Signal Fire, a harry potter fanfic

Author's Note: This is HarryLuna fluff. I warn you, it doesn't make much sense and its a bit rubbish. Set after the final battle in DH, so spoilers aplenty. Oh, and also, my birth certificate doesn't have the name 'J.K Rowling' on it; so make your own guesses as to whether or not I own Harry Potter. This is also a songfic, so I just wanna say I don't own the lyrics to the song 'Signal Fire' by Snow Patrol. Anyways, enjoy!

Signal Fire

A few stray rays of weak sunlight filtered through the window of Gryffindor Tower and fell onto the face of Harry Potter. Slowly, his eyelids slid back, revealing startling green eyes that, for once, did not seem tired and lifeless. Slowly getting up, Harry looking around the room, at the empty beds, as if wondering where he was. 'Its been a long time since I've slept like that,' he couldn't help but think. Slowly Harry picked up a towel and headed off for a shower.

Showers after a war are a strange thing. Harry watched the combination of dirt and blood run off of him, onto the shower cubicle's floor, and into the small drain, and couldn't help but think about the people he'd lost. Sirius and Dumbledore…the pain from those two had slowly broken down until nothing remained but a dull ache in his heart when he thought of them. New losses, however, felt like daggers digging themselves deep into his beating heart, sliding in and out to the rhythm of the blood pulsing in his veins. Lupin…Fred…Tonks…not to mention Colin Creevey, who he had often thought of as an annoying gnat-like creature, and Dobby, the house-elf who had shown so much compassion and understanding for Harry…all gone.

As he was fiercely scrubbing shampoo into his unruly black hair, trying to stop the ache in his heart, reality slammed back into him, and he stopped scrubbing, stepped back, inadvertently backing into the streams of water flowing from the shower head. And thus, the saviour of the wizarding world got shampoo in is eyes and winced, cursing under his breath. Rinsing the shampoo out of his hair (and eyes), Harry dried himself off and wrapped his towel around his waist, feeling truly clean for the first time in months. As he dragged his clothes on, wincing from cuts and bruises (and old scars), he sighed, and stood up, pulling on a t-shirt, then his old black robes that had never felt more comforting. He had killed Voldemort. The war was over. So why did he still feel so…empty?

Looking at the clock, he was surprised to see that it was only 6.30 in the morning. He presumed everyone had just slept wherever was nearest; only Harry had bothered to go somewhere familiar. He left the dormitory, and went through the empty common room, and out of the portrait hole, down to the Great Hall where everyone had celebrated his victory over the Dark Lord. As he entered, he let out a breath he had been unaware of holding, remembering thankfully that they had moved the bodies to other rooms. He wasn't quite sure if he could deal with the faces of his deceased friends, and foe, this early. He noted that there were a few people sitting around: Professors Sprout and Flitwick were avidly discussing the previous night's events at the staff table, Pansy Parkinson looked up and soon darted out ('Perhaps he's remembered how she wanted to hand me over to Voldemort?' Harry thought dryly), and a few second year Hufflepuffs sat at their table, giving Harry reverent glances as he entered.

Slipping into a seat on the Gryffindor table, food appeared on the platters before him, and he picked up a plain toasted bagel silently, buttering it then spreading it with strawberry jam. Taking a bite, he sighed with a smile. Peace at last. Suddenly, the Great Hall's doors opened and Harry's best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, entered. Harry smiled slightly at them, before almost choking as he noticed they were holding hands. Calming himself before they came, Harry sighed. 'Its not as if it wasn't going to happen, they way they kissed each other last night,' he thought. Ron and Hermione seated themselves opposite Harry, helping themselves to breakfast whilst surveying him carefully, before Hermione asked quietly,

"So, um, Harry…you…alright?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Aside from my heart feeling like its being stabbed repeatedly whenever I think of people who have died because of me, and the fact that Ron's sister seems to be avoiding me, I'm fine."

It was true. After visiting Dumbledore's office last night, he had meant to go and talk to Ginny, but as soon as she caught sight of him, she ran in the opposite direction. Ron coughed awkwardly, "Look mate, its just…Ginny moved on while we were away. I'm guessing she's going a girl thing-" he earned a glare from Hermione for this, "-and is avoiding you because she 'doesn't want to hurt any more than she does already'…"

Harry frowned, before shrugging, "Well…I'm…okay…with that. How're you guys anyways?"

Hermione and Ron shared a happy look, sharing thoughts secretly in that one look, before Hermione replied, "We're great, Harry. I mean, aside from the Fred-Lupin-and-Tonks thing…" Both of his friends' faces turned downcast and afraid, and Harry noted their grip on each other's hands tightened, "We don't…blame you Harry. No-one does."

