Before either of them knew it, the school year was drawing to a close. They'd probably eaten a hundred extra chocolate iced buns between them at their late night rendezvous. Luna has taught Neville all about the strange creatures she believed were hiding somewhere around the world, getting especially passionate when she spoke of Nargles, little critters that could be blamed for every odd occurrence.

They started to learn more about each other, their conversations focusing less on their schoolwork and more on their lives. Neville felt he'd found a true friend in Luna, despite the Fat Lady suggesting there was more. There probably was, but neither of the two was ready to explore the workings of their hearts.

Neville clearing remembered the day when he told Luna about his parents. She looked like she truly understood how he felt and knew exactly how to react. In return for his deepest secrets, Luna shared hers. He found out about her mother's accident, leading to her unfortunate demise.

"How did you cope?" he asked her one spring day, when Luna was assisting him in collecting Poppydore seeds that were to be freshly planted in Greenhouse Two.

"I'm not really sure," she whispered the words. "I think that grief is an instinct, you can't help but feel that way." Neville nodded encouragingly for her to continue. "Sometimes I'd question why it had to happen to me, why it had to be my mother to die, but I realized something. Some magic cannot be controlled."

"And magic shouldn't be used to control others," he added. Luna placed her hand on shoulder in comfort.

"It's hard to deal with when you think nobody understands, but there's always someone out there that will. Like, your missing piece before you realized you knew it was missing."

Neville loved the way Luna spoke, dreamlike yet down to earth, like she could see things that ordinary people couldn't. She was wise, though her intellect was mistaken for oddity. He knew that he'd found his missing piece: Luna.

The level of study required at Hogwarts was demanding, but whenever they could, Neville and Luna would crowd together on a back table in the library, studying textbooks that spoke of fantastic beasts and where to find them. No one paid any attention to the fact Neville was slipping out of the Gryffindor common room with increased frequency. They were too caught up reading the latest Daily Prophet headlines on the whereabouts of Sirius Black, the notorious 'mass murderer'.

When Luna and Neville were walking to the Quidditch pitch to watch a match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, knowing well that the other house members wouldn't be bothered about watching the match so they could sit together, Luna told him that no one had ever noticed she was gone. She said that she didn't have many friends, though for some mysterious reason, Ginny Weasley had begun to wait for her after their shared classes.

"You're my only real friend, Neville," she shrugged when Neville argued she must have other friends.

"But what about Ginny?" Neville had a sneaky suspicion that after he asked her about Luna, Ginny must have contemplated becoming her friend.

Luna shrugged again. "She is a very polite girl, not out spoken and very friendly. Her company is like having a friend."

"Clyde likes you," he added pathetically. "He often spoke of you when it was just the two of us in the kitchens."

"That's nice." Luna smiled appreciatively.

"You're my only real friend too, Luna." Neville stumbled on the loose gravel leading up to the pitch. She took his hand in hers and didn't let go.

Summer exams drew closer and closer. It became harder to study together, because the second years and third years covered such different topics. Luna loved when Neville would tell her about Herbology lessons, the speed of his speech increasing as he grew more enthusiastic about what he was teaching her.

"I'll be well prepared for the third year exams now," she giggled, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. "Maybe I should ask to take them this year instead?"

Neville was just pleased to find someone that was interested in what he had to say. When he'd been paired with Harry Potter in class, he'd seemed bored as Neville recited the properties of different plants.

"I can't wrap my head around any of this Divination stuff," he complained. Luna was especially interested in the subject, despite not being eligible for the class for another year.

"It's all subjective," she explained. "When Trelawney tells you to look inside the crystal ball and tell her what you see, you have to look inside yourself too. The art of your inner eye can take years to master. The Quibbler did a double page spread in the latest issue about it." She leant him a copy of the magazine – she seemed to have multiple copies on her person at all times. "You're going to do so well, Neville. I can tell."

"How, your inner eye?"

"No, I just believe in you." As soon as the words left her lips, she reached across the table and planted a small kiss on his cheek.

The feeling of Luna's kiss lingered on Neville's cheek for the rest of the afternoon. When he returned to the common room, the Fat Lady smiled.

When it came to the exams, both Neville and Luna were as prepared as they could be. When the last exam was over, they decided to celebrate by the docks, leaving their shoes on the bank and dipping their feet in the water, the cool liquid offering relief from exam induced stress.

"I'm so glad it's over!" Neville cried, letting the breeze carry his voice across the Black Lake.

Luna cheered, twirling around, her feet splashing the water. "We did it!"

"The year is over!"

"The year is over," Luna repeated, her voice suddenly sad. Neville noticed the change in tone at once.

"What's wrong, Luna?"

"The year is over." There was no other explanation. She wanted to explain how she felt in less vague terms, but felt too naïve to decipher her feelings. However, Neville nodded like he understood perfectly what she was trying to say.

"Remember the last time we were standing in the lake?"

Luna nodded, feeling a pink blush flood her cheeks. The memory made her feel happier than anything else.

"I meant what I said." He took her hand. "I've got you and I won't let go."

She felt tears in her eyes, feeling like her heart would burst with happiness.

Neville put his other arm around her waist. "Let's dance."

"You can dance?"

"I'll have you know I am an excellent dancer," Neville said, beginning to swaying the two of them in the ankle-deep water.

"Don't worry, I believe in you," Luna grinned.