Author Note: Introducing Neville to the plan and warning Harry on the train ride back from school before Christmas.
===xxx(Begin)
Harry and Luna had gone to Slughorn's party together which still confused Harry but since Luna and Hermione both seemed happy and okay with things he shrugged and went along with it.
The party had been interrupted by Draco but Luna convinced Harry not to pursue him at the moment as he would not learn anything. Harry was frustrated but Luna convinced him that it would not be beneficial and, with Hermione agreeing with Luna, he reluctantly stayed.
The next day Harry and Hermione did not act too much different. They held hands walking down to breakfast but not too many people noticed or if they did they did not comment. Ginny seemed to notice but she said nothing. Ron was too busy with Lavender to notice anything. The morning passed well and soon they were on the train for home.
Harry and Hermione sat in their compartment while Luna pulled Neville into it before Ginny could join them. Ron was off somewhere with Lavender.
"Uh Hi guys. I guess Luna wants me to sit with you." Neville said politely confused.
"Yes Neville. We need to discus with you the role you are going to be playing in Harry, Hermione and my lives, as well as the fight against Voldemort."
"Oh is that all?" Neville chuckled uncertainly. He glanced at Harry who shrugged noncommittally while Hermione grinned at him with a nod confirming what Luna said.
"Before we begin that I need to give you this Harry." Luna said reaching into her messenger bag and handed him a small glass vial.
Taking it Harry looked at it with a curious expression and said, "Thanks, uh what is it?"
"It is a love potion detection reactant. Samantha Fuller developed it to help protect the girls in Ravenclaw. It detects the main love potions and all Weasley Products currently on the market. Those are the ones most likely for Ginny to have easiest access to. Just twist the lid and sprinkle a few drops on the food. There is enough to last the few days you will be there."
Harry sighed and pocketed it carefully. "Nice. Thanks Luna. I hope I don't get caught using it."
"As skilled as you were with tricking Ron and Hermione about the Felix Felicis I am certain you will do well." Luna complimented him. "However if it does detect contamination it will be impossible to hide, as that is the point."
"Thanks for the warning, what happens when it detects?" Harry asked. Hermione was apparently taking mental notes.
"It causes a bright red smoke with golden orange sparks as well as a loud hissing noise to issue from the contaminated product." Luna stated.
"Okay. Well going to be hard to miss that one."
"Yes I would suggest you leave your things packed for quick escape. As there is an almost 100% probability that someone will attempt to love potion you, If not Ginny herself, then Molly, or the twins as one of their quote, pranks, unquote." She said using air quotes.
"Okay. If you say so Luna." Harry nodded with grim look at the door in the direction Ginny had left.
"Thank you for trusting me Harry. Please remember I have your best interests at heart." She smiled, "Now as to Neville's involvement."
Neville looked expectantly at the blonde. "And that will be what?"
"I will have to urinate in 23 minutes so we should begin." She said looking at the three others in the compartment. They nodded and gestured for her to continue talking.
"Very well. Neville you will be involved in several ways. First you will be replacing Ron as Harry's best friend and brother. Ron will have a total falling out with Harry over the holidays. You are the better choice anyhow as you have been much more reliable and loyal to your friends." Luna said with an admiring tone.
"Uh thanks I guess. I mean I've just done what I thought was right." Neville said with a shrug.
"Of course you have Neville. And that's why we appreciate you." Harry agreed. "You came with me to rescue Sirius and didn't even ask any questions about it."
"Well I figured you knew what you were doing and had a good reason for trying to save a major criminal like that." Neville stated with a shrug.
Harry frowned, "He wasn't a criminal. He was framed for his crimes by a dirty rat named Peter Pettigrew."
Neville nodded in surprise, "Oh. You're sure?"
Luna cleared her throat, "Yes quite. Father has a large file about Sirius Black, although he is not entirely certain as to the veracity of the claim made that Sirius Black is actually Stubby Boardman."
Neville looked at Luna sideways before saying, "Oh well. Then yeah."
"So you're not upset or regret helping?" Harry asked.
Neville shook his head, "Nah. I knew you had a reason and it would turn up. So far you guys have had a reason for everything you've done that turned out to make sense."
Harry sighed in relief, "Oh well thanks then."
"So none of you are upset with the idea of Neville replacing Ron as Harry's best friend?"
"You know I'm with you on this plan Luna." Hermione said.
Harry looked and Neville and smiled, "I don't mind. I still don't think Ron's that shallow and that we won't be able to repair our friendship."
Neville shrugged, "I already thought I was Harry's friend."
"You are." Harry confirmed.
