8. Miss Lovegood & Mr Longbottom, part II
"Empty your pockets," a menacing Bellatrix Lestrange told her.
Luna, crouched in the corner of a dark and damp underground cell, pulled her own wand, a galleon and a tiny piece of paper out of her vests.
"I'll take that," Bellatrix snatched the wand and stored it. "One galleon?" Bellatrix examined it closely, disdainful.
"This is my lucky galleon," quickly, Luna made up the story, praying in her heart that they'd buy it. "My mom gave it to me before she died." Luna faked a mourning face, but she was actually thinking further. "It's silly, but it's very important to me. It brings good luck to..." she paused, thinking even harder. "Quidditch. I never watch Quidditch without it. Could I possibly keep it, ma'am?"
"Quidditch?" Bellatrix snorted. "You don't strike me as a Quidditch fan..."
"Oh, no, ma'am. I am. In fact, I used to be the official Quidditch Commentator back in the school," said Luna, wearing her utmost matter-of-factly expression. "I'm passionate about it. Arrows' fan." Luna surveyed Bellatrix's expression thoroughly, trying to figure out if she had bought it or not. "Could I please, keep it? As far as I'm concerned, this amount is nothing to you, ma'am."
Narcissa Malfoy seized it from her sister and surveyed it briefly. "It's just a galleon," she told Bellatrix. "Keep it." The woman threw it back at Luna.
"Thank you very much, ma'am," she pocketed it as quick as she could, praising Merlin in her mind.
"Softy in the heart, Cissy?" Bellatrix giggled aloofly at her sister. "What's this?" Bellatrix turned to the little scrap, her eyes rolling in its lids as she read it. When she was done, she cackled maniacally. "Love note?"
Luna's heart jumped as she heard that. She could barely believe her ears. Could Neville be about to confess his feelings to her when everything happened?
"Please..." she fought the sudden turmoil on her chest, seeking to maintain her respectful manners. "May I have it as well, Madam Lestrange?"
"Does it come from the Longbottom boy, dear?" she giggled. "Oh, I'm craving to play with you both!"
"No, Bella!" Narcissa bellowed. "She's not your toy! She's cooperating! She's a pure-blood witch, don't forget!"
"Oh, I get your soft spot now, Cissy. Family loyalty, is it?" Bellatrix chucked the note at Luna. "Right, I won't play. If she's willing to help in the search for Harry Potter, she'll be wealthily rewarded." Bellatrix turned her back on them. "Come, Cissy."
"What did she mean?" Luna whispered anxiously to Narcissa before she could turn her back on her too. "Family loyalty?"
Narcissa knelt down beside her, muttering quietly. "Pandora was our cousin," Luna's jaw dropped. "Didn't you know?"
Luna froze on the floor, speechless, having forgotten completely about anything else. No, she had no idea she was related to some of the worst wizardkind had to offer. She didn't recall her mother ever talking about any of her relatives besides her and her dad. It was kind of strange actually, but she never paid close attention to it. So there was a reason...
"Look..." Narcissa's voice snapped her out of her trance. "You will get out of here just fine if you do as you're told. I going to make sure you won't cross the Dark Lord's path." She looked at her sympathetically, though her voice leaked concern. "If you have any information on Harry Potter, share at once. You could be returning to the school by the end of the night if you did..."
"I don't," Luna answered, silently. "Snape has interrogated us. He's used Veritaserum, he's searched our minds, he knows we're telling the truth, Mrs Malfoy. None of Harry's friends has any information whatsoever."
"I believe it... but my sister doesn't trust Snape..." she sighed. "Yaxley, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, should be here anytime. If you agree to cooperate with him, maybe we can convince the others you really don't have any information and we can get you out of here."
"What do you want from me?"
"I figure they'd move you to the Ministry of Magic if you agreed to convince your father to change his editorial guidelines."
"He'd never," she said, nonchalantly as if talking about the weather. "My father will never stop telling people the truth as long as he lives."
"Oh, he will," Narcissa said, resolutely. "You have no idea how far a father could go to save his child." She got up. "It's no use. The Dark Lord's won. You should cooperate." She glanced sympathetically at Luna one last time and left.
Luna, then, lay on the floor, forcing her eyes shut. She managed to slip away from Bellatrix Lestrange by the skin of her teeth, though she didn't know if she'd have the same luck next time. Maybe the D.A. galleon was really a lucky amulet...
That's when she remembered the tiny piece of paper. She opened her eyes, scanned the floor and found it. It took her some time to figure it out, for it was quite hard to read in that dark cell, but she eventually managed to do it.
'Whenever I hold your hand, I wish it was real. Would you be my girlfriend?'
She quietly held the piece of paper against her chest, shut her eyes forcefully once more and fought back tears that insisted on coming; in vain, since they fell down her face anyway.
"You didn't need to..."
"Don't start, Luna." Neville cut her off. "You'll walk out of this room today completely fine, OK?" He sighed. "I owe you this. I turned my back on you when you needed me most..." he bowed his head. "I need to make up to you."
"I'm feeling very well already, Neville. Beyond all my expectations. Besides, you should rest. You've already spent plenty of your energy..."
