Chapter 12:

Trouble

That entire week, all Neville could think of was Luna. She was constantly in his thoughts.

The Ravenclaw table! Luna's probably sitting there….

That was a hard Care of Magical Creatures exam! Luna probably could've passed it….

Oh look! A first year was just found hanging upside down suspended by his ankle on a chandler! Luna would have said it was the Nargles….

It was crazy! Neville could barely think without his thoughts wandering back to… Luna.

Neville loved everything about her. Her hair. Her smile. Her eyes. The way she was different from everybody else. The cute way she blushed when she was embarrassed and scrambled an apology. The way she believed in things that seemed out-of-this-world and incredible to consider even existed. The way she laughed. And the fact that she always seemed to make the best out of what she had. Luna.

They weren't technically an item yet, though. Neville never brought up the courage to ask her if they were.

Once he had told Hermione and Ginny that Luna had kissed him, Neville immediately wished he hadn't.

When he approached them inside of the empty tower to the dorms, he was feeling nauseous. What had happened out there was between Luna and him. He didn't really feel like adding a third and fourth wheel. But, he knew he owned it to them. After all, they were the ones who got them to talk to each other.

"Hermione? Ginny?" He began hesitantly, "I have to tell you something."

"What is it, Neville?" Hermione asked, voice full of concern.

Ginny looked up suddenly. "Hey! Wasn't Saturday your fake-date-to-make-Luna-jealous thing?"

Neville looked down. "Yeah…."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Well? How'd it go?" She asked as it were an order to tell them how it went.

He told them all about his fake date with Parvati. He lingered on telling them about his kiss with Luna, though. When he got to that part, he just stuttered.

"And… and then she… she kind of, uh… umm…."

This went on for a while.

"And… but I didn't… I didn't even--"

"Oh, spit it out already, Neville!" Ginny yelled, thumping him on the back for extra emphasis.

"She… she… she--"

"She what, stuttered?" Hermione said, feeling a little impatient.

"She… she just sort of… kissed me."

He stood there in the silence, wishing that he never even brought it up, then suddenly, Neville heard the scariest noise EVER: Girls squealing and giggling.

Hermione and Ginny just shrieked and asked him questions so fast, he could barely understand them. After they had redeemed their sanity, Hermione was the first to talk.

She nudged Neville. "Well? How did it feel?"

Neville scrunched his eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"

Hermione giggled and stood up her straightest to increase the drama. "You know, how did it feel to have the love of your life cradled in your arms, embracing and kissing you?" She made a kissy face at Neville. Ginny fell over laughing.

Neville could feel his face turning red. "She didn't embrace me!"

Ginny giggled harder. "Sure she didn't."

Hermione, who had still been making kissy face at him, stopped for a moment to ask, "You never answered my question. HOW DID IT FEEL?!"

Neville frantically shushed her. "Hermione, be quiet! Ron will hear you!"

Hermione looked at Ginny, who nodded. Gosh, Neville hated those secret messages between girls. Just one look and they knew what the other was thinking. All you got from a guy was, 'I have no idea what's going on right now.'

Hermione continued. "If you don't answer my question, I'll go out to the common room and yell that you like Luna Lovegood for the whole world to hear. Ican also throw in the little lip-action you two shared…."

Neville's eyes widened as he shook his head. "You wouldn't."

Hermione smiled an evil smile he barely saw from her. "Oh, I would."

She spun around and walked to the door to the common room at a determined speed. She opened it and began to yell, "Oy! Everyone! Guess what? Neville Longbottom--!"

Hermione had just been cut off by one frenzied Neville, who had just leapt toward the door, shutting it tight, and placing a hand over Hermione's mouth. He quickly grabbed Ginny's wrist, dragging them both up the stairs and into Neville's dormitory. He shut the door. Neville turned angrily toward Hermione.

"What in the name of Merlin were you thinking?!" he screamed, but not loud enough that they heard him out in the common room.

Hermione smiled that evil grin again. "I wanted an answer, that's what I was thinking."

Neville shook his head like a madman. "You didn't have to do that!"

Hermione crackled madly. "But, you have to admit it caught your attention."

Neville sighed. "Fine, Hermione, it 'caught my attention' but you really didn't need to almost yell out the door into the common room that I… kissed Luna Lovegood." He nearly whispered the last part, in fear that someone outside would hear him.

Ginny grinned and said, "Then, tell us how the kiss went, or I'm going to scream it next time."

Neville gulped. He could stop Hermione from doing it, but Ginny was a different story. She tended to have a mind of her own.

"Ok, ok! Fine, I'll tell you!" Neville took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. When he did, he closed his eyes to avoid Hermione and Ginny's grins and giggles, and continued. "Well, the kiss was… you know—a kiss. It didn't last very long, but it felt like it lasted forever. And I could say it was… rather enjoyable." He heard a giggle that sounded like Hermione…. "And… well, that was kind of it."

He heard Ginny 'awe' and heard Hermione sniffle.

"That was touching," Hermione said in mock sadness. "No, really Neville, stop it. You're making me cry." Ginny giggled at this remark.

Neville opened his eyes to find Hermione and Ginny smiling at him.

"What?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

Hermione sniffled again, this time joined by Ginny. "Ginny… our little Neville's growing up so fast!"

"I know!" Ginny exclaimed, wiping a fake tear from the corner of her eye. "Where does the time go?"

Neville rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Guys, no need to be so dramatic. The kiss barely lasted two seconds."

Hermione laughed. "We know. But, it seems like just yesterday we were helping you get ready for your first date!"

