TITLE: Sunset Dreams
RATING: T
PEN NAME: Anonymous until after Contest reveals
FACEBOOK NAME: Anonymous until after the contest reveal
PAIRING: Harry Potter/Luna Lovegood
SUMMARY: Harry finds unexpected solace in Luna; but will their blossoming romance go the distance? Can love last under the darkest and most painful circumstances?
I would like to acknowledge that all of the writers know that the Harry Potter characters, locations and any plot lines used are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
NOTE TO BETA:
To KR; you are literally the best human to walk the face of the planet. Thank you so much for your endless support and the constant help; and for putting up with all my stupid newbie questions! I'm happy with what we've achieved!
October 31st, 1996
Harry sat perched on a rock, overlooking the Black Lake. Below him, the calm, dark waters were at the same time a juxtaposition and a perfect reflection of his own feelings. Dark, yes. But calm? No. Today was October 31st. He dreaded this day every year. He had always looked forward to it as a child; it was the one day in the year when the Dursley's would leave him alone, the one day he actually had fun.
Halloween was a day of celebration. And yet, he found himself unable to bear it. Because October 31st was the day that Voldemort had killed his parents. It was the day when he woke up to the sounds of screams in his head and a blinding green light that was gone in a flash. And so he came here.
To think, to cry, to imagine and dream…but mostly escape. As far as Harry knew, he was the only one who knew about this place. Which was a good thing. He didn't want anyone to see the salty tears that were sliding relentlessly down his face.
And then, as he was thinking, he heard something pure and silvery behind him. She spoke in a soft, lilting Irish accent, her sweet voice matching her elf-like appearance.
"You know," Luna said, "it's a very strong thing for a man to cry." Harry turned his head, his cheeks still wet from tears. Luna clambered up on the rock and sat next to him. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Her voice never failed to surprise him; and yet, it wasn't a surprise at all. Why shouldn't a beautiful elf have a silvery singing voice? Then she put her hand in her rather large pocket and offered up a pale pink handkerchief. Harry took the solemnly offered kerchief and scrubbed his face rather forcefully.
"May I keep it?" The question surprised even himself. But Luna seemed to take it in her stride. She tilted her silvery head slightly, smiled and nodded. And for more than an hour they sat in companionable silence, legs crossed, arms linked, staring across the lake at Hogwarts.
As it began to get cold, they moved closer together for warmth. Luna laid her head on Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes. They had both been through so much. They deserved a rest. Harry looked down at the silvery-blonde head resting on his shoulder and smiled. And then Harry realised something. For the first time, on an October 31st, he wasn't in pain or miserable. He was happy.
The sun was going down over the lake, casting a deep golden-red glow over the water.
"There's nothing more beautiful than a sunset. It looks like a painting."
Luna sleepily lifted her head off Harry's shoulder. He was relieved, because his shoulder had begun to feel like it was no longer attached to his body. But he wanted her to stay there.
In fact, he wanted this moment to last forever, but he knew this was impossible. They were both reluctant to move. Luna got up first, and after adjusting her rather bizarre looking headband that had come loose, she offered a dainty hand to Harry. He took said hand and pulled himself up, finding her a surprisingly strong anchor.
They headed back to the castle in silence, both deep in thought; Harry was wondering why on earth he had never really noticed Luna before this, and Luna was replaying the last moment in her head, when he had taken her hand to pull himself up…and kept hold of it a little longer than normal.
They arrived back at Hogwarts late and were met by a very irritated Hermione and a rather gratified Ron, who looked as though he had won some sort of bet. But before Harry got a chance to open his mouth and offer some sort of (quite possibly terrible) explanation as to his previous whereabouts, Hermione glared at him and stalked off into the Great Hall. Luna, blissfully unaware of the whole awkward situation, smiled at Harry and tilted her head.
"Remember Harry. Even though they're not here, they're never gone. Just like my mother."
And with that sweet little offering, she turned and skipped away into the Great Hall too. And then Harry realised something. He hadn't told Luna why he had been crying. And yet somehow, she remembered…and she cared. And for some reason, that made him feel warm inside.
He followed Ron into the Great Hall, ignoring the huge grin presenting itself on Ron's face, feeling thoroughly alive, and realising for the first time in a long time, he had felt happy on October 31st.
December 15, 1996
"I don't know why you haven't made things official with Luna."
Hermione had taken all she could of this constant will-they won't-they encounters between Harry and Luna. "Everyone can see that you're perfect for each other!"
Harry and Ron, reading the latest editions of Seeker Weekly stared at her following this unexpected outburst. Hermione continued to attack her hair with a clogged hairbrush in a desperate attempt to control her ever-escaping curls. Harry did understand her though. He and Luna had been spending a lot of time together. His mind drifted back through everything they had done; sneaking into the Library after hours so Luna could show him a new way to keep the Nargles away, swimming in the crystal-clear water that ran in the river past the school, teaching Luna how to ride a broomstick, drinking butterbeer whilst walking through Hogsmeade last week in the first of the winter snow…they had had the best times. And yet in all those different memories, there was one constant; that quirky, sweet, silver-haired pixie.
