In Your Darkest Hour - Harry/Luna - 4/4
Title: In Your Darkest Hour (4/4)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Harry/Luna
Prompt: #8 - Weeks
Word Count: 3340
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: Death is common during the second war, but sometimes it hits closer to home than imagined.
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She had said she would stay a few days longer, but somehow the days had begun to span into weeks. Not that Harry minded Luna’s extended stay in his home. It was a big house after all, and though he had grown accustomed to living by himself, he had to admit that he enjoyed having another human being, having Luna, in the house.
He had gotten so used to her being there when he came home. Days after the funeral, Luna had taken over her father’s position at the Quibbler so while he spent his days surrounded by Aurors and members of the Order, she spent hers with the staff of her father’s magazine, keeping his dream--and essentially him--alive. It was a nightly ritual for Harry to come home and see Luna sitting on the floor in the front room, a pen behind her ear, surrounded by articles she needed to double-check and organize for the next edition.
“Harry.”
Harry looked up from the memo on recent Death Eater activity to see Remus enter the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.
“Hey,” Harry greeted as the older man fixed himself a glass of water.
“So, how is Luna holding up?”
Harry folded up the memo, slipping it back inside the manila envelope that had arrived by owl that morning. “She’s doing well, actually. She’s burying herself in the Quibbler, keeping it going.”
“She’s still staying at your house, I take it?”
Harry nodded. “Yeah.”
Remus returned the nod, quietly watching him as he sipped from his glass.
“What?”
“She could have left weeks ago, you know. I personally made sure her home was secure.”
“I know,” Harry replied. “She just… hasn’t yet.”
“And you’re okay with this situation?”
Harry shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Remus gave a small smile. “Perhaps you and Luna should sit down and have a discussion.”
“About what?”
Remus simply patted Harry on the shoulder and walked out of the kitchen.
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When Harry returned home, Luna was sitting in her normal spot, in her normal position on the couch. Papers surrounded her, and a yellow highlighter was tucked behind her ear where her wand usually stayed. He smiled slightly at how at peace she seemed, doing what her father had done for years.
“Evening, Harry,” she said, her eyes never leaving the paper she was presently scanning.
“Hey, Luna.” He tossed his jacket onto the arm of the couch. “You look extremely busy.”
“Weekend editions are always the most challenging to organize.” She smiled up at him. “How was your day?”
Harry shrugged. “Like any other. Lupin says hello.”
“I’ve always liked him. It’s really a shame he could only teach us for a year.” She shrugged, adjusting her highlighter behind her ear. “I think a werewolf would have made for quite the engaging defense instructor.”
“Yeah.” He paused, pondering whether or not to even mention the actual conversation he and Remus had shared. “He seems to think it odd that you’re still living here.”
Luna blinked. “Odd?”
“Something like that.”
Luna gathered her papers into an organized stack before standing to place herself level with him. “Harry, if I’ve overstayed my welcome, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, of course I would.” He added with a shake of his head, “And you haven’t. I promise.”
Luna studied him silently for a moment, as if trying to read between the lines, before finally speaking. “I do have a small confession to make on my part. I know the Aurors have secured my flat, but I suppose I still have a lingering fear of what can happen.” She shrugged her shoulders slowly. “I feel safe here.”
Harry smiled sadly in response. He hated that she feared going to her own home, but at the same time, he was glad that at least his home could offer her some sort of comfort while she conquered her persistent fears.
“Honest, Luna, when I say you can stay as long as you like? I mean it.” He grinned as he continued, “Besides, it makes ordering out every night seem less pathetic when there’s two of us.”
Luna laughed with a shake of her head. “I know I’ve said this before, Harry, but--” She reached over and hugged him. “--thank you.”
Harry smiled as he held her body to his. “You’re welcome.”
She pulled away enough to give him a kiss on the cheek, something she had never done before, and days later, Harry would note that moment as the moment when their normal routine took a change.
