Luna lay down in the bright flower patch, giggling. "So let me get this straight," said David with a confused smile. "This giant squid, which is actually here in England in a large lake that doesn't show up on any maps, this squid would actually skip stones with students? Like a dog playing fetch?"
Luna laughed again. "Well, he would actually skip the stones back, so I think he would probably be insulted if you equated him to a dog. And Hogwarts is in Scotland. But otherwise that was about correct."
"And remind me one more time, why does no one know about this school and this lake?" David asked, moving on top of Luna, kissing her neck.
"Because it's unplottable," she said in what she tried to make a voice of forced patience, but David was now tickling her, and the effect she wanted was entirely lost.
"Unplottable, yes. You are aware that that concept goes against the laws of physics?"
"You keep trying to talk to me about this physics thing, but I keep telling you, it doesn't make any sense. I mean, how can sound be a wave? And assuming that I grasp the concept of a wave, which I don't think I do, then I really don't understand how light can be a wave and a particle. Or how it could be a particle at all, I mean, it's just light."
David laughed. "You're right, you definitely don't grasp the concept."
Luna playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Well, you don't understand how something can be unplottable, and that's a very simple concept. It just means it can't be put on a map."
"Yes, but either it's there or it's not. And if it's not there, then you're much crazier than I thought, and if it is there, then you should be able to put it on a map."
Luna laughed again. "I can't wait until we have children some day. I'm just dying to see your expression when they get their letters from Hogwarts."
"And who says they'll take after you? What will you do if they turn--what was it, eleven?--and they don't get a letter from Hogwarts?"
"That could happen, but it's very rare."
"So I'm doomed to live in a household where I don't understand half the things in it?"
"Pretty much."
"I never thought I would marry someone who believed in fairy tales and didn't get science."
"Who says I believe in fairy tales?" Luna asked, sobering a little. "Fairy tales are just as completely unbelievable to wizards as they are to muggles. Magic doesn't make happy endings. But to your other point, you didn't think you'd marry a girl like me because you didn't know magic was real. Once you get over that fact, I'm really not so crazy."
David laughed, ruffling Luna's hair. "Oh no, you're still crazy, you're just not completely insane. Show me some magic."
"Now?" David nodded. Luna glanced around quickly to make sure there were no other people in this secluded part of the park. "Alright, but you know it's illegal for me to do it in front of muggles, so I'll have to stop if anyone comes by."
"Of course."
"Alright, then how about... accio rock!" the rock flew up and into her hand. She grinned at David's expression; he was impressed no matter how many times she showed him simple spells.
"So can all wizards and witches do that?"
"Well, I didn't learn that one until my fourth year, but, yeah, pretty much every wizard and witch over the age of fifteen can. Some are better than others, though."
"Can I try?"
"Why not," Luna said holding out her wand.
"Are you sure? I'm not going to accidentally start a fire or anything?"
Luna smiled. "You aren't magical, so you shouldn't be able to do anything at all. But even if you do, I can always fix it."
David nodded and took the wand. "Azzeo rock!" he tried to imitate.
"Accio," Luna corrected, "and you have to give it a small wave, like this."
"Alright. Accio rock! ... Accio rock... Accio tiny twig! Hmm... I don't think this is going to work," he said with a sheepish grin, watching Luna laugh. "So how about... Alakazam! Open Sesame! Abracadabra!"
On the last one Luna froze. She stopped laughing and quickly jumped up to take back her wand.
David looked at her with obvious concern. "What is it? Is everything alright? Are you... what did that mean?"
Luna looked at him a little distractedly. "What? Oh, it didn't mean anything. It just... It sounds a lot like... But it isn't. It doesn't mean anything. Nothing at all. Don't worry about it."
David nodded slowly, taking her hand in his. Luna closed her eyes a moment to compose herself, and in that instant of darkness she saw a flash of bright green light.