Author's Note after the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction now, would I?
Oh, that witch! I rolled my eyes. I couldn't even insult right. Of course Cho Chang was a witch. So am I. So is Seamus Finnegan, he just has yet to realize it. But Cho Chang was a witch in the evil sense. Green skin, long nose, mole, I'll –get-you-my-pretty, Witch. You know what? Screw it; she is a bitch, okay? Goody two shoes Looney Lovegood can curse to. If only in her mind. Oh man, I am pathetic.
I watched Cho flip her long sheet of black satin hair. Who has bed sheets for hair, anyway? I fingered the cornsilk that hung lightly off of my scalp. It was a little damp. But that was due to sweat, and nargles. Much more hardcore than perfect black hair. I imitated her hair flip, and my locks smacked Neville in the face. I turned to apologize, but he was looking at me adoringly. Sighing, I turned back towards the front of the room to watch Cho continue to flip her hair and bat her lashes at Harry. Bitch.
"Okay, guys." Hermione cleared her throat. "I mean, people. Now, Patronuses. To start, think of a happy thought, the happiest you have. Happy enough to repel the darkest force in the world. And then you say the spell 'Expecto Patronum.'" As Harry said the words, he demonstrated, and out of the tip of his wand charged a silvery stag, tall and proud. It stopped, looking for danger. Finding none, it sniffed each of us in turn. Cho made a big show of scratching it by the ears, but her hand went through the Misty silver. I laughed. She glared at me, and I laughed harder.
"Now, you try it."
I searched for a happy thought. Daddy finally capturing the Crumplehorned Snorkack. The small time I got to spend with my mother. Yes. That would work. I loved her so much, and I could hold her with me if… yes… A rabbit blossomed at the end of my wand, and hopped to encircle Harry's legs, he tripped toward me instead. Good bunny, it was distracting him from holding Cho's thin elbow. I laughed. Even my patronus knew he shouldn't be with her. He turned his eyes onto me.
Oh…
It was like pieces falling into place. His green eyes-What green were they? Not grass or moss or Kelly or forest or jade or any shade I had ever known, but so beautiful- looked into mine, and something inside me snapped, settling into where it was supposed to be, like gears cranked to a position that made a machine work perfectly, or a fastening on a garment that made the wearer look beautiful.
Hm. True love? Perhaps. I had always been skeptical about that sort of thing. But this felt real and alive and thrumming inside my veins.
I shook myself back to reality, and saw that Harry was staring at me in a way that suggested he was thinking very hard. I blushed, and looked down… to realize that my patronus was changing. Changing into something thin, and tall, with a slightly awkward gate and curious eyes. You could almost call them… Doe eyes.
"NO!" I yelled bringing my wand down like a knife. Mymotherdying,ChoChang,CrumplehornedSnorkacksareslowlygoingextinct,Harrywillnever belongtome,Voldemortwillreignforever….
The slowly forming doe disappeared into nothingness with a puff of black smoke. I looked up, timidly. Harry was looking at me with bewildered eyes. I stopped myself from doing anything rash, half formed ideas kept filling my mind like wrackspurts.
We stood in silent eye contact like that for Merlin knows how long, until a terrier cut in between us, along with Ron's laughter.
"Not only am I doing it, but my thought came true! I am besting Hermione at something!" I looked over at Hermione, sure enough, the otter circling her was flickering, and died.
"Only spell she has ever struggled with. Shame, really."
"Ah."
"Um… right, then… Okay everyone! Think of it like this: Every great witch and wizard started out as we are now. Students. If they can do it, why not us?" I very nearly laughed. This was how he was going to smooth over the awkwardness? Corny bravado? Merlin, I would hate to see what he would say if Voldemort possessed him. Probably spew some stuff about friendship.
***
It was late, but by the end of the lesson, Ginny had produced a beautiful stallion. Hermione, an otter that remained existent. The Patil's, identical sheep, and Colin Creevey a pigmy owl that could've just annoyed the lack of soul out of a Dementor.
Everyone left except Harry, who looked as awkward as I felt, shifting weight from foot to foot, and Cho. Who was sniffling. This should be interesting.
"Mistletoe…" Cho pointed out. I grimaced. Were they going to do this in front of me? I knew Harry was going to catch the rebound eventually, but right here? Now? Well, when would else would they? Murmured the evil voice that resided in the back of my mind. I dunno. Sometime when I don't have to see. Maybe when they were batting around snitches.
Face it: you are never going to be okay with this. You luuuuuuurv him. You sound a whole hell of a lot like Peeves, did you know that? Thanks. But now isn't the time to be complimenting me. First sign of madness: talking to your own head. You should be stopping that.
Sure enough, Cho was inching slowly towards Harry, who was still looking awkward.
"Probably infested with Nargles!" I blurted.
Smooooth.
But it worked. Both of them turned to me. "Oh yes. Nargles are extremely common in mistletoe. Attracted to all the kissing. But they will jump on and when you are asleep, they will steal your teeth." Haha! Try to kiss now. Mission complete. I stretched, and walked swiftly towards Harry and kissed his cheek. Well, I put my cheek on his, gasped from the electric charge, and then whispered "Good luck with the rebound. See you in potions tomorrow. Partners?"
He looked at me, evidently pleased for the normal conversation -Though your patronus just did you the favor of declaring yourself to him. Shut up!- and nodded, smiling.
I swooped onto Cho, who looked frightenedly at me, and kissed her in the same way. Her cheek was too warm. Like touching cheeks with a fresh loaf of bread. "Don't worry" I laughed in her ear. "I'm not contagious."
And I left. To my surprise, Ginny was waiting for me. That was nice. She smiled up at me, and we headed up the twin stair cases to our towers.
"So…" She began. "Harry Potter?" I panicked. And then smoothed my face out, feigning indifference.
"What about him?"
"You love him." Well, there went my indifference. I grabbed her arm.
"Gin, how did you know?"
"I can sympathize. And I saw your patronus change. And then the awkward moment."
"Oh."
"Luna, I think you are right for him… everyone: Chang…" She said her name like an expletive. "Me, when I was younger… every girl in the D.A. except Hermione, because she loves Ron, but still... Everyone who loves him like that does because he is Harry Potter. You love him because he is just Harry." The tiger haired girl was right, of course. "Don't worry. Chang is only temporary. And good luck." We reached the top of the stair case. She smiled and squeezed my arm. Before going to the left, and myself going to the right. I got to the dormitory, and skipped the beautiful common room to go straight to bed. I changed quickly, and slid into my four-poster. Somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, Ginny's voice played over in my mind.
"You love him because he is just Harry."
I didn't love Harry Potter. Just Harry.
Which made no sense. But very few things in this world do.
So this is my coming out to my friends that I am a Luna/Harry person. I just like this couple. It's cute! I am expecting a bitchslap from quite a few people.
Now, reviews would be lovely, If you are into Twilight, check out my other stories as well, and… yeah! Thanks for reading!
-L
