Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (unfortunately) and I do not own any part of Harry Potter, including any spells, magical creatures, characters, etc. mentioned in this fanfiction.
"Come on, Ginny," Luna hissed. "We need to get back soon!"
"You go ahead," Ginny whispered back. "I'll be there soon. I need to stop in the Gryffindor Common Room to grab something."
"How?" Luna asked. "You don't even know the password!"
Ginny grinned. "The teachers aren't the only ones secretly rebelling. The portraits aren't too fond of the new regime either."
"Okay," said Luna. "But hurry. Don't get caught by the Carrows."
Luna made her way silently back to the Room of Requirement where she, Ginny, and Neville had been hiding out ever since the Carrows started targeting them. A small door the size of a broom closet materialized before her when she was positive she wasn't being followed. She opened it quietly to see Neville standing in a room identical to the one the original Dumbledore's Army meetings were held in, even with the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix.
Neville stood in front of the photo, staring at it completely unmoving. He didn't even react when Luna closed the door behind her.
"Neville?" Luna asked, stopping right next to him. "Are you alright?"
"I failed them," Neville muttered quietly.
Luna frowned and looked at him curiously. "What?"
"My parents," said Neville. "I failed them."
"What are you talking about?" Luna was terribly confused. In the two years she'd known the older boy, not once had he spoken of his parents.
"When I was a baby," said Neville. "Bellatrix Lestrange tortured my parents with the cruciatus curse. They never gave in. It drove them insane, and they had to be place permanently in St. Mungo's." He swallowed. "That's why I live with my gran now. It's because of her." Neville continued to stare intently at the photograph at two people towards the end. "All my life I've always felt like I'm failing them. I was never brave, or smart, or... Anything."
"Don't think like that," said Luna sadly. After a moment's hesitation, she moved closer to him so that their shoulders were barely touching and took his hand.
"Why shouldn't I?" asked Neville, sounding rather devastated. "I've always been a sidekick, and that's when I was something! It's like I said, I'm not brave like Harry, or smart like Hermione, or funny like Ron, or... I'm nothing. I'm a nobody."
"Oh Neville," said Luna quietly. "You've done some amazing things in the past few months. I'm sure your parents would be proud."
"You don't really believe that, do you?" asked Neville doubtfully.
"Of course I do," said Luna. "I wouldn't lie to you." She stepped in front of him so he was forced to look her in the eye. "Without you, Dumbledore's Army would be nonexistent and the Carrows would have taken over." She paused, debating whether or not to say what she wanted to. "I wish you could see yourself the way I see you," she said finally.
"And what is it that you see?" asked Neville. A tiny smile was appearing on his face to replace the frown that had formerly been there.
Luna took a very deep breath. "I see someone who actually cares about others," she said. "I see someone... Someone I can believe in, because you don't run away from your fears anymore." Luna felt tears stinging her eyes as she continued speaking. "You don't look at people and assume things about them like the others do." She sniffled a little bit and dropped his gaze. "You're the only person I've ever met who doesn't treat me like I'm some sort of freak."
Luna tried to fight back her tears. The only time she'd ever cried in front of anybody was at her mother's funeral all those years ago, and she didn't want Neville to think she was weak.
"Hey," said Neville gently. "Look at me." Luna couldn't help it. She looked up at him, right into the brown eyes she'd come to love. "You're not a freak. Don't you dare let anyone tell you that's what you are."
"But I'm always going on and on about Wrackspurts, and Blibbering Humdingers, and everyone just looks at me like I'm crazy... My mum was my best friend, and now that she's gone... I never feel like I belong anywhere." Luna said. "I don't understand what it is about me that turns people off. I never did anything wrong to anybody!" She was really starting to cry now.
"Well I've known you for two years," said Neville. "And you've yet to do something that makes me dislike you."
"Neville, can I ask you something?" asked Luna after a long silence.
"Anything," Neville replied.
"Why do you care so much about me?"
Neville smiled sadly at her and took her hands in his. "Luna, you're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I swear I'm telling the truth. You're absolutely brilliant, and if everyone else saw you the way I do, they'd... They'd love you."
Luna's eyes widened slightly and her heart pounded in her chest. She wouldn't be surprised if Neville could hear it pounding. "What?" she asked. With a jolt, she realized how much she wanted Neville to really mean what he'd just said, because if he did, then that meant...
"Luna..." Neville said quietly. Their faces were just inches apart, and Luna could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. "I love you," he said finally. "I love everything about you. I love the way you... You talk about Wrackspurts all the time. And I love how you skip instead of walk. And love how you care about people whether or not they care about you. And I think it's about time someone cares about you as much as you care about others, so... If you want... I'll be that person."
Luna felt tears brimming in the corners of her eyes again, but they weren't sad tears anymore. She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss Neville's cheek. "I'd love that," she whispered.
Neville leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, and all of Luna's worries melted away into nothing. The Carrows could have stormed into the room then and there, and Luna wouldn't have cared, because for once in her life she knew someone else truly cared, and it wasn't her mother, and it wasn't her father. It was someone who had chosen to care about her. It was someone she'd chosen to care about.
It was Neville Longbottom, and she loved him.
A/N: There is a wonderful little box at the bottom of this page where you can type a review and leave it for me to read later on! I would greatly appreciate the use of it! I love getting reviews, so please leave me some things to read! Thanks! :)