What a Beautiful Curse *COMPLETE*

It was Neville's day off and awkwardly enough Severus was home but Hermione was at the office so the younger male had 

been trying very hard to not leave his bedroom or remind the older man that he was there at all. However, his need for 

food drew him from his bedroom and while he'd made it to and from the kitchen without causing the potions master to even 

look out from his study he did hear the door open about twenty minutes later. Neville knew that it was just a matter of 

minutes before there would be a knock on the door and then he'd have to have a face to face conversation with his old 

childhood tormentor. He considered stepping in to his wardrobe and hiding in there until he knew that Hermione would be 

home but he was not a scared child anymore, he'd faced death eaters, fought in a war, beheaded Voldemorts pet snake and 

helped save their world and there was no way in hell he'd let Severus Snape scare him the way he did when Neville was 

just a child. He nodded to himself with confidence and then nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a knock on his 

door, he called out entrance and just like in every one of his childhood nightmares, the great black bat of the dungeons 

entered the room. Severus appeared a little ill-at-ease and looked around the room as if he'd never set foot in there 

before instead of having just stood in there a week before, he looked all around the room a few times before he looked 

at the young man before him and let out a breath. 

*

"Are you attracted to Hermione?" He asked boldly and Neville snorted and shook his head to himself as he picked up 

differnet tools, watering cans and bags of plant food (some that were actually moving) "Don't act like you didn't hear 

me, are you?"

"You've got me all wrong" Neville answered before looking up at the older man "Is that what's been bothering you, you 

honestly think that Hermione is attracted to me?" He hefted all the stuff up in a bag and slung it over his shoulder "I 

have plants to feed"

"Where?" Severus asked, a part of him was honestly curious and another part, the part that was irritated that he hadn't 

been able to scare an answer out of the Gryffindor, wanted another reason to be angry with him in this case using land 

to plant he hadn't asked for. 

"You can't have honestly expected me to have been attending my apprenticeship and not have my own magical garden" 

Neville said with a slight scoff that made the Slytherin glare at him, realizing that he was playing with fire thanks to 

his new found smartass attitude Neville continued on quickly "My wardrobe, come" 

*

Severus was skeptical and a little on edge by the invitation but, with arms crossed tightly over his chest, he followed 

Longbottom to the tall and wide wardrobe that had double doors and an intricate rune meaning 'new life' carved in to one 

of the doors. The younger male grinned good naturedly at him, only getting a sneer in answer, and then pulled one of the 

doors opened and gestured for him to enter but Snape raised any eyebrow at him and stood stock still, with a sigh 

Neville walked in to the wardrobe first and then looked back at the potions master before continuing down with a quick 

'close the door please' thrown over his shoulder. Severus stood a moment longer in the room watching the blackness on 

the other side of the door before his curiosity got the better of him and he too stepped in to the darkened area and 

closed the door behind him. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light but when they did he realized 

that there was light coming from wall sconces leading down a winding staircase that reminded him of the stairs leading 

to the dungeons. He slowly made his way to the bottom of the stairs and to the tiny wooden door that awaited him, there 

was a note of warning that read 'Open this door only as much as needed, close immediately, don't let in any outside 

light'. Pressing himself against the door, Severus opened the door quickly and slid inside before closing it quickly but 

quietly and looked up, his mouth dropped open in shocked amazement. The garden on the other side was beautiful, he was 

standing on lush dark green grass and from where he stood he could see the different areas that held the friendly plants 

and flowers and all the way to the downright dangerous plants that could kill someone. He made a slow turn with a look 

of wonderment on his face, there was Devils Snare above them and reached for him slowly, there were Mandrakes in a patch 

a hundred feet or so away from where he stood and walking towards him from a watery setting pulling off some high tech 

rubbery looking gloves was Neville with a smile on his face. 

*

"Welcome to my garden" Neville said "I have everything you could ask for, from Gilly Weed to Wolfsbane to Mandrakes" He 

pointed a little ways off "Venomous Tentacular over there in the 'Danger Zone' with my Poisonous Pansies, Lethal Lair, 

Bermuda Reef and my most dangerous plant is over in its own sectioned off area" He seemed to size up Snape which made 

the Slytherin almost hiss at him "You ever use or hear of Siren Seeds?"

"No" Severus answered.

"Not surprising" Neville said "Nearly impossible to get, HIGHLY expensive to buy and only usable in hallucingetic 

potions. It can only be collected at night and during a specific moon phase and only used in that same moon phase one 

month later with only a ten minute window that varies with the seeds as they will glow a light blue color when they are 

ready and only for the alotted ten minutes. If they are not used within that time they are considered useless but no 

less dangerous and should be gotten rid of with care so as not to harm anyone by accident, did you not learn about this 

during your own apprenticeship?"

"It was a long time ago" Severus ground out.

"Siren Seeds are extremely dangerous" Neville said, he sensed the older mans irritation at him knowing something he 

didn't so he wisely let it go "They are found at a sight of any shipwreck that was caused by Sirens luring the sailors 

to thier death. The seeds have the power, like the Sirens they are named after, to transform themselves in to whatever 

you find alluring or beautiful and then they can kill you. If you are swimming over the sight of a shipwreck where they 

are found you may swim deep in the water chasing after something you can't quite catch and then be too deep to come up 

and drown trying" Severus shuddered slightly "They are just as dangerous on land because the smell of their pollen will 

mess with your mind and make you think you're jumping in to water when in reality you could be jumping off a cliff or a 

chair with a noose around your neck" Neville smiled sadly "Lost a fair amount of good Herbologists that way, I reckon. 

