So I can't upload a file except on my phone now. I hate this site. I also have more stories on AO3.

Chapter 15 - Love Me Not

"Get out," Albus demanded, the old man losing control over his long held composure. "All of you get out!"

Harry and Sirius shared a look before Sirius caught his hand and pulled him in for a hug as they stepped into the fireplace.

Rightly so, as neither was qualified for being able to handle an emotional Albus.

Pomona and Filius left, taking discretion as the better part of valour, though Filius exchanged a look with Minerva as he passed them. Minerva glowered at the Headmaster, "I told you that those muggles–"

"Leave me," Albus said, collapsing in a chair by the window, Fawkes chirping softly still on his shoulder.

"I would have taken him," Severus said because as much as he hated James Potter, the boy was still Lily's son, and the tragedy that had befallen her son had been Severus's fault.

He would not have knowingly condemned the boy to a childhood in any way similar to his own.

How much easier would it have been to loathe the child if he was raised like his father or the Malfoys?

Albus looked up, his expression in turmoil. "What?"

"I would have taken the boy in. If there truly had been no one else, I would have taken him in."

"You think you would have made a good father?" Albus asked bitterly.

"No," Severus said cooly. "I probably wouldn't have been, but I would have given him a place to sleep, his own clothes to wear, and food to eat."

"A home is more than the basics," Albus said tersely.

"He didn't receive the basics, Albus," Minerva said hotly. "Because of us!"

"I could not have spared either of you," Albus sighed, looking out the window. "The Dursleys were a mistake but few places would be as safe."

"It wasn't safe!" Minerva exclaimed.

"He wasn't taken from his home, was he?" Albus asked. "Even knowing where he was, no Death Eater, no well meaning fan of the Boy Who Lived was able to take him away or cause him harm! It was the best of terrible tragedy. I will not belittle his suffering but he has not been killed or kidnapped as many have sought to do over the years."

"I could have kept him safe," Minerva said. "He could have been happy with me and my brother."

Albus shook his head, "The past cannot be changed."

Minerva left, presumably before she threw any curses as the slamming of the heavy door indicated she would have liked to.

Severus shook his head and turned to follow her, only to pause. Before he left, he gave one last parting shot, "In all your plans, Albus, did you ever account for being proved wrong?"

Albus did not answer nor did Severus wait for a response.

oOo

Albus Dumbledore sat in his tower, overlooking the grounds and acknowledged to himself, that no, he hadn't accounted for being wrong.

He accounted for being left alone in his folly either.

He frowned as his sluggish thoughts fell over each other in useless tangles.

Pain was a secondary sensation to the inorder of his thoughts, still aching from the punch Sirius had given him as well as how he had landed on the ground.

Eventually, however, the physical sensation soothed his injured pride and he was able to ask himself how it was that Harry had known all that he had.

How did Harry know I meant for him to face Tom? Tom didn't know that, it wasn't something Harry could have gleaned from the Dark Lord's mind.

And how did Harry know of the Hallows? And why did the wand that only recognized a master who had killed the previous owner acknowledge Harry?

oOo

When Sirius arrived back at Grimmauld Place, after having left Harry with Minerva, Remus was there waiting for him.

"Where have you been?" Remus demanded, nearly frantic, "Where's Harry?"

"I was punching Albus and Harry is in perfect health back at Hogwarts."

Remus gaped at him, "You did what?"

"Oh don't look so shocked, he was asking for it," Sirius said like he had a million times in his school about others who probably hadn't deserved it. "Harry was the one who did the impressive stuff. He won a duel against Dumbledore then broke his wand."

Remus sat back and would have fallen if Sirius hadn't kicked out a chair to catch his friend.

"What?" Remus asked stunned.

"More impressive in person, I assure you," Sirius said with a pleased grin at Remus's reaction. The sensible man was obviously reeling.

"But why would Harry and Albus be fighting? And why would Harry break his wand? And did you say you punched the Headmaster?"

"Because the Headmaster deserved it for all three of those questions."

"Why?" Remus asked.

Sirius sighed and sank down into a chair beside the werewolf, "Do you remember Lily's sister?"

Sirius told Remus what had happened to the son of their best friend after James's death. He ended the story at the end of Harry's fourth year and Sirius, in retelling the story, was angrier than he had been because it was what followed after Harry's fourth year that had caused the most damage, had turned Harry from an abused child to a war hero. oOo

By the time Severus caught up with the others Harry was regaling them with stories from his vacation.

Severus had never seen the boy so chipper. Happy the boy looked a lot more like Lily than he did James, at least in his mannerisms.

