Chapter Ten – The Greenhouse

Neville was worried. His heart was beating incredibly loud. He was sure that Luna could hear his heartbeat. He knew any second she would look at him and say, "What was I thinking?"

He wished they could walk faster. Heck, he wished they could run to the Greenhouse. He looked down at Luna's feet. She was wearing some sort of flip-flop shoe. Surely she could run in those.

They walked to the Greenhouse in silence. Why couldn't he think of something funny to say? He should try to make her laugh. No, that's not right. He should say something sweet and romantic. Girls liked those kind of things. But Luna wasn't like any other girl he'd known in his entire life.

Neville took a deep breath when they reached the Greenhouse at last. "Fern," he said softly. The doors parted, and Neville held one open for Luna. She seemed to glide right inside. He could watch her walk like that forever.

The lights were dim, letting the plants rest for the night. Through the glass, they could see the stars overhead. Luna sat herself on a small stool, right next to Neville's workstation.

"Can I show you something?" he asked shyly.

"Anything, Neville Longbottom," she said softly, looking up at him, causing him to gulp.

Neville walked over to his workstation. "The day Professor McGonagall gave me the reading potion I started a project," Neville said, feeling more confident now that he was talking about plants.

Luna turned her head and looked at his station. "What kind of project?"

"A project for you," Neville said.

"Me?" Luna asked, eyes widening in surprise.

Neville nodded. "You didn't seem to want to talk about it. So I decided to make something for you to thank you."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Luna started.

"I wanted to," Neville told her.

"What is it?" she asked interestedly.

Neville took a deep breath. "I know you like to wear fruits and vegetables as jewelry," Neville said. Luna nodded encouragingly. "So I took the two you wear the most, and cross-bred them."

Luna looked a little confused. Neville continued. "I took a radish and a turnip, and bred them." He took his wand out of his dress robe and tapped it on a root. He picked up a small vegetable that was essentially a turnip, but rounder and the color of a radish.

Luna took the vegetable from his hand happily. "This is wonderful!" she cried. "You did this for me?"

Neville nodded, feeling the warmth where their fingers just touched. "I can't decide whether to call it a Radnip or a Turnish," he said.

"I like Turnish," she told him.

"Turnish it is," he said, grinning.

"Thank you very much," she said softly. "I think this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"They're not quite ready yet," Neville said.

"Will you let me know when they are?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course," Neville said, tugging at the collar of his dress robe, which was much too tight now.

Luna walked over to him. "You've been tugging at the collar all night," she giggled. She unclasped the top clasp, and Neville took a breath, feeling much better. "You're among friends now. You don't have to be so formal."

The Greenhouse was a little muggy, so Neville decided to go one step further and take his dress robe off, leaving him in his dress shirt and slacks.

"Luna?" Neville asked suddenly.

"Yes, Neville Longbottom?" Luna asked, looking up at him.

Neville gulped. "I have something to tell you, Luna. But I'm not sure how to say it."

Luna moved over a few steps so that she was right across from him. Slowly, she took his hands in her own. "Sometimes, if you don't know what to say, it's best to show the person what you mean," she said, smiling.

Neville thought about that for a moment, and decided to show her. He took a step forward, expecting Luna to flinch, but she stood her ground and looked at him. Neville wrapped his arms around her small frame and bent his head down to kiss her.

Instead of reaching her lips, Neville's nose collided right into Luna's nose. Neville was mortified, but felt a little better when Luna simply giggled. So Neville decided to try again. This time, he kissed her.

He could feel Luna's arms go around his waist as she kissed him back. He opened his mouth slightly, and felt how wonderfully warm her lips felt next to his own. Then they broke apart.

Neville had never really kissed a girl before. After the Yule Ball, Ginny had given him a quick peck on the lips, but that was nothing compared to this. He opened his eyes, afraid that this had been a figment of his imagination. But Luna was still there, smiling at him, looking at him like he was the only man in the world.

"That was really nice," Luna said shyly.

"I really like you, Luna," Neville blurted out.

Luna threw her arms around him. "I really like you too, Neville," she whispered in his ear.

Neville couldn't think of anything to say, so he just held her to him, stroking her hair. She was so tiny, he felt like he could almost snap her in two if he held her too tight.

Luna ran a finger down Neville's back, almost causing him to shiver, but oh wow, that felt good. "So will you be my boyfriend?" she asked dreamily.

Neville decided not to tell her, but to show her by bringing her in for another kiss.

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Neville had a problem. He had just had the most wonderful night of his life. He was tired and ready to go to sleep. But he was on one side of Fat Lady's portrait, and the common room was on the other side.

And Neville couldn't remember the password.

"Please let me in?" Neville begged.

"Not without the password," she said, clearly bored.

"You know who I am!" Neville cried.

"Do I? Do I?" the fat lady said. "What if you've drunk some polyjuice potion? What if you're He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named in disguise?"

"Me?" Neville squeaked.

"These are dangerous times, my boy. I for one am not going to bend the rules for anyone. No password, no entry," she said, rather proud of herself for that speech.

"Fine!" Neville threw up his hands in defeat. He sat down, cross-legged on the floor and hoped that someone would be coming in or out soon.

