A/N: I am so very – did I mention very? – sorry that it took so long with this update. I've had most of this chapter sitting dormant in my usb for a very long time. I've finally went – literally – rummaging for it, polished it up a little and now here it is! The next chapter, hopefully, will follow within the next week.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto and have not made, nor will I ever make any profit from them.

Chapter 5- I've Heard of Mood Rings But…

"From this point forth, we shall be leaving the firm foundation of fact and journeying together through the murky marshes of memory into thickets of wildest guesswork."- Albus Dumbledore

888888888888888

"Here it is!" Naruto announce loudly as he pushed open a door. The wood creaked loudly and even as the young man puffed out his chest, the two adults behind him saw him wince at the sound. "It's not much but I'm sure-" He was suddenly cut off by a loud noise, like a dying screech, soon followed by the distinct sound of wood splintering. Naruto, Harry and Luna watched in a mix of surprise and amazement as the recently opened door ripped out its own hinges and fell heavily in front of them. The small dust storm that followed left them blind for a few minutes, coughing into their sleeves. When it finally settled enough to see, Naruto's shoulders were slumped and his eyes nearly spiraled with the dismay in them.

"Sorry, Harry-san, Luna-san."

"Oh, I think it will work fine," said Luna. Naruto's head popped up in surprise. Somehow the blonde woman had managed to get past him and into the room without him hearing a thing. That little detail didn't cross his mind for very long, however, as he finally got a good look at the room.

"Eh? Luna-san, are you sure?" he asked. Dust still covered most of the room but he could make out the mess even through the thick layers. The kitchen area was cluttered with boxes from previous tenants and Naruto was sure he saw a few crusted pans in the sink. The chaos from the kitchen melted into the living area's mess, which consisted mainly of collapsed furniture. There was graffiti on the walls and a suspicious black spot in the far corner. A few doors led to other areas in the apartment, all of which Naruto suspected looked just as bad if not worse than what was in front of them. Luna seemed excited by the room, even in its current condition, though. Naruto couldn't see any reason why.

"It definitely needs some work though, doesn't it?" Harry asked. He gently nudged Naruto forward and they both passed into the room. Naruto tilted his head back to give the man a questioning look. He got a smile and another nudge in return before Harry said anything. "It's not the best I've seen but it can be fixed up. Luna and I have gotten rather good at making places like this seem almost like home."

Luna had crossed the room to the kitchen sink where she tugged on the faucet only to find that it screeched with lack of use and didn't budge farther than a few centimeters. A thin stream of water trickled out for a second and then stopped. Naruto winced again. His spirits were sinking lower but Luna seemed unaffected. She was grinning widely, and her eyes gleamed.

"This is going to be fun. I've never fixed a sink before," Luna said. Naruto's face scrunched up in his familiar look of confusion. How was fixing a sink going to be fun? He heard his name being called from somewhere off to his right, halting the young shinobi's thoughts. He jumped, turning in that direction to see one of the doors open. Harry wasn't in sight so Naruto made his way towards it, assuming he'd find the man somewhere in there.

Naruto heard the warning snap of rotting wood on his third step and only had a second to think before it began to collapse. Fortunately, his ninja instincts kicked in and he managed to leap forward but the wood where he landed next was just as bad. The young blonde boy let out a noise that he would later deny ever making, as he forced himself forward again and again until he ended up sticking himself to the ceiling by his hands and feet. There, he let out a quick puff of air, relieved.

"That was amazing, Naruto." The young boy tilted his head back, looking down – or up, technically – at Luna as she moved towards him. He looked at the damage that had been dealt, all of which Luna was stepping around like a strange game of hopscotch. He could see up – or rather, directly down. He wasn't really sure which it should be. – her nose as she stopped directly below him. "You looked like you were dancing."

Harry's head popped out from the doorway Naruto had been attempting to reach, worry shadowing his features. He looked first at the damaged floor and then followed Luna's gaze to the ceiling.

