Guy Fawkes Day was always Fred and mines favorite holiday. As a way to honor my brother, as well as the original trouble maker, I made a special bunch of products that were flying off the shelves. My favorite was an exploding parliament jack in the box. Percy was trying to help me restock and count up the money after the day we had had. A few months had passed since my conversation with Luna on the hill. Since then, I had realized that the best way show my love for my dearly departed brother was to make us the most successful joke shop in Europe. Percy, I think partly out of guilt and partly because he didn't have another job, had become my defacto business partner with Ron trying to help with product development. I appreciated all the help I could get. Now, with the holiday work-day almost on the books, I was ready to head to the borrow for the hoopla that was to occur. It was going to be the first party since the war had ended so it was sure to be a doosey.
As I counted the last of the till, I allowed my thoughts to drift to the blonde who had helped me see the light. This was something that happened often. Sometimes, my thoughts were not as pure as they should have been for someone my sister's age. I hoped that she would be there tonight. I had seen her many times since our conversation. She had taken over her father's post at the Quibbler while he went out in search of new stories from all over the world. He was now respected, as was his magazine, because of his support of Harry during the war. Because of this, she was around a lot and I had lunch with her at least once a week. Sometimes she would make her way to my flat for a bite to eat and listen to a game with me. These interactions should have been harmless, but every touch, laugh, and smile that she gave was now bringing me to my knees. I felt something for her that no other girl had been able to ignite.
Percy and I changed out of our magenta robes and into casual clothes. He headed off to pick up Penelope leaving me to apperate on my own. Most of the usual suspects were there by the time I arrived. Harry had his arm around Ginny's waist whispering in her ear. Ron was pulling Hermione close to him as they danced around the garden. Bill was talking to Charlie about a potential new breed of dragon while Fleur was having her belly patted by mum and Charlie's new girl, a fellow dragon trainer from Greece named Cassandra. Dad was talking to Mr and Mrs Granger about their flight back from Australia and sneaking in questions about the fellytone. There were many more scattered around, enjoying the heating charms that had been placed all around the garden.
I was only on the ground for a moment before mum left her soon to be grandbaby to inspect me.
"George, how are you? You look too thin. I told you I would cook for you. You just need to stop in every now and then. I know you're a busy man, but you must take sometime to eat. Go over right now and get a good helping of the food," Mum said as she hugged me.
"Good to see you too mum," I said as I leaned down and kissed her cheek before making my way towards the overflowing buffet table.
"And later, I'll do something about that hair!" She called after me causing me to smile.
After grabbing some of mum's delicious food, I joined Bill and Charlie who had now moved on to discussing a new sport that was trying to import its way from America to Europe, something called Broomball that was apparently big in the states and Japan, but sounded boring from what I could tell. I was beginning to loose interest when I heard a crack from across the garden. I looked over to see the object of my slight obsession. My face lit up, but the light left a moment later when I saw who she had apperated with. Her hands had been wrapped around Neville Longbottom's bicep as they landed in the garden. She had let go of it now, but the image was engraved in my mind. Ron and Hermione picked that moment to end their attempt at dancing and join us.
"Looks like Neville finally got up the courage to ask Luna somewhere," Ron said, picking an olive off my plate.
"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Bill asked a smile on his face
"I never thought that she was interested in him like that, to be honest," Ginny said, appearing on my other side while Harry went to greet our newest guests. I could have sworn that Ginny gave me a pointed look at that moment, but it was probably just the light.
The topic switched to something that I found meaningless, mostly because my thoughts remained on Luna and Neville. I wanted to twist his head off. I was seeing red by the time Luna emerged from my mum's hugs and made her way over to our party.
"Hello everyone," she said in a cheerful voice as she wedged herself between Ginny and I. The sudden contact of her body next to mine made my insides do a flip-flop. She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes, the eyes that can see into my soul.
"How are you today George?" She whispered as the boring conversation resumed.
"I'm…I'm…I'm fine Luna but I think I better go check on the fireworks." I stammered out before retreating from the circle to a more secluded area.
I had set the fireworks up with Percy yesterday and really had no reason to check them, but I need out of there. I knew now with the utmost certainty that my feelings for Luna were not platonic in any sense of the word. I wanted her to be mine alone. Thoughts of how to get Neville out of the picture crossed my mind, but I knew that I would have to let her go if she wanted him and hope to Merlin that she would return to me.
"George," I heard her voice say as she came up beside me, "are the fireworks full of pickled antler bugs? I hear that they can be very bad for English fireworks."
I smiled down at her, "no Lu, they are clean, they should go off at any moment."
"Good, I have been looking forward to seeing them all day."
At that moment, the warning one that I have set up to alter the crowd that they are about to start went off causing Luna to jump with surprise into my arms. I pulled her close to me and looked down into her beautiful blue eyes.
"Luna, I need to ask you something," I said in a low whisper.
"What?" She asked in a similar voice, her eyes boring into mine.
"Why did you come here with Neville?" I asked, holding my breath, wanting to hear the answer but afraid of what it might be at the same time.
"I didn't," she replied blushing slightly and looking down, "I mean, I did, but I didn't. Neville had been doing an interview with me for the paper and by the time we were done, it was time to go so we just came together."
The air finally emerged from my lungs. Relief washed over me.
"Good. I was worried that I might have to dispose of him and I did not want to be known as the man who killed Neville Longbottom," I said smiling slightly as my hand cupped Luna's chin and tilted her face upwards.
Confusing swept her features, "why would you need to dispose of him?"
"So I could do this," with one movement I kissed her.
At first, she remained still as my lips pressed against hers, but then something exploded in her. Her arms were around my neck, a hand in my slightly long hair. Her mouth opened and our tongues explored one another. The fireworks that were starting to explode above us were nothing compared to what I was feeling. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. One hand snaked up to the ends of her long, beautiful hair. We were consuming one another.
She slowly pulled away, out of breath, with a smile on her face. She rested her head against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist.
I leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "Luna, love, I think we've missed the fireworks," I said as I looked into the now calm sky.
"No, George, I am pretty sure we are the only ones who saw them."
