Chapter 3: Together at Last
The four friends breakfasted early on Thursday morning as Sid and Cassie were leaving on the Watership Down trip at eight o'clock. Once again the boys had 'full English' fry-ups. Cassie, unusually for her, had a 3 egg omelette. At five to eight, Neville and Luna bade farewell to their two muggle companions and waited for their transport to Highclere Castle. Luna commented that she felt that when they saw their former companions again one or two things might have changed. Neville tried to get more out of her, but she was not any more forthcoming until later in the day. It appeared that Luna was having one of her 'visions'. They also prepared for the morning closed sessions. The first was a debate about the Wizengamot, which, in contrast to the previous closed session, proved quite lively. The second, very short, session was a brief talk about when it was permissible to use the Patronus charm to protect a muggle. This was because of the incident when Harry Potter drove off two dementors to save Dudley Dursley. Because of the brevity of the Patronus talk, the Thursday morning closed sessions ended before eleven o'clock, leaving the Wizarding delegates plenty of time to explore the grounds of Highclere Castle. Neville and Luna went at first to the temporary Quidditch pitch where the falconry demonstration was still under way. They found a couple of vacant seats in one of the high level boxes.
They reached the box just as an eagle owl was demonstrating its flying prowess.
"It's interesting to be seeing this from above." observed Luna.
"To think Draco has one of those as his personal owl." said Neville, "It's huge."
"Incidentally," said Luna, "how do you think Sid and Cassie are enjoying Watership Down?"
"If it's as good as it was last year," said Neville, "they're having a really good time. Why do you ask?"
"I'm getting this rather lovely feeling about them." said Luna, smiling.
"What kind of feeling?" asked Neville.
"I think they're going to come back with some interesting news." said Luna, "Last night, they were very close. They really do seem like a couple totally in love with each other."
"What kind of news?" asked Neville.
"I'm not quite sure." said Luna, "I just have this really warm feeling about them."
The eagle owl finished its performance and the audience left the quidditch pitch and headed for the house where a buffet lunch was waiting. Neville and Luna made their selection and, since it was a warm, sunny day, made their way to one of the picnic tables set up outside. Wine was provided, but they drank it from plastic tumblers. Neville was less than impressed.
"Sid and Cassie will have proper champagne glasses on Watership Down." said Neville, "We did last year."
After the lunch, the delegates were free to explore the grounds of the castle. Some decided to sit under the great cedar trees while others chose to walk to Beacon Hill and back. Neville walked hand-in-hand with Luna across the lawn towards a Grecian temple style folly on the other side. Neville sat down on its base and invited Luna to sit next to him. They were now well away from any of the other delegates. They felt that they could talk freely without being overheard, especially as the dominant sound came from the traffic on the nearby A34 main road.
"Luna," said Neville, "I know I've only been back with you for a couple of days, but I already feel we belong together. I'm not sure how to put this, so I'll ask you straight out. How do you feel about me?"
"Wow!" exclaimed Luna, "What a question! I think you know the answer. I've always loved you ever since I first met you, and I always will. You're special, Neville. I'm so glad to be back with you."
"That's what I hoped you'd say," said Neville, "but if you felt that way when you came back, why did you try to avoid seeing me?"
"As I've already said, I was certain you would be in a relationship with someone else by the time I came back." said Luna, "Meeting you with your new partner would have broken my heart, so I could not face seeing you. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."
"Of course I'll forgive you." said Neville, "Until last August, I was still alone and so very lonely, so meeting me would not have been a problem for you. Incidentally, do you believe in fate?"
"I do after the last few months." said Luna, "I'm sure it was fate that brought me together with Sid. I also believe it was fate that caused you to meet Cassie at about the same time. It was fate that brought the four of us to this conference. I feel that all four of us are destined to stay together as really good friends."
"I'm glad you feel that way, Luna." said Neville, "I feel the same way. When we met on Tuesday night, I rediscovered my feelings for you. I felt so much love, joy and relief when you hugged me and said you loved me. I felt I'd come home."
"I know." said Luna, "The problem is that you're going back to London tomorrow afternoon, while I have to return to Bristol. We'll be apart again."
"That's why I've brought you out here." said Neville, producing his wand and waving it, "Silencio!" he said. The traffic noise was immediately suppressed. "Expecto Chanson du Rossignol!" he intoned twice, waving his wand in turn at two nearby trees. The silence was broken by the songs of two nightingales competing with each other.
"Where did you learn that one?" asked Luna.
"At the Yule ball in my fourth year, I found myself talking with Gabrielle Delacour." said Neville, "She suggested I use it if I ever wanted to create a romantic atmosphere."
"You've certainly done that." said Luna, "It's lovely. Incidentally, what is this place?"
"It's what muggles call a folly." said Neville, "It's a building with no practical purpose except decoration. This one is called 'Jackdaws Castle'. When I noticed it on the second afternoon, after the Quidditch match, I thought it would be a perfect place to do something really romantic."
