Card the moon
Chapter 39 – The end is nearing
…
Nothing was on fire; she'd already caught that one. It was sand this time, three of them, buried in sand. They weren't dead, they were still struggling, but they weren't going anywhere either and the SAND card wasn't paying any mind to the wizard and the card captor watching her.
"It's rather worrisome," said Luna. "They're traveling in packs now. This is the fourth bunch I've come across since I got back."
"Doesn't seem to be doing them much good," said Harry.
"It really doesn't, does it," said Luna, looking at him with a gentle smile. "Hullo Harry."
"Hullo Luna."
He'd only just found her, so it wasn't odd she'd say 'Hullo', even if the conversation was already underway. Order of operations wasn't so important to a girl like Luna.
"How was your break?"
"Hmm, a bit rough in places. Hermione found out; she wasn't happy."
"She doesn't seem like she's been happy all year," the blonde observed. "I hope she cheers up."
"She mostly got over that bit."
"Well that's good… did you get my present?"
Harry grinned at the eagerness she tried to hide, "Yes I did."
She nodded, and nodded, and looked expectant, and nodded, "Did you like it?"
"I'm kinda curious how you got a full set of cloths into that watch; also, how you knew my exact size."
"Mm, magic."
Of course.
"Speaking of magic," he said, fishing in his pocket, "I picked up couple more of your strays."
SNOW, which had attempted to kill him, and POWER who he'd found lifting heavy things and turning them upside down, just because she could.
"I think having everyone back in the castle has riled them up," said Luna.
"Really?" he hadn't noticed much difference. "Since we're on the subject, just how many more are there to catch."
"Well, let me see."
It was an experience, watching Luna think. Only about half of it was done in her head, the other half was done in her eyes, with her lips, but not her vocal cords; with her fingers, and when that wasn't enough she slipped off a shoe and used her toes. Conclusion?
"I don't know."
And yet he was only mildly annoyed, it faded quickly.
"Would Squeaky know?"
"He might," she thought aloud, "but I don't think he likes being called Squeaky."
"How can you tell?"
"He yells at you every time you call him Squeaky."
Another thing about conversations with Luna, redundant questions were never actually redundant.
"And here I thought he was just naturally lou—hold on a sec."
Whipping out his wand he threw a blaster at a nearby patch of wall. The wall dodged, but not quick enough to avoid the follow up.
"I do hate eavesdroppers," said Harry.
"The eaves have enough trouble staying up as it is," agreed Luna.
"Why you," growled the masonric youma, "I'm gonna—hey, wait a minute. No. No! NOOOOOOO!" the youma wailed as several tons of sand poured down on its head.
"Oh my, what a mess," said Luna.
"We should probably take care of this lot before it gets out of hand," said Harry.
One youma, Clow card round up later.
"And that, is that."
"Is it?"
"Yes it is."
"Oh."
There was still sand on the floor, but not several tons, just enough to make Argus Filch spitting mad when he found it.
"We should probably go."
The two strolled the empty halls, quietly chatting. This was one of the reasons he wanted to talk to Luna. For all her oddities, he never felt like she expected anything, except when she looked at him expectantly. Ron always expected you to agree with him, and Hermione expected you to be either as smart as her or so dumb as to defy reason, depending on her mood.
With Luna there was no expectation, she just took everything as it was, or at least as she thought it was. He was pretty sure the ivy wasn't really full of tiny creatures that got into your head and made it all fuzzy—pretty sure. Still a fun word to say, Nargles.
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"When—when I've caught all the Clow cards, will you—will you still want to talk to me?"
"What?" he hadn't been expecting that. They'd been discussing something called a Crumple Horned Snorkak.
"When this is all done, when we don't 'have to' cross paths like this, will you still want to?"
"Of course," he said, not needing to see the look in her eyes to know the answer to that question. "I didn't come looking for you today because I had to. I wanted to."
"Why did you want to?"
"Because I wanted to see you," seemed perfectly obvious to him, though not to her.
"But why?"
He sensed there was something deeper to the question than just mere words. He saw without looking, something familiar, a want, a need, something so strongly desired yet held just out of reach for so long it hurt to even think you might get it.
"Because you're my friend."
She flinched. He was right.
"Don't you have any friends?" he asked, afraid what she might say but too Gryffindor stupid to let that stop him.
"Not since I was little."
So she had, "What happened."
"We were playing house, we did that whenever she came over, and, I wondered if, just once, I could marry Harry Potter."
This time Harry flinched, "You don't say."
Luna giggled at his discomfort, looking up with damp eyes, "You'd be surprised how many little girls wanted to marry Harry Potter."
"I probably would," which only made it worse.
"She didn't want to talk to me after that."
"Not much of a friend," said Harry, unable to not think of Ron when he said it.
"We were little then. I see her sometimes, but I don't think she sees me. It's intentional."
What a brat. And what a minefield. Thrown away as a friend over something so stupid, and then at Hogwarts. He'd heard what people said about her. It was hard not to when you knew what to listen for. They talked behind her back like he suspected they talked behind his, just without the fear and awe.
"You know," he said, deciding to risk the shaky limb, "I don't think this friend was much of a friend, no matter how young you were."
"She was the only girl who lived nearby."
"Well, you're my friend now, and I promise, if you want to marry Harry Potter, I won't stand in your way."
He'd never seen Luna look shocked; it was a very honest expression, so easily melting into an honest smile, "Really?"
Harry smiled back, "Promise."
It was a silly thing to say, and they both laughed, then Luna cried and laughed. Harry didn't know what to do so he tried rubbing the tears away and somehow that led to her face in his shirt and her arms wrapped around him. Gently, he put his arms around her.
Well now what?
"I'm sorry," she said, "I was leaking for a moment."
"Should I get you a cork?"
He was on a roll today.
They sat down on a nearby ledge, leaning against each other. They didn't say anything, but the silence was surprisingly vocal in what was not said, but still understood.
"You know, I feel bad I didn't get you anything for Christmas," said Harry.
There was a pause, "There's, something, you could give me now."
She gestured him in close, curiously he followed. It happened so fast he didn't quite know what it was at first. It was the night in the hospital wing all over again, but worse, or better depending on how you look at it. He wasn't really sure how to look at it, the world had gone spinning off its axis when the soft pink lips were pressed against his own.
Wires were crossed, uncrossed, braided into pretzels. Whole new pathways were forcibly opened in his brain as sensations assaulted his senses and things creeping in the deep screamed to be released.
"Happy Christmas."
As with time in the hospital wing, he was left alone, dumbfounded by what had just been done. The world continued spinning out of control as he tried to understand what he was feeling. North landed somewhere West of South when things finally slowed down, and he'd yet gotten his feet back properly on the ground when they were forcibly nailed down by a dark, oily voice.
"Now what do we have here?"
The ultimate rain on any parade, "Snape."
...
Last chapter till December. NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. This years fic, Your a Protagonist Harry, be sure to check it out. And don't miss my first full length original, over on FictionPress, Squeak. Hope to see you all there.