"You alright, Naruto?"

"Y-Yeah," Naruto replied. He carefully aimed for the floor near Luna and jumped. The floor was stable there and he landed without any issues as the taller blonde smiled at him.

"I didn't know ninjas could do that. Is that a common ability?" Naruto nodded as he heard Harry move closer to where they stood.

"That was quite impressive," Harry said, which was all that Naruto needed to eagerly tell them about how he'd learned to do it. He ended the story by telling them how he'd recently learned how to walk and run on water, stating that fact with obvious pride. Harry and Luna actually looked impressed, which made the young shinobi's chest expand even more.

"You'll have to tell us more about the ways of the ninja soon," Harry said. "For now, I think we should see the landlord about renting this place."

"Uh, Harry-san?" Naruto looked pointedly at the floor that was doing a good impression of Swiss cheese. The older man seemed to understand the unsaid words and waved his hand as if that would dismiss the issue of the gaping holes in the apartment floor.

"Don't worry about that. We'll be able to fix it. Just, follow our lead so there isn't a repeat of your last performance." Naruto blushed, but followed Harry and Luna out of the apartment, matching them footstep for footstep so that he made it safely past the weak spots in the flooring. He probably should have wondered how they managed to know exactly where to step, but the young ninja was more concerned with how his new friends were going to live in the place. Sure, he really wanted them to live nearby and he'd been more than willing to lead them to his apartment building, but Naruto hadn't realized that the apartment had been so bad. But, Harry and Luna had seen what he'd seen – and more, considering Naruto had never actually managed to make it to the room Harry had been in – and they now looked pleased with it. Naruto shrugged, and took them to the next floor where the landlord lived.

8888888888888888

The landlord had been a little bewildered that Harry and Luna were so eager to sign a lease on such a rundown apartment. They had gone through with the paperwork though and had made their payments. The old landlord wasn't going to argue against an easy profit so he took their money and kept his mouth shut.

Naruto was going to follow them back to the apartment and help clean up but Harry stopped him. Luna continued without them, not even glancing back at the two paused figures. The young shinobi had the feeling that she knew exactly what was going on though. Naruto just looked at Harry, confused. He was finding himself more confused lately because of these two.

"Why don't you come with me, Naruto?"

"Eh, where are we going?"

"We'll need supplies, won't we?" Harry asked.

"Ah, right," Naruto said, pounding a fist into his palm. He looked down the hall again though, looking for Luna. "What about Luna-san?"

"She'll be fine on her own," Harry replied as he nudged the boy forward. "She's just going to fix up the apartment as much as she can before we get back. Come on."

An hour later Naruto was following behind Harry as they made their way back up to the apartment. Each was carrying a few bags filled with items Harry had picked from the stores they had gone to. Most of it was food and, Naruto was surprised, there was a very little amount of cleaning supplies or any sort of materials for repairs in their purchases. He was still gathering the courage to question Harry's purchases when they reached the right floor. When Naruto saw the door, it was his first sign that things were going to get more confusing.

"Eh?" He made the confused noise as he looked at the now fully intact front door. Not only was it attached properly to the frame, the wood looked new and painted in a deep blue with a bronze trimming. An metal eagle, frozen with its wings spread wide adorned the center of the door.

"Merlin, she's getting me back for that chair isn't she?" Harry said, groaning as he stared at the door. Naruto was going to ask him about the chair but he never got a chance to as Harry swung the door open in front of them.

"Harry, Naruto, you're back!" Luna called from somewhere within the apartment. Naruto wasn't paying attention though as he was still gaping at what he was seeing. The floor was completely repaired; it didn't even look like it had ever been damaged, and practically sparkled in light coming from new light fixtures on the ceiling. The kitchen was clean, well lit and the living area was separated from it by a room divider for some privacy. The colors inside the apartment were neutral. There wasn't any sign of the blue and bronze from the doorway but the theme of eagles continued throughout the apartment as well as a few lions thrown into the design.

