{DISCLAIMER: As much as I would love to, I do not own any of these wonderful and unique characters, as well the plot line, as these belong to the one and only, amazing J.K Rowling. I have only added and altered the story after the 2nd Wizarding World War, but the originality of everything: spells, characters, plots, etc., remains hers, and hers only.}
CHAPTER 1: Mad For Her
(3RD PERSON POV)
(AN: My first FanFic, so please review and give me any constructive critism. I am sorry it is very short, though I hope it is okay! :) Aksmurderer xx)Neville Longbottom gazed intently at the heavy, enchanted sword in his hand. What was he meant to do with the sword of Gryffindor, the sword of Gryffindor? Neville reached up to scratch his bloodcaked, scabby head. All around him, people were reuniting with their loved ones, hugging, kissing, and mourning for ones they lost, together. He looked around, searching for his friends Ron, Hermione and Harry, but they were nowhere to be found. Probably celebrating outside, he thought. How Neville missed his own family, his parents, his motivation to stand up towards the greatest dark wizard of all time and his army. Lost in thought, Neville fiddled around with the blade in his hand, ignoring the people, the noise and the oh-so-excruciating pain.
"That was quite an amazing thing you did back there, Neville." Luna Lovegood said, placing herself next to him. Neville took a moment to realise that Luna, the girl he had been ferociosly in love with since the very beginning, had just complimented him, and was now sitting next to him. Neville blushed, embarrassed, and looked down at his torn, dirty shoes.
"It-it was really nothing..." he answered, his voice small. He tried to look up again, only to find Luna staring at him intensly, her beautiful, long blonde hair flooding over her shoulders. That's what he had always loved about Luna. Though she was a bit odd, her hair always a bit messy and dirty, she would always be unconditionally nice, looking unconditionally gorgeous, no matter what they said. Surely he couldn't have been the only one who noticed this.
"Oh, but it was, Neville! It was absolutely, truly something. You know, it isn't always easy to kill a snake... And you saved Ron and Hermione! You, Neville, are amongst the heroes in this war, I assure you." Luna smiled sweetly, as always, and took Neville's hand into her own. Surprised, Neville's body tensed up, and then relaxed when he realised it was just Luna. He smiled to himself, going back to the moment when he, scared and unsure, drew the sword of Gryffindor and slashed the big, slimy snake named Nagini, one of the last Horcruxes. He smiled when he thought of the moment when everyone cheered, when Harry awoke from his supposedly 'death', and killed Volde- He Who Must Not Be Named once and for all. He smiled when he thought of the moment when he said his long, heart-felt speech, in front of the majority of the wizarding world, bad and good. He smiled when he thought the moment when he was running frantically, asking for Luna herself, as he finally admitted he was mad for her. He-
"Neville, I don't mean to interrupt your thoughts, but did really mean what you said back there? When you were asking Harry for me?" Luna asked in her most sincere and innocent voice. But Neville's face rapidly went from happy to mortified at Luna's crazy mind-reading skills. Neville looked down once more, picking at a stray string on his torn and blood-stained sweater, while trying to hide his, now red with humiliation, face.
"You don't have to be embarrased. I like you too, Neville Longbottom. I like you very much. You are a very brave, kind - hearted person, and possibly the only one who would ever understand me and my sanity." Neville looked up, into Luna's shimmering, silver eyes, trying to read her expression. No one had ever said anything so nice in his life, not even his friends, as he had always been seen as, well, the loser, or the squib, or, well, it goes on. And now, the only girl Neville had ever truly loved, had said the kindest, most simplest words that he had ever hoped for. Luna continued to smile at Neville, still clutching onto his hand. Unsure on how to respond, Neville spotted a glint of blood on the corner of her rosy lips, resting against her porcelain skin, and, with a swift scrape of a thumb, wiped it away. Luna locked her misty eyes with Neville's chocolate brown ones, and the pair shared a awkward, yet sweet moment together. The two, most misunderstood of all, secretly heroes in-the-making. Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, one 'loony', and other 'loser', both having a treacherous past, something in common. For once, they both knew they had found someone. Someone who would understand. Someone who would appreciate. Someone who would love.
After all, Luna was mad for him. And Neville was mad for her.