Poor Pomona was shell shocked as she listened, Minerva was lost in thought, and Filius was the only one actively listening with a smile.

"So while the rest of us have been scrambling to find the precious Boy Who Lived, you were on a beach in the South of France?" Severus asked snidely.

Harry looked over his shoulder and flashed a bright smile at him. It was Lily's smile, Lily's eyes smiling at Severus beyond the grave.

"It was my first vacation ever," Harry said cheerfully.

The boy was fifteen years old and had never been on a holiday trip, Severus didn't have a comeback for that one, not to the last remaining piece of Lily living on this planet. So Severus held his tongue and Harry went back to talking to Filius.

They entered the Great Hall and the room fell quiet until one Hufflepuff stood up, pointed dramatically at Harry, and shouted, "He's alive!"

Which sent the hall into a flurry of conversation and noise. Some people clapped, some like the Weasley twins (who would have known Harry was fine) stood up and hollered.

Severus made a disgusted noise and muttered, "He's the Boy Who Lived, of course he's-"

Severus acknowledged he was muttering only to himself as the Great Hall grew ever louder.

oOo

Harry didn't hear the rest over the rising noise but he could have sworn Snape said something about an atomic bomb.

A streak of blonde curls came rushing towards Harry, slamming into him with a hug.

It was strangely natural to hug her back, she smelled like almond cookies. Harry apologized, "I'm okay, Luna, sorry, I should have sent you a note."

Snape made another disgruntled sound and headed for the end of the hall snapping at any student who was making a fuss as he went. Minerva, Filius, and Sprout shared amused looks and headed for the head table, settling down the students as they went. Their method was less caustic than Snape's, except for the Weasley twins who Minerva needed to threaten them with detention for them to sit down.

Luna looked up at Harry, her eyes a deep blue with their faces so close. Her cheeks tinted pink as she pulled away from him, "I knew you were safe. I am just happy to have my friend back."

He took her hand in his as he went to find a seat at the Gryffindor table.

He wasn't really hungry but he didn't want to be alone in his dorm either.

"Where have you been?" Angelina asked.

"Italy, and briefly, France," Harry answered easily.

"Explains the tan," Hermione observed. Her tone was a bit harsh, but she looked relieved to see him.

Susan pushed between Fred and Lee, "You were kidnapped by Sirius Black!?"

Neville looked pale.

"No," Harry said.

Susan and half the people listening sighed with relief.

"I ran away with Sirius Black."

The expressions on their faces? Completely worth it.

"Mr. Potter," Umbridge had approached them and those nearby had hushed to listen in.

Harry turned to look at the pink toad, eyebrows raised.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Away."

"You must-"

"I've already been to the Headmaster's office," Harry said.

She sniffed but seeing the hostile faces of the other students, she returned to the head table.

"She's High Inquisitor now," George told him.

"She starts inspecting teachers tomorrow," Fred said.

"Snape's class will be fun."

Harry said nothing, knowing how it played out.

"You're sunkissed," Luna observed, causing quite a few people to snigger.

Harry glared at them to shut up. He told her, "I spent a lot of time in the sun."

"Good thing, it fights off the Frosties."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"You missed our first quidditch match," Angelina said angrily from a few seats away.

"Judging by your face we lost," Harry guessed.

"Slytherin smoked us," Fred said mournfully, giving Ron an exasperated look.

Ron sank into his seat.

"It's alright," Harry consoled, "It was only the first game of the year, I am sure we can make up the points."

Ron gave Harry a grateful look as the twins and Angelina huffed.

Hermione sent Harry an odd look, "I never thought you would be so reasonable about quidditch."

Harry shrugged, "There are more important things," and with a wink at Ron he said, "like homework."

Neither Ron nor Hermione knew which one of them Harry was joking with.

oOo

"Ron," Hermione called from the door of their dorm room. It was after dinner but not yet curfew.

Ron came over to her, "What's up, Hermione?"

"Where's Harry?"

Ron made a sour face, "Library," he said it like it was a dirty word.

"Oh, well I don't think we have time to get him if we are going to make it back in time."

Ron frowned, "Back from where?"

"Hagrid is back."

The pair of them were knocking on Hagrid's door fifteen minutes later. The air was growing quite colder as the month of October wore on.

Hagrid opened the door with a big grin and a large black and blue bruise around his eye that had swollen shut. "I was wondering when you three woul- wait a minute, where's 'Arry?"

"Library," Ron said shortly, "Can we come in?"

Hagrid stepped back, but his smile was gone, "'Arry didn't want to see me?"

