It was Wintry, and snow was gingerly floating through the air in the streets of Hogsmeade. Neville closed his eyes and drew the cold air in. He was as close to home as he was going to get, being back at Hogwarts, finally teaching Herbology. He loved having this job, even if it had only been a few years, but the hole in his heart had never fully repaired since she had left.

Luna, yes Luna had left. Of all of the people, he thought, why did it have to be her? When the war was finally over and things were being repaired and put back in their proper places, they had been together. It was sweet to think about whenever he looked back on it. They way that they knew each other, how the laughed and would spend hours walking outside, he looking for plants, her for Nargles and Wrackspurts. Eventually, it seemed, the Nargles and Wrackspurts drew Luna away. She was more nomadic and determined to find things. He needed to stay, he needed to finish school and take care of his parents and grandmother, both of which were ailing in age. And so she left, and he let her go. He couldn't see her tied down and restless like that. She flew away to the sound of the songbirds, and he hadn't heard them sing since.

He numbed soon enough. He went out with Hannah Abbot, but when he looked into her eyes and they weren't the crystal blue that always told him of a future of secure happiness, he couldn't bear it. That was two years ago since he told Hannah that he just couldn't be with her. It didn't please him to watch her hazel eyes brim with tears, but they weren't what he needed. She understood that, he hoped.

And so, Professor Neville Longbottom ambled down the alleys like he had done years ago as a student, and found his way to the main street. Keeping his head down against the wind, he shuffled to the pub, needing a drink to ease both the cold and the emotional pain. He was just past Zonko's when a boy, about three years old, ran straight into his leg. Neville was jerked back into reality and looked into the startled child's eyes. He knew those eyes, didn't he?

Yes, he knew those eyes, he knew them because as soon as he was about to ask the child where his mother was, she rounded the corner, calling for him with that same airy voice, hauling what seemed to be his twin brother along by the hand. Her large eyes grew wider as she came to an abrupt halt. The gaze between them was unmistakable, but the body language kept tight. Stunned, they each stood there, their mouths frozen in a half grin out of surprise. The boy still near Neville's shin broke the trance as he ran back to her, tugging on her wrist. Each of the boys were begging her to let him go into the joke shop and have some fun, and Luna being Luna giggled and told them to hang on just one more minute.

She blushed and gazed back up at him, "Hello Neville Longbottom," She said simply, "I see that you've met my children."

He tensed at the sound of her voice, feeling lucky to hear it after so long, he blushed in return and did the nervous laugh he always had around her, "Aha, I seem to have, haven't I? Let's not keep them waiting though, shall we?" He opened the door, and she beamed at him. The boys burst in feeling nothing but joy, while Neville was unsure of anything to feel, and so he walked inside, a mixture of hope and joy and regret and memories.

It was loud in the store, but she did her best to multitask between keeping an eye on the twins and telling him about what had happened. She was in the mountains finding all of the creatures, having the time of her life, she wrote him, but the letters were never sent. This mended and broke his heart all at the same time; she thought of him, but had never gotten to show it. The boys were of her ex-fiancé, Rolf Scamander, he left shortly after they were born, breaking her heart, their engagement, and their family.

"They look like you though, Luna," Neville told her thoughtfully, as she scooped one up off of the floor, and scolded the other for pushing him down.

Her lips upturned at this, "I like to think so," and kissed the child on her hip on the cheek. He firmly wiped it away and she giggled. Brushing Neville's arm, making him tense she airily continued, "I want to know about you, Professor! How about getting something to eat?" He couldn't deny her voice, sweet as cream, and he had yearned for it so long, and so he went, being pulled along by a three year old, Luna leading the way.

Scuttling through the people, they did indeed get a few strange looks from those that they knew. Luna just played it off, smiled, and continued. Neville dodged the crowd and opened the door. A rush of heat hit their rosy cheeks and they were happy to be there. Sitting and sipping drinks, he told her his story; how he finished school, his first years of teaching, even about Hannah, but leaving out some of the more in depth details. He did tell her though of how he wrote her, in the beginning when things were hardest for him, but had nowhere to send them to. He watched her face at this, she flushed and looked down, smoothing her sleepy child's hair.

Slowly, her eyes rose to meet his. Their gazes held sadness and regret.

Her glance shifted downward again, "I'm sorry I left." He understood, he really did. It had been six years for crying out loud, he had come to terms with her reasoning and he knew her well enough to understand. Luna was not the type to be tied down to something, she flitted and floated about, exploring and learning. She was a butterfly, hard to catch, but lovely to find.

"I understand why, Luna." He stated softly, it was all he could muster to say in a restaurant full of people and her children.

"Thank you," she said, catching a single tear on her cheek. He touched her other hand that was lying on the table between them and smiled softly at her. In that one look, he saw what she had felt while she was away. He saw pain and happiness and regret and many other things all at once.

She saw loneliness in his, but forgiveness and understanding outweighed everything.

Lorcan, the twin that had ran into Neville earlier that day had taken to him and was now laying asleep in his lap. Luna had Lysander in hers and just smiled. Things were almost back to normal, Neville thought. However, he never would've thought that it would be like this though, years later with her having twins and their father leaving them all. He felt bad for her seeing the three of them, her eyes told the story of heartache. They were always telling him stories when he looked at them it seemed.

Looking down at Lorcan and then out the window to see the dusk settling Neville realized how long they had been sitting there. "Luna," he suggested, "I think it's time we leave. Where are you staying?"

Agreeing she looked up at him, "We just got in today, I hadn't had the chance to arrange anything. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing…" she trailed off quietly.

Doing that half nervous laugh of his he invited them to stay with him with it being the weekend he was going back to his house anyway instead of staying at the castle.

