Posy In His Pocket


Part Seven - Chase


If there was one thing that Harry liked best at Luna it was her hands. He didn't knwo why he was drawn to her hands. They were often smudged with ink, red and green, but purple and orange were favourites too. After a visit to Neville, her hands and nails were often muddy and had odd pieces of pollen covering them.

When she was cooking, and while she was always happy making mixtures of all sorts, when it came to organized cooking, it was best to leave it to Harry, her hands were like they were made of sugar. Everything she touches, there would be a small smudge some where of a white granules.

It was good there are had got Bengared Forthright Hipplesnout the Third, or Ben as Harry called him. The dog loved to eat sugar and could reach all sorts of interesting places, high or low, sideways or backwards. Formally the dog of a Muggle family, due to some mischief and illegal spells, the poor dog had grown wings. Arthur Weasley, had been very worried about finding a home, but Luna didn't seem to mind the lizard tongue that had hissed at her.

Then again, Harry considered, Luna thought the dog was some sort of mutant dragon.

The hands looks nice, stroking Ben's furry coat, spotted with a scaly hide. Ben's three tails, didn't seem to mind the pat that Luna was giving either.

In fact, Harry thought the hands were adorable and Harry felt the need to say that to Luna. "Your hands," he started and Luna looked up from her book, "Are cute."

Tilting her head to one side, Luna brought her hands up to her face to get a good look at them. Short fingers and nails that vastly varied in height, from the bitten scabbiness of her little finger, to the almost cruel looking curve of her thumb nail.

She nods. "Thank you, I think so too." Luna looks at Harry's hands. "Hmm, but your hands are a bit too large to be cute I think."

"Handsome then?" Harry asks, now compelled to stare at his hands.

"Hmm, maybe," Luna goes back to her book and stroking Ben, much to Ben's delight. Harry however is now left with some puzzling questions about his hands.


It was times like this that a man had to go see his friends and compare hand shapes. Ron's hands were, as Harry remembered them, bigger than his, but he had to make sure.

Ron however was rather frantic. Lavender was two weeks overdue and look bigger than a dozen watermelons, through Harry, in fear of his life, would never say so.

But the most important thing was that Ron kept on moving his hands and so Harry could not compare. Luna had said Maybe on the handsomeness of his hands! Were Ron's hands cuter than his? Harry had to know!

So that was why, he had forced Ron to sit down. But the hands kept on moving and Harry had no way to see if the freckled Weasley's hands were better looking than his.

When Harry had forced Ron into a stable mental and most importantly non moving state, he looked at Ron's hands. He took in the large, bulky knuckles that were clenched white, hiding a scattering of freckles. The clean cut appearance of his nails and redness of his palms. He looked at his own hands. They were so much cuter, Harry decided.

Still... "Ron?" His red haired friend looked up, "Do you think my hands are handsome?" Ron blinked. Harry blinked back, wondering if this was some sort of contest.

"Harry?" Ron murmured, "Are you feeling alright? 'Cos I know I haven't been that available lately but what with Lavender and before that the wedding and then I was dating Lavender..." He stopped, "Oh dear merciful Merlin, this is all my fault! Why didn't I pay attention to you Harry? This is awful, now you're going to have to be committed to St. Mungos!" Ron near wailed.

"Nothing's wrong, okay? I've been caught up with my own life too, so nothing is wrong and it's not your fault." Harry paused, and once again looked at his hands, "I just want to know, whether you think my hands are handsome!"

Ron gave his friend a strange look, before staring at Harry's hands. "I guess there are okay. I mean, what does it matter? They are hands! As long as they work."

"But are they handsome, Ron!"

Yet another peculiar look, this one laced with fright, "I guess."

Harry frowned. This was not helping matter at all.


When Harry knocked on Hermione's office door, there was an argument occurring, or as Hermione would later term it, a debate. Harry didn't notice that much, still caught staring at his hands.

"What!" Barked a female voice.

Poking his head in, Harry grinned. "Hi, I was just wondering about my hands and since Ron couldn't give me any answers, I don't know why I asked him anyway, his knuckles are so out of shape, I decided to come to you. Hermione."

The two people, in a rare show of agreement, exchanged looks of extreme befuddlement and bewilderment. "Harry," Hermione started, with a concerned look shadowing her face, "What are you talking about?"

Sighing, Harry rolled his eyes. Everyone was acting so strangely today, something must be in the air. "My hands, Hermione, weren't you listening?"

She frowned. "Are you making fun of me Harry? Because I am not getting the joke, whatever it is." She leaned back in her chair, it hissing slightly.

"No! I just want to know if my hands are handsome or not!" Harry near yelled in frustration. Merlin, were people dull today. Harry thanked the stars that he wasn't affected.

Once again, shared looks were passed between Hermione and as Harry finally noticed who the other person was, Blaise Zabini. "Harry," Hermione said softly, "Have you been to St. Mungo's lately? Because - "

"Hands, handsome. Is that hard to see, Hermione?" Harry presents his hands to the two people before sighing. "I suppose I could go elsewhere..."

"Um... Harry, why don't I just take a look then?" Hermione hurriedly murmurs. Harry once again reveals his hands. Hermione regards them critically. "They're pleasant enough, I think... erm... I'm not really an expert on hands, you see and..." She trails off and looks away awkwardly.

Harry refuses the urge to scream.


When Harry goes home that night, Luna has a trace of apricot jam on her nose and smells like cabbage. Ben in flying around the kitchen eagerly as Luna sets the table.

Not feeling in the mood for anything to fabulous, Harry just makes some pasta and adds some sauce they had left from a meal a couple days ago.

They are eating when Luna starts a conversation with him. She has finished reading her books and finds while it does have some interesting theories on the Mumplwoa Hedge Squaswaths, it does have some major faults on location and eating habits. "I think," she says, "I'll send a letter to the author tomorrow. Maybe we could meet and discuss."

"Hmm..." Harry says, poking at his meal.

Luna gives him a probing look. "And Harry?"

"Oh?" He grunts.

"I do think your hands are very cute!" She giggles, a wide smile covering her face.

Harry looks up and stares at her surprise for a moment, before he sees the teasing glint in her eyes. He struggles not to laugh along with her.

"People thought I was strange! They wanted me to go to St. Mungo's! Luna!" He cries out, burying his head in his hands.

"But Harry! At least you now know they are cute," Luna says impishly.

"Well..." Harry considers, "That is true."


AN: As you can probably tell, I kind of skipped their first date and now they are living together. Wow, that was fast! However, the reason behind the moving is rather... difficult... next chapter I think will explain!