Man, this was a monster of a chapter.
No good place to cut it plus I love Neville!!
2 more to go... Harry and Hermione coming up...
Neville was engrossed in the study of his fellow classmates. It was quite amusing how animated everybody was, given that they were all in the hospital wing. He peered about and after checking the coast was clear, he propped himself up. Occasionally the sound of snoring would be heard above the laughter.
He grinned to himself, he had never pretended to sleep so much in all his life. He was constantly motioning people to keep the noise down, all the while furtively looking at Madam Pomfrey's office door. The woman frightened him to be perfectly honest and he had no desire to make her come out before she had to.
People would occasionally get up and attempt to strike up a conversation only to be sent scurrying to their own beds. The formidable nurse making her rounds all the while shouting at them, "This is not a social gathering, some of you are seriously injured." So far they had been in the hospital wing for three days and he was beginning to think not even dementors would dare stand up to Madam Pomfrey.
The wing was a who's who of D.A. members. Apparently it had gotten back to Hogwarts that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had been spotted in the Ministry of Magic, clearly that meant that Dumbledore and Harry were no longer considered nutters of the first order.
Of course this had caused a rather large divide in some houses, especially Slytherin. Supporters on both sides had begun a rather large scuffle and several students had engaged in wizard duels. Most of the school population had gone unscathed but a hardy few had done semi serious damage to each other.
That however was not the reason for the amount of adoration being laid at Neville's and his comrade's feet. Luna had accidentally mentioned what had happened to her when they had gotten separated in the Department of Mysteries to Ginny, who was overheard by Fred and George, who had decided to broadcast it to the students.
Neville had never been congratulated so heartily and although he was the least injured, he was the most accessible of the six. Luna was quietly making her way around the room in some sort of irregular square. Seeing Neville's puzzled look, she yelled something that sounded like Knuzzles. Neville took the opportunity to study her in detail. She was carrying a bucket of sweets.
Her blond hair was up in haphazard ponytail, one of her radish earrings was missing. His brow scrunched, the right side of her face was still swollen. Her mouth had a cut and her hand still had bandages on it.
He couldn't hold in the frown that took over his face as she leaned close to Ron to offer him a licorice wand. Ron shook his head but smiled at her anyways. Neville leaned back happy she had moved on, but his frown quickly came back when he saw her go back to Ron and hand him a sugarquill.
Ron beamed at her and she blushed slightly, earning a glare from Hermione who was watching the exchange with a strangely ferocious look on her face. He chuckled, "What's so funny Mr. Longbottom." Ginny asked in a really perfect imitation of their school nurse. "Blimey, Ginny. I'm still recovering."
Ginny laughed at him and shoved him over to make room for her. She sat carefully raising her foot onto the bed. "Can you spare a pillow?" she asked reaching for said pillow before he could answer. " Yes." he replied helping slide the pillow under her ankle.
"I thought your ankle had been set already." he pointed to the bandage around it. "It was but with death eater magic, you never know. At least that's what McGonagall said, so I'm being held for observation along with you lot." she said leaning against him.
Luna finally made her way over to them. She put her bucket down, picking up Neville's other pillow she began to fluff it. Neville and Ginny watched in silence, "You looked uncomfortable, so I imagine your pillow is not quite plump." Neville nodded as if that was the wisest thing anybody had ever uttered.
Ginny covered a smirk with her hand, Neville elbowed her and she made herself scarce. "Where you going? There's plenty of room on the bed for both of us, isn't there Neville?" Luna directed the question innocently at Neville, who was struggling to keep the image of Luna lying next to him out of his mind.
"Three's a crowd, Luna. Besides I think Harry maybe a little lonely." Ginny limped off the bed and using the bedposts of neighboring beds made her way to Harry. "They'll be a nice couple next year," she remarked taking Ginny's vacated spot and adjusting the bucket of sweets between them.
"You think so?" Neville uttered his hand searching through the bucket's contents. "I didn't think you liked her." Luna reached into the bucket accidentally trapping his hand between strands of licorice wands. "I don't, I'd be glad. Harry's a good guy." Neville looked up into her huge blue eyes.
