Spoilers: Nothing specific- some references to an uncertain future.
Pairing: Neville/Luna
Uncertain TimesLuna leaned forward in her seat and gazed out of the window as the Hogwarts Express rolled south. The wildness of the north had somehow melted into more gentle countryside- soft rolling hills, hedge rows and little farms, picturesque cottages.
And yet everywhere, north and south, was covered in coils and fingers of icy grey mist.
"It's awful, isn't it?" Neville pressed his nose to the glass. His shoulder nudged against Luna's. "The whole world's getting colder…"
"Yes." Luna gave a solemn nod. "It must be the Grindlebears."
Neville glanced at her, wondering if she was joking. "Grindlebears?"
His question was greeted with a wide-eyed look of innocence. "Don't you know?" Luna sounded incredulous. "Grindlebears absorb sunlight."
"Well, I've never see one," Neville said.
Luna gave him a gentle shake of her head. "Well you wouldn't have, would you? They're invisible."
"Invisible. Right."
Luna, clearly assuming the conversation to be finished, settled back in her seat and extracted a copy of the Quibbler from her robes.
Neville also settled back down. His eyes, however, remained glued to the window. For some reason he found himself transfixed by the two patches of frosted glass – the two cloudy Os – that had formed on the window, one where Neville had breathed and the other belonging to Luna. It was an odd feeling, staring at these blatant signs of life.
Life that was so fragile these days… So easily extinguished.
"Wow." Luna waved her copy of the Quibbler at Neville, interrupting his reverie. "It says in here you can see into the future just by having a bath. Listen: 'Forget tea leaves and crystal balls; bath suds are the new fortunetelling vogue.' Isn't that amazing?"
Neville forced himself to smile. "Yeah… Amazing…"
"You're gloomy." Luna delivered this astute observation in a gentle, almost impassive tone.
"I don't mean to be," Neville said. He looked hard at Luna. "It's just that I can't really see there being any future to foretell."
Only Dark Marks glistening green in the sky, revenge killings, war, unforgivable curses, lost friends, lost hope-
Darkness.
Neville swallowed. It had to be done. He rummaged inside his robes for a moment before producing a small gold ring hanging on a chain. "The world is getting so dark and dangerous," Neville began. "I just wondered… Well, it might sound a bit stupid but-"
"I'd love to!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh." Luna turned and stared fixedly out at the window; her gaze drifted emptily across the fog-drenched landscape. "I thought you were going to ask me out," she said, a little sad.
"I was going to ask if you might consider – well – here's my mother's wedding ring." Neville passed the ring to Luna. His hands trembled. "I wondered if you would like to marry me. Sometime. In the future. Perhaps?"
"Oh." Luna's huge silvery eyes didn't even blink. "That might be nice."
"Really?"
"Yes." Luna gave a dreamy half-smile. "I'd like it if you would-"
Neville leaned forward and pressed a clumsy kiss to her lips. He blushed as they broke apart.
Luna's smile broadened. "That was nice," she said, in her soft, lilting voice. She held the wedding ring for a moment before looping the chain about her neck. "We need safety questions."
"I'm sorry?"
"You know- to protect against polyjuice potion impostors." Luna scrunched up her face as though deep in thought. "What's your favourite plant, Neville?" she asked at last.
"My favourite plant is... umm... Mallowsweet. Centaurs burn it to refine the results of their stargazing and it, err, smells nice. So, Luna, um, what's your greatest ambition?"
She didn't once hesitate. "My greatest ambition is toprove to the world that the Crumple-Horned Snorkack really does exist."
"A worthy goal," Neville said. He looked across as Luna-seeingher as if for the first time.
Sure she was crazy - he'd always know that - but she was so many other things too: brave, honest, sincere, caring and even strangely beautiful.
And it felt good, really really good, to be facing these uncertain times with someone by his side.
Neville smiled.
The End