A/N: Do I own Harry Potter? The answer is so blatantly obvious, you tell me.
----
It was the day before Bill and Fleur's wedding. The Burrow was a cluster of hustling, bustling activity-people running about and taking orders, mostly from Mrs. Weasley, who was dictating commands and wringing her hands, fretting and worrying and fussing-
"Whose wedding?" said Luna indistinctly. She was on the floor of her small, cluttered room, tugging on her braid and frowning at her mismatched shoes.
"My brother's," said Ginny exasperatedly for the umpteenth time. She was on Luna's bed, busy skimming through an old edition of Hocus Pocus, a teen witch magazine. Ginny had come over to the Lovegood household for a visit, although mostly it was to get away from Harry and her bossy mum. "He's getting married with Phlegm. I've told you a million times already." She paused in the middle of idly ruffling through the pages. "MagikEffects Makeup," she said wistfully. "I wish I had enough pocket money to buy some of their lipstick..."
Luna peered at the page and wrinkled her snub nose. "You'd squander Galleons on that silly old thing? I wish I had pocket money for high-tech Snorkack Hunting Gear. No wonder Daddy and I haven't caught so much as a whiff of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack last summer in Sweden." And she returned to staring moodily at her shoes and pulling at her hair.
Ginny turned the page huffily. "It's not silly. It makes you feel better about yourself. And if you hate the fact that your shoes don't match, why don't you take them off?"
"They do match." Luna examined them. They were both battered slip-ons, but the one on her left foot was brown, patterned with mice, and the other was orange, patterned with cats. "But they're enchanted. The spell's not working."
"What would they have done, then?" asked Ginny absentmindedly, still gazing longingly at the advertisement for magical cosmetics.
"The mice would be scampering about, and the cats would have been hissing and meowing," said Luna petulantly. "And if I put my shoes together, the cats would have crossed over to the left one and chase the mice around and attempt to do them in. It's very amusing to look at, actually. I wore them all the time at Hogwarts, when I wanted to be distracted. Mostly during class. But now they don't work, and I don't remember the spell."
Ginny resolutely tossed the magazine away. "What is it with you and bewitched clothing?"
Luna shrugged. "It makes life interesting."
"What, is there a store for that?"
Luna smiled. "Oh no, I bewitch it all myself."
"Hobby?" Ginny got up and looked through Luna's wardrobe. "No wonder you're in Ravenclaw."
"It makes life interesting," repeated Luna. "So what about this wedding again?"
Ginny took out a pair of stockings with puffballs stuck all over it and smirked. "Niiice."
"The wedding," prodded Luna.
Ginny unceremoniously flung the stockings over her shoulder and continued rummaging through Luna's clothes. They landed neatly on her bed. "What is there to talk about? Come tomorrow and have fun. Why are you acting like you haven't heard of it until now? Hermione and I have been talking about it for weeks on end. Remember last night? The seamstress and Fleur looked great with meatballs clinging to their perfect hair. As if they could get me into that horrible bridesmaid dress!"
"Oh, have you?" said Luna, surprised. Her pale eyebrows shot up into her straggly, dirty blonde hair. "I must have been daydreaming."
"Of course you must have," said Ginny offhandedly as she scrutinized the silver spangled robes she found in the wardrobe. "You wore these when Harry took you to Slughorn's party, didn't you?"
Luna nodded. Ginny flung them aside. "What are you looking for?" Luna asked.
"I'm bored, and your wardrobe is interesting," was Ginny's reply.
"Why don't we go over to your house then?" suggested Luna, ducking robes embroidered with ducks that quacked in dismay as they landed willy-nilly on the floor. "Didn't you tell me Fred and George wanted to hire me for their joke shop?"
"Yes," said Ginny as she tried on knee-highs that flashed different colors. "But do you really want to work with them? They're a bit annoying to be around for long periods of time. It's because they're twins, so they think they're entitled to leave people in the dark with their inside jokes and whatnot. Stupid, eh?"