He was brought back down to earth by Hermione letting out a yell as she tugged on a curl that was far too uncooperative.
"Harry. Christmas break starts tomorrow."
Harry looked at Hermione, not following her train of thought. "And?"
Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Ronald, you know where I'm going with this, right?"
Ron answered her question with a completely blank look. She may as well have just asked him if he knew why the grass was green.
Hermione stamped her foot and let out an impatient huff. "Ask her back to The Burrow for Christmas you dimwit! I know for a fact her father has to write over Christmas. She'll be all alone! Just ASK HER ALREADY!" Her voice rose at the end of her sentence as she glowered at Harry in obvious frustration.
"That's just the problem Hermione. I'm afraid to. Because everyone I love dies in the end. It's only a matter of time before she gets hurt."
Hermione glared at him. "That's her decision to make. Not yours." Harry looked away with tears in his eyes. Hermione's gaze softened. "You deserve to be happy, Harry. And so does she. Don't let fear get in the way of what could be something amazing."
With that, she turned and left the Common Room, rather in a hurry. He heard her mumble something about Ancient Runes class on the way out the door. Ron stared after her, a vacant look on his face.
Ron turned back to Harry. "Speaking of Christmas, mate…you packed yet?"
Harry groaned, thinking of all the clothes and books that were currently spread out over the dormitory floor. As he headed to the dormitory, he paused in the doorway."Do you reckon your mum would mind if we had an extra for Christmas?"
Ron grinned. "Nah mate. She loves Luna."
Harry felt his cheeks tinge red slightly and turned to go up the stairs, so Ron wouldn't see him blush.
He found Luna sitting alone in the Great Hall, staring wistfully into space, and looking at nothing in particular. He walked up to her slowly, inwardly rehearsing what he was going to say. What if she said no? What if she didn't like him? It's not too late, you can still turn around. You can still leave. But he kept walking, past the Hufflepuff study group, past Hermione studying hard on her own as usual, past the Weasley twins who kept sniggering in his direction and winking to each other…until he was sitting opposite Luna.
She still hadn't appeared to notice him, stuck in her silent, whimsical reverie."Hello Harry". Her soft voice surprised him. She still wasn't looking at him, but he knew she was listening.
"Luna. I was wondering if…if…" His words trailed off. What was it he had wanted to say again?
Luna looked at him with a soft smile. "It's only me, Harry. I'm nobody really. You can tell me."
Only her? Nobody? He wanted to tell her then and there how beautiful she looked, how sweet and kind she was, how she made him feel…but he couldn't find the words. Instead:
"Luna, wudyouliketospenChrismwime?
Luna laughed, a pure and sweet sound that made Harry go weak at the knees. "Harry, you're going to have to slow down and speak up a little," she spoke with laughter in her voice.
He took a deep breath and started again. "Luna, would you like to spend Christmas with me…er...with the Weasley's…well, what I meant to say was…would you like to come and stay at The Burrow for Christmas? There was a brief pause that seemed to last forever as Harry held his breath and watched her. This was killing him.
Then: "Yes."
One simple word that had his heart pounding. Yes. And once again, Harry had something to look forward to.
December 16, 1996
Harry awoke early, a genuine wave of excitement hitting him; followed quickly by a pang of fear. It was too early to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast, so he took his throw rug and quietly slipped down to the Common Room. He sat on the couch looking wistfully into the fire. Once upon a time, what felt like an age ago, he would have been happy to look into that fire. But now it held nothing but painful memories and a sad reminder of what could have been; because Sirius was no longer here. His face would never appear in the fire again.
"HARRY!" Ron's voice broke through his contemplative silence. "WE'RE GOING HOME! NO MORE SCHOOL!"
Harry smiled at his friend's exuberance and felt the cloud of guilt and sorrow lift a little. Things were always easier to bear with friends to lean on. After all, he thought, it's Christmas.
They headed down to the Great Hall for their final breakfast of the school year; as they went through the doors, Harry felt his stomach tied in knots, as his eyes searched for his blonde-haired friend. But there was no sign of her yet. His face fell slightly. Ron didn't notice, but as she took her seat between Fred and Harry, Hermione saw and smiled slightly. The boy had it bad.
"NEVILLE, GET ON THE TRAIN!" Harry, Ron and Hermione heard Lavender Brown shrieking from a window about three carriages down and ran to their own window to investigate. What they saw made them howl with laughter.
Trevor, Neville's toad had escaped again, and was making his way down the platform, staying just out of reach of poor Neville; Neville would dive for the toad, and Trevor would take one giant leap just out of his grasp. Harry and Ron were crying with laughter. Hermione giggled, but when she heard the train whistle blow with poor Neville still not on it, she took pity on him.
