Chapter 7 – Neville and Luna

Neville stumbled through the doorway of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. He couldn't believe the battle was over and he had killed the snake. He looked down at his hand and found that he was still holding the sword. He should give it to someone. He looked to his left and saw Professor McGonagall. Her robes were tattered and she had blood on her chin, but she was standing strong and directing the healers into the hall. He made his way over to her, stepping over a piece of stone on the way. He stopped in front of her and just waited, not saying anything.

"Yes Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville held the sword out to her, laid across both his palms. He said nothing as she lifted it from his care. She looked into his vacant eyes and saw a man who had gone beyond his limits and had no more to give. As the sword was taken from him, Neville turned and left her, still not saying a word. Minerva McGonagall looked at his back as he retreated and her heart ached. But there was still much to do as she continued to direct the healers and help the injured.

Neville looked around the hall and saw too many familiar faces. He saw a cluster of ginger heads and walked toward the Weasleys. Then he noticed the man on the floor. One of the twins. He walked toward them, but they all had their backs to him. As he drew closer, Neville saw two intact ears. Fred. It was too much and Neville felt his chest grow heavy as he turned and fled the Great Hall. He continued his half run, half loping gait until he came to the stairs and looked around. He was wheezing as he collapsed to his knees. He had done everything he could. Dumbledore's Army performed so well, but they were outnumbered. Now too many of them lay in the Great Hall and elsewhere. He stayed on his knees, unable to move for countless minutes. Then a voice came to him, a soft, lilting voice. He thought he knew it, but he couldn't remember.

"Neville? Are you injured?"

Neville looked up and it was Luna. She still looked beautiful even with the blood and bruises. She was radiant to him and her light called to him, drawing him back. She placed her hand in his and encouraged him to stand. Her hair was like he remembered, flaxen spun gold. He reached to brush a piece off her face and her smile blossomed in front of him. Finally he choked out his first speech since the words he had traded with Voldemort.

"Luna."

Then he reached out for her and she stepped into his embrace. They stood holding each other for several minutes until Luna stepped back and took his hand.

"Come Neville."

He followed her, unsure where they were going and not caring either. He saw Parvati walk by and was glad to see she was alive. Luna stopped to talk to her friend.

"Hi Vati. You alright?"

"As right as can be. I'm not hurt too bad, but I need sleep. I'm heading back to Gryffindor tower."

"Very good. I'm taking Neville to Ravenclaw. Good night."

Neville continued following her on a long route to Ravenclaw tower. They had to detour several times, but eventually they arrived and Neville stood in the Ravenclaw common room. They were the first to arrive and the place was in disarray as a stiff wind blew through the large, destroyed window. Luna let go of Neville's hand and cast a protego maxima across the hole. The wind stopped and the flurry of papers that were blowing around settled themselves. Luna took Neville's hand and led the way to a staircase. On the way, she stopped at a chest and removed several potion phials. Then he followed her up a series of anti-clockwise stairs. They entered at the first door and Luna turned to Neville.

"This is the first years' floor. They should all be gone, so we can use their space. Come, you're still bleeding. I've got dittany and a pain potion."

Neville found himself standing in the middle of the room while Luna started by applying dittany to the cut across his head. She looked around and found a towel, then cast aguamenti minima and a small stream of water wet the towel. She began to carefully clean the blood off Neville's face before moving down and inspecting the rest of him. He had a large tear in his jumper, so Luna went to pull it off of him. Neville had remained dazed until that point, when he suddenly came to.

"Wha..? What are you doing Luna?"

"I need to see where you are injured. Please remove your jumper Neville."

Neville shrugged and pulled off the tattered garment. He winced as he raised his arms and felt a warm trickle down his side.

"Ooh, looks like you opened this again when you moved. It doesn't look too deep. One minute."

