Harry Potter The Scent of Flowers

Flowers. That's what Neville could smell. Some strange almost (if a scent could be) evil sickly sweet fragrance that reminded him of flowers. It wouldn't have been strange because Luna loved flowers. All kinds, even the bizarre that most over looked. She often had them in every room of the house, but Neville wasn't at home. Nor was he with Luna or anywhere near flowers. He was lying face down on the damp dirt floor of the prison, where his captors left him, half a world away from his precious Luna.

* * *

It had all started when Harry had asked him for a small favour. Escort Hermione to an International Magical Co-operation function in Pyongyang, North Korea. Harry couldn't go, they had denied him a visa and Hermione had banned Ron from attending any more functions. No one was fond of the idea of Hermione attending alone, and she was threatening to do so. Since it was summer holidays and Luna would be off on her annual Gnome migration, Neville had no reason to not help his friends out.

When Neville saw Hermione, she was happy to see her friend. They had to attend a 'cultural debrief'. It was so that they didn't insult the host country and find themselves locked up. It was don't take pictures from the bus, you never know you could be taking a photo of a military base and that is against the law. Also to call the country the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK, as that's what they preferred.

Hermione and Neville had to fly there because DPRK had requested that they enter by muggle transport. Neville was nervous as he had never been in a plane before. He kept thinking they were going to crash. Hermione was fine and tried to distract her friend from his thoughts.

Before landing in Pyongyang, Hermione reminded Nevile to stay with the guides at all times. They weren't trapped in the hotels it was to avoid wandering off into an area that they weren't allowed. Same when they were in the government buildings. Don't leave the group. The last thing any one wanted was for them to be looking for the toilet and ended up in a sensitive meeting.

* * *

Neville took a shallow breath in. He could only smell the damp floor, he took a deeper breath in. It was safe for now. He assumed the smell was related to a gas that they would pump in each day. It had to be each day, because every time he awoke it was pitch black. The gas was evil. It would make him woozy and lose consciousness. While under it he would dream of Luna, of back home and of the events leading him here.

He missed Luna and worried about her. He wasn't sure how long he had been there and if the gnome migration had finished. Now she would be kneeling at the edge of the pond. Watching as the tadpoles that got stuck between a tadpole and a frog. They were a new addition to the pond, Luna was nursing them. They had been charmed to stay like that and Luna had taken up the job of fixing them.

* * *

It was their final day in Pyongyang. Hermione had one more meeting and then they could go home. He was sitting in the hallway of the building when marched up a couple of soldiers. They asked him to come with them and then frog marched him out of the building and into an awaiting tied him up and threw him in this cell. They never told him who they were, or what he had done to deserve this.

* * *

It became a habit to repeat "They are going to free me" under his breath of a night. He never said it too loud in case his captors heard. Now he thought about it, he hadn't seen any one since they left him. They hadn't brought him food. He was thinking he could eat a chicken, the whole bird, feathers and all. Neville breathed in and found once more the scent tickling his nose.

* * *

They were in their hotel room. The hotel had assigned them a twin bed room even though they had booked separate ones. Hermione was furious about her meeting but wouldn't say anything in case the room was bugged. She cried out and sat on her bed.  
"Your words create what you speak about. Learn to speak positively." She muttered to herself. Neville stood there watching her body language change from furious to positive and happy.  
"Can't focus on the negatives. Come on, we'll get some dinner."

* * *

Neville sat up in his hospital bed in Seoul. He was free. He couldn't believe it. His captors picked him up off the floor, dragged him to a car and drove him to the border. Leaving him with two bewildered South Korean soldiers. He had to explain who he was and what had happened. It was hard as neither guard spoke much English and he had only bothered to learn the most basic phrases. Though some how he got food, water and a medical.

The doctor had him admitted to a hospital as he was suffering mild-moderate dehydration. Hermione spent almost everyday with him, telling him about how worried his friends were. Luna was on her way there.

It was in the morning when the official looking men came in. They were two detectives from the DPRK investigating his disappearance. There was international pressure for the matter to have closure as the British were demanding answers.

Neville told them all he could, but he stopped mid sentence. As, behind the men, was Luna. His precious Luna who he thought he would never see again. She ignored the men and rushed to his side. She stopped when she reached the bed. Cautiously she leaned in to give him a gentle peck on the lips. Neville could smell her, and she smelt amazing. It was the scent of their garden and their house. Flowers.

* * *

A/N

Written for Round 4 of the FF Quidditch League

Topic: Story must start and end in the same concrete noun. - Flowers

Prompts:7 – (word) Bird

8 – (word) Frog

9 – (quote) "Your words create what you speak about. Learn to speak positively." Sanya Roman

I feel like I need to mention that I don't think of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as "evil" or anything. I hope I haven't portrayed them as such, as I only chose them as they have a distinct cultural difference to the English characters and that global relations are touchy.

This story could've happened anywhere and even though I have called Neville's captors as soldiers They may or may not be DPRK soldiers, as the government said they didn't know where he was and they never said anything to him.

Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Harry Potter.


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Harry Potter, Adventure, Mystery