1Chapter Four: Innocence Undone
"You know, I should have been the one to ask you..." He said, following Luna down the crowded hallway, carrying her trunk, and also holding her hand. So they wouldn't stray apart and lose Luna's trunk, of course...
"That's very cliche. Thinking that the male is always supposed to ask the female out. It's just like helping me with my trunk. I got it on the train, I could have very well brought it off as well." She said, only less fierce than she normally would have as she smiled back at Neville.
"You've changed a bit over summer, haven't you?" He said, holding onto her hand tightly as if he would never let go.
"And you haven't." Luna laughed as they stepped off the train into the crowded station, looking up at Hogwarts together and letting out a sigh of happiness to see the wonderful school again.
"You don't think I've changed any?" Neville asked, as if he would have given her an answer. IF he had one.
"Neville, who asked who out again?" Luna asked, rubbing her chin.
"Well that... Ok! So I'm a bit shy! So I'm really shy!" He said loudly as Luna rolled her eyes and laughed. "Would you still like me if I wasn't?" He asked, smiling with a sudden-found confidence that seemed to slip away as soon as it was found.
"Who says I like you? I'm only going to the dance with you so I don't have to go alone like I did to the yule ball!" Luna said, poking Neville in the shoulder.
"I feel so used!" He said, walking beside Luna as they went to find a carriage to ride in. He had the sudden urge to put his arm around Luna's shoulder, as if showing everyone around him that she was hers. Alas, he only blushed at the thought and looked to the ground.
Luna looked at him and smiled, wrapping her hand around his waist, and putting his arm around her shoulder by herself.
He looked at her suddenly and surprised. She back with soft eyes, then did a sidestep. "I've never had a boyfriend before, I just go by what I see..." She explained, looking straight forward with a look of embarassment on her face.
"You?" Neville said in an astonished tone. "Never had a boyfriend?"
Luna laughed in horror. "Are you kidding? Who would date me? I mean... Besides you." She smiled.
"But you're so... so..." He started, unable to speak the words he should have told her. He would have told her she was beautiful, and fun, and amazing, but he couldn't and he hated himself for it.
"So what?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side like she did.
"P-pretty..." Neville said in a hoarse voice, rolling his eyes at himself as he said it.
"Really? You think I'm pretty?" She asked, smiling brightly as she had done so many times when she was younger, but rarely did now.
"I-I think you're beautiful." Neville muttered quickly, knowing that if he didn't say it all at once, he'd probably choke.
Luna looked up, her silvery eyes shimmering. "Neville..." she said, staring at him.
"Hmm?" he asked, unable to find his voice.
"Have you ever kissed anyone?" She asked, figuring he must have.
Neville thought back on his past. He had kissed many people, but in every instance he was drunk.
"Well... Yeah..." He said in a technical sort of way.
"Will you kiss me?" Luna asked in a hushed voice as they stopped beside a carriage that had Draco and Ginny visible inside, snogging as always.
Neville was frozen, looking into Luna's eyes, unable to move. "W-what?" He asked in a whisper.
"What part didn't you hear?" She asked simply.
"I..." Neville began. 'Kiss her, you idiot' he thought to himself, his whole body frozen now.
"Kiss her!" Ginny whispered, who was now peeking out the open window of the carriage.
Neville looked down as he opened the carriage door for Luna, and handed Draco the trunk. Luna looked at Neville with dissapointed eyes as she climbed into the seat across from Ginny, who looked at her with sympathetic eyes.
"You should have kissed her..." Draco said as the carriage started rattling up the stone path to the school.
Luna smiled. "It doesn't matter." She said quietly as she squeezed his hand and looked out her window. Suddenly, a beeping sound started going off from Luna's wrist. She smiled happily as she clicked a button on a shiny blue watch she was wearing.
"What's that?" Draco asked, looking up from Ginny's face.
"A watch. It keeps time. A muggle device." Luna explained.
"Where does it put it?" Draco asked, staring at Luna's pale wrist.
"No, no. It doesn't store time, it tells you what time it is. I had it set to beep at this time, because it's my birthday." She said, returning her gaze out the window.
"Oh. Happy birthday then." He said, returning to Ginny.
"Thanks." Luna said, paying attention only to the boats of first years setting into the lake.
"Your birthday?" Neville asked, rather surprised.
"Yes." She smiled. "I'm of age today."
Luna turned back to her window, not seeing Draco wiggling his eyebrows at Neville after hearing Luna was of age.
"Luna..." Neville said, coming to a decision.
"Yes Nev..." Luna said, turning back to Neville to find his lips. She closed her eyes as his warm soft lips pressed against hers. She brought her hand to Neville's cheek, and smiled as he backed away.
"Happy birthday..." he said, looking as though he might possibly faint.
She looked deep into his eyes, and lay her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." She said, entwining his hand with hers.
" 'bout bloody time." Draco piped up from the other seat.
The carriage came to a halt, and all four of them filled out, the trunks floating along behind them.
"Oh! Neville, I think this... is yours." Ginny said, handing Trevor over, slightly laughing.