Luna applied dittany to the long gash extending at a diagonal from Neville's bellybutton, around his side and to his back. The potion did its work, but it hissed and burned as the cut healed. Neville sucked in a deep breath and gasped for Luna. She reached out and rubbed his chest to reassure him. Neville looked down at the small, delicate fingers resting in the thatch of hair on his chest and was possessed with a sudden desire. He reached down and took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. He planted a light kiss on her hand and she looked up at him. Then she did something remarkable. She stretched up on her toes and kissed him lightly. As she settled back, he realized she had blood on the side of her face, near her ear. Neville gently turned her head and reached for the dittany. The cut looked deep and he hoped the potion would work. As it hissed, Luna clutched his hand tighter. Once it finished, Luna stepped around Neville and continued to look for more injuries. Seeing none, she smiled at him.

"Come Neville. We need rest."

As she uttered the words, Luna began to pull off her jumper. Neville gaped at her beauty. He had never seen this much of a woman before and the whole situation felt surreal. When Luna had stripped to just her bra and knickers, she looked back at him.

"Are you wearing your pants to bed Neville?"

"You are so beautiful Luna."

"Thank you. You're very sweet Neville. You've always been kind to me. Here, let's get you comfortable."

Neville let out a small gasp as Luna reached for the button of his trousers and quickly undid his pants. He kicked off his shoes as his pants dropped. His cock had responded to the sight of a beautiful half naked girl and he clutched his hands in front of him to hide the tent in in his boxers.

"It's fine Neville. You don't have to hide your erection."

Luna reached and pulled Neville's hands back. Then she gazed at his boxers like she was studying him.

"Was it me that gave you an erection Neville?"

"Um, Luna, there are no other half naked girls in here."

"Oh, well, I thought I would check. Sometimes mubblies target virile men and arouse them. They think it's a game."

"Maybe we should go to bed now Luna. Thank you for taking care of me."

Neville crawled into a nearby bed and sighed as his weary body settled. Luna grabbed her wand and waved at the wall torches and the room was suddenly dark. Then she cast lumos minima and a faint light barely illuminated the room.

"I hope this is alright. I've needed a night light since my mum died. The dark is just horrible, you never know what is lurking, nargles, billywits, mubblies."

"Um, yes, fine Luna."

Neville was laying back in the bed, trying to relax himself. His cock had finally started to soften, but he still couldn't settle after everything. The bed felt great and he should have been asleep instantly, but he wasn't. Then Luna raised the covers and crawled in next to him. She crawled over and curled herself along his side and Neville tensed further.

"Um, Luna…"

She reached over and began to rub her hand across his chest and then down his arm. Neville started to feel himself harden again. There was no way he would be able to sleep now. Then Luna crawled over further and straddled him, looking down and smiling.

"You're tense Neville."

"It's been a hell of a day Luna. Merlin, it's been hell for the past few months."

"I know Neville. I was captured and put in Malfoy's dungeon. They tortured me and asked me about Harry, but I didn't know anything, so they locked me in the dungeon. Two Death Eaters tried to rape me, but Mrs. Malfoy stopped them. Then Harry, Ron and Hermione came and Dobby saved us and we all escaped."

Neville looked up at the frail vision of a woman above him. He hadn't realized everything she had been through. Suddenly everything hit him and he started to weep. Reaching up, he pulled Luna to his chest and held her. Soon he felt her tears on him as her hands reached to clutch his shoulders. They held each other and let the tears flow, mourning months of torture and tragedy culminating in a battle that took so many of their friends. Eventually they each had spent their tears and settled. Luna's breasts were pressed against Neville's chest and he was fully hard again. He felt his body was betraying him, but there was nothing he could do. Luna must have felt it against her leg. Then she looked up and kissed him. Neville moaned and responded fully. Soon their mouths began to explore each other as each moaned lightly. Then Luna drew back and sat up again, still straddling him. She reached back and undid her bra and Neville was treated to the most glorious view. Her breasts were perfect, round, pale white with pink nipples. He reached up and they filled his hands completely. When he realized what he was doing, he pulled back.

"Luna…"

"Shhh Neville. I want you now. We need each other."

