A New Day - Harry/Luna - 1/1
Title: A New Day
Author: Tonya (_fullofgrace)
Disclaimer: No own, no sue. The usuals.
Rating: Gish
Summary: Sunsets were overrated, if you asked him.
A/N: Written for fanfic100. Prompt #031: Sunrise.
"And you're asking me why pain's the only way to happiness
And I promise you you'll see the sun again "
--“See the Sun”, Dido
----------
Everyone always talked about sunsets.
Books. Movies. Random people on the streets.
Sunsets were the root of magic. That one perfect moment in time when everything seemed to make sense in the world.
Or so people said.
Sunsets were overrated, if you asked him.
Because, at the moment, Harry had never seen anything more beautiful than the sun peeking out over the canopy of the Forbidden Forest.
Twenty four hours ago, he hadn't been sure he would even live to see another bright orange horizon.
The battle had been over for a few hours now with a victory for the side of good. Voldemort had been vanquished. Death Eaters had been gathered. The second war had finally come to a close.
And yet he had not left this spot on the old Quidditch pitch, looking out into the dark woods that had been host to one of the bloodiest battles that the wizarding world had ever seen. And everyone had had their share of blood on their hands, himself most of all.
People had died for him and his cause and his battle. Classmates. Professors. Mentors.
So he stood there, watching the sun rise and thinking about all those living and dead. Even as his mind tired from days, weeks, months of strategizing. Even as his body screamed out in pain from bruises and gashes that continued to ooze blood.
"It's quite the sight, isn't it?"
Harry turned slowly at the voice, honestly not expecting anyone to be brave enough to approach him. They had all kept a fair distance from him after he had emerged from the Forest. They had congratulated him on his victory, asked if he were okay, and then, thinking he was about to enter his typical "I'd rather be alone" phase, they had disappeared into the confines of what had once been their school.
Only Hermione and Ron had been brave enough to speak to him directly without a nervous hitch in their voice, to look him directly in the eye with ease. Hermione had embraced him in a suffocating hug, sending a surge of pain through his body that he chose to ignore, and Ron had given him a hearty pat on the back. They had invited him back to the castle so that Madam Pomfrey could tend to his wounds, Hermione especially concerned about the gash at his right temple that was bleeding quite freely at the time. But he had declined their offer, telling them he'd be inside in a moment. They had both understood his need to be alone and had simply turned and let him be.
That had been two hours ago.
He had figured that the celebrating in the Great Hall had pulled everyone into their own world of smiles and laughter and possibly even tears.
He had figured that no one would notice that the Boy Who Had Lived Yet Again had not made a grand entrance.
He had figured wrong.
"Luna," he greeted simply with a soft smile as she stood over his shoulder.
Only Luna Lovegood could pull off an aura of serenity during a time like this, in the condition she appeared to be in.
She had long discarded of her war-tattered robes, dressed now only in the muggle jeans and t-shirt that Hermione had loaned her the previous morning. Her blonde hair was clipped up at the top of her head, strands drifting wildly from the confines of her barrette. The style had little to do with fashion and more to do with keeping her hair away from the nasty gash that marred her pale shoulder just across her collarbone. The dark red of the drying blood seemed to make her lucid skin stand out even more than normal. Her silver blue eyes studied him in a familiar bright,curious manner, even as the beginnings of dark shadows underlined them.
Somehow, despite a night of battle, she still had that Luna glow to her--that air that he had once considered dottiness but now found to be something more, something deeper.
"There's punch," she said as she stepped up beside him, turning her own gaze out to the rising sun.
Harry blinked at her. "Huh?" was all he managed.
"Inside," she amended, her gaze never leaving the sky. "I think Fred may have spiked it." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes finally finding him again. "Or perhaps it was George. I'm not quite sure."
Harry laughed quietly, the first time he had done so in days. "No one ever is." His smile died away as he began to think of the people in the castle behind him. "So everyone's okay?"
