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At the beginning, they were enemies.
Malfoy would taunt and hex Neville all the time.
Neville, who didn't know how to confront someone who shined so brightly, wilted a bit each time he was made fun of.
The two were trapped in a cycle of childish hatred, one that truly died after their sixth year.
Neville finally saw the pressure that Malfoy was under. Perhaps that's when Malfoy became known as Draco, but who could tell for sure?
All that Neville knew was that he had one day looked at Draco and realized he was suffering.
Draco, for all of his peacocking around, was truly no better than anyone else. No, he was under even worse pressure with You-Know-Who using him as a mere pawn. Combining that with the fact the Carrows made him do extra work for them led Draco to a deep spiral downwards.
Neville was sneaking to the room of requirement one day when he happened upon Draco in an abandoned classroom. He contemplated leaving the Slytherin behind, but paused when he heard Draco sob softly. He paused there and merely gazed in the room.
Draco then surprised him by throwing a spell at a table, causing a loud racket when the table and the surrounding chairs fell over.
Without thinking, Neville stepped into the room, grabbed Draco’s hand, and began to pull the Slytherin after him.
“What are–”
“Come on, before Filch comes and gives you detention,” Neville urged without looking back at the other seventh-year.
Silently, Draco followed after Gryffindor around the corner and into a secret passageway that led to the corridor the Room of Requirement was in.
The two stopped short off the Room of Requirement, and Neville released Draco's hand. They remained silent for a moment as they looked at the doorway, one both boys knew of, yet failed to enter.
“Why do that?” Draco murmured.
“Not even you deserve being cursed by the Carrows,” Neville said as he finally looked at Draco.
Draco, who had turned his face toward the ground, snorted. “I'm sure you don't really feel that way.”
“I do,” Neville said with conviction, and Draco looked up at him in surprise. “No one deserves that torture.”
The Malfoy eyed the Longbottom for a long moment before asking, “Are you pitying me?”
“I wouldn't ever pity you,” Neville said, causing Draco to frown deeply. “I understand that you're under a lot of pressure, and I can see that you're just barely keeping your head above water. I know that the Death Eaters aren't exactly nice to you – they're borderline abusing you, really.”
“Do you think this is my karma for tormenting you and the others?” Draco questioned.
“I would understand if it was another seventh-year bullying you, but they're doing far worse,” Neville said.
Draco turned his gaze to the doorway to the Room of Requirement, and he seemed to contemplate the words.
“You can come in, if you want,” Neville offered.
“I doubt I'd be welcomed there,” Draco said with a deep frown.
“You're suffering, too,” Neville said before looking at the doorway himself. “If you're not comfortable, you don't have to come in. Just know that we'll let you in if you really need to get away from them.”
Draco hesitated before turning away. “I'll think about it.” Without saying anything else, he began to walk off with his head still hanging low.
From that interaction on, Neville kept an eye on Draco. He would watch from a distance, and he realized that Draco wasn't the favorite Slytherin by a long-shot, especially not after he contributed to the death of Dumbledore. Neville came to know that was the reason that other Slytherins would taunt Draco.
Draco seemed to become the punching bag off the school as a whole.
Neville knew something had to be done when Draco ended up puking slugs in the middle of the corridor. He wound up going to the hospital wing to see Draco, and he was saddened by the fact Draco was alone, just staring down at his hands with a distraught look on his face. Hesitantly, he approached the Slytherin and sat down next to him.
Draco remained staring at his hands. “Come to laugh at me, Longbottom?”
“No,” Neville answered honestly. “If I wanted to laugh at you, I could have done it from the safety of the Gryffindor common room.”
Draco frowned as he finally tore his gaze away from his hands. Stormy gray eyes glared at Neville, burning with unshed tears. “Why are you here then?”
“I'm here to see if you're okay,” Neville admitted, only to get a blank stare from Draco. “I heard you were puking slugs–”
The Malfoy scoffed. “So? It’s just a bunch of slugs.”
“I don't imagine slugs taste very good,” Neville said, and by the way Draco cringed minutely, he was correct. “Look, I'm just here because I was worried. If you want me to go, then I will.”
