Falling for a Malfoy

Neville the savior

Filch brought you, Harry, and Hermione to Professor McGonagall's study, where you all sat and waited with baited breath. Hermione trembled beside you.

"Hey, its...going to be fine. Right Harry? We'll be fine."

Her trembling only increased. You wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her into you. She let out a small sob.

You were cornered. There was no way out of this one. Even Harry, it had seemed, had accepted defeat.

When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading a terrified Neville but the ear.

"(Y/n)! Harry! I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-"

Harry shook his head to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She whimpered beside you, shaking like a madman. You pulled her a bit closer and shushed her quietly.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on. It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble."

This time you gave a small sob. You never wanted him to get in trouble. Hermione hugged you burying her face in your neck in an act of comfort. Small tears escaped your eyes.

"Well I've caught Mr. Malfoy. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it too?"

You eyes caught Neville's. You've never seen him look so hurt.
"(Y/n)...?"

You shook your head and tried to tell him without words that it wasn't true. You knew what it must have cost him to try and find you all in the dark, to warn you.

"I'm disgusted. Five students out of bed in one night! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. And Miss Potter..." she turned her head, as if looking at you disgusted her "you're less like your mother than I thought. She would never do anything like this."

You felt your heart crack. It was by far, the worst thing anyone has ever said to you. Even the Dursleys had never said something so utterly vile to you. You felt even more sick than before.

"All four of you will receive detentions- yes, you too, Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous- and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"Fifty?" You and Harry gasped- you would lose the lead, the lead you and him had won in the last Quidditch match.

"Fifty points each."

"Professor please-" Hermione began.

"You can't-" Harry started, looking desperate.

You stayed silent. You had never hated yourself more. You deserved this for bringing everyone down.

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

Two hundred points lost in a single swoop. You felt as though the bottom had dropped out of your stomach. Gryffindor was now in last place for the House Cup.

Neither you nor Harry slept that night. Neville sobbed into his pillow for what seemed like hours. Eventually you had enough and could no longer stand to hear him suffer.

"Neville?"

"I'm sorry!" He sobbed. "We're going to lose and it's all my fault!"

"Of course it's not. Neville, you are one of the bravest and most kind Gryffindors I have ever had the chance to meet." You comfort. "You got out of bed in the middle of the night because you were concerned for your friends. That takes guts! I'm really thankful to have a friend like you."

Neville sniffed. "Thanks (Y/n). But I still lost us points. Everyone's going to hate us."

You smile kindly. "Well then we'll just have to protect each other won't we?"

He nodded and gave you a small smiled back. "Thanks again."

You nod and climb back into bed with Harry. You feel him begin to twirl a stand of your (h/c) hair around his finger. He hums quietly, rocking you ever so slightly. Eventually your (e/c) eyes slip shut and you begin to drift away.

~Time skip~

The story had spread around the school by morning. Harry and (Y/n) Potter, the heroes of two Quidditch matches, had lost them two hundred points. Well, you and a couple of other stupid first years that is.

You went from most admired to most loathed in seconds. Everywhere you went, people pointed and didn't bother to lower their voices as they insulted you. Slytherin, on the other hand, clapped and cheered as you passed.

"Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"

One amongst the crowd of Slytherins was Draco. He clapped the loudest as you passed, looking amused. This wasn't the Draco you knew.

"Draco...? What-"

"Good going Potter." He spat, smirking. "Not only are we going to win the House Cup but now you and your brother are the laughingstocks of the school."

He laughs as you bow your head in shame. His words tug at your heartstrings and echo in your head.

"HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

You turn and see Neville walking briskly towards you and the surrounding Slytherins. Draco narrows his eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"Y-You h-heard me. Leave h-her alone."

You smile slightly, silently thanking Merlin for Neville.

"(Y/n) I-is a k-kind and v-very courageous p-person. Sh-she has helped with s-so much. S-she's smart a-and she doesn't deserve to be treated t-this way."

You put a hand gently on his shoulder, making him pause his speech. Draco looks at you, an angry and hurt look filling his grey orbs.

You guide Neville away from the sene and towards your next class. Before you enter you give him a hug, squeezing him tightly around the middle. "Thank you so much."

His face turns a deep scarlet as you pull away. He opens the door, turning his face away from you so you don't see him blush. You giggle and ruffle his hair before turning and entering the room.