Dumbledore Quote Drabbles: Incognito Sundaes
Title: Incognito Sundaes
Author: eponine254
Fandom/Character(s)/Pairing(s): HP - Neville/Luna
Genre: General, hint of romance
Rating: G
Words: 575
Challenge/Prompt: fictionland #22: HP Week Part 5 - Dumbledore Quotes
Quote: Humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them.
Warnings: None
Incognito Sundaes
Neville thought the sundae tasted particularly good that day.
It had been only seven years, but on that sunny morning, Diagon Alley was so full of life that it was hard to believe it had ever been ravaged by war. Having survived the war, the threat of overdosing on sugar or dying of a heart attack seemed minimal by contrast, and so Neville had fallen into the habit of treating himself to Florean Fortescue’s excellent ice cream sundaes every chance he got. Today’s brush with death was a maple peanut butter chocolate chip concoction, topped with glazed cherries. Fortescue had certainly not let a minor thing like being dragged off by death eaters affect the quality of his ice cream.
Neville was just scraping the last dregs from the tall glass when he noticed her. The woman was sitting at a corner table, trying so hard to look inconspicuous that people around her were staring. She was swaddled in a headscarf and wore a large pair of sunglasses which together conspired to obscure most of her face. She was completely ignoring the sundae which sat opposite her, in front of an unoccupied chair.
The one thing she’d forgotten to hide were the earrings. Even from across the room, Neville recognised them at once. He had never met anyone else who considered dirigible plums a fashion accessory.
Luna Lovegood. He hadn’t seen her in six years.
After a moment’s indecision, Neville left his table and crossed the room. Luna was scribbling industriously on a piece of parchment and didn’t look up as he approached. He hovered beside the table, waiting for her to notice him. He coughed. Still nothing.
At last, he said, “Luna?”
The woman looked up, and the elaborate disguise failed to hide the familiar, dreamy smile. She didn’t seem at all perturbed that he had seen through her camouflage. Luna waved a hand to the table’s other chair and Neville sat down.
“Neville Longbottom,” she said, as though imparting information. She took off her sunglasses and regarded him with those unsettling blue eyes. “Hello.”
“Uh, hi,” Neville said, feeling suddenly awkward. He had never got the hang of Luna’s stare. “What are you doing here?”
She leaned close to him. “I’m writing a story,” she said. “On glaciowrants. Top secret.”
Here her voice dropped so low that Neville almost had to read her lips. He stared at her.
“On what now?” he said, unconsciously lowering his own voice to a whisper too.
“Glaciowrants,” she repeated. “Invisible pixies addicted to ice cream sundaes.”
Neville looked at the half-melted sundae in front of him.
“So that - ”
“Is being eaten by glaciowrants.”
“Why the disguise?”
“The Ministry of Magic doesn’t want people knowing about them. It’s better for me to come incognito.”
“Of course,” Neville said, feeling a smile beginning to spread irresistibly over his face. No matter how much the world changed, some people would always be the same.
“Do you like cherries?” Luna asked, reaching into the glass and drawing out the glazed cherries. “The glaciowrants don’t like them.”
“Don’t you want them?” Neville said.
Luna shook her head. “I never eat them. They attract wrackspurts,” she said solemnly.
“In that case, I'll take them off your hands,” Neville said, reaching for the cherries. His fingers brushed hers very slightly as he did so. The instant of light-headedness was, he decided, definitely just the sugar rush kicking in. Well, almost definitely.
Author: eponine254
Fandom/Character(s)/Pairing(s): HP - Neville/Luna
Genre: General, hint of romance
Rating: G
Words: 575
Challenge/Prompt: fictionland #22: HP Week Part 5 - Dumbledore Quotes
Quote: Humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them.
Warnings: None
Incognito Sundaes
Neville thought the sundae tasted particularly good that day.
It had been only seven years, but on that sunny morning, Diagon Alley was so full of life that it was hard to believe it had ever been ravaged by war. Having survived the war, the threat of overdosing on sugar or dying of a heart attack seemed minimal by contrast, and so Neville had fallen into the habit of treating himself to Florean Fortescue’s excellent ice cream sundaes every chance he got. Today’s brush with death was a maple peanut butter chocolate chip concoction, topped with glazed cherries. Fortescue had certainly not let a minor thing like being dragged off by death eaters affect the quality of his ice cream.
Neville was just scraping the last dregs from the tall glass when he noticed her. The woman was sitting at a corner table, trying so hard to look inconspicuous that people around her were staring. She was swaddled in a headscarf and wore a large pair of sunglasses which together conspired to obscure most of her face. She was completely ignoring the sundae which sat opposite her, in front of an unoccupied chair.
The one thing she’d forgotten to hide were the earrings. Even from across the room, Neville recognised them at once. He had never met anyone else who considered dirigible plums a fashion accessory.
Luna Lovegood. He hadn’t seen her in six years.
After a moment’s indecision, Neville left his table and crossed the room. Luna was scribbling industriously on a piece of parchment and didn’t look up as he approached. He hovered beside the table, waiting for her to notice him. He coughed. Still nothing.
At last, he said, “Luna?”
The woman looked up, and the elaborate disguise failed to hide the familiar, dreamy smile. She didn’t seem at all perturbed that he had seen through her camouflage. Luna waved a hand to the table’s other chair and Neville sat down.
“Neville Longbottom,” she said, as though imparting information. She took off her sunglasses and regarded him with those unsettling blue eyes. “Hello.”
“Uh, hi,” Neville said, feeling suddenly awkward. He had never got the hang of Luna’s stare. “What are you doing here?”
She leaned close to him. “I’m writing a story,” she said. “On glaciowrants. Top secret.”
Here her voice dropped so low that Neville almost had to read her lips. He stared at her.
“On what now?” he said, unconsciously lowering his own voice to a whisper too.
“Glaciowrants,” she repeated. “Invisible pixies addicted to ice cream sundaes.”
Neville looked at the half-melted sundae in front of him.
“So that - ”
“Is being eaten by glaciowrants.”
“Why the disguise?”
“The Ministry of Magic doesn’t want people knowing about them. It’s better for me to come incognito.”
“Of course,” Neville said, feeling a smile beginning to spread irresistibly over his face. No matter how much the world changed, some people would always be the same.
“Do you like cherries?” Luna asked, reaching into the glass and drawing out the glazed cherries. “The glaciowrants don’t like them.”
“Don’t you want them?” Neville said.
Luna shook her head. “I never eat them. They attract wrackspurts,” she said solemnly.
“In that case, I'll take them off your hands,” Neville said, reaching for the cherries. His fingers brushed hers very slightly as he did so. The instant of light-headedness was, he decided, definitely just the sugar rush kicking in. Well, almost definitely.