"Madam Pomfrey has tended to those she can," she stated with a small nod. "The others she has sent to St. Mungos for further healing."
Harry frowned deeply at the thought of those he knew and cared for injured and lying helpless in a hospital bed. He sighed deeply, turning his focus back to the burning sun hiding behind clouds of white.
"Dad always said that watching a sunrise was like catching a Flying Kersnuffle."
Again, Harry blinked as he turned back to her. "A what?"
"Flying Kersnuffle," she repeated matter-a-factly as if his confusion was a hearing problem on Harry's part.
"Right," he replied with a raised eyebrow, watching the girl with a new sense of confusion and curiosity as she continued to study the sky. "And why exactly is a sunrise like one of those?"
"Because most people don't take the time to see them, and when they do, they don't even realize the brilliance they're seeing." Her fingers gently trailed the butterbeer cap dangling from her neck as she spoke. "They come and go and people never seem to notice."
"Because the sun will always rise, no matter what," Harry replied with a hint of a frown.
She finally turned her eyes on him. "Are you certain of that?"
Harry stared at her, not sure what to say. Because he was standing here--mere hours after battle--having what appeared to be a philosophical conversation with Luna Lovegood of all people.
Luna apparently didn't seem to notice--or care about--the curious look she was receiving from the boy beside her because she responded to his silence by taking a seat in the grass. She folded her legs up under her body, and she pulled absently on blades of grass as she got comfortable.
"I've never enjoyed sunsets," she stated conversationally.
Harry shifted on his feet for a moment before sitting down beside her. "Why?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Because they're the end," she said simply, glancing at him.
Harry frowned slightly, thinking back to when he had first noticed twilight coming over the forest during the battle. In the back of his mind, he had wondered if this would be the end, if this would be his last night on earth.
In those dark corners of his mind, he had believed that once the sun had set, that would be it. The story of The Boy Who Lived would end.
But he had lived beyond the sunset. Beyond the end.
"I guess they are," he agreed quietly.
"So what do you plan to do now?" she asked, studying him with a wisp of a smile.
"Do?"
She nodded, more wild strands falling from her already loose updo, and Harry resisted the urge to brush away the strands that tickled her shoulders. "You no longer have the prophecy to worry about,” she replied. “You're free to live as you see fit now."
He hadn't thought about that, but she was right. All his life he had been living for others. To fulfill a prophecy. To bring salvation to the wizarding world. His life had never been for him. Every decision, every choice, he had ever made had been for the others in his life.
He had never been just Harry.
"I..." He paused with an unsure shrug of his shoulders. "I don't know."
Luna gave him a reassuring smile as she stood. "You'll think of something, Harry," she said, brushing off her backside.
Harry watched her stand, something in his gut twisting upon itself. "Are you headed inside?" he asked.
"I believe so," she replied with a nod. She glanced towards the sun that was now nearly concealed behind clouds. "The new day has started after all."
Harry glanced towards the sky.
Sunsets are the end....
"Luna?" He looked up at her.
She blinked her wide eyes at him. "Yes, Harry?"
He hesitated before asking the question that lingered in the back of his mind. "What do YOU plan to do now?"
"Have punch," she said with a smile.
A quiet laugh escaped Harry, and Luna seemed pleased to hear the sound, her smile brightening in response.
"You know, Harry, just because your future is ahead of you doesn't mean you have to have every step plotted out at this very moment."
"One moment at a time, right?"
Luna nodded. "One sunrise at a time." She paused, tilting her head and a few more strands of hair falling onto her shoulders. A faint smile played on her features. "So, what do you plan to do now, Harry Potter?"
Harry returned the smile as he finally got to his feet. He outstretched his hand to her, and Luna gave him a curious look before slipping her warm hand into his.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Join you."
Luna's smile became even brighter than Harry thought possible before she gave his hand a tug. Harry took one last glance back at the sun peeking out from behind the clouds before starting towards the castle with Luna.
