Chapter Twenty-One – Research with the Professor

Neville couldn't help himself from repeating the phrase. "You love me?" he asked again.

"I would have thought that it would be obvious by now," she said shyly, nuzzling her head on his chest.

"Luna, I…I love you, too," he told her. Neville felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, telling her that.

"Really?" Luna lifted her head and smiled brightly at him. "You love me?" she squeaked.

Neville couldn't keep himself from laughing. "Why are we both so surprised?" she asked.

She started giggling at her own question. Neville decided that one of the happiest sounds in the world was her laughter. He knew he would always try to make her laugh.

He wrapped his arms around her slender body. "I don't know," he said honestly. Then the two shared a kiss. He didn't know why this kiss seemed different than all of the others. Better, maybe.

Luna broke away, and looked at him. "Will you promise me not to work on a cure for my disease?" she asked softly.

"I can't promise that, Luna," Neville said, surprising himself.

"But-" Luna started.

"Luna, if I can do anything to help, I'm going to do it," Neville said firmly. "The last thing I want is to promise you that and then still research behind your back. I couldn't abuse your trust like that."

Luna's eyes started watering. "I wouldn't want you to lie to me," she said finally. She threw her arms around him. "Please be careful! I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you!"

He gently stroked her back. Neville had learned early on that it calmed her. "I'm sure Professor Snape won't let anything go wrong," he said, sounding much more confidant than he felt.

88888

Twenty-four hours later, Neville stayed behind after class was over. Harry and Ron gave him strange looks. Neville simply shrugged and told them he needed to talk to Snape.

"Good luck, mate," Ron said, shaking his head.

When the classroom was empty with the exception of Neville and Professor Snape, Neville stood up slowly and went to the front of the room. "Professor?" he asked softly.

Professor Snape looked at him. "Let me see what research you have already," he scowled.

Neville handed him over the pages and pages of notes he had complied since term started. "These are my only copies," Neville told the professor timidly.

Professor Snape pointed his wand at the rolls of parchment and said a spell. A moment later, another set of parchment appeared before them. "I'll keep the copies," Professor Snape said. "I've been looking for a new project to work on, so if I have any spare time, I will be able to work on this."

"Really?" Neville said excitedly. As much as Neville disliked him as a teacher, there was no doubt in his mind that Professor Snape was brilliant at Potions. If anyone would be able to come up with an antidote, it would be him.

Professor Snape nodded. He then started pouring through Neville's notes. For almost twenty minutes, Neville sat in silence, watching him absorb the information.

"We need blood samples," Professor Snape muttered to himself. "Longbottom, when is her next treatment?"

Neville racked his brain, trying to remember. He couldn't believe he had forgotten when it was. Then he remembered his dream, and knew that it shouldn't come as a shock to him.

"Well?" Professor Snape asked.

"I'm trying to remember," Neville said quietly. "She needs treatment every three months…and her last treatment was at Christmas…"

"So in six weeks?" Professor Snape asked.

"Yes," Neville answered.

"I need to see how the blood changes. Would she be willing to give blood?"

"I don't know," Neville said truthfully. "She's not happy that I'm working on this."

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Neville didn't want to tell Professor Snape about Luna's mother. That seemed too personal for him to know. "She's just not," Neville said finally. He had the strangest feeling that Professor Snape knew he was holding something back.

"Ask her if she's willing," Professor Snape ordered. "I'd like to get a sample of her blood once a week. Then I can see how the blood transforms."

"But that will take forever!" Neville exclaimed.

Professor Snape looked up at him. "This will not be accomplished overnight, Longbottom."

"I know," Neville sighed.

"I will look over the notes, but I won't be able to do anything until we have a sample of her blood," he admitted.

"I'll see what I can do," Neville said.

88888

Much to Neville's surprise, Luna said she would be willing to give blood. The next week, after Neville's potions class, Luna walked serenely in the classroom.

"Luna, please sit here," Professor Snape told her.

She sat down on the small stool next to the table at the front of the class. Professor Snape brought out a syringe.

Neville shuddered. "I hate needles," he said under his breath.

"I'm used to them," Luna said as she rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. Neville watched as Professor Snape almost tenderly picked up Luna's arm and stuck the syringe in her arm.

"Did that hurt?" Professor Snape asked.

Luna shook her head. "I really am used to needles. It doesn't faze me at all," Luna told him.

The syringe slowly filled up. When it was full, Professor Snape slowly took it out of her arm. "Thank you," he said.

"Is that all you need?" Luna asked.

"I need one sample a week of your blood," Professor Snape told her. "Preferably at the same time every week."

Luna jumped off of the stool. "That shouldn't be a problem," she said cheerfully. She then gave Neville a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you at dinner."

Neville nodded, not quite ready to be alone with Professor Snape.

"I should dock points for that public display of affection," Professor Snape warned.

Neville felt his cheeks redden. "Sorry, sir," Neville muttered.

He started looking through one of the books he had checked out from the library. As he turned the pages, he could hear Professor Snape looking at the blood through a microscope.

