Alone Together

Based on a Q&P aesthetic prompt by I was BOTWP. Thank you!

Pairing: TN/LL

Rating: T

The bride and groom stood in a shallow break in the face of the rocky hill, alone save for the stretch of daisies as far as the eye could see. The flowers had been the bride's handiwork. She had said that flowers made much better wedding guests than people did, and he had laughed, soaking in the joy of the moment, made all the sweeter by just being alone together.

"My little nefelibata," he murmured, taking her chin between his thumb and fingers and turning the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen up to meet his gaze. "Never satisfied with the things of this world. Always with eyes turned to something no one else can see."

She ran a dainty hand over the midnight blue lapel of his dress robes, smoothing away invisible wrinkles, and tilted her head to the side, their gazes still locked. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "I'm quite satisfied with you."

He lifted an aristocratic brow. "Is that so?"

She nodded, and the trailing, golden tresses that fell from her daisy and wildflower crown jostled in the wind. "Rather thrilled, actually."

He wrapped a hand around her waist, surprised to find bare skin on her back. The gown was very conservative in the front, complete with capped sleeves and a high neckline, and the unexpected brush of skin sent a shiver down his spine. She smiled up at him, clearly following his train of thought, and he whispered, "Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?"

Nodding, she replied, "Just this morning. Did the nargles make you forget?"

Laughter burst forth, completely unexpected, from his chest. She was good for him like that. Neither of them really had anyone else anymore, and he counted it as a true miracle that she had wandered her curious way into his life and decided to stick around.

XxxX

Both of them had lost their mothers before they even went off to Hogwarts, leaving them each with a shell of a father, though Xenophilius Lovegood and Thoros Nott couldn't have been more different. Luna had still had a home full of love, even if it was a broken, lonely sort. Theo had endured endless, brutal lectures on the superiority of "their" kind and the saving grace of the Dark Lord. Their talks usually ended in a heavy-handed smack across the face and a reminder not to go out in public without a glamour. Luna missed her father and visited his grave often. Theo didn't even ask where his father had been buried. They had their friends, but the thought of having the Malfoy, Potter, and Granger-Weasley clans all in one place didn't appeal to either of them. It was bound to be an ugly experience for everyone involved, and that wasn't what they wanted for this special day. It was supposed to be about them.

It was an unexpected twist of fate that brought the lovers together the first time. Theo had come back to Hogwarts after finishing his Mastery in Potions. Headmistress McGonagall had groomed him to take over the professorship from Slughorn during his late seventh year at Hogwarts, helping him apply for any apprentice positions that interested him and tacking on a glowing letter of recommendation to the back of each one. He wasn't sure if McGonagall truly thought that highly of him or if he was simply the least detestable option for a future Head of Slytherin House, but he appreciated her help anyway. It would likely have been impossible for him to get any job more prestigious than manual labour without the Headmistress in his corner, and he thanked her often for her support.

The week after he arrived back from his apprenticeship in Spain found him standing in the hall outside of the Headmistress's office. The house elf who let him in at the gates told Theo that McGonagall was in another meeting and would call for him when she was ready. So Theo waited, fiddling with the edges of his CV and wondering why he'd brought it when McGonagall knew every step of his education and training by heart; she'd been the one who orchestrated it all. He was so wrapped up in nerves over his first real job interview that it took him a minute to realise that the staircase to McGonagall's office was opening up, and someone was descending. The purple heels and lemon yellow tights appeared first, followed by a matching purple sundress and an assortment of turnip jewellery. The woman looked familiar to him, but it took the space of a few breaths for him to see the girl he remembered in the woman before him.

"Lovegood?" he asked, not fully trusting his eyes in that moment.

"Hello, Theo," she murmured. "You're looking well. We may as well call each other by our given names. It appears that we will be seeing quite a bit of each other when we both start working here in the fall." She cast him a knowing smile and wandered off down the corridor.

The lonely male part of Theo's brain that had barely been allowed to talk to a member of the fairer sex - much less enjoy any kind of romantic relationship - for the duration of his Potions Mastery program caught on the part where she thought he looked nice before it caught the rest of her words. "Erm, thanks," he called after her, "but I haven't been offered the position yet."

