AN: I do not own Harry Potter. Warning: Talk of character death.

One Year Later...

A week before Harry's graduation...

Luna stood on the lakeshore. Part elf seer she was, and her elvish nature really shone through in this instance. Her hair was shining more than the fading light could account for, and her radish earrings were starting to sprout roots and more leaves. Her skirt fluttered in the breeze, and the flowers in her hair were perky and no where close to fading. She had stood long enough that butterflies had started to flutter about the flowers in her hair, making the extra shine reflect off their wings making the whole look more magical in appearance.

Harry walked towards her. His hair was more wispy, and while he had tried to reign in his dementor side, it still moved on its own, a little more than the wind required. It was slightly colder around him now on a semi-permanent basis. His green eyes lit up behind the glasses, new ones since his head grew with a new prescription, seeing Luna on the lakeshore rocks. He bent down and picked a flower as his steps through the grass brought him closer to the rocks where Luna stood. The butterflies flew away as he got closer, though a small swarm of insects stayed close.

"Hello, Luna."

"Hi, Harry."

"It's beautiful out here."

"It is."

"Is something bothering you?"

"Sometimes other futures that could have been crash into my head as what-could-have-beens, just with glimpses of other futures or glimpses of other worlds where it did go that way. Do you know what could have been, Harry? If those Dementor's hadn't taken you away? So much death, Harry, as the war would have been so much longer, and today would have been your first... death."

Harry stood still watching her. He knew that a lot of what she saw was not good, but normally it didn't shake her like this. She was even not using her own slang, but the grief and the cutting of what she had seen was apparent in her language.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that."

"I see so much death that I can't change, Harry, but this is another one that it seems the heliopaths cannot make me forget."

"Oh, Luna. I'm right here, you know, not dead."

"No, you're not because you ended up having a harder time getting your wand out and then you listened to your relations, instead of blasting them away."

"I am so glad that happened, and I know I've said this multiple times, but I really am thankful for the support you gave me back then and since."

"I am also so happy that someone would look out for me like you have."

Harry hugged her, and then said, "You're welcome. I love you a lot, you know."

Luna felt the tears come into her eyes as she hugged him back.

"I know. I love you too, so much."

"Do you need to borrow a hankie?"

"Yes, please."

"I promise to stay around and help as long as I can."

"As long as twice the average length of a wizard?"

"As long as 400 years? I know you said you've got a longer life before."

"I'm that much elf. I have that long a life span."

"There's a chance I will live that long. If I can die, it will only be of old age or like my mother, in exchange for another. If I can, I will stay to help as long as that."

"So what are you saying, Harry?"

Harry stepped back and knelt, and Luna let him. She felt that this was going to be a very important moment in their lives.

"I am saying, Luna, will you marry me?"

"Oh, Harry, yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Harry gave her the flower, pulled out a box with a ring with a diamond flower with a lapis lazuli center, with two emerald leaves on either side. He took her hand, and slid the ring onto her finger.

"I'm sorry, we'll have to go into Diagon Alley or London somewhere and get you one that will last. Either way, I'll get you another one."

"Oh, Harry!"

She leaped and hugged him as he stood up, and it was a good thing he was slightly braced, as they only rocked a little sideways instead of fully falling.

"I love you, Luna. This isn't just about the long age thing, the sad thing, but I was going to ask today anyway. By the way, I love the flowers in your hair."

She smiled a sad smile.

"Though we should probably be moving. The insects arriving are more in the shape of the swarm of flies getting closer. I have to say, I like the way they are reflecting your hair, but I believe if we allow them to land in your hair, they would follow us wherever we went. I doubt that Filch is going to like us tracking in insects, even if you're going to be the Divination teacher when school ends and I am teaching the Defense of the Dark Arts."

Luna startled to giggle.

"My lady, I don't know what your schedule is like, but do you want to go on a date with me right now?"

"(Sweet, spicy sent of fear from being momentarily startled) Harry Potter, I would love to go on a date with you."

Harry grinned, stood, and took her hand and led her away from the lake to the picnic blanket he had set up with food and lanterns under a big tree near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

.

Draco Malfoy stood in the alley by Gringotts where Harry was heading.

"Hey, Potter. I hear you are soon to be married. Congratulations."

"How did you hear about it?"

"Luna and Astoria Greengrass were having tea with some of the other girls last weekend. She told the girls."

"I see. How is Miss Greengrass?"

"Oh, she's wonderful."

Harry listened happily and then politely while Draco rattled on about Astoria. Catching the blond's eye, he tapped his right fourth finger and asked, "When?"

Draco choked.

"Later, when it's appropriate."

"So in a year or two?" Harry asked, and at Draco's nod, said, "Ah, so I leaped ahead a year, how rude of me. I guess it means that it will be more known by the time."

"It's not like there isn't any reporters trying to figure out what we're saying right now."

"Good point. We'll always be in the papers. I can imagine: Harry Potter caught talking to Draco Malfoy in Diagon Alley. I wonder what they'll come up with."

"Who's reputation will be ruined this time?"

"It depends who's writing, I guess."

Draco smirked.

"Well, it was nice catching up with you. Send me an owl?"

"Sure."

Harry headed on to the bank.

.

"So what's the plan again?"

Richard and family were gathered around the table.

"Well, this next year, I will be teaching the Defense of the Dark Arts class, and take my Masters in it during the summers. Snape, after Voldemort died, was able to keep teaching defense again this year, so we're sure now that the curse on the position died with Voldemort. He wants to get back to teaching Potions, despite how much he has been enjoying the break from it. "

"Master Summerton has agreed to do that?"

"Yes. He has warned me that teaching the kids will seem like a break compared to what we will be doing."

"I am glad for that."

"So the news you wanted to tell us, but didn't want to tell us in public?"

Harry grinned.

"Luna Lovegood and I are now engaged. I will ask that you not spread this, but we're both longer lived than wizards."

"Really?"

"Not just you?"

"We both are. She's part elvish, and sometimes it really shows."

"That's why the fairies like her so much?"

"Yes."

Charity looked awed for a second before bouncing slightly and saying, "That's awesome. When are you getting married?"

"Well, right now Luna's in school, so it will have to wait until she's 18 and not a student."

"Not a student?"

"She's thinking of getting hired on as a Divination teacher after graduation."

"Really."

"That means that you'll have to continue keeping your hands to yourself next year."

"Yes, Richard."

Patience leaned forward.

"As someone who has been part of a long-distance relationship for a long time, even if part time, I can tell you that letters really help. You can't be seen as giving her preference, and most likely this will mean that you will have someone checking to see that you mark her fairly. However, you won't make it through the year without some kind of contact, and so letters will have to do. It will also make any disagreements seem more drawn out, which can lead to some very hot arguments, but it also means that you can practice getting your apology rightly worded before you send it. So continue to send the letters, and don't forget the rest of your friends as well."

"All right. Thank you."

She nodded.

"You are very welcome."

Harry grinned.