Neville moaned and gave in as he pulled her back down. As they kissed, he slid his hand into her knickers and cupped her perfect, round bum. He groaned as he felt her reach down and rub the bulge in his boxers. They kissed for a few more minutes before he pulled her knickers off completely. He'd lived in a dorm with Dean and Seamus long enough that he'd learned a few pointers, which he now put to use as his fingers began to explore Luna. She writhed and moaned and Neville's cock twitched. He was hurting badly and had to have her. He found that she was thoroughly soaked, so he knew she was ready. In one move, he turned and flipped her so she was underneath him. He sat back long enough to lose his boxers and then hovered over her as he continued kissing and suckling along her neck. Luna was moaning loudly and reached to grab hold of his cock. The feel of her hand on him was almost too much.

"Luna, are you sure? I need you, but I'll leave if you can't."

"No Neville, I want you. One minute. Luna reached for her wand and cast a contraceptive spell. The light flickered briefly while she did, and then resumed as she put the wand back on the night table. She looked up at Neville and then pulled him back down as she began to nibble on his ear. Slowly, Neville pushed into her. He almost came right then, but gritted his teeth and held on as he slid in further. He felt Luna tense slightly and then he reached a barrier and recognition hit him as he pulled back slightly and looked at her.

"Luna, you've never? Are you sure?"

"Very sure. Just do it Neville."

Neville needed no further encouragement as he buried himself into her completely with a long groan. Luna gave a small squeak, but then encouraged him to keep moving. Neville tried to set a slow pace, but he was inexperienced and very close to coming. His rhythm was sporadic as he figured out what Luna liked. Soon she was making a series of strange noises and then she suddenly grew quiet. Neville thrust faster and Luna came undone as she screamed his name and grabbed his bum to pull him in more. Neville felt her clamp down on him, but kept moving. After a few more thrusts, he came as well and his vision went temporarily dark. When he regained his senses, Neville realized he had softened and separated from her. Their first time had been quick and a bit clumsy, but Neville was happy that Luna seemed to enjoy it. He rolled off to the side of her and they stared into each other's eyes.

"Thank you Neville. That was quite enjoyable. You are a wonderful lover."

"Thank you for letting me Luna. I never imagined how good it would be."

"Then it was your first time also? I'm surprised."

"Really Luna?"

"Well yes. You are strong, handsome, kind. I would have thought one of the Gryffindor girls would have shagged you by now. Of course, us Ravenclaws are the smartest."

She leaned over and kissed him one more time before her eyes fluttered close. Neville pulled her close and she sighed as she relaxed into him. He found himself suddenly exhausted and no longer tense as he was finally able to sleep.

Neville woke mid-morning and was temporarily confused about where he was. Then he looked over at Luna and it all came back. He settled back into the pillow, trying to comprehend everything. He had gone through every emotion in the last twenty four hours and still couldn't believe it. He never would have dreamed he would be lucky enough to capture Luna's attention, let alone be her first. Were the boys in this dorm blind? Well, now that they were rested, what would they do next? Part of him wanted to stay in the bed and never face what lay just outside the Ravenclaw tower. As his mind drifted, Luna stirred, yawned and leaned over to kiss him good morning. The kiss was deep and passionate and soon his semi soft cock came alive. He was leaned into Luna and she felt him wake up completely.

"Mmm. I see you slept well Neville."

"Sorry Luna, I can't help it. You're too beautiful."

Luna smiled and then did something completely surprising. She pushed Neville onto his back, reached for her wand and cast the charm, then she climbed on top of him. As she sank down onto him, Neville watched their joining and reached to grab Luna's hips. She was still not completely awake and started slow. Gradually she increased her speed until she was rocketing up and down on Neville with her tits bouncing in his face. Neville was about to come and worried that he would go too soon. Then Luna once again reached her peak with little advance warning as she threw her head back and screamed.

"Nevi..llllllle. Fuck. YES. Merlin. FUCK."

She was beautiful as she came and, as she spouted curses, Neville finally let loose and filled her. After a couple minutes, she opened her eyes and rolled off him. They kissed for another minute before Neville reluctantly pulled back.

"Luna, I hate to say this, but we should probably get up. There must be a million things that need to be done around the castle."

"Of course. Thanks for the wake up Nev."

