Surprisingly, Aberforth did not seem to want them all to leave, at least not as aggressively as he'd done in the past.

Ernie Macmillan had been the first to leave, still retaining a little pomposity, declaring that late nights may be good and well for some but he had a farm to run. Susan Bones had disappeared suspiciously soon after her long plait crossing the threshold into the night mere minutes later.

Padma had to wake her sleeping sister to get her to leave the warm pub. The girl had clearly needed the sleep she'd got curled around herself between her sister, Dean and Michael Corner.

Hermione and Ron had descended into familiar bickering before Hannah Abbott had found them making out in front of the ladies toilets. She'd skipped back to the mess of tables to announce it. Her voice racing ahead with such glee she'd looked almost as young as the chubby pigtailed witch Neville had partnered in Herbology for 2nd and 3rd years. Unlike that mess with Lavender in 6th year when Ron returned towing Hermione behind him there was no hint of defensiveness or maroon ears. Ginny with eyes ablaze openly laughed until Hermione in a subtle sidestep caught the girl's foot beneath her heel.

Despite the laughter, gossip and drinking Seamus had prescribed every so often there was a lull in the conversation and giddiness. In a corner, here and there, one or two faces would turn blank, pale or aged. No one would mention it and the warmth would return but Neville marked it none the less.

Luna's head now rested in his lap. Though Seamus had crassly directed everyone's attention to Neville's Luna fixation not one member of Dumbledore's Army had so much as raised an eyebrow when she'd laid herself across the bench resting her head on his knee before continuing her conversation with Ginny. He'd supposed she'd fallen asleep when Ginny and Anthony Goldstein had got into an argument over some point of logic or perhaps Quidditch or perhaps a point of logic about Quidditch, he'd had some trouble concentrating on the particulars since his fifth drink. He was aware that Anthony had lost with some certainty when he'd slurred his final arguments.

He removed the paper umbrella twirling it between his fingertips before folding in up and placing it in his shirt pocket for safe keeping. He brushed the curls from Luna's forehead the combination of exhaustion, drink and the softness of her blonde hair mesmerising him. He traced her hair line from her temple down behind her ear to her neck. Quietly, so he was sure only he had heard it, she sighed in her sleep. Her skin was perfect as the firelight danced on it and Neville wished he could run his calloused fingers all over the supple angles of her without her waking. She unconsciously rubbed her stocking clad feet together in an odd self-soothing motion he found endearing. But if asked he could hardly find anything about this girl he didn't find endearing.

"Neville!" Ginny said exasperated. It sounded as though she may have been saying his name for quite some time.

"Huh. Wha'?" he replied annoyed that for the second time that night he'd felt on the very edge of something important if unclear only to be interrupted.

"I was saying we should get Luna to bed."

"Oh, yeah, well I can take her," he said unwilling to wake Luna just to have her leave him.

"I'm sure you can, but she's staying at the Burrows tonight with us."

"Oh." He felt a petty surge of anger towards the tough little red head as though she was deliberately taking something of his. He tried to shake it off muttering about finding Luna's shoes the ones with the stars painted on them. He didn't want to look at them as he cast around for the shoes a little panicked by the notion of Luna's absence. Improbably, it was Ron who with rare insight spoke up.

"Nev, mate, you probably shouldn't go all the way back to your Gran's smelling like that. From what I remember she isn't the laughing off the youthful indiscretions type."

"Not so much, no," Neville agreed just that much more downcast.

"So you should come back to the Burrows too. Mum won't mind, well she'll make a fuss but she won't actually mind."

"And she makes a pretty good cooked breakfast after the fussing," added Ginny.

"Oh, well, I…" Ron didn't wait for Neville to finish.

"Right that's that then, I'll see you there, gotta take Hermione to hers." From his sister's look he added, "Oi mind out of the gutter Ginevra."

"Mum and Dad are still a little bit shaken about the whole year in Australia thing, they like having me home each night. I think they want to make up for not being able to protect me as much as they wanted to," Hermione explained with a shrug.

"Yeah and the big redhead git that's attached to your face most of the time now has nothing to do with it," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Ginny Weasley I will let your brother interrupt you more often if you're not careful," Hermione said safely ensconced in Ron's arms.

Neville leant down to Luna's ear whispering, "Luna." She flinched and Neville wished he'd roused her some other more competent way. Her brow creased, her hands clenched, her eyes flicked open and she focused on his face. The tension left her features.

"Oh hello Neville," she breathed.

"Hello," he smiled.

"Did you need me for some reason," she said still looking up at him.

"No, no reason, it's just Ginny thinks it's time you went back to a real bed."

"Did you tell Ginny I was quite comfortable here?" Luna asked once again disarming him.

"I, uh, didn't like to presume," he said as she gracefully righted herself.

"Well I suppose now I am awake I should do as Ginny says." She turned her head to the side and squinted, "Are you okay Neville, I don't have my spectra specs but you do look as if Wrackspurts have got to you."

"No, I'm fine," he said handing over her spangled shoes. "It's only fire whiskey and, uh, you."

"Me?"

"Merlin's pants Luna, yes you. You, not some invisible bugs, you make my head fuzzy." He watched her slip the last shoe on before she spoke again.

"They're not bugs Neville." She gave a quick smile before quickly catching his bottom lip between hers. Her lips were soft but the kiss was not. He could feel her get to her knees on the bench as she ran her tongue between his teeth. She was now level with him, her arms coiling round his neck. He could hear his own heart beat in his ears and the strange whoosh of blood that accompanied it as he caught her middle and dragged her closer. He could taste her on each panting breath and each dart of her tongue. His own mouth moved without effort. His desire to feel Luna there against him, burning and yielding, directed his pressure and movement. Like the moment Ollivander had handed him his own cherry wand he just fit.

He pulled back taking a deep breath and resting his forehead against Luna's. "Wow." He could think of nothing else to say.