She was still within earshot and turned, walking backwards for a moment as she replied, "You brought back some Spanish Pixie dust in your robes. That promises good luck for at least the next fortnight, maybe longer."

Theo turned this way and that, peering down at his robes in an effort to find the dust she spoke of. He thought the robes looked spotless when he put them on. He'd bought them shortly before coming back home, just to make sure he made a good impression at his meeting with McGonagall.

"I don't see anything," he mumbled, but she was already gone.

He stopped fidgeting with his clothes just in time for the Headmistress to come down the staircase that led to her office. "Mr Nott. Thank you for coming. Right this way," she said, leading the way up the stairs.

When they reached her desk she sat down and motioned for him to follow. A tea tray appeared, and McGonagall started pouring as she spoke. "It's good to see you, young man. I have received frequent updates on your work from Master Pérez, but I'd love to hear it from you. How have you been? Are you still open to the idea of taking the position of Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly ready for the answer she expected.

He decided not to beat around the bush and gave it to her. "I am. I would like to take some time before school starts to go over past professors' notes and curriculum with you before the start of term, as I think some things are outdated, but I came here today with full intentions of accepting whatever you have to offer."

The Headmistress fairly beamed. "Wonderful. I am very happy to hear that. I'm sure we can figure out any necessary changes over the course of the summer. I will be doing a bit of a new professor orientation with Miss Lovegood next Monday to show her the ropes, living quarters, faculty resources, and the like. Would you care to join us?"

Theo didn't think on it for long. "I'll be here."

He and the new Care of Magical Creatures professor quickly hit it off. Their stroll through the Hogwarts castle and grounds, led by the Headmistress, was relatively short. After the main tour, McGonagall left them to settle in.

The pair stood in the middle of the faculty lounge, surrounded by cosy brown leather couches, tables for a quick snack or marking papers, and large windows that framed a spectacular view of the Black Lake and the town of Hogsmeade and the forest beyond it.

The silence stretched out as Hogwarts' newest professors stood next to each other, lost in felt like it had been far too long since his last Hogsmeade visit, so he impulsively turned to Luna and said, "I fancy a trip down to the Three Broomsticks. Care to join me?"

Her dreamy stare slowly drew away from the window toward his face. "I wondered how long it would take you to ask."

Theo wasn't sure why, but the statement amused and pleased him. He offered the witch his elbow - some of the pureblood customs trained into him since birth weren't all that bad - and escorted her down to the grounds and out to Madam Rosmerta's homey pub.

Theo wasn't fond of strong drink, after seeing the fits of rage it brought on for his father, so he ordered a butterbeer. Luna asked for the same.

Their conversation took up the better part of the afternoon, wandering from their adventures after their last year at Hogwarts - where they had shared a few classes when the repeating seventh years and the year behind them were combined due to small class sizes - to their plans for the coming school year. Luna was thrilled to be adding new creatures to the Care of Magical Creatures curriculum, as she had found and interacted with several impossibly rare species on her two year trip across the continent. Theo grinned lazily at her as she rambled on about the benefits of listening to snarktrill song every new moon, happy to soak in her effortless sunshine.

After a few drinks, their talk wandered to their families. When Theo joked about them being the two loneliest survivors of the war, Luna reached across the table to grab Theo's hand and murmured, "It's funny how it doesn't feel quite so lonely when we're together."

Anything Theo may have said in response to that got completely stuck in his throat, so he offered her a shaky smile and laced his fingers through hers, hoping it was enough.

