Every part of him ached, but he knew that he had to keep going, he had to keep fighting. Because Neville knew that's what his parents would do. He had seen how the Ministry had fallen this past year and Hogwarts went down along side it. All of these innocent people were dying now, and if he knew that if one of them were to be him, it wouldn't be in vain. So he kept pushing on.
But he knew that with each increasing moment, he knew that if tonight would be his last, there was one final thing that he must do.
As he ran about the castle, he searched and searched to the person he desperately wanted to seek out, but to no avail.
Finally, he stumbled upon Ginny and Harry, and he frantically asked, "Have you seen Luna?" They both nodded their heads no.
And out tumbled the words, "I'm mad about her! About time I told her since we're probably going to be dead by dawn!"
He then ran off and pushed on, asking everyone he knew if they had seen her, dodging curses and spells left and right. He began to grow worried, worried that he would never find her. Or worried that when he did, that she would already be dead.
He firmly pushed the thought out of his head. Luna was a very clever and strong witch, and he knew that she would fight until the bitter end, that she would never give up.
As he kept running, all he could think about was what he was going to tell her if he found her. Neville thought about the past year he had spent with her. Starting up Dumbledore's Army again along with her and Ginny. As the scars started collecting and the punishments started to grow more severe as he continued to defy Snape's regime, she would always be waiting for him outside the Carrows' door. He would come out, feeling so wounded and defeated.
Then, he would see her soft smile and her kind eyes. "Neville, you're so brave. Everything is going to be okay," she would reassure him and give his hand a soft squeeze.
Sometimes, she would lead him down to the Herbology greenhouse, the only safe haven in Hogwarts left, it seemed. "Tell me about this plant, Neville," she would say, "I heard it keeps away the Nargles, right?" Then, he would proceed to tell her everything he knew. She stood there in wonderment, her eyes wide with curiosity. He liked having someone care about this stuff as much as he did.
When she didn't come back after Christmas break, he missed seeing her after his detentions. He missed her reassurance. He missed having company at the greenhouse.
He also thought further back then that. Yes, Neville did have friends at Hogwarts. He loved the magical school with all his heart. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione had formed a tight threesome; Dean and Seamus were best friends and he always felt like he was bothering them if he were to hang out with them. Being constantly bullied by peers (mainly Slytherins) and teachers (mainly Snape) didn't help matters either. Most times, he felt like he didn't amount to anything. He would never live up to his parents' reputation. So many made him feel inferior. But Luna never did. She was always so kind and friendly to him.
He remembered the first time they had really started talking and striking up a friendship. It was after a DA practice in their fifth year and he still couldn't master Expelliarmus. Getting down on himself, as he often did, he walked out of the Room of Requirement with a defeated sigh.
She came up to him and said, "Neville, isn't it? You were brilliant in there."
He stopped and couldn't believe that someone as beautiful as her was actually talking to him, taking notice of him. It was a first.
"Umm err, well...I don't think I was all that great. I'm still having trouble with er-"
"Never mind that. You were good all the same," a smile lied upon her serene, calm face.
"Oh, um...thank you. Luna, isn't it? I saw your patronus, it's very lovely." Very lovely? he thought, Neville, what are you thinking?
"I'm glad you think so. See you, Neville," she said, and skipped off down the corridor that led to Ravenclaw tower.
It was that defining moment for him, for them. Maybe he didn't know it right then. Maybe she didn't either. All he knew was that when he lay in bed that night, he couldn't stop thinking about the little interaction between them.
He remembered a cold February day in the same year after just another DA meeting. After they all left the Room of Requirement, he decided to walk the grounds for a bit. All of a sudden, Luna appeared at his side.
"Hello, Neville," she greeted him. It had been a few months and they had started to become good friends now.
"Oh hey, Luna," he noticed that she was holding raw meat, "Umm...what's the meat for?"
"I'm going to feed the thestrals. Would you like to come along?"
"Sure, I'll come!" he jumped at the opportunity to get to know the mysteriously whimsical Luna Lovegood a bit better.
They walked down by the lake where the thestrals usually were. Neville could see them, but he hadn't really taken the time to come down by the lake and get to know these creatures.
