InsaneJournal

NaNo FanFic Part 19
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Pairings this part: none
Rating: G

September 2003, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Not for the first time that morning, Ginny felt like her arm through his was all that held Neville upright.  The ceremony was not terribly long, but it involved rather more publicity than Neville had seen since the Battle of Hogwarts.  Having the Malfoys standing to his right probably didn't help, either. 

Ginny glanced back at Lucius, who stood well behind Neville and the speakers until the time came for the placement of the last two bricks in the facade.  The elder Malfoy still struck an imposing figure, but the Second War had taken a toll on him. Ginny did not think that she would ever again fear him, but she respected his power, both magical and political.  No matter what one's past, money still talked, and always would. 

"It is a great pleasure for St. Mungo's to welcome the patronage of these heroes of the Voldemort Wars in the establishment of our new research wing," said the Chief Administrative Healer for the hospital.  Ginny tuned him out again. 

Narcissa, now, was still something of a mystery to most of the Wizarding World. The papers had covered Harry's defense of her and Draco, but the details were something none of the principals seemed willing to discuss.  Of course, Harry rarely discussed the war at all, and when he did it was almost always to highlight the achievements of someone else.  The speechwriters at countless memorials, award ceremonies, and building dedications despaired of Harry, because he always ignored their notes and spoke about whatever he felt needed to be said.  Narcissa had saved them all, that was what Ginny knew, by lying to Voldemort.  Lying, in the face of death.  That took a certain kind of guts, and Ginny marveled at it until she remembered that Narcissa was Bellatrix's sister. 

The two of them, Narcissa and Lucius, had presented a neutral front today, and while they would never fade fully into the background, they did deliberately let Neville have pride of place. 

Neville, Ginny knew, would not have partnered with Lucius Malfoy for anything of less import than this addition to St. Mungo's.  He went in to the business with open eyes, Lucius having hidden nothing of his motives.  The Malfoys had two aims in this project, and first was to clean up their name.  They would have sponsored any number of charitable projects and government departments to shift perception away from their Death Eater past.  That this was the project Lucius had chosen spoke well of him, and of course it was politically brilliant, given the history between Bellatrix and the Longbottoms. 

Ginny laced her fingers through Neville's and squeezed his hand.  He looked down at her and smiled, gratitude in his eyes.  He had gotten used to being out of the public eye in those first years following the war, when Harry and Severus and the truth of Snape's role, and then the Umbridge trials, had made the covers of all the International Wizarding publications.  No one had forgotten his name, but he did not deal with the same scrutiny Harry did.  He had settled down to pursue his Mastery in Experimental Herbology at St. Andrew's, and consulted occasionally for articles on potions and healing research. 

"How many more speakers?" he whispered, bending his head to hers. 

She grinned and shook her head.  "Just Harry, then you're on." 

Indeed, the hospital administration had run out of people to put on the podium, so at last Harry stood up to say a few words as honorary Chairman of the Board of the new Center.  He had very little to say, really, and ever less to do in his role, outside of appear at functions like these and allow his name to appear next to Lucius Malfoy's and Neville's in the literature. 

Neville smoothed the front of his dress robes with his free hand, and patted the side pocket where he kept his wand as if to be certain he hadn't forgotten it.   "Don't worry," Ginny whispered.  "You'll be fine." 

And so it proved.  Lucius Malfoy had learned some tolerance, or else he had had somewhat to drink with Draco before the ceremony, because he ignored all of Neville's nerve-induced clumsiness and simply waited for his younger partner to pull himself together. 

"On three, gentlemen," the architect said. 

Lucius and Neville took up positions on either side of the door, wands out and ready, pointing to the two long tiles, each holding half of the new Center's name, that lay on the speaker's platform. 

"One..."  With coordinated movements, Lucius and Neville each levitated their tile.  "Two..." They pointed their wands and the tiles moved into position above the double doors.  "Three!"  The tiles slid into place with a sharp snap, and the architect quickly completed the sealing and weather-proofing charms that would permanently secure the entire facade. 

Ginny applauded until her palms hurt, grinning broadly and stretching up on her toes to kiss Neville's cheek.  "Well done." 

Neville nodded as she spoke, but did not turn.  He had tears in his eyes as he looked at the beautiful new research wing he had helped create: The Frank and Alice Longbottom Center for the Study and Treatment of Cruciatus-based Disorders. 

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