Weeks had passed since Harry had met with Luna atop the Astronomy Tower, and he was, if possible, more agitated than normal. Dwelling back on his Valentine's, he was still furious with Cho about how she could expect him to just know all of the complex emotions she was feeling. He didn't think he was daft, but he had been humiliated.

Worst of all, the dreams kept returning, and Occlumency lessons with Snape were becoming harder than ever.

"Potter!" Snape cried after once again invading his mind and seeing the tatters of his Hogsmeade visit. "How many times must I tell you? You must close your mind! Even in your potions making, you have the delicacy and care of attention as that of a water ox." Harry felt his insides boil with rage.

Snape pressed onward. "Time after time, you have demonstrated that you care not about that which is fine and artful, rather trying to solve all of your problems yourself or with your wand. Has it crossed your mind that people are trying to help you? Has it even flitted into your arrogant head that there is more to your support network than just Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger? I am reluctantly required to be a part of that network by order of the Headmaster, so I will tell you for the final time. Clear. Your. Mind."

Harry felt his breathing quickening, trying to bite back the venom about to spew from his mouth. "Yes… sir," he managed to grunt through gritted teeth.

"Good. Again, on the count of three. One… two… three… Legilimens!" And again, Harry's mind was like an open book for Snape to peruse.

Following the lesson, Harry proceeded back up to Gryffindor Tower, but when he arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, he was surprised to see Luna Lovegood standing in the way.

"So when I spoke to her next, I said, 'and that's why you can't trust a lad from Donegal!" Luna and the Fat Lady burst into laughter at once, until Harry was finally noticed.

"Password?"

But Harry didn't respond. Luna was still doubled over in laughter. After a moment, she regained control of her laughter and smiled to Harry. "Oh, hello Harry!"

"Hi, Luna. So you, err, know the Fat Lady?"

"Who, Hanora here? That's not a very nice name to call her," Luna's smile faded. "I thought you were nicer than that."

Harry was taken aback. "No, it's not that. It's just that everybody calls her that, even Dumbledore!"

"And at no point did you think to ask my name," Hanora the Fat Lady said in a clipped, yet dignified tone. "All one needs to do is ask, but no. All that's asked of the students is to gain entry."

Luna looked from Hanora to Harry and then heaved a sigh. She could see the cogs working in Harry's head. It didn't take a Legilimens or even an empath to figure out what a state Harry was in at the moment.

"Penny for your thoughts, Harry Potter?" She asked with the cheeriest voice she could muster.

Harry had tried lying the first time he had been asked, but with Luna's large eyes gazing expectantly into his, he found himself utterly disarmed. "I'm still struggling with OWLs. And remedial Potions, too," he added hastily at the end. "It all seems so much, and I'm sure you've heard all about my Valentine's with Cho."

"Oh. Yes, you made a right gobdaw out yourself, hmm?"

"Uh… a what?"

"A gobdaw, Harry Potter!"

"Is that some sort of magical creature, Luna?"

"Aye, and I'm looking right at one! You know? A geebag! A gobshite! A goon!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Anything that doesn't start with a G?" Harry gave her a cheeky smile.

Luna seemed to realize that he was winding her up and couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't like how you bring out my native tongue, I'll admit that. So I reckon I'd just call you… a bollox. I think that translates pretty well for you, hmm?"

Harry stumbled back clutching a hand to his chest and feigning being wounded. "I thought that just having to live that day was insult enough," he said, but while talking and laughing with Luna, he realized that things didn't seem so bad.

"Anyway, I've interrupted your story," Luna apologized, while resuming her far away, English accented voice.

"Luna, you don't need to hide your accent from me. I couldn't care less if you had a brogue thicker than a wool winter coat, if you talked Cockney, or even Welsh!"

"Dw i'n gallu siarad Cymraeg."

Harry paused for a moment. "You know what? I'm not even surprised."

"My dad's side. Welsh-English and I get the Irish from my mam," she explained.

"Let me guess, you and her speak Gaelic?" Harry asked.

"We used to," Luna said, looking down awkwardly at the floor. "She passed on when I was nine."

"Oh… Oh bloody hell, I'm so sorry," Harry stammered.

"It's alright. It's been a few years now, and I do miss her every day, but she's still with me right here," she explained while putting a hand over her heart. "Anyway, I'm sorry for blocking your doorway, Harry. I hope you're able to relax soon. Goodbye, Hanora."

Luna had begun to walk away when Harry called after her. "Hey Luna? Could we try again with the mind clearing techniques?"

