The Beholder

Harry didn't think long about a date for the whole ordeal. It wasn't like he had many girls to choose from and Harry didn't think he would like to be able to choose in the first place. Somehow he liked being avoided a whole lot better than being famous. Even though being the chosen one was not exactly better than that. The invitation to go to attend the Slug Club came quite surprisingly and after he heard that Hermione dragged Cormac with her to get Ron jealous, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. This meeting was already doomed to be an absolute cluster fuck. Thankfully Malfoy wouldn't attend, seeing as his father was now having a great time in the bowels of Azkaban.

After a strange DADA lesson with a strangely subdued Snape, Harry was wandering the halls of Hogwarts, wondering how he would go about the brewing debacle. Maybe he could ask Ginny and-

Wherever that thought would have led died before it could take hold in his head and was replaced by an image of Luna Lovegood, standing in the breeze that blew though the window she stood at and watched the Black Lake, sketching something into a small book she was carrying. Her tongue peeked out from the corner of her mouth as she gazed intensely at whatever exactly she was drawing. For a brief moment Harry found himself entranced, absolutely mesmerized by her.

Beauty, or so they said, lay always in the eye of the beholder. And as Harry was about to loose his composure while beholding Luna, he could with absolute clarity say that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Or.. beheld. Or just gawked at, really. His interactions with her had been limited, safe for the few times he had met her in the hallways or the DA. But whenever they had spoken, it had been meaningful, something Harry would always remember.

For a moment he thought he was sick with the frightening speed his heart was going it. He believed he was about to go insane. So, before he could just so suddenly suffer a stroke here in the hallway while beholding Luna, he might just as well behold her from a closer point of view. And while he was at it, he might was well ask her to come with him. To the Slug Club. As a date.

Was it just him or was it hot in this drafty castle?

Now, behold as Harry Potter tried - and failed - to walk up to Luna with all the dignity he possessed. He may have lost it somewhere there between his first stumble and the coughing fit on the way but thankfully Luna only ever turned around when he was directly behind her. Her serene smile nearly had him take a step back. Was that what a stroke felt like? Harry would never understand how anyone could complain feeling like this. Maybe having a stroke wasn't so bad after all...

"Harry." Jesus Christ! She had only just said his name and Harry's tongue decided that it was time to be partially paralyzed. As if his slack jaw hadn't been embarrassing enough, now his tongue could just fall out of his mouth as if he was Fang! Thankfully, Luna didn't seem to notice. "How can I help you?"

Kiss me, he wanted to say, Dear Lord, kiss me and let me hold you! Draw me like one of your Nargles! Ok... That may not be the right thing to say. Thankfully his tongue had still not cooperated at the impulsive thought so all that he managed was a lame and drawn out "Hi."

He regained his bearings to an extent that allowed speech, mentally patting himself on the shoulder. "I was just... beholding." Bugger.

Luna smiled at him and looked out of the window again. "Yes, the black lake is rather nice with all the snow and ice. Makes me want to cast a warming charm on myself every time. Thankfully, the cold keeps the Wrackspurt away. They can't fly in the cold, you know?"

Harry had decided that he needed to steer this conversation into a direction that would allow him to ask her for a date without being to forward. He had some dignity left, after all. "Sooooo...," he made, drawing out the 'o' as he fumbled for the right words while Luna looked curiously (and amused!?) at him. "Do you, perhaps... maybe... probably... no, that's the wrong word... I mean-" He took a deep breath, his mind suddenly seemed to clear and he realized that Luna was waving her hands at both sides of his head as if to clear away some cobwebs.

She smiled, her hands landed on his shoulders and Harry was pretty sure his heart had stopped. "Curiously enough, Harry," God dammit! Why did she say his name like that!? Did his knees wobble? "You had a severe Wrackspurt infestation. Despite the cold." She gave him a toothy smile. "How very curious."

Harry cleared his throat. "Thank you for taking care of it, Luna." There, a coherent sentence. How very... normal of you, Potter!