He kissed her, cautiously at first. Not sure whether his advances would be met with a return of the gesture or a slap to the face. Luna didn’t respond at first, possibly stunned by the turn of events, but she quickly warmed up to the kiss and accepted his lips on hers. Harry’s arm tightened around her waist, bringing Luna’s body closer to his as their kiss deepened. Her hand that had previously been resting flat against his chest balled up and clenched the front of his shirt. A tiny mew like sound escaped her throat which only heightened Harry’s sudden need to feel as much of Luna’s skin as possible.
But as quickly as their session began, Luna put a stop to it. She pulled back, breathless. “Um, good night, Harry,” she stated casually as if nothing had just occurred to them.
If he had been thinking properly, he would have formed some sort of pathetic protest to continue. But instead he only managed a nod as he released Luna from his embrace. “Night, Luna.”
She smiled and ducked her gaze shyly from his as she grabbed her stack of papers from the couch. Without another word or glance in his direction, she started down the hallway to her room. Harry watched as she disappeared into the sanctuary of her bedroom before falling back onto the couch with an exasperated sigh, trying to figure out what had just possessed him to kiss Luna Lovegood.
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When Harry awoke the next morning, he felt an undeniable need to apologize to Luna for the previous night. He wasn’t even sure why he was apologizing, but it seemed like the thing to do, especially since she had so quickly run away to her bedroom and away from him. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable around him, especially when his home had become a safe place for her.
He pulled on the clothes he had had on the night before, making his way out of his bedroom to see the door across from his open. He stepped across the hall, peeking his head inside the empty doorway. Her bed still had the covers pulled back, her pajamas scattered at the foot of the blankets where she had discarded them to get dressed for work. Harry frowned, leaning against the doorframe.
She didn’t normally leave this early in the morning, but then again, she could have had a legitimate reason to need to get to the office earlier than normal. Unfortunately, no amount of reasoning with himself in the world could make Harry shake the sense that she was avoiding him like the plague.
Pushing himself from the doorway with a deep exhale, Harry decided to shower and fix himself a quick breakfast before heading to the Department of Mysteries.
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Lunch with Ron at Grimmauld Place, as they waited for the midday report from the Order, went off like every other lunch at Grimmauld Place until Harry uttered three simple words to his best friend.
“I kissed Luna.”
From his seat across the table, Ron choked on the bit of sandwich he had been in the process of swallowing. For a moment, Harry wondered if this would be the way Ron would die. Not by some courageous act in the middle of battle but by choking on a turkey and cheese sandwich after hearing that his best mate had kissed a girl.
“You okay?”
Ron coughed once more before finally finding his voice. “You did what?!”
“Kissed Luna. Last night.” Harry shrugged. “It kinda just happened. It’s nothing major.”
Ron cleared his throat to get the last bits of sandwich down. “So--” He took a drink from his glass of water. “--you two are what exactly?”
“We’re not anything,“ he said, sitting back in his seat. “Hell, I haven’t even seen her since last night when she ran away from me.”
Ron smirked. “She ran away when you kissed her?”
Harry returned the smirk and folded his arms across his chest. “Figure of speech.” He paused. “Kinda.”
“What’s a figure of speech?” Hermione asked as she walked into the kitchen, her nose in a book on Advanced Defensive Spells.
Ron replied with a full mouth. “Luna running away after Harry kissed her.”
Hermione looked up from her book, giving Harry a curious look as she took the empty seat next to Ron. “Well, it’s about time really,” she said and returned her gaze to her book.
Harry blinked at her as Ron choked on another bit of sandwich. Hermione didn’t even look up from her book as Ron coughed and gagged loudly beside her. She patted him roughly on the back until his coughing ceased, her eyes never once leaving the dog-eared pages.
“It’s about time?” Harry asked.
Hermione finally looked up with a sigh that Harry knew all too well. It was the sigh that started every speech that Hermione felt she shouldn’t have to review with him by now. It was the sigh he imagined she would use before trying to explain basic wizardry to her children one day.
“Harry, honestly,” she replied, exasperated. “It’s obvious that you enjoy Luna’s company, and she enjoys yours as well. She always has. Remember how excited she got during our sixth year when you invited her to that party with Slughorn?”
