"You're here again."

"And so are you, Harry."

Luna Lovegood was sitting on the grass at the edge of the thestral grounds. She had her back turned on Harry and she was busy tossing meat at the thestrals.

"Why are you out here, Luna?"

"Well, why are you?"

"Same reason as last time. But that's not really answering my question."

"It does, Harry," she chuckled, "I'm here for the same reason I was last time too."

Harry looked around and reassessed what he was doing out in the Forest. The sun was half an hour from setting when he entered the forest and he reckoned it was close to setting already. But he couldn't tell for sure. The thick canopy overhead blocked nearly all of the sky, imposing an eerie blue over the place. It seemed insane to him. It didn't seem to be like that the last time they were there. He was at least sure it wasn't night yet. But also, at the very least, it wasn't dark just yet. He could still see the bright gold of Luna's hair, and her deep blue woolen sweater painted an even deeper blue by the Forest's strange lights.

"Why were you out here the last time, Luna?"

"Feeding the thestrals. Don't you remember? You seemed to enjoy feeding them last time." Luna replied. "I don't believe you though, you're not here for the same reason you were last time."

"I'm not?"

Luna chuckled again, "Don't be asking me that. I'm asking you, because you already know why I'm here. I want to know why you are."

"Odd," Harry smiled and sat down beside her, "I remember asking you why you were here first."

"Oh yes, you asked me first. But you already know, Harry. Why else would Luna Lovegood be out here? Especially since you were with me out here last week. I think you only asked me because you wanted to talk to me again."

"But I wasn't even expecting you to be here."

"Then why would you go visit the thestral grounds? I doubt you were planning to feed them. You didn't bring any feed yourself."

"Well I thought you'd have brought some meat."

"Then you knew I was going to be here." Luna turned to face Harry. She was smiling, an impish sweet little smile.

"I wasn't entirely expecting you to be here's what I'm saying."

"Oh well no one ever expects Luna Lovegood to be anywhere that she shouldn't be." she remarked, and laughed at him mockingly.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course you didn't Harry. I'm still wondering what you mean, and I can usually tell what people mean."

"I'm not meaning anything, really."

"Really, Harry? You're turning really red you know." and when Luna said this, Harry looked away even more, "And has anyone ever told you you bite your lips when you blush?"

"I'm not blushing!" declared Harry hotly.

"Don't yell. I don't know if the thestrals will like that or not but yelling will really invite nargles."

"Invite nargles?"

"But they're the least of your worries right now, Harry."

"Why, what could be worse than nargles?"

"Me."

Harry looked at Luna, as she had said it with such a ferocious seriousness that he was surprised to hear it come from her. It wasn't in Luna's usual singsong voice. She said it like she meant it. And the look Harry saw in her eyes gazing deep into him only made him surer. And it didn't seem as if she was going to look away. So Harry looked away. He couldn't stand the stalemate.

"Harry, you're not being honest with me. Well, not a lot of people are honest with me, and sometimes I prefer it when they call me Loony Lovegood to my face. But you know, I can tell what they think of me, even when they don't tell me. And I can tell what they feel. I think I know what you feel Harry, but I want you to tell me."

After a long silence, Harry began, "Maybe I did expect you to be here. Maybe I wanted you to be here. I don't know, I just wandered here because I felt the same thing I felt a week ago, I wanted to be alone but when I went here, you were there and you convinced me I'd be better off with friends and I really enjoyed that afternoon with you. I really did. So when I wanted to be alone again, I made my way here, and maybe you'd be here again. And maybe, I'd have someone to talk to again."

"Why would you talk to me when you have Ron and that Hermione girl to talk to?"

"Talking to you is different, Luna."

"How different?"

"I don't know. All I know is I feel much better talking to you."

"Only you and Ginny ever talk to me, I find it hard to believe you actually prefer to talk to me much more than you do your friends."

"You are my friend, Luna."

This time it was Luna who blushed.

"I like you Harry, you know that don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well I want you to know that I do like you more than as a friend."

"Luna." replied Harry, "Was that what you wanted to find out from me? If I liked you too?"

"I already know, Harry. I just wanted you to tell me."

"Then you already know how I feel."

Luna blushed, worse than Harry did.

"Luna. You're red, and you bite your lip too, did you know that?"

They looked into each other's eyes and exchanged sweet knowing smiles. They knew what they wanted to happen. They inched closer to each other. Slowly.

And when their eyes closed, their lips met. Their lips locked for what might as well have been forever. Neither of them wanted to pull away, they both wanted to feel the sweetness they had been longing for in each other, for as long as they could. Even so, Luna pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Luna, what's wrong?" Harry looked at Luna, and she wasn't looking back at him. She had a sad look in her eyes, and she looked very troubled. And Harry knew Luna was rarely ever troubled.

"I like you, Harry. I really do. But Ginny fancies you too, more than I like you, and she's my friend, Harry."

"Ginny likes me?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed. She goes out with other boys hoping you get jealous. I would have thought Ron had told you."

"But I want you, and not Ginny."

"You deserve her, Harry. And not me."

"Luna."

"I shouldn't even have kissed you, Harry. But it was a fantastic kiss, Harry. It really was."

"Luna, please stay."

"I should tell you though, Ginny's an even more amazing kisser, I should know."

Then Luna stood up and when Harry stood up after her, she hugged him as tight as she could.

"Wait, what do you mean you should know?" interjected Harry, only suddenly realising.

Luna laughed, "We're still friends, Harry." and then she sped away back to the castle, and Harry noticed she still had no shoes. When she was about fifteen yards away, she turned around and waved one final goodbye to Harry.

And Harry yelled again after her, "What do you mean you should know?"

"You can figure that out, Harry." Luna laughed, and her voice was as singsong as Harry knew her voice to be. She turned and jogged back to the castle, her golden hair bouncing after her and soon, the sound of her her bare feet trampling grass slowly died away in the distance.

"Bloody hell."