HARRY POTTER AND ICE CREAM DELIGHTS

Author: Luckner

Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is a stand alone story, but it does share some common ideas and locations with Harry Potter and the Sword of Astragal.

Introduction: Harry Potter knew better than anyone that a person's life could be changed forever in a single day, but until he spent a summer day with Luna Lovegood he didn't realize that his life could be made forever better. This story is an alternative summer following Harry's fifth year. Spoilers for HBP and DH. Story intended for romantics, be warned.

CHAPTER 2: ICE CREAM AND OTHER DELIGHTS

After a few minutes walking the gravel lane crossed over an old stone bridge and joined the main highway, which was little more than a two-lane country road. It was then that Harry got his first good look at Ottery St. Catchpole. The village was quite small and hugged the right bank of the Ottery River, which ran lazily through the hamlet towards the sea. The town itself looked rather old and a bit threadbare, consisting of only a few dozen rather rundown buildings. It was clearly a place where people who worked the soil would feel comfortable, as it lacked the pretensions of a more urban community.

As they approached the hamlet Harry could see an aged lorry parked in front of a green-painted feed store with two red-faced men laboring to unload heavy bags of grain. Two young boys of about ten sat on the river bank, poles in hand, hoping to surprise their mothers with a dinner of freshly caught fish. What little traffic there was seemed to consist mainly of green- and red tractors, which moved in and out of town like bees around a hive. All in all Ottery St. Catchpole was the kind of small farming village that might be found anywhere in rural England or Wales, and was about as far away from the magical world as one could get.

"A lot different from where you live, I imagine," Luna said in her dreamy voice.

"It certainly is," Harry responded, but it was clear from his voice that the young boy didn't necessarily think that difference a bad thing. In fact, Harry rather liked the small hamlet. Privet Drive was full of people trying to outdo and outshine their neighbors. But here people lived simply, without the need to impress others. Harry found that extremely refreshing.

Lined up along the main street of the hamlet was the same assortment of small businesses that might be found in most English country villages. There was a small grocery store, its wares spreading out onto the wooden sidewalk out front, a chemist's shop, a dry goods shop and a small cinema, together with a half dozen other small businesses. Near the edge of town was a small ice cream parlor, its faded red and white sign proclaiming its name as 'Ice Cream Delights.'

They had arrived in the village at lunchtime, and the cool air of morning had given way to a muggier feeling as the temperature had risen. Dark storm clouds had begun to pass across the valley, and there was the feeling of a summer rain in the air. The two teens strolled around the small village checking out the various shops and observing the residents, which didn't take long at all.

"Would you like some ice cream?" Harry asked on impulse, uncertain whether the very question might qualify their outing as a first date or not.

"I'd like that," Luna replied a bit shyly, but with a warm smile.

"Well it's my treat," Harry responded, emboldened by her smile and returning one of his own. He reached out shyly and took her hand and led her up the steps to the front door, and held it open as she entered. The interior of the establishment was a bit shabby, and 'Ice Cream Delights' had clearly seen better days. There were a few small parfait tables near the front windows and some booths along the back wall. The tables were topped with inexpensive Formica and the chairs were covered with a threadbare red chintz material. On one side of the room was a glass-fronted display case containing an assortment of bottled soft drinks and wrapped sandwiches, and it seemed clear that the owner of the shop was attempting to expand his source of income. Harry was a bit disappointed as he looked around; he had hoped to take Luna to someplace that was nice, but for her part the young girl seemed extremely happy in Harry's company.

As the two entered the dining area they heard giggles coming from a booth in the back of the room. Harry looked over and recognized two blond girls that he remembered from the previous term at Hogwarts. He thought for a moment trying to remember, and then it came to him: 'Fawcett…Sarah Fawcett.' The younger girl had to be her sister, who he had also seen around school.

Luna had apparently noticed the two girls as well, because she immediately stiffened next to Harry. As he turned to look he saw a very rare frown clouding the features of his friend, and it was clear from her expression that she didn't regard the two girls as friends. For their part, the two sisters were looking at Luna in a very haughty and condescending manner; but when their gaze turned to Harry they giggled like star struck ten-year-olds. Harry wondered if these were two of the girls who had been taking Luna's things over the previous term, and he immediately decided that he didn't like them.

