Thank you to everyone reading this story. It has adult themes. I don't own any characters.
Christmas
It was Christmas day.
Neville and his mom had opened their presents, sitting around the tree that Neville had put up two nights ago. He had received several books on plants from his grandmother, Hermione and Ron, his mother. She really liked the necklace he purchased for her, said that his grandmother would enjoy the handkerchiefs when they visit her later. Neville's father was home for a few hours, mostly sitting silently, but after a while, they had driven him back to the hospital where he had been staying for the past month. The strain of selling the stores had been too much for him and he had undergone a nervous breakdown. He hadn't said anything since Thanksgiving night other than lashing at Neville and his mom. He couldn't help it, not really and Neville was trying very hard not to be angry at him. But he hated what it was doing to his mother, more then what it was doing to him. The guilt of not being around was starting to build up. But it was Christmas day, so after they returned to their house, his mom went upstairs to rest, taking the sleeping pill their family doctor had prescribed to her earlier and Neville let her, not bringing up anything.
He cleared everything away and then went upstairs to his bedroom, switching the light on to open the present that he had been saving, the one from Luna.
Neville sat on his bed, holding it in his hands. He liked the idea that maybe she had wrapped this carefully for him, in green paper with pine cone detailing, a red ribbon with gold threads tied around it and a card with her very distinctive cursive writing. Neville always smiled when he saw it. He had received a few letters from her in the past, citing how she hated email and texting. Not personal enough. He never really read the letters, not wanting to hear about how happy she was with Harry. Neville knew that he was being a coward, like his father had once called him but he just liked to remember the way she reached out to him, how they had kissed that day. He sometimes smelled the letters, trying to catch the scent of her. He placed the card now to his nose, thinking that he could smell vanilla. He tucked the card beside him and opened the box, revealing a dark blue cashmere sweater, softer than anything he had ever felt besides her.
He immediately put it on, closing his eyes, thinking about her hand on his chest, travelling down his navel to his hardness, gripping him. Neville stopped himself. He took a few deep breaths, shaking the thought away. He picked up the gift sitting on his desk and headed back downstairs.
Neville had gotten Luna a present, a scarf, before he had run into Hermione and Ron, before Luna had even said she had lost hers. It was different colored silks woven together, shades of blues, greens, pinks, yellows, enhancing a pattern of birds and flowers. It was expensive but he bought it anyway, thinking it would suit Luna very well with her love of all colors. He had meant to drop it while she was at Harry's house but he didn't want to miss another chance to be with her. Even if it was just a quick hello and thank you. It was enough. So Neville hung around for the next few hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of her running into her home, maybe running towards his house.
But, to his disappointment, day turned into night, then midnight into one am and still no sign of her. Neville had several whiskies during the course of waiting and was working on his fourth. He was decidedly drunk and so went downstairs onto the porch, standing there, holding the rail, trying to clear his head. Snow had fallen and the night was very still, a million stars in the sky shining brightly though none as brightly as the girl who was now walking over to him at this moment.
"Hello Neville."
"Hello Luna."
Luna saw him standing at the rail, looking very tired. She remembered how he had looked the last time she was at his house, when he was on the floor. What she felt when she saw him bleeding wasn't anything she could articulate.
She was screaming his name, until he opened his eyes to look at her. That look he gave to her was indescribable, like the curtain had finally lifted and his true feelings were staring at her. Longing, love, it made her heart skip a beat. Made her whisper what she felt, even though she wasn't sure he could hear her.
He closed his eyes again and she ran to the emergency worker, grabbing him, forcing him to see Neville. They were bringing him out to the ambulance when Harry drove up. Luna explaining to him that there had been an accident, not wanting to tell Harry everything. He had pulled her to his side and she almost pushed him away, wanting to climb into the ambulance to be with Neville, wanting to hold his hand, kiss his sorrows away. To be there when he awoke.
"Are you waiting up for me?"
"No, I'm just standing out here, it's nice out." Neville lied, pretty sure that she could tell that he was lying but he didn't want to seem so pathetic.
Luna came up to stand next to him, her head pushed up against his arm. Neville tentatively placed his arm on her, resting his hand between her shoulder blades.
"You look very nice Neville. Is the sweater the right size? I was hoping that it would fit."
"It's great Luna, thanks."
Neville wanted to say how beautiful she looked. Her hair was loose, moving around a little as the wind picked up, wavy around her shoulders. She was dressed in a long buttoned tunic of deep plum with dark green leggings and black boots. Her coat was unbuttoned and she didn't have a scarf on, her neck bare. Neville wanted to put his hand on it, feel her skin. Wanted to put his mouth on the hollow of her neck and kiss it. The urge was so strong he had to hold onto the railing for a moment until it passed.
"Are you all right Neville?"
"Yes Luna."
"I received these earrings from Harry."
Neville looked at the gold hoops that adorned her ears, they had little decorative vines on them with tiny green enamel leaves. Neville was envious, they were very unique and he wished he were the one able to give her such a distinctive gift.
"Nice."
"I really like them but my father gave me earrings as well and I don't want to disappoint him by not wearing them. So I wore these today to show Harry but tomorrow they're going away for a while."
