Thanks for reading this story. I don't own any characters.
Happy life chapter 4
Of course, the next day when I went to my rotation at the hospital, none of the people believed I was married at first. My friend Ginny was frankly confused. She kept giving me looks and finally at lunch, she sat me down to ask me her million questions.
"I don't understand exactly what happened."
"I met him one day by accident and we fell in love." I explained patiently.
"You met this guy at a bus stop?"
"No, I missed the bus going to class, he was working the construction site."
"So you met this stranger at a construction site and then you have one date and you're married?"
I sat there thinking for a moment. I guess when you say it like that it doesn't sound too great.
"It's not that easy to explain."
"Try me. Explain to me how it is that you meet this guy Neville, have one kiss, one date, sleep with him which I do understand, but then agree to marry him? I mean, is he that fantastic in bed or something?"
"Well, I guess it's the way he looks at me."
"What do you mean?"
"Sometimes, when we're just lying there, he'll just reach over and take my hand. Look at me. And I feel, I don't know."
But I did understand. I just couldn't explain it. It was like I was a moth, drawn to a flame. I would close my eyes and hope that he would still be there when I opened them, that I wasn't just dreaming him up, that it wasn't my imagination that conjured him in my loneliness.
He would talk to me about his fears, about how he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to support his parents, me. That I would regret my decision to marry him, that I would think it was a mistake. I would lie on my side, listening to him, wait until he was finished then reach over to kiss him and he would smile his crooked smile at me and I would whisper that I would never regret what we did. He would turn his look to me, at once shy, emotionally open and yet hooded, like you're not sure what he's thinking about. Then it's like the floor has dropped underneath my feet and I've fallen for him all over again.
But no matter how hard I tried to explain it to Ginny, she didn't understand what Neville and I had together.
The doctors at the hospital were bemused by this. Dr. Granger pulled me aside, asking if everything was okay. We were pretty close, as close as a student and an intern could be I suppose. She knew that Neville hadn't graduate from high school, that it was pretty sudden what happened between us. She asked me quietly if I was pregnant. I said no, that it was just "love at first glance." The other interns, Ron and Harry just looked at me askance. Especially Harry.
"He thinks you've gone mad, loony."
Ginny and I were walking back toward the wards, still talking about my marriage.
"He really liked you."
"Who?"
"Harry did, Dr. Potter."
"No he didn't, he's just being nice when offering me help with classwork and stuff."
"Yeah right, like an intern has time to be nice to a nursing student. Please."
"Well, I'm just telling you. He was going to ask you out, I heard him saying that to someone."
I didn't look over at Ginny. I heard the strain in her voice. I didn't quite understand why she thought that Harry was attracted to me, he had never demonstrated anything towards me. Never said anything besides hello and good night.
Of course, as we rounded the corner, there stood Harry. He was looking a little agitated, talking to Hermione. Both of them stopped when they saw me. I smiled and said hello and started to walk past them when Harry spoke.
"Luna, Hermione says you just got married."
"Why yes, I did."
"That was kind of, ah, sudden wasn't it?"
"I don't think so. He's lovely, you'll need to meet him."
Silence. Ginny looked away from us and I sensed that she wanted to say something. Harry just pushed his glasses up higher and cleared his throat.
"Of course, of course, we should all get together. "
"That would be nice. I have to go now, back to class."
"Right, well, you need anything, you just call me okay? Here, take my number." And he wrote it on his business card, pressing it in my hand. Ginny abruptly walked away from us.
"Okay thank you."
"Right. Anytime, Luna, call me anytime."
"Okay."
I left him, not giving him a second thought after that exchange. I wanted to get through everything in a hurry so I could get back home to Neville.
So that first year went by. Neville was working steady, I graduated and got a job almost immediately at the hospital. Only part time but the experience was good and Neville was doing well. Neville and I did go out with Harry, Ginny, the others. I know they thought he didn't fit in with them, and I know that Neville thought they didn't approve of him. I didn't care, I wanted them to meet Neville, wanted them all to see what it was that I saw in him.
On the weekends, we would go to the bar we had our first date. We would drink cheap beers and Neville and I would talk, sometimes hold hands, dance. The first time, he was shy about it, sort of edging me to the floor, holding me close. He would say he wasn't a very good dancer and I would bury my face in his chest, smelling his shirt, his skin and he would hold my hips, humming in my ear. The bartender Hannah would watch us from time to time and when he left to go to the bathroom or talk to someone else, she'd give me this look, like she couldn't stand the sight of me. I would try to ignore it, said something once to Neville who shrugged it off, saying it didn't matter. And it really didn't.
We would go back to the apartment afterwards and make love for hours. Neville would wrap his arm around me, I would be half asleep at times and he would start to kiss my lips, my cheeks, eyelids, temple. He would remove the clothing I wore to the bar, kissing my breasts and pushing my hair up over the pillow, placing his hand between my legs, whispering how beautiful I looked. I would start to smile and he would continue to say how much he loved me, placing his hand on and in me. I would eventually become weak even in public after a while, from his voice in my ear, saying that he wanted me, placing his lips on my neck. I would actually have to sit down, hoping that we would make it back home, wet and desiring him, relishing the idea that he couldn't get enough of me. He would give me one look and I was gone, letting him do anything.
We talked a lot that first year. Mostly about what I wanted to do next, Neville always listening to me. Always asking me questions, holding my hand, telling me that whatever I wanted to do wasn't crazy. I would try to connect with his parents once in a while, but they weren't happy that Neville wasn't living with them anymore. He was supporting me so there wasn't as much money to go around. I wanted to go see them but Neville said that it was too far away, that it wasn't what they wanted. So I let it go, figuring that it would take time for them to warm up to me. I spoke to my father as well. He would ask if I was doing okay for money, never asking about Neville. After a few tries of bringing up the subject of my marriage and getting no response, I gave up and just updated him with my studies, my job plans.
Things went very quickly that first year. I didn't realize it until it happened. I missed my period. I figured it was stress because Neville and I were taking precautions. He wanted a baby, but I wasn't sure yet. It was too early, our marriage still in the fragile stages I thought. I would say no, let's wait a while, until things were stable.
So, I took a home pregnancy test while Neville was out at work. It tested positive. I took deep breaths, don't panic yet and I went to the hospital.
I told Ginny and we went to the clinic downstairs, where they drew blood. It's too soon , it's too soon I thought to myself. It's not going to be positive. There's no way. There's no way.
"Neville."
"Baby, I have something to tell you."
"Oh, okay what is it?"
"Baby, I lost my job."
I stared at him. I thought I misheard him, that he said something else.
"What?" I whispered.
"It's going to be okay. It's just slow right now you know? There isn't a lot of work out there. Don't worry I'll figure something out."
I sat down at the kitchen table. I started to cry.
"Luna, don't cry. Don't cry. We'll figure something out, I swear."
I couldn't stop crying. I was scared. I wasn't working that much right now, we had very little saved and his family was still relying on us to pay for their expenses too.
Neville knelt by the chair and I was clutching at him. He looked scared too, vulnerable and I realized that I had to be the strong one right now. That I couldn't break apart on him, that it would give him a reason to think he was a failure. That I had made a mistake.
"Nevilleā¦"
"Yes baby."
"I'm pregnant."