"This is fascinating," Professor Snape said to no one in particular.

Neville held his tongue. He didn't want to interrupt anything important.

Professor Snape finally looked up. "Longbottom, what do you remember about blood restorative potions?" he asked.

Neville racked his brain. All his could remember was that the potion made blood. Specially the drinker's blood. "Not much, sir," he said truthfully.

"There seems to be something in the blood that is acting as the opposite of the restorative potion," Professor Snape told him. As he spoke, he started writing furiously on a piece of parchment. "I need to see her blood next week to be sure. But it seems like this agent would simply need to be neutralized."

"So it could be a really simple fix?" Neville asked hopefully.

"I very much doubt that," Professor Snape scoffed, not bothering to look up from the parchment.

Neville went back to his research.

88888

By the end of March, Neville could tell that Luna needed to have another treatment. She was tired all of the time. Their trips to the greenhouses for what Luna called their "private time," consisted of them simply holding hands. Or she would curl up on the floor, resting her head in his lap.

But Luna was determined not to have another treatment until the middle of April, which was two weeks away.

Then there was a Saturday that Luna was determined to have energy for. That morning found Luna and Neville arguing at breakfast.

"I don't believe you," Luna said astonished.

"Luna, I thought you'd be willing to…" Neville stammered.

"Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?" Luna asked, her eyes popping.

"Please, Luna," Neville begged. "I need you to!"

"I simply can't support Gryffindor today, Neville," Luna said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

The final quidditch match of the year was today. Gryffindor verses Slytherin. Normally, Luna would support Gryffindor. But Ravenclaw had come out of nowhere in the quidditch standings. Even though Gryffindor had flattened Ravenclaw in their match, Ravenclaw up by seventy points. If Gryffindor scored less than seventy today, Ravenclaw would win the quidditch cup for the first time in about thirty years.

Neville and Luna were sitting at the Ravenclaw table. By then, Neville had learned to keep Luna away from the Gryffindor team when she was supporting Ravenclaw. The looks Ginny would give Luna were quite memorable.

"Luan, are you sure you can wear your hat?" Neville asked. She was so weak right now; he really didn't want her to risk it. And he just knew that she was hiding it around here somewhere.

"I didn't bring down from my room," Luna said sadly. She looked so sad that Neville wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her. "I'm too tired."

88888

"I'm going to hell," Neville muttered under his breath. "Eternity in the fiery pits…"

Neville and Luna were standing with the rest of the Ravenclaws. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he was wearing Luna's hat.

Dean Thomas had looked at Neville like he was the ultimate traitor. Neville was grateful that Harry, Ginny and Seamus had left for the field before Neville decided to wear the hat for Luna.

She was so happy that he wore it that she could hardly contain her excitement. As she put it, "it was the type of hat that needs to be shared."

The match had just started. Slytherin was ahead sixty – fifty. Ginny had scored all five of the goals.

Seamus had the quaffle, he quickly passed it to Ginny. Ginny flew when she suddenly passed the quaffle to Harry, of all people. Harry was right next to the rings, and threw it in the top ring easily.

"Sixty!" Neville cried. He took the hat off, and placed it right next to Luna. He gave her a quick kiss and started running. "I'll see you after the game!" he called over his shoulders.

Neville ran as fast as he could down the stair, towards the Gryffindor side. The agreement was that Neville would wear the hat until Ravenclaw had no chance of winning the cup. Once that happened, Neville would be free to support Gryffindor.

As he ran, he grabbed his face paint out of the pocket of his robes and smeared some across his face. The crowd started roaring. Neville couldn't be sure, but he thought that Gryffindor might have scored.

He took the steps two at a time. Finally he reached the Gryffindor section. Hermione and Dean were holding on to the rail, screaming.

Neville snuck in between them. "What's the score?" he asked frantically.

"We're tied!" Hermione squealed.

A Slytherin chaser had the quaffle and tried to Feint on Ron. Luckily, Ron saw through it, and caught the quaffle easily.

"That's my boyfriend!" Hermione cried happily.

Ron passed the quaffle to Ginny who started speeding towards the Slytherin goals. But just then, Harry dived.

"He's seen the snitch!" Dean yelled, grabbing Neville's arm.

"Go Harry!" Neville cried as loud as he could.

Harry was diving, but then he quickly changed directions and flew upwards. His hand was out stretched. He was reaching further and further…

"Gryffindor wins!" the announcer, Colin Creavy yelled. "Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup!"

Hermione, Neville and Dean wrapped their arms around each other and started jumping up and down. "We won! We won!"

The crowd surged down the stairs towards the field. Once they reached the field, Neville looked around quickly for Luna. She was just exiting the stairs. Neville ran to her, and lifted her up from the second step.

"We won!" Neville cried.

Luna smiled weakly. She gave him a hug, and whispered in his ear, "If Ravenclaw couldn't win, I'm glad that it's Gryffindor."

Neville grinned. "I'm never going to let you forget that you said that!"