Draco remained silent for a moment before mumbling, “Draw the curtains. I don't want you getting in trouble.”
Neville gave a gentle smile as he stood and forced the curtains around the bed closed.
They sat inside the small space, and it was like the two were closed off from the world.
Silence enveloped the two for a moment until Draco cleared his threat. “So, the Care for Magical Creatures class–”
Neville couldn't help but snort, earning an indignant glare from Draco. “Sorry, I never took you as an animal sort of person.”
“What?” Draco asked in confusion.
“Whenever people get uncomfortable, it's typically the weather they talk about. You talked about the Care for Magical Creatures class, meaning you care about the animals,” Neville correctly deduced.
Draco flushed a bit. “Yes, well, I grew up with my father fussing over a bunch of albino peacocks. My mother – she wanted something more domesticated, I believe, but Father insisted on peacocks.”
“I imagine they're quite fussy,” Neville mused aloud.
“As they are,” Draco complained. “They have to have a specific diet, and they want to be fed at the same time of day. If you're even a minute late, they start wreaking havoc in the gardens.”
Neville smiled warmly. “How do your gardens normally look?”
“They always look fantastic,” Draco said proudly. “There are beautiful hedges and a large assortment of flowers mixed in with the statues.”
“Statues?” Neville repeated questioningly.
“Oh, er…” Draco shifted a bit. “Malfoys have a tradition of collecting old statues and putting them in the garden.”
“What era do they come from?” Neville inquired.
“Anything older than the renaissance is welcomed, especially if it's from France,” Draco answered, earning a hum.
“Do you have any Roman statues?” Neville inquired.
“Just one,” Draco said, “Supposedly, it's a Roman gladiator that was immortalized in stone for beating three lions alone.”
Neville gave a noise of interest. “He must have been quite strong.”
“It's not that he was strong,” Draco said, “It's that he was patient.”
Neville thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Yes, that's definitely more important in that scenario.”
The two continued to talk throughout the day before Neville eventually headed out for the day.
It wasn't too long before Draco showed up in the Room of Requirement.
Neville was surprised when he saw Draco hesitantly shuffle in, but he welcomed the Slytherin without any hesitation. “Come on, the elves just delivered hot chocolate,” Neville said as he ushered the Malfoy over to the small area he and Ginny were sitting at.
Draco was more than a bit hesitant when he saw the way Ginny eyed him suspiciously.
Neville gave Ginny a look, and she scooted over a bit.
“I'm not giving up my marshmallows,” Ginny said as she quickly picked up her mug that had an abundance of mini marshmallows in it.
“He doesn't want your fifty marshmallows,” Neville said with the utmost exasperation as he sat down across from Ginny, who merely stuck her tongue out in retaliation.
Draco was slow to sit down next to Ginny, and he glanced down at the third cup of hot chocolate that popped into existence before him.
“You can have it,” Neville said encouragingly.
Draco gave a forced smile before saying, “My stomach is still a bit queasy.”
Neville hummed before blowing on his mug of hot chocolate. “It'll taste much better than slug, I assure you.”
Draco hesitated before blowing gently on the hot chocolate. He waited for it to cool a bit before sipping carefully. His lips curled into a gentle smile as he mused, “It's almost as good as my mother's.”
“I bet my mother could make better hot chocolate,” Ginny challenged with a playful grin.
Draco scoffed. “As if. My mother has a secret recipe passed down from the Black family for generations.”
“How secret could the recipe get?” Ginny asked with narrowed eyes.
“Quite secret,” Draco replied curtly.
Neville snorted into his drink, nearly spilling it on himself as he pulled the mug away from his face.
Ginny rolled her eyes, but her lips were tugged up into a small smile. “In any case, what are your plans for winter?”
“I have to go home,” Draco murmured dejectedly.
“With a father like yours, I'd be afraid to go back, too,” Ginny commented.
“Father's not going to beat me,” Draco said with a roll of his eyes. “He's good to Mother and I both.”
Ginny looked at Draco with confusion. “Then why–”
“My aunt is there, too,” Draco murmured as he clutched his cup tightly. “Though she says she won't do anything, she – she scares me.”
“You mean Bellatrix Lestrange, don't you?” Neville mumbled with a pale face.
