You'll be the Death of Me

Chapter 46

Something was wrong. It was more than the fact that Graces had not shown for their morning meeting, or that he hadn't seen her in the Great Hall for meals. Neville was sure something was wrong; he could feel it in his bones. Something had seemed off ever since he laid down for bed Friday night. At first it was a nudging in his gut, a fleeting bad feeling whenever his thoughts drifted to her, but now it was overcoming him. It spread through his belly and sank his heart down to his knees. Something was wrong.

He could have ignored the feeling in his gut and chalked everything up to paranoia, but when Graces hadn't owled him her apologies at not meeting or even sent Pansy to tell him she wasn't coming he couldn't help but dwell on it. And, if he were being perfectly honest, he didn't expect her to show up for their meeting. He had woken up today knowing that Graces wasn't going to meet him, which is why he was hiding behind an old tapestry waiting for some Slytherins to pass by so he could enter their common room.

He was aware that this was a stupid plan and that he was about to enter a den and anger a multitude of snakes. He also realized that Graces was going to kill him, but he didn't care. Something was wrong and he wasn't about to ignore this feeling welling up inside him. Graces could be as angry as she wanted. He really didn't care so long as she was alright. And as for the rest of Slytherin, it wouldn't be the first time he was hexed. He had been cruciated before, he doubted that anything they did to him would be as bad.

Neville clung to that thought as he moved out from behind the tapestry and followed two second year girls who both seemed completely absorbed in their own thoughts.

"I heard she likes sweets," the smaller girl whispered hollowly. "Maybe we could order something from Honeydukes."

"Maybe."

"What's wrong?"

"I-I just can't stop thinking about her screaming."

"Yeah, I know..."

"Didn't it bother you?"

"Not as much as when it stopped."

Neville tried to tell himself that they weren't necessarily talking about Graces, or that he was just taking this the wrong way. Perhaps Graces was screaming at Draco, or she and Pansy got in a tiff. Perhaps it wasn't Graces at all, he reminded himself again, but that feeling of dread continued to hammer at his insides.

"Purity," both girls said together in unison after moving behind the stone wall hiding the entrance. Neville quickly moved behind it as well and entered the common room directly behind them causing both girls to turn and let out a shrill scream.

Blaise Zabini looked as though he were about to hex him, but stopped himself short when he realized Neville was still behind the second years.

"What are you doing here, Longbottom?" the dark skinned boy asked, moving forward with his wand in hand.

"I, uh, I—" Neville all of the sudden felt very stupid for continuing with his plan. Everyone in the Slytherin common room was now standing, holding their wands. Distaste and even hate were obvious in their stares.

"Who cares why he's here?" Pansy screeched, lifting her wand higher. "Get him out!"

Neville ducked as a curse came whizzing by him. The two girls he followed had now gotten over their initial shock and ran over to join the crowd of Slytherins closing in on him. Montague was lifting his wand up and Neville had the impression from the way he gripped it that whatever he was about to send was going to hurt.

"I-IcametoseeMalfoy," he blurted out immediately, covering his head with his arms from the curse he suspected was on its way. Neville waited for a barrage of curses and jinxes to start bombarding him, but to his surprise nothing happened. He looked up and all of the Slytherins were looking at him oddly.