She pointed her wand at the toad. "IMMOBULUS!" Neville almost cried in relief, grabbed the toad and jumped on the train as it started moving. Ron and Harry were still rolling around laughing. Hermione shook her head, smiling . Would these boys never grow up?
The train pulled away from the platform, with the students hanging their heads out of compartment windows to wave goodbye to their second home. As they reclaimed their seats on the train, there was a light knock on the door. Their heads turned to see Luna poking her head in the door. "May I join you? I was late on to the train and everywhere else appears to be full."
Harry jumped up too quickly, banging his head loudly on the luggage racks above their heads. Hermione smirked and Ron sniggered, while Harry felt the blood rush to his face. He wasn't usually this clumsy, but Luna did things to him. His heart rate felt like it was spiralling out of control. He suddenly felt rather dizzy, and fell back against the seat, his head spinning.
"Are you alright, Harry? Did that hurt?" Her silvery voice brought him back to reality. He suddenly realised that she was sitting on the seat beside him, with her small hand placed on the back of his head as if to wish it better.
Harry sighed in embarrassment. "I'm fine. Thanks Luna." He saw in the corner of his eye Ron huddled in the corner shaking with laughter, while Hermione was opposite him grinning into her book. He sank back into his seat and closed his eyes, determined to ride out this humiliation in peace.
Harry didn't even realise he had fallen asleep. To his right, Hermione laid curled up and purring quietly, still clutching her book. Opposite her, Ron lay with his head lolled back, mouth open- drooling slightly and softly snoring. Feeling something touch him he looked down. Luna was sitting close to him, her head resting on his shoulder, eyes closed, hair falling over her face.
He lifted his hand and tucked loose tendrils of her hair behind her ears, resting his hand awhile on the smooth, soft skin of her cheek. Then he lay back again and closed his eyes, perfectly content. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.
The Hogwarts Express pulled in to Platform nine and three quarters at Kings Cross Station in the early afternoon. All the students filed off the train, running into the arms of loving parents and excited brothers and sisters, babbling about the school term and excited to be back home for the holidays. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Luna waited until everyone else was off the train before they too reluctantly stood up.
Harry reached up to reach Luna's bag for her; he was rewarded with a beaming smile that made his heart melt. Hermione smiled and shook her head slightly. Ron sniggered.
"Neville, I told you to take better care of that pet!" Neville's grandmother had heard about his little escapade with Trevor and was now giving him a stern lecture on the etiquette of keeping pets.
As the small group shuffled past, Neville caught Hermione's glance and mouthed a thank you with wide eyes. Hermione smiled at him and they kept walking to the barrier. On the other side of the barrier, no one was waiting for them.
Ron wasn't surprised by this. "Mum and Dad are getting stuff ready for Christmas; Mum never goes out at Christmas!"
Harry couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Mrs Weasley was always a little too liberal with the hugs for his liking. He was more than happy to postpone the displays of affection.
Ron headed for the little coffee store hidden by the station entrance. "Muggle repelling Charm," he said, "it's hilarious. Muggles keep walking up to it then suddenly remembering they have other things to do. Dad sat here all day once, watching Muggles doing one-eighty degree turns at the door. Reckons it's the funniest thing he's ever seen."
They walked in the door of the coffee shop and found Fred and George waiting for them at a table with a rather bizarre looking flower vase on it.
"Come on you lot," said Fred.
"Christmas is coming," was George's contribution.
Harry stood there looking utterly bewildered as the others all took seats around the table.
Ron kicked his ankle. "Portkey, Harry!" He grabbed it just in time, and soon his stomach had that familiar feeling of being flung through the air at a rapid speed and then falling rather quickly towards the earth.
Unlike the occasion of the Quidditch World Cup though, this time Hermione slowed their descent, so at least they were all upright when they landed. Ron looked slightly green, Hermione slightly frazzled, Fred and George thoroughly entertained, and Luna...well. Luna looked like Luna. Perfectly normal. Perfect.
And there it was. The Burrow, his home away from home. The people in that house were the closest thing he had to family. And no, he didn't count the Dursley's. As he stopped a few metres away to take it all in, he thought he was the last one in the house; but just before he walked in, he felt a small hand slip into his and squeeze it.
"It's an unusual house. I love it." Luna spoke in a whisper, then let go of his hand and skipped inside. He watched her go with a smile on his face. That girl was always happy.
Then he followed her, ready for the onslaught of hugs and, to his disgust, kisses, from the Weasley females.
"Harry dear, so good to see you again!" This, as he was engulfed in a huge hug from Mrs Weasley that squeezed his stomach and his liver together. She finally released him but not before she planted a kiss on his forehead.
