Chapter 2: First Kisses
The next morning, the Hogwarts students came into the great hall for breakfast. Neville met Luna in the hallway in front of the great hall. The pair entered the hall and walked to the Gryffindor table, holding hands. This gesture did not pass unnoticed. Parvati Patil joined her twin sister at the Ravenclaw table. When Luna sat down to breakfast, Neville sat one side of her, while Ginny sat the other. After his mocking remark the previous evening, they made sure Seamus sat some way away.
Luna let Harry Potter borrow her copy of 'The Quibbler', which he found surprisingly informative as it appeared to support his assertion that Voldemort had returned. He was beginning to realise that 'The Daily Prophet' was merely a conduit for Ministry of Magic propaganda and that a lot of information was being withheld.
Ron, Hermione and Harry were all charmed by Luna's bright personality and her gentle voice. They decided from that moment on that they would never call her 'Looney' again. She had presented herself as a sweet natured intelligent girl, who was probably saner than any of them.
Having breakfast with Luna put Neville into a happier mood than usual. He felt more self-assured when faced with professor Snape and even answered the professor's questions accurately and with confidence. The Slytherins, particularly Malfoy were baffled by the newly assertive Neville. At the lunch break, once again Luna sat at the Gryffindor table, enjoying the company of her new friends. The answers she gave to questions surprised the Gryffindors as they, other than Ginny and Neville, had always thought of her as a bit scatty.
"Well, Luna," said Hermione, "I'm beginning to think you're the brightest witch here, and the nice thing about you is that you've got such a sweet personality."
"Thank you." said Luna, "I didn't think I was that clever."
"You're at least as clever as me," said Hermione, "But you hide it behind a mask of sweet craziness. I really hope your friendship with Neville prospers. You've already changed him."
"In what way?" asked Luna.
"He's more assertive." said Hermione, "You may not believe this, but last night when he eventually returned to the Gryffindor common room, he told off Seamus very firmly when he called you 'looney', and this morning he was very confident in Snape's potions class. He surprised all of us. He even stood up to Malfoy's insults."
"I knew the sorting hat must have put him in Gryffindor for a reason," said Luna, "And I told him. He must have taken it to heart."
"No, I don't think that's the reason." said Hermione, "I think it's because he now realises he has a true friend at Hogwarts. Isn't that true, Neville?"
"I suppose so." said Neville, "I'm certainly a lot happier when she's around me. I somehow feel I'm really me. It's happened so quickly."
"That's because I met you at the right moment." said Luna.
The rest of the day passed pleasantly for Neville. As they departed from lunch, Neville and Luna arranged to meet after dinner at the same place they had met each other the previous day.
At dinner, even Seamus was charmed by the delightful Luna. He would never again call her 'Looney'.
This evening, it was Luna who arrived at the meeting place first.
"Hello sweetness." said Neville, gently as he sat beside Luna on the grassy slope.
"Where would you like me to take you this evening?" asked Luna.
"Somewhere you might not want to take me." said Neville.
"Where's that?" asked Luna.
"I know you are fascinated with a part of the forbidden forest." said Neville.
"Oh, that!" said Luna, "You might not enjoy that."
"Why not?" asked Neville.
"Because the creatures I go to see there will be invisible to you." explained Luna.
"Now I am fascinated." said Neville, "What are they?"
"Thestrals." said Luna, "Only someone who has seen death at first hand can see them. I can see them because I saw my own mother die. Harry can see them because of Cedric Diggory. I had to explain them to Harry when he saw them for the first time. They're the creatures that pull the carriages from Hogsmeade Station to the castle."
"Okay," said Neville, "I suppose I might be able to hear them."
"Let's go then." said Luna, as the couple got up and started down the slope to the forest, "Where would you like to go after the forest?"
"One of your favourite places." said Neville, "I was fascinated by your description of the stars last night, so perhaps we could go up to the Astronomy Tower and see more of the night sky."
"That's so lovely." said Luna, "I love that place."
On the way to the forest, Neville and Luna encountered Hagrid.
"And where do you two think you're going on this bright evening?" asked Hagrid.