Harry shrugged that off. “We were teenagers. It was just a silly party.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes, well, she still mentions that silly party almost every holiday.”
Harry couldn’t form an argument in response. Especially when hearing that Luna still talked about a party he had waved off as insignificant years ago made his insides twist upon themselves.
“When we first met Luna, I always imagined Luna fancied Ron,” Hermione continued against his silence.
Ron commenced choking. Hermione sighed at him, pushing his glass of water closer to him. Ron took the glass, coughing, and took a long drink before finally speaking again. “Me?!” he managed to sputter.
“Well, that’s before I realized the connections,” Hermione stated as if she had just analyzed and completed a complicated potion. “Luna was actually interested in Harry. Ron, you were just sort of there.”
“Hey!” he said in offense.
“As Harry’s best friend, you were!” she countered. “Luna seemed to be focusing on you, but in actuality, she was becoming more acquainted with you, Harry.” She shrugged. “You yourself said that she had been the first person you had talked to after Sirius’ death. So, its obvious you two connected on some level.”
Harry simply grunted in response.
“And quite honestly, Harry? Ron and I have been in the line of danger loads of times, and I know you have this saving people thing, but you’ve been downright vigilant about making sure Luna is okay.”
“Cause she’s my friend,” he replied.
“So are we, but this is different.”
“Because you two know how to defend yourselves.”
“Luna’s excellent with a wand,” Hermione scoffed. “You taught her just like you taught us.”
Harry sighed, folding his arms on the table and laying his head down. “Hermione….” he sighed down at the table.
“You’re killing him, Hermione,” Ron replied, giving his best friend a concerned look.
“Honest, Harry, I’m happy for you. You haven’t been this focused on a girl since Ginny.” She opened her book again. “I may not always see eye to eye with Luna, but she’s a nice girl. I think she’ll do wonders for you and your moodiness lately.”
Harry’s head snapped up. “I’m not moody!”
Hermione simply raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m not,” he replied, adjusting his whiny tone.
Ron shifted in his seat. “Sorry to disappoint, mate, but you kinda are.”
Harry shook his head at his friends before laying it back down with a soft thud.
“Look, Harry, mate, don’t even listen to her, alright?” Ron then grunted, which Harry only imagined was due to being elbowed in the ribs by Hermione. “You kissed Luna cause you had a moment of hormones on the fritz. Happens to even the best of us. What’s done is done, right?”
“Harry.” Hermione waited a beat before sighing again. “Harry, I really hate talking to the top of your head.”
Harry finally obliged and lifted his head.
“Harry, if you didn’t have even an inkling of feelings for her, you wouldn’t have initiated the kiss.” She closed her book again, her tone serious yet gentle. “You’re just so afraid of letting someone get close to you that you’d rather live in denial than face up to the fact that you may actually fancy someone. And not just someone, but a friend.”
“Women,” Ron muttered with a shake of his head.
Harry slowly pushed his chair back from the table, exhaling deeply. “I’m gonna head out,” he said, getting to his feet.
“You will talk to her, won’t you?” Hermione asked.
“Hermione, Merlin, leave the poor man alone already,” Ron sighed. “Hormones, Harry. Just remember that.”
Harry snorted as Hermione elbowed Ron in the side again, eliciting another grunt of protest.
“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Waving a goodbye, he walked out of the kitchen just as Hermione was giving a disgruntled Ron another nudge.
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Harry didn’t go directly home from Grimmauld Place, stopping by Hogsmeade to take in a firewhiskey or two as Hermione’s words lingered in his head. Like things weren’t complicated enough without Hermione adding in her usual intuitive female perspective. Harry wished that he could simply hide behind Ron’s “just hormones” mantra, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Hormones had nothing to do with him wanting to kiss Luna, not like when he had had his first kiss with Cho Chang or even Ginny.
Kissing Luna in that moment simply seemed like the thing to do, the next logical step.
And he couldn’t wrap his mind around why it felt like the most logical step….
Until Hermione slapped him in the face with the truth.
