The Greenhouse Effect (Harry Potter, Neville/Luna, #9)
Title: The Greenhouse Effect
Author: _infinite_enemy
Pairing:Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Fandom:Harry Potter
Theme: #9 dash
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
***
The Greenhouse Effect
***
"Your name, miss?"
"Luna Lovegood."
"Alright."
He handed her the badge. It was strange to see her name scribbled in someone else's handwriting, and-- she noticed at last what he had written.
"There's no dash."
"What?"
"You wrote Lovegood as Love-Good. It's all one word."
"Well sorry miss I can't make you a new badge."
"Why not? Afraid of getting bit by a burtarg?" she asked rather vehemently.
"Er...no. It's just the policy. One badge per person."
Frowning, Luna chewed on the end of her quill. She had been sent here to do a report for the Quibbler on something called The Greenhouse Effect. Apparently the muggle world was in an uproar about it someday destroying the Earth or something, and Mr. Lovegood had decided Luna should investigate. Her first step was to go to the nearest Greenhouse and find out what happens in them that could endanger the planet. However, she hadn't anticipated this much trouble just getting admitted to the place. Apparently some of the plants that they were working on were top secret or dangerous or something lame like that. All the while, everyone on the planet was in danger!
"Fine." She sighed. "Can I have a tour anyway?"
"Er...I guess. Let me call you a guide." Said the man. He was just the front desk worker, so he didn't know much about anything that went on at the greenhouses. He wasn't sure if giving this reporter a tour was a wise idea, but he knew that NOT giving her a tour was a worse idea. At least he could let the Herbologists who were working know what was going on. That way, if they had any sensitive materials out, they could put them away before the reporter woman got too much information.
He picked up the phone tentatively. (There were no wires and no dial tone, mostly it was there in case any muggles wandered in, so that he could pretend to find out that they were closing early or something and shoo them away.) With a tap of his wand, the phone in his hand rang.
"Oops." he said sheepishly. Luna chewed on her quill impatiently. The man cleared his throat, tapped the phone again. This time, he spoke into it, and his voiced echoed all throughout the greenhouses and the office building.
"Attention Herbologists. A tour will commence momentarily. Please be alerted than any sensitive materials should be properly dealt with as soon as possible." He hung up the phone grimly. "Let's go."
Before they could leave, however, an Herbologist came through the door, whistling happily. He looked mildly familiar to Luna, but she didn't recognize him until he said her name.
"Luna!" At this, she looked at him closer and saw that he had dark brown hair and eyes, with broad shoulders and a rather stocky frame. Her already wide eyes opened further. It was Neville! They had dated briefly at Hogwarts, but their life paths had taken them in different directions. She was glad to see a friendly face though, and apparently, so was he. With a total disregard for Mr. Monk, he hugged Luna tightly and laughed.
"Wow! I never expected to see you here. What brings you to the Greenhouses?"
She thought about making up something nice rather than accusing him of trying to destroy the planet, but lying wasn't really in her principles. With a distant smile, she told him exactly why she was sent there, to report for the Quibbler on the possibility of the Greenhouses being a threat to the safety of the World.
"Oh." Neville's face fell a little bit, and for some reason, Luna was sad.
"I'm giving her a tour," said Mr. Monk stoically. He obviously wasn't amused by the fact that this nosy/crazy reporter woman knew one of the Herbologists.
"I'll give you a tour! I know a bit more than Mr. err..."
"Monk."
"Right. I mean, if you don't mind."
"Not at all." Said the receptionist, sitting back down behind his desk in relief. But Neville was looking to Luna to see what she thought of the proposition.
"Of course. That would be very nice."
Neville beamed and offered his arm to her. Luna took it hesitantly, unsure about their relationship. But once her arm touched his, she knew that things were just the same.
Her father always said that a true friend was one you could go years without seeing and then BAM! You meet by chance or purpose one day, and everything is just as it had been so many years ago.
It was like that with Neville. Luna had never really had a best friend before. In Ravenclaw she was always a bit of a loner, and even now as a reporter for The Quibbler, she wasn't really welcome with the other reporters. Being with Neville again, after so long...it was refreshing, and rejuvenating...and...just nice. It was as if her feet barely had to touch the floor to propel her across it. (She looked down to make sure that her shoes weren't acting weird--they had been on sale, but the shoe store owner had warned that the giant geraniums on the toes sometimes acted of their own accord.)
"This is where I work." Neville said, opening a door to a room a few paces to the left and down the hall from the receptionist. Luna peered into what she expected to be a sort of laboratory or something, but instead was met by a large, high-ceilinged greenhouse. The air was moist and smelled like dirt and roots, but it wasn't unpleasant. Thousands of plants sprung from every surface. Vines crawled up the walls, trying to squeeze their tendrils out through the windows above and into the open air. Sunshine filtered down through the colored roof-glass, making it seem kind of dreamy.
