A/N:

Sew2100, and Tim Gold, and Kai-Lun_Mau, and ears, and Grimmy, and MovieStarMissy, and - Thanks!

Keebler-elmo - It has to doesn't it?

DaBear - very.

Dreamer - okay.

Isabella Grace - Ah, the weirdness that is the R/L relationship.

Russian-Irish American - Be repetitive as much as you want, or you could just say the same thing over and over again. :)

Spacegirl - thanks for telling others ... it's one big party! Welcome SG's friends!

Kapoohski - It would be my fondest desire, but my grammar skills are crappy. I'm practicing!

Oriana - Okay, I'll be a pal.

Read ON!

Chapter 27

"It was his idea of a joke."

"Well I'm not laughing, Luna."

She stopped, pulling away from him. "Are you ashamed of me, Ronald?"

"What?"

Her hands were balled into fists and set on her hips, defiantly. "It's a simple question. I know people talk about me behind my back. I know I have what some people might consider -- quirks."

"What's this got to do with anything?"

She looked away, "I'm not stupid, Ronald. You haven't even considered a future together, have you?"

His arms dropped down by his sides, "Luna, I don't consider anything past next week. I like things simple."

She still wasn't looking at him. "So you're just with me because of ... our picnics."

"Bloody hell! How can you think that?"

This time she turned and looked right into his eyes. "You've never told me you love me."

Ron didn't reply at first then when it looked like she was about to walk off, "Luna, I don't know what I feel. I know I like you a lot ... um ... I ... I'm not good with words, like Harry."

She stepped in to him, "I don't want you to be Harry."

He looked down into her very large eyes and frowned with mild frustration. "I don't know what to say."

She laid her hand on his chest, "Tell me what you feel in here. Don't try to think about it, Ronald. You are at your best when you don't think."

Ron thought about not thinking and it was too much for his brain. Instead he took a deep breath and let it out. "I like you a lot, Luna. I don't know if I love you, because I haven't really loved anyone before. When you're around I feel really weird, but a good kinda weird."

He saw she hadn't run away so he must be saying something right.

"At first I was embarrassed by some of the things you did or said, but since we've been dating, well I know you better. Heck, I'm embarrassed by some of the things I do, sometimes. I think I really liked you at first because you really liked me. No one's liked me like that before."

She nodded with understanding.

"I sound like an idiot."

"No," she said. "Go on."

"I wasn't scared of your dad, Luna. I was scared that he wasn't going to like me or think I was too poor, or the worst reason, that I just want you because we ... picnic."

For the first time she seemed confused, "Then why?"

"Because, if he didn't like me then you might not want to see me anymore and I didn't want that. Not because of the other thing ... just 'cause I'd ... I'd miss you."

She smiled sweetly and reached up wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Ronald."

His eyebrows knitted together as he was becoming very confused. "For what?"

She pulled back and lightly kissed his lips, "For telling me you love me."

Luna Lovegood dropped back down and walked on up the path back to Hogwart's with a spring in her step.

Ron was still standing where she left him. "Hey, I didn't say that."

She turned around but kept walking backwards. "Yes you did."

He started up after her. "I bloody well did not!"

Luna laughed and started running. "Yes you did," she shouted gleefully and started singing, "Ronald loves Luna, Ronald loves Luna."

"The girl is totally bent," he said to himself and ran after her.

*********************

AUROR SHACKLEBOLT NEW MINISTER OF MAGIC

Friday morning, after a rousing speech by the boy-who-lived, the Ministry of Magic elected veteran Auror Kingsley Shaklebolt (36) as the new Minister of Magic.

Sources deep within the ministry said he had all but lost the race by a handful of votes, when Harry Potter (16) arrived after several hours on his broom from Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and gave his support to Shaklebolt the race was 'deader than a one winged snitch'.

Shaklebolt's former partner, Nymphadora Tonks (21) had this to say about Potter's speech, "He was bloody brilliant. Came in and called the lot of them cowards and crooked politicians. You should have seen the looks on their faces."

This reporter was on the scene afterward when Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore (156) picked up, what was later to be determined, over 2000 Galleons that was left on the floor, in obvious shame and self-loathing, after Potter's speech, and dropped in the Fellowship fountain for later donation to St. Mungo's.

A representative from St. Mungo's has sent thank you owl's to both Mr. Potter, Chief Warlock Dumbledore, and the leader of the opposition for the donation.

Kingsley Shaklebolt is better know for ...

"It just goes on from there about his record." Hermione folded the paper and set it aside. "So what's next on your list of impossible things to do?"

Harry interlaced his fingers and put them behind his head. "I was thinking about being the youngest person to own a Quidditch team. I heard the Swedish have one for sale. I could make myself seeker and it'd bring in loads of Galleons."

"You have loads of Galleons. What do you want with more?"

He shrugged, "Can anyone ever have enough?"

"I've seen your vault. The answer to that question would be, yes."

Harry looked at his fiancé thoughtfully, "What are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean?"

He looked at his watch playfully, "In just a little under two months time, half of that vault is yours."

He could tell by the look on her face that she hadn't even considered that what was his was hers and vice versa. Instead she bounded up from her chair, ran around the desk and sat in his lap.

"Oh, Harry, we're going to be married soon."

"I know. I was the one that said something a second ago."

She laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly, "I'm scared."

He took her in his arms and tried his best to provide some sort of reassurance. "I know. It's okay."

"We're too young, Harry."

He couldn't disagree with that and just nodded in answer. Thoughts ran through his head and all he could do was agree. Then from nowhere he heard a voice in his head.

"Hermione, we may be young, but we've experienced more than most adults have in their lifetime. Any day now I might be called to battle Voldemort again, and that might be the last day I spend with you. I want that day to be with you as my wife."

She hit him gently on the back, "Don't think like that."

Guilt grew in his chest over what he had been keeping from her since last term. Something that she, as his wife, should know.

"Mione?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to tell you something."

She rose up and looked at him, seeing the worry in his face. He couldn't take her response and pulled her back down.

"It's hard enough telling. I don't want to look at you while I do it."

She relaxed against his shoulder as best she could. "Tell me."

He steeled his nerves, "The prophecy that broke ... that had my name on it."

"Uh-huh," she encouraged.

"I know the prophecy. Dumbledore was the one who witnessed Trelawney tell it."

"She's a quack."

"It was real, I saw it in Dumbledore's pensive."

She couldn't deny something the headmaster witnessed. "Go ahead."

"The reason Voldemort tried to kill me as a baby was because of the prophecy. It said that one day I would come against him, something about marking me as his equal, and the time of my birth. He narrowed it down to two babies, me and Neville."

She pulled back up and starred at him. "Neville?"

"Lay back."

She did, reluctantly.

"It wasn't Neville he marked; it was me."

"Your scar."

Harry nodded. "But he didn't have the last part which told of him sharing his power with me and ..."

Hermione felt him stiffen, "Harry?"

"One of us has to die."

"WHAT!" she pulled back out of his arms and almost fell off his lap. "One of you WHAT!"

"In order for one of us to live, one of has to die."

She stood up and started to back away, shaking her head.

"I have to face him one day, Hermione. And either I'll kill him or ..."

"Shut Up!" she shook her head harder. "I don't want to hear any more."

"Hermione," he pleaded.

"No ... he ...you ..." she turned and ran into their bedroom slamming the door behind her.

Harry didn't follow. He knew exactly how she felt.