Then it was Ginny's turn to envelop him in a hug; she had once had a huge crush on him, which had been reciprocated, but they both quickly realised they were better off as friends and were extremely close. She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder, and after a pointed glance at Luna and a wink at Harry, she released him into the clutches of Fleur Delacour,
"Haree, it iz so pleasant to see you again." Fleur kissed both of his cheeks and his forehead and let him go. But not before she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Zis Luna, she is a pretty girl, no? She is sweet. You 'old on to zis one Haree." She smiled at him as she drew away and went back to staring lovingly at Bill, her hand tracing his scars, her face showing her happiness.
Bill and Fleur were going to be married, and she looked so proud of him. Harry hoped that one day someone would look at him like that. And he hoped that it would be Luna.
He looked over to the dining room, where Luna was now enclosed in a Molly Weasley embrace. But she looked thoroughly happy and content in those arms. And then Harry realised; Luna hadn't had a mother figure for many years, not since her own mother had perished in a magic-induced accident.
So this hug probably meant the world too her. Harry felt his heart hurt for the sweet little witch. They had both suffered great loss, which weighed heavy on them, but both of them kept it well hidden. Harry hoped that this Christmas would be one to remember.
Christmas Morning, 1996
Luna awoke early on Christmas morning. She hadn't had a real Christmas in so long, and she was determined for this one to be magical. So she got up out of bed, slipped on her dressing gown and slippers over her pyjamas, and silently crept out of the room she was sharing with Hermione and Ginny.
She tiptoed down the rather rickety stairs, miraculously not making a sound. She stopped dead in the hallway at the sight of the Christmas tree in the family room; it wasn't the largest tree, but it was so lovingly decorated with such lovingly made ornaments. She had never had a tree like that. Her eyes flooded with tears that silently slipped down her cheeks.
Luna quietly slipped out the front door and stood in the crisp, cold air, letting it fill her senses. So this is what Christmas felt like. She let her mind wander back to sitting with Harry on the train, the touch of his hand on her face, his strong, safe arms. She could be happy with someone like Harry. Maybe it could be Harry.
The thought made her smile. Then Luna heard the door open behind her, and Harry stepped out into the cold. He stood next to her, and they remained in friendly silence for a few minutes. Then Harry reached down and took her small hand in his and held it tightly. She looked at him and smiled.
This really was the perfect Christmas.
Later that morning, Luna had disappeared. Fred and George were busy chasing the Gnomes around the garden practicing all sorts of transfiguration and vanishing spells on them while the Gnomes were yelling insults at them in reply.
Hermione and Ginny were doubled over laughing when a rogue Gnome flung a rather sturdy fence post at George's head which he skillfully ducked.
Fred grinned at his twin as he lay sprawled on the ground, then had to duck himself when a Gnome came hurtling towards him at tremendous speed,having been hurled by a larger Gnome. The girls were now in stitches.
Mr and Mrs Weasley were busy cooking the Turkey for dinner; Mr Weasley had insisted that they use Muggle methods, and was trying to figure out how to get the stuffing inside the turkey, refusing any help.
Ron had been told to help Bill arrange the table and was getting the cutlery settings all mixed up and round the wrong way. Harry walked past them all trying to find Luna. He kept climbing up stairs until finally he heard a beautiful melody coming from a room that he had never even noticed before.
He followed the lyrical voice into a small, dusty room. Almost all the furniture had white sheets draped over it, but there, overlooking the yard, was a very old and weathered upright piano; and playing the instrument accompanying her own sweet and pure singing voice, was Luna.
"Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling,
From glen to glen, and down the mountainside,
The Summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
Tis you tis you, must go and I must bide."
The lilting melody of the beautiful song brought tears to Harry's eyes as he silently stood in the doorway and listened. Luna finished the song, and without turning around, she spoke.
"My mother used to sing that to me. She taught me music, you know. It's sad she's gone, but at least through this song I feel connected with her. It's almost like she's here."
Luna stood up from the piano and turned around, showing her own eyes swimming with unshed tears. Harry couldn't help himself. He walked to where she stood at the piano and gathered her up in his arms, pulling her tight to his chest. He felt her relax into the embrace and heard a quiet sob.
And then they sat together at the piano and he held her tight as she cried, ddeciding right then that he would never, even for one second, let this girl feel alone.
Christmas day was almost over. Christmas dinner had been eventful; Mr Weasley had insisted on using a carving knife to dismantle the turkey, but ended up slicing his arm. Hermione came to the rescue with Essence of Dittany, then took over the carving whilst Mr Weasley looked on fascinated.
Fred and George had placed dung bombs under everyone's seats (to "test out the products" they claimed), so when they sat down, the first ten minutes of the meal was people wafting their plates in front of their faces to get rid of the stench. Charlie had turned up with a baby dragon that was trying to set Mrs Weasley's tea towels alight.
Ron had accidentally turned his drinking glass into a small pot plant. Hermione was trying to magically resurrect the burned roast vegetables. In all the chaos, Harry looked across the table at Luna and they both laughed.
