Moonchild
Chapter 14
Luna
What did last night mean? Luna wondered as she made her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. She had decided to wear her headdress that Seleneo had given her today, and she was drawing numerous bemused looks, but she paid them no mind, all except one. Neville stood out among the throng, staring incredulously at her. He got up from the Gryffindor table and hurried over to her before she'd even had a chance to sit down.
"What is that?" he asked, clearly trying to suppress whatever kind of emotions he might be feeling and sound amiable.
"Good morning to you too, Neville," she said dreamily. "As for this, it's Ravenclaw's diadem, of course. Dad was reconstructing it at home but it was destroyed. Seleneo made this one and gave it to me."
"Seleneo gave it to you, did he?" Neville said through gritted teeth, now plainly forcing himself to smile. "Well, that was thoughtful of him."
"Yes, I thought," Luna agreed.
"Right, well," Neville stammered, "I guess I'll see you later." He headed back to the Gryffindor table without a backwards glance.
Seleneo was already at the table when she sat down. He gave her a quizzical look, but said nothing. They ate in silence for a moment until finally Seleneo spoke.
"Longbottom didn't seem too pleased to see you," he said dryly.
"He did seem like something was troubling him," she agreed. Luna dared a glance back at the Gryffindor table where Neville was slouched over his plate.
"What all did he say?" Seleneo prodded.
"He just asked what this was," she said gesturing to her headdress. "I told him it was Ravenclaw's diadem and that's you'd given it to me, and then he left."
"Well, I bet I can guarantee why he's acting that way, if that's the case," Seleneo said darkly.
"You don't still think Neville still has feelings for me, do you?" she said. "I told you, he fancies Hannah Abbott."
"I'm sure he or somebody else told you that," Seleneo said, "but I don't think it's true."
"Think what you want," said Luna indifferently. "Pass the bacon, if you wouldn't mind."
That afternoon, Luna was in the library working on an essay for Professor Slughorn over the properties of Dirigible Plums in potion-making. Luna found this to be exceedingly easy considering there was a patch of Dirigible Plums right outside her house, but wanted her essay to be well-written regardless. As she was citing an excerpt out of one of the books on her table, she overheard two familiar voices nearby.
"…just don't get it," said the first one, a male voice. It sounded so familiar, at first she thought it was Neville, but he wouldn't dare talk in the library and risk Madame Pince, she thought.
"What do you want me to do?" asked another voice, this one female. I swear, Luna thought, that has to be Ginny Weasley.
"I dunno," said the first. "I don't get what she sees in him. I mean, you've seen him around. He's weird."
"So what?" demanded the second. "He obviously makes her happy, so who cares how weird he is. You shouldn't, I know that."
"I know I shouldn't," he said, whoever he was, "but I do."
"What about Hannah?" she said. Hannah? thought Luna, and she actually looked up from her work at this point. Hannah who? "You were going on and on about her just the other day."
"Of course I was," he said. "She was right there! What else could I have said?"
"Good point," she conceded. "Still, I don't see what you want me to do."
"I guess I want you to agree with me," said the boy. "I want you to agree, and tell me that things will turn out the way I want them to, and I want it to be true."
"Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Neville," she insisted. Neville, thought Luna. No, not Neville Longbottom. It must be some other Neville. Surely there's plenty of Nevilles at this school.
"It's just that," Neville continued, "I thought I was okay with how things are, but ever since that Hogsmeade trip…you know?" Oh no, Luna sighed inside. It is Neville Longbottom. It was right about that time when Seleneo appeared and sat down at Luna's table. He had a smile on his face, but not a happy one, and there was no joy in his eyes.
"I hate to say I told you so," he said, "but I told you so."
