"Miss? Hello, miss?"
The bartender shook the woman's shoulder. She had been sitting at the bar with an empty glass for over an hour. She was just sitting there with using an elbow to support her dreaming head. The bartender found it quite disturbing to watch her any longer for it made him sad. Obviously this woman had some problems going on in her life. But how could she, when she had the most exquisite wedding band sitting on her left ring finger. What could possibly have this woman so vexed? She was obviously wealthy. The bartender thought only hardworking witches and wizards had problems hat could get them in such a state of depression. Oh how wrong he was.
"Miss?"
Her attention snapped back to this world as she felt a strong hand shaking her back to reality.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?" she asked the bartender.
"Well you've been sitting there for an awfully long time. I came over to see if you needed a refill?"
"Oh, uh thank you, yes," she responded without really understanding what she had just agreed to.
"Firewhisky, was it? No ice?"
"Uh, yeah sure," she said with that same air of confusion about her.
The bartender made to take her glass and fill her cup, but a man stopped him. This man seemed oddly familiar to the woman, only she was positive she'd never seen anything like him in her life, yet she felt like she had to know him. An old, school chum perhaps?"
"Can you make that two, please? Both are on me, of course," he said smiling at the woman who he was now seated next to and smacked down a few coins to pay for both their drinks before she even had her chance to protest. The bartender was back in a flash with the drinks. He collected the money from the table and went on his way to tend to a customer who had just seated themselves several seats away.
The woman fished through her purse to find the right amount of money to pay him back. She couldn't let a stranger pay for her drinks. She handed him the money, but he never held his hand out to take it. Instead he sipped his Firewhisky and smiled at her merrily.
"Please, you didn't have to pay for my drink. I can pay for my own things. I appreciate the gesture, but no thank you," she said urging the money toward him once again.
"You're right. I didn't have to at all. I wanted to. But then again I'm sure your husband wouldn't appreciate a perfect stranger buying you drinks, now would he, Mrs.…?"
The woman flushed at the mention of her husband without noticing that she had dropped her money on the the floor. She immediately put a protective hand over her wedding band as if someone were going to rip her finger off to try and get it.
"Okay, okay, how about your first name, then?" the man asked in understanding. She didn't answer at first. It was as if she were in some sort of trance. Her eyes were a bit glossed over and she blinked hard before saying, "My name is Luna Thomas."
"Luna, what an enchanting name you have. I'm Myles Cleveland and it is a pleasure to meet you," he said offering his hand for Luna to shake. She shook it half-heartedly. His hand was unnaturally cold.
"And what would such a lovely woman be doing in a dirty, old pub clearly married with no husband in sight, eh?" Myles asked raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"Excuse me, Mister Cleveland, but is this your bad attempt at hitting on me. Because I'd thought you'd like to know that you're terrible at pick-up lines."
He chuckled. His laugh reminded Luna so much of someone, but she just couldn't place it. His name didn't ring any bells. She was now sure that he wasn't an old schoolmate from Hogwarts. Where had she met this man?
"No ma'am, I was not hitting on you. Trust me, you'd know it if I was."
Luna's first impression of this man wasn't a good one.
"So may I ask again, where this husband of yours is? If you were my wife I'd never let you out of my sight. I'd want to keep you all to myself so that no man could ever be graced by your beauty," he said with a grin.
That's something Dean would have said to her. He always used to joke like that. He would say Luna was a goddess and she be treated as such. He catered to her every need. She loved it when he used to say things like that to her, but this was not Dean, her husband. This was Myles Cleveland, a stranger and Luna Lovegood Thomas would not let this man insult her husband by flirting with her.
"Mr. Cleveland, if I have a husband, which you keep pointing out, why is it that you've taken it upon yourself to flirt with me?"
"Oh, I don't know. You just remind me of someone is all."
Luna's curiosity got the best of her.
"And who would that be?"
"My wife," he said with a small smile. That smile also reminded Luna of someone. Not knowing where she had seen this man before was killing her. But irregardless, he was married! And here he is flashing smiles and flirting. He was such a wanker.
"You're married and you find it perfectly alright to flirt with a stranger?"
"Yes, seeing as my wife passed away four years ago," he replied sadly.
"Four years ago?"
"Yes, she passed away four years ago today actually."
Luna's heart was caught in her throat. She could not believe her ears for today was the day she had lost Dean, four years ago.
"You're joking. You can't be serious. Who put you up to it? Was it Malfoy? Did he send you here to mock me? How much is he paying you?" she asked looking around the pub frantically for even the slightest hint that this was all a cruel joke. However all she found as she looked around were happy couples, groups of happy friends and happy, drunken bums. They were all happy. Sod them all. Watching these people in the pub was like they were mocking her themselves. Luna hated them.
"Excuse me?" Myles asked. He seemed offended. It was then that Luna realized her mistake. She could tell he was being sincere.
"I'm sorry. It's just," she took a deep breath, "My husband passed away too, four years ago today."
Myles didn't say anything. It was like he already knew.
"Ah, I guess that would explain his absence," Myles said not showing any facial or bodily response to Luna's news.
"You're wrong. He's here somewhere. I can feel his spirit watching me. I just wish I could see him or talk to him. There were so many things I never said to him. I just wish I could let him know how much I loved him and I never got to say goodbye."
"Well we never really do, at least not all of us are fortunate enough to say all that needs to be said to our loved ones during their final hours. And I'm quite sure he knew how much you loved him. But I'm even more positive that he loved you more than you could ever imagine. And I have a strong feeling that he's closer than you think, Mrs. Thomas."
Myles gave her a pointed look that she couldn't quite place.
Luna was confused. What was that supposed to mean?
"What?" Luna asked voicing her thoughts.