Sunsets were definitely overrated.
Author: Tonya (_fullofgrace)
Disclaimer: No own, no sue. The usuals.
Rating: Gish
Summary: Sunsets were overrated, if you asked him.
A/N: Written for fanfic100. Prompt #031: Sunrise.
"And you're asking me why pain's the only way to happiness
And I promise you you'll see the sun again "
--“See the Sun”, Dido
----------
Everyone always talked about sunsets.
Books. Movies. Random people on the streets.
Sunsets were the root of magic. That one perfect moment in time when everything seemed to make sense in the world.
Or so people said.
Sunsets were overrated, if you asked him.
Because, at the moment, Harry had never seen anything more beautiful than the sun peeking out over the canopy of the Forbidden Forest.
Twenty four hours ago, he hadn't been sure he would even live to see another bright orange horizon.
The battle had been over for a few hours now with a victory for the side of good. Voldemort had been vanquished. Death Eaters had been gathered. The second war had finally come to a close.
And yet he had not left this spot on the old Quidditch pitch, looking out into the dark woods that had been host to one of the bloodiest battles that the wizarding world had ever seen. And everyone had had their share of blood on their hands, himself most of all.
People had died for him and his cause and his battle. Classmates. Professors. Mentors.
So he stood there, watching the sun rise and thinking about all those living and dead. Even as his mind tired from days, weeks, months of strategizing. Even as his body screamed out in pain from bruises and gashes that continued to ooze blood.
"It's quite the sight, isn't it?"
Harry turned slowly at the voice, honestly not expecting anyone to be brave enough to approach him. They had all kept a fair distance from him after he had emerged from the Forest. They had congratulated him on his victory, asked if he were okay, and then, thinking he was about to enter his typical "I'd rather be alone" phase, they had disappeared into the confines of what had once been their school.
Only Hermione and Ron had been brave enough to speak to him directly without a nervous hitch in their voice, to look him directly in the eye with ease. Hermione had embraced him in a suffocating hug, sending a surge of pain through his body that he chose to ignore, and Ron had given him a hearty pat on the back. They had invited him back to the castle so that Madam Pomfrey could tend to his wounds, Hermione especially concerned about the gash at his right temple that was bleeding quite freely at the time. But he had declined their offer, telling them he'd be inside in a moment. They had both understood his need to be alone and had simply turned and let him be.
That had been two hours ago.
He had figured that the celebrating in the Great Hall had pulled everyone into their own world of smiles and laughter and possibly even tears.
He had figured that no one would notice that the Boy Who Had Lived Yet Again had not made a grand entrance.
He had figured wrong.
"Luna," he greeted simply with a soft smile as she stood over his shoulder.
Only Luna Lovegood could pull off an aura of serenity during a time like this, in the condition she appeared to be in.
She had long discarded of her war-tattered robes, dressed now only in the muggle jeans and t-shirt that Hermione had loaned her the previous morning. Her blonde hair was clipped up at the top of her head, strands drifting wildly from the confines of her barrette. The style had little to do with fashion and more to do with keeping her hair away from the nasty gash that marred her pale shoulder just across her collarbone. The dark red of the drying blood seemed to make her lucid skin stand out even more than normal. Her silver blue eyes studied him in a familiar bright,curious manner, even as the beginnings of dark shadows underlined them.
Somehow, despite a night of battle, she still had that Luna glow to her--that air that he had once considered dottiness but now found to be something more, something deeper.
"There's punch," she said as she stepped up beside him, turning her own gaze out to the rising sun.
Harry blinked at her. "Huh?" was all he managed.
"Inside," she amended, her gaze never leaving the sky. "I think Fred may have spiked it." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes finally finding him again. "Or perhaps it was George. I'm not quite sure."
Harry laughed quietly, the first time he had done so in days. "No one ever is." His smile died away as he began to think of the people in the castle behind him. "So everyone's okay?"
