Written for the Famous Witches and Wizards Card Challenge (Theme: Romance. Additional prompt: archive)

Stars and Lakes

"Hermione, I know you believe different, but the library doesn't have the answer to every… thing."

Rather than following Hermione to the Herbology section, Ron stopped, turning his attention the other way. He hadn't noticed her there immediately, but now that he could see her, he found himself completely distracted.

Almost on the complete opposite side to where Hermione was trying to force him and Harry to finish their Herbology essays, Luna Lovegood stood with a pile of books. They were floating beside her as she placed them each in their respective homes on the shelves.

"That's the archive section," Hermione said shortly. "One of a kind books. Now, are you coming, Ron?" She often became short with him when she caught him staring at Luna.

But, Herbology was far from Ron's mind. Instead, he was making his way over to where Luna was assisting Madam Pince by delicately placing the books where they belonged.

"Oh, hello, Ron," Luna said kindly when she spotted him. She gave him a small smile. "It's unusual seeing you in the library."

Ron considered lying to her, telling her he had come to see her; but then he thought better of it. Luna was a mystery to him. She probably wouldn't understand what he meant.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Homework, you know?" He shrugged, indicating to where Hermione and Harry were still seated. Every so often, Hermione was sending him a reproachful look.

"Well, I mustn't keep you," Luna said, waving to Hermione and Harry. "That, and Madam Pince wouldn't be very happy to find out I've been slacking in my job. She pays me, you know? Five Galleons a week to ensure the archive is kept clean and tidy. She doesn't trust many but herself with them, because they're so unique, but I have shown that I take great care of them."

Ron didn't want to leave just yet, and it wasn't because he didn't want to start the Herbology essay. "Do you want to show me one?" he asked.

Luna contemplated his question. "Well, you do need permission to read them," she informed him after a moment. "And Madam Pince doesn't just loan them to anybody. You need to show a studious attitude and that you take great care of the regular books." She hesitated, but maintained the smile she had worn from the moment he had approached her. "Is that you, Ron?"

Ron wanted to tell her yes, but the look on her face told him she already knew the answer to her question. He decided to take a different approach. "Well, when you're done, Luna, would you like to take a walk with me?" His face was a nice shade of red by now, surprised at himself for being so blunt.

"Oh, that would be lovely!" Luna said cheerfully. "Where would the walk be?"

Ron thought quickly. "Around the lake?"

"Wonderful!" Luna said. "Just let me finish this, and I'll be right over." She waved to Harry and Hermione, but only Harry waved back. "I don't think your friend, Hermione, likes me," she commented.

Ron waved her away. "She's just busy," he said, feeling pleased with himself. Had he just asked Luna out on a date? "Well, see you soon, Luna," he added, and returned to his friends, suddenly feeling like he could write the two-foot essay in half an hour.

"Interrupting her while she's working, Ron," Hermione tutted when he reached them.

"Who cares, Hermione?" Ron said, unable to control the grin that had spread across his face. "Anyway, she didn't mind. Afterwards, we're going for a walk around the lake."

Hermione didn't say anything.

…

Despite having been excited about the prospect of meeting Luna by the lake, and then going for a walk with her, now that he was there, Ron wanted nothing more than to go and hide. As he waited, he fidgeted. He told himself it was just a walk, but then the thought of maybe holding her hand popped into his mind.

And then his heart started going at a million miles per hour and he wanted to go and hide again.

That was the circular thought process that he had for the fifteen minutes he waited.

And then, of course, Malfoy showed up.

"Well, well," he mocked, his fellow cronies following closely behind him, "Weasley is going on a date." He reached Ron now, folding his arms across his chest and giving Ron a mocking look.

Of all the things Ron wanted to say to Malfoy in that moment, what came out of his mouth was not one of them. "How'd you find out?" he asked, stifling a groan. Of all the people to catch him there….

Malfoy laughed. "Lovegood's telling the world," he said. "Seems to think highly of you, Weasley. When I first heard, I thought why on earth would anybody want to go out with you. And then when I heard it was Lovegood, I thought some more and decided you two were the perfect match. After all, everybody deserves love, don't they?" He, and Crabbe and Goyle, all laughed at the apparent joke.

Ron scowled. "Shove off, Malfoy."

"Oh, look," Malfoy continued, turning his head in the direction of the castle, "she's skipping here now. My, my, she must fancy you."

"Shove. Off. Malfoy," Ron said through gritted teeth. He was right, though. Luna was coming towards him quite briskly, and his heart gave a lurch, almost out of his chest.

"It just so happens that Crabbe and Goyle wished to go for a walk, too," Malfoy answered mildly. "Who knows, we may run into each other."

"Don't you have better things to do?" Ron asked coldly, eyeing Luna as she drew nearer.

"No, we often go for walks," Malfoy responded, and Crabbe and Goyle nodded.

Ron sighed as Luna approached. She was looking at the Slytherins, though.

"Oh, hello, Draco," she said brightly. "And you, too, Gregory and Vincent."

Malfoy and his friends seemed rather taken aback by her speaking as she did, but Malfoy soon recovered. "Hello, Loony," he snarled.

Luna turned to Ron, ignoring Malfoy's remark. "Will they be joining us?"

"No," Ron said bitterly. "They're going for a walk around the lake, apparently. But that's okay, because thankfully that's not where we're going."

What he liked about Luna was that she simply accepted the sudden change of plans. "Okay," she responded.

"Come on." Ron gave a last, filthy, look to Malfoy, and began marching back towards the castle. Luna followed.

"This is a nice surprise," Luna said, jogging to catch up to him. "I suppose you changed your mind because they had come down there?"