"Would you like to sit here by the window?" Harry suggested, indicating a table for two by the large glass window, and as far away from the sisters as possible.

"That would be nice," Luna said with a slight smile.

Putting on his best manners, Harry helped Luna with her chair and then took the seat opposite her. He noticed that she took a quick glance at the two girls before returning her attention to Harry.

"You know them?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"Yes, they are the Fawcett sisters…they live here in town. Sarah is in your year and Rebecca is in mine," Luna responded quietly.

"Not exactly your friends, I take it."

"No, not exactly," Luna said looking down at the table. "They are the ones that take my things every year," Luna said honestly. Harry noticed that there was no self-pity in Luna's voice; she was simply stating a fact.

"Well let's not think about them today," Harry responded with a smile. "What do they have here that's good?"

"Oh any number of things," Luna responded brightly.

"Well why don't you order something special for us while I wash my hands?"

"You want me to order for you?" Luna asked, her eyes widening in amazement.

"Of course, I trust your judgment," Harry responded with a warm smile. Then he got up from his seat and made his way to the washroom in the back of the shop, pointedly ignoring the greeting that came from the two sisters as he passed.

After washing his hands Harry glanced in the mirror over the sink and noticed that his hair was being as undisciplined as ever. This was partly due to his hair's contrary nature and partly due to the fact that the wind had been blowing all morning. He reached into his pocket for his comb, but felt something else as well. Fishing down into the bottom of his pocket he pulled out two bright cherry-red gum drops, with a coating of lint on each.

It was then that he remembered his train ride from Hogwarts a few weeks before. Fred and George Weasley had cornered him on the train and had given him the two red candies, asking him to test them out on his cousin Dudley. Harry had been so despondent about the death of his Godfather that he had simply stuck the candy in his pocket and forgotten them. This was the first time that he had worn the slacks since his return from school. His first instinct was to simply toss the candy into the waste basket, but then he returned them to his pocket; after all Draco Malfoy would still be at Hogwarts.

As he left the washroom Harry chanced a glance over to the booth against the back wall. A woman in a white apron was just sitting two ice cream sundaes down on the table, but the two girls were missing. Looking towards the front he saw that the two sisters were talking to Luna, their backs turned to him. He heard ridicule in the tone of the older girl's words, and he felt his temper begin to rise. But Luna simply sat at the table with a quiet courage and didn't react at all, which caused Harry to respect her all the more. His first thought was to rush forward and curse them with the worst hex he could think of; but then he got a better idea.

He carefully edged over to their table and reaching into his pocket he fished out the candies that Fred and George had given him. Glancing up front he noticed that the two girls were still preoccupied in berating Luna, and in spite of his anger he concentrated on accomplishing his plan. He held the two candies up to blow the lint off them, and then carefully placed one atop each of the sundaes.

As Harry turned he caught Luna's eye and she smiled at him mischievously. At that moment Sarah Fawcett started to turn back to her table, and Harry was certain that he was about to be caught.

"There's a Natwinder in your hair!" Luna screamed and pointed at the surprised girl.

"What?" Sarah screamed, and stared at the girl in panic.

"A Norwegian Natwinder! I just saw one in your hair," Luna exclaimed, pointing at the girl's head.

The Sarah Fawcett looked at her sister in fear and confusion, but the younger girl simply shook her head in disgust.

"You are so weird!" Sarah declared in a voice loud enough for the entire room to hear.

But then there was another voice heard. Harry had crossed the room and stood behind the two girls. "I think you had better return to your table," he said menacingly as the two sisters jumped in fright and spun around to face him. There was something in his eyes that made them realize that they didn't want an encounter with this dangerous young man, and they made a hasty retreat to their table.

Harry sat down across from Luna and gave her a warm smile. "A bit annoying, were they?" he asked gently.

"Nothing that I'm not used to," she responded with just a touch of embarrassment.

Harry frowned slightly, and decided to change the subject. "What's a Norwegian Natwinder?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know; I had to make it up to keep their attention," Luna replied with a slight blush.

Harry burst out laughing and Luna soon joined him; it was fun being with someone who you could laugh with. The two then slyly watched the sister's table as they were starting to eat their sundaes.

