Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): Muggle Studies (Assignment 5)
Prompt: The sunshine that filters through the leaves.
Word Count: 910 (ish)
It was a gorgeous Spring morning as Neville and Hannah wandered through the forest. Unlike the forest which had haunted Neville at school however, this one was alive with birdsong, flowers and a sunshine which warmed them as they walked. Hannah swung a picnic basket between them, eager to find somewhere to sit and eat. Neville however, was content to simply walk, enjoying the peaceful calm of nature. As they strolled along, hands entwined, he knew that he was the luckiest man on earth.
After the war he had gone back to Hogwarts to assist Professor Sprout. When she retired a few years later he took up the post of Herbology professor. He loved teaching and was delighted that his job included caring for the school's greenhouses. As they had been almost reduced to rubble during the Battle it was a huge job, but they were now full of life, overflowing with colour and vibrance and Neville spent most of his free time in their, cultivating exotic plants.
He had bumped into Hannah at the Leaky Cauldron one evening and they had imediately struck up a friendship. It wasn't long before they both realised that they had fallen in love with each other and they had been together for two years. Hannah, with her creative imagination and sense of humour had splattered Neville's life with colour. Neville loved her with every inch of his soul, and had never imagined that anyone might ever feel the same about him until he had met her.
He nervously fingered the box in his pocket, torn between wanting to get it over with and wanting ro put it off as long as he could. Whenever he let his mind wander even a little his stomach flipped and he lost his resolve.
He was completely lost in his thoughts when Hannah turned to him suddenly and reached up on tiptoes to meet his lips. Neville wrapped his arms around her and then suddenly lost his balance, bringing them both crashing down.
Fortunately neither was hurt as the thick carpet of green softened their fall, and for once Neville didn't mind his clumsiness. Hannah's hair tickled his chin and he brushed it away tenderly. She was beautiful like this, her hair spread around her face and the soft sunlight that filtered through the leaves left shadowed patterns across her face.
She looked up dreamily and smiled.
"You know, the Japanese have a word for the effect caused by the trees blocking the light. Komorebi. Isn't it beautiful? "
Neville grinned. Hannah worked abroad for the ministry. She travelled a lot, mostly to poor countries where the ministry was sending relief aid.
Her love of different cultures and languages had taken them on several exotic adventures which he remembered fondly.
"Almost as beautiful as you."
They lay quietly for a few moments, neither wanting to break the tranquility and get up. Eventually Neville spoke.
"Everyone assumes that plants need green light to photosynthesise, because that's the light we see when we look at plants."
He pointed up at the green canopy overhead and Hannah smiled, loving the way he spoke so animatedly about his passion.
"That's wrong though. What we see is either reflected light or transmitted light. That's the colour that reaches our eyes and that's why the light that filters through the trees casts a green shadow. The plants actually absorb the red and blue light."
He paused, checking to ensure that she was interested before continuing. She smiled up at him, happy to listen to whatever he had to say.
"There are exceptions of course. The South American Bon-Bon plant, for example, needs a very specific wavelength of purple light to grow. There are plants that grow inside the nests of fireflies that can be found nowhere else on the planet because of the particular frequency of the light provided by the insects. And there are the Stellar Lilies, whose five pointed flowers bloom only at night, because only the light of the stars activates their growth systems."
He lay back and let the sunlight warm his face.
"I love how you love plants. " Hannah snuggled closer to him.
"I love the way you get so distracted by them and I love how you care for them. I love the way that, to you, they're not just decorations or accessories, they are something in their own right and so deserve respect. I love that when we fell, the first thing you did was check that I was okay, the second was to check we hadn't squashed any plants. I love how you always get me the most beautiful plants and you tell me their meanings and I know you chose them specially for me. I love how when you're cooking you always look so mournful as you butcher the brocoli or behead a carrot."
She paused before adding
"I love you Neville."
He looked at her and knew that she was all that he wanted, all that he needed. Her loving look gave him the courage to strengthen his resolve
He sat up and she wondered for a moment if she had upset him as he looked deadly serious.
She was in for a surprise however as he reached into a pocket and withdrew a small black box.
There, lying under the green sunshine, Neville Longbottom asked her to marry him.