Title: The Necklace
Summary: Harry finds Luna crying one night and helps her.
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Luna
Rating: K+
Warnings: N/A
Notes: Written for 3cheersforidiots

Walking down the corridors of Hogwarts was usually a peaceful endeavour, at least, in the middle of the night it was. Tonight though, tonight was different. Harry, covered with the invisibility cloak, heard a sound that didn't match with the usual quiet. Someone was crying. Harry started walking towards the sound; it wasn't long before he could smell it. He wasn't sure what 'it' was but the stench was horrid. It didn't stop Harry though. With a worried frown and a hand over his nose, Harry approached the sound. What, or rather, who he found caused his heart to squeeze.

Luna was kneeling on the ground of the empty classroom, a broken necklace in her hands. The stench was so strong, it was toxic; it seemed to hang, like a fog, over the room. Harry ignored it and focused back on Luna and the necklace. Harry realised that it was the necklace she always wore, just under her usual bottle cap one. It was then that Harry noticed all the bottle caps lying on the floor by her knees. Harry took a closer look at the necklace held in her hands. It was a leather chain with different shells stuck on with magic. Magic seemed to radiate off it, making it glow. It was a beautiful piece of jewellery and extremely unique, just like Luna.

"Luna, are you okay?"

Luna turned sharply at his voice and stared at him for a long moment. Harry shifted uncomfortably at her intense, teary-eyed stare. It was the fabric brushing against his thigh that made him realise he was still wearing his cloak and yet Luna was staring right at him. He pulled the cloak off and offered her a small smile. She didn't return it.

"Luna, what happened?"

Luna turned back to the broken necklaces and didn't say anything. Harry walked towards her. He wanted to get her out of the room, he could barely stand the smell, how was she still here.

"Are you injured? Can you stand?"

Luna shook her head and stayed silent. She curled over her clasped hands and let out a whimper.

Harry wasn't going to wait any longer. Striding into the room he placed a gentle hand over Luna's bicep and pulled her to her feet. He then crouched down to pick up the discarded bottle caps. It was as he was crouched he discovered the source of the smell. A small egg shaped object, barely the size of a golf ball, was lying innocently nearby. Well, it would be innocent if Harry didn't recognise the object itself. Having been present for the trial run of this object, Harry felt like he knew it particularly well. Of course, the triple W's on the side would have given it away even without his in-depth knowledge.

Having collected all the bottle caps he could find, he led Luna outside of the bathroom and away from the toxic smell. Once far enough away from the smell, Luna's shoulder's seemed to relax considerably, though she was still softly sniffling. He entered another abandoned classroom, this one having a considerable amount of dust covering all its surfaces, and closed the door.

Luna looked up at him and she smiled, a sad sort of smile but it was a smile. "Thank you, Harry. I don't believe I could breathe in that room for much longer."

"Then why did you stay."

Luna looked down again and softly stroked the leather necklace. "I couldn't move."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"It's broken. They broke it."

"Who?"

"That doesn't matter, not now." Luna paused; she seemed to be collecting her thoughts. "They didn't know."

"Didn't know what?" Harry was starting to feel a little ridiculous asking all these questions but more than that, he was worreid. She was usually spacey but not like this. He always saw a hidden knowledge inside of her. Not tonight, tonight she was only sad. "Luna, please talk to me."

"It was my mothers." Luna said. She walked towards Harry and pulled him down onto the dust covered floor. Sitting next to him, she leaned into his warmth. Harry let her.

"She gave it to me on my ninth birthday, her last gift to me."

Harry tensed, realising what that necklace meant to Luna. He was furious at the people that broke it, accident or not.

"Don't be angry." Luna was looking at him through wet eyelashes and Harry felt all the anger drain out of him again.

"How did this happen?" Harry asked after a while. He may not be angry at this moment but he still wanted answers.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that it's broken and it can't be fixed." Luna's gaze turned back to the necklace and Harry wrapped an arm around Luna when he saw another tear slip down her cheek.

"You can't fix it with magic."

Luna shook her head. "There is too much magic already infused with the necklace. It won't accept any more."

"I'm sorry," Harry said. He knew those words would bring no comfort but he felt they needed to be said.

"Don't be, it should have happened a long time ago."

Harry was confused again. "What do you mean?"

"I used the necklace as a way to keep my mother alive, truly alive. She isn't alive anymore, hasn't been for a while. Ridiculous really but it's the truth. It's unhealthy to hold onto something so closely." Luna seemed to shrink into herself. "I never grieved, never accepted her death. She was gone but I had my necklace. She was still alive because I had my necklace and I could feel her magic inside it. She was alive. Now, though, the necklace is broken and that toxic belief I had is gone. I can grieve now."

Luna dissolved into sobs and Harry held her close, understanding her in a way he never has before. He held her tightly while she cried and cried. Grieved for the mother she never truly believed to be gone. It those moment as Harry held Luna close, he realised felt something shift inside him, something powerful. From one heartbeat to the next, Harry saw, with perfect clarity, the life he was going to lead with Luna. From one heartbeat to the next, Harry fell in love.

"It's okay Luna, you'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."

He held her long into the night and it wasn't until the early morning rays of sunlight started to drift through the window that Luna unwound herself from around Harry.

"How are you feeling?"

Luna smiled at his concern. "Positive," she said, "positive that one day I'll feel better."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad."

Luna leant in close and pecked him on the cheek. "Thank you for staying with me Harry."

Harry pulled her close again. "Always."

(w.c 1,165)

WolfWinks –xx-