"What did you do over there?" Luna whispered.

"Just testing out a new product for Fred and George," Harry answered with a smirk.

As the two sisters dug greedily into their sundaes Harry couldn't help but be reminded of a litter of pigs that he had seen on his walk into town. He saw the gum drops disappear into the mouth of each girl, and the pleased expressions on their faces from the taste. "It won't be long now," he whispered to Luna.

The first thing that Harry and Luna noticed was a change in the color of their hair, as it darkened from blond to a reddish-brown. Then Harry realized that the texture also seemed to be changing, and looking less like hair and more like…well, feathers. Reddish-brown feathers were also forming on their exposed arms and legs, and finally on their faces. It was then that the girls realized that they were indeed changing, and both screamed loudly. The trouble was that it didn't sound like screams, but rather like the panicked clucks of frightened poultry.

"They're turning into chickens!" Luna managed to giggle, and that was in fact exactly what was happening.

Their continued loud clucking had attracted the attention of everyone in the ice cream parlor, and everyone was laughing loudly at the strange and humorous sight. Harry and Luna were laughing so hard that they had to hang onto each other to keep from falling off their chairs and onto the floor. As they hugged each other, teetering in their seats in an effort not to fall, their eyes locked and they both realized that they had never had so much fun in their entire lives.

All of the commotion coming from the back booth had attracted the attention of the shop's owner, a portly man in his early fifties. He rushed out of the kitchen to discover what was going on and skidded to a stop at the sight that greeted him. There in one of his booths sat two people wearing chicken costumes, flapping their wings wildly and clucking at the top of their lungs. He threw back his head and laughed loudly, for by temperament he was a good-natured man who loved to laugh. The ways of teenagers were a complete mystery to him, as he saw different fads come and go, but he always tried to be accepting of the younger generation. But dressing up like farm animals was a sight too ridiculous for even him to accept.

He walked over to the table and stared down at the two enraged chickens as tears of mirth rolled down his ruddy cheeks. At first he couldn't say anything he was laughing so hard, but finally he managed to choke out a few words laced with the mirth he was feeling. "I'm afraid we don't serve chickens here, you'll have to leave."

The two chickens…err; girls clucked at him angrily and flapped their wings wildly as they tried to communicate their frustration and anger, the whole while giving the two teens sitting by the front window evil chicken glares.

The shop proprietor was having a problem catching his breath, and he sat down in an empty chair and closed his eyes for a moment to regain control. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you two are playing at, but you will have to leave now," he managed to say.

The two girls rose from the booth and started to move towards the door with as much dignity as they could manage; which wasn't much. As they crossed the floor a loud 'splat' sound was heard. Everyone stopped laughing and looked at the floor, where the liquid from a broken egg was flowing out in all directions. An egg had apparently fallen from under Sarah's skirt and had broken upon impact. The two girls had looked down at the broken egg with a mixture of horror and embarrassment, and then they ran out of the shop.

That was just too much for Harry, as he fell laughing from his chair onto the floor, dragging Luna down on top of him in the process. The owner and other patrons had reacted in the same way, and the ice cream parlor had descended into hysteria.

It took a long time for the patrons to regain their composure, but they finally managed. Harry managed to get to his feet, and helped a still laughing Luna to her seat.

"How did you do that?" Luna managed to ask.

"I got them from Fred and George Weasley. It's a new product of theirs that they wanted me to test," Harry answered with a chuckle.

"I think that it definitely rates as a success," Luna declared with a giggle.

"Yes, but it's a shame that the effects only last for about thirty minutes. I'll send them an owl tonight giving them all the details, and ask if they have any other products that need testing. I'm sure that Malfoy would love to be laying eggs all over Hogwarts," Harry said with a grin.

"That sounds like fun. Can I help?" Luna asked hopefully.

"You want to help play a prank on Malfoy?" Harry asked with some surprise.

"Well him and maybe a few others. I think that if I worked at it I might be almost as good at rule-breaking as you are," she said mischievously.

"Well you might be at that. Have I ever told you about the first Marauders?" He asked thoughtfully.

"The 'first' Marauders? No I don't think so; has there been more than one?" She asked with her curiosity thoroughly peeked.

