Chapter 4: Quality time
"So what do mitickles do?" Harry asked, laying on the grass.
"Bring your dreams alive," Luna answered.
"And why would someone want their dreams come alive?" Harry asked.
"Some dreams aren't unhappy dreams," Luna answered and Harry agreed.
"I suppose but still, it would just be weird," Harry replied.
"Would be interesting, I've never seen a mitickle but I suppose that one day I will," Luna wondered.
"One day maybe," Harry replied.
It had been three weeks since Harry and Luna became friends again and they had spent every day since then spending time together. Harry found out that Luna was not at all what she showed. She believed whole heartedly what she read in her magazines, which was no lie, but she had many complexities to her personality. Every day with Luna gave Harry some new information about life in general and Harry found himself looking forward to their time together. He found out many interesting tid bits about Luna that he never thought she would have in her personality and always made sure to remember them for a later time. He enjoyed her quirky tendencies like, when she spoke about something she loved she spoke really fast and her eyes stayed on your eyes until the conversation was over. Or when she walked she walked like she was gliding instead of walking, plus the way she dressed. She was original and she made him think about stupid things that would confuse him for days and then he would see the underlying meaning and he would see they're whole conversation mean something other then nonsense. It was funny because under all the Looney's that she was called, Luna was smart and she heard every call made at her and she wasn't as Looney as they all thought she was, it was just what she made people see at first because she wanted to have people know what she liked and who she was before she let you see who she really was. She did try to show people her interests by talking about all the creatures she knew but people took it for loony talk. It was complicated but Harry got it. Harry had to admit though that His favorite part of Luna was that she judged him by how he acted and not about the fact that he was Harry Potter.
Along with Luna opening up, Harry told Luna all about the dreams he had been having about Sirius and more about himself then he told anyone. It was easier to tell her things when he thought she wasn't there, and when she spoke after his confessions she didn't sound pitying or sarcastic, no she just sound conversational. All in all, the two shared many secrets that they wouldn't normally share and became better friends because of it. The three weeks with Luna had also brought Harry some closure with Sirius and some calmness when he approached Ron and Hermione with their secret. He hadn't spoken to them in the three weeks time, he just walked away from the two when they tried to talk to him, and afraid he would burst if he opened his mouth to speak to them. He did say yes, no, or what the homework but that was the most he would say to the two. If that wasn't enough, he used to hate going outside the castle but in recent time he longed to be outside talking with Luna and laying on the soft grass in the circle of trees Luna loved to be in. The one thing the two did that Harry noticed he tried to do whenever he could make an excuse was hold hands. He would always pull her somewhere, just to feel the warmth of her hand in his. Luna paid no attention to Harry's want to hold her hand and always let him without question; he figured his feeling to hold her hand would go away when he met the perfect person for him.
So Harry," Luna started, "Do you still like Cho Chang?"
"What?" Harry asked, waking from his dreamland he had escaped to.
"Do you still like Cho Chang? You two dated and I wondered if you still liked her now that you are broken up," Luna replied.
"Why do you want to know?" Harry asked, opening his eyes to stare at his blonde-haired friend.
"Well Cho still likes you and now that enough time has passed for her to get over Cedric, I was just wondering if you still liked her," Luna replied.
"I haven't thought about Cho and me getting back together but yeah, I guess I still like her, but not the way I used to. Those feelings kinda went away," Harry replied, sitting up.
"That isn't what Cho think," Luna answered making Harry sigh; he didn't want to talk about this anymore but he knew Luna wouldn't give up 'til she was satisfied with his answer.
"What answer are you looking for here Luna?" Harry asked, locking eyes with her.
"She said that you were staring at her at all the meals the other day," Luna replied with the same calm serene look on her face, she wasn't upset about it, it was like she was simply curious and didn't have a hidden meaning, which most the time she did.
Harry rolled his eyes and sighed, sitting next to Luna to show that this was his answer on the subject.
"The feelings I have for Cho are not the same as what I feel for you."
"Friendship?" Luna wondered.
"What?" Harry asked confused.
"The feelings you have for Cho are not the same as the feelings you have for me, so that would be friendship right? So you do like her?" Luna asked.
"No, no. no," Harry shook his head trying to gather his thoughts.
"You're flustered I see," Luna smiled dreamily, "You do like her."
"No. no. no," Harry replied again, "You are a friend to me, but Cho is like an acquaintance, what we have is deep friendship-unbreakable," Harry replied with a stutter at the beginning and a nervous smile at the end.
Luna nodded and Harry sat in his original spot, falling into a comfortable silence. They sat in silence a lot of the time, enjoying the time they could spend alone together.
"You know Harry, we should go swimming," Luna suggested, sitting up.
"Luna are you crazy, its October and freezing," Harry laughed.
"Oh ye of little faith," Luna smiled and pulled Harry out of the trees, pushing him into the lake.
"Luna!" Harry yelled before his entire body was under water, "Luna!" Harry yelled when he came up for air.
"Yes?" Luna called from the ledge where she pushed him in, trying to contain her laugh.
"What did you do that for?"
"Spontaneity," Luna shrugged.
"Spontaneity?" Harry asked, walking on the rocks, his school robes drenched.
"Yes," Luna replied.
"I see," Harry nodded and took his glasses off, trying to get them dry.
"You know you can't dry your glasses with a wet cloak.," Luna smiled.
"Oh yeah?" Harry asked, masking his idiocy.