They extracted themselves from the bed and looked around the room to find all their clothing. Neville realized half his clothing was tatters, but it was what he had. It wasn't much worse than his dirty and battered body. Once they were clothed, they proceeded down the stairs to the common room and found Anthony and Michael sitting at a study table with several trays of food spread in front of them. Michael looked up.

"Morning General. A very good morning from the sound of things. A house elf delivered breakfast a few minutes ago."

Neville blushed at Mike's comment and followed Luna to the table. He began to fill a plate and looked over at the other two DA members.

"How are you two? Any other DA members around?"

Tony frowned before responding. "Well General, Paddy went to stay with Vati at Gryffindor. I think Cho may be at Hufflepuff with Zach. I haven't seen or heard about Marie."

"What about Terry?"

Tony shook his head and stared at his eggs. Neville dropped his head. Terry Boot had been the best strategist in the DA. He had spent hours with Neville, working on plans and configurations of forces. And now his brilliance was gone. He would have done so much. Suddenly Neville wasn't hungry and pushed the plate away. Then he felt Luna's hand on his arm.

"Nev, you need to eat. We need you strong."

He looked at her and cupped her face, pulling her in for a kiss, not caring who was watching. The kiss was strong and deep and he drew strength from her. When they broke apart, Luna pulled his plate back to him and Neville forced himself to eat.

"So General…"

"You don't need to call me that anymore Mike."

"No, you will always be our General. We wouldn't have survived this last year without you. So, you and Luna huh? I'm happy for you two. I guess desperate times bring people together."

"Thanks Mike."

The four friends finished eating and then gathered themselves and left the security of Ravenclaw tower. They reached the Great Hall and looked around. The house tables were still shrunk and pushed aside. Several small clusters of students stood around the room, looking unsure. Neville spotted Cho, Zach and Ernie, and approached them. They turned and Cho's face lit up.

"General! Luna, Tony, Mike, gods it's good to see you."

"Hi Cho. How are you? Zach, Ernie, how fares Hufflepuff?"

"Well, most of the dorms are collapsed and filled with debris. We all stayed in the common room. A few people have already left to go home. Parents have been sending for their students or coming to collect them."

"Who…who did we lose in Hufflepuff?"

Ernie struggled to respond and Zach took over. "Justin…and Leanne, Megan, Malcolm and Tammy. That's who I know of at least."

Neville's face contorted. So damn many gone. They had looked to him for leadership and he had led them to death. He remained quiet, as the storm of emotions crossed his face.

"General, quit doing that. We were as prepared as we could be. There were just so many of them."

"I led them all to their deaths."

"No General, you led us all to battle. A fair number of us survived because we were trained. Blame the Death Eaters, not yourself."

"Indeed, I concur Miss Chang."

Neville turned quickly at the sound of the familiar voice. Professor McGonagall stood, looking tired but strong as he looked down on her. When had she gotten so small? He didn't remember.

"Hello professor. How are you? What can I do to help?"

"Yes, professor, what can we all do to help?"

"While I certainly appreciate your offers, the decision has been made to evacuate everyone and close the school for one week. Everyone needs a chance to rest and heal from their injuries. Many parents have already sent for their children. You will all be welcome to return in a week if you wish to help. It is my our goal to repair enough of the school that we will be able to resume classes on September 1st. An apparition point has been setup in the courtyard. Professor Flitwick is waiting for you there. Everyone else may go, but I need to talk to Miss Lovegood for a minute."

"Alright professor, I'll be here in a week to help."

The others all affirmed the same and then began to file out of the hall. Neville stayed with Luna, their hands still linked as they had been for most of the morning. Professor McGonagall looked at that and gave a small smile. War always caused people to come together. Their pairing was unexpected, but welcome.

"Miss Lovegood, I understand you haven't been home since the start of the school year and I need to make you aware of a few things. I don't have all the details, but a few weeks ago there was some kind of explosion at your home. Your father survived, but Death Eaters were nearby and sent him to Azkaban. It seems they weren't fond of the stories he was publishing. The Ministry made Azkaban one of their first priorities immediately after the battle and Kingsley sent a group of trusted Aurors to sort through the prisoners. I received word less than an hour ago that your father is injured, but alive. He was evacuated to St. Mungo's for treatment. You should be able to visit as soon as you wish."

