Author's Note: Sorry it's been a little while since I've written. School and all that. But this chapter's a bit longer, so there's that. Luna's thoughts are italicized. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: Still not JK Rowling.
I sighed and looked towards the door. If he's not here in five minutes, I'm leaving. I thought. This is just silly. It was his idea to meet here, he set the time! I continued to grumble in my head. Five minutes later I got up and headed for the door. Neville came rushing in, nearly knocking me over.
"Sorry, sorry," Neville gasped out. "I'm late, I know."
"Yes," I said. "Did the wrackspurts get you?" They better have, they're the only acceptable excuse for being half an hour late.
"Wha-? No, I was talking to Hannah. She came to the common room just to talk to me! I think I'm gonna ask her to Hogsmeade. I mean, I don't think that'd be too much. D'you? And if that goes well, I can ask her to the ball." Neville was talking very fast and it took a moment for what he said to sink in.
"Why did she come to talk to you?" I asked, instantly suspicious. People accuse me of being oblivious, but I notice things. Like how Hannah would want to go to the ball with Neville so people will talk about her and how wonderful she must be to be on the arm of such a big war hero. She's the kind of person who thinks quite a lot about what people say about her. Waste of time, if you ask me, but no one ever does.
"You know, just about normal stuff. She said she's been wanting to talk to me for a while, but couldn't get up the nerve." Neville was smiling broadly, and I really didn't want to bring him down.
"That's rather ridiculous. She has to have noticed you staring at her constantly, so why wouldn't she talk to you?" Couldn't find the nerve, hmph. She never had problems talking to guys before. She's feeding into his ego. She knows he likes her and she wants him to think she was intimidated when she knows it's really him.
Neville frowned. "Why aren't you happy for me?" he asked, starting to get angry.
"I just want you to be careful. I know her reputation and-"
"Well maybe she actually likes me! Is that so hard to comprehend? I'm not that big of a loser, am I?" Yes, he was definitely angry now.
"Neville, you know I don't think you're a loser, and if you do think that, you obviously don't know me very well. You're smart and brave and handsome, and Hannah would be lucky to have you. I just think it's rather suspicious that she's just now talking to you, right before the big ball. She knows whoever goes with you will get a lot of attention, and she thrives on attention. But anyway, there's an infestation of nargles near the charms classroom and I really need to go get rid of them. They're very bothersome to have around." I turned to go, and Neville didn't stop me.
