Chapter 4: Dates and Discussions

She sighed, she was home. She ran up the front steps to the door and banged on it loudly. She didn't care if she woke her father up - She was home!

The door swung open and the thin, tired face of Xenophilious Lovegood spread into a smile at the sight of his daughter, "My Luna!" Xenophilius exclaimed, "My Luna!"

Luna laughed in joy. "Daddy!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could. When she pulled back, she smiled at him and looked around..."Daddy, what happened?!" The place was a mess. It desperately needed a paint job as the walls and ceilings looked as if they had been blown apart and rebuilt quite recently.

"Oh..u-uhh...the..erm..death eaters...uh..blew it apart—uh not to worry though! I've got it almost all fixed!" Luna lookled at her father disbelieving.

"What about the horn you wrote me about..?" Her father had written to her while she had been at school, before her kidnapping, that he had acquired the horn of a crumple-horn snorkack, a magical creature that they often went looking for.

"Ah..well..uh...it was blown up too...I expect it has regrown itself by now.."Seeing the look of shock on Luna's face, Xenophilius added, "..but i never quite recovered it..."

Luna sighed, disappointed. "Oh..."

"Uh yes, quite unfortunate..." Xenophilius looked at her with worried eyes. "Why don't you go upstairs. I'll make some tea, and you can go get settled back in...ok?"

Luna smiled at her father, weakly, "ok." And she began to climb the spiral staircase up to her room.

When Luna reached the landing, she looked around her room at the dust covered bed and wardrobe. She waved her wand, "Pulverem!" the dust disappeared, and she sneezed. She put her things down on top of her trunk. By the looks of it, her father had managed to get her trunk from the Hogwarts Express at Christmas. She sighed. She felt empty. She was so used to having a constant companion since Christmas. First, Mr. Ollivander, then, Dean; it felt odd to be a lone now.

Luna sat on her bed untill her father came up the stairs with tea. His dirty nightgown wet with spilled tea. "Here you go... And Luna,...I'm happy to see you." He said this last part a bit awkwardly.

Luna nodded her head and smiled at him, "thanks. Me too." As her father turned to go down the stairs, her smile fell. She looked over at the picture of her mother on her bookshelf. The witch was beautiful. Luna had the same long, tasseled, dirty-blond hair; the same sparkling eyes, fair skin, and delicate frame. Luna's mother smiled at her from the picture frame. Luna felt a tear run down he cheek and quickly wiped it away. Stop it, Luna! You haven't cried in years. Get a grip of yourself! She sighed and thought, it's probably just the nargles. They often make my eyes water.

Dean's mother was so happy to see him that she wasn't at all pleased when Dean informed her, the day after Luna had left, that he was going to spend the day in Diagon Alley. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he just didn't feel like he should tell his mother that he was going to meet Luna. His mom would probably argue and say that he needed to take time to himself before he started going on with his normal life and dating girls. Though really, Dean wasn't even sure how much of a date this would be. He had spent the whole night thinking about Luna's craziness and he was sure he wanted to date her but was worried things might not work out. He didn't think Luna had ever dated anybody.

Dean went up to his room after a brief lecture from his mother and got his stuff together. He had recieved a letter for Professor McGonagall about finishing seventh year. She said he could come back to Hogwarts or, whenever he applied for a job, he could just take a NEWT level exam for that job when the time came. He was sure he would choose the second option, but he thought he might ask Luna's opinion too. As he headed out of his room, he grabbed the Dailey Profit from his desk. He'd already read it but thought his mom my want to look through it, even though she's a muggle.

Luna tugged on her dress a bit and tilted he head to the side as she examined herself in the mirror. After a moment she decided she looked fine. She was wearing her radish earrings, a simple sundress covered in brightly colored butterflies, a pair of muggle converse high tops she had once found on a wire strung across a muggle street, and a little brown, letter purse. She grabbed her heart-shaped sunglasses from her bed and took a few coins from her coin jar, put them in her purse and made her way down the spiral stairs.

