One-Shot *BUT THAT MAY CHANGE DEPENDING ON REVIEWS*
Luna Lovegood is sick of being teased, and so is Neville. Unknown to one another, they each share their own special place in the forbidden forest where they let off steam, calm down and just be happy. When they both go to their special place at the same time, what happens - and what has Pansy Parkinson got to do with it? *NUNA!*
I don't own Harry Potter, all rights to Queen J.K. Rowling!
The sound of the crunching filled the forest as Luna threw a ripe, green apple to a single Threstral.
The young Ravenclaw sighed as the soil on the ground tickled her bare feet.
"You guys understand me," she grinned – tilting her head before throwing a red apple to a different Threstral, who had come from the shadows to investigate.
Luna never admitted it, but she wasn't always the happy-go-lucky careless Luna Lovegood everyone knew. While she never took her Butter-beer cork necklace off, nor slept well without her Spetraspecs laid on her bedside table every night – the words that she carelessly shrugged off in view of the public eye stung the Ravenclaw.
"You don't care if I'm different. Do you?" Luna asked the Threstrals, their answer wasn't one she would expect from a kind human such as Ginny Weasley though – just the snaffling of a third apple that the two of them shared quickly. Luna sighed, stuffing the half-empty burlap sack back in her satchel and sat on a branch of a nearby tree.
A Threstal had joined the original duo, and the trio came up to her – hoping for more apples. She petted them as they sniffed her satchel hopefully.
"Maybe later," They didn't leave her side – but sat down obediently as if they'd understood what she said.
It's just the Wrakspurt she thought, they had taken over her brain surely. They were causing her to care about the harsh words that were about as painful usually as 'Wingardium Leviosa'. Instead of that it was as if her heart was being crucio'd several times over.
Neville blushed as Madam Pomfrey handed him a red potion.
"Explain to me. How did it happen again?" Madam Pomfrey didn't sound the least bit concerned about him – but he was used to that.
"I was reading in the Great Hall when suddenly I had ears and a tail. I looked over to see Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin laughing at me – Pansy lowering her wand." As I expected, Madam Pomfrey just rolled her eyes.
"It's always you, isn't it Longbottom?" Neville sighed – past feeling embarrassment.
"Yeah, pretty much." Madam Pomfrey sat him down and drew her wand – a quick flick of the wrist and the still red potion came bubbling to life, bubbling and boiling till it frothed at the edges.
"Drink, Longbottom. All of it - then you can go," Neville thanked her, but Madam Pomfrey was past caring – stalking off to her office muttering;
"Always has to be Longbottom." Great he thought, even the teachers hate me.
Neville downed the potion in one. It wasn't half bad; it was warm and tasted of strawberries.
He didn't particularly want to leave the hospital wing, but – after checking for a tail and cat-ears, which were no longer there – he had no choice but to storm off into the corridor.
Now he had a choice – a particularly hard one. Where to go?
Not the Common Room, it would have spread around the castle by now about what happened – and he was sure someone would tease him. The Great Hall didn't feel very safe either. The corridors were vulnerable, the Room of Requirement was too predictable and the grounds were too open.
That left just open one final option.
He ran quickly through the grounds, ignoring anyone who attempted to strike up conversation with him – the nervous Gryffindor headed straight into the forbidden forest.
He hated the forest at the best of times, but last year he discovered a spot while running for his life from Slytherin's – he was actually going to suggest it to the DA for their meeting place, till Harry told them that Dobby had told him of the Room of Requirement – of which no one ever went to. He often went there to think, to be alone. Not that he could as much – with war looming over them.
He broke through the trees to see that this spot was not just his after all – as there stood a girl, long blonde hair and no shoes on her feet in Ravenclaw uniform.
Luna Lovegood.
A rustling alerted Luna straight away; she turned to see a Gryffindor with wild brown hair and not much of a sense of balance blunder through the foliage.
"Neville?" She peered at the boy, who was now dusting himself off after falling flat on his face into the soil.
"Luna?" He replied, looking up. Yep – defiantly Neville Longbottom.
"You know about this place?" Neville raised an eyebrow as she petted some strange-looking creatures that sat at her feet – sniffing curiously at her satchel.
"I discovered it during my first week here. You see, I didn't quite know this was the 'forbidden' forest and was fortunate enough to come here instead of any of the more dangerous areas." Neville's eyes flickered back to the strange animals.