"Anytime," she breathed, leaning a bit closer. "Whenever you need."

Wow. Harry was pretty sure that this was supposed to be just a friendly offer but apparently his brain was beholding things differently today. Wait! Could he spy Luna's bra there under her lime green top? If he would just-

Now hold on just a damn second! He wasn't here to perv on Luna! Or was he? It was quite hard to remember why he was beholding her in the first place. Ah, right. Christmas party. He cleared his throat once more, managing a smile that seemed to take Luna aback. Her expression was so adorable. Maybe he should have just asked her to kiss him. That would have been more productive than that!

"If that's the case," he said, his voice far huskier than he ever remembered it to be, "I'd like to take you up on that offer."

Luna tilted her head, eyes observing his head and it's immediate surroundings. "You don't seem to have any Wrackspurts around you, Harry."

He smiled at her. This was going great! "I know, and I have you to thank for that. So, to kill two birds with one stone, I'd like you to accompany me to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. Both to make it up to you and of course to keep my head clear." Smooth. Very smooth. Sirius would have been proud.

Her expression was usually so serene, it led Harry to believe nothing could ever throw her off kilter. Well, he had just proved himself wrong. Luna's eyes widened to truly comical proportions as her pale skin darkened with a rush of blood. Her lips came together, pulling what at first appeared to be a frown when they slightly quivered and Luna released something akin to a mewl that turned Harry's stomach three times over and gave him another beautiful thing to behold. A flustered Luna. Quite adorable if he dared to venture and say.

She drew the scarf over her mouth and nose but her wide eyes never left his. "Harry," she squeaked through the scarf, "Did you... perhaps... cast a warming charm on me!?"

"Yes, yes I-... What?"

"A warming charm!" Luna repeated. "I feel so... so... warm and fuzzy everywhere! Like a very strong warming charm. Or maybe a sugar rush!"

Harry stared at her in disbelief before he suddenly couldn't help it and laughed. He laughed so hard that he had to hold onto Luna for support who seemed positively bewildered, her ears still burning red. He wiped a tear from his eye and smiled at her confuse expression. "No Luna," he said, "I didn't cast a warming charm. But I did ask you... to be my date to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party." Seeing Luna loose her cool like that, it put him at ease somehow.

"Oh," Luna made, pulling the scarf high enough to cover her eyes as well. "OH!" she squeaked loudly and Harry found himself smiling even more.

Gently he pulled the scarf down so he could look into- behold her beautiful eyes. "Is that a yes?"

Luna's rapid nodding assured him that his plan had been a success. He beamed at her and kissed her cheek in the spur of the moment. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed in his high. "I will come find you at the Ravenclaw common room around seven!"

Harry, fully confident that he had handled the situation with the utmost of dignity a teenager could have, left with a spring in his step. As Luna literally floated through the hallways, her face still in her scarf, a random Hufflepuff student leaned over to his classmate and asked, "Did you see Harry Potter drool all over himself as well or was that just me?"

The boy shook his head. "Nah mate, we just saw Harry Potter make a fool of himself. Bloke got it bad. Did you see how often he nearly fell when he walked over to Loony?"

Neither Harry nor Luna could have cared less for the thoughts of others and Harry was pretty sure that he should just behold far more often than he had until then. He was sure Luna wouldn't mind.

He'd swear that it had been easier in his head, going on this date. But Harry hadn't prepared at all. All he did do was stare at Luna from across the great hall during dinner, completely missing it in the process. But it had been so worth it. Because every time Luna met his eyes she would blush and pull the scarf she insisted on wearing up to her ears. It should be a crime to be this cute. Then again, it would be a crime Harry could excuse. Only for her though.

So Harry on the threshold of the great hall and had absolutely no idea what he was going to do on this date! Tonight! Dear Lord where did he put these damn dress robes? Wait. Didn't he incinerate them after the Yule ball? Well, shit. There's something to regret...