She stopped in their living room, which was full of loud bangs and clicking noises and kissed her father good-bye on the cheek as he continued to work with his printing press. When she stepped outside, she took a couple plums from their garden and then turned on the spot, excited to arrive in Diagon Alley and see Dean.

Dean made sure he arrived in Diagon Alley early so he would be there when Luna arrived. He waited for her outside the tea shop, The Tea Cauldron. They were going to have lunch there, and then they were going to see Mr. Ollivander because he had written them saying it would be his first day back in his shop. The old man kind of creeped Dean out, but Luna was close to Mr. Ollivander and Dean needed a new wand anyway. He had used a crappy blackthorn wand in the Final Battle that Ron had stolen off of snatchers earlier in the year, but it had broken when Dean was knocked out, and Dean hated that wand anyway.

Dean looked up from his thoughts and saw Luna walking towards him through the crowd of people. Lots of people were out shopping now that the war was over and it was safe to go out. Dean smiled at Luna. She was looking amazing. Once she was in earshot he greeted her, "hi!" He thought he sounded kind of jumpy but ignored this.

"Hi, Dean! You ready?" Luna looked towards the tea shop as she said the last bit and Dean reached over and opened the door for her. Luna smiled, "thanks, Dean."

Luna sounded cheerful, but Dean felt like something was right. Something's missing...i'll see how she sounds over lunch and if she still sounds odd, i'll ask her if she's ok...Dean thought this sounded like a good idea.

Dean and Luna talked all the way through lunch. They talked about Hogwarts, how there experiences there were compared to the other's (before the war) and about the damage done during the war. Luna, who was a year behind Dean was supposed to go back this year for her seventh year, but since Dean's seventh year was during the war when he was on the run, he also had the option of going back. They talked about whether Dean ought to go back to finish school this year. He knew his mother would want him to, but after everything that had happened, he felt like it was time for him to move on with his life. After he shared this with Luna, he looked into her face to see a knowing smile. "I actually know how you feel. I've been thinking the same thing, but ladt year was only my sixth year. Hogwarts is such a great school and though i love being different, sometimes i just felt too different..." They sat there in a thoughtful silence before Dean sighed and asked Luna what she would do if she didn't go back. He was surprised that she was thinking about dropping out completely, especially only having gone through only half of her sixth year. "Well there is an educational research program in France about magical creatures that lasts four months. I figure Daddy would let me do that if I asked and that would count as finishing my education..." Dean looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She hadn't looked sure when she said that. "...but magical creatures are more of Daddy's interest. I enjoy them, but I don't want to do that my whole life, you know?"

Dean nodded, "yeah, my mom is a librarian...i am definitely Not going to fallow her path...professional quidditch would be cool, but I'm not good enough. I was thinking, since we have to rebuild the ministry now, I could apply for a job in the Department of Games and Sports. Next summer will be the next Quidditch World Cup, after all." He smiled at Luna. She looked Really beautiful. The sun was shining in through the window of the café. It lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle. She still seemed bothered, though and Dean couldn't help, but worry. He shook this thought away for now, though, and continued their conversation. "So? If Magical creatures aren't your life's ambition, what is?"

Luna smiled, a little mischievously, "Well, as you said, they're rebuilding the ministry. It's always needed someone to rile things up, even now, once they rebuild it, they're going to need someone to surprise every political group now and again..." She trailed off thoughtfully, and again, Dean watched her pretty face, waiting for her to speak again. "So yeah...i was thinking I'd look into the ministry. I'm really interested in the Department of Overall International Affairs. They supervise all the other departments on the international international level, working with ministries from around the world."

"Wow. I didn't know that department existed. Makes sense though. So they work with every department on an international level?"

"Exactly!" She smiled brightly. Gah, she's is really smart...and charming, Dean thought.

