Again, not nearly enough Lunar Harmony here, so another contribution to the cause. It was Hermione that got the focus in the last one, so here Harry gets his turn. Next will probably see Luna more front and center.
Enjoy
Harry was already having a stressful day and being fine one second, and waking up on the hard ground, hadn't exactly improved his sour mood.
At least Harry wasn't entirely uncomfortable. While most of his body could feel the hard ground, his head apparently found much better accommodations upon something oddly smooth and soft. Whatever that was, he had no clue.
With this, also came the soothing sensation of small somethings running all over his face and through his sweaty hair. The feeling of these cool additions upon his warm and flushed skin was almost enough for him to remain content and just lay here.
Unfortunately, curiosity and the very human need to not be laying dazed in the dirt won out and Harry tried to stand. Rather, Harry would have liked to, or even sit up, but all attempts to do so were met with a small pressure on his chest. It was not painful, nothing of the sort, but it was insistent.
"Oh, good, you're regaining some sense." The dreamy voice was inherently familiar and quite pleasant to his ears, Harry realized once enough mental cobwebs cleared away, but Harry's head was swimming too erratically for him to get a grasp on it. "I don't have my wand, and I was not looking forward to trying to carry you."
"Huh?" Harry blinked a few times in an attempt to focus his blurry vision before realizing something was wrong, or rather, something was missing.
"One moment, please." The stranger's blurry shape leaned away and did… something. Harry couldn't tell what unless his wayward glasses found their way back to their proper home.
After a few moments, Harry's ears caught the sound of something small being raked across the ground. As well as a near mute huff of annoyance.
"I didn't want to move you, we're lucky the stick I found could reach them. Here, you lost these when you fell." The same fingers he'd been feeling since regaining consciousness slipped his glasses back onto his face to settle on the bridge of his nose. "Better?"
"Luna?" Harry questioned as he attempted to sit up once more, but the blonde was having none of it.
A few details returned to Harry in the moment. The first, and possibly hardest to miss, was the identity of his impromptu pillow. At some point after he collapsed, Luna had hitched up her skirts a little so he could rest his head on her bare thigh. Good thing Harry had already gotten past the embarrassed stage of girls some time back. Otherwise, he'd probably be blushing like a furnace right now, and he already felt too hot.
Secondly, he remembered what he'd come down to the Hogwarts lake for in the first place. To take a relaxing walk during his free period and clear his head. Apparently, that was too much to ask for, because his stupid scar had to choose that moment to remind the boy of its existence. At least there hadn't been any disturbing images this time.
"Yes." Luna, despite her petite frame, easily held Harry down with a single hand. An act she would have had a hard time doing if he wasn't so out of sorts. "Please stop doing that."
"Doing what?" Harry finally relented upon seeing the look in her silvery eyes, or rather the look of concern.
"Trying to pretend you're fine."
"I just tripped." Harry lied through his teeth, not wanting to worry the girl. Then again, this was Luna Lovegood, she had a way of seeing right through him. One of only two people who could do so with ease. "That's all."
"Wasn't talking about that, but now that you mention it…" Luna frowned, no doubt a little hurt at his pathetic attempt at deception. The sight of which had Harry's stomach churning with guilt. "You think I don't know you well enough to know when your scar acts up?"
One of only two indeed…
"Don't apologize." Luna cut the boy off before he could even open his mouth, her fingers resuming their most welcome ministrations of his head. She only paused long enough to move his hair aside to fully reveal the lightning bolt shaped scar. Leaning down, she touched her lips to the mark for several long seconds. "I understand your reflex to apologize for everything, and your desire to spare the feeling of everyone else. But we've told you…"
"I don't have to do that with you two, anymore…" Harry finished the words he'd heard so many times already. "You're right."
"Good." Luna's countenance perked up considerably at that, but then fell a little once more as her fingers ran over the obvious circles under his eyes. "Now you might have an invisibility cloak, but these… do not."
"I know…"
"Which is why you and I are going to sit here for a while." Luna cheerfully stated like they'd made plans for such an outing days ago. "Unless you don't find me comfortable…"
"No!" Harry was quick to defend. "I mean… your lap is very comfy, better than any pillow."
"Better than Hermione's?" Luna's eyebrow raised the tiniest bit, her face betraying no other trace of emotion.
To anyone else, it might have sounded like a trick question. Much like the proverbial question of a woman asking if her man thought her sister was prettier. Luckily for Harry, his two girls were anything but.
"No, I'm afraid not." Harry lamented with a shrug. "Hermione has the advantage, there."
"Too true." Luna smiled that dazzling smile again at the thought of their missing third. "No one's lap compares to hers."
"So... just lay here?" Harry asked.
Luna nodded.
"On the ground?"
Another nod.