Luna sighed, "Yes, but the position you would be taking is far closer and more important to the group than just being a friend. You would be a best friend, even a brother."
Neville shrugged but Harry sighed in doubt. "I still don't see the difference."
Luna shrugged, "You will. And yes Harry, I'm sorry to say but Ron really is that shallow. The upcoming conflict between the two of you will result in a break that will be unrecoverable for at least the foreseeable future."
Harry growled in frustration, "You keep saying there's going to be a conflict at the Burrow. That Ron and I are going to get in a fight. It happens. Friends sometimes fight."
"Have you and Neville fought, especially to that degree? Have you and Hermione or myself or Seamus or anyone else fought with you like that."
Hermione put her hand on Harry's arm, "Harry I don't think the Weasleys are as nice as we thought they were. Luna is making some good points. I know the Weasleys are important to you but maybe you can consider Luna might be right?"
Harry huffed, "I, I don't know."
"She was right about you and I." Hermione pointed out politely.
Harry smiled reluctantly, "Okay maybe you have a point. I'll at least try and keep an open mind about Ron and the others."
"Thank you Harry. You require a lot more direct proof about things that close to your heart." Luna observed pointedly.
"Yeah I do. I mean Ron's got some flaws, but he's not that bad." Harry said with some hesitation, "Isn't he?"
Luna tilted her head, "He says some very hurtful things quite frequently. Including calling me Loony even after I have asked him not to before."
Hermione pointed out, "He was rather bigoted against Professor Lupin. Remember how Ron reacted when he found out Professor Lupin was a werewolf."
Neville agreed, "He and the rest of his family are rather quick to judge people. Gramma thinks Arthur is the best out of the bunch and he's still not right in the head she says."
"I know Mum and Dad did not appreciate his gawking at them like they were zoo specimens in Diagon Alley. He got rather annoying about it. Mum and dad tried to be polite but if Lucius hadn't shown up when he did they might have had some cross words with Arthur."
Neville frowned, "That and a lot of the Twins jokes are not very funny."
Harry remembered Neville running afoul of one of the twins pranks and turning into a canary. That was rather rude as they had told him the creams were safe. He also remembered when they almost killed Dudley by inflating his tongue. And shoving Montague into a vanishing cabinet that they had no idea what it would do to him. He also remembered why Ron was so deathly afraid of spiders and it involved the twins. So did his panic attacks and self-esteem issues.
"Okay so the Twins are a bit complicated." Harry finally admitted.
"They have the potential to be good people but they go too far quite frequently."
"Still Ron has issues. He's not a real bad person. He just has some self-esteem issues, a lot thanks to the twins." Harry was still wanting to defend his friend. His first friend his own age.
"Ron compensates for his lack of self-esteem by being rude and selfish. He lets his jealousy at your success, and the success of others, poison his relationships with them. Why do you think he has been trying to groom Hermione while pursuing Lavender. Lavender is not as much of a threat to his masculine ego as Hermione is." Luna explained.
"I'm a threat to his ego?" Hermione asked doubtfully. She was pretty much done with Ron romantically but she was still unsure about being his friend.
"Yes. You are independent, intelligent. You come from a small family so have a much better relationship with your parents than he has with his. The only area he is better than you at is peeing standing up and flying on a broom. With practice you could at least equal if not exceed him in one of those." Luna was explaining things with a slight smile.
Hermione raised her eyebrow, "I suppose with the right spell or potion I could beat him in both."
Harry looked at Hermione in concern, "Let's not try that ok? At least not until we're a lot, lot, more comfortable with each other."
Hermione chuckled, "No problem Harry. I'm not going to rush into that either."
"My impending urination need is continuing to grow. So let us move on shall we?" Luna stated. "The second role you would play Neville is as my boyfriend. I sincerely hope you do like the idea of fulfilling that role."
Neville stared at Luna for a few seconds before blushing and saying, "I hadn't considered that."
"You had not considered being my boyfriend or having a girlfriend in general?" Luna pointedly asked.
"Uh both." Neville gasped slightly.
Harry made a grunt of surprise, "Didn't you and Ginny go to the Yule Ball?"
"Yeah." Neville said with a glum voice.
"That doesn't sound like you had a very good time." Hermione said.
"Well no, we didn't have a really good time." Neville neutrally admitted.
"Why? What happened?" Harry asked.
"She wanted to talk about you all night. Asking me stuff Ron had said and if it was true. What you looked like in your underwear, what kind of underwear did you wear. I mean it got kinda boring. She looked cute, dancing was nice enough, but her personality was annoying." Neville shrugged.
