Beyond the Stars by H_HrFan

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Ron & Luna
Book: Ron & Luna, Books 1 - 6
Published: 22/02/2006
Last Updated: 22/02/2006
Status: Completed

For all you Red Moon fans out there. Luna advises Ron to look beyond the stars... “But as I
said, you've been far too busy over the years looking at the stars to notice much else.”
Ron's expression softened and he looked at her questioningly. “Tell me again what's wrong
with that.” “Nothing, really,” Luna sighed. “Unless you take into account that the star you're
looking at only shines for one man…” she looked at him with wide, sad eyes, “and if you were being
honest, then we would both know that he's not you.”




1. Beyond the Stars
-------------------



A/N: Harry and his gang all belong to JKR. One can only hope that what I've done with them
here will be something along the lines of what she'll do with them in canon. Not that I think I
can compete…I just really like the thought of R/LL together! LOL

I'd like to thank dear, sweet Ilka for the information regarding the onion ritual…Love you,
girl!!!! Thanks a million. And Alexis for helping me out with the star research and for informing
me that the North Star is NOT, in fact, the brightest star in the sky…that distinction belongs to
our dear Sirius. Thanks, Lex, love you!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little slice of R/LL…

Terri

For Ilka and all the folks on the R/LL thread at the EW forums.

Moooooooooooooonlight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Beyond** **the Stars**

Luna sat down on the steps of the dilapidated old house she and her friends had been holed up in
for several weeks. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville were all inside doing what they had
come to do best…research. Luna, however, had grown tired of looking at books and hearing the quiet
talk all around her. She needed peace and her sanctuary…the nighttime sky.

She stared at the moon and the vast array of stars scattered haphazardly across the clear,
midnight sky for as far as the eye could see. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, drawing in as
much of the nighttime air as her lungs would allow. She held it briefly, then slowly released it,
the tension in her body following it as it drifted silently away on a subtle breeze. She opened her
eyes as her world came into much sharper focus.

Woods surrounded the old house and shadows from the gently swaying trees appeared to dance in
the light of the moon. She smiled as the image took her back into a not-so-distant past where
father/daughter expeditions had taken her to some of the most remote places…where often, the trees
would dance with the moonlight…and father would dance with daughter. In moments of carefree fun her
father would pick her up and swing her around, proclaiming, “We're close, Little Luna. Tomorrow
for sure…I can feel it!”

Her smile turned bittersweet as she pictured her last day with her father. His forlorn
expression when she'd told him, in no uncertain terms, that she was leaving, had nearly broken
her resolve. Somehow she'd found the strength to battle him…and win.

FLASHBACK

*“Little Luna, the answer is no! You* *a**re* *entirely* *too young*
*and I'll not have it**.* *You'll return to school as scheduled and that's
final.**”*

*“Father,* *I**'**m* *nearly an adult witch. Only a couple more months
and you'**ll be unable to stop me* *anyway**,” she countered.* *“Need I
remind you of my part in the battle at the Department of Mysteries? I held my own* *there
and* *I will* *do it again, no matter where we go next**. I**'m*
*a* *member of* *Dumbledore's Army and* *that alone is reason for me to go. We
are a team, committed to one goal.”* *She placed her hand on his arm, her eyes pleading with
him* *to* *understand. “We are stronger together, father. The six of us…we need each
other. Can you not understand that Hogwarts isn**'**t the place it once was?*
*There was a battle there**,* *reme**mber? It was the six of us then…again**.
Please, father,* *I will learn so much more in the uses of practical magic out there…” she
gestured outwardly with her arms as though to indicate the world, “then I could ever learn in a
classroom.”*

*“Luna, please,” her father quietly pleaded. “I've already lost your mother, I
can't—”*

