Disclaimer: I do not own that which belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Grimm Messages Leaves One Broken Heart.

by: Wanda

{Team Captain of The Caerphilly Catapults! Playing Beater 2 Round 7 of The Quidditch League FanFiction Competition! Sinking a Ship Challenge: Keeper's Choice: Neville/Luna}

Daily Prophet Headlines

7th of June, 2008

Harry & Ginny Potter had another baby! Lily Luna Potter, born the 6th June 2008 at St. Mongo's. See details and a photograph of the happy parents on page 2.

Ronald v. Hermione Granger-Weasley: A Custody Battle: Who will take custody of Rose & Hugo Weasley? See details on pg. 15

Neville Longbottom Finally Proposes to Luna Lovegood and she said Yes! See details and photographs on pg. 10.

Neville Longbottom had given up his high-life of being an Auror to return to Hogwarts as the Professor of Herbology last year, in order to make it possible to settle down with Luna Lovegood. He usually spends most of his time in the Green Houses, but at the moment he was rereading the old headline announcements from a few years old Daily Prophet.

He shook his head when he thought of how Lily Luna Potter has grown in the past few years. Lily of course was Luna's Godchild and Albus was Neville's, which was a running joke because Albus had the middle name of Severus. Lily was beginning to look so much like Harry's mother when she was a child. Thanks to the late Headmaster Snape and Petunia Evans (née Dursley), they had more photos of Harry's mother from when she was growing up, before and during Hogwarts. The late Headmaster had left Harry several photo albums in his will, and Petunia finally came down to her senses and left Vernon and his family, taking Dudley with her a few years after the war ended.

Neville sighed when he remembered how Ron Weasley had cheated on Hermione, when she was fighting for the rights of Werewolves in the name of Remus Lupin, Ron was on an Auror mission in Bulgaria, chasing after the last of the Death Eaters when he met his new wife in which Neville could never remember her name and could care less after how he treated Hermione when he returned to London. The custody battle was easily won by Hermione, as Ron did not even fight for the rights to even see his children.

He remembered when Hermione came to him, weeks after she stopped showing up at the Ministry. He would never forget that day, as Harry and Ginny were in full out panic mode when they discovered Ron's betrayal after she disappeared. Hugo and Rose were left with Molly Weasley for weeks, and there was no trace of Hermione anywhere to be found. There were several articles in the Daily Prophet about Ronald Weasley and his new girlfriend, and only a few small articles about how Hermione Weasley went missing.

He remembered when Hermione came back, she was a completely different person. Her hair was cut short, her eyes had the spark back in them and she joined the Auror Department shortly after. Ron Weasley had only just sent in his resignation papers only a week prior to her return. It was strange, Hermione acted like she was the old Hermione when she returned, and she was fiercer than ever.

Neville shook his head as he examined the next headline, smiling. It was the most memorable event in his life, the day he finally asked Luna to marry him. He remembered taking a trip with her to Paris, only a small hop on the train from London to Paris. They enjoyed the ride together, she spoke of all the magical creatures she has encountered since she began writing exclusively for her father's scientific journal. Neville rolled his eyes at the irony, Luna was discovering more and more strange creatures he has never heard of while traveling the world, when he chose to settle down at Hogwarts. Sometimes, he regrets his decision to settle down, as he finds himself missing Luna every waking moment she isn't there, which is quite a few moments when she is off adventuring in far off countries looking for the legendary Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Neville sighed as he looked over to the window of his small cottage, which took the place of Hagrid's old place, after it was irrevocably destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts. The moment he had looked up, Luna's owl came flying in and crash landed on top of his old copy of the Daily Prophet, nearly tearing it to shreds as it struggled to stand up. A rather large note was tied to it's foot.

Neville gasped in dismay when the paper was destroyed, he nearly smacked the bird with the entirety of his strength for trashing his favorite memory. "You darn bird, what's wrong with you?" Neville finally hissed through his teeth as he produced a cup of water for the unusually black and silver owl, whose name always seemed to slip his mind.

The owl merely accepted the water gratefully, as it held out it's foot for Neville to receive the letter. "Thank you." Neville sighed as he examined the strange blue envelope which had Luna's loopy scripture all over it.

Hello Neville,

I should be arriving shortly after you receive this letter, I hope Lucille didn't manage to wreck anything too badly this time. I have so much to tell you, and I hope everything is doing well at the Green Houses. Have you spoke with the Tree Spirits? I heard you talking with the Whomping Willow, last time I stopped by. It was an incredible discovery, watching you calm down that usually very territorial tree.