"Oh, Neville, I couldn't! "She pleaded out of her kindness alone.
"Luna, I've got a spare room. You and the boys can stay for as long as you need to." He insisted. He did this out of friendship, even if his heart ached to have her sleep next to him again; it was not on his priority list for the time being. Sheepishly, Luna agreed and they both rose with a twin on their hip, stepping out into the frosty night.

Apparating into Neville's living room, they shook the snow off of them the best they could while holding onto the boys. Lysander stirred in Luna's arms but was soon placed on the spare bed with his brother. Free of small children, they were back in the living room, just looking at one another. In the awkward silence their eyes met and then both erupted in laughter. Luna hugged him then. He was taken aback, but hugged her in return. She missed her best friend after all of this time. He never stopped missing her.

Pulling away, she looked at him, "I miss you." She said. That was all she said and he was pulling her back into his chest.

"I never stopped." He whispered into her hair. Luna's arms tightened around him, he could feel the tears leaking from her eyelashes onto his shirt. Neville eased her onto the couch, and she cried to him. She cried of her pain from the last six years. She cried of how the last three were the hardest because she had no one to help her, and she had thought that she found someone again, and he left her, with two kids nonetheless.

He did nothing but hold her. He wanted to kiss her and tell her it would be okay in the morning, but he didn't and it wouldn't. In the morning there would still be two twin boys in his spare bedroom without a father, and she would still be fighting for the three of them to stay together. She would still be upset, and he would still be lonely. He would not lie to Luna. And so he let her cry on his shoulder.

He told her tales of his teaching, of how he actually never got over her, of everything. Things she liked and things to just pass the time. This lulled her to a calm and he turned to face her, "Luna,"

"Yes?"
"Go to bed. Go to bed with your boys, they'll need you in the morning."

Sniffling, she nodded, for Neville was right, her boys needed her no matter how much she fell apart at night, she put herself back together for them in the morning. This was not wholly the Luna that Neville had known, the world had gotten to her, but she was there. And he was determined to make her okay again. As for himself, he tumbled into bed exhausted.

Rolling over with a sigh, he awoke that morning to chatter. Disoriented, he lie there and pieced together what was yesterday. Was it real? Was Luna really here, in his house? Did she really have twins? Yes, it was true because right then, he heard the bounding footsteps of the boys from the other room. He smiled because as he remembered yesterday, he remembered the feeling of being whole again. And with that, he heaved himself off of the mattress and into some clothes.

The sight in his kitchen however was anything but something he was used to. Luna was cheerful again, her long tapestry of hair piled on top of her head in a bun as she bewitched the pots and pans for breakfast. Lorcan and Lysander were wrestling one another and giggling. Luna hadn't known he was up yet; he didn't know how to greet her. Obviously they weren't together, but still. Neville couldn't take things being awkward. All he wanted was his best friend back.

As if right on cue, Luna twirled around and smiled. "Morning Nev! Breakfast?"

He couldn't help but laugh at her and think of all the other times that she had done this for him, "Sounds lovely." He said, returning the twinkle in her eye.

The day was spent inside, inspecting for Narlges and the like to keep the boys busy. Neville would watch her from time to time, when she was with them. They were her world. They held her together. All of that purity in her eyes had been transferred into those two little blonde haired boys. He was happy seeing her happy.

And again, night had fallen. Lorcan and Lysander were fast asleep and Neville found himself on his couch with that beautiful woman that he called his best friend once more. The two of them were just talking, recalling events from the day that has passed between them, laughing at the wit of two three year olds.

Out of nowhere, Luna grabbed his hand. Raising an eyebrow, about to question her, she had lit into explaining already.

"Neville, I miss you. I'm sorry that I left so long ago. And I don't want to rush into this, but I want you. I have to take care of the boys and I have to be a good parent, but Rolf was never you. I don't even know why I stayed with him like I did, and then he just left when I was determined to make it work for them…"

She was rambling and it took all of his strength to listen to her like he was. Luna was still talking, her grip progressively tightening on his hand when he untangled it, grabbed her face and kissed her dead on the lips. It was soft, but it was a kiss, and how he had missed kissing her.

"Does that help any?" Neville said, his wit showing a bit more.

Luna smiled at him, "Yes" she said softly, bending up to kiss him on the cheek. They both smiled. There was once upon a time, a couple of years after Luna had left that Neville questioned himself. He wondered if he was just being obsessive now, or if he really did love her and that was the cause of his yearning. He knew now, she was back, he loved her and the songbirds could sing again.

They fell asleep curled together on the couch. Just sleeping, it was all they needed. The comfort that each of them found was something that they had been searching to replace for the past six years and couldn't.

The morning sunshine drifted through the cold window panes. Shafts of the light illuminated that shock of blonde waves that was Luna's hair. Neville smiled, Luna's eyelashes fluttered open. She was smiling, he was smiling, and it was a good feeling to have back.

"Morning Professor," she whispered and her lips brushed his. Neville smiled in the middle of that kiss, something he had not done in a very long time.

Suddenly though, Neville's eyes sprung open and he stopped. Luna pulled back and arched her delicate eyebrow. His gaze cut into her, "I have to teach today." He said with an air of realization. Somewhat stiff from sleeping on the couch all night, he arose. "I'm sorry.." He trailed.

With that airy tone to her small voice she simply replied "I know, have a good day, Nev." And kissed his cheek.

He was a bit confused, but that was Luna for you. Smiling to himself, he dressed and wandered back to find her awaking her boys. The children had taken to Neville quite well over the three days that they had spent together, and so they smiled sleepily at him.

"Boys, Neville's got to go to work today, will you be good and help Mummy clean up?" Luna asked sweetly.

They answered her with groans that erupted into giggles when she started to tickle them.

"Be good and help your Mum, boys. Have a good day Lune." He kissed her on the cheek and apparated with a crack.