He could claim that the only reason he had wanted Luna directly under his care was because she wasn’t as advanced at defensive and offensive charms as him. He could claim that he had only kissed her because he’d felt a sudden surge in testosterone. He could claim his feelings for Luna were only rooted in a deep friendship made stronger by hardships through the years.
But none of those claims would even touch the truth.
That he liked Luna on a level he hadn’t felt in a very long time.
And that it scared the shit out of him.
Hesitating outside the door to his own home, Harry sighed before unlocking the door and stepping inside. Slipping off his jacket and tossing it onto the couch, Harry frowned at how quiet the house seemed. Luna should have been home by now, unless she was in fact avoiding him like he had feared when he woken to an empty house that morning.
His fears were soon silenced, however, as he heard movement further into the house.
Making his way down the hallway, Harry stopped at Luna’s open bedroom door. He leaned against the doorframe with a frown as he watched her fold articles of clothing and place them in her suitcase, humming a melancholy tune under her breath. He softly cleared his throat to announce his presence.
Luna looked up with a soft smile. “Oh! Harry, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He paused, slowly folding his arms across his chest. “You’re, uh, packing?”
She nodded, glancing down at her half-full suitcase before meeting his gaze again. “I’ve always been fairly independent, especially since Hogwarts. I think… I think it’s time to go back to that.” She paused with a nod. “To feel normal again, one must act as one normally does.”
Harry gave a slow nod. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Harry,” she said, placing the blouse she had been folding aside as she approached him. “When I lost my mother, I thought that the day I would lose my father as well would be the worst day of my life. And, in fact, it was.” She paused, and Harry held his breath as she stopped just in front of him. “But you came, and you helped me through everything. You made sure I was okay, even going as far as to lurk outside my bedroom to make sure I was getting rest.”
She grinned at him, and Harry offered up a quiet laugh as he ducked his head to look at the carpet.
“I don’t think I can ever thank you enough.”
Luna raised on her tiptoes slightly and kissed the top of Harry’s bowed head. He looked up at her as she attempted to smooth down his wild strands.
“But I think it’s time I go.”
She turned and walked back to her bed and luggage. Harry watched her for a moment before finally pushing himself away from the doorway.
“Luna, wait, I….”
She turned to look at him, and it took Harry a moment to find his voice again.
“If you’re leaving because of what happened last night….”
Luna tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Harry, it’s okay. What’s done is done. It was simply a moment.”
Harry closed the gap between them more. “That… that’s the thing. It wasn’t just a moment. I…” He paused, swallowing hard as her silver eyes studied him. “You have just… I mean, when you… I just….”
Luna gave him an apologetic look. “Harry, are you alright?”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
Luna blinked.
“And not just because I feel this need to protect you or anything. I just… I like having you here. I like knowing you’ll be here when I come home. I… I like you, Luna.”
Luna blinked again.
And Harry suddenly felt the urge to thump Hermione with one of her own books.
But even as Harry was pondering the logistics of doing such a thing, Luna closed the gap between them completely, taking his face in her warm hands and kissing him. Once his brain caught up with what was going on around him, Harry gripped Luna’s waist gently with both hands, holding her to her spot as if the moment he let go she would disappear and be nothing but a dream.
This kiss was a complete turnaround from their kiss the night before. This kiss was less heated and more gentle, less frenzied and needy. This kiss was the kiss of someone who planned to have many other kisses like this in the future.
Luna pulled away first, blinking slowly at him. Her hands slowly drifted from his face to rest upon his shoulders. “I hope that was an appropriate response,” she said, a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.
Harry smiled back. “So… does that mean you’re staying?”
Luna nodded. “As long as you promise me one thing, Harry. It’s quite important.”
Harry’s smile faded, his tone serious. “Anything.”
“Could we not order out for a bit? I don’t think I could stomach much more.”
Harry chuckled as a slow smile spread across Luna’s face. “Promise.”
