Luna was alone. She didn't mind so much that she was alone at the time, since she quite liked being able to talk to Ron's gnomes alone. No, she minded that she was alone all the time.
Hermione and Ginny were best friends, and Harry and Ron were best friends. Hermione and Ron were dating, and Harry and Ginny were dating. So she was alone.
She supposed she could talk to George, but he wasn't talking to anyone at the moment. He was sitting on the bench just up the hill from The Burrow, in front of Fred's grave, staring and not seeing.
Luna wondered vaguely if a Wrackspurt had got him, but knew somewhere deep inside that it was his twin.
A small gnome tugged at the corner of her sleeve. "Got worms?" the gnome asked, hopefully. Luna shook her head, smiling, and the gnome began to walk away.
"Wait!" she heard herself cry, and dug in her pocket, producing one long, dirty piece of string. Concentrating hard, she swished her wand and turned it into a worm. She gave it to the gnome, who leaned against her knee, happily consuming the squirming invertebrate.
"What's your name?" Luna asked the creature.
He looked at her blankly.
"I'm Luna Lovegood." She introduced herself.
The gnome giggled. "Looney?"
Unlike when all those other people had called her that, this time Luna smiled. "No," she corrected, "Luna, like the moon. My daddy named me after the Argisithian Moonslug, Lunar. It's quite beautiful. It lives on the moon."
"Looney." the gnome repeated. "We go to the moon?"
Luna sighed. "Sure."
The small creature looked happy. "Can I be Ron?"
She was startled. "Ron? Why Ron?"
He pointed to the house. "I hear humans call boy Ron. I like name Ron."
Luna smiled. "I like the name Ron, too. But I think I have a better name for you."
"What that?" the gnome asked, frowning.
"Neville." Luna whispered.
Six Months Later
"What do you do out there all the time?" Ginny asked, curiously, as Luna headed out once again to visit Neville the gnome.
"I'm visiting Neville."
Ever since her house had collapsed, and her Dad was in Saint Mungos to recover from the injuries the Death Eaters had inflicted, Luna had been staying at the Burrow. She hadn't seen the real Neville since the battle of Hogwarts had ended.
"Should you really be spending so much time with a gnome?" Ginny replied, wrinkling her nose.
"He has magic." Luna answered, weaving a long strand of seaweed through her blond hair.
Hermione raised her eyebrow. "But we have magic. You have magic."
"He has Gernumbli magic." Luna stepped outside.
Almost at once, Neville ran up to her. "Luna Lovegood, the redhead man tried to throw me!"
Luna smiled. Neville had gradually taught her much of the Gernumbli language, which to others sounded like a series of clicks and squeaks.
"No worry, Neville." Luna replied. Her Gernumbli was still a bit jerky and unfinished, but she was accomplished at speaking it. "He commanded by the Mrs. Weasley. He means not harm."
"And a man visited today while you were at work."
"A man? What man?"
"He said he is a friend of yours. He wanted to speak with you, but you weren't there. The redheaded young woman of which Harry Potter is so partial was excited to see him." Even among gnomes, Harry Potter was quite famous.
"Ginny excited to see who? A friend of me that she know? Perhaps from Hogwarts? Who know?"
"He can talk in Gernumbli. He said that he would be in Diagon Alley. He told me as he left."
Luna straightened up. "I have go, Neville. Where Diagon Alley he be?"
"In Fortescue's Ice Cream. He said."
"Thank you, Neville. Goodbye."
Luna patted the tiny gnome on the head and strode quickly into the house. She paused in the kitchen to throw on her hot pink robes (Hermione opened her mouth, but Ginny threw a hand over it), and then straight to the fire. She tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, then immediately stepped in.
"Diagon Alley!" she shouted, and was spun into darkness.
So practiced was Luna in the art of the Floo Network that no soot lingered on her robes. She set off down the alley in a brisk pace. Stares and whispers followed her, and not just because of her outlandish dress. She was one of Harry Potter's friends; she fought alongside him in the ministry when she was fourteen.
Nobody was sitting outside Fortescue's- probably due to the chilly November air. Luna opened the door to the shop and was instantly bathed in warmth; during the winter Fortescue's was converted to a pub.