"We'd still have finish our education though- it'd just be concentrated on our job choice, assuming we are hired." Dean felt like this was better than going back to Hogwarts, but it was still school, untill—

"Yeah, but we would be moving on with our lives." Luna pointed out. This was a reminder that Dean needed. The world had changed now, for the better, but it was still taking some adjusting to that new mind set.

Not long after the end of this discussion, Dean paid and they left for Ollivander's shop. Dean could help notice how excited Luna seemed. she seemed genuinely happy and excited to see Ollivander, but again, her happiness seemed to be more energy-draining for her than usual.

They left Ollivander's an hour later. The shop had been packed since so many wands were, lost, confiscated, and destroyed during the war, causing people to swarm the shop to replace lost wands. Ollivander always has been the best wand maker in Great Britain, after all.

Ollivander saw the pair enter and his face lit up immediately. He politely excused himself from the costumer he was helping with the promise that he would be right back, and he greeted the young couple. "Dean! Luna! How happy i am to see you. You both look healthy!" He beamed at them.

Dean smiled and shook Ollivander's hand after Luna hugged Ollivander. "You're looking far healthier since the last time we saw you as well." Dean replied, glad the old man had recovered so well.

Ollivander then went to one of his assistants, and a moment later, he re-appeared with a thin box. "For you, Mr. Thomas." He handed Dean the box, "I couldn't send you a new wand when I sent Luna hers because i could feel aura of a cypress wand around you at Shell Cottage, and I had no cypress wood untill after the war."

Dean beamed. The wand was longer than his last wand, in fact, he wasn't sure he had seen such a long wand, ever. It was a light wood in both color and weight, and it was flimsy but strong. "Thank you, Mr. Ollivander!" Dean looked at the man with an expression of wonder. He hadn't expected to receive a custom made wand! "How much do i owe you for it?"

Mr. Ollivander waved his hand at this question and said, "nothing if you treat this girl right." Ollivander smiled at Luna fondly. She was like a granddaughter to him now, and knew she deserves the very best. "As for now, however, I must return to my costumer. You wand, Mr. Thomas, is twelve and a half inches, springy, good for transfuguration and charms work, unicorn hair core, and as I already said, wood from a cypress tree. Good day to you both!" With that, he turned slowly due to his old age and regret at having to leave the two so quickly.

Dean and Luna had been about to leave, but a costumer recognized them both from a picture in the Daily Prophet. There had been an article in the Profit, the previous day, only a few hours after the war's end, about the main fighters in the Order of the Phoenix and the D.A. Though others had fought, it was these two groups who led and trained all the others. It was because of their skill and dedication that the war had really been won. The costumer exclaimed loudly at the sight of Dean and Luna, catching the attention of other costumers. Before they knew what was happening, half the shop was around them, asking questions and asking for autographs.

"Well...that was certainly something..."

Luna looked up when Dean spoke and smiled. "Yeah, now we know how Harry always felt." They looked at each other when she said this. Stared a moment longer, then burst into laughter. Luna lay back in the grass as she laughed and Dean watched her for a moment befor rolling over onto his stomach. There were sitting (or now, laying) in a field, a few km from the village Otterie St. Catchpole. The Weasleys, Diggorys, and Lovegoods lived in this area, but Dean and Luna were a little farther away, out on a grassy hill in the sunshine. After being in Diagon Alley they hadn't wanted to stop hanging out yet so Luna suggested this field. It was one of her favorite places to be. Luna, still laying on her back in the grass, turned her head to look at Dean. She smiled again. She felt so safe around him as if, even though she might be the strangest person he'd ever met, he didn't judge her for it. In fact, as Luna looked Dean right in the eyes, she felt like not only did he not judge, but he liked it.

Dean looked her in the face when she turned her head. He watched her eyes. They seemed to be drilling into his, all the way through to his brain and then his soul. She had beautiful eyes. Around her pupil was a little ring of blue that burst into green petals with a hazel ring around the iris. He could look at her eyes all day and never get bored. After a moment of eye contact, Dean saw something change in her eyes. The sad, emptiness seemed to come through again. She must realized this because she immediately looked away. "Luna..." Dean sat up. Luna was looking away from him now. He reached over her body and brushed a piece of hair out of her face, as he did, he traced, with his finger, down her hair line to her jaw and down to her chin.