She kissed the tip of his nose before wrapping her arms around his neck to embrace him. Harry smiled as he returned the embrace, knowing that it would be a very long time before he would let Luna go again.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Harry/Luna
Prompt: #8 - Weeks
Word Count: 3340
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: Death is common during the second war, but sometimes it hits closer to home than imagined.
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She had said she would stay a few days longer, but somehow the days had begun to span into weeks. Not that Harry minded Luna’s extended stay in his home. It was a big house after all, and though he had grown accustomed to living by himself, he had to admit that he enjoyed having another human being, having Luna, in the house.
He had gotten so used to her being there when he came home. Days after the funeral, Luna had taken over her father’s position at the Quibbler so while he spent his days surrounded by Aurors and members of the Order, she spent hers with the staff of her father’s magazine, keeping his dream--and essentially him--alive. It was a nightly ritual for Harry to come home and see Luna sitting on the floor in the front room, a pen behind her ear, surrounded by articles she needed to double-check and organize for the next edition.
“Harry.”
Harry looked up from the memo on recent Death Eater activity to see Remus enter the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.
“Hey,” Harry greeted as the older man fixed himself a glass of water.
“So, how is Luna holding up?”
Harry folded up the memo, slipping it back inside the manila envelope that had arrived by owl that morning. “She’s doing well, actually. She’s burying herself in the Quibbler, keeping it going.”
“She’s still staying at your house, I take it?”
Harry nodded. “Yeah.”
Remus returned the nod, quietly watching him as he sipped from his glass.
“What?”
“She could have left weeks ago, you know. I personally made sure her home was secure.”
“I know,” Harry replied. “She just… hasn’t yet.”
“And you’re okay with this situation?”
Harry shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Remus gave a small smile. “Perhaps you and Luna should sit down and have a discussion.”
“About what?”
Remus simply patted Harry on the shoulder and walked out of the kitchen.
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When Harry returned home, Luna was sitting in her normal spot, in her normal position on the couch. Papers surrounded her, and a yellow highlighter was tucked behind her ear where her wand usually stayed. He smiled slightly at how at peace she seemed, doing what her father had done for years.
“Evening, Harry,” she said, her eyes never leaving the paper she was presently scanning.
“Hey, Luna.” He tossed his jacket onto the arm of the couch. “You look extremely busy.”
“Weekend editions are always the most challenging to organize.” She smiled up at him. “How was your day?”
Harry shrugged. “Like any other. Lupin says hello.”
“I’ve always liked him. It’s really a shame he could only teach us for a year.” She shrugged, adjusting her highlighter behind her ear. “I think a werewolf would have made for quite the engaging defense instructor.”
“Yeah.” He paused, pondering whether or not to even mention the actual conversation he and Remus had shared. “He seems to think it odd that you’re still living here.”
Luna blinked. “Odd?”
“Something like that.”
Luna gathered her papers into an organized stack before standing to place herself level with him. “Harry, if I’ve overstayed my welcome, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, of course I would.” He added with a shake of his head, “And you haven’t. I promise.”
Luna studied him silently for a moment, as if trying to read between the lines, before finally speaking. “I do have a small confession to make on my part. I know the Aurors have secured my flat, but I suppose I still have a lingering fear of what can happen.” She shrugged her shoulders slowly. “I feel safe here.”
Harry smiled sadly in response. He hated that she feared going to her own home, but at the same time, he was glad that at least his home could offer her some sort of comfort while she conquered her persistent fears.
“Honest, Luna, when I say you can stay as long as you like? I mean it.” He grinned as he continued, “Besides, it makes ordering out every night seem less pathetic when there’s two of us.”
Luna laughed with a shake of her head. “I know I’ve said this before, Harry, but--” She reached over and hugged him. “--thank you.”
Harry smiled as he held her body to his. “You’re welcome.”
She pulled away enough to give him a kiss on the cheek, something she had never done before, and days later, Harry would note that moment as the moment when their normal routine took a change.
