Chapter 7: May the Best Woman Win

"All right, ladies... and gent, here we are..."

Luna glanced up in time to see Neville returning to their table at the Three Broomsticks, juggling four mugs of hot chocolate. She accepted hers from him with a dimpled grin on thanks, blowing carefully on the steam wafting off the top. Across the table, Ginny took an experimental sip.

"Oooh! That's hot!" She grinned weakly around at her friends.

"You're hot," Dean Thomas stated, gazing at her admiringly.

Ginny giggled and tugged her Gryffindor classmate in for a kiss.

Neville met Luna's eyes, his own lips quirking in something between an amused smile and a grimace before he lifted the rim of his mug to take a long pull.

Ginny and Dean had been going out as boyfriend and girlfriend since just after the start of term, a little over two months ago. The move had surprised Luna and Neville both, particularly the former, given what she knew about her best girl friend's love life, but they had both tried to be supportive of their friend.

It wasn't that Dean was a bad bloke, per se. He was a very good chap, but it was clear that this was his very first relationship. His ideas of wooing seemed a little... stale.

"You're hot?" Neville murmured low in Luna's ear. "How much time did he work on that one?" Luna smiled weakly and waved him down. Across from them, their lips practically nipping at each other as they made out heatedly, neither Ginny nor Dean noticed.

All at once, there was a small commotion behind them, the noise barely rising over the general hubbub of this pub.

"... leave."

"Ronald Weasley, don't be ridiculous! If your sister saw you snogging... me, or... Luna, would you expect her to just get up and leave?"

"Huh?" Luna whipped her head around at the mention of her name: a few tables behind them, Hermione's chestnut curls flounced as she scolded Ron to retake his seat.

Neville had heard the exchange too. "Well, either of those paint a pretty picture, I must say..." he drolled.

Luna nudged his shoulder playfully, ducking her head back into her hot chocolate so he didn't see how her cheeks were turning pink. She told herself it was from the steam.

It was the first Quidditch match following the holiday break. The day - a match between Gryffindor and Slytherin - dawned stormy.

Even so, Luna skipped down to breakfast, wearing the lion's mane (Ginny called it a hood, Neville called it a jumper - a discrepancy on which they liked to rib each other and her) she had sewn two terms ago, originally meant as a present for Ron's birthday.

Gliding into the Great Hall, she spotted him. Even at a slight distance, she could see curls of his red hair peeking out from under his Keeper's helmet. He'd grown out his lustrous red locks much longer in the past, but Luna also liked it when it was trimmed. The man appeared quite smart and fetching in his Quidditch robes.

Luna had been absolutely delighted when her best mate and her crush had both made the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year. With two Weasleys back on the team for the first time since Fred and George, much of Gryffindor House had held great expectations going into the new season. Ginny had excelled as a Chaser, but so far, in his position as Keeper, Ron had struggled.

Today was a critical game. It would determine Gryffindor's standing heading into the mid-season, a harbinger for how the play-offs would shake out the following spring.

"... need to eat," Harry was encouraging in a low murmur to Ron as Luna strolled blithely up to the Golden Trio. She plonked down right next to Ron. On his other side, Hermione was almost hovering, her pretty face appearing anxious, her smile tense as she fussed over Ron encouragingly.

Ron and Hermione had seemed a lot closer to Luna over this term. They had always been best mates, but Hermione's closeness had made Luna begin to wonder if they were together as a couple. She'd wondered enough to ask Ginny, who claimed there hadn't been "any news."

"Hullo, everyone." Luna turned her face to take in how Ron's was a potent shade of puce. "... You look dreadful, Ronald. Is it a tonic?"

Ron mutely shook his head.

Luna appraised him up and down. "The Gulping Plinkies must really be upsetting your stomach. Harry's right; the best remedy for that is a hearty breakfast." Hermione scoffed something unintelligible and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Luna ignored this. For a moment, she briefly debated doing, and not just saying, something to settle the poor fellow's nerves. It was quite Christmastime yet, so no mistletoe or burrowing Nargles about. But the Wrackspurts were buzzing in her mind, telling her a kiss on the cheek for luck could go a long way. Hell, a deep snog on the mouth might snap Ron out of whatever funk he was in.

But Luna didn't dare attempt it with Hermione - her relation to the Gryffindor Keeper at best indeterminate - sitting right there. Still, the Wrackspurts roared, telling Luna to act on these mad thoughts in her head.

Ultimately, she split the difference. Leaning in, she kissed Ron just as he was raising a glass of pumpkin juice to his lips.

"Ron, don't dri...!" Hermione's warning died on her lips as she bristled in surprise at Luna's peck. Ron jerked rather sharply, enough to almost disrupt the gulp of his pumpkin juice. Drawing back, her face flushing, Luna smiled weakly. "Luck."

She rose with more grace than she felt and practically scampered away, her ear catching Harry ask, "What was all that about?"

While Ron didn't have the foggiest idea, his countenance had suddenly seemed to change. Maybe it was the pumpkin juice. Maybe it was Luna's out of the blue buzz on the cheek, but regardless, some color had returned to his face.

"Come on, Harry - we've got a game to win!"

The Quidditch match turned into a rout.

For Gryffindor.

As a steady rain lashed the grounds outside on this cold fall evening, the Gryffindor Common Room was a madhouse of warmth and celebration.

Ginny had snuck Luna into the Tower to partake in the fun. More than a few folks congratulated her on her commentary, and seemed quite sincere in her praise. Luna accepted it humbly. She had missed calling the matches last year, after Umbridge had banned all school clubs, to which Harry had replied with a British middle finger and established a club of his own in secret.

