Hallows Game || HP X Squid Game (Draco Malfoy)

16 - Neville and Nico

"So," Neville said, awkwardly clearing his throat as he glanced down at the pouch of ten marbles in his hand, "that's rough, huh?"

The mood had certainly darkened somewhat since the cheery announcement was made, informing them that they would be competing against their partners to the death.

Next to him, his own partner, Nico, snorted. "Bit of an understatement, but yeah... whatever."

Neville gave a nervous chuckle before falling into an awkward silence. Nico continued to look disdainfully into the distance, giving off serious emo vibes.

"Well, this still beats the Battle of Hogwarts. Right?" Neville said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Although... maybe you weren't there? I don't recall-"

"I was there," Nico said abruptly, cutting him off. "Now cut the crap and let's just get on with this, shall we?"

Neville just stared at the boy whom he had agreed to partner up with. What was with him? He was so uptight, so fierce. He found he wanted to thaw him, to make one last human connection in this cold, dreadful world before he checked out for good.

"I have no idea how to play." Neville shrugged. "Marbles is the kind of game people like my gran used to play." He paused, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "Although they said we're free to create our own rules, so I guess it doesn't matter how we do it."

"Whatever." Nico muttered dully, his expression surlier than ever. "Just choose something, would you?"

A silence fell. Neville looked around at his surroundings, recognising this 'town' in which was supposed to be Harry's birth place. Godrics Hollow.

He wondered briefly how Harry was doing, his heart twisting when he recalled that he'd partnered up with Luna, dear sweet Luna who would rather die herself than be the cause of someone else's death.

Sighing heavily, he sat down on a nearby stone wall, one which overlooked the church cemetery. He couldn't help but note that it was a hauntingly beautiful place to spend the last moments of one's life - a lot nicer than that horrifying cornfield with the freaky old lady doll shooting at them, at any rate.

"Let's... end the game with a single round."

Nico just looked at him.

"Let's bet everything and just play one round." Neville repeated, nodding pointedly across the road to where two Hufflepuffs were playing a fraught game of marbles, both of them cursing and panicking. "Is that what you want to be doing until the clock runs out?"

"Fine." Nico bit, removing his marble pouch from his pocket. "Come on. What are we playing, then?"

"Why are you in such a hurry? Are you dying to kill me?" A playful smile curved at Neville's lips. "We're playing just one round. We have some time left. Let's do it last minute."

Nico's mouth fell open, a flash of impatience in his green eyes. "Then what are we going to do until then?"

"I dunno," Neville shrugged. "Talk?"

Nico blinked, staring back at him as though he'd just grown another head.

"Talk about what?"

"Things we couldn't tell other people." Neville said, the idea suddenly becoming more appealing to him by the minute. "One of us is going to die here, anyway. No matter what we tell each other, there's no chance of an awkward encounter. Don't you think?"

"I suppose..." Nico muttered, re-pocketing his marble pouch to lazily push back his sleek black fringe off his eyes.

And this time, Neville turned to look at his companion, to really look at him, wanting to see beyond the number 067 on his tracksuit.