Naruto and Harry assumed that Luna was somewhere in the living area or one of the rooms so they headed in that direction after setting the food in the kitchen. They heard a faint clink as they passed the dividers, bringing their attention to the corner of the room. There sat Luna, pouring a cup of tea as she sat on a brand new sofa. She wasn't alone though, much to Naruto's surprise and Harry's amusement.

Sasuke sat stiffly at the opposite end of the piece of furniture, as far as he possibly could be from Luna without winding up on the floor. He was holding a teacup, much like the one that Luna had just poured except it was a fluorescent pink rather than the white porcelain of the other. Luna took a sip from another cup she had set at her side, showing that this one was a bright shade of yellow.

"Eh, Sasuke?" Naruto said, looking at the boy in question. "What are you doing here?"

"He dropped by while you were shopping," Luna said, gesturing towards Sasuke with her free hand. Sasuke was in the middle of taking a steady sip of his tea and, much to Naruto's surprise, the teacup turned a deeper shade of pink, almost turning red. The dark haired boy scowled and set the cup roughly down, taking his hand away as if it were burnt.

"Luna," Harry said, giving the woman in question a look that was a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Yes?" She answered. Her eyes held what seemed like a challenge, though it was almost masked with her own enjoyment at the situation.

"Is our young guest aware of why his teacup is changing colors?" Sasuke was now eyeing the very teacup, looking as if he had no intention of picking it up even if his last shuriken was under it in a brutal battle. Naruto inched towards one of the two remaining teacups on the table that had been recently filled. The one that Luna had been pouring fresh tea into and another by its side were both still hot if the tendrils of steam curling up from them were any indication. Both were also still a normal shade of white. The blonde boy picked one up and brought it cautiously to his lips. When he took a slow drink he saw the color change instantly out of the corner of his eyes. When he brought it down, it was an odd shade of orange.

"Someone's curious," Luna said, drawing the attention from the cup to her. Both boys stared as if she'd told them milk was green.

"And a little wary as well," Harry said as he stepped forward to take the remaining cup. He took a seat in an armchair right beside Luna's side of the couch, gesturing for Naruto to take a seat on the sofa as he continued. "The color that your teacup acquires reveals what emotions you are feeling at the very moment you take a sip. It was a gift from an old professor. He enjoyed dinner parties and anything that could… liven' them up."

Harry took a slow sip from his own cup. Naruto and Sasuke watched with extreme confusion and curiosity as it didn't change color. Luna brought her own cup to her lips and it changed back to the original color as well. Harry and Luna seemed to exchange a knowing gaze while the two boys grew more curious. When Harry turned his attention back to them they were more than ready to hear more of an explanation.

"There is a catch to these, of course," Harry said. "They only read surface emotions which can be concealed or manipulated with some work, just like if one were to hide their real physical reactions from an enemy." He took a drink again and the color changed to a sunny yellow, much like Luna's had been before.

"It takes a little while to get the hang of it but it's rather fun once you know how to change the color at will," Luna said, demonstrating by taking a sip herself and having it change to purple. Naruto followed their lead and took another sip of his tea, watching as it turned to a brighter shade of orange. The boy grinned and did it again, this time seeing it turn a similar shade of yellow as Harry's. Beside the blonde boy, Sasuke had picked up his own. He stared at it long and hard before he took a slow sip from it, letting his face fall blank of expression as he did. When the color changed to a murky brown the boy nearly glared at the teacup.

"What's that color mean?" Naruto asked, looking at Sasuke's teacup.

"You were trying to clear away all your emotions, weren't you?" Harry asked Sasuke. The boy gave a short nod in answer. "You achieved the opposite with your technique. You brought more emotions to the surface and ended up with that color."

"How do I do it?" Sasuke asked. It was the first thing he'd said since they'd arrived, and probably the first thing since he'd arrived as well. Naruto was still trying to think of why Sasuke would be there. Nothing was coming to mind.