Harry was about to have a small panic attack when someone pulled at the hem of his coat (he had foregone robes because they started to get a bit breezy down there). He swiveled around and found Luna standing behind him, a good distance away, squirming on the spot as if his eyes were about to melt her. How very adorable... Ah, the dimples again...

"That's not nice, Harry," she accused in a meek tone.

All too suddenly Harry went from admiring dimples to fearing for his life and hide. "W-What is?" he asked, managing to keep his state of panic subdued.

She sniffed indignantly, or at least tried because it was more like a cute hiccup than anything else. "Casting all those warming charms at me," she stated, her scarf now slowly riding up her nose again. "I feel like I'm about to melt. Would you mind stopping that?"

If it gets you to drop some clothes, hell no- "But I didn't cast any charms!" he defended, batting his misleading thoughts away, "I swear!"

"You do?" she asked hopefully, the scarf lowering enough to reveal her lips just so.

"Yes!" And if you let me kiss you I'll promise you just about everything! Absently, Harry wondered when he had become so focused on kissing Luna but the thought led back to all these interesting ways he could kiss the girl and that in turn led down a spiral of... steamy things he was too ashamed to think about.

Luna nodded thoughtfully and suddenly brought a hand up to poke Harry's chest. Her finger rested there on his sternum for a second and Harry lost the ability to form coherent words or even thoughts. She withdrew her hand, looked at it and placed her palm over his heart. He didn't dare move, praying that his erratic heartbeat wouldn't give him away.

"Harry," she said seriously, taking her hand back from his chest. He wanted to mourn the loss of contact but never got the chance when Luna put his hand on her chest, "does your heartbeat quicken like mine does when I touch you?"

He desperately wanted to squeeze. He really wanted to. Dear Lord how much he wanted to-! "Yes...," he answered breathlessly, "It does." He took her hand, placing it over his own heart again. "Can't you feel it?"

She smiled, the scarf falling off her face completely. "I can." She looked up at him. "It's wonderful, this feeling."

It was the serenity again, Harry noted. The jumble of teenage hormones left and was replaced by something deeper, something far stronger. "It is," he said, his voice strong and honest. "I hope it stays," he added honestly.

Luna's smile lost something and... grew. But not in width, not in her aloofness. It became caring, conveying a deep happiness. "I want that too," she said, taking the hand from her chest and keeping it firmly in hers. "Let's take a walk."

The calm was warm, it was strong. It felt incredible. "Lets."

Harry knocked on professor Dumbledore's door. The gargoyle had let him pass without missing a beat so Harry suspected that the headmaster was already aware why he was there.

"Come on in, Harry," the old wizard called out and Harry stepped inside. Fawkes trilled a strangely upbeat tune which seemed to perfectly mirror Harry's own emotional state. He met the bright twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes head on. The man seemed very amused by this. "What can I do for you?"

"I need your help," Harry said, there was not even any sign of hesitation.

Albus smiled. "Then, by all means, do ask."

"Can you tell me what love is?"

The old man's smile faltered the tiniest bit and was replaced by a deep thoughtfulness. "I believe," he said, "That I can not do that."

Harry stared at him and his jaw slacked. "What? You... you can't?"

Dumbledore shook his head, still smiling. "No, my dear boy, I don't think I have the words to tell you what love is." He stood and beckoned Harry to follow him. "I can, however, give you the closest I have to the truth." They left the office, walking through the halls and eventually out into the courtyard. They were silent, with Harry waiting with rapt attention for the headmaster to speak. They halted at a platform that overlooked the black lake as it reflected the full moon back at the sky.

