Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter, it all belongs to JK Rowling.
A/N: This is written for the Twin Exchange's August Challenge. I chose the prompts: Neville/Luna; Cookies; 'School isn't all bad'; Back to school.
This is also my first shot at Neville/Luna but I figured that the only way I'm going to become a better writer is by challenging myself! So I'm not sure how this'll turn out :p
Bubblegum
The damp evening air was heavy with the scent of dying leaves and crushed crab apples mingling with the lingering aroma of pumpkin pie from the Great Hall. Neville hunched into his cloak as he perched on a bench overlooking Hogwarts' grounds. The setting sun cast long shadows over the grassy expanse that showed no hint of the battle that occurred months before.
So many things were forgotten now that the students and teachers had thrown themselves into the academic year. Of course no one forgot the big things in the war like Harry's contribution; and rightly so, Neville thought. But he couldn't help feeling used and discarded by his peers when everyone had simply allowed his contributions to fade away without a trace, just like the debris of the battle. He had stood up to Voldemort himself and tried so hard to become a man his parents would have been proud of. Regardless, the students and teachers of Hogwarts had reverted back to treating him like the old, bumbling, nervous Neville. He felt terrible for being bitter but there was only one person in the world that treated him with love unconditionally and gave him gifts just because they cared. And she was the reason he was sat staring into the distance on an oppressive autumn evening.
Neville had always found it difficult visiting his parents and seeing the hopeless invalids they had become. His Grandmother had always told him how wonderful his father had been and he knew that his parents had played a part in the Order too; knowing these things made it more painful because it highlighted their diminishment further. However, since participating in the war against Voldemort, Neville found his monthly visits to his parents all the worse. Now that he had experienced the pain of the Cruciatus Curse, seen the horrors of a war, and felt all the little injuries of conflict Neville had a sudden and unpleasant insight into what his parents had gone through.
Sometimes Neville was jealous of Harry. He knew it was a terrible thing to say because no one should have to go through what his classmate had. But at the same time Harry had the comfort of knowing that his parents hadn't suffered when they'd been killed with a sudden and decisive curse. Harry knew that wherever Lily and James Potter were now they wouldn't be in any pain. Neville sometimes wished that Alice and Frank Longbottom had gone the same way because then they wouldn't be doomed to a life of hospitalisation and madness. If they had been hit with the killing curse it would have been quick but that hadn't been Bellatrix's style. No, he thought with a wry smile, she enjoyed watching her victims writhe like a cat torturing a mouse before devouring it.
Neville felt the small rectangle of paper in his hand as he ran his fingertips over it gently. Every visit without fail, even as a young boy, his mother had given him a gum wrapper before he left St Mungo's. It had become a ritual of kinds that she gave him the gift with her hapless smile and shining eyes filled with a vacant adoration. He kept the wrappers in a box under his bed and had done since he was young, despite his Grandmother insisting he threw them away. He would never have been able to throw them away, those wrappers were the most thoughtful and special gifts he had ever received. Even if his mother didn't understand what she was doing, Neville liked to believe that somewhere inside her addled mind she felt love for him and knew he was her son.
These days he left Hogwarts after classes on the last day of every month to visit his parents at the hospital. Neville had made it a routine over the last couple of months to sit on his favourite bench when he returned to the school, so that he could contemplate his parents, school, friends, and try to gain the courage to approach Luna. Luna was just too beautiful for him, she'd probably forgotten about him too now that the war had ended.
Neville took in a deep breath and turned his thoughts to pushing down the guilt, bitterness and loneliness for another month.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Luna stood at a window in the Ravenclaw common room with her head titled to the side and wand tucked behind her left ear. She blew a bubble with the gum in her mouth as she observed Neville on the bench below her. He sat there on the last day of every month without fail, looking at gum wrappers for hours. Luna had come to the conclusion that it must be some sort of monthly bubblegum chewing day and missed dinner on that day to watch Neville and chew gum too.
But today Luna noticed that Neville was suffering for a severe infestation of Wrackspurts. The Wrackspurts would be making his brain fuzzy, perhaps that was why he looked so sad. Slowing blowing a large pink bubble Luna turned away from the window and began walking to exit the Ravenclaw common room. She couldn't very well leave Neville to walk around with Wrackspurts! The only effective way to treat such creatures was with onion and her father had given her the perfect recipe in case of emergencies.
The bubble popped as Luna turned to skip down the empty castle corridors barefoot.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Neville turned as he heard the light crunching of dying leaves under someone's feet. He was met with the sight of Luna walking towards him with a dreamy expression on her face as she looked vaguely toward the slowly reddening sky. Her long, slightly unkempt, blonde hair floated out behind her and as she neared he could occasionally see her flick a pink ball of gum over her tongue. She looked so at peace and ethereal it shook him out of his reverie for a few moments.
He watched as Luna sat down on the bench next to him and stared over the grounds as he had been moments before. "Hello Neville Longbottom," She said airily.
"Hi," Neville replied unsure whether he was pleased he had company or irritated that his contemplations had been intruded upon. "What are you doing out here?" He asked her while looking curiously at the plate covered by a kitchen towel that she carried.
