disclaimer: i don't own HP. i just hate how the book end.

"We will leave tomorrow,"

"That's good,"

They both sat outside in silence, with only the sound of the waves coming from the front of them. Her dreamy eyes looked forward, but there was nothing there, just emptiness. It was unlike her usual self, the same girl who usually wanted to reach the sky and play with whatever was up there.

He swallowed down whatever was in his throat. "We will leave tomorrow, and I don't know when I will see you again."

Harry's words didn't catch much of Luna's attention. She hadn't even looked at Harry since they left the house.

"I don't know where to start," he said. "You might think Ron is being presumptuous, but..." He trailed off, staying silent, unsure if Luna really wanted to hear what he wanted to say.

"Tell me anyway," Luna finally said.

It was hard to put into words, but he began with, "I'm sorry about your father's house. We should have told you sooner."

"Why? Because you also think my father is a traitor?" she said softly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Harry said after a pause. "I can't tell you because after what happened to you, it's been difficult for me to tell you about your father."

Luna had told them ,while they were sitting together in the living room, about her father's continued support for Harry during war. She had mentioned how she couldn't wait to hear from her father about her freedom. Hermione had tried to reassure her about the Snorkack horn, explaining that it was actually an Erumpent horn, but Luna wasn't buying it. "It will form back itself," she had said. Ron then recounted what had happened at the Lovegood house, how her father had almost handed them over to the Death Eaters. Luna had yelled at Ron, calling him a liar, and Ron had retaliated by shouting at her, accusing her father of being a traitor and a Death Eater's lackey. Hermione had restrained Ron from responding to Luna's emotions, and Harry had quickly pulled Luna outside before Ron could utter any further insults.

Harry understood Luna's feelings. She loved her father. She didn't blame him; how could she hate her own father? But hearing from those she considered friends, hearing them call her father a traitor, was enough to make her despise anyone.

"You hate me too, didn't you?" she asked.

"I'm not. I don't blame your father. If I were in his position, I might have done the same," he exclaimed. "He just wants you to be free." Harry looked at Luna, searching her face. Something flickered across her expression. Unblinking, he observed her closely, hoping for more, for a reaction, for anything else. But there was nothing else.

"Daddy is a good person. He wouldn't turn out like them."

He nodded. "I know. Maybe it's just a parent's instinct. My mother would do the same thing too if I were captured," he tried to recall the same feeling he had when he saw Xenophilius trying to stop them from leaving. "I'm sorry for what Ron said. He didn't mean it."

"Oh, He meant every word, because his family is fine he can say anything about mine," he could see tears welling up at the edges of her eyes. It was a long silence between them.

"Luna," Harry wanted to hug her, tell her not to cry, "I know this might not be the right time, but..." he paused, "I will leave tomorrow morning and this might be my last chance to say this."

Luna waited patiently for Harry to finish his words. "We're in a war against You-Know-Who, and I think there's no point in pretending."

"When I found out from your father that you were captured, that you might be in Azkaban, that dreadful place..." he trailed off. "You know, I've always been friends with you. Maybe we haven't talked as much as friends should. I remember thinking you were a bit odd, being different and all... but when I heard that Death Eaters had taken you, something stirred inside me, something I didn't know I had inside me. If it weren't for Ron and Hermione, I might have attacked the Death Eaters who came to your house that day, and made them tell me where they kept you, and rushed there to save you. I know it sounds foolish, but I just wanted you back."

Luna finally looked at him. As their eyes met, for the first time since they had been sitting there, her eyes sparkled with wide curiosity. And Harry remembered the feelings he had experienced when he was in Luna's room, the reason he had wanted to get Luna back. He understood that Luna is like him before he came to Hogwarts. He had hoped that someone could understand him. He didn't want that sense of loss to happen to Luna. It was enough for him alone, not for anyone else, not for Luna.

"That doesn't seem fair," she paused. "Ginny wouldn't be pleased to hear you say that. She also wants to be saved by you again. Or in her case, she's waiting for you to rescue her from missing you," she rolled her eyes upwards, trying to process what she had just said. "Yeah, that sounds right... it's fair for her."

"Ginny, huh?" Harry stared out towards the ocean, questioning himself. What about Ginny? Did he will feel the same way he did about wanting Luna back?