He merely smiled and took the smallest of sips of his drink. Luna still hadn't had any of hers.
"So, Mrs. Thomas I am just bursting to know all about this husband of yours."
"Sorry, no."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know you and I don't want to talk about him."
"Please?"
Myles looked like he really wanted to know. Like he needed to know. Who was this guy? Why did he have such a strong interst in Luna's dead husband? What it was about him that made her want to tell her innermost secrets to this complete stranger, Luna did not know. But she told him nonetheless.
Luna sighed deeply and closed her eyes as if calling the memories to the front of her mind.
"His name was Dean Thomas. We were in our same year at Hogwarts but we rarely ever talked the seven years we were there. I was in Ravenclaw while he was in Gryffindor. We had our first real conversation at Harry Potter's wedding to my best friend Ginny Weasley. Dean and I were both bridesmaid and groomsman in the wedding and were paired together to walk down the aisle. During the wedding reception we danced and talked all night about everything and nothing at all," she began. She looked to Myles as if she were wrapping her self up in the memories. He smiled as he watched her recall that fateful day.
"We hardly ever separated after that night. We went on dates and became sort of an item. Our friends jokingly named us Duna. He was no longer Dean, nor was I Luna. We became one person as we fell in love. Eventually he proposed and we got married under a starlit sky. It was beautiful. That was two years after Harry's and Ginny's wedding. I was twenty that year."
Luna finally broke down into tears. She made to wipe them away but Myles stopped her.
"It's okay to cry. Don't wipe your tears away."
"You know, Dean said I was most beautiful when I was crying. We would read sad books to each other and watch muggle movies that were sure to bring you to tears. I'd burst out cryng and he's just watch me. He used to say the most beautiful magic came from a single tear. I know, I know it's complete rubbish, but that was just Dean. He always thought of ridiculous things to say, but I loved it."
"I agree with him. I don't think it's rubbish at all."
Luna could only smile.
"Well, yes we were happily married for three years, until he passed. This would be our seventh year of marriage. And our marriage was perfect. We rarely fought and he never once hurt me. And I'll love him eternally for all of those happy years he's given me. But, destiny had come our way when he was killed. Someone used the Killing Curse on him, and to this day, it's been four years and nobody has been caught. There are no clues as to who it could be. I've given up trying to find out who killed him. Anyway, today is the fourth anniversary of his death that's why I'm wearing my wedding band. I only ever wear two days of every year; our wedding anniversary and the day of Dean's death."
"Wow. Well I'm sure wherever he is now, whether he be in resting on clouds or haunting his killer, or sitting across from you right now, I'm sure he wouldn't want you here in the pub. Look, why don't you go home and look over a few photo albums. I'm sure that will make you feel better, don't you?"
Luna nodded before saying, "Yes, your right. He never let me go to pubs without him. He was so protective of me. You're absolutely right, I'll go home," Luna hiccoughed. "But will we ever meet again? I enjoyed talking to you."
She really did. He was a good listener. Myles gave a bright smile.
"Ah, my dear, I'm sure we'll meet far sooner than you would think. Here's my mailing adress in case you ever wanted to owl me, you will always be able to reach me here," he choked as he gave her a folder piece of paper. His eyes were watery. He continued, "And you may not understand this now, but in a couple of days you will realize that the name Elliot Cambridge will be of utmost importance. Now, before you go please understand that there is not a day that goes by that Dean doesn't think of you. Do not lose that address, because it is the only place that I reside and you won't find me any place else."
Myles lightly brushed Luna's left cheek with his thumb and gave her the sincerest of looks.
"I love you, Luna, " Myles said he placed both of his hands on her one hand that loosely cluthced the piece of paper. He used his hands to tighten her grip on the paper.
"I don't understand," Luna said looking down at her hand. Myles had released it. She was expecting an answer but she never got one. When she looked up to face him once again he had gone already. She made a full three hundred- sixty degree turn trying to spot him, but he was nowhere to be found. Where was he?
"Excuse me?" Luna asked to the bartender who had served her and Myles' drinks earlier.
"What can I do for you ma'am," he asked cheerily.
"That man I was talking to, did you happen to see which direction he went when he left here?"
"Sorry?"
"The gentleman who was sitting here, did you see where he went?" Luna asked pointing to the very spot Myles was sitting in.
"Miss, you wasn't talking to no man."
"Yes I was, he was sitting right here not two minutes ago."
"That seats been empty all night, ma'am"
"Are you mad? He ordered two Firewhiskey's and he paid for them. You brought them to us!"
"I beg your pardon miss, but I think you're the one that's mad. I brought two drinks over and both of them were for you, not a man. Perhaps you've had more than you can handle tonight. Maybe you should go home and rest."
"But he was right here," Luna said in disbelief. The bartender shook his head and walked away to the opposite end of the bar. Luna remembered the folded piece of paper in her hand. as she looked at it she read, "You're heart." aloud. She unfolded the paper and after one quick look she let it fall from her hands, completely horrified. On that unfolded piece of paper was a picture of Dean giving a glorious smile. She quickly picked it up, along with the money she had dropped earlier when she tried to pay Myles back, and looked at it once more. She couldn't help but smile as she placed it safely in her handbag. She threw the money in a nearby tip jar then noticed her untouched drink. She grabbed the cup and emptied the contents of her glass in a few giant gulps.
"Well thanks for the drink, Myles," Luna said as she wiped away the drops of drink that had escaped her mouth and rolled onto her chin.
She left the pub and walked to an aparition point just a few feet away enjoying the breeze, too confused to notice the man who leant against the pub building and watched as she apparated home with a pop.
Two months later Elliot Cambridge received a life sentence to Azkaban for the murder of Mr. Dean Thomas.