Challenge #25 ( #7 Neville Centric ficlet)
Title: The View From Greenhouse Number 5
Author: lisa roquin
Rating: g
Character/Pairing: Neville
Challenge: #25 Make up Challenge (#7 Neville-centric ficlet)
Time: 25 min
The smell of fresh earth, of the greenness of the plants permeated Greenhouse Number 5. It was by far Neville’s favorite retreat. He’d long since made peace with the particularly grabby as yet unidentified vine that had taken root around the door. A pair of third years had somehow managed to hex a perfectly normal moonflower vine into something almost as grabby and tangly as Devil’s Snare. No one had sorted out how yet. Professor Sprout wasn’t letting anyone destroy her newly created plant and Professor Snape was interested in the possibilities of the very odd flowers and pods on the plant.
The current DADA teacher was convinced the plant was evil. It had depantsed the twit in front of the fourth year Ravenclaw/Slytherin Herbology class. The current DADA teacher was even more ineffectual than Lockhart had been, if that was even possible.
The strange vine liked Neville though and it’s position at the entrance of Greenhouse Number 5 ensured almost no one ever trespassed into the building. Even Professor Sprout had gladly turned over the care of most of the plants in the greenhouse to Neville since the vine liked him better.
Greenhouse Number 5 had become his sanctuary. His Herbology project was in the very back corner a crossbred plant that was still in it’s infancy. Growing slowly but steadily in the sunny corner where Neville spent as much time as he could talking to his little plant.
Neville settled into his favorite spot, opening the enchanted bag of flies for the nearby small Venus fly traps which stretched their stalks snapping at the insects and making soft happy smacking noises when they caught one.
He mused his Divination homework aloud wondering what sort of calamity he should produce this week for the reinstated Trelawney.
“Oh, look, Morris” Neville smiled at his Herbology project. “Gryffindor’s practice is starting.”
Neville set aside his homework, absently swatting at a creeping vine that made a move for his quill and turned his attention to Gryffindor’s Quidditch team going through their warm up paces on the pitch. Another reason he loved Greenhouse Number 5. From this corner there was a view, a limited but decent view of the Quidditch Pitch and it gave him a chance to watch unobserved.
Occasionally he’d go sit with Hermione and watch a Quidditch practice. Hermione had little interest in Quidditch, and only ventured to practices on sunny warm afternoons and generally spent the time studying in the Gryffindor bleachers more than watching. When she went to a practice she drug Neville with her--to save her from the Harry Fan Club and their gibbering and giggling, or so she said.
Sometimes he wondered if she didn’t know. She probably did, Hermione was so clever, if anyone would figure out his crush, she would. She’d never said anything though, so until she did he’d at least try to pretend no one knew how he felt.
He petted his little plant while he watched, his heart thrilling a little each time he got a good view of Harry practicing his dives and rolls. He loved the sanctuary of Greenhouse Number 5, where he could watch without fear of discovery and humiliation, and worse yet risk of rejection and Harry’s hatred. Here he could watch, and maybe, just maybe, dream a little bit.
Author: lisa roquin
Rating: g
Character/Pairing: Neville
Challenge: #25 Make up Challenge (#7 Neville-centric ficlet)
Time: 25 min
The smell of fresh earth, of the greenness of the plants permeated Greenhouse Number 5. It was by far Neville’s favorite retreat. He’d long since made peace with the particularly grabby as yet unidentified vine that had taken root around the door. A pair of third years had somehow managed to hex a perfectly normal moonflower vine into something almost as grabby and tangly as Devil’s Snare. No one had sorted out how yet. Professor Sprout wasn’t letting anyone destroy her newly created plant and Professor Snape was interested in the possibilities of the very odd flowers and pods on the plant.
The current DADA teacher was convinced the plant was evil. It had depantsed the twit in front of the fourth year Ravenclaw/Slytherin Herbology class. The current DADA teacher was even more ineffectual than Lockhart had been, if that was even possible.
The strange vine liked Neville though and it’s position at the entrance of Greenhouse Number 5 ensured almost no one ever trespassed into the building. Even Professor Sprout had gladly turned over the care of most of the plants in the greenhouse to Neville since the vine liked him better.
Greenhouse Number 5 had become his sanctuary. His Herbology project was in the very back corner a crossbred plant that was still in it’s infancy. Growing slowly but steadily in the sunny corner where Neville spent as much time as he could talking to his little plant.
Neville settled into his favorite spot, opening the enchanted bag of flies for the nearby small Venus fly traps which stretched their stalks snapping at the insects and making soft happy smacking noises when they caught one.
He mused his Divination homework aloud wondering what sort of calamity he should produce this week for the reinstated Trelawney.
“Oh, look, Morris” Neville smiled at his Herbology project. “Gryffindor’s practice is starting.”
Neville set aside his homework, absently swatting at a creeping vine that made a move for his quill and turned his attention to Gryffindor’s Quidditch team going through their warm up paces on the pitch. Another reason he loved Greenhouse Number 5. From this corner there was a view, a limited but decent view of the Quidditch Pitch and it gave him a chance to watch unobserved.
Occasionally he’d go sit with Hermione and watch a Quidditch practice. Hermione had little interest in Quidditch, and only ventured to practices on sunny warm afternoons and generally spent the time studying in the Gryffindor bleachers more than watching. When she went to a practice she drug Neville with her--to save her from the Harry Fan Club and their gibbering and giggling, or so she said.
Sometimes he wondered if she didn’t know. She probably did, Hermione was so clever, if anyone would figure out his crush, she would. She’d never said anything though, so until she did he’d at least try to pretend no one knew how he felt.
He petted his little plant while he watched, his heart thrilling a little each time he got a good view of Harry practicing his dives and rolls. He loved the sanctuary of Greenhouse Number 5, where he could watch without fear of discovery and humiliation, and worse yet risk of rejection and Harry’s hatred. Here he could watch, and maybe, just maybe, dream a little bit.