Title: The Last
Author: graceland
Summary: The last battle is approaching and Neville is feeling a lot of emotions of numbness, grief, and high tension. Only one girl can help him draw the strength and courage from deep within himself.
Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling, her publishing companies, and Warner Bros.

There was the silence and tension. The air was thick with fog as the gray clouds gathered overhead and the mist, sharp and cold, was filling up Neville's nose and slinking into the folds of his clothes, chilling his skin. He gripped his wand armed and ready and rubbed his sleeves to keep himself warm in the chilly weather. His breath was coming out like pearly white dragon smoke and he cupped it with a pink hand.

Neville felt nervous and awkward as he stood among the army of wizards their eyes mostly blank looking onward and towards their leader Harry Potter at what laid ahead. His eyes were shifting to Harry also, his jaw set in grim line and Ginny right beside him her head held high and determined. Harry had wanted her to stay but she was stubborn and wished to fight beside him. Then there was Hermione and Ron, together of course, holding hands as if they would never bear to let go of each other. Neville always knew they were meant to be despite their fighting and bickering with each other and now finally there were together.

"You know, it's starting to get chilly. I fear that I only packed a couple of potions to ward of Prainoitis. And I do not doubt there might be some evil spirit lurking around."

Neville turned his head to see Luna tugging at pack slung over her shoulder with hundreds of tiny pockets overflowing with small potions, tools, and random magical items. Her long dirty blonde hair spilled over her shoulder and covered her face. She searched through her pack moving aside countless objects and trinkets that seemed to have no importance.

"Rubber toad, no, no... Nargle anitidote, no... Hmmm..."

"What are you-"

"Oh yes, here it is!" Luna pulled out a tiny bottle triumphantly with a strange greenish color liquid inside. It bubbled furiously and emitted a small puff of purple smoke every few second from under the cork. Swinging her bag over her shoulder again she grinned triumphantly.

"Here," She offered, "you should take some."

Neville felt the corners of his mouth curl up and he ran a hand cautiously through his dark brown hair.

"N-no, no, um... I don't think-"

"You don't want any?" Luna lowered her hand holding out the bottle. She began to turn away before Neville bursted out. "Yes! I mean yes." He face was flushed a bright red as he reached out to take the bottle from her hand.

"Brilliant!" Luna's eyes went wide and she dipped her finger into the strange liquid. "It's just a little dab behind the ears, really." She dripped the potion behind Neville's ears and it trickled down under the collar of his shirt. He grinned back at her, but she paid no attention, sliding the bottle into one of the various pockets of her pack.

"There!" She looked up, her pale pink lips lightly frosted with glitter smiling. Neville felt for a fleeting moment like touching those lips... He nervously straightened his shoulders and brushed his bangs to ease the tension. Luna looked so beautiful even against the cast shadows of gray in the sky. Her long hair was half tied up with a striped blue ribbon and a raven feather and beads dangled from the loose hair which spilled over her shoulders. Dangling from her ears were a pairing of onion earrings, held by a thin chain, swinging lightly in the breeze. Luna's sweater was a beautiful blue green color and she wore a plaid skirt over her pants. She smiled obscurely at him her pale eyebrows raised and a dreamy and serene look set in her face.

Neville blushed again and looked away. He had always admired her even with all her strangeness. He had always found her unique and compelling and he was never bored around her. He had felt like a tag-a-long sometimes with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny but with around Luna he never felt left out or alone.

Yes, they had gone out on a couple of dates to Hogsmeade ("Oh, I've heard there was some nasty rumors about underground troll mines running in the Shrieking Shack!") and picnics near the lake ("The mermaids may one day plan to take over the world!") but the closest contact Neville had been able to make with her was an accidently brush on the shoulder and her hand overlaying his when he reached for the cake cutter. Tiny gestures like this made him tingle and shiver inside. Even now he felt a chill as she stood next to him.

"Cold?" Luna inquired. Her eyes were upon him, blue and clear like shining dew, full of veiled dreaminess.

"No." Neville shook his head and looked away. A light rain was starting to come down and he could feel the light drops tapping in his shoulders and against his face.

"Are you scared?"

Neville took a collective breath and tried to loosen his tense nerves. "Yes... Maybe..."

She sighed and shifted her weight on her leg. "It's okay to be afraid. I remember when Mum died my father... He would often bury his feelings, bury...things about her. He was afraid. Still afraid... It's good to open up about your feelings, yes?"

"Yeah, sure." Neville shot a look at her but her face was looking up at the clouds her mouth was open tasting the rain.

"I can feel it, you know. Sometimes I get these feelings."

"Feelings?" Neville eyes widened.

"We have been through a lot, you and I. The battles, the war." Luna waved her hand absently. "A lot of times the loss is hard. I may not... I may not, have gotten really attached or close to anyone during school but when they died..." Her voice trailed off.

"I know, I know." Neville closed his eyes. He had seen death before. The death of close ones...of friends, all shut up tightly in a small box the corner of his mind. Unspeakable horrors and tortures he wish he was oblivious to or at least would forget.

"Keep your head up, Neville." Luna peered at him, here eyes wide with concern. "Some events happen that you have no control over."

"Like our first date?" Neville half joked.

"Yes... I still believe those buiscuits were dusted with charmed Poxy pollen. You can never be careful." She shuddered. "And of course, you wouldn't even take my hand, or look at me." She laughed lightly. "You are a strange one." Her eyes clouded and became serious again though. She touched her neck and removed the necklace around her neck.

"Here." She placed it around his neck the fine chain holding a small ring band of gold inlayed with emerald. "My mother's... I always remember her when I wear it. It gives me strength. It has always given me strength."

"Oh no, Luna," Neville protested. "I shouldn't."

"It's okay." She touched his arm briefly. "I always knew you cared about me. The secret glances... The dates... But you never..."

"I couldn't." Neville stammered. "Everytime I looked I wanted to but... I was afraid."

Luna smiled sadly at him. "This is our last battle I can feel it. The weak shall show their true colors and fight with the brave." A gust of wind ominously blew in the air and blew the hair away from her face.

There was a shift in the wind and Neville could see Harry gripping his wand up ahead with Godric Gryffindor's sword in his hand.

"They're coming."

"Stand prepared!" Harry shouted. The army grew more nervous and more uneasily.

"Luna." Neville touched her arm.

She smiled at him but looked ahead her wand raised by her side and her lashes wet with the rain.

"Luna." Neville grabbed her arm and something strong, passionate, but sad grew inside him. And then he kissed her. Kissed her sweet mouth, of places of all the places on the battle ground, the warmth spreading and tingling inside of him and then it was over, their first and maybe their last kiss, they pulled away and her eyes were sparkling, crying. For a brief moment there was that fragile understanding between them.

A clap of thunder shook the sky and the rain came down harder.

"Look ahead!" Someone yelled and gray shadows were moving in the distance.

"Steady!"

Dementors were swooping down from the sky and people were shifting uneasily.

"Will I see you again?" Neville looked at her.

Luna bit back her lip and cried softly. "Remember, courage Neville."

The ground was roaring and there were cries. Harry yelled and bright lights and sparks filled the air. The army surged forward. Neville felt lost in a tide of gray and he had lost Luna already, gone in the crowd.

A bolt of lightning struck above and screams ripped through the air.

The End