A/N: Thanks for your review, Hilz. You may be the only person reading this… But I don't care!

Here's the next part of this 'loverly' fic…

Part Two: Odds with Ends

The remainder of the school week dragged on to what seemed like an eternity. Harry, who had regained his title as Seeker for Gryffindor, Ron, and Ginny (the new Chaser), of course had Quidditch to keep them busy, and Hermione had NEWT level Arithmancy to focus upon, but that did not keep them from dreaming of what Lumos Maxima would be like. Visions of screaming fans, rocking concerts, and wizarding merchandise flashed through their brains all week. It was apparent to the rest of the school that something other than homework was on their minds. They had only let their idea slip to a few, well-chosen other people; Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, and Lavender were quite excited about their fellow Gryffindors' new undertaking and keen to help them make it into something Hogwarts would never forget.

On Saturday morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny walked into the Great Hall, prepared to go to Hogsmeade. They sat at the Gryffindor table and began eating bowls of cereal when Malfoy and his flunkies, Crabbe and Goyle, ventured over to them from the Slytherin table. Malfoy said, "Well, Potter. All I can say for you is that your ideas don't stink as much as your choice of friends."

"Yeah, but not nearly as much as your Quidditch skills, Malfoy," Harry replied to Malfoy's insult.

Malfoy merely smirked and left. "What do you think he meant?" Hermione asked curiously.

"No idea," said Ron through an enormous a bite of toast.

"Ronald, mind your manners," Hermione warned him.

"Sorry, Hermione," he replied after swallowing. Harry wondered why Ron had been more agreeable to Hermione's wishes lately…perhaps they'd put their petty arguments behind them.

"Anyway," Hermione began, "I've looked up some things for our benefit of actually finding instruments in Hogsmeade in—"

"—the library," Harry, Ginny, and Ron finished.

"Yes," Hermione continued in an exasperated tone, "so, it's best if we exit the smaller boundaries of the town. We must do so first thing when we arrive in the village, so we will be able to get back in time for the ride to Hogwarts, with time to spare."

"So where exactly are we going, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Muggle novelty shop, just a mile outside town. We'll need to be extra careful that we're not caught."

"Why extra careful?" inquired Harry.

"It's against the rules for students to exit village bounds," Hermione replied in a hushed voice.

"And you're encouraging us to do it?" Ron asked playfully with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione only blushed.

"Right then," Harry said as he and Ginny looked confusedly from one to the other, "let's get going…"

Filch was letting students exit the entrance hall one by one. He stared at the four Gryffindors with a beady eye, almost seeming to sense that they were going to do something forbidden. Still staring at them but saying nothing, he pushed them outside the castle and turned to a couple of Hufflepuffs who were trying to hide a huge bag of Dungbombs behind their backs.

"Finally out of there!" said Ron, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.

"Let's not dawdle," said Hermione. "The shop is a bit north of the Shrieking Shack, so we'd better start up there."

They had walked a good distance through the village when Luna Lovegood, who was looking dreamily at the owl post office, spotted them and said, "Hello, Ronald, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry. Where are you off to?"

"Well, Luna," Ginny began, "We were just—"

"—going to buy musical instruments to be in a band. Would you like to come?" Harry said eagerly, wanting to talk to Luna. He was still a bit baffled as to why he felt so nervous around her.

Luna nodded and joined the group, walking alongside Harry. The other three were a bit annoyed with Harry's offer to Luna ("Loony?" he had heard Ron whisper quietly to Hermione. Hermione, although she did not enjoy Luna's company very much, said just as quietly, "Ronald! Be nice! Harry must fancy her if he invited her.").

Harry ignored them and tried to think of something to say to Luna. He settled on one idea and projected nervously (the jolt in his stomach had returned, "So, Luna…do you play any instruments?"

"I sing…I've taken voice lessons," she replied vaguely.

"Well, you could be lead vocalist for our band!" said Harry enthusiastically. "They're bound to carry microphones in the shop."

"All right, then," said Luna with one of her mysterious smiles.

In half an hour, the five friends arrived at Odds with Ends, the Muggle novelty shop. The sign on the door read "open," so they went inside. When they entered, a magical bell rang throughout the shop.

The walls were covered with different Muggle things, from lamps and pots to fire extinguishers and toasters. The shop was deserted except for one witch examining books. A clerk in long wizards robes decked with pictures of different telephones came out of the back room. "How may I help you?" he asked.

Harry answered, "We're looking to purchase some musical instruments. Do you have any?"

"Yes, we carry a vast assortment of musical instruments. Follow me." The clerk led them to the back left corner of the store. "There. Now, if you need any assistance, I'll be at the front desk, organizing the ball point pens."

"Well, Dad could work here and amuse himself all day," said Ginny.

The instruments were sorted onto shelves, each one carrying a different type. There were tambourines, keyboards, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars, and, suspended on the wall by itself, was a set of drums, complete with a stool. In a huge trunk under the shelves were tons of microphones and amps.

"Bloody hell, where do we start?" Ron said.

"Language, Ron! …I guess we should look around, though," Hermione replied.

"Okay, you guys look at the instruments. Luna, will you help me check out some of these amps?" said Ginny, seeming to want Luna away from Harry's side.

"Of course," Luna said, beginning to rummage through the trunk.

"Luna! Over here!" Harry called. "They've got some microphone headsets you might want to look at."

"Sorry, Ginny," Luna said, walking over to Harry.

"It's fine," Ginny lied. Once Luna was out of earshot, she gave an exasperated sigh. The fact that one of her best friends was becoming close to her old crush was a bit, well, unnerving. She secretly hoped Harry would eventually ask her out, but that chance was slimming as the days went on. Recovering slightly, she looked back into the bottomless trunk of amps.

Soon, they all picked out their instruments and paid for them. The instruments would be magically transported to Hogwarts (or so the clerk assured them). On the way back to Hogsmeade, Hermione said, "So, when should we have practices?"

"Any night besides Quidditch practice," said Ron. "How about on Saturdays? That way we could get in one practice today, after dinner. And no lessons, so it could work out."

"Where would we practice?" asked Ginny. "The Room of Requirement? What do you think, Harry? ...Harry?"

"Huh…" He had been looking at Luna. "Yeah, that sounds good." He asked Luna, "Will you be able to make it?"

She nodded.

"Great! Do you want to hang out with us for the rest of the Hogsmeade trip?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry. I've just remembered. Ron and I were going to—"

"—go to the Shrieking Shack," Ron finished for Hermione.

"I'll stay with Harry and Luna," said Ginny.

"Ginny…don't you have to meet Dean in the Three Broomsticks?" Hermione said in a hinting tone, grabbing Ginny's arm with her left hand as her right was held by Ron, strangely enough. Ron helped Hermione pull his sister away so that Harry and Luna could be alone.

A/N: Ooooh, I wonder what will happen next!

Oh, that's right, I already know...

Tune in next time for part three, which will be EXTREMELY fluffy...

You have been forewarned...

- Christine