Birthday Gifts
By Dimgwrthien
Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to the Harry Potter series.
It was amazing how such things as birthdays still existed amongst the suffering there was all over, Neville thought. As he woke up on July 30, he went into the kitchen, sitting at the table and opening the newspaper before even talking to a person. It was nothing unexpected: dementor attacks, new criminals being sent to Azkaban for all sorts of things. One of these days he expected the newspaper to announce that the world was over because Dumbledore was gone and every day the news grew worse and worse.
Neville was surprised that he was the only one up already and glanced around at the empty kitchen. He wasn't excited for his seventeenth birthday, really, so that could not have woken him.
Dim sunlight filtered through the windows into the room and Neville moved his hands around the table, watching the shadows they cast. Maybe he ought to sleep longer, or maybe send a letter to someone. Harry's birthday would be tomorrow, he remembered, and cupped his head in his hands.
It was a amazing thought, knowing that he was of age already. It did not seem to be as far away as he imagined, and now - now he was already a man.
Smiling to himself, Neville pushed himself up from the chair and make breakfast, but stopped when he heard a faint noise, like talking. He knew that only his Grandmother would be there, and she had no reason to talk to herself.
Before he could move out of the room to see what it could be, but before he even managed to get to the door, he heard another sound and several people jumped out at him, all yelling, "Happy Birthday!"
Neville, shocked, fell backwards onto his backside, and stared up at them. There was his Grandmother, smiling at him in her long, green dress. Beside her and behind her were several members of his family, including his Uncle Algie who gave him Trevor.
Neville gaped at them in shock. Usually on his birthday, he invited over a few friends, had a small party, and visited his parents. Before he could ask, however, his Great Aunt Enid came down on him, showering him with kisses. She was elderly and small - barely to Neville's chin, so she took advantage of his being on the ground.
When she broke away, Neville was hoisted up again and hugs came from every side of his body, and he was sure he could feel several of them crack.
"That's my boy!" yelled Uncle Algie in his booming voice. "Parents would be so proud of you!"
"You're such a brave man," simpered Great Aunt Enid, pinching his cheek and smiling. "We've heard of everything that's been happening and -"
Neville saw, out of the corner of his eye, that his Grandmother was smiling at him, looking proud like she so rarely did when people spoke about Neville. He felt a certain bubble of pride in his chest, rising into his throat and he started to return to hugs with a vigerous energy.
His Aunt Chastity, who was married to Uncle Fredrick and had a long curtain of blonde hair, was almost in tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I - we - were so worried when we heard though! It's amazing we're all still alive! So many things could have happened to you while you were at Hogwarts and fighting those Death Eat-"
A silence fell upon the room, and the hugs and kisses were halted while several people stared at Aunt Chastity, who was in full-blown tears, all streaming down her face.
"Let's not speak of that," his Grandmother interrupted, and there was a bout of murmuring while the air in the room started to warm up again.
"Neville, dear, one of your friends came over to see you," she told him, and Neville fought his way out of the tangle of arms.
There, standing alone and looking around at the room with her large, blue eyes, was Luna Lovegood, with a gift in her hands.
"Hullo, Neville," she said to him, smiling vaguely. She held out her hands with the gift. Neville smiled at her and took it. She went close to him and gave him a hug, which he returned. Her hair smelled faintly of lavender and peppermint, which he found an odd combination, but with someone like Luna, it worked.
"Thanks," he said to her. He opened to gift, which was wrapped in wrapping paper with frogs around it that moved with some sort of charm. Inside was a box, and when he opened it, he saw a small and round object with what looked spouts all around it, one of which was a bright red.
"It's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack Caller," she explained when he picked it up and looked at it curiously. "Maybe you can come with us next time we go looking for one."
Neville grinned and nodded. "That sounds great, Luna." She looked rather happy and, Neville noticed, odd without robes. She had on striped pants with maroon shirt. With her blonde hair and pale skin, she almost glowed in the dark colors.
He recognized her as the strange girl who he never spoke to before he sat with her, but they had grown into much more than that. Every night at Hogwarts, they sat together, doing homework or just talking, taking out the golden coins Hermione had charmed a year ago, though it felt like a decade ago, seeing if Harry would have changed his mind.
They had fought a battle together.
Neville took Luna into his arms again, smiling and hugging her. Not seeming surprised, she returned it without a word, and Neville ignored the talking from behind him.
"You're that Luna Lovegood girl, then?" asked Uncle Algie, when they broke apart once more.
"Yes," she answered. "And you'd be Neville's uncle."
No one asked how she knew this, and Neville gave her a surprised look. Uncle Algie smiled.
"I'll be out of your way then."
Luna smiled at him as he retreated into the other room with everyone else, and she took Neville's hand.
It was a great birthday after all.