Sunflowers

Chapter 7- The Greenhouse

We entered the room of requirement, everybody was there. I looked around the room for Neville, but he wasn't there.
"Alright everybody," Harry started, "We're gonna start by practicing, 'Expeliarmus'."
I walked up to him, "Harry, where's Neville?"
He looked around, "I don't know, but he's not here."
"Obviously." I rolled my eyes, "Fred. George."
They watched me walk up to them, "Before you start scolding us," George said, "we owe you something."
"What would you like?" Fred asked.
"The map."
"For how long?" They asked.
"Twenty-four hours." I told them.
"Twenty-four hours?" George questioned, "Y/n, look at your hand."
"That's our fault." Fred said, "Take it for a week."
"Or longer." George said.
I shook my head, "Twenty-four hours. That's all I need it for."
"Y/n-" Fred started, but I interrupted him.
"Twenty-four hours." I said again, but more fierce this time.
George reached into his back pocket and pulled the map out, "Here."
"Remember," Fred started, " 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map didn't do anything because he didn't hold a wand up to it.
"Also remember," George started, but I finished.
"Mischief managed. I know." I punched both of them, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." They told me.
I walked up to Harry, showing him the map, "I'm gonna go find Neville."
He nodded, "Okay."
I left the room of requirement, looking around to see if anybody outside of Dumbledore's Army was watching.
      I took my wand out and pointed it at the map, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map changed and I looked around until I saw Neville's name.
I looked for my name in the huddle of people as I was still in the room of requirement.
I left the room and followed the map. I silently walked through hallways and stairs.
When the map said that I was close to Neville, I looked up and around. I saw a greenhouse, and the lights inside it were on.
I took my wand out again, "Mischief managed." I whispered. The ink on the map disappeared and I folded the paper back up.
I shoved the map into my back pocket. I slowly walked to the greenhouse and quietly opened the door.
When I opened it, Neville's back was to me. I heard him sniffle, so I knew that he was crying.
I stepped inside and silently closed the door, halfway to him, I whispered his name, "Neville."
He brought his hands up to his face, wiping his tears. He turned around and widened his eyes when he saw me, "Y-Y/n?"
I walked towards him faster, "Hey, what's wrong? You're missing D.A."
He took a deep breath, "I-I think Malfoy knows about my parents."
"Why do you say that?" I asked gently.
He swallowed his saliva down, "B-Because he approached me, after lunch, and he-"
He looked down at my hand, "What happened to your hand?"
I put my hands behind my back, "What? N-Nothing. It's nothing."
"It didn't look like nothing." He reached for my hand and pulled it out from behind me and close to his face, " 'I mustn't do pranks'."
"It's nothing, Nev, really." I tried pulling my hand away but he held on tighter.
"P-Pranks? You and the twins did the prank during t-the owls." He reminded himself.
"Yes we did." I took a deep breath.
He looked up and into my eyes, "Y/n, did Umbridge do this to you?"
I licked my lips and nodded, "Yeah."
"Oh my God." He looked around us, "S-Set your hand on the t-table."
I put my hand on the table like he said. He reached for a plant with round leaves, "This might s-sting a little."
He ripped a leaf off and squeezed the stem. Some clear liquid emerged from it. It dropped onto my hand and I winced. But before I could say the word, 'Quidditch', my hand was healed.
"There." He said, putting the plant down on the table.
"Dittany." I said.
He smiled, "Hey, you r-remembered."
I smiled, "Of course I did. Now, what did Malfoy do?"
He cleared his throat, "Um, h-he told me that my parents d-deserved the torture and that it's g-good that they don't recognize me."
"He said what?" I said through my teeth, obviously furious.
"After he s-said that, I came here." He looked around the greenhouse.
I looked around as well, "Why did you come here?"
"T-To look at the Sunflowers." He chuckled, "I do it quite o-often, actually."
I tilted my head, "Why the Sunflowers?" I asked him.
I could see that he hesitated, "B-Because they remind me of you."
"Of me?" I asked, trying not to smile.
He nodded, "Um, y-yeah. They're bright, and b-beautiful just like you." He paused, "And they smell good."
I can't help it, "You think I smell good?" I said while giggling.
"Um, yeah, I g-guess." He shrugged, "S-Sorry, is that weird?"
I shook my head, "No, Neville, it's sweet." I smile.
"Does anything remind you of m-me?" He asked me.
Everything. "Y-Yeah. Um, plants in general, and Herbology."
He laughed, "Yeah, that makes sense."
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Neville, why do you want to be reminded of me when you're upset?"
Am I going too far?
"I-If I'm being completely honest, it's because y-you're one of the few t-things that make me happy."
Butterflies. Butterflies. Butterflies.
"I am?" I asked. He nodded, "You're one of the few things that make me happy as well."
He started blushing, "Hey, y/n?"
"Yeah?"
He chuckled, "I've w-wanted to tell y-you for a while that I l-like you."
As a friend. He means as a friend.
"I like you too, Nev."
"I-I mean, like you, like you." He informed me.
Not as a friend.
"L-Like, as a, um," I take a deep breath, "like a crush?" I ask.
He awkwardly nodded, "Y-Yeah, I-I'm sorry. I s-shouldn't have told y-you that."
He started walking to the door, "Neville," he paused but didn't turn around, "during first year, on the train, you lost Trevor. You and Hermione were looking for him. You came to my booth, and asked me if I had seen him. When you realized that I was sitting alone, you offered to sit with me instead of looking for your toad. That- that's when it hit me."
He turned around, "When it hit you?"
"When it hit me that you are perfect." I told him.
"I-I'm far from p-perfect." He told me.
"You're perfect in my eyes, Neville." I chuckled and took a deep breath, "You're smart, funny, brave, kind, loyal, caring, generous, and so much more. And yeah, I know that you're insecure and you get embarrassed easily, but you shouldn't."
He started walking towards me, "Y-You really think all of that? About me?"
I nod, "I know that you don't think so, but I do, and there's nothing I would change about you."
He stopped a foot away from me, "Y/n, n-nobody has ever said that to me b-before."
"Well now they have." I smile, "Neville, I've honestly never felt this way about anyone before."
He looked me in the eyes, and then he looked at my hair, which was in my face, "C-Can I, um, can I touch your face?"
That sounds really weird. But I knew what he meant, "I mean, you already grabbed my hand and healed it and-" he started taking tiny steps towards me, "What are you doing?"
He reached his hand up and moved my hair out of my face. I couldn't help but blush. After he moved my hair, we just stared each other in the eyes.
I stepped closer to him and placed my hand on his face, but he didn't flinch. I moved even closer to him and very gently put my lips against his.
He pulled away and stepped back, "D-Did that just happen?"
I laugh quite loudly, "Y-Yeah, I think it did."
"Um, are you okay?" He asked, "Are you uncomfortable? I-I can leave if y-you want."
I grabbed his left hand, "No, it's fine. I'm fine. Are you fine?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Um, that's just never happened to me before so..."
"Well it just did." I giggled.
He chuckled, "Y-Yeah, it did. Um, do you want to, um, maybe, w-walk to dinner w-with me?"
I nod, "Yeah, I'd like that."