"Love is not something to be described with words, Harry," Albus said, looking out over the waters. "But, I can with absolute certainty tell you, that love is magic. The strongest and most powerful magic there is. But as an emotion... it is more complex. Nothing feels as good as love does and nothing hurts as much as love. It makes you feel incredible and it makes you feel miserable. " The old wizard turned to Harry, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. "It is all these things and yet it is more. It will drive you further than everything else or drag you down harder than all other ever could. It is as special as it is common. And for everyone it is different. One can't be taught love, Harry. It is in your heart, in your magic, in your soul. The ability to love is your greatest strength. But," Albus said seriously, "It will never be a weakness. Not as long as you keep it strong. Love is trust. Love is friendship. Love is pleasure and even pain. But mos important of all, it is the best that will ever happen to you."

"But... what if it isn't love, sir?" Harry asked quietly.

The man smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Then it isn't. We are human, Harry, no matter what miracles we can perform with magic. Humans err, humans try again. But, if it is love, your heart will know. Listen to it. Don't deny yourself. Be selfish for once."

Harry looked up at the headmaster with wide, pleading eyes. "But what if she doesn't love me?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I must ask you not to worry about that. Don't doubt yourself and go ahead with high hopes. They may be disappointed but they may also be rewarded. If Miss Lovegood does love you, she may just be in the same situation as you are now, Harry. Just as uncertain. Sadly, I think she doesn't have any ancient wizards to turn to in event of any questions she might have."

"I... No, I don't think she has," Harry admitted quietly. Luna was still a very isolated person within Hogwarts. She wasn't especially close to anyone, aside from him, that is. Then Harry turned bright red. "H-How did you-? You knew?" he asked the headmaster, eyes wide and his cheeks nearly glowing in the moonlight.

The man laughed. "Oh I know just about everything that happens in this castle. I also know that you should be on your way or you will be late for your date, Harry."

Harry jumped back and whipped his wand out. A quick tempus revealed that he had exactly 45 minutes to get ready and be at the Ravenclaw common room. "Oh bugger! I need to-! Thank you, sir!"

With that, Harry retreated hastily into the castle, hopefully fast enough to throw on his fine shirt and vest before it was time to go. He left the headmaster standing there, watching the deep waters of the lake. He hoped that Harry would find love. After his hard life, Dumbledore wished Harry nothing more than happiness.

He may have been on time and had a solid seven minutes to compose himself, his jaw still almost dislodged when Luna slipped out of the door hidden besides the armor of a knight. Her dress, it resembled a Christmas tree more than anything else, deep green with so much shiny stuff, some of which actually glowed by itself in various colors. The dress had definitely Luna's stamp of approval on it, Harry mused. What surprised him most was her hair.

It wasn't anything complicated or elaborate but he had never seen Luna do anything to her hair aside from a ponytail, if she even did that at all. Now her hair was... up, Harry didn't have a better word for it. It was curlier than before and cascaded down her... bare back (Was he ogling? Oh he was, no doubt) from it's perch on the back of Luna's head where it was held by her wand (of course).

With her hair like that, her face stood out more, her eyes were brighter, shone by themselves if anything, and seemed to light up even further when she spotted him. Her lips, dear lord her lips!, were luscious (read dangerous!) and Harry was sure he had licked his lips when his eyes lingered on them. She didn't wear any makeup, which was good, because Harry didn't think Luna's way of using makeup would go well with the light of just about anything. She didn't need that stuff in the first place, she was already beautiful, why hide it behind useless glamour?

Eventually, Harry's eyes dipped lower as Luna floated over to him, waving a little. He had intended to wave as well but his arm kinda went slack. Holy shit! What was that cleavage!? Where they always that... big? Oh wait, there were no straps or anything on her back... Was she... bra less?

Harry took a deep breath. Don't think about it! Don't think about it! Don'tthinkaboutit!Don'tthinkaboutit! God dammit!

Of course he thought about it. Extensively. To the point of no return.

But when she topped in front of him, smiling all shy and glittering in her dress, these thoughts were suddenly replaced again, the heat of his teenage brain (which was apparently located in his pants) was subdued by solid warmth, soft and gently. It came from his chest, hummed in pleasure when he saw Luna. That, Harry thought, was good. It felt right. And, because it felt like the best thing ever, pretty close to the headmaster's explanation of love.