*Luna folded her hands* *in front of he**r and stood her ground. “Father, I know
that it scares you.* *Believe me when I say that i**t scares me, too. But I know,” she
put her hand over her heart, “in here,” and patted it, “that the likelihood of success will
increase immeasurably if the six of us* *work* *together.”* *She stepped forward to
give her father a hug and quietly* *spoke the word**, “Daddy,” and* *felt his
resistance begin to shat**ter**.* *“**R**eturning to Hogwarts will not*
*assure* *my survival,” she stepped back and looked into his eyes, “**but I know,
I'm certain, that* *going with Harry will**. Please, don't ask me how I
know—”*

*He placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her forehead. “I'**d never
presume to, Little Luna, your instincts are so seldom wrong.” He pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I don't know what to do,” he muttered against her hair.*

*“Let me go, father,” she said, wrapping her arms tighter around his* *waist**.
“Just let me go.”*

*Reluctantly he released her. “You're right,” he quietly conceded. “You're growing up
so fast.” He brushed his hand across the side of her head and looked into her eyes with tears
forming in his own, “I'm proud of you,”* *he whispered tightly through his constricted
throat.*

*As Luna made her way out the door she turned for one final look, the tears burning at her own
eyes. “I love you, daddy,” she said, her* *own* *voice hoarse* *and heavy with
emotion**. “I'll be back.”*

END FLASHBACK

Luna wiped a hand across her eyes as the memory of that moment washed over her now. “I'll be
back, daddy,” she whispered, sending her renewed promise to him on the wind.

Her promise well on its way to her father, her thoughts turned abruptly to what it was that had
brought the six friends together for a third time and how close they'd become as a result…

Much to Harry's chagrin, countless wizards who felt they knew best how to fill
Dumbledore's shoes had come forward upon his death, hell bent upon `taking care of' -“The
Chosen One”. As a result, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been forced to use their time at Privet
Drive and The Burrow to covertly strategize their hunt for the remaining horcruxes.

Throughout the days leading up to Bill's wedding the trio's meetings were becoming more
and more discreet, thus becoming more obvious to Ginny who had spent an undeterminable amount of
time spying on them…

FLASHBACK

*“Ginny, you shouldn't have done that,” Neville scolded. “You know how upset Harry will
be...” he looked around nervously before adding in a harsh whisper, “not to mention
Hermione!”*

*“Lighten up, Neville,” Ginny scoffed. “The whole point is that we know part of their plan.
The question is…” she looked around to be sure they were alone, “what do we do about it?”*

*“I say we threaten* *them**,” Luna said* *flippantly**. “Tell them what
we know a**nd then give them an ultimatum; e**ither take us…or we spill.”*

*Ginny and Neville looked at Luna with eyes full of surprise* *and admiration**. “I
can't believe you just said that,” Neville said incredulously.

Ginny smiled. “Sounds like something I'd* *think up**.* *I can't believe I
didn't…l**et's do it,” she said and Luna could see in her eyes that Ginny*
*had* *already* *begun to formulate the plan**.*

END FLASHBACK

Luna chuckled lightly at the image of Harry being `persuaded' to allow her, Neville, and
Ginny to accompany him, Hermione, and Ron on their search.

As it happened, their services had been invaluable and for that, looking back now, Luna was
grateful…

Harry was, naturally, the leader of their ragtag Army. Everyone was responsible for reporting to
him any findings, and very few actions were taken without his prior consent. The use of magic was
to be kept to a minimum to ensure their various hideouts could not be easily traced…Harry made sure
the rules were enforced and adhered to. Often Luna found herself admiring his fortitude.

Hermione was the organizer; the one who issued the orders, lead the research, and generally kept
them all in line. Everything that was reported to Harry was then, in turn, reported to Hermione.
She organized the research, copied and filed their notes, and generally stayed glued to Harry's
side. Despite their differences and `unique' perspectives in most things, Luna admired
Hermione's perseverance and commitment to Harry.

Ron was the strategist. Any time they thought they might have information on the location of
another horcrux Ron laid out the best, most deliberate means by which to get them there. Although
the depth of his skills had yet to be challenged, they all knew it was only a matter of time before
he was put to the ultimate test. Luna's faith in him had never faltered…she knew he was
ready.

