Fourth Seed; [Action]

[nearlychosen]

[This morning isn't terribly different from any other morning near House 26. The lawn there is a little bit greener than the neighboring homes, and the multicolored plantlife is as healthy as ever, fed a steady diet of the best quality dung Neville can get his hands on. The gardener is even mostly the same, a boy of average height spending far too much time on his hands and knees in the mud getting filthy in the care of things that can't talk back. It's not even very strange to hear him chatting with the vines and petals surrounding him, though this particular morning he seems to be hissing at his garden rather than rambling on in English. For those who recognize it, the language is Parseltongue.]

...And I haven't found a single lead anywhere in this place. I think there just aren't any Horcruxes to be found here. I should talk to Harry or Luna about this, shouldn't I? ...No, you're probably right. It's supposed to be a secret. What's that? Your leaves are getting dry? Well don't worry, I'll fix that.


[Later in the afternoon, after he's had a shower at least, he'll venture into town, rifling pointedly through the rebuilt item shop for something very specific and emerging empty-handed. It's okay to miss him as he moves among the people in mid-town, though; he avoids eye contact like the plague. Still, he won't be unfriendly if approached. Feel free to gape at the lightningbolt scar just barely visible under his fringe. He's used to it.]

[OOC: AU Cheatsheat is here.]

Comments

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[And out comes your BFF with a cup of tea. It's a universal solution for all ills, after all, and she crouches next to him in the dirt as he's tending the plants. This is a very familiar sight, after all, and the garden is quite soothing. Luna is unchanged, though - she's strange enough as it is to begin with.]

Do they ever say anything back to you?

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[BESTIE! Neville's hissing stops abruptly as Luna settles down beside him; even if she's always been the most accepting of his talents, he's never liked to advertise. He accepts the tea with a small smile.] They speak in their own language. It's just a matter of knowing what to listen for.

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[And she smiles at that, very widely.] Good - I always thought so! But if they talk back to me, I don't think I speak their language. That can make it hard to communicate sometimes.

[But then she blinks at him and narrows her eyes just a little bit at the scar.] Why did you draw Harry's scar on your forehead?

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

It's something that can be learned. [If you're lonely enough. And if you don't terribly mind the medical implications of thinking plants talk to you.]

[Though his smile is suddenly fading.] Because it's not Harry's.

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[Neither of those two things would concern her if she wanted to learn to talk to plants. In fact, Luna makes her mind up right at that moment to do just that.]

[But first is the scar.] No, Harry's had that all his life. Or at least since I've known him, and you haven't. Are you feeling ill?

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

I feel fine, Luna. But are you? [Because it's one thing to have people ogling his scar, but quite another to have a wizard ogle his scar and then ask him what it means.]

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I feel quite fine. Here, have your tea. [And she pushes the teacup at Neville, though she's still looking at his scar.]

You didn't have that yesterday, though, Neville. And it doesn't look very fresh, does it?

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[He accepts the teacup, but sets it down beside him. There will be no drinking of strange liquids until this mess is sorted out.] Of course I had it yesterday. I've had it since You-Know-Who murdered my mum and dad. I do wish you'd stop staring.

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[Congratulations, Neville, you just confused the unconfusable. Normally she'd ask whether he was playing a game or not, but she knows that neither of them would joke about their parents.]

But Neville, You-Know-Who never killed your parents. Their Death Eaters tortured them.

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

Look, I know what happened to my mum and dad, all right? I've had every wizard send me their condolences since I was old enough to walk. I get it already. Stop looking at me like that, Luna. Just-- not you. Please?

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[Luna might be out in left field most of the time, but this is so very much what isn't true that even she's in shock from it somewhat. Luna is silent for a very long time, and then-]

It must be this place. This must be an experiment.

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

Do you think they've been playing with your memory, Luna? [Because they've certainly not been in his own. That would be silly.]

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[Oh Neville, she'd love to tell you otherwise, really, but she can't.]

With yours - you didn't have this scar yesterday. Harry did - he still does.

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

But I did have it yesterday. And every day as far back as I can remember. If I didn't have a scar like this, then why would anything have gone the way it did? We would've gone to Hogwarts this year, and your Dad would still be printing his papers... Harry's fine. He's involved in the Order, sure, but he hasn't gotten any scars from his work yet.

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

But you didn't, Neville. We did go to Hogwarts this year - we fought the Carrows together, that's when you first got your scars. It sounds like Luceti is doing things to some people, making them think they're different than they really are. It happened to Hermione as well.

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

...Say you're right. It doesn't change much about what's happened to us since leaving home. [Though it does mean he's most definitely not touching that tea.]

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

We've only left home to go to Hogwarts, Neville, and to come here.

[And now Luna's entirely convinced that this place has done something to her friend.]

Harry and Ron and Hermione did, though - we didn't see them for a very long time after the wedding, and the Death Eaters interrupted that one very rudely so that wasn't even much of a visit, which was sad.

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

That's backwards, Luna. We left over the summer to hunt down-- [There's a sharp hissing noise as Neville invokes the concept of "Horcurx" in parseltongue. He'd assumed it would just be safer if anyone likely to overhear him didn't understand the proper wording for the dark magic, and Luna -- his Luna anyway -- would've recognized the sound by now.] We've been gone since then. We've only just gotten word that Gran's okay. Don't you remember any of it?

[Action]

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[This Luna, however, just shakes her head. Luceti is forever throwing odd things at them, odder even than herself or the walls of Hogwarts - this is just another of them.]

Mmm-mmm, but you weren't able to make that hissing sound yesterday. I'm sure I would have heard that by now.

[Though now she can make a good guess as to what the deal is here, considering Neville's got the scar now and he's talking about them leaving over the summer. He's swapped himself, her, and probably Ginny for the other Trio. Nice to know she's useful.]

[Action]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

Which is a fine story, but I've been a Parselmouth all my life. Gran used to try washing my mouth out with diluted Moonseed oil because of it, remember? Has Malfoy oblivated you again? [And now there's some concern here, because she's Luna and Luna has to remember everything because quite frankly the plants are not enough otherwise.]

[Action] Jessiiiiiieeee come make my internet behave >(

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

Neville, you've never said anything like that - but does this mean Harry's a Parselmouth, if you think you are now? Hmmm, that's interesting...

[Even now it's difficult to stop her going on her little tangents.]

But I can take care of Malfoy if I have to. He isn't so bad, you know.

[Action] /beats it. >O

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

Luna, be serious. You're starting to worry me.

[Action] Yaaay! Stupid weather lately has been wreaking havoc with it

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

I am being serious. But you'll see when this is over - or maybe I'll see. I suppose either one of us could end up being right if something really has played with our minds. I wonder how that works...

[At least she still acts like Luna, Neville. Nothing will ever change that.]

[Action] Aww sucks. D: -- Oh hey bb did you post to the AC yet? There's a naughty list. :(

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[He nods, giving Luna a small smile.] Right.. It's just an experiment. It'll pass. [He hopes. :(]

[Action] I know, I am on it. Internet hasn't been too stable lately >( Going there now

[lunarwit.livejournal.com]

[And with that, Luna smiles, nodding her head.] Yes, it will pass. And one of us will be right, or perhaps both of us will be wrong. It doesn't matter all that much, we're always a part of this fight.