Luna seemed uncharacteristically disturbed and leaned into Neville. "Alright professor, thank you. I'll go immediately."

"And I'll go with you Luna."

"Your grandmother is waiting for you at home Neville."

"I understand professor, but she will need to wait a bit longer. I sent her a patronus after the battle, so she knows I'm alright. I'll be back in a week professor. Come, Luna, let's get to St. Mungo's."

With one more nod of his head to Professor McGonagall, Neville guided Luna out of the Great Hall and to the courtyard. Luna was still too upset to apparate, so Neville took her arm and apparated them to the St. Mungo's apparition point he was so familiar with. The hospital was in a state of chaos as Neville worked his way to the reception desk and inquired after Mr. Lovegood. They were directed left, down a long hall to a second, newer wing. The area was still under construction, but had been partially opened to handle the recent upswing in casualties. Neville and Luna made their way to the sixth door on the right and were about to enter when a passing healer stopped them.

"Excuse me, are you here to see someone? I don't see visitor badges for you?"

"Sorry, but we didn't know about badges. The front receptionist directed us here. You're the first healer we've seen since."

The healer sighed. "Alright, not your fault. There's not enough of us to go around right now. Who are you here to visit?"

"Xenophilius Lovegood. I'm his daughter, Luna. And this is my friend, Neville."

"Well, you are certainly welcome Luna. I must say, you look like you could use some attention yourself. Now, Mr. Lovegood is stable but I should have the healer assigned to him talk to you first. Would you mind waiting here a couple of minutes before you go in?"

Luna nodded and Neville tightened his arm around her. The healer rushed off and they remained, standing quiet as they watched other healers and assistants bustle around them. A few minutes later, a tall, greying healer approached them.

"Hello, Miss Lovegood?"

"Yes."

"I'm Healer Levon. I'd like to discuss your father. I wish I had someplace to offer us some privacy, but we just converted the lounge into another room. So I guess that leaves us here. Is that okay? Are you alright to handle this?"

Luna nodded and clutched Neville's hand. Healer Levon gave her a quick appraisal and reluctantly began.

"Your father was brought in around four hours ago, straight from Azkaban. We have him stable now and he is conscious, but he doesn't respond. His current state is similar to catatonia, but a bit different. He also has pneumonia, a broken leg, and a number of open and infected wounds. I am afraid that the jailers were not gentle with him. Our main concern is that he doesn't respond to any stimuli and we cannot fully assess his mental state. We need to get a mind healer to help him, but we're short staffed right now. Perhaps seeing you will help him. We've treated the wounds and he's receiving skele-gro for his leg. We also have him on a lung potion right now. Really, everything physically should resolve in a couple of days. It's his mental state that I'm most concerned about."

"Thank you healer. I understand. Daddy has had a hard time since mummy died when I was eight. Little things upset him. I'll try talking to him. We may want to check for billywigs also. They can cause a lot of mental confusion."

The healer looked a bit puzzled and Neville gave him a quick look, with a shake of his head. The healer shrugged, then turned to open the door and led them to Mr. Lovegood's bed. He was half reclined, staring into a corner blankly. Luna let go of Neville and approached her father, taking his shrunken hand in hers.

"Daddy, I'm here. Your Luna is here and I'm fine daddy. We won the war. It was hard, but it's over daddy. I love you. Do you hear me daddy?"

The healer stood to a side, watching Mr. Lovegood's vitals and face as Luna spoke. He saw a small change in his heart pattern and thought he detected a flicker of an eyelid, but there was nothing else. Luna sat and stroked his hand for several more minutes, but there was no further response. After about twenty minutes, she stood and made to leave.

"Alright daddy. I have to go. We have a lot of work yet, but it will be fine. You rest daddy. I'll be back later."

Luna turned and grasped for Neville. He enclosed her in his arms and they followed Healer Levon out the door. Once outside, Luna uncharacteristically lost control as she sank within Neville's embrace. He held her up and leaned over to whisper encouragement while he planted a small kiss on her lips. The healer watched the two for a minute and Luna strengthened and stood again, with Neville holding tight.