“Yeah,” Draco said as he lowered his head. “She's not all there. Father says she was done no favors in Azkaban, so I think she's worse than she was before.”
The three were silent for a long moment before Draco sighed heavily.
“Just be careful,” Neville finally said, “It's all you can do.”
“I know,” Draco mumbled, “I wish I could do something else. If I wasn't such a coward, then–”
“Hey, you're not a coward,” Neville said gently, “You're just under a lot of pressure. I couldn't even begin to understand the struggle you go through.”
Draco nodded once, though the other two could tell that he wasn't very convinced by Neville’s words.
As the break approached rapidly, Draco had to pack up and go home.
When the break ended, Neville expected to see Draco back in higher spirits, but the young man was a mere shadow of his former self.
Draco held his mother’s wand, and he had a haunted look in his eyes.
Obviously, something had happened over break, and Neville was quick to learn from gossipers that Harry Potter was sighted at Malfoy manor before he escaped from You-Know-Who yet again.
Draco seemed to drag himself through the halls, trying his best to just disappear in the shadows. He couldn't though, not with the way his fellow Slytherins always seemed to sneer and shove him into the light.
When Harry showed up at the school, he was surprised to see Draco sitting with the other students, chatting amicably about something or other.
“Draco,” Neville called, and the Malfoy in question looked over at the young man.
Draco’s smile dropped as he realized who was standing there next to Neville. He shrunk down a bit, as if trying to hide away from the dumbfounded looks of Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
“Oh, get over here. They're not going to curse you,” Neville said.
Draco begrudgingly stood up and walked over, tense as could be.
“So…” Harry started awkwardly. “Why are you here?”
“The Carrows aren't exactly good company,” Draco said before glancing down at the wand that Harry was holding. He frowned as he said, “You still have my wand.”
“Oh, yeah,” Harry said as he looked down at the wand. “Do you–”
“Keep it,” Draco said, “I can use my mother's wand for now. Just…” The Slytherin hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Keep yourselves alive. The Dark Lord will probably be here soon.”
“We know,” Harry said, “We're looking for something here at Hogwarts.”
“What are you looking for?” Neville asked curiously.
“The Diadem of Ravenclaw,” Hermione answered.
“You should ask the Gray Lady,” Luna Lovegood said as she drifted over. “She knows plenty of things about where to hide away in Hogwarts.”
“Thanks–”
The door to the Room of Requirement opened abruptly.
“Snape is calling a meeting with the entire school!” Terry Boot announced.
“What do we do?” Neville asked Harry.
“Give them some student cloaks. Let's see if we can chase out the Death Eaters and give them some time to find the Diadem,” Draco ordered, surprising the others.
Neville gave Draco a grin. “Alright. We'll follow your lead.”
The students did, in fact, manage to chase out Alecto and Amycus Carrow and Severus Snape with the help of the staff.
From there, a battle began.
Several lives were lost, but the Light prevailed over the Dark.
Neville and Draco, soon after the war, decided to get married. Their adventure didn't end there, though.
Theodore Nott, quite possibly the laziest Slytherin to ever exist, was sitting at his office’s desk, his feet propped up and everything. He was the epitome of a Slytherin who had long lost any semblance of manners long ago. He stared at the two men standing before his desk with an expression that could only be described as bored. “And here I thought Crabbe was the dumbest wizard of our time.”
“It's not dumb,” Draco snapped right away, “It's making things right.”
“You realize that the war has ended in the Light’s favor, yes?” Theo asked the blonde with a raised brow.
“Favor or not, it'd be best if there wasn't a war in the first place,” Neville said.
Theo stared the two incredibly foolish men down for a long moment before reaching down. He opened a drawer and pulled out some kind of trinket that looked suspiciously like a Time Turner. He set it down on the desk and said, “Well, have fun then.”
The two men looked down at the Time Turner for a long moment before Draco began, “I know you are clinically insane, Theo, but–”
“Fuck off, Malfoy,” Theo snapped, “You're the one who openly broke off a marriage contract to date a Gryffindor after the war.”
