Disclaimer: I am in no way related to Harry Potter.
Talking in Greenhouse Four
The few days Neville spent in the infirmary after Dumbledore passed in a haze. Neville knew he talked to people, but he couldn't quite say who, or what they talked about. He only knew that Dumbledore was dead, and that life sucked.
The evening he was released from the infirmary, Neville walked down to Greenhouse Four. Greenhouse Four was filled with small tree-like plants and a variety of forest bushes. It was quiet, cool and mossy. It was his favorite greenhouse.
Neville sat down under the Bruintal Bogwood, so named for its berries. Bears were attracted to the berries, but could never find the trees because they were invisible to anything without magic in its blood. Neville laughed slightly, remembering when Professor Sprout told the class about the deranged things bears did as they searched for the hidden fruit.
The door opened, and Neville tensed until he saw the blonde hair. Neville never minded a visit with Luna Lovegood. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen her since that dreadful night.
"Hello, Neville," she said, sitting down next to him.
"Hi, Luna," he said.
"I didn't visit you in the infirmary," she said.
"I know," Neville said, gesturing for her to sit next to him.
"I don't like infirmaries," she said as she obeyed his gesture.
"They're not fun," Neville agreed.
"I don't like them because they have yet to save someone I care about," she continued.
Neville, who had expected her to dislike infirmaries for odd reasons involving questionable creatures, didn't know what to say.
"I wrote to Daddy just after Dumbledore died. He hasn't returned my letter yet. I hope the owl can find him before the funeral. He's in Russia, looking for the Helios-Cumulous Hybrid," she said.
Usually, Neville tried to understand what she was talking about. That day, he couldn't be bothered.
"I know it's important that he find the Helios-Cumulous Hybrid, of course, but I don't want to go to the funeral alone," she finished.
"You won't be alone," Neville blurted out.
"No, I suppose not," she said airily, as if they were discussing the weather, "but I don't have anybody to sit with. I don't have many friends, you may have noticed."
Luna hummed to herself.
"You have friends," Neville said after a few minutes.
"I have acquaintances," Luna said, "There's a difference."
"I know," Neville said, "and you have friends."
Luna continued humming.
"You do," he repeated, recognizing her disbelief. "Harry asked you to that Slughorn Christmas thing. Ginny always talks to you in the corridors. Padma eats breakfast with you every day. They're your friends."
"That was impressive, Neville," Luna remarked.
"What was impressive?"
"I never thought you were that observant," she said.
Neville, once again, didn't know what to say. Luna twirled a piece of twig through her fingers.
Ten silent minutes passed before Luna stood up and made for the door.
"Luna," Neville called out just before she stepped out the door.
"Yes, Neville?"
"Meet me here tomorrow?"
"Of course," she said before disappearing.
xxxxx
Neville lost track of Luna after the funeral. Though they had sat together during the ceremony, she had disappeared when his grandmother pulled Neville away from the students and into her arms.
An hour later, Neville left his family. He couldn't stand one more tearful hug.
Neville wasn't surprised to see Luna sitting under the Bruintal Bogwood when he entered Greenhouse Four.
"Daddy doesn't want me to return to Hogwarts next year," she said without preamble.
"Do you think there will be a Hogwarts to return to?" Neville asked as he settled down next to her.
"Yes, I do."
"Good," Neville smiled.
"Daddy wants me to go with him next year. He thinks he's close to finding the Helios-Cumulous Hybrid, and, of course, he's always on the look-out for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."
"Oh," Neville said. Truly, how else do you respond to a statement like that?
"I don't want to go with him," Luna said quietly.
"Then don't go."
"I want to stay at Hogwarts," she said even more quietly.
"Then stay at Hogwarts."
"You'll be here?" she asked.
"If it's open, I'll be here," Neville said softly. "It won't be the same without Dumbledore, though."
"I never liked Professor Snape," Luna said.
Neville laughed harshly.
"Don't be like that, Neville," Luna said sharply.
"Like what?"
"Bitter. Mean."
"I try not to be," Neville answered.
"Good," she nodded, satisfied. "How is your Grandmother?"
"She can't believe he's dead. She hasn't stopped crying since she got here."
"Dumbledore is worth crying over," Luna said. "Have you cried for him?"
Surprised, Neville studied her face. She was staring at him, sympathy in her eyes. Slowly, he shook his head.
"Neither have I," she said. "That doesn't make us bad people, does it?"
"No," Neville said. "We just deal with things differently."
"We saw the veil," Luna said.
"The veil?"
"Remember, at the Department of Mysteries?" she said, "you can hear them, just on the other side."
"Other side of what?"
Luna shrugged her shoulders, unconcerned.
"The other side of here," she said.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"How are your parents?" Luna asked.
"Wh-what?" Neville sputtered.
"Your parents, Neville. How are they?"
"They're fine," he said quickly, "same as always."
"It's horrible what happened to them," she said.
"How do you know?" Neville asked miserably.
"Does it matter?" she asked.
"No," he answered.
Luna braided her hair while Neville considered the fact that Luna knew his parents were insane.
"Why can you see the threstals?" he asked her.
Luna didn't seem surprised that he asked her this.
"My mum died when I was young," she answered.
"It changes you, not having a mother, doesn't it?" he asked her.
"I have a mother, Neville, and so do you," she said dreamily. "They're just not here for us the way other people's mums are."
"I suppose so," he said, not quite convinced.
"Meet me here tomorrow?" Luna asked as she stood up.
"Of course," Neville answered.
xxxxx
Luna was already under the Bruintal Bogwood when Neville entered.
"You're late," she said.
"We didn't set a time," Neville protested.
"It's your turn to be here first," she said.
"I didn't realize."
"That's okay," Luna sighed. She studied him as she sat down across from her.
"The train will be here soon," he said.
"Told you you were late."
"Yes, I was late," Neville said irritably, "but that's not important."
"Neither is the train," Luna countered.
"Yes it is, because we have to get on it," Neville explained impatiently.
"Daddy's coming to pick me up," Luna said. "We're spending the summer in Poland."
"Still looking for the Heller-Coldmus Hybrid?" Neville asked.
"The Helios-Cumulous Hybrid?"
"Yes, that."
"No, we've decided they don't exist."
For some reason, this upset Neville almost as much as Dumbledore's death had. Hogwarts was in danger, Dumbledore was killed by a professor, and now Luna didn't believe in something. He felt like his world was falling apart.
"Well," Neville said awkwardly, "have fun in Poland."
"I hope you have fun this summer, too," she said seriously.
"Do you think we can win?" he asked suddenly.
Luna knew what he meant.
"Voldemort can't win," Luna said.
Neville flinched at the name. Luna didn't notice.
"But can we win without Dumbledore?" Neville asked.
"Dumbledore taught us all, so that means his ideas aren't dead, and if his ideas are put into action, then we have to win," Luna said.
"I hope you're right," Neville sighed.
"I am." She paused. "I just hope we win before too many people die."
Neville stared at her. She stared back, none of her usual levity apparent.
"Yes," Neville said heavily, "so do I."
"I don't like funerals," she admitted.
"Neither do I."
Their silence was interrupted by the train's whistle.
"I have to go," Neville said, jumping up. "I'm not finished packing."
"They won't leave without you," Luna said.
"I forgot to look for Trevor," Neville yelped, now slightly frantic.
"Neville," Luna said, "calm down. Finish packing. Trevor will show up."
With a nod, he darted for the door. Just before leaving the greenhouse, he turned back to Luna.
"Meet me here next term?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied.
xxxxx
xxxxx
The End.
Luna is hard to write. Props to JKR.