He kissed her, cautiously at first. Not sure whether his advances would be met with a return of the gesture or a slap to the face. Luna didn’t respond at first, possibly stunned by the turn of events, but she quickly warmed up to the kiss and accepted his lips on hers. Harry’s arm tightened around her waist, bringing Luna’s body closer to his as their kiss deepened. Her hand that had previously been resting flat against his chest balled up and clenched the front of his shirt. A tiny mew like sound escaped her throat which only heightened Harry’s sudden need to feel as much of Luna’s skin as possible.
But as quickly as their session began, Luna put a stop to it. She pulled back, breathless. “Um, good night, Harry,” she stated casually as if nothing had just occurred to them.
If he had been thinking properly, he would have formed some sort of pathetic protest to continue. But instead he only managed a nod as he released Luna from his embrace. “Night, Luna.”
She smiled and ducked her gaze shyly from his as she grabbed her stack of papers from the couch. Without another word or glance in his direction, she started down the hallway to her room. Harry watched as she disappeared into the sanctuary of her bedroom before falling back onto the couch with an exasperated sigh, trying to figure out what had just possessed him to kiss Luna Lovegood.
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When Harry awoke the next morning, he felt an undeniable need to apologize to Luna for the previous night. He wasn’t even sure why he was apologizing, but it seemed like the thing to do, especially since she had so quickly run away to her bedroom and away from him. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable around him, especially when his home had become a safe place for her.
He pulled on the clothes he had had on the night before, making his way out of his bedroom to see the door across from his open. He stepped across the hall, peeking his head inside the empty doorway. Her bed still had the covers pulled back, her pajamas scattered at the foot of the blankets where she had discarded them to get dressed for work. Harry frowned, leaning against the doorframe.
She didn’t normally leave this early in the morning, but then again, she could have had a legitimate reason to need to get to the office earlier than normal. Unfortunately, no amount of reasoning with himself in the world could make Harry shake the sense that she was avoiding him like the plague.
Pushing himself from the doorway with a deep exhale, Harry decided to shower and fix himself a quick breakfast before heading to the Department of Mysteries.
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Lunch with Ron at Grimmauld Place, as they waited for the midday report from the Order, went off like every other lunch at Grimmauld Place until Harry uttered three simple words to his best friend.
“I kissed Luna.”
From his seat across the table, Ron choked on the bit of sandwich he had been in the process of swallowing. For a moment, Harry wondered if this would be the way Ron would die. Not by some courageous act in the middle of battle but by choking on a turkey and cheese sandwich after hearing that his best mate had kissed a girl.
“You okay?”
Ron coughed once more before finally finding his voice. “You did what?!”
“Kissed Luna. Last night.” Harry shrugged. “It kinda just happened. It’s nothing major.”
Ron cleared his throat to get the last bits of sandwich down. “So--” He took a drink from his glass of water. “--you two are what exactly?”
“We’re not anything,“ he said, sitting back in his seat. “Hell, I haven’t even seen her since last night when she ran away from me.”
Ron smirked. “She ran away when you kissed her?”
Harry returned the smirk and folded his arms across his chest. “Figure of speech.” He paused. “Kinda.”
“What’s a figure of speech?” Hermione asked as she walked into the kitchen, her nose in a book on Advanced Defensive Spells.
Ron replied with a full mouth. “Luna running away after Harry kissed her.”
Hermione looked up from her book, giving Harry a curious look as she took the empty seat next to Ron. “Well, it’s about time really,” she said and returned her gaze to her book.
Harry blinked at her as Ron choked on another bit of sandwich. Hermione didn’t even look up from her book as Ron coughed and gagged loudly beside her. She patted him roughly on the back until his coughing ceased, her eyes never once leaving the dog-eared pages.
“It’s about time?” Harry asked.
Hermione finally looked up with a sigh that Harry knew all too well. It was the sigh that started every speech that Hermione felt she shouldn’t have to review with him by now. It was the sigh he imagined she would use before trying to explain basic wizardry to her children one day.
“Harry, honestly,” she replied, exasperated. “It’s obvious that you enjoy Luna’s company, and she enjoys yours as well. She always has. Remember how excited she got during our sixth year when you invited her to that party with Slughorn?”