"Yes," Luna nodded.
"well I would ask to borrow your cloak but it's wet too," Harry shrugged.
"Where?" Luna asked and Harry hugged her, jumping in the water a moment later.
Harry came up for air and looked for Luna but had horrible trouble as he lost his glasses in the jump.
"Looking for me?" Luna asked.
"Whoa," Harry yelped, turning around so fast it made his head hurt.
"Don't hurt yourself," Luna smiled.
"Without my glasses I get dizzy," Harry shrugged and Luna nodded,
"We will have to fix that," Luna smiled and handed Harry his glasses.
"Thief," Harry joked.
"if the shoe fits," Luna nodded, "Thank goodness I wear half a size too big."
"Ha ha," Harry laughed sarcastically and Luna took her cloak off, throwing it on shore.
"Are you that cold in the water?" Luna asked and Harry looked at her strangely, "It's not that cold in the water Harry and your still wearing your cloak,."
"Oh yeah, it's cold." Harry nodded.
"Alright Harry," Luna nodded and dropped under the water.
Harry let out his breath and slipped his cloak off, throwing it next to Luna's to dry.
"Is your wand in there?" Luna asked and Harry stared at her, "In your cloak,"
"Crap," Harry snapped and ran to his cloak.
"Cause if it falls in the water," Luna called and Harry looked over at her where his wand was being held hostage, "That would not be good."
"Really?" Harry asked, walking back into the water, the cold air giving him goose bumps, "And what will it take to get back my wand?" Harry asked.
"Something amazing because this is your lifeline half the time," Luna demanded and Harry pulled her close to him.
"Really?" Harry asked and Luna nodded.
"Well then I think I know what to promise," Harry replied.
"What?" Luna asked.
"All the hot cider you want every night," Harry answered and Luna thought about it.
"Done," Luna replied and handed over Harry's wand.
"Thank you," Harry whispered not letting go of her.
"You're welcome," Luna smiled and Harry's lips met hers a moment later, "That's a new way to thank someone," Luna whispered when they pulled away.
"Uh yeah," Harry nodded and pulled away, putting his emotions back in order, "Must have gotten carried away.
"It's the cold, it does wonders," Luna nodded and Harry noticed her shivering.
"We're gonna get sick," Harry laughed.
"Well then I know what we need," Luna replied.
"Hot cider?" Harry suggested.
"Mind reader are you?" Luna asked skeptically.
"Yes," Harry nodded, "But don't tell anyone," Harry laughed.
"I wont," Luna agreed and they began walking.
"Hey Luna?" Harry asked and Luna looked up at him.
"Yes?"
"Can I hold your hand?"
"I don't see why not," Luna answered and Harry held onto her hand.
"So why don't you like Cho?" Luna asked as they drank in the kitchen.
"Why are you so obsessed with me and Cho?" Harry countered.
"I'm not, I just think that it is weird that you two haven't tried to get together again. She is pretty, popular, likes Quidditch, and a lot of other things you are," Luna answered.
"Someone completely different from you?" Harry asked and Luna nodded.
"Luna, Cho may be all those things but she isn't unique, isn't as beautiful as someone else, I don't care if she is popular, if she is the greatest Quidditch player in the world, and I need someone who will be okay if I have to run away and save the world," Harry explained.
"And do I fit that description?" Luna asked and Harry smirked.
"You are the one I am trying to describe," Harry answered and Luna smiled, "Luna I like you, I love when you talk sense, when you talk complete nonsense to an idiot like me and I love your oddness. I love that people don't understand you and I think you're more beautiful every day."
"Okay," Luna replied after a silence, "We should head to bed."
"Okay," Harry agreed but couldn't help but feel that Luna was avoiding the issue he was trying to bring up.
"Well night Harry," Luna waved and walked away from Harry.
"Night Luna," Harry replied and tilt his head back in frustration.
The next morning Harry met Luna in the Great hall and sat next to her with a smile, "Morning dreamy girl,"
"Hello hero," Luna greeted.
"So I was thinking last night, when did you take your O.W.L's?" Harry asked.
"Right when School started, I need to graduate a year ahead of time and Dumbledore allowed met he leeway to do that," Luna answered.
"And your dad is okay with that?" Harry asked and Luna nodded.
"It was his idea, see my mom had a library full of books and I read them after she died, one by one, remembering what Rowena Ravenclaw said about wit. I would spend hours reading and soon I ran out of things to read and bought books at Flourish and Blotts," Luna explained.
"Wow, you're talented," Harry smiled.
"No, just curious," Luna corrected and stuck egg in her mouth.
"Well I'm impressed by your curiosity," Harry laughed and Luna shrugged.
"So are you taking sixth year classes the whole year?" Harry asked.
"Yes, because I passed the O.W.L's with perfection, according to Flitwick, I was able to just become a sixth year.
"So really you are as smart as Hermione," Harry asked.
"No, she is smarter than me in ways," Luna replied.
"But you are just as smart?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Luna nodded.
"Another Hermione, wow."
"I am not another Hermione," Luna replied, "She is daft and cannot see past what she reads."
"No that is not what I meant," Harry took back what he said, "I didn't mean it like that all."
"I know," Luna sighed, "Hermione just happens to push my buttons."
"She does have to be right," Harry laughed and Luna grabbed her toast.
"I agree," Luna smiled and turned back to her magazine, leaving Harry to smile at her moments longer.