"Ooh." Luna couldn't help herself. It was so beautiful.
"Glad you like it." Neville said. "There's three of us in this one, and four in the next one down the hall."
"How big is this place?"
"Ten Greenhouses in all, and about forty Herbologists. This is the International Herbology Study Institute, after all. Ermm...what did you say your report was on?" He led her through a maze of racks, all towering with different plants. Most of them were green, but the odd violet or hot pink stood out in a blaze of color.
"The Greenhouse Effect." She answered dazedly, noting a flower on her right that contained all the colors of the rainbow. Looking at it made her feel dizzy, as if the center of the flower would pull her right into it.
"Never heard of it." Neville admitted frankly. Having gone to school with Luna, he was used to her strange ideas. They were chucklworthy usually, but they didn't faze him or scare him, as they did some people. In fact, he kind of missed hearing her tell him what strange things she was reading about or investigating.
"You report for that magazine your father owns, right?" Neville prodded, hoping to find out a bit more about her current life.
"The Quibbler, yes." Luna said. She was still entranced by the hundreds of plants around her. She didn't even notice when Neville stopped and nearly fell on top of him when he stopped. They had arrived at a small cluttered desk, surrounded by tons of towering plants. How he had navigated the maze and found his desk at all was a mystery to Luna. She would have been lost in minutes among the flowers and plants. Not that she would have minded so much. Probably she could spend days, even weeks, among these plants and not get bored of looking at them.
"Right now I'm studying the effects of cross-breeding on particularly violent plants, hoping to create something more neutral, but still protective. Plants that can be controlled like dogs, by word commands. Of course, plants can't hear very well, so it's been a challenge."
Luna nodded and smiled. Her interest in The Greenhouse Effect was quickly fading, and being replaced by an interest in the Herbologist who was giving her a tour. She had forgotten just how much she enjoyed Neville's company, the sound of his voice, and his friendly smile. He talked a little bit more about his research findings, but Luna wasn't really listening. She was having a realization, and if she didn't act on it quickly she probably never would.
Quickly, she stepped forward, her butterbeer-cap necklace clacking around her neck, and kissed Neville on the mouth. At first he was shocked, but then he let it go and kissed her back. They kissed for a long moment, a few seconds, a morning glory's lifetime.
"Luna, what was that...?" Neville asked softly. He didn't let her out of his grasp though.
"That, Neville, was the Greenhouse Effect."
***
Author: _infinite_enemy
Pairing:Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Fandom:Harry Potter
Theme: #9 dash
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
***
The Greenhouse Effect
***
"Your name, miss?"
"Luna Lovegood."
"Alright."
He handed her the badge. It was strange to see her name scribbled in someone else's handwriting, and-- she noticed at last what he had written.
"There's no dash."
"What?"
"You wrote Lovegood as Love-Good. It's all one word."
"Well sorry miss I can't make you a new badge."
"Why not? Afraid of getting bit by a burtarg?" she asked rather vehemently.
"Er...no. It's just the policy. One badge per person."
Frowning, Luna chewed on the end of her quill. She had been sent here to do a report for the Quibbler on something called The Greenhouse Effect. Apparently the muggle world was in an uproar about it someday destroying the Earth or something, and Mr. Lovegood had decided Luna should investigate. Her first step was to go to the nearest Greenhouse and find out what happens in them that could endanger the planet. However, she hadn't anticipated this much trouble just getting admitted to the place. Apparently some of the plants that they were working on were top secret or dangerous or something lame like that. All the while, everyone on the planet was in danger!
"Fine." She sighed. "Can I have a tour anyway?"
"Er...I guess. Let me call you a guide." Said the man. He was just the front desk worker, so he didn't know much about anything that went on at the greenhouses. He wasn't sure if giving this reporter a tour was a wise idea, but he knew that NOT giving her a tour was a worse idea. At least he could let the Herbologists who were working know what was going on. That way, if they had any sensitive materials out, they could put them away before the reporter woman got too much information.
He picked up the phone tentatively. (There were no wires and no dial tone, mostly it was there in case any muggles wandered in, so that he could pretend to find out that they were closing early or something and shoo them away.) With a tap of his wand, the phone in his hand rang.
"Oops." he said sheepishly. Luna chewed on her quill impatiently. The man cleared his throat, tapped the phone again. This time, he spoke into it, and his voiced echoed all throughout the greenhouses and the office building.
"Attention Herbologists. A tour will commence momentarily. Please be alerted than any sensitive materials should be properly dealt with as soon as possible." He hung up the phone grimly. "Let's go."
Before they could leave, however, an Herbologist came through the door, whistling happily. He looked mildly familiar to Luna, but she didn't recognize him until he said her name.
