Author's notes:
Standard disclaimer, I own nothing. It all belongs to JKR.
This is just a little something that bit me after reading a number of similar stories and I thought I'd give it a try. You can assume the story is canon compliant up to the just about the end of Harry's rescue of Ginny in Chamber of Secrets. It goes AU when he falls unconscious before Fawkes arrives to drip tears in the wound on his arm.
This is a stand alone story not related in any way to any of my other works
I'm going to be posting very short chapters. Don't worry though, the story is complete and I'll post a chapter a day.
Enjoy,
Sorcerer's Muse
Finally, Peace.
Chapter XIX
She Didn't
A month came and went and while Lis spent nearly every free moment she had with Harry and though she fell further and further under his spell, they'd yet to progress beyond anything but his soft kiss on her forehead. He never pressed for more. They talked for hours on their boards while out on the water and in her sitting room. She would transfigure her ottoman for him and she never got tired of hearing his voice. They walked on the beach; though they never held hands. Maybe to give comfort while they talked of their pasts, but never just because. They'd gone for a drive in his car along the coast and had dinner on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Of course there were things he hadn't learnt yet, but nothing she considered a secret remained, and was certain it was the same for him. He knew her, he understood her, he never judged. She was pretty sure, if she dared allow herself to think it, he loved her as much as she knew she loved him. But they were still where they had been; him, waiting for her. And she knew she was complicating it more than need be, but she was trying to figure out how to change things. Nothing seemed to be coming though and she was less than pleased with herself as she locked her board up and reached for the showerhead to rinse away the salt and sand before entering her campervan. Even magic struggled to keep ahead of the sand and she tried to be as meticulous as possible in getting as much off as she could before stepping inside. Unfortunately the waves always managed to deposit a handful in her swimsuit and her bathroom would pay the price; even if she didn't bother stripping off completely till she was in her second shower within five minutes. She was startled out of her thoughts by a voice she hadn't heard in some five months.
"Well I was beginning to believe you had finally turned into a mermaid and were never coming out of the water."
Lis spun around to find a familiar face framed with beautiful, golden blonde lockes. "Luna," she croaked.
Luna smiled. "Well considering our last goodbye that's probably the greeting I desreve." Lis could only stare at her. "Oh, Love, don't worry. I got your letter. Why do you think I came?"
"I–I'm not certain," Lis managed.
"Well, I had to come ensure this boy you're replacing me with is good enough for you, didn't I?" She stepped forward and drew Lis into her arms. Not seeming to care at all that Lis was soaking wet and she was getting her blouse and skirt wet in the process. When Lis didn't move to return her embrace Luna pushed her back, holding her by the shoulders. "Come now, Love. I've always known I was just a placeholder for you. Why do you think I went away so much?"
"I didn't want you going away."
"I know. But you needed me to." Lis just stared at her. "What we had was wonderful and amazing and I will treasure it for the rest of my life. But you were never going to come with me, and if you weren't willing to do that, then why must I have been the one willing to stay?"
"You never asked me to."
Luna reached up and tapped her finger to Lis' lips. "Why ask a question I already knew the answer to?"
"You might have been wrong."
"All right then," Luna said, "was I?"
"Lis," Harry said, coming around Danni's campervan. He drew up short at seeing her in the arms of what could only be her ex girlfriend.
The girl in question let Lis go and turned to him. "I might have known," she said, holding her hand out. "Hello again, Harry Potter."
"Erm," he said, slowly reaching to place his hand in hers. "Have we met before?" His eyes darted between the two women but Lis only looked like she wished she could disappear.
"Not per say. But we were at Hogwarts together. I was a year behind you and, I fear, a bit beneath your notice; understandable of course. Though I was disappointed when you failed to return after your fourth-year. You were most fascinating to watch. Rather a lot like Amaryllis actually. Don't you agree?"
"Erm, with which… part, exactly, am I agreeing?"
"That Amaryllis is fascinating of course."
Harry focused on Lis and she seemed to straighten somewhat, almost appearing as if she were bracing for his response. "She's enthralling, enchanting, sometimes infuriating, and I am utterly incapable of removing her from my mind."
Luna tipped her head, considering him a moment. "Yes, I think you will do splendidly."
"Splendidly at what?"
"Being what I cannot."
"And that is?"
"The keeper of her heart," Luna answered. "I'm afraid I've done a poor job of it really. To be fair, I did warn her. But she would not listen to me and here we are anyway." Harry blinked dazedly back at her. "I was about to take Lis to dinner before heading on my way again. Would you care to join us?"
"Wait," Lis said, snapping out of her stupefied state. "You're leaving again? Without even staying a night."
Luna focused on her. "Did you expect something different?"
Lis stared back at her a few moments before smiling sadly. "No. You're right. I didn't." She turned to Harry. "Would you like to join us?"
He glanced between them quickly. "If you're sure."
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
Harry nodded. "All right."
"Give us half an hour and we'll pick you up?"
"Sure," he agreed.
Lis stepped to him, stretched up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. 'I'll hurry," she said gently and quickly disappeared into her campervan. Harry, his lips feeling as if he'd kissed molten lava, stood rooted to the earth.
Luna moved in front of him, reaching for his chin with a single finger to draw his eyes to hers. She held him there for a moment before speaking. "I want you to imagine a scenario where your relationship with Lis becomes my business… Can you do that?"
Harry swallowed tightly. "I think I catch your meaning."
"Should something like that ever come to pass… know that I shall flay you alive and that I will enjoy Every. Moment. Of. It."
Staring into Luna's icy blue eyes Harry found he didn't doubt her for even a single second. "I believe you."
She smiled. "Then we understand each other perfectly." She let him go, tapped her finger against his lips and disappeared into Lis' campervan.
Harry slumped heavily against Danni's rig. "Fucking hell," he muttered. After a moment getting his bearings he glanced at Lis' van. Luna waved at him out the window. Harry turned away and headed to his tent. "Voldemort was never that frightening," he said, shaking his head.
Some three hours later Lis stopped Luna before she could apparate away. "You were right," she said. "I wouldn't have."
Luna smiled at her. "And for him?"
"Yes."
"Then it's as it should be." She leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to the corner of Lis' mouth. "We'll see each other again," she said before a sharp pop took her away.
Lis stared at the spot Luna had been for a few moments before she turned to Harry. "Sooo, shall we schedule dinner for tomorrow with you ex?"
"I'm not sure I could subject my worst enemy to that."
"Surely it wasn't that bad," she said.
Harry chuckled softly but decided against telling her no dragon, troll, possessed professor, Voldemort, Death Eater, or even a fifty foot long snake that could kill you just by looking at it had anything on Luna Lovegood when it came to terrifying. "No. She wasn't that bad… What was that there, just before she left?"
Lis moved close enough she could take his hands in hers. "It's just something about why it's me and you now and not me and her."
"Will you explain it to me?"
"She would never stay, Harry. I asked her; after the first few times she left. But she wouldn't. The last time she left, I told her I couldn't promise I'd be there when she came back."
"And she left anyway?"
"She did."
"And you wouldn't go with her?"
"I wouldn't have; even if she'd asked."
"And how does that relate to us?"
"I know you'll stay… And if you ask me, I'll go with you."
Harry gave her a gentle tug and she came to him easily with one hand resting on his chest. His face hovered over hers only inches away. "Last chance to stop me," he whispered.
She didn't.
Author's notes:
Yep, Luna. The only character I think Harry or Ginny can be even remotely happy with if they aren't with each other.