Luna paused and turned back slowly. "Yes, of course. I'll send an owl with instructions for where to find me."

"You could just tell me now you know," Harry began, but Luna was already walking off toward the Ravenclaw tower.

Harry did not receive an owl from Luna that night. The next morning at breakfast, however, Hedwig fluttered down to Harry's seat at the Gryffindor table. He gently scratched her head and gave her a bit of his toast, figuring she was just lonely, but Harry was surprised to see that she had brought him a message. Ever since the incident with Umbridge, he hadn't sent Hedwig out at all, though!

He unfurled the parchment.

Harry,

Tonight at 7 o'clock. Go down the hallway past the statue of Wilhelmina the Warted, take a right turn, then take twelve hops down the next hallway. Those are one footed hops, by the way. If you use two feet, better make it sixteen. On the right side, you'll find the wall to be hollow. Give it a tap.

-Luna

Harry shot a glance over to the Ravenclaw table, where Luna was reading the Quibbler, her wand behind her left ear. Why on Earth did she have to send an owl when she could have just told him at any point? But he did appreciate being able to see Hedwig, so it wasn't a total waste.

That evening, Harry made his way down the hallway with Wilhelmina the Warted, and took a right. He looked down the empty hallway and shook his head. "Am I really going to do this?" He muttered under his breath, and then began to hop, one-legged down the hallway.

After twelve hops, he came to the wall on the right side and knocked. Sure enough, it sounded hollow. He tapped the wall once with his wand.

Much like the entry to Diagon Alley, the stonework parted away to reveal a narrow opening, large enough to fit only one person at a time. Harry pressed forward and could hear the stone wall slide back into place. He continued down the small corridor, until it opened up into a vast, circular room. Torches were in brackets along either side of a multitude of windows that surrounded the room.

There in the center of the room, already on a blanket with her legs crossed, was Luna.

"You're two minutes late, Harry Potter," she said, a small smirk forming at the corners of her mouth. "No matter, let's go on and give this another lash."

Harry sat down on his blanket and crossed his legs. "Okay. I'll try to keep an open mind here. Just tell me what to do, and I'll try my best."

"That's all I could expect from you, Harry," she said kindly. "Now. Breathe in… hold it… then breathe out. Since you're apparently in the business of knowing how much time things will take, we'll be doing this for a couple of minutes."

And so, together, they inhaled and then exhaled. After the minutes ticked by, Luna spoke again. "Okay Harry, now I want you to see your stress. I want you to focus all on what keeps you from relaxing. Do you see it?"

Harry couldn't see it clearly per se, but he was thinking about the long passageway and the black door at the very end. He could see the handle, and could almost feel the anxiety of being able to open it.

"Yeah, I can see it," he said.

"Good… now this is where practice comes in. You have to tuck it away. You can never truly get rid of what's bothering you. But this is your safe space, Harry. This right here? This spot? This is where you can take those negative thoughts and put them in a box. You can take them out again later, but not now."

Luna's voice, now blending the soothing, airy nature with her natural Irish, continued to speak instructions calmly to him.

"Don't feel pressure to do it today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. Just like Quidditch, this is something that takes practice. And here in our safe space? We have all the time in the world…"

Harry let out a deep breath and asked, "As many as the sands of the sea at something something?"

Luna's soft voice cracked into a laugh. "Yes, something like that."

"Ah… so how long are we going to do this for? Tonight I mean?"

"That's nothing to be concerned about now. Let's just try to focus on breathing and tucking the bad thoughts into that box, Harry. There's no rush."

The two spent an entire wordless hour, sitting and facing each other, while focusing on breathing. Luna opened her eyes every once in a while to take in Harry's form and give feedback. "That's it… just relax your shoulders a bit. Allow the tension to melt away there."

But as she watched, she found her heart beating a bit more rapidly than it should at this juncture. Then, it dawned on her. She felt… attraction. Up from her own box of worries, the words screamed out in Luna's mind - "Feckin' shite, I've gone and banjanxed myself…"

Trying to put the matter out of her head, she took a few more calming breaths. "You've done great, Harry Potter. I think we'll leave it here for the night."

Harry rose and stretched, oblivious to Luna's gaze quickly darting in the opposite direction. "Thanks, Luna. I really mean it. This was… well, I don't know yet, but this could really help. Could we maybe do this again sometime?"

"You name the time and place, Harry," she said, and the smile on her face crossed from ear to ear.