Neville sat in the Room of Requirements, among other members of the newly reformed Dumbledore's Army. Everyone had just returned from Christmas holidays, and Neville was quite eager to see Luna again. He had picked her up a present, a book from Obscurus Books in Diagon Alley that was all about the many odd creatures she often talked about. He had been too nervous to send it to her by owl, but he planned to give it to her now. In person. He socialized with the many members of their resistant group as they came and went, offering greetings and words of encouragement, but his eyes never strayed from the entrance for too long, in case he missed her come in.
Neville was still waiting well into the early hours of the morning. He sat among the sleeping members of the DA trying to fight down his rising panic. She wasn't here. She wouldn't return to Hogwarts without checking in on the DA, he knew that. Why wasn't she here yet? Had something happened? He tried to think back to every scrap of news he had managed to get at home with his gran. He hadn't heard anything. Then again, he hadn't heard anything from Luna herself, not one single message. He grasped the book tightly in his hands, the present meant for her. Something had to be wrong. He picked his way through sleeping students, careful not to disturb any. He would get out a message, asking if anyone knew anything about Luna Lovegood's whereabouts.
Luna sat in the basement of Malfoy Manor. Mr. Ollivander had fallen asleep ages ago, but sleep seemed impossible to her now. This basement was dark and cold, a sharp contrast from the Room of Requirement. She should be there now, with the other DA members... with Neville. He must be quite worried about her, she was taken on the way home for the holidays so she never had the chance to send him one message. She hoped she wouldn't cause him too much worry, but she was worried for him as well. She hoped he had made it back to Hogwarts safely. She couldn't even get a copy of the Quibbler down here, let alone word on how her friends were doing. Friends... Luna allowed herself a small smile. It was nice to say that she had friends, to know someone out there would be worried about her, and to be worried about them herself.