"Alright." Harry knew better than to argue. Luna and Hermione both were unbelievably headstrong, once one got an idea, they were not going to be discouraged from it. Maybe if Harry and one of them ganged up on the third, there was a tiny chance to change course, but alas, there was no Hermione in sight for backup, so Harry was truly stuck.
Not that it would have helped anyway, knowing the bushy haired witch. She'd probably be doing the same thing but the only difference would be her making him lay somewhere else slightly more comfortable for the rest of his body and not just his head. She might have even marched him back to their dorms so he could rest in a proper bed.
Come to think of it, Hermione always was hyper aware of his well-being, even before. It was a little strange that she hadn't done something like that already. Maybe she was giving him a chance to fix things himself before butting in and making him do so. If so, Harry couldn't deny his shame that he was doing a lousy job.
Something else Harry had to admit, this was nice. With the sun just now beginning his nighttime descent, the kaleidoscope colors of the sunset reflected across the still waters of the lake into a view that even Harry couldn't deny was beautiful.
A breathtaking view while resting on the lap of one of the two most gorgeous witches in Hogwarts. Yes, Harry really did need to just stop stressing for a bit and relax. The only way this could possibly be better was if…
"Harry!" A yell from off to the side caught to attention of the relaxing couple.
Both turned their heads in time to see a frazzled Hermione running at them in a full sprint. Once she got close, she dropped her bag with a heavy thud, it's contents of books and papers scattering onto the path. An action that would have been borderline heretical to someone like her, but she didn't seem to notice.
Okay, Luna stumbling across him after or during something like this was one thing, Harry could believe that, but Hermione, too? No way, that was far too coincidental. Unless…
"Are you alright? What happened?" Hermione skidded to a stop, likely scraping both knees in her haste, but much like the books, the witch didn't notice nor care.
"I'm fine." Harry tried to bat Hermione's hands away as she felt around his head for any damage, lingering on the bruise on his temple, but the witch wasn't about to let him interrupt her examination. In a move oddly similar to their misadventure with the time-turner, she swatted his hand away. "Really."
Apparently, this was nowhere near enough to reassure the brunette witch of anything. Harry had no hope of stopping her once the torrent of questions poured from her mouth.
What happened?
Where does it hurt?
Does he need to head to the infirmary?
Can he walk?
Poor Harry couldn't get a single syllable in, let along a word. The witch's bombardment would have no doubt continued Merlin knows how long, until Luna stepped in to bring salvation.
"Hermione Jean Granger." It was not often Luna raised her voice, or used their full names, but when she did, people listened. Including partially panicking witches fussing with their boyfriend. Even though two certain people, whom would never dream of admitting this, found her adorable when she did that, it was still jarring enough to make them shut up.
Hermione stopped and snapped to attention immediately.
"Everything is perfectly fine." Luna easily shifted back into her normal dreamy and calm tone. "Harry had a bit of a tumble but he's okay now, and we're just taking some time to relax and enjoy the sunset."
Hermione looked down at Harry, up and Luna, and back at Harry in rapid succession before releasing a deep breath and visibly relaxing. A mumbled 'alright' her only comment.
"You worry too much." Harry sighed.
"Cauldron meet kettle." Hermione's lips raised in a warm grin. "And neither of you would have it any other way."
Wait a second… there was something not adding up.
"You sure got here quick, Hermione." Luna hummed. "Quite strange, indeed."
"I…" Hermione started but her voice died in her throat, seeming to only now realize she might have just been caught doing something she shouldn't.
"Hermione…" Harry sighed.
"Don't be silly." Hermione laughed, but Harry and Luna knew her far too well to be fooled so easily. "I heard from someone they you fell, but nobody said anything past that. I had to hurry here and see for myself."
"Really, now." Harry deadpanned, giving his brunette girlfriend a blank look. It might not quite have the same effect seeing as how he was still on the ground, but that wasn't the point.
Hermione's smile held its ground for a surprisingly long few seconds before it slowly started to slip and morphed into an ashamed frown. "Promise you won't be mad?"
"Depends." Harry already had a good idea where this was going, and no, he was not surprised.
"Remember when your tie went missing a week ago?" Hermione nervously cleared her throat.
"Yes, you and Ginny found it under the couch in the common room." Suspiciously, but Harry didn't mention that part.
In truth, at the time Harry suspected Luna had absconded with it. The sneaky little Ravenclaw had already laid claim to parts of their wardrobe. A couple of Harry's shirts plus a quidditch jersey, Hermione's spare Gryffindor scarf and a blouse that was too big on Luna's smaller body without a few modifications, plus a couple other articles that shall remain nameless. The blonde was working on amassing quite the collection.
Only once did they confront her about it. Luna had merely shrugged and said that having their clothes with her helps her sleep, because it was the next best thing to having them right there with her. How was someone supposed to argue against that?