"Trevor!" Neville and Luna shouted in unison, petting the croaking toad.
"He decided to stow away in my purse." Ginny explained, adjusting her arm around Draco's waist.
"Miss Weasley, please refrain from PDA's." Professor McGonagall cooed, rolling past them. Ginny obligingly removed her arm.
"Professor, shouldn't you be with the first years?" Luna asked intuitivly.
"As much as I would like to be instructing the young children, another Professor has graciously offered to take over for me while I tend to the upper years." McGonnagal said, a bit more cheerful than she used to be. Ginny raised an eyebrow to Luna, then shrugged her shoulders, heading back towards the castle, and returning her arm to its place around Draco's waist.
"I can still see you Miss Weasley!" Professor McGonnagal called in a sing-song voice.
"I think she's been bitting by a Kinnicorf." Luna said surely, following the line of students up the stairs.
"What are you nutting about now?" Draco asked irritadedly, which received him a very hard whack in the back of the head from Ginny. "Ow!"
"I'm not nutting, look it up. Kinnicorfs change people's personalities completely, make them all cheerful." Luna said, smelling the scent of warm food floating up from the kitchens as they walked into the Great Hall.
"Oh of course." Draco replied after catching a threatening look from Ginny. "I didn't hear you right."
Draco and Neville sent all the luggage over to one wall where many trunks were piled. Draco pecked Ginny on the cheek before retreating to the Slytherin table, catching angry glares from many of the Slytherin students.
Luna smiled warmly at Neville before setting herself down alone at the end of the Ravenclaw table. Ginny and Neville took seats across from Fred and George at the Gryffindor table, Ginny deciding to burn some time by having a little chat with Nev.
"Hey Neville..." Ginny said, adjusting herself to sit Indian style on the bench.
"Hmm?" He asked dreamily, pouring himself a goblet of pumpkin juice while waiting for the food to appear after the sorting.
"We need to talk about Luna..." She said in a very serious voice, her eyes glowing. Neville looked to her with care.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked quickly.
"It's a bit... Personal. I don't know if she was planning on telling you, but being her first boyfriend... I think you should know." Ginny said, emotion stirring on her face.
"Maybe you should ask her, she might not want me to know..." Neville said blushing.
"No, you should know Neville." Ginny said, her voice shaking a bit. Neville stared into her deep eyes, almost getting lost. Ginny raised an eyebrow, as if asking a silent question. Neville nodded.
"I'm listening." He said quietly. Ginny flicked her wand, and the space around them suddenly became quiet, blocking out all outside sound, and keeping anyone around them from hearing.
"Look... I don't want to change how you feel about Luna, it's just... Well... You need to be careful." Ginny said, seeming to confuse herself.
"Careful...How?" Neville asked, glancing nervously to Luna who was staring blankly at the staff table.
"When... Ok. I guess the best way to do this is just say it. Last year... Luna was..." Ginny said hoarsely, wiping a single tear from her cheek.
"Ginny, what?" Neville asked, fearing for Luna in an unknown way.
"She was...um." Ginny glanced a nervous look to Luna (who was still staring up at the staff table, anger seeming to be carved into her face) Then looking up to the staff table herself to Professor Snape, who was in deep conversation with Tonks, the new Potions teacher.
"Ginny..." Neville said, placing a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder. "What is it?"
"She was...Raped, Neville." Ginny said blankly, staring harshly into Neville's eyes.
Neville furrowed his eyebrow, not really taking in what Ginny had said.
"You-You're joking, right?" Neville asked, his voice not his own.
"Neville, I wouldn't." Ginny said forcefully. "I just, I wanted you to know because... Well you know." Ginny said, swallowing down a lump in her throat as she dried her face on her sleeve.
"No, why?" Neville asked, looking worriedly to Luna, who, for some reason, was still staring at the staff table.
"Well... In case... When you two... You know Neville!" Ginny said, punching his arm before taking a drink of her own pumpkin juice.
"Wha-OH..." Neville said loudly with realization. "You...don't think she would have told me?" Neville asked, feeling a bit dissapointed.
"She's only ever told me, I think. I doubt her dad even knows." Ginny said, looking to her friend and back to Neville.
"Wow... Why didn't she tell anyone?" Neville asked, feeling so many emotions, he felt dizzy.
"I don't know, I think... I think she was afraid." Ginny said quietly, even though nobody could hear her.
"Why didn't you-" Neville began.
"I told her I wouldn't. I promised. I don't break my promises Neville, you know that." She said, her eyes digging into his.
"Yeah, I know." He said kindly. He looked back to his new girlfriend again, and held back tears. How could something so terrible happen to such a sweet, innocent girl? "Ginny, do you know who it was?" Neville asked, a tone of definite anger in his voice as he gritted his teeth. Ginny's eyes widened as she looked up at Neville.
"...Yes..." She said in a voice that was barely there.
"Who?" Neville asked, his lips remaining still.
"Neville, don't try anything stupid..." Ginny said, looking down.
"Ginny, who?" Neville said impatiently.