He would save Ginny, he would save all the Weasley family members without a second thought. But he didn't think he would feel the same way he felt for Luna. It was strange; he felt that if he went to save Luna, it would be like saving Sirius all over again. Even if it meant falling into another trap, he just couldn't bear to see Luna suffer. Was it because of what they both felt? When their lives were filled with injustice, they wanted to see each other happy, even if just a little.

"And what is fair for you?" Harry asked.

"I really don't think much about what's fair for me, Harry. You know better. If life was fair, we would all be home with our parents, both our parents," she paused. "Thanks, Harry. That's the nicest thing someone has ever told me. I never expected that there would be someone who would worry about me other than Daddy."

"It's fine, really. I don't mind. I just hope I can be there every time you need me."

"Every time I need you?" Luna questioned.

"Yes,"

"I'm not sure you want that, Harry. No one has ever wanted to stay with me for long except in class. You know how they avoid me, afraid of catching the 'Looney' disease, they said. Only you were willing to ask me to party with me... well, as a friend, of course. But it's better than never having go to party with a boy throuhout my time at school. And I must admit, you really make me feel special."

Harry smiled upon hearing her word. Looking back at the past, He hoped he could do much more for her. However, with Draco on the loose and private studies with Dumbledore, he was glad he brought Luna along. At least they wouldn't be complete strangers.

"Special, eh?" Harry teased.

"Hu-um... you must have seen my housemates' reactions when I told them I was going to Slughorn's party with you. Alea, my roommate, was actually very nice. She told me not to wear the necklace because it didn't go well with the dress. She still laughed at me, of course, but she was being helpful."

"I don't know about the necklace, but, well, you look... fluffy in that dress. You looked like a silver Christmas tree,..." Harry stopped, realizing what he had just said. Was it okay to comment on a girl's dress by comparing her to a tree? Harry quickly glanced at Luna, and to his surprise, they both looked at each other at the same time.

"Oooooo, you noticed! That's exactly what I thought when I saw that dress in Sweden last year." She poked Harry's arm playfully.

Okay, it seemed that Luna liked being compared to a tree... What luck. Harry thought for a second, trying to recall the book that Ron had given him, "Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches." He had never had a chance to open it, but he hoped he had. Luna might not be his usual kind of witch, but she was still a girl. They were sure to blush at compliments, it worked for Hermione before with Ron.

"Well, I think your dorm mates only laugh at you because they must be jealous of you, no doubt about that," Luna giggled. 'Well, that's a start,' Harry thought. "Yeah, they must be jealous of your plum earrings and glow-in-the-dark socks," Harry added.

Luna giggled even more. "Jealous enough to make them hide it. Don't forget about the Nargles, though. They also take part in it."

"Yeah, Nargles. I've always wondered if you're the only person at Hogwarts who keeps that place safe from them."

"I know, right? You don't know how much trouble Nargles can cause." Luna's silver eyes widened as she looked at Harry, as if she had been waiting all her life for someone to notice her hard work. "And if you've noticed, I'm the one who puts rabbit marks on the library books."

"So it was you?" Harry remembered Hermione showing him a small rabbit symbol, complete with an unclear note, in some library books. The symbol only appeared if you read that page for a while. "You know, last year I almost got detention because Madam Pince thought I was scribbling in library books, but it was actually my own book all along."

"Me too... Well, she just shooed me away because I tried to convince her to add quick notes, and I ended up using Revealo ink on it." they both started laughing at each other again.

They continued their nonsensical conversation, with Harry trying to make compliments his main weapon until it started getting dark.

"I never knew you could be so much fun," Harry said with a chuckle. "And here I wonder why no boys are interested in you."

Luna looked at him skeptically. "Well, you were the first one to say that. As for the boys, is that even a question? You know, they don't even see me. Even if they pay attention, I'm just... well, my house is full of preaty and smart girls." Luna knew Harry didn't want to talk about Cho Chang after the DA incident, so she made it less obvious.

"Well, that's something they're wrong about. You are smart and pretty too. And you're definitely going to keep the house free from Nargles, that's something. And pretty too... Did I already say pretty twice?" Harry grinned.

"Yes,..yes you did," Luna giggled, "now you're just messing with me."

"Because it's true," Harry lifted his hand, showing the scar, "see, I even have the reminder right here."

Luna blushed and smiled as she looked at Harry. She hadn't received many compliments, especially being called 'pretty,' which she had only ever heard from her father.

