A/N: This was written for the Heartbreak Competition by swimmergirl101. Do you like it? Do you? If you do, you can tell me all about it in your review. If you don't like it, you can tell me all about it in your review. ;)

Tell Me Again Tomorrow

Dead by dawn, he'd said. The thought didn't bother her. She had accepted the possibility of her untimely death; they were in the middle of a battle after all and she had already seen many people fall. Enemies and friends. It wouldn't surprise her if she was next, no, it wouldn't surprise her at all. But he had also said, I love you which was good to hear, surprisingly good and the confession was welcome. But... No doubt it was a Wrackspurt's fault. Luna couldn't really see any of those creatures floating around Neville's head but she was quite certain that one of them had managed to sneak into his brain and made him say all these crazy things. And to think people called her "Loony"!

"You can go now, Neville." she told him with a voice so distant, it seemed rather odd, even to her and she didn't even bother to so much as glance his way.

"Did you hear me?" Neville insisted.

"I heard you just fine, Neville, thanks." Luna replied, avoiding a curse that had strayed her way. "But as you can see, I'm quite busy at the moment."

"Everyone is busy at the moment, Luna!" he laughed and pulled her behind a wall which, despite being damaged, looked like a good hiding spot.

Luna noted that despite the dirt and the blood and the exhaustion, Neville looked particularly handsome. She refrained from telling him but she thought it and the thought made her feel warm and tingly inside and for a second, she wished that he would have chosen another time and place to admit his feelings for her. She wondered whether he would be standing there with her, if there wasn't the fear of dying; dead before dawn, what an awful thing to say!

"I might not get a chance to tell you later! You know? Because we... You..." he shook his head. "Because I might not make it."

"There's a good chance both of us will be dead shortly." she nodded, using her most casual tone and Neville didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. It was just Luna being Luna, making an honest remark and it was a source of comfort but he imagined how much he would miss her if... He refused to think about that.

"Damn it, Luna! Let me say this, properly, will you?" he urged.

And Luna simply said "No".

"No? What do you mean 'no'?" Neville questioned.

"I mean, no." she told him, smiling sweetly. "We have to go. Harry needs our help. We have no time to waste."

"Harry will be fine without our help for a couple of minutes! Luna, I don't want to die without having told you..." he retorted and a shadow passed over his eyes before he regained his previous expression which could only be described as cheerful, only it wasn't. Not really.

"You don't have to do this." Luna said. "Really, you don't."

"But I do." Neville said and pulled her head close to his, to look deep inside her eyes, all the while caressing her blonde hair, as if they were the softest thing on the planet. "I love you, Luna. I love the way you skip around instead of walking! I love your odd jewellery! I love your blunt honesty and your serenity and the fact that you are willing to forgive anyone about anything! And if I died before telling you, well, wouldn't it be a shame?" he concluded and gave her a quick but passionate kiss.

Luna just stood there, saying nothing and blinking excessively. It was her first real kiss and it could very well be her last. It should have been different. There should have been sunlight and happiness, not mayhem and death surrounding them. There should have been laughter, not screaming. They shouldn't be there. They shouldn't be forced to share kisses and loving words in a haste, with tragedy looming over their heads. Luna wanted to cry.

"Say something!" Neville begged, fearing that having his heart broken by Luna Lovegood would be much worse than any Avada Kedavra could ever be.

Luna turned her eyes to him dreamily. She really loved Neville, with all her heart but given their current situation, she couldn't bring herself to say the right words. Her famous blunt honesty -which Neville loved so dearly- failed her, as screams of terror and pain reached her ears.

"I have to go! I have to!" she said to him and calmly made her way back to the battle. Tell me again later, tell me again tomorrow, if we're both alive, tell me then and I will say the right words, I will, I swear, if only we are both alive, please, please, please, tell me again tomorrow!

Neville watched her walk away and hoped this wouldn't be the last time he saw her. Agonizing pain claimed his heart. But there was much to be done and he couldn't keep lurking behind walls that despite being destroyed, seemed like they were in better shape than his heart . At least you know now, don't you and that's all that matters, that's all I wanted, you know now and it was worth it, the heartache was worth it, the pain was worth it, that one kiss was definitely worth it and if I die, at least you know...

Neville steeled himself for the fight and prayed that Luna would be alright. When the battle was over, he was relieved to see that Luna had survived. But he sighed to himself and decided that he wouldn't tell her he loved her ever again.

Later in her life, Luna Scamander (née Lovegood) would remember and regret the moment when she didn't admit her feelings for Neville Longbottom. As happy as her life would be, married to a remarkable man and having two beautiful children, she would never be able to forget how, by breaking Neville's heart, she had succeeded in breaking her own heart as well.