soon.”

Nodding, Malfoy pushed his wand into Neville’s back, steering him back down the hall. “I’m sorry,” he said, loud enough for Alecto to hear.

“Not as sorry as you will be,” Neville said, dropping his bag.

~

Darkness boiled out of the bag.

Malfoy gasped, his wand wavering.

In that moment, Neville ran. He’d navigated those hallways in the dark so many times he knew exactly where he was, and within moments, was standing before the Room of Requirement. It took only moments for him to get the door open and slip inside.

“Neville!” Ginny looked him up and down. “Are you okay?

“I’m fine,” Neville panted. “Had to use the last of your Peruvian Darkness Power to get away, though.”

Ginny grinned. “I bet they’re running around in circles out there.”

Neville exhaled. “I hope so.”

~

“You’re going back for Malfoy?” Pacing, Ginny shook her head. “Neville, no.”

“I have to. We made a deal.”

Ginny growled.

“He was sincere, Ginny, I know he was. And he helped me.”

“This could be the real trap,” Ginny said. “He’s a snake, always will be.”

“She’s right,” said Dean. “He can’t be trusted.”

“You’ll never persuade Neville,” declared Lavender, patting Neville’s shoulder. “He sees the good in people.”

“He almost landed you back in detention,” said Ginny.

“But he didn’t.”

She huffed. “Fine. But if this plan is some trap, he’ll get his. Life always comes full circle.”

~

Neville crept down the hall, circling back to the room where he’d served detention with Malfoy earlier. Upon hearing voices, he slowed.

“…you could have stopped him.”

“It was dark! I could’ve hit you instead!”

“You didn’t even try, Malfoy! My brother’s right. You’re weak.”

“But—”

“Crucio!”

Neville closed his eyes as Malfoy screamed. It went on for what seemed like ages, with Alecto taunting, hexing him repeatedly. Finally, she stopped.

“Return to your room and unpack,” she sneered. “You’re not going anywhere. Oh, and clean up. You smell like piss.”

Once she’d left, Neville waited, then exhaling, he entered.

~

Malfoy looked awful, and smelled worse.

As Neville entered, Malfoy cracked open an eye. “I wasn’t sure you’d keep your end of the bargain.”

“I promised.”

Wincing, Malfoy stood. “Can we go now? If we stay here any longer she may come back.”

“Definitely,” said Neville. “And sorry you had to go through all that.”

Malfoy shook his head. “It had to happen this way or she’d never have believed it.” He staggered, and Neville caught him.

Malfoy hesitated a moment, then rested his head on Neville’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

Neville smiled. “Come on,” he whispered. “Let’s get you to safety.”

~