Neville embraced Luna and kissed her deeply, caressing her hair and her back.
"I know that this may seem very sudden," said Neville, "but I'm desperately in love with you and always have been. After tomorrow, if I don't do anything, I don't know when or even if I'll see you again. I feel I must do this today."
"So?" asked Luna.
Neville reached into his pocket and produced a small red box. Luna began to smile, half expecting what was about to happen. He went down onto one knee, opened the box and, presented the ring to Luna saying: "My sweet, gentle, beautiful Luna, I love you. I've always loved you and I always will. Even when I was with Cassie, I still thought about you every day, so, sweet Luna, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife."
Luna's face lit up with a really dazzling smile.
"Oh! Wow!" exclaimed Luna, "Of course I will. I've never stopped loving you either. Sid was a sweet companion and, at the time we needed each other. He was like you in so many ways, but he couldn't quite match up to you."
Neville gently took Luna's hand and placed the ring on her wedding finger. He embraced Luna and again kissed her passionately.
"Thank you." said Neville, "So far, this has been the best week of my life. When I saw the list of conference delegates I was worried about meeting you and your partner, but Cassie constantly reassured me that nothing bad was going to happen. She said that her 'good feeling' about the conference was getting stronger."
"I was worried as well until I had a dream at the beginning of last Month." said Luna, "After that I was relaxed as I realised that nothing bad was going to happen to any of us."
"When we were watching that owl, you said you had a warm feeling about Sid and Cassie, but you weren't very forthcoming." said Neville, "Have you any more thoughts about it?"
"Let's say I won't be surprised if Sid has asked Cassie to marry him." said Luna, "As I've said, It's obvious that they're very close. They do still totally love each other."
"Would you like that to happen?" asked Neville.
"I really would." said Luna, "Sid's such a sweet young man. He'll be lonely without a companion. He needs Cassie."
"You still care about him then?" said Neville.
"I care about everyone." said Luna, "I'd be very surprised if you no longer cared about Cassie."
"Of course I still care about her." said Neville, "She has been a wonderful companion for the last eight months, but I feel she belongs with Sid – and you belong with me."
"Incidentally," said Luna, "how come you had a ring for me?"
"When you were sleeping through that Department of Mysteries talk yesterday morning," said Neville, "I quietly apparated home, collected the ring, then returned to my seat. You didn't even notice."
"So that's what you meant when you said 'I've done it'." said Luna.
"Yes." said Neville, "I've been planning this ever since we were in our bedroom on the first evening."
"There's more to you than meets the eye." said Luna, with a smirk.
Neville and Luna stood up, embraced and kissed again. Neville issued counter-spells to silence the nightingales and restore the traffic noise. The couple walked slowly back towards the house, expressing their feelings for each other several times on the way. Just as they arrived at the main entrance to Highclere Castle, two Land Rovers arrived and disgorged their passengers. These included a very excited Sid and Cassie, who noticed that Neville and Luna were looking very pleased with themselves.
"You two seem very keyed up." said Cassie, "What's going on?"
"We're engaged!" said Neville, with a broad grin.
"Congratulations!" said Sid, "When did this happen?"
"About half an hour ago." said Neville, "I proposed to Luna in that folly on the other side of the lawn; 'Jackdaws Castle' I think it's called. It was lovely."
It was at this point that Luna noticed the ring on Cassie's finger.
"It looks as if we're not the only ones with good news." said Luna, "When did you do it?"
"Sid proposed up on Watership Down just before the picnic lunch." said Cassie, "It was so romantic. He even went down on one knee. The only sounds were the skylarks singing."
"It wasn't so quiet for us." said Luna, "Until Neville cast a silencing spell around us, we had all the traffic noise from the A34. I suspected he was going to do something special when he not only cast that spell, but conjured up the songs of two nightingales."
"Magic does have its advantages." said Sid, "Although we've already had some bubbly, I think this calls for a celebration; don't you."
"We've got the social event with a buffet this evening." said Neville, "I could get it announced, then everybody will know about it. I think this is the first time that there's been a double engagement at one of these conferences."
Following their engagements, the four friends celebrated well but not too wisely, first in the hotel bar and then at the conference social evening. Their engagements were announced and much firewhiskey was consumed at this event. Neville also took advantage of the presence of the personnel officers from London and Bristol to enable him to join his new fiancée in Bristol.
Neville and Luna returned to their room at about midnight. They spent about half an hour packing before retiring to bed. They were too inebriated to enjoy each others' bodies that night, but nevertheless still slept naked in each others' arms. Their nightwear had remained unused for the whole conference.
For the Home Office and the Ministry of Magic, the conference had been a great success, but for Neville and Luna, as well as for Sid and Cassie it had been a gateway to a secure future based on their deep enduring love for each other and the start of deep, lifelong friendships between all four of them.