"I won't change anything in my life. I'm staying myself tonight." -Demi Lovato (La La Land)
The lion hat I was making was mostly finished by the match that weekend. The only thing I didn't have time to do was put the snake in the lion's mouth. That was mostly due to how much time I was spending with Neville. It was time that I would have normally had otherwise to myself, but I wasn't complaining. I still did like to spend time on my own, just thinking, or relaxing, but I was always looking forward to spending as much time with Neville as I could. He actually helped me finish my lion hat. I brought it to a corner of the library and we finished it together the night before the match.
The next morning, I sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. I figured it couldn't hurt to sit at a different table. It wasn't like I did it all the time. Plus, Ron was looking absolutely dreadful. Either he had a bad case of the nerves, or there were a serious amount of Wrackspurts around. I didn't have my Spectrespecs, so I couldn't check. Neville wasn't there yet, so I took a spot next to Ron. Harry was just passing Ron a glass and urging him to eat. The only problem was that I could have sworn I saw Harry surreptitiously pour something into Ron's drink.
"Hello everybody," I said. Ron paused with the glass halfway to his mouth and looked at me, giving me a small nod. He really did look awful. "You look dreadful, Ron," I told him. I looked back at Harry. "Is that why you put something in his cup? Was it a tonic?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said blankly, sticking a small vial into his pocket, which didn't go unnoticed by Hermione.
"The liquid luck from Slughorn! Ron, don't drink that pumpkin juice," she said.
Ron just stared at her, blinking slowly before downing the pumpkin juice in one gulp. I raised an eyebrow as a grin spread over his face. "Let's go," he said to Harry.
"Let's go," Harry repeated, smiling. They stood up and headed for the door.
"I should go too," Ginny said, adjusting her Quidditch uniform. "I'll see you later, Luna, Hermione." With that, she dashed off after the boys.
"So, that wasn't a tonic?" I asked Hermione, who was looking after Harry and Ron furiously.
"No," Hermione said. "It was liquid luck."
"How did Harry get liquid luck?" I asked.
"He used it already?" The voice came from behind me, and I turned to see Neville there in a jacket and his Gryffindor scarf.
"He poured it into Ron's drink," Hermione said. "Ron was nervous about the match, so Harry used the liquid luck, which is illegal and he knows it. He could get in serious trouble if he's caught."
"But who's going to know?" Neville asked with a small smile.
"He's a bad influence on you," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and smiling back as she stood up. I stood up as well and took Neville's hand.
"The hat looks great," he said, reaching up to touch part of the lion mane.
I tapped it with my wand and it let out a loud roar, attracting the attention of most of the people in the room. I smiled up at Neville after I glanced around at the many curious faces staring back at me. "The roar was effective."
"I can see that," he said.
We walked with Hermione down to the Quidditch pitch, talking about who would win: Gryffindor or Slytherin. We were desperately hoping that it wouldn't be Slytherin, but Ron did always seem to have a problem with nerves, which raised our doubts.
"Except for if Harry really did use the liquid luck," Neville said, "Gryffindor will win because they'll get lucky."
"I can see why it's illegal to use it during instances like this," I said. "It really isn't fair, but today I don't mind so much. I'd honestly like to see Gryffindor beat Slytherin."
"You're not the only one," Neville said.
"But Harry could get in serious trouble," Hermione said.
"I believe you've said that quite a few times," I reminded her with a smile.
"And I still say who's going to know?" Neville asked.
"Don't you think it'll be suspicious when Ron saves every single goal?"
"No," I said.
Neville grinned. "Don't doubt him so much Hermione."
"I don't doubt him!" Hermione said. "I just—he gets nervous. He's a very good player, when there aren't so many people watching him."
"We know that," Neville said.
"Why don't we just watch the game and pretend Ron is playing normally?" I asked. "Technically, I suppose he is playing normally because if he's a good player when not many people are watching, the liquid luck made him play like he usually does, but now he can do it in front of people. I hope that made sense out loud, because it made sense in my head."
"It made sense," Neville said.
"I suppose you have a point," Hermione said as we climbed the stairs into the stands, "but it's still illegal. Professor Slughorn told us so, and now Ron's going to be convinced that the only way he can actually play is if he's lucky or under some spell or potion."
"Well, he won't be getting any spells or potions to make him play better if you have your way," Neville said, leaning against the railing of the stands and looking down towards the ground. I stood next to him and looked down. I had always loved being high up in the stands. My lion hat slipped a little over my eyes and I had to reach up to steady it.
"You know," Neville said, "we could have made this a little lighter. It looks like it's a little heavy for you."
"Oh, no, it's not too bad. It just moves around if I move my head too much. Thank you for caring so much, though."
"Why wouldn't I care?" Neville teased, trailing his fingers up and down my arm. "I'm always going to care about you, Luna. You should be used to that by now."
"I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to it," I whispered. "Not that people don't care about me. That's not what I'm trying to say. My dad does, and my mum, before she died, but I just meant at school, most people ignored me for five years except for Ginny. Then you came along, and Harry, Ron and Hermione and I like having you all around. I care about you all quite a bit as well."
"That's very sweet," Hermione said. Apparently she had overheard me.
"Yes, well, it's the truth," I said with a smile.