"She really just wanted to talk about me?" Harry asked.
"She has a major obsession with you Harry. She has been trying over the last two years to try and pretend she doesn't but why do you think every boyfriend leaves her?" Luna passively explained.
"I hadn't thought about it. I know Ron had been griping about her dating so much." Harry shrugged.
"I am not certain I would exactly call two boyfriends excessive dating." Hermione frowned.
"Not to us however Ron is very jealous of his sister's ability to attract dates. He also wants her to be submissive to him in his role as her big brother. Ron is very keen on being the dominant person in any relationship." Luna observed with a look like she was considering something, "Which does give some disturbing implications to his relationship with Ginny."
"I doubt there is anything to that Luna." Hermione said.
"You are most likely correct. However we have drifted from the point we needed to discus. Do you want to be my boyfriend?" She directly asked Neville.
Neville blushed before saying, "Yeah I think that would be good."
Luna leaned forward and kissed Neville quickly on the lips, "Oh good. You are being sensible."
Neville had no response for that as he was still trying to uncross his eyes from being kissed so suddenly.
"I have to urinate now. Hermione do you have to go as well?" Luna asked turning to her friend.
"Uh no not really Luna. I went before I left the castle." Hermione answered.
"Are you certain Hermione?" Luna asked widening her eyes at the other girl. "It might be prudent to go again just to make certain."
Hermione realized Luna wanted to talk to her alone so she said, "Oh yeah. Maybe I do."
"We'll be back soon." Luna said gliding out of the compartment followed by Hermione.
When the door shut behind them Harry laughed, "So you okay there Nev?"
"I think so. She's rather blunt, but in a good way." Neville sighed happily. "But what is the rest of this stuff she's going on about?"
Harry exhaled in frustration, "I don't know. She's convinced that Ginny's going to try and slip me a love potion and that's going to cause a major fight with Ron that'll end our friendship forever."
"Well to be honest I could see Ginny doing that." Neville said, "She's really obsessed with you."
Harry frowned, "Maybe. She hadn't been acting like that around me recently."
"I guess. I haven't really paid attention to her." Neville admitted.
"So might as well explain what the. What the deal with Sirius is." Harry said before telling Neville about his godfather.
===xxx
Luna and Hermione entered the toilets in the car. Luna began to drop her trousers causing Hermione to spin away from her, "Oh you really did have to go."
Sitting down Luna said, "Well of course. Why would I lie about that?"
"I thought you just wanted to talk to me."
"Well I wanted to do that as well. I am not uncomfortable about bodily functions Hermione."
"Well I sort of am." Hermione admitted.
Luna finished, cleaned herself and stood beside Hermione. "I suppose. We all do it and it's not like I was wanting to perform some sex act while doing so."
Hermione shook her head. Getting involved with Luna felt like she was falling deeper and deeper down a very long rabbit hole. "Right of course."
"You are still uncomfortable with that of course. I am sorry however if we are going to be involved in a polyamorous relationship we should be comfortable around each other."
Hermione gave a nervous laugh, "I somehow don't see Harry and Neville going to the bathroom together."
Luna paused to consider the mental image then gave a wry nod, "True. However we should work to make them as comfortable with the idea as possible."
Hermione took a deep breath, "Yeah as long as I can get comfortable with the idea."
"I thought you were wanting to pursue that."
"I am. I'm just getting a little bit of cold feet now that we're actually doing this." Hermione said looking at her petite friend. The size of the bathroom had the two of them standing incredibly close to each other.
"Perhaps you should wear thicker socks or do more leg exercises to help improve circulation." Luna said.
"No I didn't mean that literally. I meant that I like the idea and was excited about the concept but now that we're actually going through with this I'm getting nervous and unsure of myself and everything involved with this." Hermione quickly explained in one gush of breath.
Luna put her hands on Hermione's hips pulling the taller girl closer so that they were touching from the waist down as Luna leaned against the small sink. Luna's lithe dancer's legs wrapped on the outside of Hermione's thicker runner's legs. Hermione gasped in surprise at the sudden move.
"I understand. You were brought up with certain behavioral normatives while I was not. You have recently found out that a person you thought cared about you was actually manipulating your emotions and you have had few positive social interactions with your peers in general. This has led you to have a slight fear of rejection."
Hermione sighed as Luna's words pierced any objections she might have had, "True. Uh. I guess. All I'm saying is maybe we should take it a bit slow."
"That was my intention. I had not planned on having an orgy in the compartment." Luna said with a ghost of a grin, "Although that could be quite interesting, especially as this position is provoking a sexual response."