"You're a good guy too, Neville." She removed the licorice from his hand, handing him a wand before duplicating Ginny's earlier position. Her face had more bruises and cuts than he had first assumed. He felt an irrational need to curse whatever Deatheater had hurt her.
Neville looked down at the top of her head, her blonde hair was soft and gave off a faint scent. He had though at first it was the candy but he realized she smelled like licorice. Strong and sweet without being overpowering. He glanced at her, her face was very pale but it had a inner shine to it. Almost like if her happiness was hidden just under her skin, making it radiant.
The sugarquill she had given him was still in his hand, he sucked on it thoughtfully. He had hated Licorice Wands when he was a kid. When he had first met his grandmother after his parents were hurt, she had given him black licorice. The semi sweet taste had made him sick to his stomach and he had lost all liking for it.
"I put in what I thought everybody would like. "she mumbled her mouth red from the candy. "What," her comment having broken thorough his reverie. "I thought you were trying to figure out what kind of candy was in there. You were staring at the bucket pretty intently."
"Yes, I was." he responded absentmindedly, images of his parents in their own hospitable wing had come unbidden into his mind as he regarded the candy wrappers. The chocolate frog he had pulled out felt very heavy in his hand. "Harry loves Bertie Botts, Hermione like Fizzy Pops, Ginny loves Drubble's Gum and Ron loves Sugarquills." She paused, "Actually took me forever to find that out."
Neville felt his stomach churn at her dedication to find out the redheaded boy's favorite treat. "How did you find out?" he asked biting down harshly on a chocolate frog. "I asked him of course. I think he thinks I like him." she whispered to him. Neville could feel the chocolate lodge in his throat.
"Do you?" he asked swallowing the frog painfully.
"Of course, I like Ginny too and I like Harry and I like Hermione." she said matter of factly oblivious to the look of sudden relief on Neville's face. Neville chewed on the remainder of his frog, the question popped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
"What about me? Do you know what I like?"
Neville mentally groaned, he had not meant for it to come out, much less as suggestively as it did. He cringed, not really wanting to hear her response. "I'm not sure." she turned to face him.
Neville was very aware that their faces were no more than a few inches apart. "Not sure." his voice squeaked, she was even more beautiful up close. "I don't know what kind of candy you like. I figured you really didn't like chocolate frogs because they remind you of Trevor, even though Trevor is a toad." she smiled.
She settled against him, her hand tracing circles in the blanket, " I knew you didn't like blood pops and I know you don't like licorice because of your grandmother." Neville's throat had gone dry at her proximity and her complete understanding of him.
"I…that wasn't the question I was wondering about…" he didn't get to finish because at that precise moment Madam Pomfrey came out of her office. Friends and classmates scattered like house elf's that were offered galleons.
"Miss Weasley be so kind as to move to your own bed and vacate Mr. Potter's." Ginny and Harry both blushed a radiant red at this statement and Ginny moved as fast as her ankle would allow. Hermione hastily got off Ron's but was still reprimanded. "Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley needs plenty of breathing room for those marks to heal." Hermione spluttered and Ron ducked under his blanket so only the top of his vibrant orange hair was visible.
"Miss Lovegood, you must also move to your respective space. The beds were made for only one occupant at a time." Several catcalls and whistles could be heard and Neville turned a shade to rival Ginny's own hue.
Luna made her way off Neville's bed and towards her own. She stopped midway, dreamily she walked back to him and removing the candy container whispered, "To answer your question, I like you the best." Madam Pomfrey seeing Luna lean close to Neville scolded her, "Miss Lovegood, do I have to separate yourself and Mr. Longbottom?"
Neville ignored the irate nurse, he pulled Luna close to him. "My favorite candy is Licorice Wands." Luna looked surprised but smiled, her face beaming and her mouth colored crimson. "They make me feel better." Luna reached into her bucket and pulled one, she split it and handed him half.
"Me too." she then walked calmly to her bed. Madam Pomfrey shook her head and gave Neville his medication, "Careful with the sweets, Mr. Longbottom." with a wink at him, she went into her office.
Neville lay back and stared at the white ceiling, reminding him of her hair and the licorice that she smelled like. "A little late for that." he smiled, yawned and drifted to sleep.