Chapter Text
Everything would be different now; the looks and the stairs they were starting to get to him. He just couldn’t take it any longer; he just wanted it all to end. He doesn’t know how he made it back to his dorm after the revelation that he was and always would be a monster. He doesn’t know how he moved around from then on, how he ignored the whispers up to this point. He doesn’t know why he is even doing it now.
Draco hums softly shifting so that his head is in his hands. Today had been far worse than any others that he could remember
He had always lived life like he was better than anyone else, that he was a prince. He thought he was better than everyone, but he was no better than the humans. He was just as low on the totem pole. There was nothing special about him, he wasn’t a prince he was a pathetic slave, servant. He wasn’t a prince and that was obvious now. He had been sheltered, and now, now he knew why. He was a monster in the children’s storybooks, the one that sucked them dry at night.
The laughter had never hurt as much as the looks of fear and distrust. Friends that he had though he had made leaving him, knowing that he could kill them all if he wanted to, but not of his own violation. How had this come to be? It was simple and Elemental; a man so evil that no one would try to stand against him. He had so many already under his power, but that didn’t mean anything. No he had to have more, until he was the only one left standing. Until his army or slaves ruled the known world. He would stop at nothing, which was obvious as his creation of Draco. He had created Draco become his weapon, his slave. Bound to do as he wished.
He slumped ever further down tears starting to leak out of his eyes; he had been avoiding his mate for several days now. Every time he came into a room he would leave or made an excuse not to see him. He couldn’t help it, he was so scared, and his mate wouldn’t be able to take him as a monster. Of course he still had Pansy, he knew that no matter what he did she would never leave him but he couldn’t bring himself to bring his mate into this. He just couldn’t.
Pansy’s soft voice broke his wallowing, “Draco?”
He shifts his head and tucks himself further into his body his voice can barely be heard over the movement, “I can’t be with Neville, not anymore. I’ll kill him, there will be nothing to stop me form ripping his lungs out of his throat.”
Pansy could tell that he was just being over the top; he had never tried to do something like that, and she was sure that he never would. Though it was true that his blood lust was much, much stronger than those of their clan, he wasn’t a killer. He would never be a killer. She knew this, as she usually was the one that took the blunt end of the meeting. The one that was always having her blood sucked from her veins.
It was mid day when it all happened; they were in the great hall. Surrounded by all the students when are dumped into darkness. Room filling with sharp potent smoke; giving a sense of death and destruction; flows through the room as the smoke does. As the smoke begins to clear there is a man hovering above all the students. He is cloaked in a long black cloak making him look longer and taller than he seemed.
His eyes a cold stony grey shot over all of the students looking and searching for another. He moved and the students parted, a fear had incased them all. It wasn’t hard to sense his power and know that this could be their end.
“My dear children,” he hisses as green smoke pours from his mouth, “I have come to see my child.”
Draco could feel the pull toward the man and his body moved closer without him meaning to. Only the pull of Pansy’s hand on his arm stopped him from reaching out for the ghostly man. It doesn’t matter though, he has been noticed and the piercing eyes land on him giving him no time to react.
“Ah my child, Born of the Blood Moon.”
It’s said with such integrity and dripping with death. Draco shivers and a soft whimper leaves his lips as the man reaches down and touches his cheek. A slight electric shock no more than an inconvenience makes him pull back. He curls his hand towards himself, drawing a soft hiss.
“It matters not, you are my child I have created you for a greater purpose than this,” the ghostly hand swipes out fluttering at all the children within the school and the school itself. He then continues on, “Born of the Blood Moon and conceived on a Blood Moon. You are my monster, my child, my pet, but most of all my slave.”
Draco’s eyes widened, and he began to move back a strangled gasp leaving his mouth as he watched the other children move away from him. Pansy pulled him to her side she glared up at the man, the being, “He isn’t your slave. You can’t have him.”
The laugh that echoed across the room was cruel and dark, “But I can, the blood lust will consume him and he will become mine.”
Pansy began to shake her head and Draco shook where he stood. His face flushed with tears as he tried to escape the reality that was crashing down upon him. He couldn’t do this. There was nothing left for him, he would become a slave to his own hunger. He would become a monster that took the lives of others.