"We didn't ask," Hermione said. "What happened to you? Who hurt you?"

"Why wouldn't you ask him?" Hagrid wondered, perplexed at the very notion.

"We haven't been- that is to say we haven't been that close this year," Hermione said sadly.

"Why not?"

"You tell us about your eye and we'll tell you about Harry," Ron offered.

Hagrid gave them both a skeptical look, "Everything's strange since I got back. Dumbledore having a black eye and now Harry's not with you two. Strange, strange even for Hogwarts." He turned to start making tea.

"Dumbledore has a black eye?" Hermione asked horrified.

"Who would dare?" Ron asked, astonished.

"Sirius Black took a swing at him, apparently," Hagrid said.

"Why?" Ron and Hermione asked in unison.

"Dumbledore wouldn't say but he was in a right temper, wouldn't sit still for a minute, pacing a rut in the floor and his desk... It looked like there had been a duel in his office but when I asked he said Sirius hadn't done it," Hagrid explained, placing two mugs before them.

"Sirius took Harry on vacation," Hermione supplied.

"What!?" Hagrid exclaimed, "During the semester? But he must have missed a load of classes."

"He had a nightmare," Ron said, "And a house-elf took in to Headquarters."

"Surely you saw the papers," Hermione said, "Sirius Black Kidnaps Boy Who Lived. It was all anyone could talk about. The school was going mad with it. Harry just came back today, he walked in with a tan like nothing had happened."

"Sirius is his godfather, Hermione," Ron pointed out. "He wasn't really in danger."

"I know Sirius wouldn't have harmed him, but it was rash and they could have been attacked. Besides, he missed a lot of school."

"I thought you were mad at Harry for being too focused on school work?" Ron questioned. "You've barely talked to him all year since he jumped to being top of the year."

"You were mad at him for doing well at school?" Hagrid asked. He was flabbergasted. "But aren't you always after Harry and Ron for not trying harder? Poor show, Hermione, if you are going to turn on him when he listens to your advice."

Hermione's cheeks pinked and flustered; she tried to defend herself, but she found she had nothing to say.

"Harry's been weird since coming back from this summer," Ron said, coming to her defense.

"Weird how?" Hagrid asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look.

"Well," Ron began. "Aside from liking school work, he's been really distant and yet he's been pretty friendly with the other houses. He's been nice to Malfoy."

Hagrid's one good eye bulged, "Why?"

"We don't know," Hermione said, "And he seems to not like Dumbledore. He hates talking about him and he avoids the Headmaster at almost any cost."

"Strange," Hagrid muttered to himself.

"Now what happened to you?" Ron asked.

They talked of giants and by the time Hagrid had finished his story about befriending the head of the giants to Dumbledore's cause in case of a war, Ron and Hermione had to run back to Gryffindor Tower to make curfew.

Harry was sound asleep when Ron got back to their room. Ron looked at his best friend sadly, not understanding how fast and how far the distance between them had grown.

oOo

Harry's back at Hogwarts. He seems brighter. The towers in his mind are standing tall.

Father's papers had to reprint because the Quibbler was the only paper printing that Harry was safe with his godfather on vacation. A story which Harry and Dumbledore confirmed.

Dumbledore is unhappy though the towers in his mind have been attacked by an earthquake. I can tell because he doesn't talk at dinner with the other teachers.

Oh, and he has a black eye. Perhaps he met an unfriendly Heliopath.

L.L.

oOo

Harry spent the next two days doing more homework than Hermione would have been willing to attempt without a time turner. By Wednesday, Harry had caught up with the missed work, though he looked tired.

Hermione couldn't help but be impressed as they walked during classes down to Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures period. She approached Harry who was amiably teasing Draco for being afraid of the forest.

"Harry," she said softly.

He turned to her and she didn't like that he was giving her the same expectant look he had given Umbridge in the Great Hall a few nights ago.

"I'm sorry," Hermione blurted out. "Sorry for the way I've been acting toward. It was unfair of me."

Harry smiled at her and Hermione's heart skipped a beat. "It's alright, Hermione, no worries."

She stared at him in amazement. Hermione would never get over how forgiving Harry could be to those he was close to.

"I'm sorry too, mate," Ron said, eager to end the silent fraud between them all.

Harry glared at him.

Ron's heart sank.

Then Harry grinned, "Just kidding. We're good."

Draco, who had been watching the interaction closely, snorted before saying derisively, "And that's why you weren't sorted into Slytherin."