"Can you see them?" Luna asked as she threw one of them a big hunk of raw meat.
"Mhmm. Can you?" he asked in return.
She nodded her head. "They're misunderstood creatures, thestrals. I guess that I can relate to that."
"So can I," he nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, she turned to him, "Neville, do you think I'm crazy? Looney? Like all the others do?"
"Why would you think that everyone thinks that?"
"My nickname is Looney Lovegood, apparently. I know that I'm different, but I'm not ashamed of it by any means. So you can be honest. I'm just curious."
He thought about it for a minute. Sure, everyone thought she was insane and very weird. But he didn't think of her the same way all his other classmates at Hogwarts did. In some ways, he and Luna were quite alike, "No. I think you're brilliant."
There was that smile again. She let out a little laugh and said, "Well thank you. But then again, this is coming from someone who is just as sane as I am."
Those are the reasons he was looking for her. She was so elusive and he had spent these past two years trying to figure out the puzzle that was Luna Lovegood. But he had felt confused about his feelings for her for so long...whether he just liked her as a friend or as something more. It took this final year at Hogwarts (mainly her absence) to figure out what he wanted. He had often wondered if he was even brave enough to cross that line into the "something more" territory. It took a huge battle such as this one with so much to lose for him to figure that one out. He was mad about her. Absolutely mad about her.
After so much running about the castle, he found her in a corridor right near the Room of Requirement.
"Luna!" he called out, with a sigh of relief, a smile slowly spreading on his face.
"EXPELLIARMUS! EXPULSO!" she cried out. The smile slowly faded from his face as she saw that Luna was fighting off a Death Eater at the end of the corridor.
"INCENDIO!" the death eater cried, as flames flew out of his wand. He grabbed the sleeve of Luna's shirt to narrowly avoid the spell cast at her.
"PROTEGO!" he cried and casted a shield between them and the Death Eater.
She looked up at him and gave him a smile that had a hint of gratitude.
"Luna...erm...there's something I need to tell you, you need to know".
"What is it, Neville?" she looked up at him questioningly.
"I think I love you. I don't know if you feel the same, but if we die tonight, I just want you to know-"
She interrupted him with a soft kiss. Once they had pulled away, he could see her blushing before she hid in her curtain of white-blond hair. He could feel his cheeks growing redder as the seconds passed.
After a few moments, he pulled her into a hug. She then whispered in his ear, "We'll make it through, Neville. You're so brave, so strong."
That was enough for him to keep going. He kissed her lightly on the cheek before they parted ways, re-energized and ready to win this battle.
The battle had ended. Voldemort had been killed. Neville had destroyed the last horcrux, Nagini. Everyone had congregated to the Great Hall in the aftermath. It was very odd and disheartening to see the once magnificent Great Hall in such awful conditions.
He took a seat on one of the steps leading up to the professors' table. He thought about how he had killed that snake, how he had a hand in destroying Voldemort. Finally, he had proven that he was a true Gryffindor and that he'd make his parents proud.
Suddenly, Luna sat down beside him. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. They just sat there in silence, gazing into each others' eyes. Despite the terrible aftermath and the losses, he could sense that she was very content. She saw the bigger picture. That the battle was won, Voldemort was defeated.
Neville was so worn out and exhausted. He glanced down at his hands, seeing how they were covered by many burns, scars, and bruises. Her calm gray eyes and that always kind smile were the medicine, the healing for his pain.
Haven't posted anything in about a year or so. In that year, I've changed and grown up a lot. I don't necessarily like what I used to like in the past.
But I've always loved Harry Potter, I always will. And I know that this is a fanfiction story that has probably been circulating in the FF archives lately. But all the stories I've read about "what if Neville found Luna to tell her how he feels?" don't satisfy me. I needed my own version. And I hope you like it.
Anyway, THE NEW HARRY POTTER MOVIE. It was beautifully amazing, funny, and full of BAMFs. Still doesn't feel over and I don't think it ever will be (especially with Pottermore. Except still haven't gotten my welcome email. Still bitter).
Maybe if I ever got bored/not busy (but these days, I actually have more of a life), I'll do a multi-chapter Luna/Neville story, what do you guys think? :)