I sent you some pictures and a few recipes from the last few countries I visited. I hope to see you soon!

Luna

P.S. I heard this quote and thought of you: "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you." ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones.

Neville smiled as he re-read the letter. Luna was returning for her three month stay in London. He was so excited he could taste it in the air. His heart was filling with a strong glowing warmth that was causing him to stand up and pace. "I need to clean up, she will think I'm a mess! There is just...too much dirt on my clothes, she will think I was playing in it, rather than planting those screaming mandrakes." Neville was causing himself to go into a small panic, as he wanted everything to be perfect when Luna arrived, which no matter how much he prepared for her arrival it was never perfect enough in his eyes.

"Hey Nev," Luna said as she entered his cottage with her key.

Neville stopped mid-pace and turned to see his Luna as she was mysteriously silent. Which caused Neville to halt in his panicking thoughts. "Luna, is something wrong? You usually are buzzing the minute you come through the door."

Luna smiled solemnly as she seemed to glide towards him. Which caused Neville to look twice, and have a confused questioning expression as Luna's index finger came to rest on Neville's shocked lips.

"I cannot stay in your world anymore Neville, I do not belong here." Luna said softly.

"What—do you mean, Luna?" Neville swallowed the lump in the back of his throat. Is she dead? Is she a ghost? Has she come to bid me goodbye? No!

Luna pressed her cold lips against Neville's temple. "Unbeing dead isn't being alive."

"Unbeing dead?" Neville questioned.

"I was killed Neville, irrevocably I shouldn't be here. Yet somehow, I stand before you in the flesh. I wanted to make sure you remembered what I said in my last correspondence. Please take care of Lucille for me, as I can no longer communicate with this world."

"What happened to you Luna?" Neville questioned as she gripped her teal robes, which instantly took the shade of black, with a dark cowl of a hood that covered her sweet face.

"The fates have decided, Neville." Luna said softly, from the depths of her dark robes. "The next time, I will see you...is when you die, and we won't be able to be together even then." Luna said softly, as she looked away from him. "I cannot stay long, but I wanted to make sure you would move on, before I left."

"Move on? Luna we were supposed to be married next month, how do you expect me to move on?" Neville clutched his heart as he let go of Luna's robe, backing away silently.

"People die every day, Neville. I should have known that my mysterious death would lead me to this destiny. I wasn't suppose to die Nev. It wasn't seen in the stars, it was a universal mistake. But I cannot remain in your life, as I have a new calling."

"You look like death, from the story of The Three Brothers." Neville stated as he examined her robes.

"Because that is exactly who I am now, Neville. I am Death. I will see you in perhaps 100 years or so, I hope by then you had have lived a happy life." Luna said as she turned to leave.

"Wait—did you ever find the Crumple-horned Snorkack?" Neville asked, hoping the answer would be yes, just so he knew she accomplished her dream.

"No—I did not. Death has taught me, that is one creature that either eludes me or does not exist." Luna said smiling, as she pulled her hood down, to reveal several tears streaking down her face. "I will always love you, and remember what I said, "Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not..."

"Make it my strength. Then it could never be my weakness..." Neville continued as tears were silently falling down his cheeks.

"Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you." Luna finished. "Please move on, Nev. I couldn't come back and see you in a more pitiful state than you are now, in 100 years. I just couldn't. I want you to live on and be happy, you deserve happiness."

"Luna, what about your happiness?" Neville asked as she nearly turned to leave again.

"I was happy, you lit up my world when I was alive Neville. Now that I'm dead, well, things are just even more clear." Luna said softly, before she walked back over to Neville and pulling his hand in hers. "I give you strength and I give you my permission. Move on, now that I'm gone, Nev. Please don't hold back for my memory."

Neville grasped her by her hair and forced his lips on her cold ones, kissing her with as much passion as he could muster before releasing her and she disappeared. "No! Don't be gone! Luna! I cannot bare to live without you...no..." Tears were streaking down his face as he found himself collapsing in his chair, covering his face with his hands.

Author's Note: That was definitely an unexpected twist. I hope you enjoyed it. I finished my Philosophy class and I no longer have to report in to the Army, so expect to see more chapters for "A Hidden Prince."

Wanda

Team Captain

Caerphilly Catapults

P.S. Death= An Occupation that is obtained when someone dies caused by universal mistake. I based this on the tales of the Grimm Reaper from the Show "Dead Like Me," but slightly different as there can only be one Death at any given time.