"So did you have a nice time at the Ball?" the fat lady asked sweetly.

Neville blushed, thinking about the kisses he shared with Luna that evening. "Yes," he said, burying his head in his hands, so she wouldn't see how red he had turned.

About ten minutes later, Seamus walked up the stairs. "What the bloody hell are you doing out here, Neville?" Seamus said good-naturedly.

Neville stood up, relieved that someone could finally let him in. "What about you?" Neville grinned.

"I had a wonderful evening with Hannah Abbott, and a gentleman always escorts the lady home," Seamus said.

"I forgot the password," Neville said.

Seamus raised his eyebrows, "Enjoy the punch?"

Neville groaned. "I should have known that was you."

"So mate, I saw you leave early with Luna. Are you two..." Seamus trailed off.

"Yes," Neville said proudly

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"You'll be fine on your own," Luna said serenely, stroking his hand. It was the Monday after the Ball. Neville still felt like he was in a dream. They spent all of Sunday together, doing homework, talking and enjoying the occasional kiss.

"I just want the moral support, I guess," Neville said softly.

"Then I'll come with you," Luna said simply, standing up from the Ravenclaw table. It was the lunch hour, and Neville had finally run out of the Relectum Potion. He was working up the courage to ask Professor Snape for more.

"I know he's going to laugh at me when I ask for it," Neville said gloomily.

"If he does, I'll say something to him," Luna said, walking towards the door. Neville and Luna were halfway towards the dungeon when he realized that she had taken his hand. It had been so subtle, he hadn't even realized it.

He gave her hand a slight squeeze when they reached the door of the potions classroom. He knocked, and stepped inside.

Professor Snape was standing over a cauldron, stirring furiously.

"One moment, Longbottom," he said lazily. A minute later, he waved his wand at the cauldron and poof of smoke appeared. Neville took a tiny step towards the desk.

"Sir?" Neville asked timidly, "Professor McGonagall gave me some Relectum Potion six weeks ago. She said to ask you for more when I ran out."

Professor Snape arched an eyebrow. "Relectum Potion?" he asked.

"Y-Yes, sir," Neville said.

"That would explain your improvement this term, Longbottom. The potion's in my office. Wait here," he said, turning quickly towards his office.

Luna put her hand on Neville's cheek. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked, smiling.

Neville took her hand. "No, I guess not," he said grinning back at her. Luna had the most wonderful hands; they were so tiny and soft.

They heard Professor Snape enter the classroom again and they both jumped. "Save that behavior for the common room," he growled as he handed Neville a flask. "Five points from Gryffindor and five from Ravenclaw."

"Yes, sir," they said together at the same time.

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Neville didn't realize it at the time, but he and Luna made an usual pair. After the first day they showed up in the Great Hall holding hands, students from all houses gossiped only like Hogwarts students could. By the end of the week, Neville heard that he was only an experiment for Luna, something to write about in the Quibbler. Neville knew some sort of secret about Luna, and was forcing her to date him. Finally, the one that made Neville blush, was they had been really dating for the last two years, and secretly married over the weekend. No one bothered to notice that Neville was only sixteen and Luna fifteen, therefore it would be illegal for them to marry.

"Why is it so interesting to everyone?" Neville asked, bewildered to a group of Gryffindors in the common room one night.

"It's very simple," Hermione said, looking up from her Ancient Runes textbook. "You and Luna have always been considered a bit different by most people. It's like they don't understand that you can find happiness without being popular."

"Don't let what people say bother you," Ginny said encouragingly. "If it feels right, go for it. If not, well, look at Dean and me." Dean and Ginny had broken up the day after the Ball.

"I just hate people thinking I'm forcing her to date me," Neville said gloomily.

"I don't think anyone really believes that, mate," Ron said. "Remember when Susan Bones dated Morag McDougal from Ravenclaw? Everyone said that she only liked him because he was a good quidditch player. And he wasn't even half as good as Harry."

"Yeah, if she wanted to date only decent blokes on a broom, I'm sure she would have asked me out by now," Harry grinned.

The talking made Neville feel better. He knew he shouldn't let gossip bother him. He knew it wouldn't bother Luna, nothing seemed to faze her. He had asked Luna how she stayed so calm all the time. All she did was say that she would prefer to stay calm than let little problems bother her. That wasn't the answer Neville was looking for.

Suddenly, Harry clutched his forehead. "Damnit," he muttered softly.

At once, the four people surrounding Harry asked, "Are you allright?"

Harry blinked fast for a moment, and then said, "I'm fine. He's happy about something. I just have no idea what."

"You've been practicing Occlumency, haven't you, Harry?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice.

Harry nodded furiously. "If you think I'm ever going to let him put a vision in my head again..." he started, his voice rising.

Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's okay, Harry."

Neville was a little lost, listening to the three of them talk. He understood how close Harry, Ron and Hermione where. Neville thought about standing up and giving them their privacy when Harry looked at him.

"Can we work on Legilimency Neville?" Harry asked quietly.

"Now?" Neville stuttered.

"Now," Harry said determinedly, "The sooner I can get into Voldemort's head, the better."

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A/N - No notebook yet. (pouts) But I'm v. close to having the story outlined again. Wa-hoo!