A/N: Well, this is my nice little Neville/Luna story! At first, I had planned to make it AU from the end/epilogue of Deathly Hallows, but I decided that I would make it fit in. This is ten years after the final battle, so Harry and Ron's kids are toddlers, Teddy Lupin is getting ready for his first year at Hogwarts and Neville is not the Herbology professor yet.
Double Blind
Chapter 1: Blind Date #7000
Neville muttered curse words at no one in particular as he walked into the Three Broomsticks. Neville Longbottom was 27 now; he had been on quite a few dates since his involvement in the Final Battle. He blamed Ron Weasley and Harry Potter for these dates.
Well, he had been on a lot of first dates. Talk of the Battle of Hogwarts, Quidditch and the kinds of plants he grows only goes so far, and he never really particularly likes the girls he ends up going out with. They all turn out to be extremely dull.
He had helped Ron, Harry and the others in the battle those ten years ago, and they repaid him by getting him dates (and the occasional bit of snogging) every other weekend.
This last date had ended with an awkward good bye and a quick Apparition back to his flat. He threw powder into the fire, it turned a bright green and he stuck his head into it, calling Harry Potter's address. Talking with your head in a fire was not his favorite thing to do, but it got the job done.
"Hey! It's Neville's head! Hi Neville!" a young boy who looked a bit like Harry, but had bright red hair and couldn't be older than four said, plopping down by the fire.
"James, get your father," he said pointedly.
James smiled. "Did you have a bad date, Neville?" he asked. "You sound a little grumpy."
Neville rolled his eyes. "Please just get your father," he said.
James stood up. "Dad! Dad! Neville's head wants to talk to you!" he yelled.
Harry Potter (who looked the same as ever, and Neville had known him for nearly twenty years) walked out of the kitchen and looked over at the fire, he smiled and sat down. "How was that last one Neville?" he asked.
"Boring. Where do you find these women? They are the dullest things ever," he asked.
"Mostly the Ministry," he said conversationally. "Or Ginny's mum pulls them out of thin air and says "I have a friend who's looking", sends them to me and I send them to you," he said.
"I've never gotten past the first date, it's been ten years, not a single second date," he pointed out. "No more Ministry witches," he added. "There's no conversation in that."
Harry scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I know Neville. But, you know everyone we knew from Hogwarts is married, and you're the only one who hasn't even had a steady girlfriend. You don't like being alone do you?"
"Not particularly," he said.
"But look, it's close to Christmas; you're coming on Christmas Eve for tea? Ron and Hermione and the kids are coming, and Teddy too, he's about to go to Hogwarts next year. We'd love to have you," he said calmly.
Neville nodded. "Yeah, I'm spending Christmas tea with my Gran on Christmas Day, but I'm free Christmas Eve, I'll definitely stop in."
"Any luck on that job hunt?" he asked suddenly, remembering that Neville was currently unemployed.
He shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm still looking. But, I've got to get going. I have to write Gran, and there are some plants that really need a bit of pruning. I'll talk to you later, and see you at Christmas."
He pulled his head out of the fire, shaking a bit of stray ash out of his hair. He noticed a huge black owl perched on the railing of the small balcony at the back of his flat. He walked over, sliding the large glass door open, the owl fluttered in, landing on the back of a tall chair. Neville pulled the letter from the owl and it stood there, staring at him as he opened the oddly folded piece of parchment. He had seen folding like this before, he knew who it was from…
He could barely conceal a broad grin as he finally unfolded the letter.
Neville Longbottom,
I'm quite enjoying America right now, thank you for your last letter. America has some really fascinating monuments and such, even the Muggle ones are very neat! Anyway, I wrote you because I'm coming back home for Christmas and I was wondering if you'd be interested in Christmas Tea? You could show me your plants and I could show you all of the neat pictures I've gotten since I've been traveling.
Hope you're well.
With love,
Luna Lovegood
Neville smiled, he knew Harry and the others would not object a bit to having Luna over for tea. He rummaged around for a piece of parchment to write his reply on. He finally extracted one from under his Wireless.
Luna,
I'm going for the Potters for tea on Christmas Eve, how'd you like to come along? I'm sure Harry and the others would love to meet you, and I don't think you've even met the kids! The oldest is Harry's son James, he's four, then there's Ron and Hermione's daughter Rose, she's two, and Harry's other son Albus, who's just turned two. I think Hermione might be pregnant again, and Ron really wants a boy.
Enough about that, I'd love to see your pictures! You know where I live now, don't you? Come by on Christmas Eve if you'd like to come along, I think the kids (especially James) would like you very much.
Hope to see you soon,
Neville Longbottom
P.S.: I tried to fold this like you fold yours, but I don't think it came out right.
Neville did, in fact, make a valiant attempt at the strange fold that Luna had so neatly mastered, but it came out looking rather lumpy, and he wasn't going to attempt it with his wand, last time he had tried to fold a letter by magic, it had caught fire. He gave the letter to the patiently waiting owl, which took it and flew off into the darkness. He would just have to write to Gran tomorrow.
He opened the door to a very brightly lit, oddly warm room. It was covered in shelves that were covered in plants. Neville carefully checked each and every plant in the room, including a huge plant that took up half the back wall of the room; it pulsed and was a disgusting shade of green. He had owned this particular plant since his fifth year at Hogwarts. The Mimbulus Mimbletonia was much bigger now, roughly ten times bigger, according to his measurements from the other night.
Concluding that none of his plants were in desperate need of attention, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He went to the kitchen and fixed himself a cup of tea. When he finished he grabbed the Evening Prophet and went to his room. He skimmed the front page, he smiled, noticing a picture of old Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, his little moving picture was laughing and talking to a few Heads of Departments. The Ministry was so much different now, after all that had happened. He sipped his tea and skimmed through the Prophet, looking for any sign of a job for himself. He had no success at this, though, and within a few minutes he gave up.
He folded the paper and set it down on a small nightstand, along with his empty cup of tea. He changed into a pair of striped pajamas and got into bed.
I hope you enjoyed, do review please!