Ravenclaw
Charms
Drabble
[Insect] Ladybug
872 Words
AN When glass house is used, it is done to describe the building the ladybug finds herself in, not to state the type of building. Also, there is a switch in POV in the story that is done intentionally. AU with Neville/Luna pairing and OC daughter
Tiaraella, daughter of Neville and Luna Longbottom, watched intently as her papa taught third-year Slytherins how to care for their very own garden. She noticed lots of students taking out their wands and casting Insectos Extermino on the edges of their little plots which confused her. Papa never used such spells when he grew things. After the class left, she decided to ask him about it.
Papa just smiled. "Insectos Extermino gets rid of all the bugs that might be near their plants, Ella. The students think that using that spell will make caring for their plants easier."
"Why don't you use it?" she asked, frowning in confusion.
"While some bugs do hurt the plants we grow here, many more help them thrive. Without butterflies and bees, we would not have fruits or vegetables. Flowers are meant to attract bugs, and some, like ladybugs, help to get rid of the pests that do harm. The students who decide to use Insectos Extermino will have it easier for a while, but their plants will not be as healthy in the long term. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Papa!"
In the weeks that followed, Tiaraella took to observing the various bugs that visited her father's greenhouses, always eager to learn more about them.
Papa began to tell her more about the plants that attracted each type of bug while Mama taught her about magical versions that were sometimes harder to see.
While all of this was very interesting, she always came back to her favorite—the simple ladybug. It was fun to count the spots on their backs and watch how they moved about.
It was her careful attention to detail that allowed Tiaraella to notice the problem.
"—four, five, six, seven! Thank you for sitting so nicely, so I can count your spots, little ladybug," Tiaraella politely thanked her newest bug friend, letting it know that it could leave. Tiaraella had decided to watch Papa's third-year Slytherin class, even though their spells meant that there weren't as many bugs to watch. She had been delighted to find this lone ladybug at the last table as the students left.
With her nose pressed up to the edge of the table, Tiaraella could just see the ladybug lift one of its feet as though preparing to scurry off. At the same time, its shell kept fluttering. The ladybug wanted to fly off, but something seemed to be preventing it from doing so.
The little ladybug in question was exhausted. The day before, she had entered this large building filled with green things, hoping to find some more aphids to eat before her winter nap. Instead, many of the plants here set her antennae quivering, something not quite right. Even those that she could get near did not have the supply of smaller insects she'd hoped for.
The lack of food made her body want to begin the winter nap early, but the warmth of the building would not allow her to enter such a rest, causing her to burn energy at an alarming rate. Today, she'd had the chance to escape as creatures far larger than she entered the building, but the door had been too far away.
It seemed that she would die a slow death in this room when a smaller giant came near.
The giant's voice was quiet for one so big, and though the ladybug felt fear when its large appendage came near, the giant's touch was gentle, encouraging her to climb on it. Would the giant help her leave this evil, green place?
Great steps shook the ladybug from her place on the giant, but they did appear to be moving closer and closer to the entryway of the room. If only she had the strength to fly off!
A gust of wind might have granted the ladybug her wish to escape and brought with it grievous injury but for the giant's use of another appendage to block the cold gust. Before the ladybug realized what was happening, the giant walked into another glass house, much to her dismay.
Only…
Only none of the plants here radiated malice, and if her eyes and antennae weren't deceiving her, aphids by the dozens covered quite a few plants. The giant gently placed her near one before taking a covered leaf and bringing it within reach. Precious drops of dew seemed to be in abundance on this leaf.
The ladybug did not understand how her fortunes could shift so suddenly, but she took immediate advantage of the change in circumstance to eat and drink her fill. Within a few days, during which the giant visited several times, her energy levels were back to normal, and the little ladybug was ready to go back out into the world to find others to hibernate with, never forgetting the giant who helped her.
The next spring, Tiaraella found her fascination with ladybugs returned tenfold. Every time she went outside, ladybugs would fly about her head or cling to the folds of her robes. Her parents often asked her what she'd done to attract so many insects, but she honestly had no idea. She just knew that the little insects were a comforting presence in the newly awakening world.