My first time doing a Halloween story… Hope you like it. Also, I'm sorry for such a long time in between updates... Just a lack of drive is all.

Hogwarts had never been immune to the Muggle holiday of Halloween, and the enthusiasm was spreading rapidly. The decorations were up, teachers were handing out Hogsmeade-bought candies at the end of class…

And then there were the pumpkins.

Everyone looked forward to seeing just how many new and exciting pumpkin creations people could come up with. Carving was certainly allowed, of course, but some did not just carve in the traditional sense of putting faces into it. Rather, they created entire sculptures out of their pumpkins, sometimes going through twenty or thirty pumpkins before they could get one right.

Luna was one of those people.

Slowly, steadily, she whittled away at her pumpkin. This was not just for herself; she was intending on giving this to someone- the one she'd been in love with since the first time they met.

She paid very close attention to the details: the glasses, the robes, even the lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead…

Luna smiled as she was doing this. "I hope you like this… I really do."

While she was making her creation, Harry and Ron sat puzzled in the Gryffindor common room.

"What the hell am I supposed to carve?" Ron said as he absent-mindedly scratched at his forehead with his wand.

"I don't know," Harry replied. "I'm horrible at these kinds of things. I'm not artistic at all."

"Nor am I," Ron admitted. "At least there's not going to be that stupid judging contest this year…"

Harry looked at Ron bemusedly. "Actually, Ron… They decided to go through with it after all."

Ron moaned and slumped further down into his chair. "Damn it all…"

"Hey, watch your language, Ron! There are young ones around…"

Hermione stepped into view. "You can't figure out what to do for your pumpkins?" Both Ron and Harry shook their heads emphatically.

Hermione sighed. "What do you like most? Try using that for inspiration. I'll come check on you two later."

An hour passed, then two, and still Ron and Harry were stumped. As Ron fell asleep, Harry stared into the fire. He thought about Sirius, and how he would have liked for him to appear in the fire as he used to, and give him a bit of advice as to how to proceed.

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the portrait. He got up and went over to the entrance, opening the panel.

"Luna? What brings you here…?"

"I wanted to know if you were done with your pumpkin yet," Luna replied, smiling her usual glorious smile. "I just finished with mine."

"I'm at a bit of a loss," Harry admitted. "I can't figure out what to do…"

"Think of what you love the most. That will give you a great inspiration."

"Funny, Hermione said just about the same thing," Harry replied.

"Then you should know it to be true." Luna smiled at him one last time and turned, skipping back down the hallway.

Harry shut the portrait and returned to his seat.

"What I love the most…?" he mused out loud. "What do I love the most…? Quidditch? My family? L-"

He stopped himself before he said that last word out loud. No one knew of the feelings he held for Luna. No one would understand them…

Now that she was firmly in his mind, though, he knew what he was to do.

The Next Day

It was fate that they met before the whole thing started.

"Did you get your pumpkin done?" Luna asked, holding something behind her back.

"I did," Harry replied. "Both of them."

Luna was a bit surprised at this. "What do you mean?"

"I made one for the contest… and one for you."

Luna could feel her cheeks growing hot. "Harry, you really didn't have to do that…"

"I wanted to… It was no trouble at all, really." Harry smiled. "But you first."

"Well…" she said quietly, "I did the same thing you did. I made one for the contest… and one for you."

"One for me? What did you make?"

Luna slowly brought out the pumpkin sculpture from behind her back. As Harry registered what it was, his eyes widened. "You… made that?"

Luna nodded. "It took me most of the night but I wanted it to be perfect for you…"

Harry smiled. "Anything you would have made for me would be perfect, at least in my eyes…" He held his own creation out. "Here's mine for you."

Luna gasped. Harry had crafted an image of her mother and father, locked in a tight kiss. A tear came to her eyes, and soon she collapsed into tears.

Harry rushed to her side and held her as close to him as he could. "What's wrong, Luna?"

Luna suddenly flung her arms around him and kissed him as passionately as she could. When they finally broke apart, her tears were still freely flowing but she was smiling now.

"This is the most amazing thing that anyone has ever done for me… I wish it didn't have to go away."

"It doesn't. I put a spell on it to make sure it never rots or anything. It'll stay like this forever…"

Hearing these words, Luna pulled Harry close to her again. "I hope, Harry… so will we."