Written for the Colonel position for Team "After All This Time - Always" over at The Battlefield Wars. The headlining character was Luna Lovegood and my assisting character was Neville Longbottom. I was given the plot point: The characters planning their wedding together.
Optional Prompts were: (word) Sugar / (word) Lockdown / (word) Ice / (emotion) Happiness / (quote) "Be yourself. The world worships original." - Ingrid Bergman / (colour) Amethyst / (colour) Baby Blue / (word) Radio / (object) Ornate hand mirror / (word) Neck / (dialogue) "I'm dangerous, but you're crazy." / (emotion) Shy - not used yet. / (word) Notorious / (poem) There is another sky by Emily Dickinson ( /poets/emily_dickinson/poems/5212) / (word) Revolution
Also written for the All About You Challenge, for a character whose name begins with 'L'.
Thank you to the lovely RainbowJH for looking over this for me :)
When Plans Go Awry
"This vote has been heavily lobbied for by both sides, and all of us know how tight a race this will prove. The results will be announced in five minutes."
The radio lay in the centre of the room, and all was silent but the controlled tone of the reporter. All eyes were on the little brown box as their spines tensed. Werewolf rights had never been so important before, and it seemed like a silly little thing, but it meant everything. After the Battle of Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix sighed in relief, believing the battle had ended the war. That was not the case. While Voldemort had been defeated, his followers still remained, and their beliefs had not changed. Many of them were high in the Ministry, and that was where the war was now being fought. The Order had organised themselves within the ranks, as opposition, and spoke to the right people in an attempt to pass a law that would criminalise discrimination on the basis of werewolf status. It would be a turning point, certainly, but it had been so heavily contested that it came down to a public vote.
Ginny and Harry were sat in the middle of the group, hand in hand, faces blank of all but worry. Hermione and Ron were sat to their left, Hermione leaning into Ron as if trying to hide from whatever truth may come. Other Weasleys were there: Bill and Fleur, Charlie. All had turned up to hear the news. Luna sat on the brown settee twirling her engagement ring around on her finger, the amethyst stone shining bright and jagged within its silver casing. Neville reached out beside her and put a comforting hand on her knee, squeezing gently as if to say, "Whatever happens, we'll always have our happiness." She turned to Draco, to her right, and offered him a small smile. Since the Battle of Hogwarts, he'd been able to follow his heart instead of other people's, forging his own path, and despite their best efforts and the progress that had been made, it was still true that Luna was the only one who truly accepted him. She wasn't too shy to see him as he was, to talk to him like she didn't consider him any more or less than everyone else.
"The results are in, the votes counted, and we wait with baited breath for the Minister to make his announcement. His report will follow shortly," the reporter said, and there was a brief pause before the Minister made his speech.
"The votes have been counted for the proposed Amendment Thirty-Seven to the Magical Law Two-Hundred and Forty-Nine, Clause Seven, which falls under the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Forty four thousand, seven hundred and sixty one votes have been counted, a turnout of seventy-three percent of those registered. Forty eight point six percent of the votes were in favour of the decree, while fifty one point four percent voted against, and so the Amendment was not agreed and will not be passed."
No one moved. Their fears had been realised, and the Death Eaters and their associates were still a side to be reckoned with.
"On to the next one, then," Harry commented, knowing their lives would be a series of short sprints between battles, like each one would be no more than a move in an enormous game of chess, where the rules would change on the whim of whomever appeared to be in charge.
Heated discussions were normal amongst this group, but not today. They had no energy left. It wasn't long before Luna and Neville were making their way home, lacklustre and shoulders slumped.
They arrived in their kitchen, the baby blue and sunshine yellow of the decor that Luna had insisted upon suddenly seeming taunting and macabre.
"How are we supposed to plan something so innocent and happy as a wedding in the midst of all this?" Neville exclaimed, throwing his hands up in despair.
"I know," Luna replied. "Revolution seemed so easy when we were seventeen, didn't it? It feels like we aren't even aiming for a revolution anymore. When Voldemort was here, our enemy was tangible, there in front of us, and now the enemy is all around and we're clutching at straws."
Neville sighed. "Exactly. You have such a way of seeing the world so clearly," he said, making his way over to her to place a gentle kiss on her neck.
When he wanted to kiss her, he always kissed her on her lips, but when he wanted to say, 'I love you', he kissed her neck, the soft spot above her collarbone where he could feel her pulse and breath and drink in her scent.
Luna smiled a little, and turned away from him to face the bridal magazines on the kitchen table.
"It's four months away, and I haven't even picked a dress. They all seem so boring," she told him.
"Then wear something else. Honestly, Luna, you'd be beautiful in a bin bag. Just be yourself, okay? The world worships original," he said and smiled at her.
And Luna felt content. Why shouldn't she? Neville was perfect, of course. Attentive, sweet, charming. He did his fair share of the housework and supported her. They were comfortable, of course she wanted to marry him. What woman wouldn't want a man like that? And still, there was a niggling thought at the back of her mind. She couldn't help but have her doubts.
Luna let it slide, as she often did, and they went to bed not long after, in their perfectly ordinary bed, and they had perfectly ordinary sex before slipping into a perfectly ordinary sleep. She did everything she was supposed to do for the next few days: she went to work at the Quibbler, cooked dinner, exchanged pleasantries. They planned their wedding in more and more detail, picking the flowers that Wednesday and the favours on Thursday. She still didn't have a dress, but it was all coming together. And it was stifling.