Draco looked so offended on so many levels. “My husband killed Nagini with–”
“Godric Gryffindor’s sword,” Theo interrupted with a roll of his eyes. “Yes, I know. For the millionth time, I was there with most of the other students.”
Draco scoffed. “You sure don't act like you saw just how badass my Neville was–”
Theo groaned as he ran his hands down his face. “Sweet Salazar, Draco. Take the damn thing and your husband, and get the hell out of my manor.”
Draco snatched up the Time Turner with a huff. “Come on, Neville. We aren't appreciated–”
Neville gently grabbed his husband's arm before he could storm out of the office. “Theo, do you know how many turns we should use?”
“It's not a Time Turner in a traditional sense,” Theo explained, “Turn it three times and you should go to the time you concentrate on.”
“Great,” Draco approved with a nod before tugging on Neville's hand and leading him to the door of the office.
“For the love of Merlin, don't make things worse,” Theo pleaded as they left. He was ignored, and he groaned as he realized he may have just shot the world in the metaphorical foot. He needed to work on the wards surrounding the Nott Manor, just in case things went to hell in a handbasket.
“Are you sure about this, Draco?” Lucius asked gently as he looked down at his son carefully.
“We are,” Draco confirmed, motioning to his husband as they held each other’s hand.
“You will be safe, won't you?” Lucius asked in a threatening manner as he glared more at Neville than his own son.
“As safe as we can be,” Neville promised, which wasn't much in the eyes of Lucius.
“Dear, stop pestering them,” Narcissa said gently, “You know how stubborn Draco gets when he's made up his mind.” She then looked at the two young men and requested, “Please, keep yourselves safe. I wouldn't be able to bear it if either of you got hurt.”
“Don't worry yourself, Mother,” Draco said confidently, “We’re going to be there and back in no time at all.”
“Very well,” Narcissa said, backing down from the matter. She then embraced Draco and Neville both, hoping and praying that things would turn out for the best.
Lucius hesitated for a mere second before joining the hug. “Keep each other close, and get back safely.”
“We will,” Neville said as he and Draco were released.
The two men grasped each other's hand before Draco said, “We'll be back in no time at all.”
Lucius and Narcissa soon took their leave from the private parlor of the Leaky Cauldron, leaving Neville and Draco alone.
“Come on, dear,” Neville said with a teasing grin. “Let's not let Harry have all the fun.”
Draco gave his husband a gentle smile as he squeezed Neville’s hand. “Let's go, my love.”
Neville flushed to the tips of his ears as Draco pulled out the Time Turner and wrapped it around both of their necks.
The two then looked at each other seriously before turning the magical device three times.
With a loud pop, they disappeared from their time.
Severus Snape was in his fourth year, and he couldn't help but find it troubling that there were three new professors. He was sure there’d only be one for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was incorrect, though, as Dumbledore called order to the Great Hall.
“Now that the sorting has been done,” Dumbledore said with a smile, “I'd like to introduce the new professors here. First, for Defense Against the Dark Arts, we have Professor Proudfoot.”
The woman, a former Auror, stared at the students with a stern expression, even throughout the polite clapping she received.
“Next, I am sad to say that Professor Snaria retired during the summer. However, Professor Longbottom here has gladly filled her position as Herbology teacher.” Dumbledore motioned to the brunette man who bore a gentle smile and compassionate brown eyes. He then motioned to the last man, one who bore a striking resemblance to Lucius Malfoy, save for the surprisingly relaxed expression. “Professor Malfoy here will be the new Head of Slytherin House and the Potions Professor for the next year, as well.”
“I didn't know Malfoy had an uncle,” Amycus Carrow muttered in confusion.
Snape knew that Lucius only had a father with no siblings, meaning the Malfoy at the table was a more distant relative than that, even if they did have the same facial features.
“Now that you've been introduced, have a wonderful feast,” Dumbledore said as he sat back down.
The night ended formally from there.
Snape was quite annoyed when he saw his schedule the following morning and saw he had Double Potions with Gryffindor first thing. Nevertheless, he dragged himself to the Potions Classroom, only to see that it had been completely remodeled.
The room was still as neat and tidy as before, but it had lost some of its original charm. There weren't many magical things, instead bearing the minimal amount of trinkets possible. There were also more safety precautions around, something that Slughorn didn't particularly care for.