"Sorry healer. That was harder than I thought. I haven't seen daddy since before I was kidnapped and imprisoned."

The healer was temporarily rocked by Luna's matter-of-fact statement. He chose his words carefully, as it appeared the daughter was close to becoming a patient as well.

"Miss Lovegood, I completely understand your reaction. I know that you want to be here for your father, but I think you also need to look after yourself. I'm happy to see you have a supportive boyfriend. If you feel you need any help for yourself though, please let me know."

"Thank you healer. I suppose we should go now. I'll be back tomorrow."

Luna and Neville walked back down the hall to the lobby. They reached a fairly quiet alcove and Neville stopped to talk to Luna.

"Luna, I don't know where you plan on going now, but I don't want you to be alone. There's plenty of room at my house and I'm sure Gran won't mind."

"That is sweet of you Neville. I also do not want to leave you. The healer called you my boyfriend. Are you my boyfriend Neville?"

"Um, well, yeah. I suppose I haven't asked, but I guess since we slept together that makes me your boyfriend. Is that alright Luna?"

"Oh yes, I quite like you Neville. I've never had a boyfriend before. Now, before we go to your house, can we stop at my home? I have no clothes or anything else."

"Of course Luna."

The two of them apparated to Luna's childhood home, landing just outside the garden. As they landed, Luna let out a small squeak. The Lovegood house was partially destroyed from what appeared to be some kind of explosion. The bottom two floors were both missing large chunks out of the side and it was probably only the magic of the place that kept it from collapsing. Before they moved closer, Neville used a couple of spells he had learned the previous year and probed the property. He found no obvious traps or spells, so they moved further and stepped into the overgrown garden.

"Well Luna, it looks like it's a good thing you'll be staying with me. Fucking Death Eaters. Anyway, we'll set this place right. I'll help. I wonder if we can get in and salvage some things for you?"

"Thank you Neville. I hadn't expected this. Let me take a closer look."

"Wait Luna, one second."

Neville took hold of her hand and then cast a shield around them. They then moved in closer to evaluate the damage. It looked like the kitchen was completely gone, with only one cabinet showing where it had once been. There was also a large piece of machinery for the Quibbler, but it appeared to be in good shape. What appeared to be a small sitting room was also mostly gone. Amazingly, in the middle, a spiral staircase remained fairly intact. It seemed a bit rickety, but when Neville tested it, it held firm. They tiptoed their way upstairs. On the second floor, the room that had been Xeno's was mostly gone. A second room with more equipment for the Quibbler was also partly damaged, with the typesetter laying at an odd angle. Luna inspected it and declared that it wasn't bad and she could fix it. Then they made their way up to the third floor. The damage was not extensive at the top of the house, but there was a chunk out of the wall and a portion of roof missing that had allowed the rain in. Luna quickly went through the room, gathering what she needed and shrinking three large bags down to a manageable size. Once that was done, she and Neville carefully exited the house. When they reached the garden, Neville looked and could see the strain on Luna's face. He leaned in and planted what he intended to be a small kiss on her lips, but Luna seemed to need more. Her bags temporarily forgotten, Luna reached up to pull Neville's head down further as she deepened the kiss for several minutes. Eventually he pulled back and smiled at her.

"Luna, I love where this is going, but I'm beginning to respond and the last thing I need is to show up at home with a stiffy."

"Hmm, yes, I suppose that would be a bit awkward with your grandmother. Alright, I suppose we should go."

"We'll be back Luna. And we'll get your house fixed."

Luna nodded, took Neville's hand and then he apparated them to Longbottom Manor. As soon as the apparition crack announced their arrival, the front door of the modest Georgian manor flew open and a small but robust figure with a cloud of grey hair descended on them.

"Neville! You're home finally!"

Neville let go of Luna and embraced his grandmother.

"Hi Gran. It's really good to see you. How are you?"

"Pssht! I'm fine now that you finally came home. I know your patronus said you were alright, but I had to see you for myself. And who is this? Neville, care to introduce this lovely young lady?"