Pansy hissed, “You won’t have him, he is more than his lust.”
The man laughed again, “I am Voldemort, you will come to me my boy.”
As he is turning to leave his takes one more sweep of the room. He sees all the looks of fear. The terror that he has spread knowing that this will drive Draco to the blood lust faster. He misses the look of anger, the spark in one of the boy’s eyes at the back of the room. Instead all eyes seemed to be on Draco, a child cursed by the Blood Moon.
The silence in the room was deafening and finally Pansy couldn’t take it anymore, “You don’t know if you are going to kill him. He is your mate, someone that will be there for you. Linked to you.”
Draco can’t help letting out a bitter laugh tears flooding down his cheeks as he threw himself onto his bed, “I could and will kill him. He’s just a human Pansy. He won’t be able to with hold me. No human could.”
Draco tenses the second the words leave his mouth; he hadn’t meant them the way that they came out. But it was already to late, he could already feel the sense of dread coming over him if Pansy left him as well.
A soft hand rested on his shoulder, “Give Neville a chance Draco. You can’t keep ignoring him. He is going to think that something is up. He is going to find out from someone else. You don’t want that do you?”
Draco smothered his face further but she could just make out his answer, “no.”
She took a deep breath and just as she was to say something else the room door banged open and in tumbled Hermione with Ron and Harry trailing not far behind her. She looked like she was going to go on about something, that she had words that she needed saying.
She rushes it all out in one breath, like she has been holding it in for a while now, “Is it true, what they are saying. Are you a slave…?”
Pansy gives her a dirty look and Draco shoves his face even further into his pillow if that could be seen as even possible. Pansy is sure that it is soaked in tears and snot. At one point she is sure that Neville’s scent was smothered into every fold of that pillow. Now she isn’t so sure, and that is worrying. She can hear the hiccupping and the shuddering isn’t hard to see.
Pansy watches as Hermione crosses her arms over her chest and juts her chin out like she is so much better than the others around her, “Then it’s quite obvious what we are going to have to do. We have to kill him.”
Draco lets out a shriek as he fumbles off the bed pillow in hand and lands on his ass backing away from Hermione and the others. His fear filled eyes flicker from Hermione to Pansy and then back.
“Not you,” Hermione says sharply, “No Tom Riddle. We will have to kill him.”
She was right of course Tom Riddle, or better known as Voldemort as a well-known villain. He needed to be put down, the only issue was, and no one could. They would need a power far greater than any of them possessed and that power was hidden and very UN likely to come out again. Voldemort is an Elemental, one of great strength and power. He held the world in the palm of his hand; almost no one apposed him and those that did found themselves in an early grave or on the run.
Only Elementals are able to create Blood Moons; they use them to feed their numbers and their allies, if an elemental has allies. Blood Moon’s affect each race a little differently. For a Vampire it would make them crave blood more, but it would still be manageable. For a Nightmare, they would become one with the night, their abilities stronger and fuller. Feeding off the fear that sneaks around them. Werewolves or Lycan’s go slightly crazy their minds driven mad at the site of the blood red moon. Dreamers became weaker, they could survive but their powers weaken as the night goes on. As morning breaks the feeling of the Blood Moon will leave their system. Though there is one being that the Blood Moon affects the most, a Shifter. A being that feeds off of the Blood Moon taking power from each and every blood moon that it is alive for sucking the essence from it. But the most powerful is a Shifter born of the Blood Moon and as far as anyone knows there hasn’t been on of those in thousands of years.
The soft voice of Luna Lovegood fills the room as she steps in eyeing Draco, “We would need a shifter to kill him. One of great power at that.”
Hermione hums then nods her head, “Well then we’ll just have to find a Shifter.”
“Shifters are all but extinct,” Luna, replies softly, “They were killed off my all the other races. Being the most powerful did come with some enemies.”
Potter shifted uncomfortable, “And those that were left went into hiding… no one’s seen a shifter in a long time. The ones that were still around after the Great War, they were hunted by Voldemort.”
Luna nodded her head, “Yes most of them were killed off by the Great War, but when Voldemort came into power he made sure to hunt the rest of them. To make sure that they could never come back into power.”