By the time Friday rolled around, she was desperate for her weekly lunch with Draco. Neville didn't understand her friendship with Draco, and neither did Harry or Ron for that matter, but to Luna and Draco it was simple. Neither of them felt as though they truly belonged; both of them were different.
She stepped into The Leaky Cauldron ten minutes early, grateful to be away from the office. She hadn't seen Draco since he'd been the first to leave on Tuesday evening, and she was eager to hear what he'd been up to. She knew his main job was intelligence gathering behind enemy lines at the Ministry, as he was a junior to the Minister himself, which put him in a very dangerous position.
When he walked in just after twelve, his stormy expression immediately turned to a smile as his eyes fixed on her.
"Hey, Luna," he greeted her.
"Hello." She offered a small smile in return.
"What's up?" he asked as he sat down across from her, immediately sensing her unease.
"Nothing," she said. She did want to talk to him about it all, but she didn't know how, and she didn't want to lay it all at his feet, the moment he walked in.
"Liar. Come on, tell me," he countered.
"It's Neville," she began. "He's wonderful, really he is. He always cleans the pots and puts them back in the right places, he never leaves his mess around the house. He's funny, charming, he listens when I talk. I've got nothing to complain about."
Draco sighed and offered a conciliatory smile. "But you don't love him," he said.
"Of course I love him!" she defended. "How could anyone not?"
"Okay, but you aren't in love with him." he argued.
Luna looked away, out over the crowds with her eyebrows knitted together. She looked back at Draco. "I don't know."
The waitress came over to their table then, and they ordered their usual: a pot of tea between them, a toastie for Draco and the Soup of the Day for Luna. The interruption gave Luna the opportunity to change the topic. Of course, she wanted to understand where her and Neville stood, but neither talking about it nor accepting it were easy when they'd been planning their whole future together.
"What are you up to at work these days?" she asked him as she spooned sugar into her cup.
"We've had word of something going on in the Department of Mysteries that's apparently of interest to us, so I'm trying to find out what I can. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I've been advised to keep to myself for the next few weeks. In case things get, well, interesting," he told her. "What about you?"
"We're setting up an expedition to find Heliopaths. Sending people to Greece. We think we have a good chance with the new research. They're notorious for burning everything in their paths, so having a few of these spirits of fire on our side can only help," she said.
Draco smiled and shook his head. "So, basically, I'm dangerous, but you're crazy," he said.
Luna laughed, she couldn't help it. It was one of the things she liked about Draco. While so many others humoured her with false belief in the creatures, Draco was very open and honest about his disbelief. They disagreed, sure, but they were sincere about it.
"But just in case you're right, and your team do manage to bring some back," he continued, "I'll make sure I've got a lot of ice."
Luna smiled. "So, you're going to be on lockdown for a few weeks?" she asked.
"Yeah, it seems that way. I'll let you know when I can next manage a Friday. I'm sure the rest of them will be glad to know they won't be seeing my face around much now," he commented, with a note of derision.
"Oh, don't talk like that. They all appreciate your efforts. Hermione has been really trying, at least," she replied, noticing the way his eyes darkened a little at the mention of the frizzy-haired brunette.
"They don't trust me and you know it. Hermione's the worst," he retorted.
"I think you're wrong." Luna had seen the way the she'd stared at him when she thought no one had was watching. It was as if Hermione was desperate to figure him out, and hadn't managed it yet.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. I do my bit, they do theirs," he commented, setting his jaw hard.
"But it must make you miserable. You gave up your ties to your old friends, and no one is accepting you on the new path you've chosen, except me," she told him, her eyes narrowing as she thought about Draco and his life.
"Thanks for the analysis."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be mean. I just understand how hard it must be," she replied.
"It doesn't matter, it won't change. It's just the way it is," he shrugged.
"Things will change, Draco, I know it. There is another sky. They accepted me, even when everyone else thought I was insane. They'll come round to you, too. It all takes time. My garden's thriving at the moment, and you're always welcome to come over," she smiled.
"I appreciate that, Luna. It's nice to know I still have one friend," he replied.
It was a few days later when Luna was forced to admit the truth of her feelings for Neville once more. She was sat at her dresser, staring at herself in an ornate hand mirror. It was one of the few things she'd inherited from her mother. She knew what she looked like, of course. She knew those long blonde curls and the vibrant blue eyes. What she was looking for was the hint of emotion in those eyes that would tell her how she truly felt. The eyes were the windows to the soul, after all. All she saw was sadness.
"Did we decide on the seating plan, then?" Neville asked her as he came into the room, fresh from the shower in his blue robe looking for his wand to dry his hair. Luna just looked at him, unable to answer.
"What's wrong?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"Neville, I need to talk to you," she said.
"That sounds ominous," he commented, taking a seat on the bed behind her. She turned her chair around so that she was facing him.
"I can't marry you," she replied, her soulful eyes filling with tears. He stared at her, letting her words sink in.
"Oh," he said. "Why not?"
"Neville, you're wonderful. You really are, but I'm not in love with you. I'm sorry it took me so long to see that," she told him.
"We're happy, aren't we?" he asked, a pitiful attempt to argue against her words.
"Yes, we are. But I want more than happiness, and we… we don't have anything more."
"Is it Draco? Is that where this is coming from? Are you in love with someone else?" he questioned, as if trying to make sense of her change of heart.
"No, it's not Draco. I'm not in love with anyone. That's the problem," she told him.
He was silent for a while, staring at the floor as if he was unable to look at her. Finally, he sighed.
"Whatever makes you happy."