Comfort in the Calamity

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters JKR does, so please don't sue me!

AN: Been having a rather gloomy time lately and this is what came out. Neville/Luna. (Slight Seamus/Dean if you squint.) If I get any readers I might continue with this.

Neville wasn't afraid heading to Hogwarts. Looking back he should have been, but he had yet to realize how bad things had gotten. He was silly to think that what was tearing the wizarding world apart couldn't reach Hogwarts. It had been his home for almost seven years and he felt safe there, but the Carrows ensured that Neville wouldn't feel safe and secure for a very long time. It was bad enough that he had to endure Snape as headmaster but even in classes he was singled out and he was made miserable. Or at least as close as he could get. Between Ginny and Luna he didn't have much time to dwell on his own sufferings, he had to help run the D. A. and he found himself worrying more about others than himself. Which was probably a good thing, he would have gone mad without being able to at least FEEL like he was doing something to help his friends.

Neville wasn't sure when it happened really. He and Luna were running copies of the Quibbler around while Ginny was spending a harrowing night in detention. They just couldn't sit and wait for her to come back because they knew what was happening to her, they had gotten it themselves often enough and couldn't bear the thought of it. Luna was in her usual mood, humming to herself as she folded the papers and slid them under the dorm doors and into the couch cushions. It was the only way to get the truth of what was happening out, now that the Prophet was taken over by the Death Eaters. Luna had just went to the window suddenly and Neville saw her smile a little sadly at the clear night and he couldn't help but think that it was a most stunning piece of scenery. He felt a rush of warmth envelop him and he realized how much he really did care for Luna. She turned to him and he was struck breathless for a moment when she spoke.

"I know it looks bad Neville, but we'll be ok."

Neville knew not to ask her how she could be sure of that, it was just how Luna was. The might have named her Loony Lovegood but she really was wise if you looked closely enough. Neville smiled at her and nodded as he slid another paper onto the fireplace mantle. He didn't say anything back just smiled at her and they went on about their business. It wasn't until later in bed that he realized that the flush he had felt might have been more than just his usual friendly feeling. It didn't bother him, it just felt right.

Things got progressively worse at school and many students were looking forward to the Christmas holiday. Many didn't know if they were even going to come back, many were going into hiding. Dean had already decided to pack up and leave. It made Neville sad to think that their friend was being forced to take such a drastic measure to stay alive. He also hoped that they would be able to continue their most definitely illegal wireless broadcast with so much danger. He was not even prepared for what came next.

"LUNA LOVEGOOD!?!"

Luna was standing beside him when the shout rang out. She didn't even look fazed by the angry tone, she just looked to where there were several Ministry officials calling for her. She smiled as they aproached her in a way that only Luna could. Neville was really confused as to why the Ministry officials were at the Hogwart's train station until they stopped pulled out their wands and proceeded to inform Luna that she was being taken into Ministry custody.

"NO!"

Neville didn't even register that it was him shouting or that he too had drawn his wand and he was facing certain death if he just wispered the curse that came to his lips. The officials turned on Neville and were just waiting to take him out, but Luna just lowered Neville's arm and smiled.

"It'll be alright Neville."

She tucked a stray hair behind his ear and caressed his face as he stared at her in disbelief. She was calm and collected as the men from the Ministry led her away from the platform and to some unknown place and Neville just watched her go. Ginny finally had to drag him onto the train, he was just to shocked to function. He raged and yelled and kicked things around two days later when it finally had sunken in. They had taken Luna away from him, and he had no way to know where she was or if she was alive or dead. He passed the Christmas holiday somewhere in a fog, a very angry and confused fog.

He went back to Hogwarts angry, and when he finally snapped it was in class with one of the Carrows. It had only been two weeks but he moved into the Room of Requirement. He wasn't there alone for long, for soon most of the D. A. had joined him in hiding within the very walls of Hogwarts. They were safe, and they could still do their best to defy the Carrows and the other Death Eaters. Neville did his best to keep busy but some nights there was just nothing to do but sit. For Neville that meant sitting and worrying about Luna. He missed her, more than he thought he missed anybody else. He had decided long ago that she was his comfort within the calamity that had become the Wizarding World. Seamus understood so they would often find a quiet corner together. Neville missing Luna, Seamus missing Dean. They rarely spoke but they just sat there and understood what it meant to lose someone you loved like they had.

Neville was shocked and surprised when he finally saw Luna again. She came with Harry just before the battle of Hogwarts began. He stopped in his tracks and had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't just imagining her. She smiled at him like she knew what he was thinking and went to grab his hand.

"It's good to see you."

Neville could only nod back at her, having just lost his ability to speak. She squeezed his hand tightly before letting it go and following the others. Neville didn't remember much of that day, but he remembered seeing Luna a feeling more happy than he had in longer than he could remember. He didn't remember who he fought or who he fought with really. He spent most of the fight looking for Luna to make sure she was OK, because if she wasn't OK then he couldn't be OK. It wasn't something he had to thin about even he just knew deep down that in the end he would only be able to rest if Luna was safe.

After it became quiet inside Hogwarts he found her standing with Ginny and her family, mourning the loss of Fred. Luna didn't smile when she saw Neville, she just took his hand and looked at him with a sad confused look on her face. Neville could only pat her shoulder and move on. He wanted to stay with her but there were still bodies laying motionless on the grounds of the school and he had to find them and record them in his memory to be written down later. He knew Luna would be safe where she was and he could go on with his duties.

Once it was officially over Neville brought Luna some cider and a piece of chocolate. Again she didn't really smile in her Luna-like way, just looked confused. He sat down with her and waited for her to speak. It took some time but they were able to tell each other of their separate sufferings and adventures. They spent that night awake talking and crying together, and in the morning the rested easier knowing that they had someone close by. Luna sat and waited for Neville to wake up and when he did he was able to see Luna smiling in her almost Luna-like smile at him. He took her hand in his and sighed.

"It's over. It's finally over."

Fin