Hermione had noticed the vibration of the train and the closeness of their bodies was causing her to feel like the room was becoming warmer. "Maybe I should splash some water on my face."
Luna leaned forward to kiss Hermione again. Hermione eagerly responded before the two of them broke apart for air.
===xxx
Several minutes later the Hufflepuff prefect Joan Arkland saw Hermione and Luna both come tumbling out of the loo into the corridor. Both girls were flushed and giggling. Bumping into the Hufflepuff girl Hermione stopped. Luna smiled at the tall girl.
"The loo is available if you need it." Hermione managed to squeak out before dragging Luna back down the corridor to their compartment.
Joan shook her head and went on. Deciding that some things just were not worth the effort to deal with.
===xxx
Hermione and Luna came back into the compartment and flopped down on the seat. Luna beside Harry and Hermione beside Neville.
"Uh guys are you okay?" Harry asked looking at the two of them.
Luna melted into her seat, "Yeas quite okay." she purred.
Hermione composed herself before saying, "Uh yes Harry we're fine. We had a very satisfactory urination." She then giggled.
Neville shrugged as if to say girls are strange. Harry rubbed the back of his neck before waving his hand in a abstract way. "Okay. If you enjoyed it."
Luna leaned against Harry, "Yes it was very relieving."
Neville chuckled, "Uh Luna I thought I was your boyfriend."
"You are." Luna confirmed.
"Which brings up the third point Luna was hoping to make." Hermione began. She looked at Luna nervously who had slid her head down into Harry's lap and was starting to curl up on the seat.
Harry looked down at Luna in alarm briefly then across to Hermione who shrugged. Since Hermione did not seem to mind Luna's head in his lap, very close to a personal space Harry tried to relax.
Neville looked at Hermione expectantly for an explanation.
"Okay. Well since Luna seems to have made herself comfortable I'll try and explain. Luna and I are very happy with the boyfriends we have, however Luna has, and I am not entirely opposed to it, proposed the idea that we , as in the four of us, have a polyamorous relationship." Hermione said in one breath again, one long nervous breath.
Harry and Neville both stared at her in confusion.
"Well you see polyamorous means, well it means many loves to be technically correct. In practical terms it means that Luna and I would be the girlfriend of both of you and both of you would be our boyfriends. At least in this application of it. In general it could mean an open relationship but I don't think that was what Luna meant, and that certainly isn't what I meant." Hermione's voice had gone up slightly in pitch and she was speeding through her words like she was afraid they would explode.
Luna sighed from Harry's lap, "Calm down Hermione you are doing well in explaining things."
Harry looked down at Luna then back to Hermione. "You want to be my girlfriend and at the same time Neville's boyfriend?"
"Well, uh, well there is also Luna. I would be her girlfriend too. But essentially correct, although we would take our time and work it out and it would of course be fully voluntary and if you aren't comfortable with the idea we can always remain very close friends and, and, just be monogamous in our relationships." Hermione giggled nervously at the end breathing a little bit hard.
"What exactly would be going on with this polyamorphous relationship?" Neville asked.
"Polyamorous. It means that I would kiss, cuddle, caress, and eventually when we get old enough have sexual relations, with Hermione, Harry or you." Luna said from her comfortable position.
Neville and Harry looked at each other with a confused, expression. Harry's held elements of humor as if he thought this was some sort of joke. Neville though was curious and trying to understand.
"Okay let me get this straight, if I wanted to kiss Hermione Harry would have to be okay with that?"
Luna sighed, "No Neville. It would all have to be voluntary and willing consensual. Hermione would have to be okay with that, Harry would have to be okay with that and I would have to be okay with that. If any one of us was not comfortable with it then it would be a breach of etiquette at the very least and a breach of the trust otherwise."
"Yeah but isn't that cheating?" Harry asked. He was starting to realize that the girls were not playing a joke.
"It is only cheating if it is not done with the knowledge, consent and permission of all involved in the relationship. If everyone knows about it and is okay with it then it is not cheating." Luna patiently explained.
"That doesn't sound right." Harry said uncertainly.
"It is a different point of view. One that you are not familiar with, but then you do not receive much positive emotional reinforcement at your home, and the Weasleys are more uptight with their moral structure." Luna said to Harry.
"Hermione are you seriously okay with this." Harry asked pointing at Luna's head in his lap.
Hermione took a deep breath and decided that this was the moment for action, she was a Gryffindor after all. She stood up took Harry's hand and put it on Luna's right hip. She looked at Neville who watched her but said nothing. "Neville you can say something if you're not comfortable about this."
