Drunk
They all stumbled into the bar, the third for the night. Quite a few of them had had too much and were at the stage where the world starts to spin and everything goes… fuzzy.
"What they hell!" Ron screams as he stares at his hands with a look of utter confusion and terror. "I have three hands!?" Those around him chuckle at his antics and go back to nursing their drinks with varied levels of vigour. Luna holds a beer in her left hand and another in her right. Ginny – now bent double and dry heaving – had thrust her beer into Luna's hands just before taking this position. Luna had never liked these events, but came because she felt she had to, she owed it to them. Her eyes took in the room, from wasted Weasleys to a hammered Harry, the scene was a complete mess – but it was a messy tradition. Every year of the second of May, those who fought, and lost, in the war got together and drank, and drank, and drank some more, until no one realised what day it was and no one remembered why they were drinking.
Luna glanced at her watch, chastising herself for choosing this over time with her boyfriend, Rolf, who was leaving for Peru next week. Her thoughts were interrupted by the clearing of a throat to her right.
"You look absolutely miserable," Neville said, a smile playing on his lips as he watched her, then glanced at his other best friend, still lying across the cold floor.
"I'm not miserable, but this is supposed to be a sad time." Luna nudged him with her shoulder, and they both smiled.
"How'd you get stuck with babysitting duty?"
"Her boyfriend is equally as drunk," she said, indicating to the prone figure of Harry across the bar, "and someone needed to watch out for her." Neville smiled.
"Come have a drink with me, we can still watch her from the bar."
/
Finally the bar calmed down as the more intoxicated of the bunch were sent home, protesting all the way. Neville and Luna remained, their sorrows slowly drowning as they laughed through drink after drink.
"Why is everything spinning?" Luna giggled as she stepped off the bar stool, her hands searching for something to brace herself on. She found something sturdy and warm, and only realised she was clutching Neville's chest when it moved as he laughed.
"Luna, you're gonna have to buy me dinner before you grope me like that!" He joked, then caught her as she stumbled slightly. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. She nodded, looking up into his eyes as he held her. Suddenly she realised how close they were standing. Without thinking, she said:
"I always thought you like me." His eyes widened, mouth hanging slack. "Then you never asked me out, and now I'm with Rolf, and I always thought I'd end up with you… I wanted to end up with you." She looked at him, watched as his lips twisted into a smile.
"Would you leave him… for me?" He tentatively asked; the wait for her reply was excruciating. Without thinking she pressed her lips to his, her hands pulling him closer to her.
/
The next morning was hell for both of them. They woke in their separate beds, in separated houses – with only the memory of the previous night. Luna cursed herself as she ripped the sticky clothes off her body, while Neville could not help the grin plastered to his face. Without a second thought, he made his way to her apartment.
She groaned as she opened the door, cringing from the bright light of the midday sun.
"Hey, Neville," she greeted, waving her free hand slowly, the other covering her eyes.
"Not feeling too good?" He asked, somehow chipper, even though he had as much as she. "Listen Luna, I think we should –"
"I'm still with Rolf," she cut him off, her eyes averted, scared to look at his face.
"What?"
"I can't leave him."
"That's not what you said yesterday."
"Yesterday I was more drunk then I had been in years!" She tried to explain but as the seconds wore by she realised how much worse this was becoming. "I'm sorry!" Neville stared at her, his face dropped its smile and become heartbreakingly bland. He turned from her, his movements slow but sure.
"Neville –" He shook her hand away as she reached for him, mumbling as he left.
"It's okay I understand… bye." Luna's heart broke as she watched him.
"Bye," she whispered, she had no idea what this would do to her relationship with Neville, but was now scared to find out.
Speed Drabble: Luna/Nev – two quotes: "That's not what you said yesterday." "Why is everything spinning?" (787)