For Jem's Love Letter Challenge With a Twist on HPFC. Prompt: Luna Lovegood, football.
This breaks so many of the pairings that I usually ship that it's not even funny. But it was fun to write anyway.
I don't own HP.
Super-duper awesome thanks to Jemennuie, for making this a lot better than it was when I gave it to her :D
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Neville,
How are you? How's Hannah? Can you see the baby bump yet? Have you been making sure she doesn't get too near any fluffelumps? You know how those things can be around pregnant women.
(Neville chuckles. No, he doesn't know, but that's Luna.)
Dean says I've been worrying too much – I flutter, he says. I flutter when I'm worried, apparently. Did you know that? He tells me that you know what you're doing (which I already knew, of course!) and that Hannah and your beautiful baby will be okay (which I don't doubt!) and that I need to stop worrying. But I know him well enough to know that he's worrying too – about Seamus and Lavender. Nobody has said anything, but the air around Seamus is much thicker and darker than usual, and Lavender seems withdrawn. And of course, Dean is upset because Seamus is. The Healers have said the odds aren't very good at all for the baby making it to term, and I think she's scared, understandably.
I think this trip – just getting away from it all for a few days – has helped Dean take his mind off it, though. Just Dean and I, some exploration of the countryside, and lots of West Ham football. I know I told you I was expecting football to be rather boring, but I decided to approach it with an open mind–
(Neville can't help but laugh again. Is there anything Luna doesn't approach with an open mind?)
–and it was really more exciting than I was expecting. I think it's because of Dean's enthusiasm – well, everyone's enthusiasm, really. It was like an Crumple-Horned Snorkack horn exploded in the stadium! Speaking of, Daddy still can't believe those explode. He's not much for change, is he?
You know Dean pretty well, right? So you know that he's really quite level-headed. He's always quite calm.
Not when it comes to football. He was screaming and yelling as loud as anyone else – louder, even. I was convinced that he'd been possessed by Seamus, for a while there.
I'm still not certain that I understand why the football team is named after a lunch meat, but I suppose that's sports fans for you. Perhaps there were Nargles interfering when they were deciding?
It's really more exciting than you'd suspect to watch men run after a little black-and-white ball. I actually found myself caught up in the excitement as well – the crowd was singing and screaming at each other in turns. At one point a fan from the other team was yelling at Dean, so I turned around and yelled back at him.
(Neville can visualize Luna giggling at this point while writing the letter.)
Dean laughed at me, but I didn't mind, of course. I know better than to think that he means it rudely. Then he ruffled my hair and told me that he loved me in that way that he does when he's amused by something I do. So I smiled back and told him that I loved him too.
Maybe that's part of why I loved this football match the way I did. Because Dean loves it. And I love him. It scares me how much I love him.
And the scariest part is that I love him too much to care about being scared.
I think we'll be attending more football games in the future.
I hope you're well. You're caring for Hannah properly, right? Of course you are. I know you well enough to know that. Give her love from me. We'll be home soon, I think. Or perhaps not – I find I rather like traveling. The only downside is missing you and Hannah, Ginny and Harry, and Seamus and Lavender.
Speaking of those last two, maybe we will be home soon. Dean's more worried than he lets on, I think.
Anyway, I've got to go. We've got reservations at a restaurant in a few. Hope you're having loads of fun at home. We'll see you soon! Maybe next time you and Hannah can come with us, at least to a game.
All my love,
Luna