Chapter 8: Halloween
Harry walked up and down the living room floor in the Burrow, worrying about Hermione and Ron and what they would think of him when they reached the party.
It been too long since they last got together.
Luna looked at him over an issue of the Quibbler. "You worry a rather lot you know Harry"
"..I been a bad friend to them lately" he replied in a slightly end of a sentence way.
"And a fantastic friend to them both on the whole since you were eleven" she replied with a knowing smile.
"I know, but.."
"You will continue you worrying in your normal silly manor"
"Erm, I best go help Miss Weasly in the kitchen" As Harry left he heard Luna start to giggle.
It was about five seconds after entering the kitchen of a busy Miss Weasly that Harry was rushing through the living room to answer the door.
"Harry!" Was Hermione first word as she dived hugged him as he opened the door. Her character hadn't really changed much since there schooldays, even if she did look a lot different. While Harry's scars from the war with Voldemort had mostly been mental, Hermione had suffered considerable physical ones.
One of her eyes had been gorged out and these days she used a replacement one which was not terribly different from Mad Eye Moody's. She also had several scars all over her face. It said a lot about Ron character that the death eater who had torched and nearly killed her was now so frightened of him that she was permanently under armed guard in a secure ward in St Mungo hospital.
Such was Bellatrix's fate.
It said even more about Ron's character that despite all the damage done to Hermione's looks, they were still together. He smelled at the thought. Hermione smiled back.
"And I assume that Luna who I can hear in the background?" her eye twisted round till in was looking in Luna's direction "Yes it is". Ron walked in behind Hermione with a grin on his face.
"This new eye of yours is bloody brilliant Hermione" he learned in and kissed her "just like you" Hermione blushed ever so slightly.
"Thanks Ron" was her slightly sheepish reply. Harry invited them both in and after helping them put there things away and setting the last touches to the dinner table, they began there meal with the rest of the Weasly clan.
The meal was a pleasant affair and talk quickly turned to work.
"So Ronald what you been doing since Hogwarts?" ask Luna politely.
"Auror training" said Ron as he got stuck into some chicken "bloody hard work and Shacklebolt doesn't let it up! I'm sure that I be as paranoid as Mad Eye by the time I become one" Luna looked at him worried.
"Aren't you worried about the Rotfang Conspiracy?" she asked. Ron chuckled.
"Look, I'm pretty sure there isn't one Luna, but if I ever get wind of something like that, I tell you straight away"
"What about you Hermione, training to be an Auror too?" Asked Harry quickly, trying to stir the conversation from dark plots involving gum disease.
"No, I'm actually doing something very different" Said Hermione with a look of worry in her remaining eye, her other was spinning around in all sorts of directions. Luna gaze was suddenly considerably more focused on Hermione.
"You found a bringer?!" she asked excitedly. Hermione looked at Luna with a slight grin.
"No…. but what I say doesn't leave this room" her voice quickly became deathly serous and her grin evaporated.
"I promise Hermione it won't" Harry spoke, the other quickly followed suit, even Luna despite a slight muttering about the truth should be free. Hermione put her knife and fork down and spoke.
"I'm working for the ministry of magic, but I been pretty much given a free reign on what I do" "she drank some wine "My task is a simple one, I been asked to find a way of stopping one wizard, like Voldemort, from ever being able to threaten the whole wizarding world again". Harry look at Hermione with an appraising eye, he not seen her as serous as this since the days of the last war.
"And how you going to do that?" asked Luna innocently
"Is something I can't even tell you my nearest and dearest. Needless to say half the job is keeping people like Umbridge's noses out of my research" she said as she crossed her arms.
Some time after the big Weasly meal, Harry managed to get a moment alone with Hermione.
"So Luna?" asked Hermione as her eye spanned around, clearly making sure they were well and truly alone.
"Erm, it kind of complicated to explain but I think..." started Harry.
"That you fallen in love with her?" said Hermione before he could finish.
"Yes" said Harry in a small voice, his checks were most certainly red now and Hermione's smile with a hint of satisfaction in it told him the redness was very much obvious.
"And you're having trouble getting this fact across to her?"
"Yes" Harry replied while brushing his robe down.
"And I also assume you feel some considerable guilt that you are somehow cheating on Ginny?"
"Yes" his stomach tightened.
"She dead Harry, gone, not coming back, missing in action and no longer available to comment on anything this side of the grave." She stated in a matter of fact voice. "Luna on the other hand is clearly very alive, enjoying you company greatly and clearly needs more than just subtle push towards the idea of being your girlfriend Harry."
"But what if I push too hard?" said Harry fearfully.
"What if you don't push hard enough Harry?" said Hermione sternly "We both know what Luna like, she miles away half the time and undoubtedly blame any of your more subtle attempts on the effect of some strange creature she read about in her father newspaper, also add into the mix that she socially inept and you got a recipe for disaster Harry unless you try something more direct"
Harry pondered over Hermione's words while looking her in her eyes. His thoughts were on Ginny.
"She gone Harry and she want to see you happy" said Hermione while looking deep into his eyes, Harry nodded.
"Why you like Luna anyway might I ask?"
"She gives me hope" he said it with a simple softness. Hermione nodded.
"She is rather upbeat isn't she?" continued Hermione "Well there a perfect opportunity coming up for you two, my sources in the ministry tell me that Hogwarts will soon be asking you to come and teach so to speak" Harry looked at her with a slight shocked look, they wanted him to be the defense against the dark arts teacher?
"No not as a teacher Harry, it's more as a lecturer giving a brief set of lectures about the Great War against Voldemort and what really happened"
"I thought everyone knew what happened?"
"The truth has a habit of becoming twisted and you're the one who's best suited to untwisting it" Said Hermione. Harry thought for a few moments.
"And how Luna and I getting together relate to this?"
"Oh that the best part" she said with a growing smile "big party at the end!"
A party with Luna standing next to him, and not a little party, a big party. Things were going to get very interesting...