Hermione shuttered, “Why would he want to kill off a race that is already extinct. Wouldn’t he want them on his side?”
Draco shuttered, even he had heard of Shifters. They were so dangerous, he was taught to hate them. To never trust a Shifter, they would never care or protect a Vampire. Luna frowned, “Elementals are protected my Shifters, but Voldemort doesn’t have a Shifter. Of all his followers I have never hear or seen on with him. He would want to get rid of the only thing that could kill him.”
Hermione clapped her hands; “Well then we will just have to find a Shifter, how hard could that be. They don’t like Voldemort and neither do we. It would be a win-win situation.”
Ron raised an eyebrow and huffed, “Yeah that’s not going to happen. There are still so many that would try to kill a Shifter if it was to reveal oneself. Only those of immense power who have no fear of being killed would do such.”
Hermione smiled, “That’s what we need. And we wouldn’t kill them” she exclaimed.
“They aren’t going to help us Hermione, we would have a better chance taking on this man by ourselves. Shifters, they hold grudges. They will kill us if they have a chance.”
Pans watches as they argue about what should be done, she notes that Luna doesn’t get into the argument and that Draco is still on the ground. After a brief deliberation with herself she decides, “I know one.”
Everyone stops their talking and arguing to look at her. She had said it with a strong voice but she was looking at everyone meekly. Draco was the first to speak up, his voice soft giving off the amount of fear he was truly feeling, “You do?”
Pansy knew, with 100% certainty that there was something off about Neville Longbottom. He just didn’t feel correct to her and she was a very good judge of what was what. She had spent all of her life living in a Vampire Clan, being the feeder of a Vampire prince. So she could tell when someone wasn’t human, when someone was lying to her. She just couldn’t put her finger on what Neville was.
She could of course tell that Neville was in fact Draco’s mate; she herself had seen the mark and the flash of eyes when they first touched. But that had been years ago and before Draco allowed himself to let Neville in, and boy that the man stood by and allowed all the pain and humiliation that Draco poured onto him. Neville took it all and with no anger and no hate. She didn’t quite understand that, but she allowed it to be.
That being said she watched him; she had to make sure that he wasn’t just playing with Draco, trying to make him feel safe so that he would let his guard down. He wasn’t Neville was a stand up sort of guy, but he was also someone that shouldn’t be messed with. This Neville kept a secret though. He didn’t let the others; his friends see this side of him.
It takes her a couple of months before she has enough courage to confront him. When she did it was a rainy day in the middle of September with children running around trying to escape the rain. She found him in the Greenhouse where he seemed to spend quite a lot of his time. He had a strange fascination with plants and a bit of a green thumb.
Her eyes narrowed in on the man as he sat reading a book, “I know you aren’t a human,” she hissed out softly.
Neville didn’t look up from his book as Pansy spouted off at him, “I don’t actually know what you are going on about Pansy.”
Pansy let out a growl, “I don’t care if you are Draco’s mate, you aren’t a human and I want to know what you are.”
Neville finally sets his book down looking at her he sighs softly, “Why do you care Pansy. What I am, I’m not going to hurt him. You must already know this.”
She stops her foot, “You are lying to him. Why should I trust that? Why should I trust you?”
Neville lets out a growl, “I have shown you no need to not trust me, Pansy. I haven’t don’t anything wrong. It is my prerogative to not tell him what I am.”
She turned her head away from him, “Do you ever plan to tell him… it’s like you don’t trust him. Is that it, you don’t trust him with what you are. He would understand I would understand.”
“I am a Shifter Pansy.”
The gasp is audible in the stillness of the room and Pansy can’t help but avert her eyes, “Oh…”
Neville sighed softly before standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder, “do you see why I haven’t said anything yet. You are scared right now. I can feel it.”
Pansy nods her head, “Yeah… But you have to tell him…”
Neville smiles, “I will, but not right now. You are afraid and he will be even more afraid. My job is to protect him, even if it’s from myself.”
Pansy bit her lip and turned her head away from him, “I’m sorry.”
Neville smiled at her, “Don’t worry about it Pansy, but you have to keep this a secret, even from Draco, if only for his own protection. When it is time, I’ll tell him. You have my word.”