Ron also liked the fact that Luna was smart.

"Idiots," Ron muttered. At least his nerves had disappeared now. He was just angry.

"They're not very nice, are they?" Luna continued. "You heard them, didn't you, Ron? They called me Loony Lovegood."

"I should have hexed them there," Ron said sharply.

"Oh, it's okay," Luna replied. "It happens."

At that, Ron stopped walking.

"What is it, Ron?" Luna asked, also stopping.

Ron turned to face the blonde-haired girl, staring at her with a bewildered expression. "It's not okay, Luna!" he said. "They shouldn't be calling you that."

Luna shook her head. "No, everybody does."

"Well, it's not right. They need to get to know you. You're smart, and funny, and you're really nice. Just because you don't see the world the way the rest of us do, doesn't mean you're strange." He was becoming redder with every word that flowed out of his mouth, but he didn't care. Not in this moment. After all, his words were causing Luna to smile at him.

"You're so sweet, Ron," she said.

They stood in silence for a few moments, until Luna spoke again. "Where are we going now?" she asked.

Ron didn't have an idea, which annoyed him. He wanted his first date – for that was what it was – with Luna to be perfect, but Malfoy had to ruin it.

"Well, you like Quidditch, don't you?" Luna asked, sensing his lack of ideas.

"Yes," Ron said, ears perking.

"Well, maybe you can teach me?" Luna offered. "I know nothing about Quidditch."

At the mention of the wizarding sport, Ron's mood improved drastically. Now grinning from ear to ear, he changed course and made his way to the Quidditch pitch. Luna needed to jog to keep up with his long strides as he rattled off everything he could think of about Quidditch and his favourite team, the Chudley Cannons.

"… and I know they aren't going to win this season or anything, but I feel they could really improve with Johns as their new Chaser next season. She's quick, and agile, and is good with the Quaffle. I've read about her."

Luna only smiled as they reached the Quidditch pitch. "I'm sure they'll do well next season," she assured him.

Ron beamed. "So, er, what do you want to know about Quidditch? We could start with the basics, like the positions. There's the Keeper, the Chasers, the –"

"I'd really like to sit in the stands and watch the stars," Luna interrupted.

"Beaters, the – oh, er, right." Ron glanced up to the place where the Gryffindors usually sat to watch the Quidditch matches. "Over there?" he asked, pointing.

"I was thinking so," Luna responded.

They began walking; Ron unsure of what Luna wanted to do exactly. He could talk all day about Quidditch, but he didn't know anything about stars. Astronomy wasn't exactly the most interesting subject for him.

"I like to sit and watch the stars, because they can tell stories," Luna said once they were seated. She tilted her head back as far as it would go and raised a finger.

Ron followed to where she was pointing. "Really?"

Luna returned her gaze to him, smiling. "Yes. Each star means something different to another. Firenze, when we had him for Divination, talked a lot of it. It's fascinating, really."

Ron could only nod. He had not found Firenze all that exciting either.

For a long time they sat in silence. Ron would glance every so often in Luna's direction, but it seemed that she was too fascinated by the sky to heed him much attention. He fought back a sigh. Malfoy just had to ruin everything, didn't he?

What surprised him, though, was when he had thought Luna hadn't noticed him, the third time he looked, she reached out her hand. She was still looking up to the sky, but her soft skin now closed round his rough, calloused hand.

His heart stilled.

"This is nice," she said. "And the stars are telling us, too."

Ron's eyes moved from where she was touching him, to where she was looking. "How so?" he wanted to know.

Luna's smile remained on her face as she pointed again, this time to their right. "When Saturn crosses with Orion, it means a great love is about to blossom."

Ron's cheeks tinged pink. "Oh… er… that's nice."

Luna turned to look at him. "That doesn't necessarily mean us," she assured him.

"Oh, right."

She smiled. "This is still nice."

"Yeah," Ron answered, looking down at their entwined hands. "So, it's been nice, huh?"

Luna laughed, and it was a nice laugh, Ron thought. "I just said that, Ron."

"Right." He shifted in his seat, unsure of how to continue the conversation. It seemed that Luna was unsure, too. It was a first for both of them.

"It's a shame we couldn't go to the lake," Luna said after a moment.

"Ah, well, better here than having Malfoy follow us all night."

"That's very true, Ron," Luna answered.

There was another silence, and then it was Luna who spoke once more. She turned to him, her face white from the moonlight. "I'm not really sure if this is okay with you," she began, "but I think after a first date, we're supposed to kiss."

Ron flushed. "Oh… er…." He turned to face her.

"But if that makes you uncomfortable, that's okay."

"No… no. I'd like to!"

"I've never done it before," Luna told him.

"Neither have I," Ron confessed.

"Maybe if we close our eyes."

"Alright." Ron shut his eyes, almost cringing. Who was supposed to be the one to make the first move? He had asked her on this date, but she had been the one to suggest they kiss.

He was just about to lean forward when he felt something soft brush against his lips.

Luna.

So soft, so gentle, so… good.

Ron gasped, and Luna pulled away.

"What is it?" she asked, surprised.

"N-nothing," Ron stammered. "Just… it was nice." He grinned sheepishly.

"It was nice, wasn't it?" Luna said.

Ron wanted to kiss her again.

"Maybe we should try again." It was Luna who suggested it.

So Ron, nodding enthusiastically, leaned forward and pressed his lips to Luna again. Under the stars, it seemed like the perfect first date.

When you can't think of a pairing, ask your boyfriend.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. And, I'm gifting fics to a different person each month. April has been claimed, but all other months are still available, so if you'd like a story dedicated to you, see my profile for the info and then PM me with pairings/characters and prompts :D