"Luna!" At this, she looked at him closer and saw that he had dark brown hair and eyes, with broad shoulders and a rather stocky frame. Her already wide eyes opened further. It was Neville! They had dated briefly at Hogwarts, but their life paths had taken them in different directions. She was glad to see a friendly face though, and apparently, so was he. With a total disregard for Mr. Monk, he hugged Luna tightly and laughed.
"Wow! I never expected to see you here. What brings you to the Greenhouses?"
She thought about making up something nice rather than accusing him of trying to destroy the planet, but lying wasn't really in her principles. With a distant smile, she told him exactly why she was sent there, to report for the Quibbler on the possibility of the Greenhouses being a threat to the safety of the World.
"Oh." Neville's face fell a little bit, and for some reason, Luna was sad.
"I'm giving her a tour," said Mr. Monk stoically. He obviously wasn't amused by the fact that this nosy/crazy reporter woman knew one of the Herbologists.
"I'll give you a tour! I know a bit more than Mr. err..."
"Monk."
"Right. I mean, if you don't mind."
"Not at all." Said the receptionist, sitting back down behind his desk in relief. But Neville was looking to Luna to see what she thought of the proposition.
"Of course. That would be very nice."
Neville beamed and offered his arm to her. Luna took it hesitantly, unsure about their relationship. But once her arm touched his, she knew that things were just the same.
Her father always said that a true friend was one you could go years without seeing and then BAM! You meet by chance or purpose one day, and everything is just as it had been so many years ago.
It was like that with Neville. Luna had never really had a best friend before. In Ravenclaw she was always a bit of a loner, and even now as a reporter for The Quibbler, she wasn't really welcome with the other reporters. Being with Neville again, after so long...it was refreshing, and rejuvenating...and...just nice. It was as if her feet barely had to touch the floor to propel her across it. (She looked down to make sure that her shoes weren't acting weird--they had been on sale, but the shoe store owner had warned that the giant geraniums on the toes sometimes acted of their own accord.)
"This is where I work." Neville said, opening a door to a room a few paces to the left and down the hall from the receptionist. Luna peered into what she expected to be a sort of laboratory or something, but instead was met by a large, high-ceilinged greenhouse. The air was moist and smelled like dirt and roots, but it wasn't unpleasant. Thousands of plants sprung from every surface. Vines crawled up the walls, trying to squeeze their tendrils out through the windows above and into the open air. Sunshine filtered down through the colored roof-glass, making it seem kind of dreamy.
"Ooh." Luna couldn't help herself. It was so beautiful.
"Glad you like it." Neville said. "There's three of us in this one, and four in the next one down the hall."
"How big is this place?"
"Ten Greenhouses in all, and about forty Herbologists. This is the International Herbology Study Institute, after all. Ermm...what did you say your report was on?" He led her through a maze of racks, all towering with different plants. Most of them were green, but the odd violet or hot pink stood out in a blaze of color.
"The Greenhouse Effect." She answered dazedly, noting a flower on her right that contained all the colors of the rainbow. Looking at it made her feel dizzy, as if the center of the flower would pull her right into it.
"Never heard of it." Neville admitted frankly. Having gone to school with Luna, he was used to her strange ideas. They were chucklworthy usually, but they didn't faze him or scare him, as they did some people. In fact, he kind of missed hearing her tell him what strange things she was reading about or investigating.
"You report for that magazine your father owns, right?" Neville prodded, hoping to find out a bit more about her current life.
"The Quibbler, yes." Luna said. She was still entranced by the hundreds of plants around her. She didn't even notice when Neville stopped and nearly fell on top of him when he stopped. They had arrived at a small cluttered desk, surrounded by tons of towering plants. How he had navigated the maze and found his desk at all was a mystery to Luna. She would have been lost in minutes among the flowers and plants. Not that she would have minded so much. Probably she could spend days, even weeks, among these plants and not get bored of looking at them.
"Right now I'm studying the effects of cross-breeding on particularly violent plants, hoping to create something more neutral, but still protective. Plants that can be controlled like dogs, by word commands. Of course, plants can't hear very well, so it's been a challenge."
Luna nodded and smiled. Her interest in The Greenhouse Effect was quickly fading, and being replaced by an interest in the Herbologist who was giving her a tour. She had forgotten just how much she enjoyed Neville's company, the sound of his voice, and his friendly smile. He talked a little bit more about his research findings, but Luna wasn't really listening. She was having a realization, and if she didn't act on it quickly she probably never would.
Quickly, she stepped forward, her butterbeer-cap necklace clacking around her neck, and kissed Neville on the mouth. At first he was shocked, but then he let it go and kissed her back. They kissed for a long moment, a few seconds, a morning glory's lifetime.
"Luna, what was that...?" Neville asked softly. He didn't let her out of his grasp though.
"That, Neville, was the Greenhouse Effect."
***