Harry turned his grin on the pale boy, "If I had been sorted into Slytherin we might have been friends and such a world probably would have self-destructed by now."

oOo

Draco glared at him, "Anybody ever tell you, you're mad?"

Harry thought of his adventure at Gringotts and his grin only grew, "You have no idea how right they are."

Draco sank back into the group of Slytherins distancing himself from the Boy Who Lived.

Ron had an extra skip in his step until they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest that Hagrid told them they would be going into.

Harry walked beside Hagrid as the rest of the class followed after them.

Ron and Hermione hesitated only a moment before following their friends into the woods.

When they got to a dark thicket, Hagrid threw down the cow carcass and started screeching.

"Sandro!" Harry called pleased as he seemed to watch an invisible creature come out of the woods.

Only Theodore and Neville knew Harry wasn't petting thin air, but neither of them seemed eager to pet the skeletal horse.

Even Hagrid was a bit surprised, "You know Sandro?"

"Luna introduced us," Harry said, coaxing the horse who had put his head down to ask for scratches behind his ears.

oOo

Hagrid had been worried for Harry, but seeing him now, he appeared to be healthier and happier than he had ever seen the lad.

"Xeno's daughter?" Hagrid asked.

"That's her, Luna Lovegood," Harry said with a smile.

And something about the way Harry had said her name made Hagrid think that while Ron and Hermione had been avoiding him, Harry had found other friends, or possibly something deeper than friendship.

oOo

The rest of the class watched with a measure of fear and disgust as the cow disappeared by some invisible force while Harry tried to convince people to pet the creatures.

Hagrid watched all his students with amusement as he lectured them about his herd and Thestrals in the wild.

By the end of class Theodore, Daphne, Blaise, and Hermione were the only ones who tried to pet the Thestrals. The three Slytherins out of curiosity, as well as to not be bested by Harry, while Neville and Hermione reached out their hands in bravery. No one else really trusted Harry or Hagrid's definition of "safe" enough to try to pet an invisible carnivorous flying horse creature.

Harry couldn't truly blame them, even if they were missing out.

oOo

From that day forward, Harry began to do the majority of his homework with Hermione, Ron, and Luna in the library. Having finished his essays, on this particular evening, started on a letter.

Ron was swamped with homework he had been putting off and Hermione, well Hermione had started studying harder and putting even more effort into her subjects to try and catch up. Harry allowed her to read over his essays and she made notes from them for her own review.

Harry passed his letter over to Luna who had already finished her own homework as fourth years had far less to do than the fifth years. She was now drawing.

oOo

Luna paused looking at the address line. She smiled when she saw it was addressed to her father. She pulled it forward, pushing her drawing aside. In purple ink, she crossed out 'Mr. Lovegood' replacing it with Xeno.

So the letter read thus:

Dear Xeno,

Thank you so much for our correspondence, your words helped me a lot in understanding what had happened to me. I threw the stone somewhere nobody is likely to reach.

I found the wand too, it recognized me. Dumbledore had had it. I kind of, sort of, may have snapped it. Gold liquid came out, followed by a pulse of gold sparkles. Fawkes the Phoenix burned it to dust.

I don't know for sure if it was the best choice, I know it is somewhat of an artefact, but at least Dumbledore will not be murdered for it.

Just thought you should know or at least would like to know.

Warmest Regards,

Harry.

Luna wrote on the bottom.

P.S. Father I love you, L.L.

Followed by an arrow up at Harry's body paragraphs. Smart, isn't he? and a doodle of a purple phoenix.

"I was wondering if you could owl it for me?" Harry asked in a whisper low enough that neither Ron nor Hermione looked up from their work. "I don't think they would check your mail to your dad. At least, not as closely."

Luna nodded and folded the letter. She wrote her address on the front and pulled out her wand and warded and cursed the letter against anyone but the person to whom it was addressed.

Harry's green eyes widened in appreciation. "That's so cool," he whispered, "Would you teach me?"

She nodded and took him through the symbols, the syllables, the intentions, and the wand movements.

Luna loved how Harry listened to her and asked for her to teach him.

No one else had ever taken her so seriously.

Hermione and Ron had stopped what they were doing to watch them, Harry and Luna were lost in their own realm.

oOo

The group split before curfew going to their separate towers.

Before she went Luna tapped her finger on the letter and asked Harry, "The Bard?"

Harry nodded.

With a sweet smile, she went up on tip toe and kissed Harry's cheek. She turned, skipping away before Harry could wish her goodnight.

Hermione and Ron gaped at Harry who was holding a hand to his cheek.

"You like her?" Hermione asked after a moment.