“I know it's different, but it's for the best,” Professor Malfoy said as he sat behind his desk, staring down at something in his desk.
“I don't say anything,” Severus said.
“Your expression said something,” Malfoy said with a lazy grin.
Severus nearly found himself shrinking down in embarrassment, but managed to keep himself neutral. “What happened to Slughorn?”
“He retired,” Malfoy answered with a grateful tone.
“Do you not like Slughorn?” Severus asked, surprised that anyone could dislike his former Head of House.
“He’s only a good teacher when he's interested in someone. Otherwise, he's just about as helpful as a tree in a storm,” Malfoy commented with more than a hint of disdain.
Severus frowned a bit, but he couldn't refute the words. He knew just about as well as any other Slytherin that Slughorn favored power over anything else.
“He assigned you homework over the break, yes?” Malfoy asked as he finally stopped fiddling with whatever was on his desk. He motioned for Severus to approach once he received a nod. “Please, let me see it.”
Severus was quick to approach and hand over his essay from over the break.
Malfoy glanced down at it before pausing. “You’re Severus Snape, hm? That makes you a potions genius.”
“I’m sure Slughorn didn't say that,” Severus waved off as he desperately pretended not to be embarrassed from the praise.
“No, he didn't,” Malfoy agreed before looking at Severus carefully. “However, I know things that would surprise even you.”
Severus cautiously nodded.
“You may go back to your seat,” Malfoy said as he set Severus’s essay aside.
Severus silently did as told, and he made a mental note to ask around about how Malfoy did with other classes.
Of course, his potions class couldn't have gone smoothly.
Potter and his posse ended up coming in at the last possible second while laughing loudly.
Malfoy took one look at the group before sighing. “Easy, now, children. This is a Potions Laboratory, not a playground.”
Immediately, that ticked off Black, who decided to open his mouth and say, “This isn't a real lab.”
At once, Malfoy’s eyebrow rose. “Oh?”
“It's just a classroom in the dungeons. There's nothing special beyond that,” Black said with a cocky smirk.
“Au contraire,” Malfoy said with his own smirk, causing Black to immediately frown. “There are Runes running through the stones making up this seemingly ordinary classroom, ones that help stabilize the magic of the potions you make.”
“That's ridiculous,” Black said.
“Observe carefully,” Malfoy said before saying, “Aparecium.”
At once, formerly invisible writing appeared on stones in pure gold. The Runes, as ancient as the school, withstood the tests of time and remained there to protect the students and staff alike.
Malfoy flicked his wand, and the writing disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. “You four may take your seats once you're done gawking.”
Immediately, Black snapped his jaw shut before muttering something in a foreign language.
“Ten points from Gryffindor,” Malfoy said at once, “It would be wise of you to remember that Malfoys once came from France and still partake in learning the language.”
Black glared with contempt clear in his eyes as a few Slytherins snickered at his expense.
“None of that,” Malfoy said as he gave the few Slytherins a look of disapproval. “Laughing at another’s expense is cruel at best and pathetic at worst.”
Immediately, several Slytherins were taken back, Severus being one of them.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” Malfoy tutted.
“We're not in the same House,” Wilkes said with confusion evident in his voice.
“It's part of a quote,” Malfoy said, looking incredibly disappointed in Wilkes. “‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.’ Basically, it means that success is made by sticking together. Anything else will surely lead to disaster.”
“Okay,” Wilkes said slowly, showing his absolutely abysmal brains yet again.
“Think of the war,” Malfoy said, causing the students to immediately grow grim. “We, as the wizarding world, cannot stand if we're divided. Things are going to hell in a handbasket, and it all started because of differences in opinion.” Before anyone else could comment, the new professor clasped his hands together. “But, now is not the time to ponder such things. After handing in your homework from the break, we'll begin reviewing your techniques.”
The rest of the class was surprisingly boring, as it was a lecture followed by brewing a potion that they had done the year prior.
Malfoy was surprisingly good with the students, easily giving advice to Slytherin and Gryffindors alike. He genuinely wanted everyone to succeed, even Black.