Pansy nodded her head in stubborn pride, “I promise.”
Pansy looked around at all of them, “I promised that I wouldn’t tell anyone who they are. It was an accident that I found out.”
Draco crawls up back onto the bed he grasps Pansy’s hand, “Did they threaten you, are you okay.”
Pansy smiled and kissed the top of Draco’s head, “No Draco, the Shifter I know is nice, caring. They would never harm me. I promised not to tell anyone because there is so much fear of them.”
Draco didn’t quite believe her but he did rest his head on her shoulder easing some of the tension between the two. Hermione hummed, “How did you find this Shifter?”
Pansy sighed, “I was raised in a Clan of Vampires I have a six sense when someone isn’t human or well what they say they are. Hiding traits that most people wouldn’t pick up on; like Luna.”
Of course everyone turns his or her head to Luna looking to her, as if trying to figure out just what Pansy is getting on about.
“She is different, has a air about her that screams royalty or blood money. It’s something that most Elementals have. Because they are better than most, it’s something that you can’t UN learn.”
Luna eyed Pansy for a second before nodding her head, “yes this is true but a Shifter, they have an air about them that is completely different.”
Pansy hummed, “Yes, an air of arrogances, they feel and believe that they are better than everyone else. And they can, because they are. Of course many shifter hid that air, they don’t want others to see it. To feel it, could make them vulnerable.”
Pansy had taken her knowledge from living in a Clan of Vampires and then her interactions with Luna to figure out that Neville wasn’t all that he seemed. But she had made a promise that she wouldn’t tell anyone whom he was, and no matter what the others said or did she wouldn’t betray his trust.
Hermione huffed, “You have to tell us who it is Pansy. You heard what’s going on. He is going to kill everyone, and he plans to use Draco to do it.”
Pansy could feel Draco shaking next to her and the soft whimpers that were coming out of his mouth, “I can’t. I can’t betray them, I can’t break my promise.”
Hermione huffs and turns away, “You would rather let Draco kill everyone then tell us who this Shifter is… what kind of friend are you.”
Pansy can’t help but stand her hands balled into fists and she screams, “I promised, a promise; are you to fucked up in the head to realize that I won’t break it. Nothing you say, nothing you do will make me breaks it.”
She lowers her voice tears threatening to slip down her cheeks, “You don’t understand I could never do that to them. I’m sorry but it isn’t happening.”
Luna takes that moment to pull everyone to her, “I also happen to know a Shifter at this school. I will speak with them.”
Pansy is shaking when she sits down but Draco just rubs her arm and whispers, “I understand. I don’t blame you. I don’t want you to break your promise.”
Pansy smiled and kissed the top of Draco’s head before whispering back, “Thank you.”
Luna smiles a strained smile as if she is dreading what she is about to do and Pansy can’t say that she blames her. After all Pansy has paid close attention to everyone at the school and she knows with out a doubt that Neville is the only Shifter on the school grounds. That meant that she would have to talk to Neville and that man didn’t want anyone to know whom he was. What ever she says to him, she knows that he isn’t going to be happy.
She sighs, “Gather everyone that will be willing to fight in the room of requirements at midnight tomorrow.”
With that everyone takes their leave, leaving Draco and Pansy alone at last. She watches as Draco curls up into a ball. He doesn’t want to be present for this meeting but he knows that he will have to be. She brushes her fingers through his hair, “you should take to Neville.”
Draco huffs, “I can’t involve his into this… I just can’t he doesn’t belong in this world.”
The tears threaten to fall down his face as he curls further into himself. Pansy sighs and brushes her finger through his hair humming until he falls asleep. The next day goes by quickly and in a strange sense of hurriedness. As Midnight approaches Pansy watches as Draco becomes more and more tense and she notes that he isn’t ready for what is about to happen.
As they enter the room Pansy takes note of the people in the room. There aren’t that many people in the room yet. First and foremost is Potter, a werewolf, as long with his Friend Ron. All of the Weasley’s are Nightmare’s and even Ginny is in attendance. Of course Hermione is also there and Pansy can’t help but wrinkle her nose, as she is a human. Quite like Pansy herself but she really has no need for this world. She doesn’t even really belong in it, in the secrets and lies.