"Hey, Luna," he said and was surprised by how calm he was, "You look amazing."

She squirmed on the spot, her hand came up and tried to move and invisible scarf up but only met thin air. So she used her hand to cover her eye before responding with a meek, "Thankyou!"

He laughed lightly and took the hand away from her eyes. "Beautiful even," he said, looking her straight into the eyes.

Luna's lips trembled a bit, her eyes were almost watery and Harry nearly backed down, but then she smiled widely. "Thank you, Harry," she said, her voice stronger than before.

Squeezing her hand, he asked, "Shall we go then? Wouldn't want to be late to the show."

"Let's," she said with a giggle.

They walked down the halls to Slughorn's party, neither letting go of he other's hand.

"Harry, my boy! Have you met-"

Well, that was, in essence, all that the potions professor ever said to Harry that evening aside from praising whomever he introduced him to. It was dull, Harry didn't want to be there and only did so to begin with for that stupid memory the professor was supposed to have. He had remembered that only ever after entering the room full of students and apparently famous strangers.

"This is-"

Harry didn't listen. He wondered how he would gain these memories from the man when his eyes surveyed the crowd. He had just seen Hermione trying to avoid McLaggen when he saw Luna in her sparkly dress.

She stood at one of the tables that carried these strange looking snacks, chatting with someone who looked distinctively uncomfortable with whatever she told him. He smiled when he saw her, an easy smile, and broke away from Slughorn. Sod him! He was at her side not ten seconds later.

"-and because of that, we should really try to keep these plants out of the minister's office. They turn people crazy, you know?"

Whatever Luna must have told the older man must have been the epitome of confusing because the man nodded dazedly and walked unsteadily back to wherever he came from.

Harry spun her around to him. She was perfectly serene when he did it but she blushed the moment she locked eyes with him. Harry could see her wish for her scarf. "Who was that?" he asked. still smiling.

Luna quickly looked to where the man had fled to. "I don't have the faintest idea." Harry laughed at that. "How are you doing, fending off all the Wrackspurts these people carry?"

He took her hand and it seemed to break her composure apart. It was absolutely adorable, her wide eyes and reddening cheeks. "Much better, now that I have you to focus on."

She smiled and Harry felt his stomach turn in circles (however that was even possible). The queasiness came back full force, and Harry's tongue tied him a new noose as he failed to tell her how beautiful her smile was. He was thinking about kissing her again and he couldn't seem to get rid of the thought. There was still the fear that Luna didn't feel like he did. By now, Harry was deeply hoping that what he felt was love and he would give just about anything if she felt the same.

He glance over at Slughorn who looked at him disapprovingly. That made the decision far easier. Taking Luna's arm he pulled her closer and whispered into her (very red) ear. "Let's get out of here."

The black lake was somehow drawing him these days so he and Luna found themselves at the lakeside. She was still giggling, had been ever since they saw how Mrs. Norris tried to make a pass at Professor McGonagall in her animagus form.

"I don't think I can look at that cat without laughing ever again," Harry laughed.

"Who thought Mrs. Norris had such a masculine side," Luna giggled.

She realized they were still holding hands and looked curiously at Harry's for a second, noting how much bigger his was, how warm his skin was and how the contact made her heart flutter. He spun her into him, he seemed to like doing that and whenever he did, Luna would feel light enough to just float off in the slightest of breezes. When his eye met hers, she never really knew what to say. Luna felt like she couldn't have said anything if she wanted to. That had never happened before. Looking into these green eyes, it didn't put her at ease, it didn't calm her, didn't make her feel safe. No, it made her feel special. He looked at her as if there was nothing besides her, as if she was all there was and all to come. It was his hands that made her feel safe, his words that put her troubled mind to calm.

There was not a day she didn't think about him and since he had asked her to come to the party with him this morning, there had not been a minute he didn't come up in her thoughts.

