A/N Happy Valentine's Day to all! I meant to get this up yesterday, but life has a way of detaining you from doing things you might need to. Anyways, enjoy!

Neville Longbottom thought that sometimes the Sorting Hat put people in the wrong house.

"I should've been in Hufflepuff. There's no way I'm brave enough to…" Neville was sitting at breakfast with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron's face was stuffed with scrambled eggs and bits of ham while Hermione had her nose buried in a book.

"Neville, you can do this. She's just a girl," Harry said trying to reassure Neville.

"She's definitely not just a girl Harry. She's the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing girl I've ever met," Neville replied.

"Then just go ask her."

"I can't. What if she says no?"

"Just do it Neville." Harry gave Neville a small push off the bench towards the Ravenclaw table. Luna Lovegood was sitting alone, but she was smiling as she at her portion of breakfast pudding.

"Hi Luna," Neville said shaking.

"Oh hello Neville," she said dreamily.

"C-Can I sit down?"

"Of course, I enjoy company." Neville sat on the bench, trying to control his nerves. "Erm, so this Saturday is Valentine's Day."

"Oh yes, Valentine's Day is a wonderful holiday. Gurdyroots are in season and the Blinking Squirtlies come out," Luna said.

"Well that's, um quite interesting."

"It is. The Squirtlies are actually very bashful. But Valentine's Day always provokes something in them to come out of the ground. They like the dark though. I hope I might see a few." Neville smiled a small smile.

"That's great Luna. I was, I was wondering…" She sat there staring at him. Luna's eyes always made Neville loose all focus.

"Ifyoudgotohogsmeadewithme?" he babbled.

"I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you Neville," Luna said brightly.

"Wait, you understood what I just said?" Luna laughed softly.

"Why would I not?" Neville swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Meet me in the entrance hall at ten?" Luna asked.

"Yes, yes absolutely." Neville stood up and smiled. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were beaming at him from the Gryffindor table. All day Neville felt like he was walking on clouds.

Saturday came quickly and Neville was attempting to fix his hair to make it look perfect. He wanted everything about this date to be perfect. Eventually he gave up and hurried to meet Luna. He saw Harry leaving with Cho Chang and Ron heading to the Quidditch Pitch. Harry looked over his shoulder and gave Neville thumbs up. Neville tried to grin but his stomach was rolling.

"Are first dates always this nerve-wracking?" he wondered aloud.

"That's what everyone says," a dreamy voice answered. Neville looked up and gazed in amazement. Luna looked stunning, dressed in a bright yellow shirt with a blue sweater over it and khaki pants.

"I know you're supposed to wear red or pink, but I like yellow much better," she said. Neville had to agree. Almost everyone he knew said that Luna was strange. But Luna's spirit, her strange beliefs, and her out-of-the-ordinary appearance were what made Neville attracted to her. He liked that she was different.

"Shall we go?" he asked. Luna nodded and they began walking down the road.

"Hogsmeade's so nice this time of year," Luna remarked. They talked about the shops they liked until they reached Honeydukes. Luna opened the door and headed inside with Neville behind her. Luna stopped in front of a display of Chocolate wands.

"Do you like these?" Neville asked.

"I do. My mum and I used to eat them together." Neville knew about Luna's mum. As far as he knew, no one else did. He counted his money and made sure he'd have enough. Neville took a chocolate wand and headed for the counter. 5 sickles were worth buying Luna something delicious. She hadn't noticed he'd left until he came back. Her smile made his heart beat as she took the wand from his hand.

"Thank you Neville!" She gave him a quick hug, and he felt his face redden.

"Glad you like it."

They looked around a few minutes more. Many Hogwarts students were there as well. Neville said hello to a few friends, and they left the busy shop. Dean and Seamus were outside and their mouths hung open when they saw who Neville was with. Neville just smiled. Luna was eating a piece of her chocolate wand as they walked down the streets. There was still snow on the ground, and Luna's small footprints looked even smaller next to Neville's larger ones. They passed Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and Neville hesitantly asked if Luna would like to go in. He didn't want to, the decorations and the various couples made him nervous.

"Not really Neville. It's much too steamy, plus it's full of Nargles." Neville grinned. He loved this girl so much.

"Three Broomsticks instead?"

"Yes, it's Nargle free." Neville ordered them butterbeers and they sat at a table in the back.

"This has been a lovely day Neville, I'm glad you asked me to come," Luna said as she sipped her Butterbeer.

"I'm glad I did too." Neville was actually having a very good time. Luna was easy to talk to, even when she brought up her strange creatures. They stayed in the Three Broomsticks until it was almost sunset.