Of course, she and Draco where also there. She watched as Ginny twirled her hair around her finger making a show of doing it, almost as if she was trying to get something out of it.
She watches as Ron turns to Ginny and hums, “Mum and Dad said that they would try their hardest to get some more people. But as you know it’s not that easy to get people to join this kind of war.”
Just as he says that there are several popping noises can be heard as several more people join the party. First there is Molly and Author Weasley along with Fred and George. They all stand around in a circle talking in hushed voices that makes Draco fall back, he feels out numbered. He feels like he shouldn’t even be there.
Next to appear are Serious Black and Lupin, Pansy knows them as the legal guardians of Harry Potter and so they are also Werewolves. They also stand around speaking in hushed tones and Pansy gets the feeling that they are talking about the two of them. Maybe how to get this over with. Or if it would be even worth keeping Draco alive. She knows that they won’t have a say in any of that, but it still makes her weary of them all.
Finally, the popping stops and lastly to join the group form the outside world is Percy and Oliver Wood. Both Draco and Pansy stair at them with curiosity, it isn’t every day you see a couple made of Nightmares and Dreamers. Or really any getting as close as they were getting.
Everyone was there; the minutes ticked down and right before Midnight struck Snape pushed to door open walking in with a grace that, so few Vampires have. He makes his way first towards Lupin. He sticks his nose up at Severus before giving Lupin a slight hug. As he is drawn closer to the man, something is whispered into his ear that make his flush ever so slightly pink.
Once he is removed from the hug Snape turns and makes his way over to Draco standing beside his God son with a comforting hand on his shoulder. The minutes tick down even slower now, it’s not likely for anyone else to show up. No one else will be with them against these dark times. Draco can feel it in his bones, the want to escape. The need to be free from all these people as they look upon him as if he is a freak. He wasn’t to cower, he wishes Neville was here with him.
At the stroke of Midnight Luna appears, she brushes the door open with a strength that shows she isn’t in the mood for any of this tonight. Then just as the whispers begin Neville follows her, and Pansy can tell he isn’t happy. In fact, he looks ready to murder anyone that says anything to him.
“Well this isn’t much of a turn out, but I suppose that is to be expected.”
Harry is the first to speak, “Are you telling me that Neville is the Shifter… Sweet innocent human Neville is our savior.”
He sounds put off, almost like he can’t believe that this is happening Pansy watches as Neville twitches, but he doesn’t say anything. He also doesn’t glance towards him and she knows that Draco is having a hard time dealing with it. His hands are shaking, fist bared. She can see the beginnings of tears welling up in his eyes. His mouth is moving but nothing is coming out. She tries her hardest to make Neville look over at them, anything to get his attention.
Some of the group’s eyes have turned to Pansy and she shifts uncomfortably at all the attention on her. She doesn’t want this, it wasn’t the plan. She just wants Draco to be happy. When they don’t turn their eyes back to Neville he clears his throat.
“As you can all see I am the Shifter at this school.”
All the eyes in the room shift back to him in an instant. He doesn’t look happy. Instead he looks annoyed, maybe even angry. Pansy notes that it probably is a good thing he hasn’t turned towards them. She doesn’t know how Draco would handle having his mate look at him with such anger.
The shaking is getting worse, and Draco has started to cry, nothing big or nasty just fresh tears slipping down his cheeks. Question after questions are shoved at Neville but he doesn’t answer any of them. Draco finally takes a couple of deep breaths and shifts in his seat. Maybe if he is calm Neville will look over at him, grace him with his love and presence. Plans are drawn out; Draco doesn’t listen. He keeps his focus only on Neville.
As the night drones on and on Draco gets the feeling that Neville won’t ever look his way, he must feel him staring at him. Waiting for him to look his way, to come kiss the tears away. But it doesn’t happen, and Draco finds himself pulled into his own world, only the voice of his mate brings him back out.
It is angry, something had been said he knows it to anger Neville, “I am not doing this for any of you.” His voice is sharp with a tinge of destruction, “I am doing this for my mate and our friend.”
Pansy blinks at that, she hadn’t though that she would ever be considered Neville’s friend. But who else could he be talking of. Hermione scoffs and makes herself look more important than she is, “Only your mate, does the rest of the world mean nothing to you?”