The family had gathered in the living room around the tree. Harry looked around at the happy, smiling faces of the people he now considered family and smiled. This was home. In the midst of a hilarious game of Wizard Charades, Luna jumped up from her perch on the floor next to Ginny and started collecting empty glasses.
Harry immediately jumped up to help her. As the pair approached the kitchen door, they felt themselves glued to the floor. At first, Harry was slightly concerned that he would be stuck there for good; that is until Luna, a pink tinge to her sweet face, pointed to the roof. Enchanted mistletoe. He should have known.
"You know what you gotta do, Harry!" Fred and George guffawed as they watched Harry and Luna's predicament. Harry knew that a peck on the cheek would free them, but in that moment, there was nothing he wanted to do more than kiss her.
Luna looked up at him, her entirely kissable lips turned up in a playful smile. Her silver eyes were laughing. Harry looked from the mistletoe to where Fred and George were laughing, to Mrs Weasley's approving face, to Ron's grin and Hermione's beam, back to Luna's beautiful eyes. And then he leaned down and kissed her sweetly, the sounds of laughter and whistles fading into the background.
The household began to quieten down after midnight. People started shuffling off to bed in dribs and drabs as they began to tire from the Christmas revelry. Hermione remained, sitting by the fireplace, her curly brown head stuck in a book.
Ron was sprawled over an armchair, eyes closed, mouth open, snoring quietly. Luna was sitting in the window seat, staring out into the night, in her own peaceful world. Harry sat on the floor leaned up against Ron's armchair. He was lost in a reverie, when he heard Luna's soft voice from the window.
"Harry. Come and look." Harry pulled himself up from the floor and walked sleepily over to the window. Luna placed her hand in his and whispered, "Harry, look outside. It's snowing. Isn't that a beautiful kind of magic."
He smiled at her and wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her softly on the top of her head.
"Luna," he said quietly, "would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me when we go back to school?"
"Sure Harry. We go there all the time!" Luna smiled.
Harry squirmed inwardly. " No, Luna, I mean...just you and me. Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me. On a date." The last sentence rushed out of his mouth as if he was afraid of her answer. Luna looked back out the window.
Then: "Yes."
Another yes. He jumped for joy on the inside.
Even later that night, Harry crept into the room he was sharing with Ron. True to form, Ron was already fast asleep. Harry turned onto his side, pulled the covers up and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Luna tiptoed into the room she was sharing with Hermione and Ginny; and the opposite scenario greeted her. Ginny and Hermione immediately leapt out of bed and tackled her to the bed, their grinning, excited faces portraying their happiness for their friend.
"SO?!", exclaimed Hermione, "tell us what it was like!"
Luna looked confused. Ginny looked excited,but impatient.
"Kissing Harry!" Ginny nearly shouted, but remembered people were asleep.
Luna smiled dreamily. "It was nice. For a few seconds it was like time stopped. And I think my heart skipped. And the colours were beautiful. He has a beautiful aura, you know. When I look at him I see the colours of sunset. Sunsets are my favourite things. Do you know why?" She paused in contemplation. Ginny and Hermione watched her solemnly in silent comfort as a single tear slid down her face. "They remind me that endings can be beautiful too. They remind me of my mother."
Ginny and Hermione hugged her tight. "Harry is lucky to have you, Luna," Ginny whispered in her ear. Luna felt Hermione nod against her shoulder. She smiled. "I think I'm pretty lucky too."
January 10, 1997
Things were back to normal. After the Christmas holidays, the students had returned to Hogwarts refreshed, excited, and ready for another school term. Word had spread like wildfire through the school that Harry Potter was dating Luna Lovegood; reactions ranged from disbelief to resigned humour, but their friends were just relieved to see them both this happy again.
They spent as much time together as possible. On weekends they would walk to the rock overlooking the lake and sit talking. Other times they would study together in the Great Hall or the Library, go for walks outside in the snow, and explore the castle grounds.
But they hadn't yet been on a date. Until today.
Harry and Luna wandered hand in hand through Hogsmeade looking in shop windows and soaking up the magical winter atmosphere. Carolers stood by the village Christmas tree singing, little strings of lights seemed to be suspended in the air, shop fronts were hung with tinsel and mistletoe remained strung from the quaint lamp posts.
This was perfect. Perfect scared Harry. He had never had perfect before. He squeezed Luna's hand tighter, and as if she knew what he was thinking, she touched a hand to his cheek and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."
He held her hand to his face and closed his eyes. "Luna Lovegood. I think I might be falling in love with you."
Luna smiled up at him. "Catch up Harry. I'm already in love with you."
January 30, 1997
The Wizarding War was raging on. Just last week, Harry had heard about seventeen more attacks by Death Eaters on non-magic families, five more people killed, three Ministry officials mysteriously disappearing…Voldemort was still out there, and the very real possibility of an attack on Hogwarts remained an ever-existent threat.