Harry shrugged that off. “We were teenagers. It was just a silly party.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes, well, she still mentions that silly party almost every holiday.”
Harry couldn’t form an argument in response. Especially when hearing that Luna still talked about a party he had waved off as insignificant years ago made his insides twist upon themselves.
“When we first met Luna, I always imagined Luna fancied Ron,” Hermione continued against his silence.
Ron commenced choking. Hermione sighed at him, pushing his glass of water closer to him. Ron took the glass, coughing, and took a long drink before finally speaking again. “Me?!” he managed to sputter.
“Well, that’s before I realized the connections,” Hermione stated as if she had just analyzed and completed a complicated potion. “Luna was actually interested in Harry. Ron, you were just sort of there.”
“Hey!” he said in offense.
“As Harry’s best friend, you were!” she countered. “Luna seemed to be focusing on you, but in actuality, she was becoming more acquainted with you, Harry.” She shrugged. “You yourself said that she had been the first person you had talked to after Sirius’ death. So, its obvious you two connected on some level.”
Harry simply grunted in response.
“And quite honestly, Harry? Ron and I have been in the line of danger loads of times, and I know you have this saving people thing, but you’ve been downright vigilant about making sure Luna is okay.”
“Cause she’s my friend,” he replied.
“So are we, but this is different.”
“Because you two know how to defend yourselves.”
“Luna’s excellent with a wand,” Hermione scoffed. “You taught her just like you taught us.”
Harry sighed, folding his arms on the table and laying his head down. “Hermione….” he sighed down at the table.
“You’re killing him, Hermione,” Ron replied, giving his best friend a concerned look.
“Honest, Harry, I’m happy for you. You haven’t been this focused on a girl since Ginny.” She opened her book again. “I may not always see eye to eye with Luna, but she’s a nice girl. I think she’ll do wonders for you and your moodiness lately.”
Harry’s head snapped up. “I’m not moody!”
Hermione simply raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m not,” he replied, adjusting his whiny tone.
Ron shifted in his seat. “Sorry to disappoint, mate, but you kinda are.”
Harry shook his head at his friends before laying it back down with a soft thud.
“Look, Harry, mate, don’t even listen to her, alright?” Ron then grunted, which Harry only imagined was due to being elbowed in the ribs by Hermione. “You kissed Luna cause you had a moment of hormones on the fritz. Happens to even the best of us. What’s done is done, right?”
“Harry.” Hermione waited a beat before sighing again. “Harry, I really hate talking to the top of your head.”
Harry finally obliged and lifted his head.
“Harry, if you didn’t have even an inkling of feelings for her, you wouldn’t have initiated the kiss.” She closed her book again, her tone serious yet gentle. “You’re just so afraid of letting someone get close to you that you’d rather live in denial than face up to the fact that you may actually fancy someone. And not just someone, but a friend.”
“Women,” Ron muttered with a shake of his head.
Harry slowly pushed his chair back from the table, exhaling deeply. “I’m gonna head out,” he said, getting to his feet.
“You will talk to her, won’t you?” Hermione asked.
“Hermione, Merlin, leave the poor man alone already,” Ron sighed. “Hormones, Harry. Just remember that.”
Harry snorted as Hermione elbowed Ron in the side again, eliciting another grunt of protest.
“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Waving a goodbye, he walked out of the kitchen just as Hermione was giving a disgruntled Ron another nudge.
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Harry didn’t go directly home from Grimmauld Place, stopping by Hogsmeade to take in a firewhiskey or two as Hermione’s words lingered in his head. Like things weren’t complicated enough without Hermione adding in her usual intuitive female perspective. Harry wished that he could simply hide behind Ron’s “just hormones” mantra, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Hormones had nothing to do with him wanting to kiss Luna, not like when he had had his first kiss with Cho Chang or even Ginny.
Kissing Luna in that moment simply seemed like the thing to do, the next logical step.
And he couldn’t wrap his mind around why it felt like the most logical step….
Until Hermione slapped him in the face with the truth.
