Summary: (DH spoilers) A peak into Luna Lovegood's life nineteen years after the events of Deathly Hallows.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Warning: Spoilers for The Deathly Hallows
Inspiration/Dedication: My friend and I were speaking after we'd both finished the book, and he and I both expressed dissapointment that Luna didn't get so much as a mention in the epilogue. We both had a thing or two we'd wanted to see happen with her, and I promised to write a story of Luna's life nineteen years later, including those things we'd wanted to see happen with her. This story, obviously, is dedicated to the friend who pushed me to write this.
Professor Luna Lovegood jogged down the stairs of the North Tower, blonde hair flying out behind her as she went. Orange raddish earrings swung from her ears, and a necklace of Butterbeer corks bounced against her chest as she continued down the hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Several first and second year students stopped as she passed, staring at her with looks of bewilderment or whispering to their friends. Luna simply smiled at them and continued on her way, only stopping when she saw a boy with dark hair and brown eyes.
"Hello, James," she greeted, her tone serene as always. James, who had been in deep conversation with another boy, looked up suddenly.
"Oh, hi, Professor Lovegood!" he said with a wave. "How are you? My parents said to say 'hello' for them, if I ran into you."
"I'm doing well, James, thank you," Luna replied. "But, I have to ask, will I have the pleasure of teaching you next year?"
"Oh, er-" James shrugged. "I dunno yet, Professor, if I'll be taking Divination..." He looked nervous, but Luna only nodded at him kindly and continued on her way.
"That's the loony Divination teacher, then?" She heard the question coming from James's friend, and smiled when she heard James answer him.
"She's not loony, mate!" James hissed. "Do you know who she is? She's Luna Lovegood; did loads to help my dad!"
Luna's trip ended at the greenhouses, were she could see a few dawdling first years were just leaving Green House One after their first-ever Herbology lesson. She passed them on her way into the greenhouse, getting the same sort of baffled looks she had recieved earlier. She smiled at them, as she always did, then opened the door to the greenhouse, entered, and shut it behind her. She hardly made a sound through all this, and so it was understandable that when the brown-haired, rather plump man who had already been in the room turned around, he was startled to see Luna.
"Oh! You surprised me, Luna," he gasped, although the fact was quite obvious. Luna's smile grew wider, and her grey eyes twinkled as she looked at Neville Longbottom - Professor of Herbology, and her husband.
"I always do."
"Yeah... You'd think I'd be used to it by now," Neville said. "How were the new third years?"
"Oh, same as always. Half of them are excited beyond reason, thinking now they'll be able to predict everything, and the other half just didn't have another class they wanted to take, and I guess Divination seemed like the least unpleasant. I've talked to Sybil about it, and she's said that's how it's always been."
"I still can't believe she retired... Didn't think she ever would, you know, although I know a few students would've liked it back when we were in school." Neville said offhandedly.
"We are in the school," Luna giggled. "At least, we're on the grounds." Neville raised an eyebrow at her.
"You know what I mean," he said, then paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Oh! Right, I knew I was forgetting something... We got a letter from the Potters today! Just the usual things from Harry and Ginny, you know, saying hello and asking how we are, and making sure James isn't causing trouble."
"Albus got sorted into Slytherin," Luna commented vaguely, as Neville began to look for the letter.
"Yeah, I'd heard. What do you think?"
"Snape was in Slytherin, so... I don't think it's a bad thing. No, not a bad thing at all," she murmured thoughtfully, and Neville nodded in agreement. A moment passed where neither spoke, and then Neville let out a victorious cry of, 'aha!', a piece of parchment now clutched in his hands.
"Here it is, then," he said, and handed the letter to Luna. She read it over, twice, then folded it in half and placed it in her pocket, smiling.
"I'll put it with the others after lunch," she said happily. "You know, James said the kindest thing about me while I was on the way here."
Neville blinked. "What did he say?"
"Oh, he told one of his friends that I'm not loony," she laughed, "and how I'd helped Harry." Neville smiled and took her hand.
"Of course you're not loony, Luna," he whispered, and the two walked, hand-in-hand, out of the greenhouse and back to the school.
As I'm guessing you figured out, my friend said he would've like to see Luna and Neville married - which I deeply agree with - and to have Luna teaching at Hogwarts. (Unless he didn't say that and my memory is failing.) I immedietly pictured her as the new, eccentric Divination teacher.
Thank you for reading, as always, and if you have the time, leave a review!