Hermione smiled and nodded but that's all she had time for because the match was beginning.
Unsurprisingly, Ron saved every single goal. He looked very pleased with himself, despite the fact that he knew Harry had put liquid luck in his drink. I didn't blame him and I couldn't help but smile at Ron's grin, visible even from the stands.
Gryffindor won the match. While the Slytherins immediately began sulking, Neville grabbed me in a hug and spun me around before putting me down and kissing me. "I think your hat was a good luck charm," he whispered.
"In that case, should I wear it to the next match Gryffindor plays?"
"I think so," Neville said, taking my hand as we left the stands. Hermione had gone on ahead to find Harry and Ron to congratulate them. There was also no doubt she was going to scold Harry further about using the liquid luck.
"Unless the match is against Ravenclaw," I said. "Then, I'll have to make a different hat to support my own house."
"Understandable," Neville nodded.
"Nice hat!" The familiar voice of Pansy Parkinson came from behind us. Neville scowled and turned around.
"Yes, it is nice," he said seriously, holding his wand tighter.
"It roars, too," I said, raising my own wand to demonstrate, but Neville reached out and lowered my hand.
"Don't give them any more reason to taunt you," he whispered.
"Oh, it's all in good fun," I said as Pansy moved on. Professor McGonagall had just come within earshot and she clearly didn't want a detention.
"Luna," Neville said quietly, turning me to face him and putting his hands on my shoulders. He sighed and rested his forehead against mine.
"It's okay, Neville," I said. "The teasing doesn't bother me."
"We talked about this, though. It bothers me."
"Don't let it," I shrugged. "Don't let people teasing me bother you and don't let anybody teasing you bother you."
Neville pulled his head back and looked down at me.
"Yes, I've heard the Slytherins taunting you on some occasions," I said, "but-,"
"You don't care?" Neville asked, sounding a little hurt.
"No, it's not that," I said quickly. "It's just that I don't think I should tell the Slytherins off when they won't change anyway. Plus, I know what they say isn't true. It never has been and it never will be. Your friends know it's not true as well and you know it's not true. That's all that matters and in the end, you'll be getting the last laugh. My mother used to say that a lot. She used to tell me to just be myself. She was very into that kind of thing."
Neville was giving me a small smile. "It seems that you're a lot like her."
"That's such a compliment," I said quietly. "My dad says I'm a lot like her, too. He says I look like her as well." I took Neville's hand and we started walking again.
"Do you have any pictures of her?" Neville asked.
"Oh yes, I can't believe I've never shown you one, but I have two that are very special. One I bring back and forth to school with me and the other stays home in my room. I'll have to show you the one I have here at school."
"I'd love to see it," Neville said. We had almost reached the castle by now and suddenly, Hermione came running out of the changing rooms, her eyes full of tears.
"What happened?" I asked, tilting my head curiously.
She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and sniffed. "Harry didn't really give Ron any of the Felix Felicis. He only pretended to so that Ron would be more confident."
"That's brilliant," Neville said, shaking his head in awe. "It worked too!"
"Of course it did," Hermione said with a tiny laugh, sniffing again.
"But then why are you crying?" I asked, reaching out with my free hand to gently pat her shoulder.
"Ron didn't think I thought he could play. You two know I don't think that. I had just finished telling you I knew he could play."
"We know that," I said, nodding. "I'm sure Ron does too."
"No he doesn't," Hermione said. "He just knows how to make me upset and I don't know if I can take it anymore." With that, she turned on her heel and marched into the castle.
"Hey, we're going to have a party in the common room to celebrate," Dean said to Neville as he raced by. "Ron's even going to go get food. He says he knows where the entrance to the kitchens is. I guess Fred and George must've told him before they left."
"Okay," Neville agreed. "I'll be up in a minute." Dean disappeared around the corner and Neville turned to me, smirking. We both knew where the entrance to the kitchens was, but nobody else knew that. Everyone else thought it was one big secret that the Weasley twins kept, but they weren't the only ones that knew.
"A party sounds lovely," I said. "I hope you have fun."
"It would be more fun if you were able to come," he said, twirling a piece of my hair in his fingers.
"I've never gone to a party before," I said. Neville looked even guiltier now but I just smiled. "Just pretend I'm there," I said, shrugging.
"Oh, yes, I'll look real sane staring off to the side and making facial expressions as if I'm listening to you talk," Neville laughed.
"You don't have to do any of that," I said. "Pretend only in here." I tapped his head and smiled.
"I'll be sure to eat some food for you," Neville said. "Whatever looks the best out of what Ron brings back."
"Okay," I agreed. "You know what my favorites are."
"I do," Neville nodded.
I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him goodbye. He wrapped his arms around me and I smiled.
"Do I have to go to the party?" Neville mumbled.
"You do because you'll have fun and I want you to go."
"What are you going to do?"
"I might go pay a visit to the thestrals and do some thinking. Thinking is exercise for the brain. Dad told me that."
"Of course he did," Neville said with a small laugh. He gave me another quick kiss and headed up the stairs, turning at the top to wave to me. I waved back before turning around and heading back outside.
A/N: Sorry about the slow update. I'm going to try to update quicker, but I've been really busy lately. Thanks for being so patient though! And thanks for all the reviews and adds to story alerts and favorite lists.