Sorry for the long wait between chapters folks. Been a lot busier than I was expecting to be. Also I'm finding with this story that I'm really having to wait for inspiration to hit.

Chapter 2- The Focal Point

A dab, a slow swipe, another couple of dabs, a steady searching gaze, one more dab….and…done. Dean placed his brush in the much over used pot of water on the windowsill and stepped away. He stood and just looked for a long while, then he sat on the end of his bed, sat and looked, for a long while. His revelry was broken when Ron Weasley opened the door with a bang and strode into the room.

"I'll just be two secs Harry, just gotta grab something" he called over his shoulder before noticing Dean.

"You're finished?" Ron enquired.

"Yeah" replied Dean "yeah I am." Ron walked over to take a look.

"Blimey" he exclaimed "its brilliant. Never seen Luna look like that before."

"Neither had I Ron, now…well…now its just the way I see her, like my eyes have been opened to something that was there all the time, that I'd been stupid not to notice it before." Dean said still not tearing his eyes away from his work "I guess that sounds kinda stupid."

"Not at all mate" Ron replied placing a hand on Dean's shoulder "that's what how it happened for me with Mione. For years I'd never thought of her as more than a friend then suddenly everything changed but it felt right, you know, like it had always been that way and I just hadn't noticed."

"Nice to know it's not just me then" Dean said with a chuckle "thought maybe I was going mad."

"Well you probably are it is Loonie Lovegood" said Ron and then at the angry look on Dean's face added "joking, joking, I'm joking. She's a great girl, you're lucky to have her."

"Ha thanks" Dean said his face returning to a smile.

"You gunna tell her?" Ron asked.

"Tell her what?"

"You know what you just told me"

"Dunno, hadn't really thought past finishing the painting to be honest" Dean said scratching the back of his neck. "You gunna tell Hermione?"

"Dunno" Ron replied "don't know if it needs to be said really. Knowing Hermione she worked it out years ago and has just been waiting for me to catch up."

"Mate we've all been waiting for you to catch up" Dean said with a laugh.

"Really?" Ron replied, surprised.

"Yeah we even had a bet going of how long it would take you."

"Bloody hell, really?"

"Yeah it was myself, Seamus, Neville, Harry, Ginny, Pavarti and Fred and George" Dean said counting them off on his fingers "Only Seamus, Fred and Ginny are still in, the rest of us thought you'd be an official thing by the middle of sixth year."

"Blimey" Ron said, he laughed quietly to himself "fun times in the common room eh, seems like another life right now."

"Yeah, yeah it does." Dean replied lost in his thoughts.

"You know mate," Ron said as he stood up and headed for the door "Luna's really perceptive. I don't think you need to worry too much about what to say to her. Just show her that painting, she'll understand."

Dean found her in the garden, she was sitting on the stone wall looking out at the sea her bare feat wiggling in the grass, enjoying the evening dew. The sun had just fallen below the horizon and the stars were coming out, the garden itself was lit by the light coming from the cottage kitchen window where Dean could see Fleur preparing dinner. He had the painting tucked under his arm.

"Hello stranger" Luna said with a smile "finally saw the need for fresh air?"

"Yeah I guess" Dean said with an embarrassed smile "sorry I haven't really been around these last few days."

"That's okay, I'm used to it by now"

"I wasn't trying to avoid you Luna" Dean said quickly.

"Its okay Dean, really, I'm used to people finding me annoying, or strange. I'm just grateful that you made the effort to be nice to me as long as you did." Luna turned away from Dean to face the sea. She didn't want him to see the tear running down her cheek.

"Luna that's not it at all" Dean said reaching out for her hand and pulling her around to face him. He reached out with his other hand and wiped away the tear. "I haven't been around because I've…well I've been working on this." He indicted the roll of paper still tucked under his arm.

"What…what is it?" Luna asked.

"It's for you" Dean said sliding it out and starting to unfurl it "its…well…its of you." He held up the painting in the light from the kitchen window. Luna looked at the painting for a long time, took a couple of steps towards it and then reached out to touch the little painted version of herself, golden and shining. She stayed like that for a long time and then a huge, irrepressible smile broke across her face and she looked up into Dean, who was anxiously waiting for her reaction.

"I see you found your focal point…"