Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Eleven: Lunacy

It turned out to be a great deal of work, training everyday, classes, during the summer nonetheless, and DA sessions. But it was interesting work, especially working in Professor McGonagall's transfiguration class. To no one's surprise, Hermione was the first to be able to transform into something else. She was able to assume simple geometric shapes; the first step towards more complex transfigurations. Ron had managed to transfigure his foot into a block, but then had no idea how to return it to normal. It took Professor McGonagall twenty minutes to calm him down enough for her to cast the counter charm.

It was after this class that the group split into its respective pairs and headed off to their favorite places for a welcome respite before lunch. Neville and Luna went to the atrium to relax.

"I still don't like the idea of you going through the memory charm," Neville was saying. "After what I went though the last time, well, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Oh you silly boy, you're precious when you get over protective, you know that?" She had swung around to look at him, her light colored hair following around to drape across her right shoulder. "Look, I'll be alright, I've got lots of experience, what with all those field trips with Dad. I think it'll be an interesting experience. Just like a safari searching for the famed biting hinderfluke, now that was fun."

"Did you find one?" Neville's curiosity was piqued.

"Oh no, it just turned out to be a muggle's pet beagle. But that's not the point. The point is that the fun is in the experience. Live for today, for tomorrow's a whole day away," she said in her sing song voice.

Neville didn't seem very convinced, as evidenced by the face he made at her. "But it's just that I worry so much about you, ever since that day earlier this summer."

"Now why would you worry about that, Pet. That was what led to our first kiss. I think that it was a perfectly wonderful day. In fact I kind of liked it, yes I did." She shook her head, letting her hair cascade down around her shoulders to her waist. She paused momentarily to adjust her earrings, which looked just like two miniature cacti. "Besides, it was worth it just to see the looks on the faces of those Slytherin prats."

"Yeah, it was fun at that. I never thought I could do that, and well, you were smashing." Neville was grinning from ear to ear now. "I think this is why I like being with you so much. You make me smile."

"Well of course I do. Remember, life's a dream, unless you're dreaming of course. Now, I've promised my dad that I would proof read some of his editorials. Would you like to help?"

"I thought you would never ask." Grabbing her hand, they headed for her room to get the articles.

*0*0*

"I don't know, Hermione, I've just got this feeling that we are going to need some way to gain intelligence on what V… V…Voldemort is doing." Ron was very agitated, pacing the floor, a pained expression on his face. "I mean, I don't want to see Harry get hurt, and now I have Ginny to worry about too, she's so close to him now and all…"

"Ron, Ron, I agree with you. I just don't see how we are to go about doing that. It's not like we can just get up and go ask Voldemort what he's planning. Let's just think on this some more, and maybe in a day or two you or I will have a brilliant idea and save the day." She motioned for him to sit next to her on the couch. It had been such a long day, and she needed a good snuggling right now. It had taken her three weeks to get Ron comfortable with holding her. It was like she was some porcelain doll that he would break if he wasn't careful.

She snuggled into the crook of his arm and nuzzled his neck. When he didn't stiffen up right away, she took that as a good sign and wrapped her arms around him. "Ron, I… I'd like us to take our relationship to the next level."

Ron jumped like he had sat on a hornets nest. Hermione went crashing to the floor. "Wha…Wha… What do you mean by that, Hermione?" His voice getting higher in pitch with each syllable until her name sounded like it was being said by Professor Flitwick instead of a nearly six foot Ron.

She was letting out a little puff of air to clear her hair out of her eyes. "I mean, Ronald Weasley, that I would like to be able to share a bloody kiss with you once in a while, if that's OK with you, that is!" She was shaking by this point, her frustration evident on her face. "You'd think that I could pick a normal boy to fall for, one that knew what to do with a girl when she wanted to snog, but no, I had to fall for you, you big, stupid, ignorant lump!"

