A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! It really motivates me to update, and makes my day every time! Sorry it's taken me a while. So here's Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 will hopefully be up soon. As always, I own nothing. Thank you, JK Rowling, for the characters that changed my life. :)

It only occurred to him, after walking about a block, that he had no idea where they were going. He had always taken Muggle transportation with Gran (she had never thought Neville would be able to stomach apparating when he was younger) and the street they were on now looked unfamiliar. With his free hand he searched his pocket. He had remembered the map, right?

Nope.

Luna, who had been staring at the clouds, now looked mildly interested. "You can't find something," she stated. "I believe you're looking for a map."

He turned and looked at her, puzzled. "How'd you know I was looking for a map?"

"Well, I was examining one earlier-I have one in my pocket, you see- and I noticed that we're going in the wrong direction."

Neville sighed, but couldn't help laughing all the same. "Couldn't have mentioned you had a map earlier, could you? And why didn't you say we were going the wrong way?"

"I thought perhaps we were taking a more scenic route." She paused. "Sometimes the journey is more pleasurable than the destination, and you don't want to miss possible adventures along the way."

"Very astute, Luna. Now will you get that map out?" He grinned.

The alleyway they had apparated into earlier was many blocks away from St. Mungo's. They knew that the street wasn't generally very crowded, and it was still a few hours before rush hour. So, they were working their way towards busier streets until they reached the run-down shop Purge and Dowe's-the façade for 's.

But now they still waded through the streams of passing people as they worked into the busier streets. They held Luna's map in front of them, each of them holding a side with their free hand. They made many wrong turns, and had to find their way back again. Once, they were so immersed in figuring out where they were that they walked into a wall. After the collision they both turned and looked at each other before bursting out laughing. Neville imagined they must have looked like idiotic tourists. He found he didn't care.

A while ago, he would have flushed with embarrassment and would have liked nothing more than to curl up in a hole and die. A while ago he would have spluttered awkwardly if Luna had held his hand. But that was Luna's affect on him. Over time she was teaching him to let go of his worrying about what others thought of him. They had both been the underdogs-no sense denying it. However, she had basked in it, oblivious to the insults or snide remarks thrown her way. No, Neville thought. Perhaps oblivious was the wrong word. Luna was quite aware of the bullying, as they often resorted to stealing her possessions. It was more like Luna didn't realize that she should feel hurt or insulted in the first place. She lived in her own world, he sometimes thought. Yet she perceived this world clearer, perhaps, than anyone firmly rooted in it. Luna possessed a key to living contentedly which others sought for all their life: she didn't give a damn about others opinions of her.

So now here he was, learning to laugh at himself and his blunders, rather than be ashamed. It was so freeing, somehow. As for the hand holding, though, what in Merlin's name had prepared him, changed him for that? Laughing at yourself (or even being put under the Cruciatus Curse, he thought) couldn't prepare him for that. For holding hands with Luna bloody Lovegood. Was it a regular friendly and comforting gesture? He didn't think so, not anymore, now that it had been more than ten minutes. But did he think of Luna as more than a friend? He wasn't sure. Everything was unclear in his mind. He glanced over at Luna as they walked, observing how the sunlight reflected off of it beautifully, making it shine and glimmer as she walked, and lost himself in memories.