"I wouldn't mind," said Luna earnestly. "I really need that money for-"
"The Snorkack Hunting Gear, I know," said Ginny, shaking her head. "You'd think they'd want their sister working with them, but no. They want my friend, because she knows all sorts of nifty little spells instead of bloody jinxes and such-" and then she added hastily, seeing the troubled look on Luna's face, "Oh no! It's not that I mind or anything. Go ahead and take the job-" and she waved her arms around for emphasis- "It's just, I'm a bit peeved at them, not you, is all."
"Oh," said Luna, relieved. "Well...let's go right now and try to convince them otherwise, Ginny. I'm sure they'll let you if we talk to them. Then..." she suddenly brightened. "Then we could work together!"
Ginny made a face. "Nah, come to think of it, I really wouldn't want to work for my brothers anyway. They'd just try to boss me around even more, but then I'd actually have to obey them. Wouldn't want that now, would I?" She looked around. "Hey Luna, is your dad around?"
"I'm quite sure he's in his study, doing research again," said Luna as she yanked off one shoe and tapped it with her wand unobtrusively.
"Good," said Ginny, and with a flick of her wand had all of Luna's clothes neatly in their original places in the wardrobe again. "So what should we do now? Do you still have that Muggle movie? We never finished it the last time I was here."
"Oh no, Dad returned it," said Luna sadly. Her face lit up. "Let's go to your house, I'd really like to see Harry and the others-"
"No, no," said Ginny hastily, "let's...let's play Quodpot, here! Instead! Where's your Non-Exploding Solution, Luna?"
Luna tilted her head inquiringly. "But Ginny...you told me you abhorred that silly game. You said so last week."
"Let's just not go to my house at the moment, okay?" snapped Ginny.
"If you say so," said Luna plaintively. Ginny softened. "I'm sorry. It's just-things are kind of weird between me and Harry, you know? I almost wish we never went out. What with him leaving to save the world and knowing that he knows that I know that he knows that I got a letter from Dean last week..."
"I understand," said Luna, bobbing her head furiously. "Well, not in a personal sense, but in the if-I-was-in-your-shoes sense, really. So I sympathize-not empathize-which is just sympathize with the experience added up in it-with you and well, would you rather play wizard's chess instead?" Luna finished.
Ginny cracked a smile. "We never play wizard's chess. We play Quibbler's chess."
"Oh, but it's so much better!" Luna said earnestly. "Here, let me just get the chess set out-I'm quite sure I put it under my bed-" After half an hour of searching for it, the chess set was found in the refrigerator (Luna had no idea how it got there) and the girls commenced to play ten games consecutively, Luna winning spectacularly all ten times.
"It's only because there's a gazillion rules with a billion loopholes each that only you know!" Ginny complained. "I bet I would beat you at regular chess."
"Okay," agreed Luna. In fact, Ginny did beat her, but only because Luna decided to let her win so as not to provoke any more of that redheaded temper, and also because Luna loved her friend dearly.
----
The sun was barely rising. Luna was meditating on her hilltop when she was yanked to her feet by someone of brute force. Luna's eyes flew open and she found Ginny dragging her down the grassy slope, gibbering excitedly. "-I knew you would forget, so I asked Mum if I could come and get you-she was in her saber-toothed tiger mode, so I was in a hurry to get out of her way anyway-and yes, Luna, my brother's wedding is today, and I'm too afraid to let you get ready by yourself, so it'll be my house and-guess what, Luna? Fleur's got MagikEffects Makeup!" Ginny nearly exploded with pleasure. "Finally she's worth something, oh Luna, we'll be able to use it! I really like the look of the Bewitched Blue eyeshadow, I think I'll use that- and I'm glad you'll be there, at the wedding, I love Hermione but she's a bit of a bore at times-and I'm sick of my brothers and awkward around Harry-so it'll be much better now that you're coming-"
Luna blinked.
