My entry for the April Twin Exchange Challenge!
Pairing: Neville/Luna
Prompts: Bird Bath, storm clouds, flowers
Quote: "Who understands these things?"
Theme: Spring
"Do you spend all of your free time feeding the thestrals?"
Luna Lovegood looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Hello, Neville. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. It's not really a secret that you feed the thestrals every Saturday morning."
Luna smiled and nodded, giving the thestral she was standing near a pat on the nose. "No, I suppose not, but I don't spend all my time feeding them to answer your question. I also feed the owls."
"You do?" Neville asked.
"Of course," Luna replied. "I've even tried to feed the other birds that I've seen flying around. You know, Hogwarts should really invest in a bird bath. There's one in my yard at home, and birds are always landing on it. It makes it easier for me to get near them. Otherwise they just fly away. They get frightened, you know."
"Of you?" Neville asked with a smirk. "I don't believe it."
"It's true," Luna said, smiling a small smile in response.
"You know, I've always wondered," Neville said as he approached one of the thestrals and looked up at it.
"Wondered what?" Luna asked curiously. "Wondering is good. It's keeps your brain active and it also keeps away the Nargles."
Neville laughed. "Well, I've just always wondered who understands these things? The thestrals. Besides you, of course. It seems as if you know what they're thinking or something. You're so calm with them and everyone else is so afraid. Even me."
"You don't seem so afraid right now," Luna observed, watching Neville reach up and pat the thestral's nose.
"Well, yes, but that just might be because you're here and I see how you are with them and I see how gentle they really are. You've been feeding them every weekend for such a long time and they haven't hurt you once. Have they?" He asked the question a little hesitantly.
Luna giggled. "No, they haven't. Thestrals are incredibly gentle as long as you're gentle with them. They like raw meat and I've found they like raw chicken the best."
"I didn't know that," Neville said, sounding impressed.
"I've been feeding them since my first year at Hogwarts. Now I'm in my fourth year and it feels like no time has passed at all."
"You really like being out here, don't you?" Neville asked.
"Very much," Luna answered. "I'm comfortable when I'm around animals. Especially the thestrals. It's just like how you're comfortable when you're around plants and in the greenhouses, isn't it?"
"You know about that? You know how much I like Herbology?"
"Of course I do. It's no secret that you spend most Saturday mornings in the greenhouses." She smiled at him. "Why aren't you there now if you don't mind me asking."
"Well, I just wanted to come see you first," Neville blushed. "I was going to head to the greenhouses after I talked to you. Would you like to come with me?"
"Oh, yes, that would be wonderful," Luna grinned. "Right now?"
Neville shrugged. "Yeah, sure."
"Good, because I think a storm is coming."
"How can you tell?" Neville squinted up at the thick canopy of trees above their heads. "Did a little birdie tell you?"
Luna laughed. "No. I can tell because, for one thing, the thestrals don't like rain. They're all going deeper into the forest." Luna pointed and sure enough, the thestrals were moving away into the trees. "Secondly, it's spring. It wouldn't be spring without rain. Thirdly, I can smell it."
"You can smell the rain?" Neville asked.
"Oh, yes, it's like the air changes when the weather does. Haven't you noticed?"
"No, I guess I haven't," Neville said slowly. "Well, anyway, come on. We'll have to hurry if we want to beat the storm."
The rain started just as they were leaving the forest. It came down in torrents, soaking the two of them in a matter of seconds. Neville started to run towards the greenhouses, but Luna grabbed his hand and stopped him.
"What are you doing?" Neville asked. "It's pouring!"
"Yes, but we're already soaked anyway. Running isn't going to change the fact that we already got very badly rained on so we might as well enjoy it, right?"
"I suppose," Neville said.
"Plus, it's the first rain of the spring! It's good luck!"
"Who told you that?"
"My mother. A long time ago."
Neville nodded and didn't say anything else on the subject. "So you want to take our time getting to the greenhouses?"
Luna shrugged and smiled. "It can't hurt, right?" She walked over to a little patch of flowers and knelt down beside them. "Tell me about these flowers, Neville."
"They're daisies," Neville said, looking at her oddly. "Surely you know that."
"I do," she said. "They're my favorite flower."
"Then why did you-,"
"I want you to tell me something I don't know about them," Luna said. "I told you something you didn't know about the thestrals."
"Yeah, but I didn't ask for that," Neville laughed.
"Well then it's a bonus," Luna answered. "Besides, you came down there, didn't you? You must have been at least somewhat interested in them."
"I was, but I really was more interested in talking to you."
"And why is that?"
Neville didn't answer right away. He shifted from one foot to the other and stuck his hands in his pockets before finally looking up at Luna. His hair was stuck to his forehead and raindrops were dripping off of his nose, but Luna didn't mind. She thought it was cute.
"I like you," Neville finally stated. "You're so different, but in such a good, amazing way. And you understand me even though you haven't known me for very long. You helped me practice during D.A. meetings and encouraged me to do better. You're incredibly sweet and smart and you always look at things in a different way that nobody else would ever think of."
"That's so nice of you to say, Neville," Luna beamed. "Nobody's ever said anything like that to me before. Most people just call me strange, or odd, or loony."
Neville shook his head. "I may not believe in Crumple Horned Snorkacks or Nargles, but-,"
"Yet," Luna interrupted.
"What?"
"You don't believe in them yet. Perhaps I can change your mind."
"When you catch one and show it to me," Neville said with a smile.
"Alright, but I'll only agree to that if you tell me something about these flowers. You thought you could escape from that."
"I'll only do it if you tell me, well, how you feel about me." Neville looked at her sort of shyly. "If I'm not getting off the hook, neither are you."
Luna smiled and crossed her arms. "That's fair," she said. She looked at him for what felt like an eternity before stepping over the cluster of daisies, resting a hand on Neville's cheek and kissing him gently.
Neville grinned and looked down at her, brushing her wet hair off of her forehead. "Daisies," he began, "are actually two flowers in one. The petals are considered one, and then the yellow center is considered the second. They also," he bent down and picked a daisy out of the ground before sticking it in Luna's hair, "look gorgeous in your hair."
"I didn't know that."
"Which fact?" Neville asked.
"Either one of them," she grinned. "Thank you, Neville."
"Now, if you actually want to head to the greenhouses now," Neville said with a smile, "I can tell you loads more facts about plants."
"I'd appreciate that," she said. "Anyway, I think the storm is letting up."
"How do you know? Can you smell it?" Neville teased as they walked hand in hand to the greenhouses.
"No, silly," Luna giggled. "A little birdie told me."
A/N: Don't forget to review and vote for your favorite Twin Exchange Entry!