"What are they?" Luna sighed, looking sad – much to Neville's confusion.
"You saw someone die, didn't you, during the attack in the department of mysteries?" Neville nodded.
"Sirius..." Luna sighed, remembering her old friend and Harry's Godfather.
"Well, these are Threstrals. They can only be seen by someone who has seen death; I've been able to see them since I was nine." Neville came closer, instantly curious about who Luna saw die – but the depression that rarely crossed her dazed face told him not to press it.
Luna pulled an apple from her satchel – and the Threstral's looked up immediately in anticipation. She threw them one, and they each craned their necks into the air, tearing the sphere fruit apart in seconds.
She handed Neville one. "You try," Neville felt instantly nervous. They looked vicious, like their long teeth could tear him apart in moments.
"They probably could," Neville looked – shocked at Luna.
"I thought they would, the first time I saw them." She turned back into dreamy Luna, staring in the distance. Neville instantly felt relaxed – chucking the apple to see the Threstral's repeat the action they had with Luna.
"Not so hard, was it." He slid next to her on the low tree branch, and each of them sat there for a minute.
"Life. It's strange," Luna suddenly said into the silence.
Neville sighed. "Yeah, it is"
"That's why I come here. To get away from life – I assume that that is the same for you." Luna said calmly, though her heart was doing summersaults. She'd never confess, but she'd often had a thing for Neville – probably because they were so similar.
"Yes. It's annoying at times,"
"And heart-breaking." Luna had no idea where that had come from, but she didn't take it back.
"Not just that. Reality gets in the way of you being...You. I'm not always clumsy, or socially awkward – or strange at all. Just...Reality makes it that way. I know I'm not making sense, but it's true" Neville felt instantly stupid for saying that. He was fumbling right now, trying to talk to Luna. He'd never tell her – but he'd fancied her from the moment she came to Hogwarts last year. They were so...Similar.
Luna breathed a laugh and smiled. "No, I know exactly what you mean. I'm not always an airhead," Neville smirked involuntary – and the moment – that moment RIGHT THERE – It was perfect.
At least it was till the tree began to move.
"Gah!" Neville cried, gripping the branch with all his might. Luna simply grinned.
"Yeah, it does this every-so-often." She didn't look phased, even as the tree thrashed around like the Whomping Willow.
Neville knew it was the end when Luna let out a small shriek.
"It's going to fling us off in a minute. Merlin, I hate this part!" She roared
"Why sit on it then?" Neville had his eyes squeezed tight shut, his stomach doing summersaults.
"...I'm not sure..." Was the last thing she said, till the branch whipped upwards for a final time – flicking the two onto the ground.
Neville cursed every swear word he knew, as he landed. Where?
Oh, just on top of Luna Lovegood.
Their faces were inches apart, and neither knew what to do. Neville rolled off her instantly, where as Luna just laughed.
Neville nervously joined in. "Awkward..." He muttered, his heart skipping beat.
Neither of them knew quiet what to say, the Threstal's soft snoring was the only sound that echoed around the forest. They were still inches apart, each feeling both embarrassed and reluctant to move.
It's the Wrakspurt...Was the last thing Luna Lovegood thought before she impulsively leaned in – kissing Neville without a moment's thought.
Fireworks exploded in Neville's body as Luna's heart was in her throat. Neville kissed her back willingly, neither of them wanting to pull away – but had to for seemingly unimportant things like breathing.
"I'm sorry..." Luna begun, but Neville shook his head.
"Let's go back inside," He took her hand and they each left their sanctuary – both riding on air.
As soon as they reached the castle, Pansy Parkinson's sneers echoed down the hall.
"Ooh, they're holding hands! How sweet. Ickle Lovegood and Longbottom are in wuvvv!" She laughed – her booming voice had drawn a crowd filled with a few from each house.
"Pansy." Luna said, looking straight into the Slytherin's eyes.
"What – Loony?" Luna's blood boiled.
"Shut up." She lifted her wand;
"Expelliarmus!" Luna cried, the red jet throwing Pansy back down the hall – effectively knocking her out.
She looked around the room, the crowd gasping.
"Goodbye," everyone hurried off at once – and Neville beamed at her.
"Well done!" He grinned.
"Well, she needed at taste of her own medicine," Neville didn't care about what Luna had to say anymore – using her mouth for more important things as he pulled her into a long, meaningful kiss.
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