Ginny finally steered her through the front door of The Burrow and into her cramped room, where Mrs. Weasley was laying out the dresses on the bed while Fleur and her sister were sprawled on the carpet, talking animatedly in French. Tools essential to enhancing feminine beauty spilled from various bags and boxes on the dresser and floor that looked very much like instruments of torture to Luna, especially one that Ginny explained curled your eyelashes, which Luna found very perplexing-who would want to do such a thing?
"Oh hello, Luna," said Mrs. Weasley, giving her a brief, one-armed, distracted sort of hug. "I have so much to do-I'm sure you girls can get ready on your own. Those house-elves don't do a thing I say-"
"Zey are from my house, zey cannot speak Eenglish well, or leezen to it," said Fleur.
"Then what was the point of sending them here?" muttered Mrs. Weasley. Out loud she said, "Well, I'll manage." After kissing Ginny hurriedly she left the room in an anxious flutter.
"Seester-your dress, it is beautiful," gushed Gabrielle.
"Yes, I know," said Fleur, gushing back. They seemed much too wrapped up in their own little world to notice things as mundane as a surly sister-in-law-to-be and her strange little friend.
Ginny mimicked retching. Luna looked alarmed. "Ginny, are you ill?"
"No, but I have a feeling I'm going to be if all this mushy talk keeps up," replied Ginny, rolling her eyes. She stalked over towards her bed and yanked her gown off the bed. It was gold, decorated with lace, frills, and ribbons. "Look at this nightmare!" Ginny said with disgust. "What am I, six? It doesn't even look like the seamstress took off some of these ridiculous baubles like she'd promised!"
"Oh, it doesn't look that bad," comforted Luna. "You know what they say-pretty frills keep the dirty chrills away."
"Chrills?" repeated Ginny with an arched eyebrow.
"Oh, they're this type of magical ladybug that-" started Luna, but Ginny cut her off. "Oh! I forgot all about them but now you've triggered my memory," Ginny hastily said. "Chrills, magical ladybugs. I remember completely now. Still, that doesn't make up for the fact that these dress robes are wretched. I suppose I should be used to it," Ginny sighed.
Luna looked at her worriedly. She never wanted Ginny to be hurt. Ginny was her dearest friend. "My dear Ginevra-" she began.
"-Ginny, it's Ginny!" exclaimed Ginny. "Don't get all formal on me. Come on, let's fix you up first. I'm not going to let you look eldritch today."
----
Luna sat rigidly in her chair, albeit serenely. She felt a bit awkward in what she was wearing, but she trusted Ginny implicitly. "Shut up and take it like a man," Ginny had said comfortably, when Luna complained about having black stuff being smeared on her eyelashes, "At least one of us will be looking gorgeous when Bill gets his trophy wife." Now, the wedding ceremony had began and Ginny was sulking underneath the arch with the officiant, her brother and Fleur, and the beaming little runt beside her. She didn't look all that bad, Luna thought. She likes to exaggerate, doesn't she? Luna was seated with numerous other guests on the dewed lawn, the sun beating off the backs of their necks. It was a lovely arch, thought Luna, woven with white lilies. Oh! I'm missing the ceremony. Luna tried to pay attention again.
"...Two entities merge to become one," said the conductor of the ceremony mechanically. "From this point on, your bond becomes stronger." He was a shrunken old man. His black robes seemed far too large on him. Luna thought he looked like the kind of man who hated children, with several divorces under his belt. Not like a person who would be willing to unite two people in magical matrimony, but then again, appearances can be deceiving.
He produced a silver ribbon. "A ribbon, to secure your devotion to one another." With a wave of his wand he wrapped the ribbon around their interlaced hands. Mrs. Weasley was blowing her nose in the front row. Fairies glittered obliviously in the air. An orchestra played in the background. The music was so somber, Luna mused. It was fit for a funeral. They should have played polka.
"A candle," said the officiant, handing it to the bride. "to be kept lit with love's passion, and the strength to go on if problems arise." The bridegroom did so with his wand. Luna looked on and tried the nodding and smiling thing everyone was doing. Neville nudged her. "I need to use the bathroom," he whispered.