He could claim that the only reason he had wanted Luna directly under his care was because she wasn’t as advanced at defensive and offensive charms as him. He could claim that he had only kissed her because he’d felt a sudden surge in testosterone. He could claim his feelings for Luna were only rooted in a deep friendship made stronger by hardships through the years.
But none of those claims would even touch the truth.
That he liked Luna on a level he hadn’t felt in a very long time.
And that it scared the shit out of him.
Hesitating outside the door to his own home, Harry sighed before unlocking the door and stepping inside. Slipping off his jacket and tossing it onto the couch, Harry frowned at how quiet the house seemed. Luna should have been home by now, unless she was in fact avoiding him like he had feared when he woken to an empty house that morning.
His fears were soon silenced, however, as he heard movement further into the house.
Making his way down the hallway, Harry stopped at Luna’s open bedroom door. He leaned against the doorframe with a frown as he watched her fold articles of clothing and place them in her suitcase, humming a melancholy tune under her breath. He softly cleared his throat to announce his presence.
Luna looked up with a soft smile. “Oh! Harry, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He paused, slowly folding his arms across his chest. “You’re, uh, packing?”
She nodded, glancing down at her half-full suitcase before meeting his gaze again. “I’ve always been fairly independent, especially since Hogwarts. I think… I think it’s time to go back to that.” She paused with a nod. “To feel normal again, one must act as one normally does.”
Harry gave a slow nod. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Harry,” she said, placing the blouse she had been folding aside as she approached him. “When I lost my mother, I thought that the day I would lose my father as well would be the worst day of my life. And, in fact, it was.” She paused, and Harry held his breath as she stopped just in front of him. “But you came, and you helped me through everything. You made sure I was okay, even going as far as to lurk outside my bedroom to make sure I was getting rest.”
She grinned at him, and Harry offered up a quiet laugh as he ducked his head to look at the carpet.
“I don’t think I can ever thank you enough.”
Luna raised on her tiptoes slightly and kissed the top of Harry’s bowed head. He looked up at her as she attempted to smooth down his wild strands.
“But I think it’s time I go.”
She turned and walked back to her bed and luggage. Harry watched her for a moment before finally pushing himself away from the doorway.
“Luna, wait, I….”
She turned to look at him, and it took Harry a moment to find his voice again.
“If you’re leaving because of what happened last night….”
Luna tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Harry, it’s okay. What’s done is done. It was simply a moment.”
Harry closed the gap between them more. “That… that’s the thing. It wasn’t just a moment. I…” He paused, swallowing hard as her silver eyes studied him. “You have just… I mean, when you… I just….”
Luna gave him an apologetic look. “Harry, are you alright?”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
Luna blinked.
“And not just because I feel this need to protect you or anything. I just… I like having you here. I like knowing you’ll be here when I come home. I… I like you, Luna.”
Luna blinked again.
And Harry suddenly felt the urge to thump Hermione with one of her own books.
But even as Harry was pondering the logistics of doing such a thing, Luna closed the gap between them completely, taking his face in her warm hands and kissing him. Once his brain caught up with what was going on around him, Harry gripped Luna’s waist gently with both hands, holding her to her spot as if the moment he let go she would disappear and be nothing but a dream.
This kiss was a complete turnaround from their kiss the night before. This kiss was less heated and more gentle, less frenzied and needy. This kiss was the kiss of someone who planned to have many other kisses like this in the future.
Luna pulled away first, blinking slowly at him. Her hands slowly drifted from his face to rest upon his shoulders. “I hope that was an appropriate response,” she said, a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.
Harry smiled back. “So… does that mean you’re staying?”
Luna nodded. “As long as you promise me one thing, Harry. It’s quite important.”
Harry’s smile faded, his tone serious. “Anything.”
“Could we not order out for a bit? I don’t think I could stomach much more.”
Harry chuckled as a slow smile spread across Luna’s face. “Promise.”
She kissed the tip of his nose before wrapping her arms around his neck to embrace him. Harry smiled as he returned the embrace, knowing that it would be a very long time before he would let Luna go again.