"Madam Pomfrey has tended to those she can," she stated with a small nod. "The others she has sent to St. Mungos for further healing."
Harry frowned deeply at the thought of those he knew and cared for injured and lying helpless in a hospital bed. He sighed deeply, turning his focus back to the burning sun hiding behind clouds of white.
"Dad always said that watching a sunrise was like catching a Flying Kersnuffle."
Again, Harry blinked as he turned back to her. "A what?"
"Flying Kersnuffle," she repeated matter-a-factly as if his confusion was a hearing problem on Harry's part.
"Right," he replied with a raised eyebrow, watching the girl with a new sense of confusion and curiosity as she continued to study the sky. "And why exactly is a sunrise like one of those?"
"Because most people don't take the time to see them, and when they do, they don't even realize the brilliance they're seeing." Her fingers gently trailed the butterbeer cap dangling from her neck as she spoke. "They come and go and people never seem to notice."
"Because the sun will always rise, no matter what," Harry replied with a hint of a frown.
She finally turned her eyes on him. "Are you certain of that?"
Harry stared at her, not sure what to say. Because he was standing here--mere hours after battle--having what appeared to be a philosophical conversation with Luna Lovegood of all people.
Luna apparently didn't seem to notice--or care about--the curious look she was receiving from the boy beside her because she responded to his silence by taking a seat in the grass. She folded her legs up under her body, and she pulled absently on blades of grass as she got comfortable.
"I've never enjoyed sunsets," she stated conversationally.
Harry shifted on his feet for a moment before sitting down beside her. "Why?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Because they're the end," she said simply, glancing at him.
Harry frowned slightly, thinking back to when he had first noticed twilight coming over the forest during the battle. In the back of his mind, he had wondered if this would be the end, if this would be his last night on earth.
In those dark corners of his mind, he had believed that once the sun had set, that would be it. The story of The Boy Who Lived would end.
But he had lived beyond the sunset. Beyond the end.
"I guess they are," he agreed quietly.
"So what do you plan to do now?" she asked, studying him with a wisp of a smile.
"Do?"
She nodded, more wild strands falling from her already loose updo, and Harry resisted the urge to brush away the strands that tickled her shoulders. "You no longer have the prophecy to worry about,” she replied. “You're free to live as you see fit now."
He hadn't thought about that, but she was right. All his life he had been living for others. To fulfill a prophecy. To bring salvation to the wizarding world. His life had never been for him. Every decision, every choice, he had ever made had been for the others in his life.
He had never been just Harry.
"I..." He paused with an unsure shrug of his shoulders. "I don't know."
Luna gave him a reassuring smile as she stood. "You'll think of something, Harry," she said, brushing off her backside.
Harry watched her stand, something in his gut twisting upon itself. "Are you headed inside?" he asked.
"I believe so," she replied with a nod. She glanced towards the sun that was now nearly concealed behind clouds. "The new day has started after all."
Harry glanced towards the sky.
Sunsets are the end....
"Luna?" He looked up at her.
She blinked her wide eyes at him. "Yes, Harry?"
He hesitated before asking the question that lingered in the back of his mind. "What do YOU plan to do now?"
"Have punch," she said with a smile.
A quiet laugh escaped Harry, and Luna seemed pleased to hear the sound, her smile brightening in response.
"You know, Harry, just because your future is ahead of you doesn't mean you have to have every step plotted out at this very moment."
"One moment at a time, right?"
Luna nodded. "One sunrise at a time." She paused, tilting her head and a few more strands of hair falling onto her shoulders. A faint smile played on her features. "So, what do you plan to do now, Harry Potter?"
Harry returned the smile as he finally got to his feet. He outstretched his hand to her, and Luna gave him a curious look before slipping her warm hand into his.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Join you."
Luna's smile became even brighter than Harry thought possible before she gave his hand a tug. Harry took one last glance back at the sun peeking out from behind the clouds before starting towards the castle with Luna.
Sunsets were definitely overrated.