That night, Harry couldn't sleep. He lay in the Gryffindor boys dormitory restless, unable to find a comfortable position. He wanted to sleep, but he was afraid to close his eyes. Sleep brought with it the risk of nightmares…or even worse, visions.
In the past those visions had come true. They had been a source of pain and discomfort and guilt, and Harry was terrified of what might be revealed to him. But soon, unable to keep his eyes open, he succumbed to the frightening blackness.
When he awoke, Ron was kneeling beside his bed looking terrified. Harry found himself lying sprawled on his back in a pool of sweat, shivering and whimpering softly, tears falling softly down his face.
"Harry, mate, what did you see?" Ron's voice was quiet and filled with fear as he grabbed Harry's hand and helped him sit up.
Harry closed his eyes trying to shake himself out of the terrified stupor he found was overtaking his senses. He exhaled slowly.
"We were…we were…" He could barely speak through chattering teeth. "We were running," he whispered, "we were in the Forbidden Forest. The Death Eaters, they…they…" His voice choked. He paused. "They tortured her, Ron. The..the…Cruciatus Curse. Because of me." He let out a little sob.
Ron's eyes widened in fear. "Who, Harry?"
Harry just shook his head. Then: "Luna."
January 1st, 1997
Harry sat on the edge of his bed, shaking, with Ron sitting opposite him looking worried.
"Harry, mate, it might have just been a dream. Like...like the last time." He couldn't bring himself to say, "like that time we thought Sirius was being tortured." Those wounds were still raw.
"Not this time Ron. Not this time. This time I saw it clearly; and I felt it. I felt her pain. I don't understand Ron. What were we doing in the Forbidden Forest?" He had to figure out a way to protect the people he cared about. He thought back to that vision of Luna writhing on the cold ground screaming. He had to stop this. He couldn't lose Luna.
Harry saw Luna walk towards the Black Lake. He knew where she was going, and he wished she wasn't going there. He knew what he had to do to keep her safe, but it was going to break both of their hearts.
And just two weeks before Valentine's Day. He had planned a perfect day, and now it would never happen. He stood watching her for a minute, then clambered up beside her.
She lay her head on his shoulder in that familiar position. Why did she have to be so beautiful? Why did she have to love him? This was already so hard. "Luna. We need to talk."
Luna's voice floated up from his shoulder, "Alright Harry. What do we need to talk about?"
Harry took a deep breath. "We need to talk about us. This has been so wonderful Luna. It really has. But I think we should...take a break." Those words sounded harsh, even to his ears. Lifted her head up and stared at him. He felt her silvery blue eyes burning through him.
"Are you going to tell me why, Harry? Was it something I did?" She didn't sound angry. She didn't cry or scream at him or raise her voice at all.
Her voice was still soft and musical; but Harry could tell by the steely look in those beautiful eyes that her heart was broken. He wanted to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright, that she was safe; but he couldn't.
And right now, he hated himself for what he was doing to her. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from running after her as she turned away from him and ran back towards the castle. One day, he hoped she would understand.
One day when this was all over.
Valentine's Day, February 14th, 1997
Luna awoke to the sounds of giggling and hushed whispers. She groaned and rolled back into her pillow. Even the girls in Ravenclaw lost their heads on Valentine's Day. She had always thought it was an exciting day, filled with love and laughter; until two weeks ago when Harry Potter had broken her heart.
No, not just broken it. She felt like he had ripped it out and trampled on it. She had been so open with him; and she had fallen in love. She was in love with Harry Potter. She had been so happy in her little bubble. Tears filled her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away with her sheet. So much for sunsets.
Harry woke up to a rather different scene. Ron sat on his bed eating from a heart shaped box of chocolates, eyes wide with a rather pathetic expression on his face. Hearts. Great. Valentine's Day. "Harry, I think I'm in love."
Harry held in a snort of laughter, remembering the last time Ron had eaten chocolates spiked with a love potion. "Who is it this time, Ron?"
Ron gave a great long sigh. "Pansy Parkinson."
Harry choked on a mouthful of air. "PANSY?! Ron are you out of your mind?!"
Ron gulped. "She's so beautiful though Harry. Her hair...and her eyes...and she's so smart…" his words trailed off as he listed off Pansy's apparently brilliant attributes.
Harry was now laughing uncontrollably. Who knew that Pansy Parkinson had a crush on Ron Weasley. And then a thought hit him. "Ron, who were those chocolates supposed to be for?"
Ron looked a little guilty as he turned red and after a few seconds pause blurted out: "Dean."
Harry headed down to breakfast, a lovestruck Ron in tow.
As they passed the Slytherin table, Ron caught sight of Pansy and yelled, "Pansy, come to Hogsmeade with me?" He got the exact response Harry presumed he would; a disgusted glare from the girl in question, after which she proceeded to turn her back to him and completely ignore him.