A dark-haired man was waving at Luna over in the corner. Her hand flew to her mouth.
"Dean?" She whispered. She hadn't seen him since the battle.
He patted the seat next to him. "Nice to see you, Luna. So, you've come of age now?"
She smiled, "No, I've been eighteen since last month. Now, as soon as Daddy gets out of St. Mungo's, we're going to hunt Snorkaks."
"Hunt?" Dean raised an eyebrow.
"Well, no, not hunt. Look for. We won't kill them."
She tapped her mug and it filled with a thick purple liquid. "So how have you been, Dean?"
He sighed and glanced down at his mug. "I've been having... tough times."
"Parvati?" Luna asked. Dean nodded. "She just doesn't seem pleased by anything."
Luna laughed softly, shaking her head. "Did you miss something important lately? Like your one-year anniversary, or her birthday?"
Dean's hand flew to his mouth. "Bloody hell-" he excused himself, "It was her birthday last Friday! Completely slipped my mind! I was too busy at St. Mungo's- your father's doing well, by the way." he added as an afterthought. "He should be able to be out soon."
Dean shook his head. "I can't believe myself." He took another sip of tea. "How's Neville?"
For a split second, Luna thought he was talking about the gnome Neville. Then she realized that he didn't even know that Neville was that gnome's name.
"I haven't seen him since the battle of Hogwarts, over a year ago." She confessed. His brow furrowed. "Really. I was under the impression that you two were together."
She shook her head, smiling. "No, just really good friends. Best friends. I've no idea where he is now, though."
"Hmm." Dean frowned and gulped the last dregs of his tea. "Odd. I always reckoned you two would end up together." He stood up. "Well, I've got to be getting back to St. Mungo's."
Luna stood as well. With a light tap she transfigured the strand of seaweed in her hair into a plaid cap with a "Save the Krumple-horned Snorckak" badge pinned on the front, which she tucked her very conspicuous bright blond hair into. Dean smiled at this, but made no comment. Luna threw her arms around him. "Goodbye, old friend. I'll take you out to search for Krumple-horned Snorckaks when Daddy gets better."
Dean patted her head. "Of course, Luna." He released her, then spun and disappeared with a loud crack. Luna smiled to herself, then disapparated as well.
Ginny was cooking in the Burrow's kitchen, humming a bouncy little tune. The reason for her happiness was none other than a certain black-haired green-eyed nineteen-year-old, who she was getting on quite well with.
Crack.
It startled her so much that she dropped the pot of boiling water on the floor. She swore loudly, then reached for her wand to clean it up.
"Scourgify." said a voice behind her, and the water was siphoned away.
Ginny turned. "Thanks, Luna. You startled me."
"I'm sorry." Luna threw off her pink traveling cloak. She draped it over the back of the chair, then went to help Ginny.
"Oh, I don't need anything here, Luna. But-" she bit her lip, thinking. "Would you terribly mind putting in that load of laundry?" She pointed her chin towards the basket sitting just outside the laundry room door. "I've been so busy lately- and Hermione is up in Ron's room, there's no way I can drag them apart."
"And Harry?" Luna asked, smiling as she picked up the basket.
"He should be home shortly." Ginny replied, her anxious eyes drifting unconsciously towards the famous Weasley clock. She snapped back to Luna. "He's got an interview at the Ministry."
"Where's your mum and dad, and George?" Luna asked, calling over the thrum of the old washing machine.
Ginny appeared in the doorway to the room, drying her hands with a yellowing dish towel. "Mum and Dad are talking about moving out; they say this house is too big for just them. They wanted to see if we- that is, Me, Hermione, Ron, Harry, you, George, and anybody else- would want it. I said we would, so now they're out looking at smaller, cheaper houses. And George is up visiting Fred's grave." Ginny's eyes clouded over. "You can join him, if you like."
Luna shook her head. "I never knew him like you did. I'd be disrupting."
"No." Ginny smiled sadly. "He'd enjoy the company."
"Well, if you think so." Luna replied. "I- I guess I'll go, then."
"Tell Fred... Tell Fred I say hi." Ginny replied unsteadily. Luna noticed that her hand was shaking on the pot handle.