"Well…"
"Hermione, you didn't…"
"I did." Hermione confessed, face now bright red, and eyes anywhere but at the two. "Tracking charm, plus another spell for detecting any abnormal spikes in your health."
While it was a bit of a breach of privacy, Harry was a but touched that Hermione worried so much about him. It was the same reason why both never said a word about Luna stealing their clothes. Everyone desired to be wanted, and Harry was no exception. Not to mention, he did have the Marauder's Map, not that he really used it very often.
"Try not to be upset with her." Luna defended their girlfriend. "You know she means well."
"I know, I know." Harry shook his head, but he had no chance of holding back the small smile that came to his lips. "Just tell me next time?"
"Definitely." Hermione smile of relief was contagious and Harry's own grew to match it. "I promise."
"Hey, wait." Harry suddenly realized something else. "Don't you have class, right now?"
"Yes." Hermione announced cheerfully, but Harry could see the way her mouth twitched slightly.
"You should probably be going if you don't want to be tardy." Luna spoke next, a glance at Harry confirmed they were both having the same thought.
"I should." Hermione's grin widened, unnaturally so, but she didn't move an inch. "Yes, absolutely."
"Might want to hurry and get your bag put back together." Harry pointed over his shoulder at the still spilled contents of Hermione's school bag. "Wouldn't want those to get dirty, right?"
Looking over her shoulder at what she'd done to her precious textbooks and homework had most of the color drain from Hermione's face. As if she was only now comprehending what she'd done to near sacred relics.
"Need to get going." Hermione's smile looked like it was physically painful, while her voice came out a strained squeak. "Better hurry before…"
Next thing anyone knew, Hermione let out a cry of horror before dashing over to her fallen backpack. Hurriedly scooping the contents up while throwing out frantic apologies to the poor, innocent books and paper she abused.
Luna and Harry, however? They would have happily helped their distressed girlfriend, but they were far too busy laughing their heads off.
"It's not funny!" Hermione screeched as she stopped to examine a small textbook's spine. She started to panic that it was bent but discovered it was perfectly intact. Hogwarts textbooks were hardy things, after all.
"Little funny?" Harry asked up at Luna.
"Little funny." The blonde witch agreed before the two cut loose with another round of laughter.
Hermione said nothing more, but did treat the two she adored so with a nasty scowl. A scowl that Hermione could only maintain until Luna smiled at her and waved her back over. Denying the blonde anything was a herculean effort neither Harry nor Hermione had been able to master yet.
"Forget class, for a moment." Luna pulled Hermione by the hand to sit beside her in the same position. Only after helping her girlfriend set the bag down, much gentler this time. "Missing one period won't mean anything. And I know you've been needing a break from all the studying."
"I don't…"
"Nope." Luna ordered, much like with Harry. "This is girlfriend mandated relaxation time. For both of you. I will allow no dissension, and no complaints. Disobedience is punishable by kisses, lots and lots of kisses."
"That's not…." Hermione nevertheless melted into Luna's side when the blonde put an arm around the older girl. She melted even further when Luna gifted her a loving and affectionate kiss on the lips.
Still laying on the ground, Harry smiled brightly up at the two. It never failed to warm his heart when he saw his two beloved witches do anything together. He knew they'd never let him feel left out, even for a moment.
As if to prove his mental point, Harry felt Hermione, who was still seeming lost in the kiss with Luna, reach out to take his hand in hers, their fingers instinctively interlocking and giving the other a squeeze. At the same time, Luna's own hand came down to cup his cheek, her thumb stroking his cheek and lip.
It was done reluctantly, but eventually the two witches had to part for air. Both taking deep breaths while their lungs heaved in exertion.
Hermione hadn't even fully caught her breath before leaning down to kiss Harry, too. Luna patiently waited her turn until Hermione pulled away to dive in to claim the boy's lips with her own. The brunette wisely ended their kiss a little prematurely so Harry would have the necessary air to return it.
"Suffocation." Harry managed between gasps of oxygen. "That's how I'm going to die, someday."
"And you are going to love every second of it, Harry." Hermione brought their interlocked hands up so she could plant a couple of kisses along his knuckles before pressing the back of his hand into her cheek.
With a look at the sparking silver eyes of a beaming Luna, and the equally fond chocolate of Hermione's, Harry could only happily agree.
Not sure I like how this one turned out, but we all have to reach that magic point where we say "yes, this is good enough" otherwise, I'd never get a thing written, ever.
I'd love for everyone to let me know what they think. Your words give me inspiration to continue.
I do have a few ideas for more one-shots, any maybe a few longer multi-chapter works, but I'm not sure I want to try and start those. My multi-chapter works tend to nose dive in quality when I attempt them. Suggestions are always welcome, though.