"And when you left me at the party, I thought you would leave me there. Good thing you came back, and unlike Padma, you took me to dance. Seems like you've learned your lesson, and I'm the lucky one."

"See, I wouldn't want to miss a dance with a pretty girl, am I?" They both burst into laughter again.

"Harry..." she paused, "you really don't hate me, do you?"

"I don't think I could ever get angry with you. You're just so sweet."

"Good." She moved closer to Harry and rested her head on his shoulder. It wasn't entirely comfortable; Harry had spent months in the woods surviving on mushrooms and wild berries, losing a considerable amount of weight. It would be more uncomfortable if he hadn't shifted his weight right.

"Wait," said Harry. Luna seemed startled, and Harry tried to make sure her head was on the softer part of his shoulder, not on his bony parts. "Okay, that's better." Luna just smiled.

"This is nice," Luna commented. As they both looked at the ocean, Harry rested his head on Luna's head.

"Yeah, this is nice,"

The rest of the night wasn't particularly enjoyable for Harry. Fleur had sent Hermione to call them for dinner in the middle of their silent ocean watching. . Harry couldn't sleep deeply that night, knowing he would be leaving in a few hours.

A knock on their door was enough to jolt him awake. Not like he needed more sleep anyway; he had already slept more than necessary, having no need to keep watch outside the tent every few hours.

"You two, wake up," Hermione said. "We'll be leaving in an hour. Try to wake up at least." Ron, who had never been part of the night watch, was still pleading with Hermione to let him sleep more.

After putting on his glasses and making a quick trip to the washroom to freshen up, Harry passed by the room Hermione shared with Luna. He stopped.

He really wanted to say goodbye to Luna again, even though they had already said their goodbyes before dinner last night. He stood there, pondering for a moment, before making up his mind to knock. He would face Voldemort at some point; being afraid to see a girl wasn't something he should fear right now.

It was silent, no sound from behind the door. He waited for a while before knocking again. "She's probably still asleep," Harry thought He considered opening the door without waiting to be let in; but that would be quite creepy if Luna woke up to find him standing next to her. The book he had read last night before going to bed had clearly stated, "Making a witch feel comfortable, not acting like a love maniac."

After a brief internal debate,, trying to justify his actions—whether he should go in without being invited or leave and have a good chance of not seeing Luna again. if his mind put it that way, it obvious what he would do — he didn't notice the door handle beginning to move.

"Whuuh... who is it?" Her eyes were still half-open, and her blond hair was even messier, making Hermione's bushy hair look well-groomed in comparison.

"It's Harry. We're about to leave. I wanted to say good..."

Baammm! The door closed again. She slammed the door in Harry's face so quickly that he didn't have time to finish his sentence. Was he being too pushy, thinking maybe he already do something opposite from what the book advise While blaming himself for a moment, he turned around and started walking toward his room.

"Psssttttt... psssstt, Harry... pssstt," Harry turned around to find the blond girl sticking her head out of the door, whispering and calling him.

He walked quickly into the room. Luna's eyes seemed less sleepy than before, though she still looked like she needed more rest. Her hair was pulled into a high, loose bun, with shorter pieces falling around her face. It looked like she had cast a quick freshen-up spell on herself. It wasn't as good as washing your face or taking a refreshing morning shower, but it was enough to make you look decent enough to hide the morning terror that most people are afraid of. In Luna's case, something told him it was because of him.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?" she asked.

"Well, I wanted to say goodbye."

"Wasn't last night enough?"

"Well..." Harry hesitated. He just so happy that luna had open the door for him, and let him inside. It felt weird that suddenly he felt like wanted to kiss the girl in front of him. How do he even get started?

"well? What's the 'well,'?" Luna noticed that harry had lost himself in his thoughts for a moment. Suddenly, his heart took the lead, something he really wanted to do.

He stepped closer to her. Luna, noticing Harry's movement, froze for a moment before slowly walking backward. Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief, but there was no sign that she wanted to push Harry away.

It was a small room she was staying in, with two beds, so there wasn't much space to move around. The Shell Cottage was supposed to be a holiday home, where most activities were meant to be done outside or downstairs. She was already standing, leaning against an old wardrobe, beaming at Harry, who was now very close to her – too close. Luna didn't say anything. She took a breath, then closed her mouth, her hands clasped against her chest, as if she were about to pray for something.

