Saturday came. I woke up happy and ambled down to the Great Hall.
After breakfast, I stopped just outside the doors, away from the flow of people, and crouched to tie my shoe.
"Neville?" said a very familiar, dreamy voice. I looked up. Luna was standing there, smiling down at me. "Hi, Neville."
"H-hi, Luna," I said. I finished tying my shoe and stood up. I held a hand out to Luna. She took it, and I helped her to her feet. She looked down at her shoes. I took a deep breath and before I lost my courage said, "Luna...will you come into Hogsmeade with me today? After lunch?"
She looked up at me surprised. Her eyes found mine, and I held her gaze, waiting.
"Oh, Neville," she said. "I—yes—all right then." She stood on tiptoe to kiss me on the cheek. She then departed, eyes shining.
I let out my breath. "Yessss!" I whispered, hardly able to contain my joy. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world. I then left for my own common room.
After lunch, I ran up to my dormitory to get ready. I dressed in warm, comfortable clothes, because the first snowfall would soon be here. I ran a comb through my hair and practically flew down to the entrance hall.
Luna stood by one of the statues, waiting. She had brushed her hair and the sunlight streaming through the window fell on it and made it look almost golden. She smiled at me, took my hand. We traipsed off to the village of Hogsmeade.
"Where do you want to go?" I asked. My breath made silvery clouds in front of me.
Luna shrugged. "Anywhere is fine with me, as long as it's warm." That was one of the things about Luna that I loved. She was always so agreeable, but not in a bad way.
My eyes fell on the Three Broomsticks. "Shall we go there?" I asked. She nodded. I pushed open the door and was immediately flooded by warmth and the delicious smell of hot chocolate.
We took a small table in the far corner of the Three Broomsticks. I ordered a small butterbeer, she a gillywater. We laughed and talked over our drinks.
I studied the beautiful girl in front of me. Luna. Just her name was enough to make shivers down my spine. Her hair. Each strand was a different color, from platinum to deep golden and everywhere else in between. The firelight made it shine with a golden light. The flawless surface of her skin, pale as ivory, still slightly flushed endearingly from the cold outside air. Her eyes, downcast, staring into her drink. They were like molten silver, or like my breath in front of me on the street outside, just moments ago, or like the moon The flickering flames made them look alive and entrancing. Luna. My own beautiful moon.
"You know, Luna, I've wanted to ask you out for a long time," I told her.
Oops! She wasn't supposed to know that!
"You have?" Luna's eyes grew wide over the rim of her empty glass.
"Yes." I smiled at her, reached across the tiny table, and took her hand. She covered it with her own free one. Anticipation rose in me like a big bubble full of hope. When she looked up, I did something I never thought I'd get to do.
I leaned forward and I kissed her.
A small, startled squeak emitted from her, but then her eyes closed and her arms went around my neck. She got up from her seat, never breaking the kiss, and sat closer to me. Her soft lips moved enchantingly under mine. They tasted sweet, like lemon gillywater with sugar. I pulled her closer, her warm body pressed against me. My own skin tingled everywhere we were touching. I stroked her cheek with my thumb, still kissing her perfect pink lips.
After what seemed like a thousand years, she pulled away. Luna looked at me with pure affection in her eyes. I paid at the counter for our drinks, and we went back up to the castle, holding hands.