Ginny sighed. "Yeah…. Well, enough of our reminiscing, are you seeing her again?"

Neville shrugged. "Yeah. I'm going to see her in the halls tomorrow, I'll see her at breakfast, I'll--"

"Not like that!" Ginny exclaimed, hitting him in the shoulder. "I mean, when are the two of you going to meet up again?"

Neville looked down. "I don't know… we meet by the lake every Friday, so I guess I see her then."

After that, the three friends talked for a while, making comments on Professor Moody's teachings, not to mention temper, and exchanging jokes. The topic of Luna didn't come up after that.

After Hermione and Ginny's time to leave had come, and they all exchanged goodbyes, Neville was the only one left in the dormitory.

All he could think about was Luna, and if the little kiss they had shared meant more than he thought.

* * *

On Friday, Neville raced through the entire day. He wanted to be outside already, at Luna's side. He decided that he would ask her today if there was anything to occur between them. Outside, where the sun was shining. Where the rejection wouldn't hurt him as much. Where the sun would wash out his worries. Where he would have soft grass to feint on if she said yes.

When the last class finally ended, Neville shot out of there so fast, the others barely noticed he left.

Neville ran toward their spot by the lake. When he got there, an unsightly scene was taking place.

Everyone in the entire school had heard of Neville's fight with Justin. Everyone, that is, except Draco Malfoy. And who was standing there, causing a commotion around his precious Luna? Draco Malfoy. He and his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle, stood around Luna like a mob. Malfoy, apparently, wasn't afraid of Neville or the things he could do to him. And if Malfoy was there, Neville smelled trouble. He rushed forward.

"—aren't going to do anything about it, huh, Loony?" Malfoy was saying.

There was that stupid word again. Loony.

Neville felt his temper bubble. He walked forward feeling his shoulders square with purpose as he kept walking forward.

Luna was just looking down at the ground, avoiding the older boy's eyes and evil Slytherin snickers. "I-I don't know--"

Malfoy faked Luna's voice and mimicked, "I-I-I don't WHAT, Loony? Oh yeah, I just called you Loony. What are you going to do about it?" Malfoy was nearly inches away from Luna. Neville rushed forward even more quickly. If only he could get there in time….

Luna just stood there, avoiding any conflict. "I really don't think you should--"

"Should what?" Malfoy asked, getting meaner and meaner by the second. "You can't tell me what to do, Loony."

Then, he did the unimaginable: he pushed Luna.

Luna stumbled backwards for a second, while Crabbe and Goyle laughed. Malfoy sneered, going on, "Who's going to save you now? And little old Loony's not going to do anything, is she? No… no she's not." He pushed her again, nearly causing her to fall over.

Neville couldn't take it anymore. "Hey! Malfoy! Stay away from her!"

Malfoy spun around to face the voice that had just spoken. He grinned smugly. "And what are YOU going to do about it?"

Neville ran forward, finally there, but not before Malfoy pushed Luna one last time, and alittle too hard, causing her to fall backwards completely. At the last minute, Malfoy whipped out his wand and put a hex on a falling Luna, one that Neville didn't recognize….

But, to break Luna's fall wasn't the soft grass, but the water. She was falling back into the Black Lake. And the additional curse Malfoy had put on her caused her body to jump slightly over the water, so Luna didn't fall safely on the shore: She feel about five feet into the lake, a good distance away from the shore.

As soon as Neville got to the coast, he turned angrily to a grinning Malfoy.

"What did you do to her?!" Neville demanded, outraged.

"Oh, look here, boys!" he jeered with his fellow Slytherins. "Little Longbottom's come to save Loony!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Neville felt so angry, he didn't even think about what he did next: He punched the deserving Slytherin right in the face, giving him a bloody nose.

"And DON'T ever call her Loony!" Neville added after the blow had been delivered.

Malfoy fell to the ground, landing in the shore of the lake. The water weighed his robes down, so he couldn't easily get up.

"Help! Help me!" he shouted at Crabbe and Goyle from the shore. "I'm drowning!"

Suddenly, a frazzled looking Harry, Ron and Hermione appear out of nowhere, looking like they had just ran there.

"Neville!" Harry exclaimed, catching his breath. "We've just seen the whole thing!"

Malfoy continued to scream. "I can't swim! Someone help me!"

Ron stopped to yell at him, "Malfoy, you're on the shore, just stand up!"

Hermione gripped Neville's shoulders with urgency. "Listen to me, Neville. I saw the curse Malfoy put on Luna. It was a curse that can cause you to jump back several feet in any direction. But, it also comes with side effects. It will allow the victim of the curse will be able to go without air for atleast an hour, or possibly more." She tightened her grip on his shoulders. "Neville, you have to go and get her; the side effects will only last for about an hour!"

Neville shook his head, understanding what he had to do. "But, wait! How will I breathe underwater for a whole hour?"

Neville received a slap in the face, which he very well needed to calm his nerves, by Ron.

"Gillyweed, you idiot!" Ron yelled, thrusting the plant into Neville's palm. "Jeez, and YOU'RE supposed to be the Herbology wiz…."

"Er, right." Neville stared at the plant in his hand in confusion. "Wait, where'd you get the Gillyweed from--"

"No time for Twenty Questions!" Ron cried, shoving Neville toward the lake. "Just stick it in your mouth and go!"

Neville jammed the Gillyweed in his mouth determinedly and began to chew. He was so shocked and anger-filled, that he barely noticed the bitter taste that would have been unbearable at any other time.

Quickly, he threw his robes back at the trio, and dove into the water, wand in hand.

He had to find Luna. He had to find her, before it was too late.