"Oh." Ron was at a loss for words. He tried, he really did. He was just not good at this. Give him a Quiddich pitch, or a game of wizard's chess. That he could handle. Crying girls was another thing entirely. He therefore did the only thing left to him. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and in true Gryffindor fashion grabbed a very surprised Hermione by each side of her face and kissed her so hard and for so long that she passed out in his arms. As he gently lowered her down to the couch, he said "Geez Hermione, all you had to do was say so." He quietly brushed her hair away from her eyes and carefully rearranged her somewhat disheveled blouse, then quietly waited for her to wake up.

*0*0*

Harry and Ginny had adjourned to the pool. Harry had just finished his daily regimen of twenty laps around it. He had discovered since coming here that he took to the water rather like a seal. It was a wonderful feeling to be floating there, all your weight and burdens off you. It was then that he did most of his daydreaming. He was indulging in one at this very minute, a rather pleasant kind of daydream wherein he was coming home to his own cottage, his new wife there to greet him at the door with their child. Where did that thought come from he wondered? Maybe it was because he had been denied a family life of his own that he wanted one now. And Ginny had looked awfully good in the daydream.

He was driven out of his reverie by a wave of water splashing in his face. "Harry, you were ignoring me." She was standing there, almost submerged in the water, a look of exasperation on her face.

"What was that Gin? I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere." He started to blush slightly.

"I was asking you if you thought we were doing the right thing with all this," she said, completely serious. "I mean, should we really be together like this. Somehow it just doesn't feel right. Something's wrong with it."

"What do you mean, Ginny? Do you… regret being with me?" He was starting to panic. His eyes shifted back and forth between her and the water. He started to fidget with his hands. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Well," she started, not looking at him, "you wouldn't sign my form…" swish, flick, a parchment appeared next to her. "If you won't let me nibble, maybe I should find someone who will. Maybe Neville's here somewhere." She started to giggle. "You big lug, I just thought it would be good for you to see what you put me through all those years. I loved you so much, and you completely ignored me! Now come here and sign my form."

Harry came over and grabbed the quill that had just appeared, and in his best handwriting, he signed the form on the dotted line. Ginny grabbed it, and with a mischievous grin, she looked him right in the eyes. "Thank you Mr. Potter, you have just indentured yourself to me for as long as I like. Now, pick me up and carry me out of this pool and over to those lounge chairs. I would like to be fed grapes."

"At once Your Highness." He picked her up and with a laugh carried her out of the pool, her arms around his neck. "My God Gin, you scared me so much back there. I thought that my heart was going to burst, it hurt so much." He set her down on the lounge.

Ginny snapped her fingers impatiently. "Grapes, my mouth, now." When he went to put one in her mouth she put her hand in front of her mouth. "Uh uh, use your mouth. I find I like it much better."

Harry decided it was going to be a great day after all.

*0*0*

The day was broken up with the arrival of Remus Lupin, to relieve Kingsley Shacklebolt of duty so that he could be free to do another errand.

"Harry, how are you?" He said, enveloping his new godson in a huge bear hug. "I've only now gotten free. Dumbledore has been running me ragged for weeks. What's been happening here?

Harry told Lupin about all the things that had been going on, especially about the episode with Tonks. He asked if Lupin knew how she was.

"Actually, yes I do, Harry. That was one of the things that Dumbledore had me doing. I've been trying to track down the vampire and wizard that did this to her. She's doing better actually. I saw her just yesterday. Well, she's doing better physically anyway. I think she's questioning her abilities as an auror for letting herself get caught like that. Also, I don't think she's been able to forgive herself for what she did to you that night."

"But Remus, it wasn't her fault."

"I know that Harry, but maybe she should hear that from you. I know you haven't been able to go out, but maybe you could send her an owl."

"I'll do that right away. I don't want her to think that she was to blame. We all love her here, you know?"

"I know that Harry, but since when did you start expressing yourself like that?" He snapped his fingers, "Ginny."

Harry bowed his head to hide a blush. "Guilty as charged. I think I'm in love with her, Remus." He looked up into Lupin's eyes. "It terrifies me that I could let anyone get this close to me, Remus, but I can't help it. The thought of her not being with me scares me even more. I even daydreamed of being married to her with a kid. What's happening to me Remus. I think I must be going bonkers."