"Well you are I are about to become the second. Several years ago there were four Hogwarts students who loved to play pranks on their classmates, and they called themselves The Marauders. My Father and Godfather were two of them." As Harry proceeded to tell Luna about his Father's days at Hogwarts there was no sadness in his voice, but instead a real feeling of pride.

"Well I think it's time that The Marauders returned to Hogwarts," Luna declared with a grin, and Harry was in full agreement.

The rest of their lunch went along pleasantly as the two teens talked happily about school, Quidditch and the wonders of the magic world. The red and blue sundaes that Luna had ordered looked strange, but tasted delicious; and the two left the parlor wearing identical grins.

As they walked up the street they noticed the remains of several broken eggs, and the sight of each caused them to break into uncontrollable fits of laughter. Apparently Fred and George had included the egg lying feature as a way to further embarrass the victim.

The sky overhead was dark and ominous, and the wind was picking up, but Harry and Luna were having far too much fun to notice; it had been a perfect day.

"So…does this count as a first date? Luna asked shyly.

"Definitely a first date," Harry responded with a grin.

"And will we have a second?" Luna asked impishly.

"I was hoping that we would; what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well that's up to you," she answered with a grin.

"How about seeing a film?" Harry asked, nodding to the small cinema that they had just passed.

"I'd like that; I've never seen a muggle film. Do the pictures really move like ours?" Luna asked real excitement evident in her voice.

"It's a bit like ours, but the pictures tell a story and they can talk too." Harry responded.

The information really seemed to amaze Luna, and Harry thought about how much fun it was going to be to take Luna to see her first film.

"Wait here and I'll see what's playing," Harry declared and releasing her hand he ran across the street towards the cinema.

On his way back he saw the two Fawcett sisters confronting Luna on the sidewalk, and he broke into a run. He came up behind them just in time to hear the older girl declare: "You'll pay for this, Loony!"

"You-will-leave-my-girlfriend-alone," Harry said in a menacing voice that made the two girls spin around to face him. For a moment no one said anything, as all three girls thought about the words that Harry had chosen. The look of cold rage in his eyes made the two sisters step backwards in fear, as they considered what few alternatives they had left.

Sarah Fawcett took a bold step forward, summoning up every bit of courage that she could master; but before she could even say a word Harry spoke again. "Don't you two have eggs to lay somewhere else?" he said with a smirk.

The girl turned red with embarrassment, but then suddenly went pale as she glanced at her sister with concern. A breaking sound was heard and everyone looked to the ground, where a yellowish liquid was flowing away from a broken egg shell. The girl's color changed to crimson red, and she and her sister ran into a nearby house.

Harry turned to Luna and saw that she was still staring at him with her wide, expressive eyes. "Luna, are you alright," he asked with concern.

"Did you mean it?" she whispered in disbelief, blushing slightly.

"What?" Harry asked, surprised by her reaction.

"When you said that I was your 'girlfriend;' did you really mean it?" She asked even more shyly.

Harry thought about how very sweet she looked, and how wonderful the past few days with her had been. "Well I would like you to be," he said softly.

"I think I would like that too," she whispered, and reaching down she took his hand. Hand in hand the two teens left town, not even noticing the angry glares they were receiving from two frustrated sisters in a nearby house.

- o -

As they reached the gravel cut-off from the main highway they heard the first distant rumbling of thunder, announcing the coming of the summer storm. They knew that they would have to quicken their pace in order to beat the downpour home; but somehow after such a wonderful day a little rain didn't matter much.

The two had just climbed over the tumbled-down stone wall that marked the boundary of the Lovegood's forest when the first heavy raindrops could be heard in the green canopy far above their heads. The wind had picked up in the tree tops, and so in addition to the occasional raindrops, a shower of leaves descended upon the two teens. It reminded Harry of how beautiful the woods would be in October, and he wished that he and Luna could be there to see it together. It soon became clear that they were not going to be able to make it home before the storm broke, and so they sought shelter against the truck of an old oak tree.

Luna had explained to Harry on their first day together that the ancient wards that protected the forest made it impossible for the Ministry to detect underage magic within its bounds, and now the two used that knowledge to make themselves more comfortable as the storm approached. Luna waved her wand above their heads to create an invisible umbrella to deflect and rain that found its way through the leaves and branches of the oak tree. Harry meanwhile transfigured the grass beneath the tree into two warm blankets, which allowed them to wrap themselves up warm and cozy as they listened to the peaceful sound of the falling rain.

