Chapter 3- Jump

It was a cloudless night at Shell Cottage and the moon seemed massive to Dean Thomas. It was a full moon he thought, or at least close to it and it bathed the field in which he and Luna lay in a brilliant white twilight. They lay in the long grass looking up into the night sky. It was brilliant at the cottage because they were so far from any big cities and they could see the whole host of heaven, as Dean's Gran had always put it when they used to go on camping holidays. Dean loved stars, looking at them like this anyway, he'd never taken to astronomy. To him that had always taken away the majesty and beauty of stars. He loved the stars because they were so far away, so numerous, so bright and mysterious that they made the whole world seem minute. When looking at those thousands of white-hot pinpricks piercing the night how could you worry about everything else, how could it all matter? Suddenly Voldemort didn't seem so scary because the stars had been staring down for untold lifetimes before Voldemort was even born and would remain forever after. That year when he'd been on the run every time he'd felt overwhelmed he'd just lie back and look at the stars and suddenly he wasn't on the run he was flying a broom with Seamus, or watching West Ham, or having dinner with his family.

"So which constellations can you see?" Luna asked him.

"Err I dunno…never used to pay much attention in Astronomy class." Dean replied trying to remember where to look for Orion.

"No I don't mean those boring ones we learn at school I mean the fun ones." Luna said as if this should have been obvious.

"There are fun constellations?" Dean said turning his head to meet her gaze, her silvery grey eyes like twin moons.

"Of course" she replied with a grin and reached across him to point at a group of stars hanging just about the cottage "right there's the waltzing Screwts."

"The waltzing Screwts?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Yeah look their pincers star there, then they carry on down there," she replied unfazed drawing out the constellation in the air with her wand. Dean screwed up his eyes and searched intently for what she was seeing. And to his amazement it did look roughly like two blast ended screwts enjoying a waltz.

"Haha that's amazing" he said with a laugh "show me some more."

"Ok well right above us is the Cornish Pixie riding an anteater," she said pointing straight up "and over there is the Goblin on the toilet." They spent a good half hour looking for Luna's amazingly ridiculous constellations and laughing together. After looking for the drunk Hippogriff for a good five minutes, Dean gave in.

"Ok this one I just can't see," he told her with a sigh.

"That's cos I made it up" Luna replied with a laugh "I wanted to see how long I could keep you looking."

"No way" Dean said with mock anger "that's so devious."

"The others are all true though," said Luna with a giggle.

"I know I saw them, they're amazing. Have you ever shown them to Professor Sinistra?" Dean rolled onto his side to look at her.

"Yeah" Luna replied turning her face to meet his gaze "she didn't seem nearly as impressed as you. She didn't seem to think they were there at all, said I was imagining things."

"Maybe only certain people can see them," Dean suggested.
"Yeah" Luna replied with a smile "that must be it."

"How did you find them anyway?"

"My mother showed them to me" Luna replied her smile fading "I was nine, Daddy was away on a trip and mum thought it would be fun to camp out. It was a warm night and we just lay there for hours holding hands and she pointed them all out to me. It was only a couple of weeks before she died."

"I'm sorry Dean said"

"Thanks. You don't need to be though, I had nine and a half amazing year with my mum and a lot of great memories with which to keep her alive in my mind. Harry never got that with his parents, Neville only has painful ones with his…you never had that with your dad." She said taking Dean's hand.

"I guess, but in a way that makes it easier. I'm sad that I never knew my Dad but I don't miss him. How could I? How can you miss someone you've never known? As long as I can remember Brian has been my father and a pretty good one at that. He never treated me different cos I wasn't his" he replied looking down at the grass and feeling uncomfortable.

"Do you have any memories of him? Your real dad" Luna asked in a quiet voice.

"Just one" Dean replied "and almost more a feeling than a memory. I just remember these really big strong hands holding me. And a deep voice laughing. Whenever it comes to me I just feel so….secure. That probably sounds really stupid". He gave an embarrassed little laugh and lying back on back, looking up at the stars once more. Luna didn't reply but leant over and kissed him softly on the lips. She pulled back and laughed at the stunned smile on Dean's face.

"I…err…wow…I mean….wow.." was all Dean could say for a moment "what was that for?"

"I know your not good at being open about your feelings Dean. I mean you fell for me and what did you do? Instead of telling me you hid away in your room for two days painting a picture," Luna said, Dean's cheeks burned red with embarrassment "so I know how hard it was for you to be open, like you just were. And then well, it just seemed like the right moment."

"Oh…awesome" Dean said breaking out into an embarrassed grin.

"Your very cute when your embarrassed" Luna said with a laugh.

"Well I'll have to make sure I humiliate myself more often then," said Dean sitting up and grinning.

"I guess so"

"Wanna go for a walk? It's starting to get itchy in this grass."

"Sure"

The two got to their feet, brushed themselves down and then walked along the cliff top for a bit in silence. Luna stopped at a part of the cliff that jutted right out over the water and looked down.

"Dean come look at this," she said.

"What is it?"

"Look at the reflection of the moon" she said pointing down over the cliff edge. Dean looked and there in the still black waters and there he could see a huge reflection of the moon, intricate in detail and with barely a ripple, surrounded by stars. As he looked out over the waters it was hard to tell where the sea ended and the sky began.

"Wow" he said, "wouldn't mind painting that."

"Beautiful isn't it" Luna murmured. "Let's jump into it!"

"What?"

"Don't you want to? The more I look at it the more I just wanna dive right into the middle of it."

"But Luna it's the middle of the night" Dean protested.
"A warm night"
"We don't know it there are rocks down there"

"It's too far from the edge of the cliff for that"
"Its like twenty feet"
"That's not that far, you've fallen farther off a broom. Dean we'll be fine."

"I'm still not sure," Dean said looking uneasy.

"Dean it'll be amazing, like falling into the sky" Luna said turning to face him "it'll be fine. Look, hold my hand, look into my eyes and then take a deep breath." He did so and they held each others gaze for a long time. "Now tell me if we're gunna be fine." Dean smiled squeezed Luna's hand and then turned to run at the cliff edge.

"Last one in is a Slytherin!" he yelled preparing to dive.

"No fair I wasn't ready!" Luna yelled with a laugh as she ran at the edge.

They both dived off. Down, down into the perfect with circle beneath them. And up it rushed and suddenly they were into the cold dark water. Breaking the surface Dean gasped for air and then looked around. Luna was just to his left treading water and looking up at the stars.

"You took much longer to come up" she said with a smile "but then you are much heavier than me."

"Yeah I guess" Dean laughed. "That was amazing."

"Told you it would be"

"It is quite cold now," Dean said shivering.

"Haha yeah I guess it is" Luna laughed in reply "Lets go in and get dry, Fleur said she was gunna make Hot Chocolate tonight." Before she could start swimming Dean pulled her close, tilted her head and kissed her, very softly on the lips.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"Just returning the favour," he replied with a smile.

They turned and swam through the starlit waters towards the brightly lit cottage on the shore.