"May I see the wound now?" Neville asked, tentatively. "I mean, I know it'd still be awkward if you..." the cheeks of both of them turned pink. "At least it won't hurt anymore. Er... you don't need to actually take your shirt off. Maybe you could just... lift it a bit? I promise I won't touch it."
She analyzed him for a bit and, thus, turned her back on him, grasping the hem of her shirt and pulling it up a little. He drew closer to her, frowning as he examined her back thoroughly.
"Do you know what curse has caused it? Maybe it requires a specific counter-curse to be broken..."
"No."
"Luna," he sighed and crossed his arms. "I need you to help me here. Please?"
"It was non-verbally cast."
"How did it affect you when you were first hit by it?"
"I..." she stammered. "I felt a very strong and localized burn. Then I couldn't stand straight anymore."
"That's all?"
"That's all I remember."
The shape of it was drastically different from his mother's dark wound, which displayed Bellatrix Lestrange's signature pattern. He could spot a dark wound or a scar made by her from miles apart. He and Luna had some scars shaped like that themselves. Nonetheless, it somehow reminded him of his mother's dark wound.
"I know you might find it a strange question, but... can we completely rule out Cruciatus Curse, Luna?" he asked. "The burning pain you felt... could it be part of it? Didn't you feel anything else?"
Luna's heart stopped for a second. She couldn't believe he had figured that out so quickly. "It's not," she lied. "I know the Cruciatus Curse well, Neville."
"OK," he paced around the room, absorbed in his own thinking. Luna, for her part, couldn't believe he'd bought her lie so easily. "Could it be a piece of unintentional magic, then?"
At first, Luna didn't understand this question. "Unintentional magic...?" she gazed at him, confused. "Oh," then realization dawned upon her. "You think Lorcan's done it to me, don't you?" Neville nodded sympathetically at her. "Oh..." she just kept staring at him, dazed. "That's right, Neville." Completely offhand, she decided to go along with it. "You've figured out my secret. Lorcan's caused me that."
"Luna, I'm so sorry..."
"It's alright, Neville. I'm fine now. Please don't tell anyone," she tried to lie to him as briefly as she could, before he could suspect anything. "Could we maybe get started with it already?"
"There's our researcher of the year coming!" the very moment Luna stepped foot in the house, Neville leapt out of his chair and hurried with arms wide open to embrace her. "You won't believe how much mail you've got, Luna! I guess everybody in the country... no, in the world, wants to congratulate you!"
"No, please..." uncomfortably, she avoided his hug and his gaze. "Er... very sweaty and mildly injured. There was... a dragon situation... so... that's why I'm arriving this late..."
"Really?" sceptically, Mr Lovegood stood up as well, turning to face Luna, seeking to sound as normal as he could and yet make Luna understand what he had on his mind. "You're no draconologist, and I don't recall hearing you'd be researching dragons..."
With a muffled wimp, Luna let her very thick work robes fall from her shoulders onto the floor, and Mr Lovegood's expression changed to complete horror when he saw the harsh burn she had on her left arm, covered by thick orange paste that dripped on the floor.
"Merlin's sake!" he bellowed, dashing to her.
"Are you fine, Luna?" Neville asked, genuine concern on his face. "Let me grab my robes real quick, we should head to St. Mungo's..."
"It's alright, Neville. It's just a shallow burn." Luna forced herself to smile at him. "I've already applied Burn-Healing Paste. I'll get better real quick."
"I think you've been working too much, Luna." Mr Lovegood said, gravely. "I was already worried about that... and now you get home with a nasty burn on your arm! Talking about dragons! If I ever thought you'd be messing with dragons, I..." he stammered. "I... well... this is too dangerous, Luna!"
"Xeno, could you at least let her get home before you start your sermon?" Neville bent to snatch her robes from the floor. "C'mon, Luna. Have a seat and eat something. You must be starving."
"I usually have nothing to do with dragons, dad," she spoke as she headed to the table. "It was an emergency. Hermione's department required Natural School's assistance about a month ago... this Common Welsh Green hatched with a strange and unknown condition. If it ends up being contagious and no one manages to do something about it, he'll end up being sacrificed." She sighed as she seated. Neville promptly sat right next to her and began serving her food. "He's not an adult yet, though he's already becoming somewhat troublesome. There are visiting draconologists taking care of him, but it takes more than one person to stun a dragon." Lastly, Xenophilius also sat at the table with them. "I was just helping."
"When have you ever left home to work and you didn't end up being amazing?" Neville widened a smile to her as he handed her a plate, and she returned it with a fake one. "Dragons are no match to Luna, Xeno. She's dealt with much worse before." He almost let it slip that he thought she should have gone to Gryffindor, though he decided not to when his eyes automatically wandered by the spot on the wall where Ravenclaw's portrait used to be. Strangely, it wasn't there. "Where's Ravenclaw?"
"Reading," Luna answered, indicating a table on which her framework lay opposed to a book that apparently had been turning its pages automatically.
"Later, I'd wish to pose some questions and make some comments about your work, Wilhelmson," Ravenclaw said, without taking her eyes from the book. "For now, I shall simply congratulate you for your brilliance."
"I'd be honoured to listen to your observations, Your Grace," without leaving her seat, Luna staged a quick reverence towards the portrait. "And I couldn't thank you enough for your praise, ma'am."