"Oh, I saw you out of the window and I noticed you had all these Wrackspurts floating around your head!" Luna said and turned to face him, placing the plate between them.
"Wrackspurts?" Neville queried glancing up to try to see if there was anything near him.
"Yes...See they get in between your ears and make your brain feel fuzzy," she said.
"Uh really?" So Wrackspurts were another one of those mythical creatures Luna so frequently mentioned. Well, at least he didn't have anything actually flying around his head. Well, I hope I don't have anything there, he thought.
Luna twirled one of her radish earrings between her fingers. "Yes," She replied sincerely. "I thought that might be why you are so sad?" She continued with her strangely endearing bluntness.
"It's nothing Luna, don't worry," Neville said. This was starting to get awkward.
"Oh wow...well it must be the Wrackspurts because I'm not sure why someone like you would be on their own and look sad otherwise," Luna replied with a smile. Merlin, she had very blue eyes...
"Someone like me?" Neville asked tentatively. He wasn't sure if he actually wanted an answer to this, chances were Luna would say something well-intentioned but slightly hurtful.
Neville braced himself for what she would say.
"Yeah...wow...you're like a war hero. You must have lots of people trying to make you feel better. So it must be Wrackspurts making you sad," Luna said with a shrug.
"Sorry?" Neville asked completely stunned. "Me? A war hero?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes. You stood up to Voldemort and helped Harry at the Department of Mysteries and kept fighting when Death Eaters took over the school. That would make you a war hero, wouldn't it?" Luna said in her lilting voice.
"I think you might be the only one to feel that way, Luna!" Neville said wryly.
"Oh no...I'm sure lots of people do. But lots of people don't really see what's in front of them do they?" Luna said. Neville was very aware of how close her hand was to his. "I suppose a bit like how you don't realise you have Wrackspurts," She added with a smile.
The only sounds as Neville looked down at the empty gum wrapper in his hand were Luna popping a sweet into her mouth and the giant squid splashing in the lake. He looked down at the floor and realised that Luna's pale feet were bare.
"Um, Luna, you have no shoes on," He said.
"Oh...well it was the Nargles. The take my shoes sometimes," She responded while wiggling her toes.
"Are you sure it's not other students?" He asked softly.
"Oh...wow...maybe, I guess," Luna said before blowing a large pink bubble.
"School can be crap sometimes," Neville said more to himself than Luna.
"School isn't all bad," She replied and patted him on the shoulder. He felt the warmth and pressure of her hand through his cloak. Neville felt a little pang of loss as she pulled her hand back.
Luna pulled the towel off the plate and revealed a few oddly shaped cookies. "Are those for me?" Neville asked as Luna gestured to them.
"Yes. They'll help get rid of the Wrackspurts."
"Uh..." Neville was at a loss for words but picked up a cookie anyway. He could smell cinnamon and other spices but there was a hint of something else. He took a huge bite and chewed slowly. It tasted pretty good actually... until...
"Ish dat onion?" Neville asked gagging.
"Oh yes. Wrackspurts hate onion..." Luna replied watching serenely as Neville gagged and swallowed the offending mouthful of cookie. Wrackspurts aren't the only things that don't like onion in their bloody cookies! Neville thought as he grimaced.
Catching his breath Neville put the half eaten cookie back on the plate. It took about three seconds before he realised that the gum wrapper was no longer in his hand. In the unpleasantness of trying an onion flavoured cookie he had loosened his grip and the wrapper was flying away on the breeze toward the lake.
Neville launched himself off the bench and raced in the direction of the wrapper. Skidding to a halt in front of the lake he watched helplessly as it landed in the water and began to disintegrate before his eyes. A hollow ache resembling grief settled into his chest. That was the first precious gift from his mother that he had ever lost. Neville turned away and walked slowly back to the bench, willing himself not to cry.
As he sat down Luna was blowing another bubble. Neville felt a sudden and uncharacteristic anger at Luna. Logically he knew that it wasn't her fault but at the same time if it wasn't for her stupid ideas then he would still have his mother's gift. Merlin, this was turning into a horrible day. He put his head into his hands and ignored Luna as her bubble popped again, maybe she would realise his mood and leave. Neville was worried he might snap at her if she came out with anything else.
There was a rustling noise and suddenly another gum wrapper appeared in front of his face. "I'm sorry you lost your other wrapper, Neville," Luna said and pressed her empty wrapper into his hand. "I know you like to keep them. And I like you a lot, so you can have mine."
Neville was once again stunned into silence by the strange girl, but this time not by her oddities but her kindness towards him. "I – thank you..." He said and felt the slightly warm wrapper in his hand.
Neville smiled as Luna slipped her hand into his and placed a kiss on his cheek. A sense of contentment radiated from his smiles as he looked at their entwined hands and for the first time in months Neville felt happy.
A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed :) I'd love to hear what you think and I'm always pleased to receive constructive criticism too!
Oh and if you get the time or inclination then vote for this fic when voting opens on the Twin Exchange for the August Challenge! :D
Scribbles.
xx
HH