A/N: Luna shares a kiss with Neville under the stars. Neville/Luna. AU. RxR. FxF.
Submission for:
The "As Many As You Want" Competition: wish upon a star, point, after the kiss, cloak
Hogwarts Casino 2014 Challenge/Competition: Roulette - Write about an innocent love
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Luna exited the grand ballroom and walked up to stand beside the lone figure hunched over the balcony railing. She pulled her thin cloak a bit closer to her as she stared out at the white snow blanketing the lawn. She saw his shoulders slump in his sharp black suit and her heart went out to him.
She and her friends had been invited some function being held by the Ministry as they had gained some notoriety after the war. She had seen when the man had separated from the crowd to get some time to himself, but she had a feeling that he still needed someone. He needed someone to lean on and to be a listening ear. They had had moments like this before and it seemed she had a knack for bringing the young man out of his despair. He found something comforting about her and Luna was all too happy to help.
They stood outside for awhile, just standing in silence but Luna didn't mind. Sometimes that's all people really needed. She had learnt that from her own personal experiences. When he mother had died when she was a child, everyone began doting and worrying about her. What would they do with Xeno's little girl now that she had no mother to take care of her? They may have thought their concern was appreciated, but Luna hated it. She would lock herself away whenever the friends and relatives would squeeze themselves into her small house. Her father accepted the sympathetic words but he understood his daughter's behaviour. He never pushed her to talk about it and it was on her own time that she came to him. They talked about everything, laughed and cried about the wonderful woman that they had been lucky to have in their lives before agreeing that she would have wanted them to be happy and move on. She smiled at the memory and continued to wait. She would give her friend all the time he needed. Maybe they would get nowhere tonight, but at least she had been there.
There was a sharp intake of breath before he turned towards her. Luna turned slowly, reading his mood before offering him a soft smile. He took her hand and said, "Thank you for just being here with me right now. It's just been a bit rough lately and I couldn't stand the stuffiness of that party."
She smiled and took his hand, "Thank you for letting me be here with you, Neville. I understand."
"I can't take just how fake everything seems. We fought and ended a war that's still fresh in my mind, but in there, they're worried about the latest hot couple of the year. It just doesn't seem significant in the grand scheme of things."
Luna nodded before squeezing his hand, "Some people have different methods of getting over their grief. They may choose to distract themselves with frivolous things so they don't have to think about the negative side of things, but at the same time, if we dwell on the past, we'll never move forward. We should put those memories behind us, but never forget them because they shaped us and made us stronger. We must move forward and take chances for now we have all the time in the world. There's no evil demons breathing down or necks, so I think that would be a good thing to be thankful for."
He nodded and was about to say something else when Luna looked over his shoulder to point up to the sky. Neville turned to see a white line streak across the sky. She tugged his hand and then shut her eyes, urging him to do the same. He chuckled before complying. Leave it to Luna to make something so silly as to wish upon a star so exciting.
They both opened their eyes and Luna asked, "What did you wish for?"
He smiled and said, "This," before cupping her face and placing his lips on hers softly. After the kiss, he lingered above her lips and said, "You said we should take chances."