Neville’s eyes zero in on her, “I have no care for a world that hunted my family. Only has need of me when the world is in danger. I care nothing of your world Granger. And why should I, you care nothing of mine. My mate is all that I care for, and the people that stay loyal to my mate. I see that none of you seem worth my time or effort. I would gladly let all of you die.”
Hermione lets out a strangled gasp and several of the others take a step back, a slight flinch at the words flowing from Neville’s mouth. It’s no surprise and Luna frown a bit at it. She knew this was coming, Neville wouldn’t fight for them no matter what she wanted. She couldn’t command him, only his mate could.
Lupin is the first to speak up after the whole ordeal. His eyes have traced the whole room they land on Draco and then move back over to Neville, “Does your mate know… know what you are, what you are going to do?”
Neville hums, “He does now.”
It isn’t much. The words burn, and Draco must swallow a heavy pill. He was raised to be afraid of Shifters and he is afraid. But he is also hurt and sad, the pain out weighs the fear. Why hadn’t Neville told him this, why did he have to find out like this? Draco knows in his heart the answers to those questions. The only one left is, would Neville have ever told him the truth, told him who or better yet what he really is?
Harry stands throwing back his chair, “Well, where is your mate? Shouldn’t he be here, to know what you plan to do. Only protecting him, you are a…”
Harry doesn’t get to finish his sentences as Draco screams out, “I’m right here, I’m his mate!”
There are hot tears sliding down his cheeks. Everyone in the room seems to turn their head towards him, everyone but Neville. He can’t help it, Draco shoves himself from his chair throwing it back and runs. He takes off, makes a mad dash for the door. All those eyes on him, all filled with shock. Everyone’s but the one person that he wants to look at him. It hurts, he deserves it, but it hurts.
Draco never makes it to the door, there is a sound of several strangled gasps and then he is being grabbed by his shoulder and pulled back, stopping him from making it to the safety of the hall.
A calm deep voice whispers, “Draco.” It’s not very loud, and only Draco can hear it. But it does what’s needed as Draco wails, screaming in pain and fear. Not for himself but what could come, what could happen.
There is a soft sigh before he is tugged around and pulled towards Neville’s chest. In a practiced ease he is lifted his legs wrapping around Neville’s middle and his face pressed into the crook of his neck. Neville has always smelled of earth and cinnamon to Draco and as his tears soak into the side of Neville he begins to take on the smell of wet earth, a scent that is odd but calming to Draco. He continues to sob, he is scared, frustrate, and most of all confused. Nothing in his mind is adding up anymore.
Neville makes his way back over to the group, but Draco can’t hear what is going on anymore. All he can hear is his tears and the soft rumble of Neville’s breath, almost like he was purring. Questions after Questions are being hurled at them, but Neville is ignoring them all. He isn’t really looking at anyone. His eyes are scanning them all looking for something anything.
Lupin looks surprised but not worried, he gives Neville a slight smile before turning his head away. Snape looks annoyed, but that could be due to Draco’s little out burst and not about finding out that his God son is mated to a Shifter. Oliver looks happy and he is squeezing Percy’s hand. As if the two of them being mated will make coming out to Molly and Author better when they inform them that they are mated. The others just look frustrated and annoyed. In a sense that of course it would be Draco.
Finally, his eyes land on Pansy and when they make eye contact she shakes her head no. Neville can’t help but sigh shifting Draco a little more before leaning down to Luna, “This conversation is over for now.”
It isn’t said all that loud, but she hears it loud and clear, and then he is leaving with Pansy trailing right behind him. Draco doesn’t even realize that they are out of the room until Pansy’s voice reaches his ears.
It is soft and timid like, “I am sorry… I… I didn’t mean to get you involved.”
Neville doesn’t say anything for a moment, “You didn’t do anything wrong Pansy. It wouldn’t have mattered anyways. I was always involved.”
Pansy frowns, “But Neville if I haven’t spoken up…”
“It wouldn’t have mattered, I was there. I heard what he said… and above all of that. Draco is my mate. I will do anything and everything to protect him. I was already involved.”