Harry whipped his hand down to his side, face flushing. "No," he said embarrassed. He began to march towards their tower.

"Loony Lovegood?" Ron asked. "You like Loony Lovegood."

Harry's face was hot, but he shook his head, "Don't call her that. And no, we are just friends."

"It didn't look like just friendship to me," Hermione said with a smirk as Harry's ears glowed pink.

"No," Harry said more firmly. Inside he was squirming. Luna was only fourteen. Ginny was only fourteen. Harry was eighteen and in two years he would be twenty and they would be sixteen. That would be too weird for him.

Ron, who had rarely seen Harry so teasable pressed, "Potter and Lovegood. Not a bad ring to it."

Harry walked faster.

"It's alright to have a crush, Harry," Hermione mused. "She seems to like you too."

Harry's heart sank. That wasn't a good thought, that wasn't a good thought at all. Harry had begun to truly depend on Luna's friendship, he didn't have to guard his thoughts or emotions from her and she didn't question him when he made slips about the future and she was the only one who didn't seem to need to know all his secrets to accept him. She didn't ask about the past or the future, Luna simply, blessedly only cared about Harry in the now.

The thought that she might develop feelings for him, feelings that he could not, or rather would not return made him sick.

"Oh come on, Harry, she'd make a great first girlfriend," Ron coaxed.

They were entering the portrait hole when Harry gritted out, "And why's that, Ronald?" It was a warning that should have tipped Ron off, Harry never ever used Ron's full first name.

"She's the only person in this school weirder than you are."

Harry stuck out his foot and Ron went sprawling into the common room. The twins and Lee who had seen them come began to laugh uproariously.

"Insensitive git," Harry snapped, heading up to bed not waiting for Ron to pick himself up off the floor.

Hermione was shaking her head as Ron got up.

"Maybe I shouldn't have pushed him," Ron mumbled to Hermione.

She just rolled her eyes and went to her own room.

The twins were still rolling around on the floor in fits of giggles.

oOo

Harry didn't sleep well that night.

On Thursday he had a class with Cho Chang and about half an hour in he was about ready to start screaming at her. The threats he made when he went into Ravenclaw Tower she seemed to think didn't apply to. At least not now that Marietta was sitting on the far side of the room.

But the next time Cho touched Harry's elbow he jerked aggressively away from her. He hissed, "Can you please stop touching me?"

Cho's face filled with hurt and her eyes seemed to brim with tears.

Harry ignored her, his thoughts were preoccupied with another Ravenclaw girl.

He didn't like Luna, really, he couldn't. Not like liked anyway. Or at least, he didn't think he did. Not the way he had liked Ginny or even had once been crushing on Cho. Cho, who was a sixth year and only two years younger than him.

Harry sighed. He hadn't thought his age would bother him so much but it did.

Or he felt like it should.

Because he hadn't fully lived his future, not when some of the memories had begun to fade and those from fourth year were clearer than those from sixth.

Still, he needed to find a way to ensure Luna never felt more for him than he did for her.

He needed to talk to Sirius, or maybe Filius but that would be awkward. He wouldn't want to talk to his professor about girls.

Of course, I don't like her like that, so it shouldn't be a problem, should it? A voice in his head asked him cheekily.

But Harry didn't end up asking Filius and whatever uneasy feelings Harry had were assuaged by Luna herself in their Arithmancy class.

They discussed nothing but Arithmancy and the theory that DADA was really just part B of Charms class. Luna didn't try to touch Harry across the table, or flirt, or give him secret looks. She didn't lose her ability to talk around him or laugh at the things he was saying that weren't meant to be funny.

Luna didn't act like the girls after his growth spurt had, or like Cho, or like Ginny.

In fact, now that he thought of it, he remembered when he had brought Luna to Slughorn's party and there had been nothing romantic between them. Nothing romantic at all. No, Hermione and Ron had just been having a go at him; Harry didn't like-like Luna. She was beautiful in her own way but Harry didn't feel uncontrollably attracted to her like he had once felt for Ginny. And Luna gave no sign that she thought of him as more than a friend either.

Nope, Harry and Luna were just that, just friends. Two weird people in a weirder world surrounded by people who were pretending to be 'normal' as if there were such a thing.

oOo

Dearest Darlingest Daisy Diary,

I think I like Harry. But I can't let him know. He's my only friend, the only person outside of Father who doesn't treat me like I'm something apart. But Dearest Darlingest Daisy Diary, I think I really like him.

Love Luna

oOo

AN: Thoughts, spinner dolphins, or reactions, pretty please?