"Gran, this is my girlfriend, Luna Lovegood. She needs to stay with us for a while. Her father is in St. Mungo's and we were just at her house and it suffered some kind of explosion."

"What? Oh my. You poor dear thing. Of course you are welcome to stay. More than enough room. Neville, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend? And such a pretty girl. Come, I'll make lunch and the two of you can tell me everything I've missed."

After lunch, Gran sent Neville to get Luna settled. There were three extra bedrooms, but Neville knew where he wanted Luna to stay. They went upstairs and Neville turned to Luna.

"So Luna, you can have your pick of one of the spare bedrooms. Or you can stay with me."

"Oh, I think it's best I stay with you Neville. I plan on making love to you again and it will be much easier if we don't have to switch rooms."

Neville blushed and nodded. He took Luna's hand and led her to his bedroom. The room was just as Neville remembered, simple and masculine. The walls were grey-blue and the furniture was a solid walnut. The room was dominated by a large king size bed. When Neville had started growing in his third year, his Gran had upgraded the bed as a surprise for him when he returned home for the summer. As he continued to grow, he was even more grateful for the large bed. The room also had a desk, dresser and wardrobe. The walls were adorned with frames featuring pressed plant samples, carefully preserved and labeled by Neville on his holidays. Neville went to the wardrobe and began pulling out clothes that no longer fit. He did the same in his closet, as well as moving out some boxes of keepsakes. Those he could put in the attic. When he was done, Luna had plenty of room to unpack. Neville laid back on the bed, watched and talked to her as she floated around his room. She was delightful to watch and Neville still couldn't believe he was moving his girlfriend into his room. As Luna moved by the bed, she leaned over to kiss him. At that moment, a brief knock was followed by the door opening.

"Neville, which…oh hello Luna. I see you are settling in. I hadn't realized you would be staying with Neville."

"Gran…"

"No Neville, it's fine. You're adults now and this is your home. I just hadn't realized the seriousness of your relationship. I'll be more careful about knocking. Now Luna, do you need anything?"

"No Mrs. Longbottom. I'm almost done unpacking. Neville cleared some space for me."

"Ah yes, I see. Perhaps we should get these boxes up to the attic Neville?"

"Sure. Gran."

Neville and his grandmother waved their wands and floated the large boxes out the room and to the attic stairs. Once the boxes were stored, his grandmother turned to him.

"Neville, I wanted to talk to you. I'm trying to be progressive and understanding about the two of you, but I have to ask. Are the two of you taking precautions?"

Neville blushed. "Yes Gran. Luna is Ravenclaw. She's quite smart."

"Very good. I just don't think now is the time for any accidents. I certainly understand you are a man now. After everything you've endured and the leadership you showed leading that army, I'm quite proud. I know that you have a lot of healing and adjustment and I'm glad that Luna offers you companionship, I just have to be concerned."

"I understand Gran. We're all trying to figure out where to go now."

Neville's grandmother nodded and headed back downstairs. Neville meanwhile went back to his room to resume his lounging while he watched Luna. She finished the last of her unpacking and fell onto the bed next to Neville. The emotions of the day and minimal sleep were catching up with both of them. Luna crawled up and settled herself on Neville's chest. He smiled at the feel of her and pulled her head up to begin kissing her. Soon they both lost their shirts and then Luna grabbed her wand to seal the room. They made love slowly and passionately, taking much longer than the previous night, as they both explored how to pleasure each other. When they collapsed an hour later, they both drifted into a long afternoon nap.

The next couple of days at the Longbottom home passed quietly. Neville and Luna spent the days lazing around the house and garden. Neville showed Luna the unique plants outside and in the sunroom attached on the back of the house, next to the kitchen. His gran had taken care of each plant's basic needs while he was gone, but Neville spent hours repotting, pruning, fertilizing, and nurturing each individual plant with great care. Luna showed a genuine interest and would happily listen to his dissertations on each specimen. Gran was glad to have him home and had taken a liking to Luna, even if she sometimes looked puzzled by Luna's comments. She bemoaned their underfed bodies and took it upon herself to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. After wiling away a long day, Neville and Luna would return to what was now their room and spend hours loving each other as they found new, unplundered wells of passion. Once he was completely exhausted, Neville would fall asleep with Luna in his arms and feel more at peace than he would have thought possible after the previous horrendous year.

