Neville Longbottom was working on his birthday. As always. Sure, school wasn't in session right now, but he was prepping for the new term. He was nothing if not devoted to his students. Plus, ever since he and Hannah slip up after only a year of marriage, and a very tumultuous year at that, he had been keeping himself busy, trying to avoid thinking about…her. Not Hannah, mind you. Her. And just as he was vehemently avoiding certain memories of a certain someone teaching him to waltz in the grassy field by her house on his 18th birthday, there was a knock on the door. There was a short pattering of foot steps.
"Hello, professor." Her voice was breath. It was as soft and melodic and familiar as ever. And with two short words, his life turned around. It was her. Luna Lovegood.
"Luna." He said, aghast. He hadn't seen her in years. Hadn't heard her voice in years. And the last thing he expected was for her to waltz into his green house like a day hadn't passed between the last time they were face to face.
"What are you doing, Professor Longbottom? It's your birthday. Shouldn't you be celebrating with your wife?" Luna didn't look mocking, just genuinely curious. She sat on his desk.
"Hannah and I split. A little under a year ago."
"Oh, Nev, I'm sorry! I had no idea." Luna frowned, immediately apologetically.
"No, it's fine. It was mutual. We just, didn't work anymore." He shrugged and offered a smile. He didn't tell her she was the reason, of course. That would be rude. Plus she had Rolf. "Speaking of which, last I checked you had a fiancée?"
"No longer. He left me three months ago. For Terry Boot, oddly enough." She let out a laugh and Neville's eyebrows shot up.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I must admit, I didn't see that one coming." It was quiet in the office then. Luna sat on Neville's desk, looking as if she belonged there. Because,of course, in Neville's mind, she did. "Tell me the truth, Nev. Why are you working on your birthday?"
"I have nothing better to do."
"Come on." She tugged his hand. "We are going to Hogsmeade and we are apparating out and we are going on an adventure." He looked at her, incredulous, but she pouted at him, and he, as always, couldn't say no.
Before he knew it, he was standing outside a café in Paris.
"Luna, what in the name of Godric Gryffindor are we doing in France?"
"It's an adventure, Neville! Come on, has professorhood mellowed you so extremely you can't just do something?" she flung her arms out and he couldn't help but grin at her. She was effervescent. And he supposed there were few things better than spending your birthday in Paris with a beautiful woman.
The day and evening were a whirlwind. They ate lunch, and went shopping. Luna had outfitted herself in a large, floppy, blue sun hat, several silver bangles, giant sunglasses and a silk scarf. Neville had been coerced into a straw fedora, a pair of square sunglasses, and an old Navy style jacket. The took pictures in a muggle photobooth and told everyone the met fake names. They went to the Louvre, and then ate dinner at the café that van Gogh painted. They drank good champagne and ate bread and good pasta and shared crème brulee. Luna held his hand the entire time, and he wasn't sure what it meant but he didn't really care. For the first time in years he was happy. People stopped them on the street and told them they made a beautiful couple, and Luna just leaned over and kissed his cheek and thanked them. They watched the sun set on the Champs Elysee. They laid in the grass and watched the lights move up the Eiffel Tower. And after it was lit they climbed the dozens of stairs, giggling like children, all the way to the top. There was a breeze, but it was warm and Mediterranean. Luna leaned over the balcony, her scarf fluttering slightly.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked, looking down over the city, lit up beneath the starry sky. Neville moved beside her and leaned over himself.
"Perfect." He turned to Luna, and smiled at her. "And so is this. This birthday. Thank you, Luna."
"You deserved it, Neville. Everyone needs to have a little fun now and then. Oh!" she exclaimed "Look at that building! The lights change colors. How stunning." Neville watched her, awestruck, as she stared dreamily at the lights. Here he was, in the City of Love, in the dead of night, at the top of the Eiffel tower, on the best day of his life, with a beautiful woman. The love of his life, he let himself think for the first time since he got married. So he took a deep breath, and dug up some of that long buried Gryffindor courage and took Luna's face in his hands.
"Yes, you are." He said, quietly. And then he kissed her. And she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. And he thought, as he smiled, moving his lips against hers, what a sight they must have been. Him, in his fedora and glasses and odd jacket, and Luna, with her long blonde hair, and flowing scarf and floppy hat and giant glasses, wrapped together on the top of the Eiffel tower, amidst the lights of Paris. He pulled away, slowly and looked into those deep pale eyes he loved so dearly.
"I was hoping you'd do that." She said quietly, smiling.
"I love you, Luna Lovegood. Thank you for giving me the best birthday I've ever had. Even better than when you taught me to waltz." He grinned at her.
"I love you too, Neville Longbottom." She smiled up at him wryly. "May I have this dance?" she asked, laughing.
"Always." He answered, wrapping her in his arms and swaying her slowly, there beneath the stars, on top of the world in every way possible.