"Of course." Luna replied kindly, disappearing through the door.
A bit of a hike later, Luna reached the top of the hill, where a bench, a grave, and a redheaded man sat. She wondered how he could stay here for so long- the cold was unbearable. She quietly walked toward him and slid onto the frosted bench.
George turned to look at her with unseeing eyes.
She rubbed his back. "Fred." she addressed the sky, rather than the grave. "I didn't know you as well as everyone else, but I wanted to let you know that I thought you were amazing. And I hope you're somewhere up on the moon, singing with all the Lunar Moonslugs. And Ginny wanted to say hi." she fell silent.
Then George spoke, for the first time in over a year. "Thanks, Luna."
"George." She tried to speak kindly. "Do you want to come back to the house?"
He shook his head.
"George, Fred wouldn't want you to be like this. Please. You're going to freeze out here."
"Maybe I want to freeze." George mumbled. Luna shook her head disbelievingly. "No, George. C'mon. Let me take you back."
Strangely, George let Luna help him down the hill towards the burrow. Luna had been staying in Fred and George's old room, because Mrs. Weasley had thought it'd be better for George if he didn't have to see the other empty bed.
"Let's get you to your room." Luna murmured. George looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "My room?"
Luna didn't bother correcting him. "Of course, George." She'd been careful to make sure she didn't accidentally call him Fred.
She lead him up the stairs of the Burrow to her room. She'd been staying in Fred's bed- she didn't think it was creepy at all, and it'd made her feel closer to him. She laid him down in his bed and shut the door after him.
Harry was down in the kitchen with Ginny when Luna got down there. They sprang apart as she entered the room, yet Luna had the feeling they'd been kissing.
"How is he?" Harry asked, touching her arm.
"He's asleep." Luna replied, throwing herself down on the couch to grab a copy of the Quibbler.
"Good." Ginny shook her head. "He hasn't been getting enough sleep."
Hermione walked, a bit unsteadily, into the kitchen. Her long hair was tied up into a loose bun at the back of her head and her eyes were bright.
"Having fun with Ron?" Ginny smirked.
"Oh, do shut up." Hermione retorted, sitting down primly next to Luna.
"Honestly, what type of brain damage did you suffer?" Ginny asked her. "Who in heaven's name would want to go out with him, let alone snog him?"
"He's a very good kisser, for your-" Hermione stopped, her face beetroot red. "Never you mind."
Harry sniggered, and Hermione shot him her most ferocious look.
"Well, where is Mr. Heart-break Weasley, then?" Ginny encountered.
"He's upstairs, fixing a poster that fell down."
Ron appeared on the steps a few minutes later, and, ignoring Harry, Ginny, and Luna, flew straight to Hermione. He sat next to her and put an arm around her. After a few seconds of staring at her like it was the first time he'd seen her in a year, he turned to look at Ginny and Harry, who were trying their best not to laugh.
"What's for dinner?"
"Honestly, Ronald, that's all you think about." Ginny retorted, turning to stir a pot of soup.
"No." Ron countered, "I think about Hermione much more."
Hermione's face, if possible, was even more red. Now Harry and Ginny couldn't hold in the laughter, and simply exploded in it.
"What?" Ron asked, his face furrowing angrily. Luna began to laugh, as well, putting down her copy of the Quibbler.
"Soup's done." Ginny gasped between giggles. "Hang on, I'll serve." She waved her wand, and six wooden bowls flew out of the cabinet. They landed neatly on the countertop, and, with another wave of her wand, a stream of soup shot to each bowl and filled them to the top. A tray flew out of the cabinet and one of the bowls rested on it.
"Would someone please bring this up to George?" Ginny asked. Hermione volunteered. Luna watched as she disappeared up the stairs, then picked up one of the bowls and brought it into the dining room. The rest followed suit, Ron balancing two: his and Hermione's.
A sharp rap on the door sounded. Luna leapt up. "I'll get it. I expect it's the bunch of Gurdyroots I've ordered." She didn't miss the look Ron gave Harry as she left the room.
She paused at the door. "Password?"
"Dumbledore's army." A very familiar voice answered.
Luna gasped and swung the door open. "Neville?"