All that Matters

Neville Longbottom realized at this moment that it was really now or never. He had always tried to use the "now or never" mindset to get himself to tell her, but he was always able to reason himself out of it. He wanted to...no, needed to tell Luna Lovegood that he was in love with her. She had the right to know. If they died tonight and he hadn't told her...well, he tried not to think about it.

He had never fully appreciated his long legs until tonight. He was able to ascend the stairs in seconds and was peeling around the halls looking for her in no time. As he blindly turned a corner, he collided with Lavender Brown. He hastily pulled her to her feet, blushing madly.
"Neville, you're going awfully fast," she noted as he tried to apologize.
Neville clenched his jaw. If he couldn't tell Lavender, how could he possibly tell Luna? With closed eyes he said, "I'm looking for Luna. I'm...I'm mad for her. I have to tell her before it's over."
"It's about time..." Lavender mumbled with a smirk as Neville scurried off.

When he found Luna, his heart was pounding. She was standing at a window pointing her wand in the face of a dementor.
"Expecto patronum!" yelled Luna, still possessing her dreamy quality. A hare leaped from the wand and the dementor vanished. Luna turned on the spot and saw Neville.
Her hair was messier than before, but her face was clean of injury, save a bruise under her eye from her earlier capture.
"Neville!" she whispered. She ran to him and took him in. He was covered in dirt and his own blood, flowing slowly from his head. She reached up and touched the gash in his head and he winced.
Neville felt quite uneasy as he stood before the girl he had loved for such a long time. But, what if she didn't feel the same? Would she talk to him again? She was his best and truest friend...He shook his head. Now was not the time to be cowardly. He was, after all, a Gryffindor!
"Luna," he said in a voice that did not seem his own. "I'm mad for you." The last words came quickly.
Luna looked at him blankly for a moment, then her eyes narrowed and he thought he saw tears form.
"Don't you call me mad too, Neville Longbottom," she whispered. "Please."
Neville silently cursed himself. The last thing he had wanted to do was upset her. He pulled her into a hug, but she resisted.
"Luna!" he said with a weak laugh. "I'm not calling you crazy! I love you! I haven't been able to tell you until tonight, but I do. I love you, Luna Lovegood."
He felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. For a moment, he forgot that Hogwarts was under attack and that he needed to help Harry and the others. All that mattered was that he was here with Luna.
She finally gave in to his embrace, but a scream from down the hall forced them apart. Without another word, Luna dashed down the corridor and vanished.

They had done it. The fight against You-Know-Who was over. Neville sat down on the cold steps of the Great Hall and viewed the scene before him. Students and teachers alike were sobbing and celebrating. It was hard to know the right emotions to feel.
Someone joined him on the steps and interrupted his thoughts. Neville turned to see Luna sitting next to him. She folded her hands into her lap and the pair of them smiled at each other. Together, they looked away. They sat smiling to themselves until Luna broke the silence.
"Did you mean what you said up there?" she asked quietly. "Some people only say things because they think they are going to die."
He looked into her grey-blue eyes. They were still so beautiful, even after all that had happened. He could see so much strength in them.
"Every word," he assured her.
Her face positively glowed when he said this. She reached an arm over and took his rough hand in hers.
"I love you too, Neville Longbottom"

"Mad, isn't it?" said Harry as he joined Ginny for the first time since the battle. She pulled her eyes from the couple to look at him with surprise.
"Mad?" she demanded. "I think it's cute."
Harry looked at Neville and Luna again. She was jabbering away about some creature that probably didn't exist, but Neville watched her intently, taking in every word. Whether they realized it, or not, they were still holding hands.
"It's absolutely bonkers!" he protested.
"Yeah, bonkers!" Ron said, joining them. Apparently he and Hermione had been watching too. Hermione hit the boys over the head.
"That's what makes it cute!" she retorted. She and Ginny caught eyes and laughed.
Perhaps it wouldn't last, or perhaps it would: they didn't care. What they did care about was each other, and that was all that mattered now.