'You don't blame me, eh? Then why are you so afraid to tell me so?' Harry thought bitterly. He got up annoyedly, "Look, no offence, but I don't really want to spend my time with two lovebirds who are intent on lying to my face."

Ron fired up immediately, "Well, I'm sorry for feeling you're partly to blame for this stupid war that all started because Voldemort wanted to kill you! This stupid war that killed one of my brothers!"

Harry snarled back, " News flash, Bilius, but Fred isn't the only one who died last night! I died too, but I didn't think you'd care about that, since you're so busy blaming me for everything that's happened!"

And with that, Harry swept from the Great Hall, intending to head down to the only place he could clear his head. On his way down to the lake, he silently fumed, until he caught sight of the calm, peaceful lake. It reflected the cloudy heavens above him, so for a moment Harry thought he was looking at a pool of sky. He noticed a figure sitting by the lake, her legs crossed, her posture upright, and her dirty blonde hair tied up and held in a messy bun by her wand, small locks falling out around her face. Her wide grey eyes were shut, and she appeared to be meditating. Harry could only tell it was Luna when he spotted her radish earrings and Butterbeer cap necklace.

The perfect words never crossed my mind, cause there was nothing in there but you.

'She looks beautiful when she's so serene,' Harry thought, before shaking himself, 'Bad brain. Shut up. She is my friend, nothing more. Walking up to her quietly, he murmured,

"Hey, Luna. Can I sit here with you?" Instead of a reply, Harry got,

"Meditation is very good for troubled minds."

He shrugged. It was a close to a yes as he'd get from the odd girl. He sat next to her quietly, observing the giant squid moving under the surface of the lake, a dark shadow on a reflected sky. Luna opened her eyes and relaxed, saying absent-mindedly to the squid,

"Yes, it is rather excellent that Harry killed Voldemort. I'm glad you noticed it." Luna turned the full effect of her languid stare upon Harry,

"He says thank you. But I guess that doesn't matter because you feel…" she tilted her head, "…empty."

Harry took a deep breath, and tried to speak, several times. He couldn't form sentences all of a sudden, as much as he tried. Luna's serene expression did not change as she rifled through her bag and drew out a warm flask of tea. Unscrewing the lid and pouring the tea into it, she smiled, before pressing the cup into Harry's cold hands, " Milk, and the equivalent of one sugar. Tea always helps me talk after the Nargles attack."

I felt every ounce of me screaming out, but the sound was trapped deep in me.

"I don't even like tea!" Harry said in protest as the cup was forced into his hand, and yet he found he enjoyed the way it warmed his hands, and so took a sip, swallowed, then suddenly let it all out, between sips.

All I wanted just sped right past me, while I was rooted fast to the earth.

"Its just, all of these people have died for the cause I was leading, -sip- and I feel like its my fault, because they all thought I was the Chosen One and all that stuff, -sip- and Ron and Hermione have blatantly had sex, -sip- they practically reek of it, that's how bad they are at hiding it, and even though I've killed Voldemort, -sip- I'm still alone, my best friends have all got someone to go home to, -sip- but I don't, well, technically I've got Grimmauld Place, -sip- and I suppose I can go see the Dursleys, -sip- but I just feel like no one sees me for who I am, -sip- I'm either the guy who got their relatives killed, or the guy who's saved them all and therefore needs to be worshipped, -sip- and I just wish I had some consistency in my life!"

I could be stuck here for a thousand years, without your arms to drag me out.

Harry went to have another sip, but found the small cup empty, so he looked at Luna. The dreamy girl looked the Luna equivalent of bemused, and poured him another cup, before saying quietly, "Go on." Harry sighed, taking a sip before saying exhaustedly, "I dunno, Luna. People keep changing their opinion of me, or the way they act around me, or whatever. I wish they wouldn't treat me like Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. I just want to be seen as Harry Potter. Not the guy who got their relatives killed, not the guy who supposedly saved them all, just Harry Potter, who, just by being born, somehow got himself into all this stuff. I wish everyone treated me like…like you do, Luna." He gave a weak smile, taking a long sip of the tea, "You're about the only person in my life who is consistent."

There you are, standing right in front of me.

"See. Tea is good, isn't it? You wouldn't be drinking quite so much, though, if you let out your thoughts once in a while. People who bottle things up re more likely to get attacked by the Nargles…" Luna trailed off, before resuming her lotus position,

"I know. You should meditate with me. Come on, cross your legs, sit up straight, and rest you hands on your knees, palms up. Then close your eyes and relax." Straight away Luna closed her eyes, and Harry stared at her oddly. 'Well…it couldn't hurt to try…' Harry thought, as he hurried to get into the lotus position and copied Luna. He closed his eyes, and just tried to drift off. It was certainly not as easy as Luna made it look, so Harry opened one eye and observed the girl next to him. Looking at her was calming, the sight of someone familiar and someone who would not suddenly bite his head off was rare for him. He couldn't help but admire how her hair fell in subtle waves, and smile slightly at the way she looked so serene and almost…otherworldly. And yet Harry felt sad, as if he was breaking slowly just by looking at her. Luna was bullied every day of her life, she had no mother, and she spent her days believing in creatures that did not exist. And yet she carried on, not changing despite all this. He slowly felt calmer, though, when he realised just how similar he and Luna Lovegood were.