"Would you do me the favour of taking me to Magical Natural School with you tomorrow, Wilhelmson?" frowning at the page she was reading, Ravenclaw asked. "I'd wish to talk to Professor Scamander personally."
"Oh..." seeming to be taken aback, Luna dropped her fork on the table. "I... Your Grace, you are a thousand years old original piece of art. I'm afraid you happen to be our most valuable possession, not only monetarily speaking. You are the most precious legacy our ancestors have been passing on for centuries to us, their descendants. We wouldn't forgive ourselves if you ended up being damaged, ma'am."
"Certainly," offended, she turned her back on them. "Never let old Ravenclaw leave the house. Why bother if she's been locked inside for an entire millennium? I apologize for forgetting I am merely an object."
"Oh, c'mon!" Neville objected. "You're Ravenclaw. You must have hundreds of portraits to explore!"
"You are correct, even though you don't treat me with due respect!" still on her back, she whipped her neck, glancing daggers at him. "Half of them, notwithstanding, happen to be in Hogwarts."
"I mean... Your Grace. I always forget that, sorry..." his cheeks reddened. "But... I'm sure Luna could just invite Professor Scamander over to talk to you. I'm sure he'd be honoured to know someone as distinguished as you is interested in his work. It's not every day you get to talk with one of the founders of Hogwarts." He smiled as if he'd finished his sentence, just when he noticed he'd forgotten the courtesy. "Er... Your Grace." Half standing up, he staged an awkward bow.
"Perfect. It's settled," she finally faced them again. "I'll be waiting for you to bring him to me, then, Wilhelmson."
"I..." facing the floor and seeming somewhat uneasy, Luna babbled. Neville didn't notice, but Xenophilius was also trying to conceal his anxiety. "Well... I... I'll see what I can do, Your Grace." Hearing that, Ravenclaw nodded and resumed reading.
"Speaking of the devil, you must have received letters from the entire Scamander family, Luna," Neville said, casually, as he started to serve a plate for himself. "You must have gotten... I don't know... almost 500 letters! I had never seen so much mail. Xeno and I have sorted them into different piles to help you decide what you want to read first. The big one is your fan mail. We have also taken the liberty of answering some of them with a standard 'thank you' message."
"Have you been..." even though Luna's heart raced, she sought to resemble her usual dreamy voice. "...reading my mail?"
"He didn't open anything but the letters from the fans," Xenophilius stared meaningfully into his daughter's eyes. "I, on the other hand, have read a letter from the Order of Merlin. I forgot to tell you. They want to upgrade you to first class."
"How could you have forgotten to tell her that, Xeno?" Neville shook his head playfully. "C'mon, you were so excited this morning... he's been dying to tell you!"
"Indeed," Mr Lovegood nodded. As much as his face and voice seemed normal, Luna realized his eyes pierced her soul urgently. "I was so enthusiastic I also opened a letter from Professor Scamander. I figured it might have had information about the awarding ceremony, for the letter from Order of Merlin didn't give any details on this matter other than he'd be honoured as well." For a second, Luna's face become more orange than the pasta she had on her arm, but she managed to fake a casual expression before Neville could notice it. "It was most unfortunate there was none."
"Nice... was it any important? I mean... his letter."
"Well, I reckon he must've talked to you personally today."
Luna didn't reply anything and pretended to be very invested in eating.
"Now that you've accomplished everything in your academic career, Luna, I think it'd be nice for you to pursue different things," Mr Lovegood continued. "I really believe it's time both of you finally marry. You have been delaying it for so long, haven't you? All your friends have married already..."
"Right, grandma, I know it's you," Neville smirked at Xenophilius, jocularly. "What have you done to the real Xeno?"
"Well... very good point, actually. It's not fair to Augusta having her waiting so long for you to marry. You know it's her dearest wish to see her grandson married. What if she died before that happened?"
"She's in perfect health! She'll probably live longer than all of us!"
"She's not getting any younger."
"C'mon, Xeno. What's really going on with you? You have always been the first to tell us that marriage was just a piece of paper... that love was what really mattered..."
"I'm going to be very honest with you, Neville." Mr Lovegood sounded resolute as he stared keenly at him. "I was afraid that, after you married, you'd move out and leave me alone." He turned his eyes to Luna. "But that was a mistake. That was very selfish of me. You should have heard Augusta instead. I stress you should get on starting a family right away."
"Why didn't you just tell us that, Xeno? How long have been brooding about that? We don't want to move out. We are perfectly happy here, right, Luna?"
"Are you, Luna?" her father stared witheringly at her. "Can I trust you're perfectly happy living with me and your fiancée?"
"Of course, dad," she fled his gaze, transfixed at her plate, then taking a forkful of mashed potatoes to give her an excuse to be silent.
"So I suppose you agree you should leave researching after you're done defending your thesis? That it's time to focus on your family life instead?"
"What!?" Neville almost fell from his chair. "Why should Luna quit her career to focus on her family? Just because she's a woman? This is..."
"Absurd." Ravenclaw completed his sentence. "I never expected to behold such aberrant chauvinism in this house, Wilhelmson Father. You disgrace your ancestors. From now on, you're disowned. You are no longer worthy to be called Wilhelmson by me..." and, once more, she theatrically turned her back on them.