Neville started to open his mouth then closed it, "I'm not entirely sure what to say. I'm still trying to get the idea Luna wants to be my girlfriend through my head in general much less everything else."
"Perhaps we should return to a much more comfortable position for the boys and spend the rest of the trip discussing things as Harry and Neville will need some more time." Luna stated sitting up carefully.
===xxx
The two girls swapped places with Luna putting her head in Neville's lap to relax and Hermione cuddling up with Harry. By the time they had reached King's Cross Neville had been brought up to speed on everything Harry and Hermione knew about the Death Eaters, Voldemort and the general situation. Harry pushing his idea that Draco had taken the mark which Luna accepted and agreed with. Luna and Hermione had discussed the concept of polyamory and how it related to their specific situation. Setting limits and boundaries as well as what expectations could be.
Neville chuckled as they got ready to leave, "Okay well. I guess I'm sorta okay with the idea. Just give me some time to adapt. One thing though."
Luna looked expectantly at Neville.
He grinned, "I'm not going to kiss Harry. Much as I like you buddy you're not my type."
Harry laughed, "That's fine by me."
Luna grinned, "I don't think Hermione or myself will mind as long as you do not expect us to refrain from kissing each other."
Neville took a deep breath with his eyes closed before grinning widely, "I don't think that's going to be a problem Luna."
The four of them left the train to meet the Weasley family on the platform. Harry said he'd be back once he escorted his girlfriend to her parents and Neville gave Luna a rather more than chaste but less than passionate kiss on the lips before heading off with his belongings to meet his Gramma by the floo.
Luna observed the Weasleys watching Harry walk off with Hermione holding hands. Ron was frowning, Ginny was trying to control her rage as her face was bright red to the tips of her ears and her fists kept clenching and unclenching. The twins were checking some kind of notebook while Molly was looking at them in a confused happiness. Ron gave a perfunctory kiss to Lavender as she headed for the floos confused and very hurt looking.
"Hello little moonbeam. Ready for Yule?" Xenophilus asked languidly walking up to his daughter.
"Yes father. I have a great many things to explain to you." Luna said gathering her things.
"Oh good. I hope it involves more adventures."
Luna smiled softly, "Yes I do believe it does."
===xxx(Review Responses)
starie78: Thank you. I love writing for Luna as she is the most amazing character. I try to show her as someone who has a sort of ethereal otherworldly quality about her. A mind that operates on a level unlike the average person giving her the ability to see patterns and develop connections from those patterns so she can understand the world on a far more intuitive level than say Hermione. Plus her parents are the right age and probably were hippies as Xeno reminds me of someone who probably dropped acid back in the seventies. Which means she probably had an unconventional upbringing so is willing to believe in Nargles and Wrackspurts, be casually naked, and say things without a filter. Her mother's death right in front of her due to a research accident probably also changed her perceptions of things and probably helped cause her to both mature faster and yet lock in much of her personality. She appreciates life and understands how fragile it is a lot more than people probably realize. But she would also be willing to do dire things to protect and preserve those she cares about. A willow tree in the wind. She probably has shields that she puts up to hide behind when things get too much and there is too much stimulation but if someone is special and caring enough they can go behind the shields and sit in the garden with her. Anyhow sorry for going on so long but I love trying to understand the why behind someone and Luna is the one whose motivations and reasons for doing things is so amazing. At least as I see it.
Dennisud: Luna will be with them indeed. She is shaping up to be the core of their circle indeed. And Neville will be coming along for the ride. I've already got ideas for the next chapter floating along. These short bursts like this are very refreshing to the mental landscape. I probably won't drag too many people into this one as I want each talk to be focus on just a small handful of people at a time. The next one is involving the Weasleys which means there will be at least six or so character it will be the biggest one. I have the chapter titles for this one at least planned out, I think. Tentatively.
IdlemanRPG: Yep. I started this with the intent to keep it mostly canon compliant at the beginning and diverging further and further as we go along. I have at least the chapter titles all planned out I think. Maybe.
(AUTHOR NOTE)
This list is the chapter titles/focus of the talks as I have in my notebook right now. I'm not firm on any but the next two or three.
Talking at the Burrow
Talking to the Grangers
Talking to the Headmaster
Talking to Lavender
Talking to Slughorn
Talking to Malfoy
Talking in the Cave
Talking at the funeral
Talking to the Grangers again
Talking to the Dursleys
Talking to Kreacher
Talking to the Goblins
Post Battle Talks
A parental talk
Talking at the chapel
Talking in the nursery
Talking at the station
Talking at the graves
Talking at the end