"Sunset, c'mon Neville we have to go see them!" Luna grabbed Neville's hand and pulled him out of the pub.

"Wait, what are we seeing!" he yelled as she hurried down the street.

"The Blinking Squirtlies, they're always out at sunset, we must go see them!" Luna ran, her hand still in Neville's as they passed various Valentine's Day couples. When Luna finally stopped, Neville bent over to catch his breath.

"Where, where are we?" he panted.

"This is the best place to see them." Luna pointed and Neville saw one of his worst fears.

"The Shrieking Shack?"

"They like darkness."

"We're not going in there are we?"

"How else would we see them?" Neville had to admit she had a point.

"But it's boarded from the outside, how would we get in?"

"There's a small hole on one side. I found it once."

"You've been in before?"

"I was curious." Neville had to smile as they walked to the side of the Shrieking Shack. He couldn't help but notice that his fingers were still intertwined with Luna's. He liked the feeling. Just as Luna had said, there was a small hole on the side of the building. She climbed through easily, and Neville squeezed in after her. He had never been in the Shrieking Shack before, seeing as he thought it was haunted. Luna led him through the house opening doors and frowning.

"No, not here. They must be somewhere. They have to." Neville tried to be supportive and helpful, but the place was still frightening. Every corner they turned he expected ghosts to swoop down on him. The creaks from the floorboards made him jump. Finally Luna opened a room upstairs and smiled.

"Yes, here they are," she whispered. Neville couldn't see anything.

"What's here?" Luna pressed a finger to her lips, signaling that he was too loud.

"The Blinking Squirtlies. They don't like loud noises so we need to be quiet." Neville looked hard but all he could see was dust and darkness.

"I can't see them," he whispered.

"Close your eyes." Neville did as Luna commanded. "Think of lights, small soft lights that flicker on when it grows dark. They're little flickers of hope. Can you see them in your mind?" Neville nodded. "Remember that picture. Now open your eyes."

Neville slowly opened his eyes. He hoped he really could see the Blinking Squirtlies because they sounded so beautiful when Luna described them. To his surprise, small blue lights were dancing around him. They were glowing with a very peaceful aura. Neville had to resist the urge to reach out and touch one.

"They're beautiful," he whispered. Luna was beaming at him. She loved that Neville could see the wonderful things she saw. She took his hand in hers once more and they continued to gaze at the Blinking Squirtlies. Neville was the one who broke the silence.

"We should probably go back to Hogwarts." Luna nodded and allowed Neville to lead her back through the Shrieking Shack. Once outside, she gave Neville a hug.

"That was absolutely magical, Neville today has been the best Valentine's Day ever," Neville felt his face go red again.

"You're what makes the day great Luna," he mumbled.

"That's very sweet of you Neville thank you," she said.

The wind blew a strand of her pale hair into her face and Neville was overcome with a desire to kiss her. C'mon now Longbottom, you're a Gryffindor. Just do it. No, what if she hates me? She just spent the whole bloody day with you, just kiss her! Neville took a breath and tilted his head down. Their kiss was very soft, very light. Inside Neville felt like roaring in triumph.

"Yes! I've kissed her! And she seems to…"

Whack! A snowball cuffed Neville just above his ear. He whipped around and saw the pale sneering face of Draco Malfoy.

"Never thought you'd be kissing anyone Longbottom, much less that little Ravenclaw freak!" he called. Neville felt his face redden yet again.

"Shove off Malfoy!" he yelled back.

"Tsk, tsk. You ought to be nicer Longbottom, your girlfriend might not like it." The famous smirk crossed Malfoy's face. Neville felt so embarrassed. The day had been going so well… Luna was probably ashamed to be seen with him now. But she was not; she was smiling.

"Come Neville," she said brightly. She took his hand once more and began walking away.

"Oh Draco," she added. "I detected several Nargles around here. They can be quite naughty, I'd be careful if I were you."

Malfoy didn't see the flick of her wand, but Neville did. He squeezed her hand as they watched Draco Malfoy was pelted with levitating snowballs. Neville couldn't stop laughing as they made their way back to Hogwarts.

"That was brilliant Luna!"

"Oh it wasn't me Neville," she said knowingly.

"It was the Nargles. I did warn Draco."

"You know you're really something Luna." Luna stood on her tippy-toes and kissed him.

"Happy Valentine's Day Neville." Then she skipped off to Ravenclaw Tower.

Neville stood there in a daze. He didn't notice Ron and Ginny Weasley coming in from an exhausting quidditch practice. He didn't notice Cho Chang arriving without Harry, but with an angry and teary face. He didn't notice the throng of students coming in. He didn't see or hear anything. Nothing but beautiful glowing blonde hair and sparkling blue lights filled his mind.