As Deans hand reached Luna's chin, he put his hand down on the grass, just below her head. He looked over her so that he could see her face again. Tears were rolling from her eyes to the grass. "Luna..? Talk to me? ...please?" Dean was worried. He had seen the emptiness multiple times since the end of the war, but he never saw it before the war. Luna turned her head and looked up at him, his weight was on the hand across her body in the grass. His eyes didn't show any sign of annoyance or confusion, just worry. He's worried about me...? Luna thought. She felt a little skip in her heavy heart. Dean sighed. "Talk to me? Please? I want to help you...tell me what i can do..." His voice was soft and gentle. She appreciated how kind he was being but she was embarrassed that she had started crying in front of him.

"..sorry.." Luna said after a moment. Her voice was shaking and higher than usual. "I never cry, and certainly didn't intend for this to happen...im sorry."

"Luna, what are you sorry about? You have nothing to cry about, and I don't care if you never cry, sometimes we just need to...i am here for you, if i didn't want to be then I never would have come. I can listen, or i can talk, or i can just lay here to be here for you..." His voice trailed away, but Luna knew he meant what he said. Dean leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. It wasn't a quick, embarrassed kiss like the one her gave her before she left yesterday, but a caring one, that sent a chill down her spine as she lay there in the sun.

Dean took his arm away from the other side of Luna's body and layed down on his back next to her. When he looked over at her, she had her head turned away from him again. He took her hand and just held it. He looked up at the clouds and the blue sky. He took a deep breath as a small breeze rustled throw the grass. His whole body relaxed.

After a few minutes of laying on their backs, hand in hand, Dean heard Luna turn her head in the grass. He looked over and she was staring at the sky now, her tears gone. "My mom liked to experiment...she was always creating new spells. She worked at the ministry in the Department of Developmental Charms...one day we were at home, just the two of us— Daddy was away doing research, and one of her experiments went wrong." Luna stopped there, but Dean knew she wasn't done. A mnute later he heard a sniff from Luna and looked over again. Tears were running down faster than before. When she spoke again, her voice was cracked and shaky. "She died."

Dean felt his heart break. He knew from getting to know Luna at Shell Cottage that she lived with her dad, but it never occurred to Dean that Luna's mom might be completely out of the picture. "Luna...I'm...so. sorry." He felt awful. She didn't have anyone at home apart from her dad...that must have made puberty tough...or tougher than it already is i guess...Dean thought.

"There was light everywhere. It was loud. All the noise and flashes of the battle...reminded me...of that day..." Her voice cracked, "I was nine."

"I guess there isn't really anything i can do to help..." Dean wished he could help her somehow.

Luna squeezed his hand. "Just stay here."

"I will."

Luna turned on her side then and finally looked at him. "Thank you." She whispered.

Dean smiled and propped himself up on an elbow, facing Luna. "I should probably be thanking you. Being here with you is no chore. You make me happy...so, Thank You." Dean looked Luna in the eye and leaned over her.

He lightly pushed her shoulder so she rolled onto her back again. Very slowly, Dean leaned over her, still propped on an elbow, and brushed his lips over hers. He felt her inhale and then kissed her. It was soft, warm, and sent a tingling feeling through his body. He started to pull up, worried that tongue might be too much the first time, but to his surprise and extreme joy, she put a hand behind his head and pulled him down again. Without being told, he kissed her softly again once...then a second time...the third time he pushed his tongue lightly against her lips and felt them open. Her tongue was warm and felt good against his. His side was getting tight from the way he was leaned over her, so very carefully, he shifted his body so he had a knee on either side of her torso. He felt her squirm and pulled away for a moment. He looked straight into her eyes. They sparkled again, the way they did before the war when they were at Shell Cottage. He smiled at her and leaned down for another kiss.