1st seed; [Action/Voice]

[nearlychosen]

[Perhaps the journal picks up the sound of Neville's arrival as he is unceremoniously deposited on the icy southern lake sometime in the dead of night. If not that, then it might catch the dull groaning as he slowly wakes and struggles to pull himself upright. If not that, then certainly the furious squeak from sneakers lacking traction on slippery ice would catch the journal's attention, as would the dull thudding as Neville collides with some child's forgotten snowman on the westernmost bank. A sharp intake of breath, then] No wand. Bastards. [In fact, even though Neville hasn't yet noticed the presence of the book at all, he seems perfectly aware that someone is listening, even if it isn't quite who he expects.]

It's still not enough! [The words, though a bit rasped and wheezing, are spoken with the stubbornness of one who rather expected this displacement.] You think you can just Portkey me someplace and be done with it? You won't get me -- not any of us -- to back down that easily. I know you're here -- show yourselves, you bloody cowards!

[The dead silence is less than encouraging. It means that if he wasn't being watched, then he'd been sent far enough that he wouldn't need supervision. Accio wand. [The incantation is intoned softly through clenched teeth. It doesn't escape him how ironic it was that in his desperation to recover his stolen wand he's resorted to a summoning spell that usually required the use of his wand in the first place. The spell fails spectacularly, leaving Neville to suppose his captors laughed, wherever they happen to be.

Still, the place he'd been sent certainly merits some investigation. If he'd been sent here via portkey, then some other innocuous-looking thing might well be the ticket home. It might appear off for a young, underdressed, blackeyed, fairly beaten and emaciated man to be picking up small stones with a thoughtful expression, but finding an alternate portkey is simply the most plausible way back to the more important matters he'd left at home.]

Comments

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Feeling a Bit Smug Right Now]

[hisdarkmark]

[And this is an approving look once Harry settles. What has the world come to? Oh, right. This is what Draco wanted, just having Harry Potter befriend him. It took him six years, and okay, maybe on the way he sort of lost sight of that goal, but now that he has it? It's...acceptable.] You know what I've realized? You and I are two of the most unlucky people I know, and that's saying something.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Being Oblivious to That Smugness]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

[Meanwhile, Harry is laughing and trying to get more warmth out of that blanket. Smugness missed! But yes, +1friend get for Draco.] Isn't that the truth? I wouldn't wish this kind of luck on anyone.

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Friendship That's Not Pseudo]

[hisdarkmark]

[Burrowing further into his blanket, and yeah, maybe chuckling just a little. What the hell, world.] Oh, I'm sure you would have wished it on me when we were kids...if only because vice versa. It's a bit strange sometimes, isn't it? Knowing that you and I are leading similar lives. It's...I don't know. ["Reassuring? Less pathetic? Dark Arts neither of us know about?"]

[Harry Potter and the Action of the Frightening Prospects of That]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

[Harry shakes his head.] Not really. I mean, I thought you had to be the Heir of Slytherin back in second year, and I suppose that counts. You annoyed me quite a lot, but not enough to wish this kind of life on you. [He frowns.] This whole Chosen-by-Voldemort thing is rubbish. All of it.

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Suddenly Choking Up and Being Vague Again]

[hisdarkmark]

[...huh.] I think I actually believe that, the not wishing my life to be utter crap bit. Rubbish it may be, but...well, never mind that. The point is, maybe now we won't have to worry quite so much about it.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Hey Wait a Minute]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

It's true. I really hope the time of having to worry so much about it is almost over. It'd be nice to relax for a while, you know?

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Apparently Outsmarting His Mun]

[hisdarkmark]

Relax? In this place? Keep dreaming. But it does seem to be a bit more tame than home, doesn't it? Maybe I should just treat this place as a holiday from now on.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Thinking His Mun is Mental]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

Well, with the Malnosso about, there's no true relaxing here. But I guess I can sort of take it over being back home. Treating it as a holiday might be a good way to go about it.