"Your Grace!" no sooner had she left her portrait than Mr Lovegood was on the floor on his knees, desperately begging for her forgiveness. "Your Grace, I beg for an opportunity to explain myself!"
Neville was utterly astonished by that. The Lovegoods' relation with Ravenclaw had always been somewhat confusing to him; he'd never understood why she wouldn't call them by their real names, not to mention all that pointless courtesy, but he was quite sure she held them in very high regard. For their part, they plainly worshipped her. If there was something he was sure about, it was that Ravenclaw disowning him was a very big deal.
Luna, for her part, promptly dropped her fork on the table and towed her father from the ground. "Don't worry, dad. We'll talk to Her Grace later," she said, seeking to sound soothing, though not quite succeeding in hiding her concern. "I know something's up with you. Please, we need to talk in private." She glanced at Neville as she drove Mr Lovegood upstairs. "I'll be right back."
"Muffiato," said Luna, as she closed the door behind her.
Luna seated on her father's bed, by his side, gazing at her own feet. He'd expected she'd be the one to start the conversation, but she remained silent.
Thus, he took a deep breath, mustered all his might, faced her decisively and muttered, "I can't believe you could do this to him." Yet, she didn't respond, she didn't react in any way. "Say something, Luna!" she cried quietly but kept her mouth shut. So, Mr Lovegood thought he'd better question her directly. "Why did you do that!? Are you planning on leaving him!?" she merely sniffed, though. "Merlin's sake, Luna!"
"I love Neville, dad. I never planned for it to happen," she wheezed. "It was a mistake."
"A mistake?" he frowned, puzzled. "Have you stopped seeing... that man...? I mean... in that way? His letter seemed..."
"It's complicated," she interrupted him. "I've told him multiple times I don't want anything with him, I've asked him not to..."
"Wait..." Mr Lovegood became as white as a ghost, almost transparent. "Has he done anything..." he choked with his own words. No matter how hard he tried, they wouldn't get out of his mouth.
"No," she sighed. "He was just pushy. He doesn't take 'no' as an answer. But I ended up giving in, of my own will. The blame is entirely mine. He didn't hurt me, nor did anything bad to me."
"Thank Merlin," relieved, the man finally regained his ability to speak.
"I... I feel horribly guilty, dad. I don't know what to do."
"Well, thankfully, I do. Never talk to that man again, marry your fiancée and go on with your life."
"I'm being consumed by guilt, dad. I can't even look straight at him right now. I don't deserve it."
"That's not true, dear," he took one of her hands into his, carefully. "You have no idea how one of a kind you are, Luna." She finally dared to turn her face up. "You're just human. Everybody makes mistakes. That doesn't mean you don't deserve to be happy."
"I need to tell Neville, dad."
"No, you don't."
"Of course, I do. How can I live with myself?"
"Would that bring us any good? No, only unnecessary pain. It would break his heart, Luna!" he got to his feet and paced frantically around the room. "I won't tell him, Luna, you know you can trust me. We can also figure out a way to keep that man from telling him. Maybe you can trick him into making the Unbreakable Vow..."
"I will tell Neville, dad," she cut him off, getting up as well.
"Luna! What if he leaves you for good?" he brought his hands to his head. "Don't be reckless, Luna..."
"Wouldn't you forgive mom if you were in his shoes?"
"Why is that...? How...?" for a second, he was taken aback, but he sounded resolute shortly after. "Of course, I would! But that's not the issue. Luna, it may damage your relationship beyond repair..."
"It's already damaged, dad. He may not know it yet, but it is," she headed to the door. "I have to trust his love for me is strong enough not to be beyond repair." She closed it behind her as she left.
"Hey," Neville walked into the room, holding a plate. "You didn't finish your dinner, moonlight."
"Thank you," she had been sitting on the middle of the bed, her back to the door, her head down. "I'm not hungry anymore. We need to talk."
"Luna, you're getting skinnier every day. You're not eating properly..." he neared her, handing her the plate. "I'm worried about you." He sat behind her. "Xeno told me you wanted to talk, but you should finish your dinner first."
"Thanks," in silence, she resumed her meal.
"Let me put that away for you," when she had finished, he reached out for her empty plate and placed it on the top of a nightstand. "Now, we can talk all night if you want..." embracing her tenderly from behind, he kissed her neck briefly, keeping his face to it, the contact of his warm breath to her sensitive skin drawing a small shiver out of her. "What is it?"
"I... we really need to talk," she muttered, as he continued necking her. "No, Neville... talk..."
"I'm hearing, moonlight... speak away..." he whispered to her ear, gently nudging against it with his nose. She closed her eyes, indulging in his caresses. When he realized she had given in, he gently tossed himself over her, kissing her collarbone. "Just relax," he wheezed to her ear, in between kisses and caresses. "After all you've done, you deserve to be well treated..."
When she heard that, everything that had been disturbing her all these days crashed all over her heavily and roughly. "No..." she panted, rapidly fending off him and sitting straight on the bed again. "I don't... I... I need to talk to you, Neville."
"I'm sorry, Luna! I forgot about your arm! Did I hurt you?"