"Why are you telling me?" replied Luna with genuine surprise. "Do I look like a privy?"
"Never mind," mumbled Neville. His hair was slicked to the side in an attempt to look fitting. His robes also were much too big; Luna was starting to wonder if it were some sort of trend.
"...and finally, a kiss," said the officiant. "To seal all aforementioned promises."
They did. Everyone stood up, clapped, and cheered. The newlyweds walked down the aisle hand-in-hand, smiling. Two bridesmaids followed, one skipping with glee and the other trailing behind moodily. Luna waved at the moody bridesmaid. Ginny returned it with a grimace.
"It's over, right?" Neville asked hurriedly.
"Well, no," said Hermione on his other side, frowning at him. Her bushy hair had been braided to look tamer than it actually was. "There's the wedding reception, you should know that."
"I can't wait any longer," moaned Neville. He dashed off, elbowing Ron's face in the process.
"He's lucky I don't do him in," muttered Ron darkly, clutching his nose. "The only time he doesn't miss is when it's a complete accident."
----
The wedding reception was starting to become a bacchanalia. Nearly everyone was loud and drunk and happy. The stars had come out and twinkled their blessings and the moon hovered above them all, bathing everything in a silver glow. The music they're playing now certainly isn't somber, observed Luna. She was sitting in a chair once again, listening to Ginny's cynical commentary and snide remarks. "Ugh, I hate it when Mum and Dad get all sappy-Ron's getting fire whiskey for the third time and they don't even notice the git!" Luna, frankly, was getting somewhat tired of all the sitting she'd been doing all day, and she was about to say so, but she stopped herself. Ginny was her friend, and friends were obligated to listen to each other rant. Ginny was allowed to be miserable, what with her favorite brother marrying her worst nightmare, not to mention the horrible dress she was in and her estranged relationship with Harry. So Luna continued to sit still and listen with seemingly rapt attention as Ginny went on and on acrimoniously.
Fred and George came by. "Hello, Luna," winked one of the two. "Would you mind dancing with me? We have business to discuss."
"Oy, what about me?" said the other indignantly.
Just Luna was about to reply, Ginny beat her to it. "Oh no, you two. Luna's staying with me. You can discuss business tomorrow. Don't make me jinx you."
The twins, sensing their younger sister's negative vibes, skedaddled.
Ginny watched them go. "Sorry," she said abruptly to Luna. "It's just that-"
"It's fine," Luna reassured her.
"You're a great friend," Ginny said, squeezing Luna's hand gratefully. "I-" she glanced over Luna's shoulder and froze. "I...am going to use the restroom," she announced quickly. She hurried to the Burrow, as much as one could in a puffy dress and heels.
Luna watched Ginny's retreating figure, puzzled. A hand tentatively touched Luna's shoulder. She looked up.
"Hey," said Harry.
Luna beamed. "Hello, Harry. You just missed Ginny."
"Yeah, I know," replied Harry gloomily. "She's been avoiding me."
"Yes, she has," agreed Luna.
They both paused.
"Er- do you wanna dance?" asked Harry in a rush.
"Of course," said Luna as cheerily as she could. She supposed Harry had forgotten she didn't fancy dancing all that much, but she didn't want to let a friend down. With a discreet sigh, Luna followed Harry to the dance floor, where they had to sidestep the many writhing bodies already moving to the beat of the music. Just as Harry opened his mouth to speak, the fast-paced music immediately stopped. The band switched to a slow song. Harry inhaled sharply; Luna exhaled slowly. Slow dancing was loads easier in her opinion. She put her hands on Harry's shoulders. He put his hands on her waist. They swayed to the music like everyone else, although unlike everyone else they were tense.
"So," said Harry. He was very tall. "Did...did Ginny say anything about me?" His voice had a fragile edge to it.
Luna hesitated. "Yes," Luna said.
"Oh," said Harry. He let out a relieved breath. "Good-that's good."
