The Audacious Truth
She could always see the good in him, even when he was too much of a bumbling fool to see it himself.
Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Harry Potter is solely Jk Rowling's. Darn.
"Oh- Hello, Neville!" He lifted his gaze from the stone floor, but the only things he was able to discern through his bleary eyes was her waving blonde hair and her azure eyes, looking larger than usual with pleasant surprise.
"Want to sit down?" His fatigue showed obviously in his voice.
"Alright, although there seems to be a large group of nargles floating around you." She flapped her hand in the air as she settled down next to him, shooing away the unseen pests.
"It's really over, isn't it." How had he gone from being so full of bravery, so ready to fight, to now hiding out in the deeper regions of the castle, acting like a coward? Perhaps it was because all the while he had been dueling, the images of his parents, condemned to a life of forever being oblivious and sterile sheets, kept creeping up on him.
"It does appear to be." Luna nodded, and somehow her melodious tone calmed his stretched nerves.
"How is your father?" He wanted to know how she was doing, to escape his own thoughts.
"Lovely, I am sure. Daddy will be so pleased to know that the lost diadem isn't lost anymore. He was making a bust of it, you know."
"Yeah, you mentioned it when we were in the Room of Requirement." He almost cracked a smile, leave it to Luna to talk about such mundane subjects in the face of danger. "I wonder if the Room of Requirement made it through the battle…" He added as an afterthought. Neville had grown rather fond of that room. For once, it had given him an opportunity to exceed in something; to have others look to him for guidance.
"I hope so. I think it helped you gain some confidence this year." He flushed and stared hard at his blood and mud stained shoes.
"You really are a great wizard, Neville." She shifted so she was facing him. Even though she spoke in her normal dreamy manner, the passion behind her words was clear.
"No, I've never been very good. You're much better than me." Neville's cheeks deepened in color to an embarrassing vermillion shade.
"You just aren't sure of yourself yet. Once you are, you'll see what I do." She replied simply.
"What do you see?" He mumbled back, not quite certain he wanted to know the answer.
"A valiant, loyal and handsome wizard who doesn't know himself very well yet." She cocked her head to the side. Her piercing gaze felt like it was probing his soul. "I also see a man who I would like to kiss me."
He started at her words. However, nothing in her face suggested she was kidding. After all, when had she ever joked? This was Luna Lovegood. The girl known for her uncomfortable frankness.
This was his moment. He was the son of Alice and Frank Longbottom, who chose insanity over giving away information. He was the slayer of the Dark Lord's snake. The one who had finally proven to the world he was not merely mediocre.
He thought of these things as he leaned closer to her, pushing away his frenzied qualms. His eyes were closed as their lips met, but it was the first time he felt he had really seen Luna. Beneath the odd antics and the fantastical creatures she chased after, laid a girl with a pure heart. Someone who saw things in their rawest form, under all the layers. She had always seen the good in him, and now he was starting to, too.
A/N: I had writer's block today with my Story Love Never Dies, so I decided to do this one-shot. There's something I really like about this pairing. I think that Luna would have helped Neville come out of his shell and find more confidence. And he would have been her balance between fantasy and reality. So yeah, please review!