"Huh?" she took a second to figure out what he was talking about. "Oh, this?" she indicated her arm. "It's already fine." She pulled out her wand and cast "Tergeo," making the remaining orange paste disappear, revealing the healthy snow-white skin that it had been hiding.
"Oh, that's a relief," he let out a deep breath at the sight of her cured arm. "But... well..." he hesitated briefly. "Luna, why... er... I feel you've been avoiding me lately."
She turned her face down, fleeing his gaze. "I have."
"Why?" silence lingered for some moments as he expected her to respond. When she didn't, he decided he'd speak again. "Is that what you want to talk about?"
"Neville..." she began tearing, silently. "I'm so sorry..." as the memories of what she had done wandered in her mind, a hard sting she felt on her chest caused her to claw on the sheets, a vain attempt to make it go away. "I don't deserve you... I'm..."
"What are you talking about, Luna? You don't deserve me? I don't deserve you!" he interrupted her. "Luna, have you realized what you've actually done? You've probably saved thousands, no... millions of lives! You were the only one in centuries to have successfully produced a long-lost legendary alchemical substance most people thought didn't even exist! Not even Nicolas Flamel could do it!" He paused to take a breath. "You proved everybody wrong, Luna! You shut that nasty Professor Rutherford up and everybody at Natural School who called you Loony!" He reached for her hand, tenderly. "Above all... you saved my mother from a likely lonely death..." a tear rolled down his cheek, silently. "I can never repay what you've done to us, Luna..."
"Neville, we've talked about that already. We can't know for sure if the powder can do something for Alice," this time, she interrupted him. "The tests have shown it has no dangerous side-effects, but its healing power is way far from what is written about Powder of Pure Essence of Phoenix in the legends. It doesn't heal magical wounds completely... it may improve one's condition, but..."
"That's why you've been worried lately?" he caressed her hand. "It's alright, Luna. You've been very open with me since the beginning. And... well... even if you hadn't, we could always count on Hermione to make a point of discouraging us, couldn't we? You proved her wrong too, Luna!" he smirked at her as they shared unspoken understanding. She responded to that cracking the first genuine smile since she'd arrived at the house that night. "It's not your fault I'm nourishing hopes. I know mom will never come back to what she once was... but still..." he closed his eyes, smiling. "The results have been quite promising. I just can help to be hopeful..." He tenderly kissed her hand. "I promise I won't be disappointed with you if it doesn't improve her condition at all. No matter what, what you've done will help countless people."
"Neville, quit putting me on a pedestal..."
"What? I'm not even started!" he chuckled. "I could spend all night praising you..."
"You won't." Luna cut him off, crisply. "You'll hear what I have to tell you."
He straightened himself on the bed, gazing keenly into her light blue eyes. "I'm all ears."
"Thanks." Luna sighed. Now that she had his full attention, she couldn't muster enough nerve to say what she had to. "Er..." she started to tremble.
When he noticed her nervousness, he embraced her tenderly. "It's alright, moonlight..." however, that didn't have the effect Neville wanted. She did quit shaking, but silent tears began streaming down her face. "No, Luna! Why are you crying? Did I do something?"
"Of course, not!" hearing that finally brought her voice back to her throat. She couldn't let him think it was his fault. The fault was hers, and no one else's.
"Then... are you going to break up with me, Luna?" breaking their hug, he asked, cautiously. "No, please... tell me that's not it..."
"Neville! How could you think that!?" startled, she tossed herself back into his arms, pushing her face against his chest tightly. "I need you. You're my... prince charming..."
He stroked her hair with his left hand gently. "I need you too," he whispered to her ear.
"You promise no matter what I did, you'll forgive me?"
"What could you possibly have done that's so horrible, Luna!?" he parted ways with her, taken aback. "Well, I wouldn't forgive you if had done something terrible... but I'd still love you, Luna."
"Alright..." she took a deep breath and gathered all her bravery. "I-have-been-cheating-on-you." As if the entire sentence was just one word, she spat it out.
"What!?"
"I have been..."
"Don't repeat it!" he roughly interrupted her. "I heard it, I just can't believe it!" Neville felt intoxicated by that revelation. "Well... I think... wow..." he got to his feet as he babbled. "That's a prank, isn't it? A joke? It's not a funny one, Luna!"
"I'm so sorry, Neville..."
"Answer my question, Luna!" he snapped, covered in cold sweat. "Is this actually true?"
"It is..." she cupped her face with her hands. "I feel horrible about it, Neville, please..."
"With whom!?" he crossed his arms as he asked. She didn't speak, she merely looked back meaningfully at him, as she reckoned it was needless to say his name out loud. "Him!?" she nodded. "Oh, right. Now I get it. You've found someone better than me..." he brought his hands to his head, mindlessly tearing. "You've been wanting to end things with me this whole time, that's why you're being so slippery..."
"No!" she jumped out of bed. "I need you to forgive me, Neville. I'm begging you!" Shaking, she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding on roughly to him. He flinched as if he had bumped into something nasty. "If you were afraid to lose me, I'm twentyfold that." She let go of him and stood back, expecting an answer. He didn't say anything, though; he kept silent, surveying her thoroughly. "I love you, Neville. Only you. I swear that was the worst mistake I've ever made." Still, he didn't speak. "I'll beg on my knees for your forgiveness, Neville..."