A crowd had formed around the man of the hour, the game's MVP, Ron Weasley. The conquering hero was now set on a table above his adoring admirers, everyone chanting his name.

Standing with an amused Ginny, Luna watched Ron's expression. As much as he could pretend otherwise, he had never hung around Harry Potter to lap up his leftover scraps of attention. And yet it had to be gratifying all the same, to be the center of focus for once.

"Ever a surprise, isn't it?" The girls glanced up as Hermione joined them, her expression a mix of bemusement and genuine pride. "And to think I thought that Harry..." She didn't finish her sentence, shaking her head in bewilderment and applauding along with the other drunk, carousing Gryffindors.

Brushing a lock of blonde hair out of her face from where it had come loose under her lion's mane beanie, Luna gazed at Ron adoringly. She was ever so proud of him, and thrilled that he was finally getting his just due. She felt her heart would burst if she didn't do something to express her admiration for him.

... Oh, Godric... Was she really going to do this? She glanced to Ginny almost as if for help. The redhead studied the expression on her best mate's face and her eyes both widened and brightened.

"Luna...?"

Luna made her decision. Do it now, or forever wish she had. Heart thundering in her chest, she turned back to Ron, ready to... to... oh, bloody hell, she didn't know what would happen! She was prepared that he might push her away. That he might not feel the same but by the Grey Lady, she was going to...

She had barely taken a purposeful stride or two into the throng before a blonde blur was streaking across the floor to Ron on the table, getting to him first.

Lavender Brown leapt onto the tabeltop and threw her arms around Ron's neck. At everyone assembled witnessing the full-blown and out-of-left-Quidditch-pitch snog, there was a gasp, and then, when Ron started to snog Lavender back, wild cheering.

Luna pulled up short, sucking in a breath. Hot moisture pricked at the back of her eyes. Turning back in a wounded daze, her eyes met Ginevra, who looked heartbroken on her behalf. The space next to the ginger witch was now suddenly empty.

Glancing about, Luna was just in time to see curly, chestnut curls bouncing through the portrait hole currently swinging shut. Eyebrows knitting, she quietly followed, her feet carrying her all the faster as she willed herself not to look back.

She finally encountered Hermione on a spiral stone staircase leading into one of the more private courtyards outside the school. By now the rain had let up so as to be barely a light drizzle.

The pace of the raindrops seemed to match the sniffling that could be heard from the pretty, bookish witch now, hunched over.

"Not now, Harry. I... I just want to be alone..." Hermione called without turning aronund. When she did, she seemed taken aback, blinking at Luna dumbly. "Thought... thought you were..."

Luna edged closer until she was standing over the bereft girl. There was a small flock of golden birds twittering above their heads. They seemed to resemble Sundrop Kappas, a cousin of golden canaries. Or maybe they were just canaries. Either way...

"Beautiful brids, aren't they?" Luna observed, her tone still tranquil though now there was a slight hitch to it.

Hermione gestured lamely. "Transfiguration. I've been practicing."

"They're really good," Luna complimented. Slowly, she lowered herself to a seated position beside the other girl. There was a moment of silence, broken sharply by Hermione doubling over and letting out a choked sob, head in her palm. Luna started to lift a hand to pat her on the arm, hesitated, and then let it drop. She wasn't sure if Hermione would appreciate the comfort. They were classmates, sure, DA colleagues, but they weren't exactly friends.

Breathing deeply, Luna stared straight ahead, letting the silence reign.

It was broken quite suddenly by the sound of running feet and giggling. Ron and Lavender Brown now burst into this very courtyard, arm in arm. Lavender pulled up short upon sight of the two other girls.

"Oops! I think this room's taken..." she chittered to Ron, meaning to tug him away, but Ron dropped his arm. "What's... what's with the birds?"

Luna was still frowning hard over what Lavender Brown had been insinuating with her 'this room's taken' comment. So she didn't notice how Hermione had risen to her feet with remarkable poise.

"Oppugno!"

The flock of birds now fiercely dive-bombed Ron, an attack he barely avoided with a startled yelp of shock. Deep, blue eyes huge and perplexed, he ran off.

Hermione wept again bitterly, sinking to her knees once more, her legs almost giving out on her. Luna gently patted her arm.

Sniffling, Hermione wiped at her eyes. When she turned to face Luna, her stare was unexpectedly probing. Knowing.

"You're in love with him too, aren't you?"

Luna's silvery orbs expanded. She could not tell a lie. It hadn't been true when she'd walked in on Hermione snogging Krum, and it wasn't true now. Especially seeing as an honest question deserved an honest answer. She nodded slowly.

Hermione let out a kind of wet laugh. "Well... he's somehow already managed to do a lot worse than you..." And she gestured contemptuously with her head towards where the man and Lavender Brown had fled. She sighed. "I guess all we can hope for is that... may the best woman win."

She held out her hand to shake, and Luna took it almost dumbly.

"You don't think they'll last, do you?"

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "If the fellow knows what's best for him, we should only hope not! Going round with the slag of Gryffindor House... of all the..." She exhaled deeply. "Well, on his own head be it. Perhaps he'll learn something from the experience."

Luna grinned weakly, wetly. "Indeed. Like how there are far better girls."

Hermione blinked sharply at this... and then chuckled, even smiled. The chuckle and the smile were both as wet and as weak as Luna's, to be sure, but they were genuine, nonetheless. Luna grinned back, sensing that even though she had lost her chance to tell Ron how she felt, at least she had gained a friend.

As usual, Hermione was right, of course: may the best woman win. Whether or not that best woman would be the Greatest Witch of Her Age or an oddball from Ravenclaw... to Luna's mind, it was too soon to tell.