When Neville meets Luna

Chapter 1:

Love at first… crash?

It all started one April day at Hogwarts. Neville Longbottom was walking down a corridor, mindlessly thinking of Herbology finals, in his fourth year. He was so busy thinking of turnips and gillyweed, that he didn't see a far off blonde skipping his direction. She, too, was off in her own thoughts of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and didn't seem to notice the plump Gryffindor strolling her way with an armful of Herbology books, quills, and parchment.

The two collided, sending Neville's things flying everywhere in the deserted corridor.

He sat up, a little dazed, ready for the usual, "Watch were you're going, Longbottom!" And usually, if it was a Slytherin girl, she would slap him (hard, if it was Pansy Parkinson, anyway) for being so clumsy and knocking her over, get up, brush the dirt off her ruddy robes and walk away without doing so much as even helping him pick up his things.

But he was surprised, the person he knocked down just sat up, looked around and said, "Oops, must've gotten sidetracked."

Neville was at a loss for words. He'd never met a girl who didn't call him a bone head and walk away. Well, he had some friends who were girls, but he never thought of them as more than just friends.

But this girl was different, she actually helped him, and she wasn't even mean! Well, she didn't say anything, but it was better than a slap across the face any day!

Neville carefully studied the color of her house on her Hogwarts tie: a Ravenclaw.

Since Ravenclaws were known for their knowledge, Neville thought of something intelligent and sophisticated to say. Something that said she could take him seriously.

Something smart.

"Hi."

"Hello," the girl said in a dreamy voice, handing him his things.

"Um…," Neville stammered as they got up. He wasn't sure what to do next. So he decided to do the next best thing to starting a conversation, apologize.

"Sorry about that," he said, "I guess I was always a bit--." The truth was, he didn't know what he was at that moment. Clumsy, maybe. Distracted, most likely. Utterly amazed by this girl, positive. But Neville didn't want to admit it to himself, because he also felt confused.

"It's ok," the girl said, in that same dreamy voice, saving him from an awkward silence. "I suppose it's partially my fault, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."She looked around the corridor again. "Oops, Divination is on the other side of Hogwarts." She shrugged and said, "Oh well," then turned back to Neville.

He looked at her eye, like really looked at them. They were a pale color. It was like looking into two crystal balls, telling him the future, looking like she knew something he didn't. Her gaze just made him feel insecure.

He also noticed that she had her wand tucked behind her ear. It seemed to Neville like an odd place to put someone's wand, but, as Neville had noticed, nothing about this girl was ordinary.

It had just occurred to Neville the he still wasn't calling the girl by her name. But it had also just dawned on him that he was too nervous to ask.

"Um…," he began, wiping his sweaty palms on his robes, "w-what's your… uh… your… um--"

"My name?" The girl asked, saving him yet again from a silence of awkward proportions. But she only smiled, which made Neville's stomach do a back flip. She extended her hand and said, "I'm Luna Lovegood, Ravenclaw, daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood, editor of the Quibbler."

Neville was shocked, and a little uneasy. Was this the Loony Lovegood everyone talked about? Was this the strange girl Neville had heard about since his second year? He knew this had to be her. Who else would put their wand behind their ear?

But at that moment, Neville couldn't care less. He didn't exactly fit in either. He, in a way, was a little like Luna. A misfit, weird, strange. He'd never met another girl more like him. And at that moment, Neville Longbottom was floating on a cloud, and he didn't think he was ever coming down.

He took her hand to shake it and an electric shock went through their fingers. They both looked up into each other's eyes at the same time.

"I'm Neville Longbottom," he said, shaking her hand, "Gryffindor… that's pretty much all I got."

Luna laughed which made Neville's heart soar. A girl, a living, breathing girl… actually thought he was funny?

"That's ok," she said, releasing his hand. She looked down at Neville's books. "Herbology?" she asked.

Neville blushed feeling embarrassed. Most girls look for Quidditch players when they look for boyfriends, not so much a Herbology wiz.

"Um… yeah," he murmured, trying to hide his rosy cheeks. "I… uh… like plants and stuff. It's kind of a hobby… and… well... yeah…."

But Luna didn't judge him or make fun of his liking of plants, she only smiled. And when she did, her eyes lit up.

"That's interesting because I've always believed that plants were like humans in a way. They have their own characteristics, personalities, and defense skills."

Neville thought his heart skipped a beat. Or two. Possibly three beats. It might have even stopped. A girl, a living, breathing girl… liked plants? And didn't think he was weird?!? If someone just told him that the moon is purple, the grass is blue, and the ocean is red, he probably would've believed them.

Just then, Neville glanced at his watch, he was 7 minutes late to Herbology!

"I gotta go," Neville said, showing Luna his watch.

"I suppose I better get going too," she said looking around the hall yet again. "Divination is a long way from here. I don't think Professor Trelawney will mind, she probably already predicted I was going to be late."

Neville highly doubted that, but he just said, "Yeah, and I better get to Herbology or else Professor Sprout might think I died this morning to be seven minutes late."

She laughed that twinkly laugh that made the butterfly cocoons in Neville's stomach stir.

"Ok then, goodbye Neville Longbottom." She waved goodbye to him and skipped off in the other direction.

And Neville couldn't help hearing her dreamy voice echoing in his head. The way she laughed at his jokes, when he wasn't even trying to be funny. The way her smile made his intestines do acrobatics. The way she seemed to understand him and the way they both seemed to stand out from ordinary students at Hogwarts.

And that's when Neville knew that he would hear that same dreamy voice in his dreams.