"I'm going to let Nev hear the thestrals." said Luna, "He's fascinated by my description of them."
"Well, best of luck!" said Hagrid, "They're tricky creatures, but I know Luna can handle them."
"Thanks, Hagrid!" said Luna.
Luna led Neville to the part of the forest where she knew that she would find the thestrals. As they approached, she urged caution.
"Don't forget," said Luna, "Although you can't see them, they can see you."
She produced an apple from her pocket and threw it in front of her. Neville heard a rustling in the leaf litter. The apple disappeared almost before it hit the ground. She offered a piece of meat to Neville and urged him to throw it slightly to his right at waist height. He did so. The result this time was more obvious. The meat had travelled barely three feet through the air, when there was a snapping of jaws and it disappeared. As this happened, Neville noticed a slight disturbance in the appearance of the leaf litter, almost as if something almost invisible was moving in front of it.
"I can't see the thestrals," said Neville, "But I can see vague transparent shapes moving around."
"You can see more than most people." said Luna, "I think that's because Bellatrix cursed your parents so close to death, that you're beginning to see them."
"That's rather sad." said Neville, "Because it means they will never recover. But it does mean I'll never deny your beliefs in strange invisible creatures. Thank you. I feel more at peace having 'met' the thestrals. The sun must be setting now. Shall we make our way to the astronomy tower."
Luna bade farewell to the thestrals and the couple made their way back.
"How was it?" asked Hagrid, as they passed his hut.
"Enlightening." said Neville, "I've learnt a lot."
"That's good." said Hagrid, "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but there seems to be something very special about you two. I know this is the first time I've seen you together, but I sense that you seem to match each other in a lot of ways."
"Thank you." said Luna, "I feel I've found a real friend in Neville. Good night, Hagrid."
After this exchange, the couple returned to the castle. When they reached the astronomy tower, the last light of the day was dying in the West. If anything, the sky was even clearer and darker than the previous night. The couple stood on the upper platform in silence for a while. Luna was the first to break the silence.
"What a lovely night." said Luna, "The sky is really dark. Perhaps we can look at the Milky Way."
Once again, Luna's gentle, musical voice enraptured Neville. Luna continued to explain what was visible above them. She pointed out the faint hazy band of stars that was the Milky Way. She also mentioned that the brightest part of it never came very high in British skies. As she followed the Milky way from its brightest area towards the zenith, she mentioned the 'W' shaped constellation of Cassiopeia. She also mentioned that it was one of two prominent Northern circumpolar constellations.
"We can see the other one, the Great Bear, from this platform." said Luna, "Ah! There it is."
Luna mentioned the pointers and their relation to the pole star. She then set Neville another eye test.
"You see the four main stars of the Great Bear?" said Luna.
"Yes." said Neville.
"Now look carefully at the middle one of the other three." said Luna, "What do you see?"
"Two stars." Said Neville.
"I'll show you something." said Luna.
She removed the weatherproof cover from a chunky looking reflector telescope and pointed it at the star in question and invited Neville to look through the guide scope.
"Three stars." said Neville.
"That's right." said Luna, "Now I'll show you something more interesting."
She redirected the telescope towards a star near Vega.
"You see that faint star just to the left of Vega?" asked Luna.
"Yes." said Neville.
"Now look at it through the guide scope." said Luna, "How many stars?"
"Two." said Neville.
"Now look at it through the main telescope." said Luna, "How many?"
"Wow!" exclaimed Neville, "There are two pairs of stars."
"And they are all part of one system bound by gravity." said Luna.
"Are we bound by gravity?" asked Neville, gently stroking Luna's cheek.
"No." said Luna, "We're bound by love."
With this, she embraced a surprised Neville and kissed him intensely on the lips.
"That was nice!" said Neville, "What was it for?"
"For you being you." said Luna, smiling.
Neville rose to the occasion and kissed Luna deeply and intensely, caressing her back from her shoulders to her waist.
"You're wonderful!" said Neville, as they disengaged their embrace, "We are bound by love."
"Before I show you another part of the sky," said Luna, "Take a look at this."
She moved the telescope very slightly and suggested Neville look at what she had found
"What do you see?" asked Luna.