Draco shifts and squirms at his words only to stop when Neville tightens his hold ever so slightly. It is a message to convey security, but also a warning. He knows he is in trouble, and he could be in worse if he doesn’t settle down.
“Besides, as I have said, I care not for the others of this world. Only for Draco and you Pansy. My loyalty lies with the two of you. After all, to them I am only a weapon, I am no longer seen as their friend.”
Draco huffs and mumbles into Neville’s neck, “That isn’t true. You are still you, they are your friends. They’ll see that. I know you are still you… I can tell.”
“Am I?” Neville laughs softly, “You seemed quite upset, and the fear I could feel it coming from you. I can still feel it. You are afraid of me. Let’s also add on top off all that the fact that you have been avoiding me for almost a whole month Draco.”
Draco closes his eyes and grasps for any part of Neville to find some sort of purchase. Was Neville still Neville? He took a deep breath, yes, he was. This was still the man that loved him and kissed him good night. Who would allow him to sit in his lap and scent. This was his mate, “You are… and I am scared… I don’t know how not to be. You… you the person that loves me is also the thing that my parents told me would kill me.”
Neville smiled softly, “I know that Draco, I’m not upset with you about that, about avoiding me for almost a month is another thing entirely.”
Draco shifted faintly at Neville’s words remembering the last time he had displeased his mate; the thought of not being able to sit down for several days was at the fore front of his mind. He presses his face into Neville’s neck once more before pulling back; it would do no good to ignore everything. He will have to face the consequences of his actions, those actions being making his mate feel UN wanted. Avoiding him like the plague without cause or reason, even if at the time he though it was a good reason.
“I’m a monster… I didn’t, I didn’t want you to see me as such. I could hurt you, and that scares me more than anything…”
His face is covered in tears, there is snot slipping down his lips and chin. He doesn’t look pretty and he would very much like to burry his face back there into his neck. But he knows that isn’t something he can do, not right now. Neville just smiles at him, and kisses the tip of his nose.
“I know that you are scared. I wish that you had talked to me. I think this everything would have turned out better. But…”
The sentence is left open ended and Draco huffs before squirming and drops his face back down. He knew this was going to happen. One way or another should just accept his fate. Pansy just smirked and patted his back.
“I told you, you should have just talked to him.”
Neville chuckled as Draco mumbled, “You are not helping. I don’t want to be…” He couldn’t get the word out. He just couldn’t, but that was okay because they all knew what was going to happen.
They had made it a great deal of a distance when Neville stopped abruptly. His body stood ridged as if waiting for something that he didn’t want to talk about. Just as Draco though that Neville would start walking again, he heard it the soft pitter-patter of feet coming towards them and fast. Neville didn’t turn but he did wait for whom ever it was to catch up.
Luna calls out slowing as she finally reaches them, “Neville, Please.”
Pansy notes that she sounds desperate, that there isn’t anything about her that sounds like she is better than the rest of them now. It must have come to such a great shock that Neville was mated to Draco; it wasn’t all that common knowledge. Neville turns to look at her and Pansy can see that his eyes are dark, and that he wants to write her off, but he isn’t.
“Yes, Luna,” it’s drawn out, slowly and methodically.
“We need your help. There is nothing that any of us could do, only you… Please Neville I know you don’t trust us. Trust them but they need your help.”
Neville tilts his head to the side, “I have ears Luna do you really expect me to believe that they didn’t just think about killing Draco so that they could be done with it. I do know what is said. I’ll think about it. I don’t belong to you, and I never will.”
Luna nodded her head, that last part was a threat. Anyone could tell it was clear as day and it made her blood run cold. Draco would always come first she could see that. She knew that. “I understand. He is your mate; I know that draw of one’s mate. I won’t stand in the way of that. Just please don’t send your friends off to a war that they can’t win without you.”
It’s said so pleading like; she knows she doesn’t really have a chance to persuade him. No if anyone will be doing that it will be Draco. The boy holds all he power and she knows from experience that his boy won’t just let anyone lead him around. She takes a deep breath before dipping her head, “Please do think about it. We need your help. If not for your friends do it for Draco.”
Pansy watches her with soft eyes before Neville nods his head, “I will speak to you again before the next night.”
Luna smiles softly, “Thank you Neville.”