Why was that? Luna wondered and wondered but could not think of a thing that would explain it. But what was it? What made her feel so... this was that Harry made her feel. This feeling deep in her chest that screamed to hold onto him and to lend him her shoulder to lean on.

"Luna."

She shivered, not because she was cold, not because there was anything scary, but because her name from his lips felt like it validated her whole existence. The name alone felt like he put faith in her, like he demanded the same from her. And she would give him that. That and whatever else he would ask of her.

"Harry."

He halted. There had been something different in her voice, in the way she said his name. He couldn't place a finger on it and much less explain why he felt like that.

Or maybe he could.

Maybe he just loved her.

And that was all the explanation needed. So he smiled and took her other hand. It was warm, despite the chill of the night. "Luna," he began again, "Have you ever been in love?"

She cocked her head, her eyes wide and ever so beautiful as the moon reflected in them yet paled in comparison to the absolute picture of beauty she portrayed to Harry. He swallowed dryly and asked again, "Have you?"

Slowly, almost carefully, she shook her head. "No," she whispered.

"I think I have," he said, squeezing her hands, "I think that I was for a long time but I was to thick to understand it."

"And you do now?" Luna asked, stepping a bit closer.

"I think so," he replied, also stepping closer.

She leaned forwards, her lips not an inch from his. "And what now?"

"Now," he whispered against her lips, causing her to shudder pleasantly, "we make sure not even a Nargle gets between us."

"There are no mistle-"

She was cut off by Harry's lips on hers and closed her eyes in a mixture of surprise and deep, deep pleasure as she leaned into the kiss. It was hot now, the snow that was falling around them not withstanding, and Luna found that no matter how hot it would get, letting go of Harry was just about the last thing she'd ever do.

They parted, eventually and reluctantly, because the damned need for oxygen got to them before either could eat the others lips off. Luna was so red in the face that Harry thought she outshone one of the red lights on her dress which was twinkling so merrily it could have given Dumbledore's eyes a run for their money. He himself was out of breath and, as for a better lack of words, out of wit and found himself unable to even say anything.

"Harry," Luna breathed and Harry had to actively restrain himself from jumping her. Why was her voice so husky!? "I think... I have been in love before."

"Y-You have?" he asked breathlessly. Wait, why where his knees so- Oh, he was kneeling on the cold ground. When did that happen?

She nodded, clasping the fabric of his coat tightly in one hand. "I think so. Ever since we met."

Harry blinked down at her. "W-we?" he breathed, "You... you mean us? Me and you? M-Meeting?"

All he got was a nod while she hid her face in his coat. And then he laughed, loudly, unburdened by it all. He laughed so hard he fell back with Luna atop him. She looked at him, amused and embarrassed all the same.

"I'm happy!" he said to her, "I- You love me!" he cheered into the night."

Luna giggled, putting her forehead onto Harry's chest. "I do," she whispered, more to herself than him. "And you... you love me?" she asked.

Harry stopped laughing and took a deep breath. Looking down to her, he smiled. "I do."

"You know what that means?" Luna asked.

Slowly, Harry shook his head.

She grinned. "That means, now you can look at my chest and I don't have to feel bad for not being angry about it."

Harry sucked in his lips. "I-... I didn't-... It was-! Fine, I looked, would you stop looking so smugly at me?"

Luna was still bright red, the blush not likely to subside anytime soon but she had found a bout of confidence in Harry's confession. "Make me," she dared playfully.

And Harry had a new thing to behold at this evening so close to Christmas out there at the black lake.

Luna, just Luna. But she was more than that, had always been. Only now, there was an addition that made it feel whole. She was his girlfriend- lover even -and his confidant. Well, that and her bruised lips from the earlier kiss, which looked far to tempting to be left unattended. It felt right, it came from his heart, it was strong and it was love. Maybe now, whatever was to come, wouldn't be so hard to bear. Not with Luna at his side.

Of course, Voldemort would have to wait until he had sufficiently snogged his girlfriend senseless.