Chapter 1 – The Tables in the Library

For the most part, sixth year at Hogwarts hadn't been a good one for me. Everything was adding up, piling on my head, suffocating me. New suspicions and threats kept coming even while I was still dealing with what had already happened, and of course classes hovered over everything like… well… I don't know really. But they were always there.

The library was fairly quiet at this time of the evening. It was just after dinner, and most people were still putting off their work, and talking. I'd come in and sat at a table across from Luna, muttering a greeting to her as I did so. She had looked a bit surprised to see me, but she'd gotten back to her reading fairly quickly, so she must have a few deadlines coming up.

I hadn't see her around as much as last year, when it seemed sometimes like she was almost stalking Ron. Ah well. I don't know how serious she'd been about all that, but sometimes it'd driven Ron batty. He doesn't deal too well with her quirks.

Minutes pass. Concentration isn't coming easily for me this evening.

I can remember once Ron had called her a scrawny, bug-eyed loon. I'm not sure what had brought that on. Maybe she'd laughed at him for some reason. But she wasn't really any of those things, and ever since she'd come with us to the Ministry that night…

Well anyway. She was a good friend.

She looked up at me, and I smiled. Drat, I wasn't working, was I?

I was part way through reading about the technical symbolism of potion components gathered from a willow tree next to a mill race, and I was struck by how much Luna was like a willow. There aren't many trees like it at all, and the branches tend to bend, but not break. She has that same sort of quiet strength, I think.

Damn, I really wanted to get this done.

What's that tapping on my foot? I was just getting into this stupid…

It must be Luna, there isn't anyone else around here. What's she distracting me for? I've got to get this…

It's sort of funny though; I wouldn't have ever guessed she had a nervous habit like this though. It's… too normal, somehow.

She obviously doesn't know it's me. I should move my foot.

I'm watching her, so I see her eyes widen a bit, and she looks under the table.

"Sorry Harry. I thought you were a table leg."

I hear giggles from somewhere near us, and a quiet 'shush' from somewhere else.

I get back to work.

It must be fifteen minutes later when I feel her foot tapping on mine again. I look up at her, and move my foot again.

Her head snaps up, and she murmurs a quiet "Sorry," to me again, before she's back to reading.

Is she blushing?

Why's she doing that?

I'm not reading this at all anymore, just flipping pages.

It must be half an hour later when I feel her foot on mine again. She's focussed completely on her work now.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

I move my foot sideways a bit, and tap back on her foot.

He eyebrows crumple, and she frowns down at her text.

Tap.

I tap back on her foot again. Holding my breath, even if I'm not sure why.

Her nose twitches a bit, and she gives a start, looking up at me with her pale eyes huge, and her mouth slightly open.

I grin at her; I can't help it. And I tap her foot again.

Her hands fly up to her mouth, and she makes a tiny noise, sort of a cross between a squeek and a snerk, as she stifles her laughter. Her eyes scrunch shut, and her cheeks flush.

A few deep breaths later, and her eyes pop open, shining with a sort of excitement I've only seen from her once or twice before.

And I feel her foot tapping on mine again.

I tap back. People must be watching us now, because we're both grinning like idiots at each other, but who cares? They can think what they like, can't they?

A few minutes later, we hear the librarian clearing her throat at us. Were we making any noise? I'm not sure.

I stop with my foot touching Luna's. I give her one last smile, and look down at the text again.

She shuffles down in her chair, so more of her foot is touching mine.

I clear my throat, and do the same. I can feel her ankle next to mine. She's so warm for such a pale girl; not cold like moonlight at all.

It's been weeks since I've touched someone and felt comfortable with it.

It's probably the same for her.

I get down to work.

All too soon the library is shutting, and we have to get up and go. I gather my books, and walk out with her next to me.

She doesn't meet my eyes when I look at her at first.

Out in the hallway, she looks up at me, only for a second.

"You're warm for a table leg, Harry Potter," she says.

And then she's gone, walking off down the hallway with a bounce in her step, and her hair waving from side to side.

I shake my head, and walk off towards the Gryffindor tower, but there's still a smile on my face.

Notes:

Well, anyone who knows me would be full on flabbergasted by the existence of this story for a number of quite reasonable facts.

Background? Well, based on personal experience, all it takes is one moment, and suddenly you start seeing a friend in a totally different light. So then I thought, what if Harry had a moment like that with Luna? The rest of the story just snowballed from there.

More chapters will follow.