Neville thought that Luna always spoke her mind. He wasn't sure if it was only around him that it happened but he was happy that she did. He could listen to her talk about the weather, stock reports, paint drying, it wouldn't matter. He loved her high pitched, sighing voice. A little part of him also loved the fact she couldn't wear the gift her own boyfriend gave to her.
Luna spied the gift next to him.
"Did you get another present?"
Neville wordlessly passed it to her, Luna's face lightening up. He watched as she carefully took the card off the paper, smiling up at him.
"There's mistletoe on this paper."
She opened the card. It had taken him four tries to write To Luna From Neville. He had torn up the other three, having written the word love twice and spelling his own name wrong one time. She opened the box and out spilled the scarf, its colors vibrant in the moonlight.
"Oh Neville…" Luna sighed, immediately putting it on. "It's beautiful, I just love it. Thank you so much, it's wonderful."
Luna wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing her face into his chest. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, pressing her face against his for a moment. Neville couldn't take it anymore, her skin was so smooth, she smelled like flowers, her long hair surrounded him and so he pulled her against him, clasped her face between his hands and kissed her.
His mouth pressed hard on hers, he couldn't help it, he couldn't get enough, and he forced her to open her lips with his tongue, biting them, bruising her. He felt Luna's hands slipping underneath his sweater, skittering around his neck and chest. Everywhere she touched felt like little electric shocks going through his body, sending twinges of pleasure through him. He gripped her chin with one hand, grasping the back of her head with the other, not able to stop, not wanting to stop, feeling a frisson of heat between them. He pushed her scarf aside, knocking her coat to the ground, Luna breathing heavily, clutching him. He stared at her exposed neck, placing his mouth right on the hollow like he wanted to before, breathing her in. He sucked a little, licking her, moving downward past the buttons of her shirt to the softness that lay right about her curves. Luna closed her eyes, feeling Neville's tongue trailing between her breasts, warm, wet, followed by his hands, large, roughened yet gentle on her skin. She held her breath as he cupped them carefully, pressing his palms onto her.
He led her silently into the house, into the living room, and sat in an armchair, pulling her down onto his lap, Luna straddling him, feeling his hardness against her thigh. He quietly pulled her shirt off, pushing her bra down to her waist. He exhaled deeply, looking down at her chest, over her breasts, memorizing them. He gently took them in his hands, Luna arching her back, giving herself up to him.
Neville brought his mouth down, licking and sucking, her nipples hardening under his touch. She gripped his neck, his hair and he could feel her heart beating quickly. They kissed again, she could taste the whisky on his tongue, could feel him hard, urgent against her leg.
Neville groaned quietly, not sure of what he was doing. He couldn't help himself, every second felt like it would slip away. He pulled her hand down to his thigh, making sure she knew what he felt for her, feeling his hardness strain against touch. Luna caressed him slowly, looking right at him. Neville couldn't stop, couldn't hide what he was feeling, she could see every emotion in his eyes. Her breath hitched and she leaned in, kissing his mouth again, her tongue meeting his. Neville dropped his hands onto her back and moved her up into him, running his hand down her spine, resting it on her firm bottom, sliding his finger between her cheeks. He squeezed a little and Luna sighed into his mouth, the sound very sweet to his ears.
He didn't know how long they'd been sitting there, Luna in his lap, her clothing half off, her skirt pushed up around her waist, his mouth on hers, hands pushing her closer to him. He didn't know how long he had been fondling her, kissing her, murmuring her name. He only knew that he wanted her there forever, wanted her to unzip his pants and take him out, putting her mouth around him. Wanted to place her on the floor, make her fully understand what he was feeling. But he couldn't, he shouldn't. She wasn't his, and he wasn't able to tell her what he felt. But Neville couldn't stop. I'm falling for you he thought to himself. And I'm afraid, afraid of falling too deeply. It would break me if you left me.
One of her earrings grazed his cheek, scratching it. Neville pulled back, suddenly aware that he was touching someone else's girl, Harry's girlfriend no less. Luna looked at him, out of breath, her mouth swollen and red. Her eyes shined at him, asking him a question. Neville looked at his own hands still grasping her hip and bottom, and he closed his eyes taking a deep shuddering breath. He gently closed her shirt, gently leaned away from her.
"Neville…"
"You should probably go home now. It's late."
"Neville…"
"It's okay sweetheart, I'll see you later, I'll come over tomorrow."
"You're going to be around for the new year?"
"Sure, sure, go home now, it's okay."
Luna slipped off him, giving him one more kiss. He had no idea just how much Luna was attracted to him, no idea that the sight of his face, the sound of his voice, made her breath catch. Made her regret that he wasn't able to tell her what he felt, that they no longer confided in each other.
Neville sat there for a long time afterwards, knowing that he had just given his heart to her. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to see her for a long time, not until he was able to pick up his own emotional pieces and put himself back together again. He wasn't staying for the new year, he couldn't watch her kiss Harry. Wouldn't be able to hold himself back from begging her to be with him.
Neville knew he was leaving in the morning.