When she was about to kneel, he seized her arms, stopping her from doing it. "Don't." She stared back as he analyzed her, her pleading face red from sobbing. "I forgive you, Luna."
"Really?" she almost didn't believe her ears. Anxiously, she still trembled, expecting to find out anytime it was just a dream. "Would you still take me as your wife, Neville? Would you give me a second chance?"
"I will," he stated, gravely, turning his gaze away from her. "We'll work that out." Feeling hope taking all over her body, Luna neared him, but he retreated. "No, Luna. I need some time on my own to figure this out."
"Oh, right. Whatever you need," she smiled briefly. "I'll leave the room to you, then. I'll sleep with dad tonight."
"Stay. It's your room..."
"It's ours, Neville. All that's mine is yours. Besides, dad knows what I've done. He knows you're in the right to be mad at me."
"I'm sorry I freaked out, Luna. It's just..."
"I completely understand that, Neville. You have nothing to apologize for," this time, he was the one who had to force a smile. "I think I'd better spend the night at Ginny's..."
"No." He raised his voice, harshly, abruptly swinging his neck in her direction. Realizing he had thoughtlessly been rude, he sought to soften his tone. "I mean, stay. It's too late."
"I promise I won't meet up with him, Neville," she assured, shyly. "I know I've damaged our relationship of trust, but I won't be alone. You may ask Ginny..."
"You didn't lose my trust, Luna," he sat on the bed. "You came to me to tell me everything by your own will. I didn't find out through another person. And I can tell you feel truly sorry." He took a deep breath. "I trust you."
"I really feel sorry," she sat by his side. "This guilty had been consuming me for months. I feel so relieved that you've forgiven me..." she fidgeted nervously.
He glanced at her briefly and realized he felt relieved as well. Actually, more relieved than angry. Even though his heart still ached, he was glad he had gotten what he valued above everything else back. That she wouldn't be slippery towards him anymore. That she loved him still. That it was all over. Thus, he passed an arm around her neck and pulled her close.
"It's fine, moonlight..." he kissed her forehead. "I've changed my mind. Don't go. I'm sorry I got heated."
She gleamed at him and threw her arms around him, suddenly feeling as if colour had returned to the world. "You mean that? Don't you feel angry?"
"I think I do. I don't know exactly what I'm feeling right now..." he sighed. "Anyhow, I'd rather be with than without you." He could feel her smile against his chest. "Luna... even if you had chosen him, I would never give you up without a fight. I'd chase after you and try to win your heart all over if necessary."
"I don't deserve you, Neville. You are truly my prince charming."
"Was it something I did?" he frowned, striving to understand where he might have wronged. "Did he have something I don't?"
"He has multiple things you don't, Neville," she said in her usual dreamy voice, tossing herself on the bed and staring unseeingly at the ceiling. "Most of them utterly disgust me." Neville tossed himself on the bed too, a puzzled expression on his face. "What is it?" she asked when she turned her face to him and took notice of his confusion.
"Why did you... you know..." Neville couldn't say it out loud. "...if he disgusts you?"
"I never wanted this to happen, Neville. I always..."
Mindlessly shouting insults, before she could finish her sentence, Neville suddenly jumped out of the bed once more, much more nervous than he'd been before. "I swear, Luna...!" wheezing as if he was a bull ready to attack, he pulled out his wand. "I'll kill anyone who dares to touch a mere strand of your hair!"
"Neville, calm down!" she hurried to him, forcefully lowering his wand. "Will you let me explain? It's not the way you're thinking..."
"Things are simple, Luna. If you didn't want it, it's not called cheating!" he roared. "I swear... if he hurt you..."
"He didn't, Neville. Please, listen to me. I'll explain everything in detail if you want..." she seized his hands, keeping him from thrashing around. Thus, he settled down and looked attentively at her. "As you're aware, he's tried to make a move on me before, and on more than one occasion, that's why I had to urge him to stop."
"Yeah."
"Well, he did for some time. When I said I'd search for another advisor, he pretended he had given up," she told him. "But he really didn't. He's insistent." She clutched her eyes, the mere thought of him psyching her out. "I stress, however, that he never forced me to do anything. I gave in of my own will. I don't want you to think I was merely a helpless victim, Neville."
"Why are you trying to protect him, Luna?" Neville asked, dispirited. "Is it your kind heart talking? It's not because you have feelings for him, is it? "
"None of the above, Neville. I'm not trying to protect him. I'm telling you the truth," she sat on the bed. "I thought you said you still trusted me."
He sat by her side. "Well, that's precisely why I believe it's not your fault..."
"I stress, he didn't force me, Neville. I wanted that," she spat. "I should have put an end to this long ago. I should have picked Professor Grubby-Plank as my advisor... but I thought I could deal with this situation... I was very excited about the results of the research..." She avoided his gaze. "At least, I should've told you what was going on, but I wanted to avoid conflict... I... well... er... that means I've been keeping secrets from you even before I cheated, Neville. Dad had a point earlier today. I was putting my research ahead of our relationship..."