Lupin laughed. "Harry, nothing is happening to you that is any different that what has happened to sixteen year old boys since the beginning of time. It's just in your case, the bewitching has been done by a pretty little redheaded witch who happens to have been able to match you heartache for heartache. You're good for each other Harry, and don't worry about the daydreams. They're normal. Look, I'm going to grab a quick lunch, and then I have to write down a bunch of notes for the Order. I'll see you a little later, OK Harry?"

"Sure thing Remus."

*0*0*

The group got together in the room of requirement for their memory session. Luna and Harry were next to each other, while Neville and Ginny were on the other sides, holding their hands. Hermione had gotten comfortable in Ron's arms, and she was preparing to perform the spell. "Harry, Luna, are you ready? Alright then, Memoris Animi!"

Luna was sitting in her room waiting for her father to get there. He was actually running a little late, but that was typical of him. He often got wrapped up in quibbler business and forgot what time it was. She decided that it would be a goodness to proof read some more of his editorials. She was so proud of what he did, bringing the truth to a world in denial wasn't easy, but he did it well. She settled down to get to work.

About an hour later there was a knock at the door. "Luna, honey, I brought someone with me to see you, dear." She got up and let her father in. Stepping in behind him was Neville. Luna smiled. Neville had been visiting quite regularly since he discovered that Father's summer house was only a couple of miles from where he lived. He was really quite sweet, although he was no Harry Potter, but then who was?

"Hi Neville, come on in, you can help me proof read Daddy's article about the puffskein invasion that's threatening northern Wales."

"Hi L…Luna," Neville stuttered. He was so sweet when he did that. It was kind of humorous that he would react to her that way, after what they went through together just a couple of months before. "I…I'd like to do that, yes I would." He came over and grabbed the spare chair, pulling it up next to her so that he could sit down.

They spent a very enjoyable afternoon during which they made many corrections to Daddy's articles. Then Luna showed Neville her collection of exotic plant life. He really got excited about this. What he didn't know was that she got interested in exotic plants after getting sprayed by his plant on the Hogwart's Express last fall.

"Hey, would you like to go for a walk with me? We could go walking down by the pond and see if we can find any more strange plants." She waited patiently for his reply.

"Sure Luna, I'd like to do that."

They set off from the house and walked along the road for a ways towards the pond. They had just gotten out of sight from her house when they heard something that made Neville freeze.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Neville Longbottom of the barrel and Loony Lovegood. What a sickening sight. What are you doing Longbottom? Bringing your dogfriend to the pound to have her put down?" Neville didn't move, but he stood there silently waiting for the inevitable appearance of Draco Malfoy. And where Malfoy was, you could bet that Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't be far behind. Sure enough, they came out of the woods and walked right up to the pair.

"B…b…bugger off, Malfoy," Neville stammered. He seemed to be having a hard time controlling his temper.

Malfoy ignored him completely and stepped up to Luna, "What do you see in this loser, Lunacy?" With that he spit right in her face.

Malfoy never saw the punch coming. One minute he was spitting in Luna's face, and the next minute he was sitting on the seat of his pants, his nose spurting blood from where Neville had broken it. Unfortunately for Neville, Goyle had wrapped his meaty paws around Neville's neck, and was now busy trying to separate his head from his neck like a child might remove the flower from its stalk.

"fligere!" A bolt of light hit Goyle between the shoulder blades. He screamed in agony as each of his joints in his upper body separated. He dropped Neville like a bad habit. "Never… touch… my… boyfriend… again…" Luna said calmly as the three of them ran off as quickly as they could.

"Boyfriend?????" Neville asked. He had a shocked look on his face.

"Yeah, I guess so." As she leaned in to kiss him she thought to herself that maybe he was just a little bit better than Harry Potter after all.

They came out of it shaken and woozy. "Awesome," Luna whispered. Then she passed out. Harry just stood up wobbly, and walked over to a big pile of cushions. He motioned for Ginny to join him, and then he laid down with his head in her lap. Within moments he was sound asleep.

Author's Note: This chapter's reccomendation is "Learning to Dance" by witowsmp. A great little HP/GW fic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.