"A ring of light." said Neville.
It's the Ring nebula." said Luna.
"It's amazing!" said Neville, "I'm coming to realise why you love astronomy."
"Before we go down," said Luna, "There are some more things I'd like to show you."
She directed the telescope towards a random part of the Milky Way and invited Neville to look.
"Wow! Stars and stars and stars!" exclaimed Neville.
She then pointed the telescope at the Andromeda nebula and invited Neville to look at it through the main telescope.
"It's beautiful," said Neville, "Like you."
"I showed you the Milky Way just now." said Luna, "The Andromeda nebula is another collection of billions of stars, just like the Milky Way."
"It must be a long way away." said Neville.
"You're seeing it as it was two million years ago." said Luna, "In other words, it's two million light years away from here."
"Wow!" exclaimed Neville, "Have you anything else to show me?"
"Would you like to see the loveliest planet?" asked Luna.
"Okay!" said Neville.
Luna produced her wand and said "Semilumos rubrus". A dim red light issued from her wand. She changed the eyepiece on the telescope and pointed it at a yellowish 'star' in the Eastern sky.
"Nox." said Luna, as she lined up the telescope exactly on the 'star', "Have a look at that."
Neville looked into the eyepiece of the main telescope and gasped.
"I'm almost speechless." said Neville, "I've seen pictures of it, but thought they were just pictures. I didn't know it was real."
"It's real alright. It's as real as you and me." said Luna, "It's the planet Saturn, with its rings."
"Thank you for that." said Neville, "I've learnt a lot tonight, and I've enjoyed another two hours of your wonderful voice."
"I'll put the telescope away," said Luna, "Then we can enjoy each other for a bit."
Luna, once again, used dim red wandlight to change the eyepiece of the telescope, then replaced the weatherproof cover. The couple sat down next to each other in silence for a few minutes. It was Luna who broke the silence.
"Nev?" said Luna, questioningly, "What do you really feel about me?"
"What a question!" said Neville, "I think you know. If I listened to my heart, it would tell me I'm falling in love with you. I feel a sense of euphoria when I'm around you. Your sweet voice enchants me. Yes – I love you."
"You've just told me what I already know." said Luna, "It's obvious from the way you look at me that you're totally in love with me. If it's any reassurance, I feel the same way about you. I know it seems to have happened almost overnight, but we've both been looking longingly at each other for weeks."
The couple stood up. Neville embraced Luna and kissed her deeply. Their hands caressed each other's backs intensely for about a minute.
"Wow! Neville!" said Luna, "There's no going back after that. I think I can say with certainty that we're a couple."
"Welcome to my rather ordinary world." said Neville, embracing Luna again.
"There's nothing ordinary about you or your world, sweet Neville." said Luna, "We're both special – to each other. Hagrid sensed that. With that thought, let's go down."
Neville and Luna left the astronomy tower and returned to their respective common rooms. They expressed their rapidly growing feelings for each other several times before their paths separated.
"So this is goodnight," said Luna as they reached the foot of the stairway to Ravenclaw Tower, "And goodbye for the time being."
"Yes," said Neville, "My least favourite part of the evening."
"I'll make it better for you." said Luna.
Luna embraced Neville and kissed him passionately. They stayed together in a full embrace for about a minute, before regretfully disengaging and going their separate ways.
"Same place, same time tomorrow?" asked Neville.
"Okay!" said Luna, "Same time, same place."
"Thank you for a lovely evening." said Neville, "Goodnight! See you tomorrow."
"Sweet dreams." said Luna, as she started up the stairway.
Neville watched her until she turned a corner and was lost to his sight. He felt a strong sense of euphoria and a deep contentment. He was not sure how it had happened, but within the space of two days, he had changed from a lonely slight outcast to a young man in love. For the first time in his life, he felt he was in charge of his life. He realised that he was among friends and that he had a very special friend. This feeling boosted his self-confidence to such an extent that even professor Snape no longer held any terrors for him. What had begun with furtive glances between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables had swiftly blossomed into a deep abiding love between two slightly 'strange' young people, who had taken the trouble to actually get to know each other.