Having heard that, Neville let himself fall helplessly onto the bed once more. "I'm glad he didn't do anything bad to you, then." But he didn't know if he really felt glad. Sure, he was extremely relieved, his fury had definitely passed, but his heart had begun to sting again. All the hatred he was feeling moments ago made him feel numb. Now that he was calmer, it was aching strongly.
"I think that's why I ended up giving in... at some point, I became so obsessed with the research... my entire life revolved around it... I..." she babbled, having a hard time picking words, for she sensed each one of them hit his heart as if an arrow. "I wanted to spend time with him, Neville. When I was with you, I felt as if I had to stop thinking about my research... when I was with him, I could think about it every single second. He was even more obsessed about it than I was, if possible..." her voice was now a slight rustle, she had to strive to produce any sound. "I ended up forgetting what was really important to me... but I felt terribly guilty all along, Neville. I'm so sorry. I swear on my mother's grave I'm done with him."
He didn't feel like saying anything. Or doing anything, actually. He felt completely stagnated, his entire body fighting against doing anything. His chest seemed to be filled with the entire weight of the world. He didn't have enough strength to do anything but blink. With tears in her eyes, she lay beside him, staring keenly at him.
"I"ve already told him I don't want to see him ever again," she whispered.
"How's that possible?" he finally mustered enough force to produce some sound. "He's your advisor."
"Since my thesis is as good as finished, I'm avoiding him as much as I can. That's why he's chasing me through owl now," she took a deep breath. "He's even threatened to send me a howler. I..." She approached him carefully. "I was so frightened. I thought I'd lose you..." she tentatively lay his head on his chest. "Dad was right. I should quit researching after I defend my thesis. There's this employment proposition I intend to say yes to..."
"What proposition?"
"Well... Hermione's invited me to work in her department..."
She couldn't finish this sentence, because, even if he was feeling down in the dumps, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You, of all people, working at the Ministry? Hermione, of all people, your boss?" she frowned at him, seeming offended. "I'm sorry... I can't..." his face was red from lack of oxygen. The bizarre idea of Luna as a bureaucrat was probably the only thing in the world that was capable of cheering him up. "Seriously, Luna, this is not a good idea, ha, ha! You'd end up killing each other!"
"I could work at the Ministry just fine," she crossed her arms, turning her back on him whilst he still laughed. "Hermione is my friend. I know her well, I'm used to the way she is. We would never kill each other, that's ridiculous..."
"Would you be alright whenever she stated the Crumple-Horned Snorkack never existed?"
"She wouldn't have reason to. She'd be in her office, I'd be very far from there producing the powder. Do you remember I told you about the trading ban on the powder? The law project is almost as good as passed, which means the Ministry will be in charge of producing it..."
"I see..."
"Didn't you just tell me how amazing saving people's lives would be? This is exactly what we plan on doing. We're seeking to supply St Mungo's and everyone in the U.K. who needs it at the lowest possible cost. Unfortunately, Hermione's having a very hard time passing the law. I did everything I could to help. I'm sure we will succeed, but we're having a hard time indeed."
"Huh... maybe I was wrong," he crawled closer to her on the bed. "Look at you both... already working well together..."
"I'd rather have 10 Hermiones telling me every day that the Crumple-Horned Snorkack never existed than working one more day with him. I'm actually looking forward to it."
"Why wasn't he invited? D'you ask Hermione not to?"
"Oh, no. I didn't ask her anything. He fiercely opposes the trading ban and the law project we're vouching for. He wants to produce and commercialize the powder himself. He..." she turned herself on the bed, facing him. "When he found out Hermione was my friend, he expected me to convince her to... render us... unequal treatment..."
"What?"
"I don't know what he thought, but he was outraged to find out I supported her plans. He's been trying to override the project since it was proposed. Not to mention how ill he is speaking of Hermione to everyone who wants to hear..."
"What!?" he repeated, but higher pitched.
"I've heard... he denies, of course..." she lowered her voice tone. "I've heard he's even used the... m-word... don't freak out!" she quickly added when he did as if getting up again. "Hermione doesn't want problems with him. She's good friends with the rest of his family."
"Did you tell her you've been sleeping with him!? A damned pure-blood supremacist!"
"Neville, please, settle down..." she pulled him into an embrace. "Let's just forget about him, right? He's just a poor schmuck. The only thing he has in the world is his research." He looked at her with disbelief. "I'm not defending him, Neville. Hermione hardly believes this is true either. He has muggles in his family and most of his relatives are half-bloods." Neville shook his head, still irritated. "I actually pity him. He'll never have what we have."
He pulled her close. "One condition."
"What is it?"
"You'll stop pushing me away when I kiss you."
"I'll never do that again," her face lighted up as if it was a wand and someone had just cast Lumos.
"Can we have make up sex now?"
She never answered it, for no sooner words were out of his mouth than they were entangled on each other.
"Right," he drew the little stool close to her, and she seated on it. "Let's go..." Brandishing his wand and consulting his book, a second time he got started with the same complex series of healing enchantments, filling the room with a bright light stronger than earlier.