When the class ended, everyone handed in good potions.
Malfoy dismissed them all with a good-natured smile and a minor amount of homework.
Severus found himself surprisingly at ease as he went to the Great Hall for lunch.
It was there that the other Slytherins, ones in their first year, were chatting about how strict and severe Proudfoot was.
Severus almost groaned in annoyance at the knowledge that she’d likely be biased against the Slytherin due to her former career.
With that knowledge tucked into the back of his head, he ate and went to Herbology early.
It was there at Greenhouse 3 that Severus was shocked by what he saw.
There, inside the greenhouse, Malfoy was laughing with Longbottom. Malfoy looked much more relaxed, and Longbottom was looking just as eased. Then, the two leaned over and gave each other a chaste kiss before separating.
As Malfoy turned to the door, he froze upon seeing Severus standing there, gawking.
Severus immediately turned his head away, his mind still processing that the two new teachers seemed romantically involved.
Malfoy soon stepped out, and he said to Longbottom, “À plus tard, mon cher.”
Longbottom, who walked the other man to the door, smiled widely. “Of course, mon amour.”
Malfoy gave a beaming smile before heading back to the castle.
Longbottom immediately looked at Severus and asked cheerfully, “Isn't my husband just lovely?”
“Husband?” Severus repeated in surprise.
“We're married, but we kept our last names the same due to the political climate,” Longbottom explained, “Once the war is over, we'll hyphenate our last names.”
“You two – uh – really love each other, huh?” Severus asked awkwardly.
“It wasn't like that at the beginning, with me being a Gryffindor and all,” Longbottom said with a fond smile, “But we got over it, and we're better for it.”
“You’re a Gryffindor?” Severus questioned.
“I have no prejudices against Slytherin,” Longbottom said assuringly.
“No, I just…” Severus paused before mumbling with a small blush, “You two made it work even though you're from different Houses?”
“We’re both wizards from Hogwarts when the day comes to an end, and we both care about each other. What more is needed?” Longbottom asked with a smile.
Severus pondered the words as some Ravenclaws began walking down to the third greenhouse.
The four girls were giggling to themselves as they came closer, whispering to each other with slightly flushed faces.
Severus forced himself to not roll his eyes at just how immature they were acting.
Longbottom greeted them with a smile, causing the girls to flush even more.
Severus turned his head away a bit, forcing himself to behave in a civilized manner despite the fact he wanted to sneer in disgust at the girls.
Clearly, they didn't care that Longbottom was a grown man and had no interest in any of them.
“So, Professor Longbottom, how old are you?” The one girl asked rather boldly.
“I'm twenty,” he answered before saying, “As is my spouse.”
Immediately, the wind had been taken out of the girls’ sails.
Severus forced himself to hold back a smirk. He instead looked off toward the castle, and he saw the majority of the class coming down the hill toward the greenhouses.
Longbottom waited until the entire class arrived before straightening up just a bit. Though he seemed laid-back, his eyes were taking in everything they could about the students. “Alright, students, today we'll be working in Greenhouse Three. I'll be seeing your skills when working with plants that are on the more dangerous side.”
Severus and his fellow students were on their best behavior with the new professor. They did everything satisfactory and eventually, they were dismissed with approval.
For several weeks, things seemed as normal as they could at Hogwarts.
It was on Halloween of that year that a loud shriek resounded throughout the castle and Professors Longbottom and Malfoy disappeared from Hogwarts.
Severus found later that day that the two had stabbed a lost relic and disappeared from the school grounds. Over the course of the next few months, Severus kept reading the Daily Prophet and finding out that Longbottom and Malfoy had seen destroying a few relics and robbing Gringotts in the process.
Soon enough, it was announced that the Dark Lord had been killed, and the wizarding world was free from that cloud of despair.
Longbottom and Malfoy had disappeared entirely, no matter where the Aurors searched for them.
Things at Hogwarts had changed once the Dark Lord perished.
Severus gave up on Lily, instead focusing his love on Regulus, who he once despised because of his last name. Severus was also named as a godfather for Lucius and Narcissa's child, Draco Malfoy.
Things in that dimension would be peaceful and bright from then on.