Title: Parrots
Summary: Neville. Luna. Random silliness with a touch of romance. He wouldn't want it any other way.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything HP related.
A/N: I know I've been kinda busy writing all sorts of oneparters, but I promise I will update my other stories soon! Ideas have just kinda been coming ever since I started rereading HP4 (because the movie would come out soon). Yesterday I finally saw it in cinema and I just couldn't help but think that Neville had gotten kinda cute. So I just had to write him a happy fluffy story.
Set in 7th year.
"Neville?"
She is behind me. I just know, before I turn around, that she'll not be looking at me with those dreamy eyes. Somehow, she always seems to be off some place else. Some place more magical and exotic. I smile at her. It's strange how she can make a magical place like Hogwarts seem plain. I like it.
"Can I help you Luna?"
There are parrots dangling from her ears. They make soft sounds and Luna giggles. She then fixes her gaze at me. I like how she smiles. She always seems to be happy. Never caring about what other people think of her. I wish I was the same.
"Do you know if the Bobtailed Shrillywacks eat gillyweed?"
She says seriously and I can't help but smile again. Where does she come up with these creatures? I have to admit, the way she describes them is fascinating, and sometimes I allow myself – just for a little while – to believe that there is another world out there. One with more magical beings, invisible of course, and none of them evil. It would be nice to be a Bobtailed Shrillywack if it could be in that world.
"Uhm..."
I reply, my face serious as well.
"I'm not sure. Why don't we check in the Library?"
She seems to consider this for a moment, looking as if she is listening attentively to some voice I can't hear. Whatever voice she was hearing obviously gave her permission because she looks at me again and smiles.
"Okay."
I know I'm silly, going to the Library to research some creature that does not exist, when I know I have loads of homework to do. But well...it's just nice to hang around Luna. Not to mention the fact that maybe, if I can get her alone long enough, just maybe I'll get the courage to ask her to the Christmas Dance. Not likely though.
As we're sitting in the Library, books scattered around us, I'm trying to work up the courage to ask her. Every time I even come close she focuses her eyes on me, hoping that I've found an answer to her question, and I just seem to lose speech. I never knew a girl could do that to me. I knew Snape could, but well...he's just scary, isn't he?
I pretend to have found a schedule in one of my books and start asking her random questions.
"Does the Bobtailed Shrillywack have eyes?"
"No silly, the Bobtailed Shrillywack is blind..."
She answers like everybody knows that.
I frown, and ask her another question.
"Then how does it find the gillyweed?"
Luna looks at the ceiling, her head slightly tilted. It takes a long time before she answers. When she does, she's giggling.
"I don't know if it does...that's what I've been trying to find out. My fathers' collection of Gillyweed is all gone and he thinks the Bobtailed Shrillywack might have done it. Does it say something in there about its sense of smell?"
I pretend to be researching another book while secretly stealing glances of her. She's listening to something again, and occasionally she giggles. It takes me quite some time to figure out that it's the parrots she's listening to.
"Why are you listening to the parrots Luna?"
I ask her, smiling.
She opens one eye –somehow she always seems to listen to people with her eyes closed – and gazes at me reproachfully.
"They are giving me the answers to questions."
Luna says like it's the most normal thing in the world and I was supposed to know that.
"To every question?"
I reply, suddenly nervous.
She opens her second eye and tilts her head a little. Somehow I know that she's not listening to the parrots this time, merely contemplating my question or guessing the reason behind it.
"Yes."
She answers softly.
"But I don't listen every time because sometimes they are wrong. They wanted me to tell Professor Snape that you needed knotgrass to make a Polyjuice Potion when everybody knows that it's really the skin of a Twinghorned Moneysucker that you use. Knotgrass..."
She says shaking her head. I feel my lips twitching into a smile but try to look serious all the same. I wonder how Snape reacted. I, for one, can't help but smile when she talks about all these creatures, totally disregarding the normal world. Snape, however...I bet he just took points of Ravenclaw for this.
"So..."
I say, trying to sound calm and casual.
"If I were...for instance...to ask you to the Dance...what would the parrots say?"
Luna stays silent for a minute, contemplating the answer of the parrots.
"They said yes"
She informs me happily. Then she frowns. And I wonder if she would go with me just because the parrots told her so or if she's not really that crazy. She shakes her head.
"I don't know why I asked them that..."
Is she blushing? She seems to be blushing. I wonder why.
"I would have said yes even if the parrots said no. Still, I'm glad I did ask them...now I can wear them to the dance without them biting my earlobes all the time."
She smiles happily at me and I can't help but grin back. Who'd ever guess that I'd get a date thanks to some stupid birds? But wait...I didn't. I got a date because of the Bobtailed Shrillywacks. Because of her.
Because of me.
Review please!