The one outing they took each day was to visit St. Mungo's. Xeno still hadn't changed and showed little to no response when they visited. They would stay for a half hour and then return home sadly. Many afternoons were spent in the garden, laying on the grass and doing nothing particular.

On the fourth day after the battle, an owl arrived with details about the memorial. They each dreaded the event, although Neville was the one who showed his pain the most acutely. His mood deepened for the rest of the morning and Luna decided to distract him.

"Nev?"

"Mmhmm? What Luna?"

"I was wondering if we could go back to my house. I've had a few days to adjust now and I'd like to start the cleanup and make some lists of what needs to be done. I don't want to go alone."

"Sure Luna, I understand. Let's go now. Nothing else happening here right now."

They apparated to Luna's home and the sight of the devastated house once again caused Luna to tremble slightly. Seeing her distress, Neville shook himself out of his funk and put an arm around her. Gradually they moved forward and began to list and catalog what they found and what needed to be done. Most of the Quibbler equipment was in good condition, but would need an intact building before Luna could start producing the magazine again. There was quite a bit of debris that had blown in, as well as items soaked by rain that weren't salvageable. Gradually they cleaned what they could. As evening approached, Luna stepped back and cast shields over the largest holes in the structure. Then they apparated back to Neville's house. Gran was in the kitchen when they arrived.

"Hello you two. How'd it go?"

"We cleaned up quite a bit Mrs. Longbottom. There's a lot of repairs that need to be done, so we made a list. We'll probably go back tomorrow and clean some more."

"Well, I'm sure it feels good to start making some progress. Just don't overdo. Now, the two of you need to clean up. Dinner will be ready at 6:30."

Neville and Luna both nodded and went upstairs. They decided that washing together would be quicker and made their way to the large bathroom across the hall from their room. They started to shower, but as soon as Luna's fingers started to run across Neville's chest and he captured them with his lips, they were distracted from their cleaning activities. Eventually they finished and both were much more relaxed after the long day. They were ten minutes late arriving at the dinner table, where Gran waited with a smirk.

"Sorry Gran, lost track of time."

"No worries Neville. I put a warming charm on. I understand that mutual showering takes longer."

Neville blushed horribly and Luna giggled as they took their seats at the table.

Two days later, they all attended the memorial service. Neville had known the day would be horrible, but it was far worse than he expected. As each member of the DA had their name read, he conjured memories of his soldiers. There was Heather, who started painfully shy and barely able to speak. One day in muggle studies, a friend had mouthed off to Alecto, earning a round of cruciatus. Watching her friend tortured woke something up in Heather, and the next day she changed as she fought to conquer her shyness and perfect her spells. She had become a deadly force for Hufflepuff. Then there was Marie, who had originally betrayed the first DA and then returned to the new DA to prove herself. Each name brought a memory and Neville was barely holding himself together with Luna on one side and Gran on the other. When Professor Flitwick read Terry's name, Neville choked and buried his head in his lap, bombarded by images of his friend. Long hours spent in the Room of Requirement, poring over maps and plans, strategizing for the battle that both knew was sure to come. All that planning and still so many lost. Luna reached for Neville and pulled his head into her chest. Gran reached for him and then paused when she saw Luna had it under control. Instead, she just stared at her grandson, vaguely understanding the magnitude of what he had endured and never being prouder of him.

Later that day, Neville and Luna attended Fred's memorial at the Burrow. It was good to be with friends again, and when everyone offered to help Luna with the Quibbler and her house, Neville felt a sense of relief. He looked at all those who had gathered and felt a camaraderie that others would never understand. They had walked through the fires of hell together and now their numbers were fewer, but those that were left had committed themselves to rebuilding and helping each other.

When he woke the next morning, Neville's head was pounding from the firewhiskey the night before, but he felt better emotionally than he had since the battle. He had a plan and a purpose. Life was moving forward.