A little self consciously Harry put his arm around Luna's narrow shoulders, and she took the opportunity to lean her head against his chest. "I'm not very good at this," he mumbled a bit shyly.

"I disagree, I think you're very good at it," Luna replied in a dreamy voice, and snuggled a bit closer.

"I guess maybe you inspire me a bit," he replied, feeling a little bolder.

"Just a bit; well I guess I'll just have to try a little harder," she replied with a mischievous giggle.

Harry was a little surprised by her boldness, but he liked it none the less, and he hugged her a little tighter. And then they just listened to the soft music of the falling rain, gradually drifting off to sleep in each other's arms. Harry's last thoughts before he drifted off were that everything was as right as it could possibly be. The war, the prophecy and his own dark destiny seemed very far away as he held Luna tightly and listened to the rain. If only it could stay that way a little longer.

- o -

But at that moment, and not so very far away, two very angry sisters were taking steps that they hoped would constitute a suitable revenge on the two teens, and destroy their budding romance. That night the muggle residents of Ottery St. Catchpole were surprised by the number of owls that were flying around their peaceful community. Some residents estimated their number as nearly a hundred; but the truth was that there were even more than that.

The Fawcett sisters were well aware that the information they possessed was literally 'gossip gold,' and they weren't in the least bit hesitant in passing it on to the other teenaged girls at Hogwarts. Soon hundreds of owls were criss-crossing the country carrying the unbelievable news that Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were a couple. The two sisters snidely proclaimed that this was another example of the boy's mental instability.

An unbelieving Ginny Weasley received the news that same night from owls sent by Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. She immediately sent her owl back demanding the source for the absurd rumor, which she didn't believe for a minute. Ginny and Luna had been friends since they had attended muggle primary school together, but the thought of her and Harry Potter being together was laughable.

Hermione Granger, who religiously avoided teen gossip, didn't learn the incredible news until the following morning. She and her parents were sharing a peaceful breakfast in their kitchen at home when an owl carrying the morning issue of The Daily Prophet arrived. Hermione dropped five Knuts into the small bag that the owl carried and took her newspaper, preparing herself for the meaningless drivel that usually crowded its pages. She took a drink of her orange juice and opened the paper on the kitchen table. The headline that greeted her eyes caused her to spit out the orange juice all over her Mother's clean tablecloth.

After a sincere apology, and a hasty attempt to clean up the mess, she concentrated her attention on the article. It carried the shocking headline 'HARRY POTTER TOMARRY' in bold black letters, and carried the byline of Rita Skeeter:

Reliable sources have brought us an incredible story which calls into question

the moral values being taught our children at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry Potter, the sixteen-year-old 'Boy who Lived' will soon take onto

himself a wife. The object of Mr. Potter's affections is fifteen-year-old fellow student

Luna Lovegood, commonly known to her schoolmates as 'Loony.' This shocking

news once again brings into question Mr. Potter's mental stability. According to a reliable source at Hogwarts, both Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood are known for their wild and reckless behavior. Could this be a marriage of necessity?

In the light of these events Albus Dumbledore must answer serious questions

regarding the moral direction that he is giving to the youth of the wizarding world.

Has Professor Dumbledore lost touch? Is he too old to occupy a position of such

importance? This reporter feels that the Ministry of Magic should immediately

initiate an investigation.

Hermione could not believe her eyes, and hastily dashed off a note to Harry to find out what was going on. She told her owl to take the message to Privet Drive as quickly as possible, and to wait for a reply. When the bird arrived it was greeted by a dozen other owls from Harry's other friends, all patiently waiting to delivery urgent messages to a boy who was no longer there.

Within twenty-four hours all of wizarding Britain was aware of the shocking news, all that is except the two young people directly concerned. Neither teen read The Daily Prophet; Luna out of loyalty to her Father's newspaper and Harry because he thought it a worthless scandal sheet. When the two teens woke up the next morning they were happy and blissfully unaware of the storm that raged around them; but that peace wouldn't last for long.