Their relationship had come together quickly and easily after that. For Theo, being with Luna was like breathing. He was like one of Longbottom's plants, and she was his sun. It wasn't long before his days revolved around sharing tea with her in the dungeon faculty room where none of the other staff members dared to go and stolen moments holding hands or sneaking kisses under the stars. He found himself opening up to her, finding poems he thought she might like, and dreaming about the future. In all his life, he'd never dreamed of having a family. The only model of family he'd seen at home had been riddled with death and abuse. Even the Malfoys, who loved each other dearly, had nearly destroyed their son in their efforts to bring the Dark Lord to power. Theo didn't bear the mark on his arm, but he knew he still smelled of a life of pureblood privilege, wealth, and ideals. But he had never believed those things or wanted that life for himself. He had seen firsthand the insanity and pain the supremacist pureblood lifestyle brought into the homes of himself and his friends, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

He wanted Luna.

Luna with her ridiculous vegetable jewellery and otherworldly sight. With her overly sweet tea and her wand sticking out of her golden honey hair. With her way of making everything alright with a simple hug and a nonsensical phrase. With her rabbit Patronus that had nuzzled his cheek the first time she had shown him the spell.

He'd been terrified to try it for himself, feeling certain that he'd never be good enough to make the charm work. He'd read that only the pure in heart could cast a corporeal Patronus, and he'd almost broken under the weight of his disappointment when he'd managed only a wisp of silvery smoke the first time.

Luna hadn't been fazed. "Slow and steady wins the race," she'd chimed, coming to stand behind him, hand cradling his own as she bid him to try again. It took a few more attempts, along with a discussion on proper happy memory selection, but eventually, an enormous tortoise burst forth from his wand. He'd choked out a laugh and turned wide eyes to Luna, hardly believing what he saw. She placed a soft kiss on his lips and murmured, "I rather like that we're a funny pair," before conjuring her own Patronus and watching it gambol about Theo's much slower tortoise.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck with his nose and whispering, "I rather like you."

XxxX

The haze of happy memories surrounding the bride and groom seemed to thicken for a moment, wrapping their little clearing in the woods in a blanket of privacy and contentment. The air shimmered with the force of their combined magic, and they pulled out their wands to complete the bonding.

Clasping left hands, they took turns sharing their vows, each promise adding a band of gold or silver light glowing around their wrists.

Theo went first. "I vow to be the one who holds your hand and your heart."

Luna responded, "I vow to be your other half."

"I vow to be your best friend and protector, keeping you and any children we may have safe from all harm to the best of my ability."

"I vow to be your best friend and nurturer, showering you and any children we may have with the love of a wife and mother."

A single, silent tear slid down Theo's cheek, but his voice stayed quiet and strong. "I vow to be grateful for you every day of my life, Luna. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

The usually unshakable woman's smile trembled just a bit. "And I vow to be grateful for you until my dying breath and probably beyond, Theo. My Theo."

He pulled out two rings from his pocket, offering his to her so she could slip it on his hand. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Theo's hand shook as he fingered the golden band with its swirl of diamonds and sapphires. "With this ring, I thee wed," he repeated, sliding the ring onto her hand.

They finished the bonding with a combined murmuring of an ancient Latin marriage spell, singing under their breath together of love, trust, fidelity, friendship, and promise. Hardly anyone used the spell anymore since it was irrevocable and enforced complete fidelity, but Luna and Theo knew there would never be anyone else.

The bond glowed bright white for just an instant, leaving a shadow of the runes of the bonding ritual wrapped around each of their left wrists in its wake. Theo traced a gentle thumb over the symbols on Luna's wrist, marvelling at his impossibly good luck and wondering what he'd ever done to deserve her.

Luna, ever more perceptive than anyone else gave her credit for, leant in to give him a soft, meaningful kiss. One that promised love and togetherness today and for many years to come. One that showed her acceptance of every bit of him, his past, his flaws, and all.

"We deserve each other."

Theo couldn't find the words to respond, so he simply claimed her lips once more, dipping her gently as he showed her the depth of his gratitude and love in a way that words just couldn't explain.

Luna's eyes were bright when he pulled her back up, her lips pink and looking delightfully snogged. "I rather think I'm going to like being married to you, Mr Nott."

"I know I'm going to like being married to you, Mrs Nott."

"Mrs Nott. I love the sound of that."

"Mrs Nott. I love you."

And he took her hand and Apparated her away. They had a honeymoon to enjoy.