Harry noticed Luna's prayer-like stance. He had never been slapped by a girl before, and he didn't plan for it to happen now. He was just worried about scaring Luna if he made a sudden move. Slowly, he lifted his hand, touching hers, and looked into her eyes. She didn't move; no slap was delivered. So, it was okay to touch her.

Harry lifted his hand higher, toward her face, gently wiping away the hurriedly tied remnants of hair that were still covering her face. His eyes followed his finger's path in silence, moving along her face as if trying to memorize every inch of it.

Luna still showed no signs of movement. She just beamed at Harry, frozen, as if she were petrified. When Harry's thumb touched the edge of her lips, their eyes finally met. It was as though his gaze drew her towards him, and suddenly she knew what would happen next.

Harry lifted her chin and leaned closer. Just before their lips could touch, He heard Luna whispered softly, "You will regret it."

He stopped. "I won't," Harry replied, slowly moving his lips towards hers.

He couldn't imagine regretting it. a gentle and unhurried kiss. Luna's lips were soft and warm; he could feel her lips slightly trembling. It felt so right in that moment, as though he were pouring his feelings into the kiss.

He pulled away before he intended to, both of them needing to catch their breath. When he pulled back, their eyes remained closed. Harry felt his lips twitching, wanting more. He opened his eyes, wanting to know if he had done something wrong. It seemed Luna was still on her tiptoes; he hadn't even noticed that her hand was already gripping his shirt, breaking her prying stance.

"Another one, please," Luna whispered, her eyes still closed.

Hearing her request almost made Harry laugh. He had never heard someone ask for a kiss as if ordering food. But he was sure he wouldn't miss out on this invitation.

Harry had been gone for more than 15 minutes, and Ron had already gotten up, though half of his soul seemed to still be in bed. The noise from Hermione, who was busy checking what they needed, was the main reason he wake up.

With a big yawn, he could make out the only thing in front of him: an empty bed.

"Where is Harry?" Ron asked with his eyes half-open.

"He's in the washroom," Hermione replied, not looking up from her enchanted purse. "Get ready, after him it's your turn."

"How long? he...there?" Ron asked, speaking so little, not wanting to disrupt his half-asleep state.

Hermione looked up from her enchanted purse. After a moment, she finally realized that Harry had been gone for too long. Ron was still waiting for an answer.

"I'll check," Hermione decided.

"Great," Ron muttered, dropping his head back onto the pillow as Hermione dragged him along, not wanting to spend time waking him up again.

But Harry wasn't in their room. The bathroom door was still ajar with no one inside. They knocked on Griphook's room, thinking Harry might be there, but the goblin just inquired if they were ready yet. As Hermione was about to open her own room's door, She heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairs, and there was Harry.

"Are we ready yet?" Harry asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"We were looking for you. Where were you?" Hermione questioned.

"Oh, I was just standing... running... outside," Harry replied casually.

"With no shoe?" Ron added

"Yep, can't be better than going barefoot."

Luna gazed out of the newly closed window. Harry had jumped out of the window after giving her a quick kiss after they heard the knocking sound from the adjacent room. He knew they were looking for him, and if he were to apparate outside the room, it would be loud enough to be heard from outside.

Finding them both snogging in her bedroom might not be the best way to start their journey. She wished their moment could have lasted longer. Harry had come to see her on his own will, without any pressure, just to say goodbye and perhaps an extra token of luck for his journey.

She remembered her mother telling a story about how she had compelled her father to visit her every few days, threatening him with nasty hexes if he didn't comply. Her father had always been consumed by his journalistic pursuits, even long before their marriage, often neglecting Luna's mother.

However, Luna found that it wouldn't be necessary for her to take such extreme measures with Harry. She couldn't even bring herself to cast a hex on him, even in jest. . Her body still felt like it was floating on a cloud from the kiss they shared. "Oooooooohhhhh Harry... what have you done to me," she whispered to herself.

She continued to sit by the window until she saw Harry, Ron, and the others getting ready for departure. Luna observed them, her cloud-nine sensation still lingering, as she hoped that her kiss had infused enough luck to guide Harry on their journey. Closing her eyes, she kissed her own palm, imbuing it with her feelings, before blowing it away like a kiss carried by the wind. She knew Harry couldn't see it, but in that simple act, she felt she was sending him a piece of her heart.