Harry dragged his friend towards the seats at the table Hermione had saved for them and forced Ron into one. Harry looked around the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore had clearly had great fun with the decorations this Valentine's Day. The enchanted ceiling was decorated with thousands of dangling red and pink hearts. The table decorations had changed from the regular house colours to red, and even the food had been coloured pink and red.
The girls were all squealing in delight, whilst the boys were all greatly disgusted. Then his eyes stopped on one blonde head and his heart hurt. She sat at her place on the Ravenclaw table, lying with her head in her arms. This was a miserable day for both of them; Harry because he longed to explain why he had to let her go, and Luna because she didn't understand. He had stolen her heart before she had even realised; and then he had broken it, and she didn't know why. She lifted her head and saw him watching her; gave a small almost-smile, then looked away and put her head back down. He felt his eyes fill with tears and quickly blinked them away. What had he done?
Valentine's Day was insufferable. Harry wished he could have slept right through it. He had to sit through Ron's pathetic attentions towards Pansy Parkinson, who was, in turn, constantly following Dean Thomas around.
Harry's old girlfriend, Cho Chang, kept staring at him, which made his mood get progressively worse; every time he looked at her he thought of that awkward first Valentine's Day date at Madame Puddifoots in Hogsmeade.
This made him remember the amazing day he had planned for Luna, which brought him back to the fact that he was now alone on Valentine's Day because he left Luna. What made it worse was the fact that he had offered her no explanation; and now they were both miserable.
Luna was trying to be happy. Hermione had received a large bunch of bright sunflowers from an anonymous sender and was gleefully trying to cast revealing charms on them to ascertain their origin.
Ginny was blissfully happy; Neville Longbottom had kissed her in the middle of the Gryffindor common room quite unexpectedly, and she was now giggling with happiness and describing the date Neville had planned for them.
Even the Patil twins and Lavender Brown had managed to score dates for lunch in Hogsmeade. Luna sighed and opened her copy of The Quibbler. This was going to be a long day.
There was only so much Luna could take. Second and third year students kept running past her yelling, "There goes Loony Lovegood," which wasn't exactly pleasant. To make matters worse, Peeves had been egging them on until Fred and George Weasley came along and put protective arms around her and escorted her to her common room.
"Alright there, Luna?" Fred's question hung in the air unanswered as Luna fought back tears.
George looked meaningfully at Fred, then headed off to find Katie Bell for a one on one Quidditch rematch. Fred had always been better at the deep and emotional conversations; George felt uncomfortable.
Luna began to cry. For the first time in a long time, she let herself cry the pain away. There were so many unshed tears; tears for her mother, tears for her father's loneliness, memories of the happiness she had known as a child which was stolen from her too early, tears for the constant bullying which she had always tried to ignore or shake off, tears for her heart, which had just started to heal, only to be broken again by Harry Potter.
Fred held her in a warm hug and let her cry into his shoulder.
When she was all out of tears, she sat huddled in Fred's safe arms, shaking with emotion. "Fred? Why did Harry leave me? Am I too...strange?"
Fred was outraged. "No Luna. No. You are unique. You wouldn't be Luna if you were different. Sure you're a little different, but different is good, great even. Different makes you extraordinary. Do you hear me?" Luna turned her tear-streaked face to look at Fred. She saw the genuine concern in his eyes and nodded.
Luna let go of Fred and stood up. "Thank you, Fred. You're a wonderful friend."
She turned to leave, but as she skipped away to the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room, she turned back to him.
With a bright smile on her face, she said, "Fred. You have a nice aura you know. The ocean. You and Hermione go well together. She loved the flowers; now stop being silly and go and tell her."
Fred watched her go with a stunned look on his face. She was an amazing girl; and Harry was an idiot.
February 25th, 1997
Luna was still hurting. That particular day, after Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class, Lune lingered behind at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. When the students had gone back to the castle and Hagrid had gone inside his hut, Luna ventured into the forest.
She knew exactly where she was heading. When she found them, the thestrals were standing peacefully in a herd, the adults protectively sheltering the young ones. Luna liked to watch them.
They were a family. She had almost had that again, then she had lost it through no fault of her own. The thestrals turned towards her, and she began to sing. She like to sing to them. It seemed to calm them down.
But if you come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an ave there for me.
Footsteps interrupted her singing. The thestrals grew restless. She started running back towards Hagrid's hut.
"Lovely singing, little girl," a voice beside her purred eerily and then disappeared. Then, he reappeared directly in front of her. "Going somewhere, were we?"
"Mr Malfoy," Luna said in a voice that betrayed how scared she felt, "how lovely to see you! I'm sure Draco will be so happy. Shall I go and tell him you are here?"
Lucius Malfoy turned his mouth up into menacing grin and snarled grotesquely. "That won't be necessary, Miss Lovegood. You see, I'll be needing you to keep me company for a while right here, whilst we wait for Mr Potter's imminent arrival."