"Are you quite sure?" asked Luna.
"Why? What did she say?" said Harry, alarmed.
"Would it solve anything if I told you?" Luna asked quietly.
Harry's shoulders sagged. "...No, it wouldn't," whispered Harry.
Luna looked up at the night sky. "It's cloudy," she observed. "That cloud over there looks like a Freemuwhelpie."
Harry inadvertently rolled his eyes.
Luna frowned at him.
"I'm sorry," Harry apologized.
Luna sighed. "It's all right, Harry. Faith in little, little in faith." The song seemed to be going on for an unusually long time, thought Luna. Was this The Song That Never Ends those Muggle children had been prattling on about?
Her eyes returned to the heavens for a few moments more and then roamed back to Earth, where she had found The Chosen One staring at her for goodness knows how long. "What's wrong, Harry?" Luna asked, alarmed. "Do I have a Wrackspurt on my face?"
"No, of course not, it's just that-" said Harry quickly. He started chuckling. Luna had gone cross-eyed from trying to see if there were any sign of Wrackspurts on her nose.
Luna uncrossed her eyes and looked at Harry again. "It's just that what?"
"You...you look nice," said Harry sincerely. "Really nice. Ginny helped you, didn't she?"
Luna bristled. "Yes, thank you." But the words tasted sour in her mouth.
Raucous laughter filled the air. It apparently coming from Ron. Hermione helped him to the nearest clump of bushes.
"Am I...am I a good friend?" It was Luna's turn to whisper.
Harry looked at her. Her large pale eyes shone brightly in the dark. "Of course you are."
She didn't seem reassured. "I try to be," she said quietly. "I really want to be a good friend."
"You are," Harry told her reassuredly.
"Oh no, Harry," said Luna sadly. "Then I would have more friends, wouldn't I?"
Harry didn't know what to say.
"Since I didn't have any friends, I used to visit Dumbledore all the time back at Hogwarts," Luna reminisced, "We'd have tea and biscuits and discuss the latest edition of The Quibbler. He said I could always come into his office during break."
A lump had formed in Harry's throat. "Luna, don't-"
"But," continued Luna, "can he hold that promise now?"
Harry blinked.
Luna felt raindrops on her head. She looked up at the dry night sky. Or rather... She looked at Harry. His eyes looked watery. Wordlessly she went on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his skinny neck. "All tears shed for the dead are put in buckets for them to carry," she whispered in his ear. "Don't give Dumbledore another ounce to bear. I highly doubt a man of his age can cope with the strain."
Harry's laugh tickled her. "You're a very good friend," he said. "You're a great friend. And Luna?"
"Yes?"
"Are there any nargles near us now?"
Luna looked around, still hanging onto Harry. "I don't think so-"
Harry kissed her. It was spur-of-the-moment yet thoroughly intentional, and everyone and everything blurred into the background and it was just only them in all the world. Several moonlit nights passed before Luna pulled back in horror. "Ginny," she said. She looked around. No one had seen-Ginny was still nowhere to be seen-everyone was a world apart and she was safe. They were safe.
She cupped her mouth and locked eyes with Harry, who had was almost in a stupor. Mutual understanding was exchanged. It couldn't be, it would never be. "It's only because I'm not myself tonight," she said softly.
"No-" Harry reached out for her.
"Ginny," Luna said again and ran for it. She ran and ran, only pausing to kick off her shoes to run some more, until she had a stitch in her side and her heart was about to burst. She was surrounded by trees and underbrush. Her hair had fallen out of its neat bun and the pretty dress robes Ginny allowed her to wear were stained. She collapsed into a heap, shoulders shaking, breathing heavily. She desperately tried to rub the makeup off, feel the cosmetic stickiness on her fingers, but to no avail. Luna wrapped her arms around her skinny frame. Nothing happened, she told herself. Not unless you believe it. She let a little sob escape her lips. She never wanted Ginny to be hurt. Ginny was her dearest friend.