All this fear falls away to leave me naked.

Hold me close, 'cause I need you to guide me to safety.

Harry flopped back onto the grass with a sigh, murmuring,

"How can you just carry on?"

He stared up at the sky and wasn't particularly surprised when he started to rain on them. He was surprised, however, to find Luna lying next to him when he looked to his right. Luna smiled slightly, "I think of the good things. And I hope that one day, others will realise Crumple-Horned Snorkaks really do live in Sweden, and Nargles really are what stop you from speaking when you need to the most. Faith is the one thing that keeps me going. Faith that there will always be Frabdolas in the clouds, and faith that I still have people like you, Harry." She spoke sincerely yet in the same sing-song voice she always spoke in. She gave him a one armed hug from her place on the ground, before looking despairingly at the droplets falling from the sky,

"Oh dear. We'd better get inside, before the Sprinkies eat our shoes."

Luna had already set off towards the castle while Harry was still hurriedly getting up, near-soaked already and wondering just what Sprinkies were. He watched her for a few seconds, as she pulled her hair out and shook it, a long, notted mane of pale gold.

In the confusion and the aftermath, you are my signal fire.

Harry paused, suddenly remembering something from his travels, "Luna…I really appreciate what you and your dad did. Saying you still had faith in me so openly. It…it meant a lot. And I'm sorry you got locked up in Malfoy Manor. And I'm sorry your dad got locked up too. I'm sorry about everything."

Luna looked oddly at Harry, as if he was mad, and sighed.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry. Daddy and I were probably a little careless with expressing our view," she paused, then smiled dreamily, "Though, I never did think you were the Chosen One. I just thought you could do it."

Harry smiled slightly, but then said desperately, "I just feel really bad. I'm sorry."

"Even though its not your fault, I will accept your apology, because the only way to get rid of the Gardzook that's in your mind is to agree," Luna nodded fervently, before watching an invisible creature float away, "There we go, he's gone now."

Harry could've sworn he saw a small flash of thankfulness in her eyes as he had apologised.

The only resolution and the only joy is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes.

They had reached the castle, and Harry turned to Luna before they entered,

"Thank you for the tea Luna. I think I like it a whole lot more…"

Harry certainly had not expected to be hugged at such force by the smaller girl, but put his arms around her tentatively as she murmured,

"No, thank you Harry, for not being the Chosen One. I don't know if we'd be friends if you were." Harry drew back startledly, "What?! Luna, of course we would."

Luna shook her head with a dreamy smile, "No Harry, you'd be doing better things than hanging around with Loony Lovegood."

There you are, standing right in front of me.

All this fear falls away to leave me naked.

Hold me close, 'cause I need you to guide me to safety.

Harry felt a smile come to his lips, and he took her hand, and kissed her lightly on the cheek, "There is no better thing than hanging around with Luna Lovegood."

Luna smiled, "Ah, but you're wrong. Tracking Crumple-Horned Snorkaks is a much better thing than hanging around with me. But nevertheless, Harry Potter, I owe you a favor." She dragged him by the hand up towards the Gryffindor common room, where Harry was sure Ron and Hermione would be, together.

"What are we doing?" Harry asked hesitantly, while allowing himself to be dragged with exceeding force up several flights of stairs, and muttering the password to the Fat Lady, who swung foreword to admit them.

"We are going to ask Ron and Hermione if they have had sex, so you can stop fretting and get on with being my boyfriend. I have reason to believe we'd be a very good couple," Luna said simply, in her sing-song, dreamy voice.

Harry's eyes widened as Luna asked an entwined Ron and Hermione that very question, and smiled slightly as they flushed bright red, "And why's that?"

"Because, Harry, you are loony, and you need me in order to be normal."

Harry decided not to comment on this, but instead pulled Luna to him and kissed her, before murmuring, "I think I love you."

And Luna replied, "I've been waiting for that forever."

There you are, standing right in front of me.

All this fear falls away to leave me naked.

Hold me close, 'cause I need you to guide me to safety.

No I won't wait forever.

Author's Note: So whaddaya think? Sorry about the excessive length. Flames will be used to boil the kettle for my tea. I love tea. Review and I'll give you tea. :)