As his energy started to fill her all over again, she felt her head slowly being dragged into the clouds. But she couldn't let it happen again. She'd have to fight it. However, as much as she resisted, she couldn't help being taken over by all these unexpected emotions. They were so familiar, though somehow she knew they didn't belong to her. Among that swarm of emotions, she could distinguish a very deep and pure love, anticipation, fear... but the most strange she sensed was a little sting, almost imperceptible, of bitter grief. Why was that? Could he be grieving? She hadn't noticed, but tears had been running down her eyes. While she was absorbed in all of these, she was snapped out of it by a loud slam. She whipped her neck to find out Neville had fallen on the floor, completely knocked out.
"Neville!" she knelt close to him, shaking him nervously. "Neville, are you fine?" She verified if he was breathing and checked his pulse right after. Her face was ravaged from crying. "Rennervate!" she cast, pointing her wand at him. Nothing happened, though. "RENNERVATE!" she tried again, on the verge of a mental breakdown. "Please, Neville, wake up!" she pleaded, wiping some of her tears.
Knowing she could never have enough physical strength to carry him, she waved her wand in his direction and uttered, "Locomotor." Under her control, the tall man was magically lifted from the ground.
She was in the middle of her way to the door when a confused, dizzy voice reached her ears, "What's happening? What on earth...?"
"Neville!" upon hearing him, she lost focus on her magic, so he pungled at once on the floor. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was trying to get you to the Hospital Wing!" She hurried to him. "I tried to wake you up, but I..."
"I'm fine, Luna," he told her, trying to smile reassuringly as she helped him up. "I was just worn out. It's not a big deal."
"Why don't you have a decent chair?" resembling much more Molly Weasley than herself, she scanned the room for somewhere she could sit him down. "Bloody Diadem, Neville, you don't even have a desk!" She swung her wand, conjuring a tiny couch, where she helped him lay down. "How can you work among all this mess?"
"I wish I was good as that in Transfiguration. I have a desk. It's there." He pointed at a corner of the room, next to an open window. Luna squinted to find the desk, but all she could see was a huddle of plants. "They had to get more sunlight. I didn't have anything else I could use, so... I guess now it's their desk."
"Drink it," she had taken something out of her handbag and delivered it to him, sitting on the armrest of the couch shortly after. "Invigoration Draught."
"Why do you carry that with you?"
"Drink it," she repeated, slightly impatient. He obliged without questioning. She, thus, pulled out something else from her bag. "When you're done with that, eat it." She handed the object to him. "It's chocolate. It'll help."
"Oh, no, thanks," he refused, politely. "You know, my grandmother's got me on a tight diet. She'd freak out if she knew..."
"Do I have to tell you that every single day!?" she cut him off, losing her temper. "Augusta is not the boss of you, Neville!"
"Er... well..." he stammered. "It's been quite a while since you last told me that, actually."
"I..." her voice seemed to die as she realized how awkwardly she'd been acting. She'd put her defences down to the point she'd forgotten they weren't together anymore. "I'm sorry, Neville. I have no right to boss you around either."
"No! Please, suit yourself. I enjoy it," smiling shyly, he took a bite of the chocolate. "I mean, you bossing me around, not chocolate. Well, chocolate too. D'you wanna?"
"Just a tiny piece," she chopped a little from the corner of the bar.
"Only... you used to boss me quite calmy back in the day, didn't you?"
She ignored him completely, turning her back on him.
"Why are you so stressed, Luna?" he asked, concerned. "You used to be the calmest person I knew. You even fought Death Eaters calmly..."
"I'm afraid the Luna you're meeting now only exists stressed," she said, nonchalantly, as she pulled out her wand. Waving it, she began organizing the entire room magically, conjuring various shelves for the plants, even outside the window. "It's just a quick once-over. You should reorganize the plants yourself when you're better, according to how much sunlight each one needs. I sought to organize the plants I recognized, but it's actually very long since I last studied herbology."
"Wow, Luna. I don't know how I've survived without you, really..."
"You should be able to organize your own plants!" she scolded him, furiously.
"Luna, if you go on like this you'll end up having a heart attack!" he got himself sitting, staring thoroughly and worriedly at her. "There's no reason for you to be so worked up. Everything is fine. Try to take a deep breath and calm down, Luna."
She paced around the room. "It's just..." she wanted to explain herself to Neville, but, even though she sharply searched her mind, she couldn't make out why she was so stressed. Nowadays, she was in general humungously more anxious and restless than she used to be, always pained by never ceasing worries about her children. She'd definitely freak out at the mere idea of her beloved boys being endangered. "I'm strongly overprotective of the people I love, I guess."
"Luna... It's over..." he got to his feet, approaching her tentatively, pretending his heart hadn't twirled when he heard the L-word coming out of her mouth. "I'm fine. You're fine too. It was all worth it. Aren't you feeling better? You know... your back..."
Facing her back, he touched her arm slightly, seeking to wheel her around. When his fingertips reached her snow-white scarred skin, sparks travelled through her entire body so fast she didn't know how she didn't shiver. Before she could think straight, she abruptly steered in his direction and threw herself onto him, letting herself be driven by the exquisite feeling of her lips against his. Terrified that all of that could be just a dream, Neville tugged her closer, holding her tightly as if never letting her go away from his grasp again. Before any of them could process what was happening, they were entangled on the couch just like once they were on the bed.