Just make sure not to come in here by yourself and you should be okay, I'm okay because I've become immune"

"You never answered my question from earlier" Severus said after a minute of silence "Are you attracted to Hermione or 

in love with her?" 

"I love Hermione" Neville said "Like a sister. She is beautiful, smart and passionate and when she is feeling 

particularly passionate about something she is even more beautiful than normal but she is not my type, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Severus asked, he was finding it horribly difficult that Hermione wasn't Longbottoms type "Positive 

because she is to be my wife and..."

"I'm gay, Severus" Neville answered, fixing him with a hard look "Hermione doesn't know, she just thinks that I'm picky 

or waiting and I guess I am in a way. I will love a woman if my heart chooses one but it's been picking men this long I 

don't think it's going to change anytime soon"  

"Oh" Severus looked at his feet as he felt some color heat his cheeks at his assumption "I didn't...I just thought 

that..."

"I know" Neville said, he took a deep breath and did something that he'd taught himself wasn't appreciated in this world 

and decided to try to care about the unpleasant man standing before him "Hermione has this light around her that manages 

to just reach out and evelope whomever she deems worthy. She has deemed you worthy enough to share that light with her 

and she isn't going to just take it away from you because she sees someone younger, whatever she sees in you it's 

something that isn't going to be taken away easily...she will take it away but only if you make her do so"

"You think I'm making her want to pull her love away from me?" Severus snapped, eyes blazing. 

"No" Neville answered "She is a strong and determined woman and I think that she will fight you FOR you but everyone has 

a breaking point. She is the happiest I've seen her in years and it's because of you, she fought for you and you fought 

for her and now there is nothing to fight anymore so just relax and enjoy having someone that loves you for the person 

you are...not all of us are so lucky" 

~~~//~~~

Hermione sat in her office going over the mountain of paperwork that had needed her attention while she was on 

her...vacation. Percy had done a wonderful job as her assistant but there was still stuff he hadn't been able to do, 

none of it was end of the world stuff so it was able to wait for her to come back. Her whole morning had been dedicated 

to reading over files, writing up memos and answering letters and inquiries that had so far gone reletively ignored. 

After lunch that was filled with some much needed conversations with Draco and Harry, she attacked another stack of 

paperwork and was only now done with her work in time to have a serious conversatin with herself about Luna but it 

seemed the other woman knew that she was on the Gryffindor's mind because she showed up at Hermione's office door an 

hour before Hermione was due to leave. Hermione told Percy to keep her in the office for a few more moments and then 

proceeded to call Kingsley to inform her that she had finally shown up, they both knew that she would it had merely been 

a matter of time before she showed up. When she was done Hermione called her in and told Percy that he could have the 

rest of the day off, Luna kept silent as she sat down but her eyes never left Hermione as she walked around the room and 

cleaned up a few files.

*

"Miss Lovegood" Kingsley said as he walked in to the office "How good to see you, how is everything?" 

"As good as to be expected" She answered tightly "Why have you come all the way to our office, Minister?"

"There is something that Hermione and I would like to talk to you about" He informed after Hermione closed the door and 

took a seat behind the desk "You see, Hermione told me everything about what happened with her being sick and what 

happened afterward..." He trailed off "You do know what I'm referring to, right?"

"My behaviour while she was sick" Luna answered, her eyes were strangely devoid of all emotion and she was staring at 

the wall behind where Hermione sat.

"Yes" Kingsley said "I want you to get help, Luna" He pursed his lips "I have the name of a small privately owned 

hospital that is in the country-side in Scotland, I want you to go there and get the help that you need...it needs to be 

done before you come back here..."

"I don't need help" Luna hissed, turning her anger filled light blue eyes towards the dark-skinned man "And I don't need 

this job!"

"Please" Hermione said, the hate-filled eyes turned towards her "Just go to the hospital. I'll go with you and I and 

Neville will visit you...anyone you want to visit will visit, I will make sure of it" 

"Little perfection Hermione Granger" Luna said in a cold voice as she focussed again on the wall "Promising to make my 

stay in the nuthouse as comfortable as she can. Then again she is THE smartest witch of the age, a war-herione and a 

goddess walking amongst us mere mortals, I'm sure you'll tell them to jump and they all only be too happy to do so as it 

is you telling them to do it"

"Luna" Hermione said, honestly hurt by her words "Please, you're my friend...we've been friends for years..."

"Luna Lovegood" Kingsley said, his voice had gone from the soft and deep tone that everyone was used to hearing to 

powerful and authorative "As Minister Of Magic I am ordering you to go to the hospital as I feel and fear that you are a 

danger to yourself and to others" There was a well-timed knock on the door and Hermione stood and opened it, two wizards 

in white robes walked in and she put her hand over her mouth "These men will make sure you get there safely and whatever 

personal stuff that you need will be brought over at a later date" 

"NO!" She shrieked as she stood up and looked towards the door that was being blocked by the hulking wizards in white. 

She was like a trapped animal and the thought made Hermione weep for the friend that she'd lost and the monster that was 

standing before her. Luna stormed towards her and grabbed her throat but one of the wizards grabbed her and pulled her 

away from Hermione "I'll get you for this Miss. Perfection, I will get you for leading to my fathers murder, for the 

deaths of all those innocent people that you STEPPED on to get where you are now!" 

"Get her out of here" Kingsley demanded and they started to pull the struggling young woman away from the office before 

while she screamed 'YOU'RE A MURDERER, HERMIONE GRANGER, A MURDERER!' words that she was sure would follow her in to her 

nightmares.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Sorry, I've been working crazy hours but here it is finally. I hope you like this chapter, a little bonding between 

Neville and Snape, not a lot but its there. Please review. I miss hearing from you guys. Have a Merry Christmas!!!!