Luna's heart sank. "Did...did you come alone, sir?"
Lucius laughed, loud and without humour. "Now that wouldn't have been very wise of me, would it child?"
As if scripted, more Death Eaters emerged from the shadows, silently skulking, lurking, waiting. Luna counted fifteen, but there could have been more. She saw some that she recognised from the Department of Mysteries; Dolohov, Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback.
"Harry won't come, you know. He won't come. He and I, we aren't together. He doesn't...he doesn't love me anymore…" her voice broke and the sentence trailed off. Had he ever loved her at all? She wasn't sure.
Lucius roared with laughter. "Stupid girl. Of course he does. Why do you think he left? He saw this very event in a vision from the Dark Lord. He thought he could prevent it. He left to keep you safe." Lucius spat the words out, as if it hurt him to produce such a pathetic sentiment. "But now I'm afraid, Miss Lovegood, that we are going to have to give Mr Potter an incentive to come down here."
Luna's blood ran cold. Harry had left her because he thought she would be safe. He thought he could protect her. What had he seen that could have been so bad? She didn't want to know, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.
"Dolohov! Take care of our guest would you?" The older Malfoy's face twisted into a sneer that would curdle the blood of even the most skilled wizard. Luna found herself growing faint as Antonin Dolohov approached.
"CRUCIO!" Luna writhed in pain as the unforgivable curse was hurled at her. The agony was unbearable. Her back arched as she was lifted off the ground and flung back into a tree. She forced herself to forget the pain, to push through, and let her mind wander. "CRUCIO!"
Where were the happy memories. She needed the happy memories. Harry's arms around her, the kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas, the laughter and love they shared in Hogsmeade, the good night kisses...and that first sunset.
"LUNA!" Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George and a host of armed students interrupted Dolohov's curses. Luna fell limp and unconscious to the ground. Harry was filled with a fury that he had only felt once before; when Bellatrix had killed Sirius. He saw Luna's limp body and that rage rose up inside him.
"Did you honestly think I would come alone, Malfoy?!" Lucius was looking in horror at the group. Among them; his own son, Draco. Draco was standing still in shock, frozen to the spot, unable to believe what he was seeing.
After what seemed like an age of silence, the battle began. Curses and spells were being hurled everywhere; the Death Eaters attacking, the students disarming and shielding.
Harry immediately went for Bellatrix. "Stupefy!" He kept pushing at her with spell after spell; and then she vanished. Bellatrix Lestrange had run away.
Draco faced his father. "Expelliarmus!"
Lucius stared at his son in disbelief. "Coward."
"No Father. You are the coward." Tears ran down his face as he lifted his wand again; but before he could summon a spell, Lucius was gone.
One by one, the Death Eaters disappeared. They knew they were outnumbered. Greyback was the last to go, leaving in incensed rage with an ear splitting howl. And then there was silence.
Hermione had fallen victim to a stunning spell, and was also lying limp on the floor, cradled in Fred's arms. George helped Ron to his feet after he had been disarmed and pushed over by Dolohov. In a daze, the students helped each other to their feet, most of them bruised but unharmed; but Luna lay still, unmoving and silent in Harry's arms. His tears and screams filled the Forest, as the other students watched on, most with tears in their eyes. Please, he thought. Let her not be dead. Let her live.
Harry sat by Luna in the hospital wing every day for two weeks as she lay in a deep, unrelenting sleep. Hermione and Fred tried to get him to come down for meals, to no avail.
Ron came up and sat with him while he waited, but could tell that Harry really just wanted to be alone with Luna. Even Professor Dumbledore tried to get him to come down. He was excused from classes, and only returned to Gryffindor Tower to sleep.
Every waking moment was spent at the bedside of his little elf.
Sunsets. That's what she remembered. Was this a dream? That beautiful sunset, peaceful and brilliant, filling the sky with reds and oranges and pinks and purples. Her happy place. Luna's eyes opened properly, and her hand moved to the raven black head that was in Harry's hands. She stroked the black mop lovingly.
Harry sat bolt upright. "Luna," he whispered, "I am so, so sorry." The tears came in floods then, and couldn't be stopped.
Luna shook her head. "You couldn't have changed this, Harry. But promise me one thing. Next time, tell me. From now on we take everything on together. Remember? Love defeats all. We are stronger together…" her voice trailed off as she lost her breath and coughed a little.
Harry looked at her and smiled through the tears."Together. My promise."
"Luna? I know I didn't say this before, but I thought you should know. I love you."
Luna smiled. "I know. I did say this before, but...I love you too." They clutched each other tightly. As their friends came into the room they took in the scene before them and quietly reversed out.
"Harry?"
"Yes, Luna?"
"You are my happy place. You are my sunset."
The writer would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing, they hope you enjoyed it xx