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Potentially Opening Up Again]

[hisdarkmark]

Right, I know what you mean. ...heh. Maybe I can use this time to make up for last summer.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Being Forgiving]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

[Harry gives a little smile.] It's probably not what you were used to before things went mad, but I really think you should enjoy all this while you can. Having good times to look back to also makes things easier.

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Starting to Get It]

[hisdarkmark]

[He tilts his head a little at that though] And what of you?

[Harry Potter and the Action of Wishing the Order Was Different]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

Sirius, Dumbledore, and my mum are here. Ignoring that would be stupid.

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Being Stuck]

[hisdarkmark]

Did you forget my mum's here, too? Even if Riddle is gone, I can't just brush her off. Besides, I have other responsibilities as well.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Skipping the Fact that Draco Missed the Point]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

... No, I didn't.

Which ones?

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Not Realizing He Missed the Point]

[hisdarkmark]

Who do you think? Not that it's important to you.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Being Awkward]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

Oh, right. [Conversation skills, failing!]

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Talking About Serious Things]

[hisdarkmark]

...hey. You realize what this means, don't you?

[Harry Potter and the Action of Being Seriously Serious But Not Sirius]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

What?

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Being Glad Harry is Not Seriously Sirius]

[hisdarkmark]

If Riddle's really gone...means the truce is voided, technically.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Also Being Glad He is Not Seriously Sirius]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

So it does. [...Except what does that mean now?]

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Having a Realization]

[hisdarkmark]

[...no clue. Draco's just going to fidget a bit and look at the blanket because, well, what does that mean? Without Riddle to fight against, do they really have a reason to keep working together?

Then again...is it even really still working together? They're just sitting in a room and shooting the breeze about life and Not-Riddle. That's not working together, that's...something that obviously sneaked up on Draco, even if he's not sure if it sneaked up on Harry]

...so I guess you don't need my planning anymore.

[Harry Potter and the Action of Suddenly Being Confronted With Logic]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

[Harry's going to blink at that realization. If Riddle's gone, then they're both free to go back to being themselves. But if tonight has shown Harry anything, the alliance has merely become a pretense to a friendship they probably barely acknowledged as existent.]

Probably not, but... [He trails off there, because the planning wasn't relevant anymore. None of his ranting at the lake earlier had anything to do with usefulness, but had everything to do with wanting Draco to be okay. He's quiet for a moment, just letting the meaning of that sink in.]

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Having a Bad Feeling About This]

[hisdarkmark]

[That's probably what's hitting him with full force at the moment, that realization that Hisoka's been right all along. Draco Malfoy trusted Harry Potter. He wanted to be friends even now. He was fine going along and ignoring the slow tolerance that was growing between them, brushing it off as simply a means for surviving and assuring Harry stayed alive long enough to end it. But with Riddle gone, that excuse is gone as well.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that, well, he wasn't exactly thrilled about losing that. Harry Potter understood. Harry understands things that Draco himself can barely comprehend, and that was what he's been lacking since this whole crazy adventure started. The realization of it all was like a swift punch to the stomach, and Draco just blinks right back, vaguely wondering if Harry's thinking the same thing.]

But...?

[Harry Potter and the Action of Realizing That Irony is the Victor]

[cruxofapotter.livejournal.com]

[It was too late now. The concern had been real. The healing had been real. Most importantly, the dubious but growing trust had been real. It had been staring them in the face, only they'd been too preoccupied to notice it. Hogwarts' (current) most infamous rivals had conquered their animosity and risen above it like rational adults. Who'd have thought that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter could have ever collectively acted rationally?

Harry hadn't, and now, a couple of chuckles are starting to slip.]

I think we've hit another snag.

[Draco Malfoy and the Action of Living the Night of Ironic Things]

[hisdarkmark]

[It isn't until Harry lets out a few laughs that Draco feels that uncomfortable knot in the pit of his stomach start to loosen, and he's soon mockingly raising an eyebrow, lips threateningly twitching to turn up into a grin. This was okay...this was really going to be okay.]

Well, shit. How ever are we going to resolve this one?