Quite Interesting
A Luna drabble that I posted in my other lj a few months ago. Six hundred or so words. Luna's feelings before she commentated on that Quidditch match.
Luna’s fear smelt like cat food. It was a clinging scent which made the toast she ate at breakfast taste slightly queer. She reminded herself that cat food actually contained troll-snot and Boomslang toenails. This interesting fact didn’t really help. Her stomach still churned and the smell seemed to be everywhere she went. It bothered her, and as she walked along the corridor she took deep sniffs, checking that the smell was still there.
It was mid-sniff that she collided with somebody. She blinked and looked up into the apologetic face of Neville Longbottom.
“Sorry,” he said.
Neville didn’t smell of cat food. He smelt of stinksap, which was entirely different. She sniffed again, this time appreciatively. For the first time all morning the stench of troll-snot was gone. Neville reddened.
“Sorry,” he muttered again.
“That’s all right,” Luna murmured, not entirely sure what he was saying sorry for. She was pretty sure that she had bumped into him. Feeling much better now that the smell had gone, she smiled at Neville. He was a nice boy, she knew. He had been her friend last year.
“Do you know about Quidditch?” she asked.
Neville shifted and his eyes flickered over the students passing them in the narrow corridor.
“Erm, yeah, a bit. Not much. I mean, not like Harry or Ron, or even Dean and Seamus.”
Luna knew who Dean was. He had been in the D.A. last year, but he had not really been her friend. He had spoken to Ginny while Luna was there, though. And now he was Ginny’s boyfriend. Luna saw them kissing a lot. She didn’t know Seamus.
“Yes,” she said.
Neville looked around again. Luna stayed still, keeping her eyes fixed on Neville’s face. Really, she felt much calmer. Stinksap was a rather soothing smell.
“Uh,” Neville said.
“Yes?” It was so nice, Luna thought, having people to talk to.
“So, er, d’you like Quidditch, then?”
Luna smiled. A proper conversation about Quidditch, just like Harry and Ronald might have. “Yes,” she said, “I do. Especially when Ronald plays. It was so funny, last year, watching him play.”
“Err…” Neville was shuffling his feet, now. Luna wondered why.
“Daddy took me to the Quidditch World Cup,” she said.
“I wanted to go,” Neville said, “but Gran doesn’t really like Quidditch.”
“That’s a shame,” Luna said. “The World Cup was nice, but I prefer the matches at school. I didn’t like Zacharias’s commentary last time, though.”
“No, he was useless, wasn’t he?” Neville said.
“I thought he was very rude,” Luna said. What a lovely conversation, she thought. She didn’t mind about the match at all.
“Lee Jordan was much better. He made it really interesting.”
That’s how she must do it, Luna thought. She’d make sure the match was interesting. She smiled to herself. It was going to be wonderful. She was glad she’d volunteered to do it.
Neville was shooting her nervous glances again. Maybe she’d better say something.
“Ludo Bagman commentated at the Quidditch World Cup,” she said. “Did you know that he’s really the illegitimate son of the Grand Duke of - ”
Neville was looking rather upset. Luna thought that he looked as though he needed the loo.
“I’ve got to go,” he mumbled, before ducking into the crowd of passers-by.
Yes, he must have wanted to go to the toilet, Luna thought. As she drifted towards the Entrance Hall, Luna wondered whether she should have learnt the names of the players. Oh well, it would be far better if she made them up like Professor Binns did in his lessons. After all, they were very interesting indeed.
Luna’s fear smelt like cat food. It was a clinging scent which made the toast she ate at breakfast taste slightly queer. She reminded herself that cat food actually contained troll-snot and Boomslang toenails. This interesting fact didn’t really help. Her stomach still churned and the smell seemed to be everywhere she went. It bothered her, and as she walked along the corridor she took deep sniffs, checking that the smell was still there.
It was mid-sniff that she collided with somebody. She blinked and looked up into the apologetic face of Neville Longbottom.
“Sorry,” he said.
Neville didn’t smell of cat food. He smelt of stinksap, which was entirely different. She sniffed again, this time appreciatively. For the first time all morning the stench of troll-snot was gone. Neville reddened.
“Sorry,” he muttered again.
“That’s all right,” Luna murmured, not entirely sure what he was saying sorry for. She was pretty sure that she had bumped into him. Feeling much better now that the smell had gone, she smiled at Neville. He was a nice boy, she knew. He had been her friend last year.
“Do you know about Quidditch?” she asked.
Neville shifted and his eyes flickered over the students passing them in the narrow corridor.
“Erm, yeah, a bit. Not much. I mean, not like Harry or Ron, or even Dean and Seamus.”
Luna knew who Dean was. He had been in the D.A. last year, but he had not really been her friend. He had spoken to Ginny while Luna was there, though. And now he was Ginny’s boyfriend. Luna saw them kissing a lot. She didn’t know Seamus.
“Yes,” she said.
Neville looked around again. Luna stayed still, keeping her eyes fixed on Neville’s face. Really, she felt much calmer. Stinksap was a rather soothing smell.
“Uh,” Neville said.
“Yes?” It was so nice, Luna thought, having people to talk to.
“So, er, d’you like Quidditch, then?”
Luna smiled. A proper conversation about Quidditch, just like Harry and Ronald might have. “Yes,” she said, “I do. Especially when Ronald plays. It was so funny, last year, watching him play.”
“Err…” Neville was shuffling his feet, now. Luna wondered why.
“Daddy took me to the Quidditch World Cup,” she said.
“I wanted to go,” Neville said, “but Gran doesn’t really like Quidditch.”
“That’s a shame,” Luna said. “The World Cup was nice, but I prefer the matches at school. I didn’t like Zacharias’s commentary last time, though.”
“No, he was useless, wasn’t he?” Neville said.
“I thought he was very rude,” Luna said. What a lovely conversation, she thought. She didn’t mind about the match at all.
“Lee Jordan was much better. He made it really interesting.”
That’s how she must do it, Luna thought. She’d make sure the match was interesting. She smiled to herself. It was going to be wonderful. She was glad she’d volunteered to do it.
Neville was shooting her nervous glances again. Maybe she’d better say something.
“Ludo Bagman commentated at the Quidditch World Cup,” she said. “Did you know that he’s really the illegitimate son of the Grand Duke of - ”
Neville was looking rather upset. Luna thought that he looked as though he needed the loo.
“I’ve got to go,” he mumbled, before ducking into the crowd of passers-by.
Yes, he must have wanted to go to the toilet, Luna thought. As she drifted towards the Entrance Hall, Luna wondered whether she should have learnt the names of the players. Oh well, it would be far better if she made them up like Professor Binns did in his lessons. After all, they were very interesting indeed.