"You're good at concealing your emotions physically but you can't simply conceal emotions inside your head like hiding behind a stiff expression. The more you think about hiding them the more prominent they become." Harry said. He was watching the dark haired boy who was taking his words rather seriously. A frown came over the man's face, as if he didn't quite like what he was seeing.

"I have to stop concentrating?" Sasuke said with a tone of disbelief.

"The best way to get rid of something sometimes is to pretend that it doesn't exist." Luna said, earning another strange look from the boys. Harry smiled in response though, standing as he set down his tea.

"I think it's getting late," Harry said. "I'm sure you two haven't had much time to rest since you've gotten back."

"I guess so," Naruto mumbled, sounding disappointed.

"Will you have breakfast in the morning with us, Naruto-kun? Sasuke-kun?" Luna asked, causing Naruto to pause and Sasuke to tense further. A grin spread across Naruto's face though as he happily accepted the invitation. Sasuke gave a curt nod and quickly headed towards the exit, dragging Naruto with him. The blonde boy scowled at his rough handling but still managed to turn and give his two new friends a bright smile, waving as he disappeared past the corner. When the two left in the room heard the soft thud of a door they exchanged a knowing look. Harry settled down on the couch next to Luna, considerably closer than Sasuke had been. Of course, the young shinobi had practically been on the couch arm and he would have been if his pride hadn't kept him from doing so.

"That was… enlightening," Harry said.

"Did you see how pink and red Sasuke-kun's cup turned? I didn't know someone could be so angry and embarrassed at the same time." Luna said.

"And it seems that Naruto had some fun," Harry said, glancing at Naruto's teacup which was now slowly fading back to its original color. "What was Sasuke doing in our apartment, by the way?"

"I invited him in," Luna said. "He seemed lonely out on the side of the building."

"Spying?" Harry asked.

"He's very suspicious of us, I think," Luna said in reply.

"And I think we may have made it worse. He doesn't seem the type to rattle off questions but I have the feeling that he's going to spend the entire breakfast time observing us. Who knows, maybe the way we hold our forks will somehow confirm some suspicion that we're enemy spies."

"He can't be that bad, Harry," Luna said in a scolding tone, swatting at his arm. Harry snorted, showing an expression that held nostalgia and another undecipherable emotion that made Luna's playful smile fall a little.

"Do you remember how many times I thought I was sure of something and it turned out to be completely wrong?" Luna leaned over and placed a hand on top of Harry's tensed hand, squeezing it gently. She watched him until he seemed to relax a little from the comfort of her touch.

"You need to get some sleep before tomorrow," she said. The blonde witch drew her wand from the pocket of her skirt and with a quick flick the tea set vanished. She tucked away her wand again and gave Harry's shoulder a soft poke. "Come on."

The raven-haired man rose, pouting a little as if the prodding of his companion had hurt. When the look didn't seem to affect her, Harry finally let the events of the day wash over him. For the first time he looked exhausted and he had to hold back a yawn as he knew Luna would only poke him more until he reached the closest bed.

It was the one habit she seemed to have picked up from every other female in Harry's life, making sure he got his rest. He might have complained in the past but he knew she was only looking out for him, especially when they were doing what they did. Less sleep meant less focus and that led to mistakes. He couldn't afford mistakes for the past five years now, even more so than when he'd been fighting Voldemort.

"You've gotten pretty good at this mother hen-ning of yours," Harry said, smirking when he saw that his words managed to make Luna's eyes widen as she stared at him. She almost looked like a surprised, blonde owl.

"I hope you don't mean that," she said. "Mother hens are rather vicious creatures."

"Remind me never to call Hermione one to her face then," Harry replied, realizing she must have gotten her image of a mother hen from how Hermione reacted to Ron's stupid, sometimes dangerous, actions through the years.

A/N: I can't believe it took me so long to write this chapter. Again, I apologize. Tune in next week! And, reviews are quite welcome!