Neville had convinced them that his skills in Herbology would be of utmost importance once they
were out there…and he was spot on. Although Herbology played a vital role in many aspects of their
journey, his most significant contribution proved to be to their health. Throughout the months that
they'd been searching, each of them had lost a fair amount of weight, but Neville's
knowledge of edible plant life and his knack for finding freshwater resources had kept them
sustained during the times when real meals were hard to come by. Luna had yet to find a way to
express her gratitude for Neville's seemingly inexhaustible knowledge and the work he put into
making sure they didn't die of starvation.

While she knew that Ginny was the reason they were all together, and that she was still her best
friend, Luna had always thought that Ginny's real purpose was a bit of a mystery. She'd
spent countless nights pondering it whenever she needed to take her mind off of her own
responsibilities for a while. She thought perhaps Ginny brought to the group a pleasant aroma, or
that maybe it was her famous [or infamous] bat-bogey hex…or maybe, as was the most likely of all
reasons, it was just easier to bring her along than it would've been to leave her behind.
Whatever the reason, it didn't much matter because she'd proven to be a great assistant to
Neville when it came time to identify and forage for their next meal. Luna often found herself
smiling at the vision the two of them made when they were huddled together over a book.

Luna often felt as though she'd been born to the job that had been laid out for her and she
often relished the time she invested in it. She gazed up at the night sky and smiled as the stars
began to fall into alignment and she began to rattle off the names of one constellation after
another. The group often traveled by night and it was her job to navigate them with only the stars
and the position of the moon as their guide. Stars and planets and life in space had always been a
passion of hers. To discover things that people didn't dare to believe in, to believe in things
that people claimed only existed in the imagination…these were things that drove her, that
stimulated her own perseverance. Thankfully her services had proven invaluable and Harry, Ron— and
even Hermione— had not let her efforts go unappreciated.

Her thoughts of the six of them exhausted, her mind slipped unconsciously to thoughts of Ron as
she laid back on her elbows and let her eyes drift skyward once more.

“The moon, the brightest light in the nighttime sky…it's there, always, to guide you and to
keep you on course. But, sadly, you have yet to see it for all that it truly is…” She laughed
lightly to ease the ache she found nestled in her heart. “I've watched you, Ronald,” she
sighed. “When you look to the sky you can't see the moon beyond the stars…you always look for
the stars…”

“Is that a bad thing?” a voice asked from somewhere behind her.

It didn't frighten her, she merely shook her head. “Not always,” she replied airily. “It all
depends, really.”

Ron took the few remaining steps forward and sat beside her on the stoop. “On what?” he
asked.

Luna turned her head to stare at him for a moment. “On what you think you might gain by not
looking beyond the stars,” she offered. “There's a lot more out there, you know.”

Ron looked up at the sky and stared for a moment in silent contemplation. “Tell me,” he said,
his gaze dropping to meet hers.

Luna laughed. “Tell you what, Ronald?”

The look in Ron's eyes deepened, catching Luna slightly off guard. “Tell me what else I
should be looking at, if not the stars.”

Luna looked skyward. “There are all sorts of things up there,” she said in wonder. “Comets,
planets, asteroids, debris—”

Ron laughed. “Are you saying I should be looking for trash?”

Luna's light, airy laughter followed Ron's as it was carried away on the breeze. “No,”
she said, shaking her head. “Most people can't see the debris anyway, not with the naked eye.
I'm just telling you that there's more out there, that's all.”

“So, is that it then?” Ron asked, his eyes drifting skyward.

“No,” Luna replied serenely, “that's not all.” She followed the direction of his eyes and
pointed. “There's the moon, too.” She lowered her gaze to find him staring up at the moon. When
he didn't speak she looked up again in disappointment. “There's also—”

“It's beautiful.”

Luna turned to find him staring at her intently. “It is,” she said. She turned back to look at
the sky, unable to hold his penetrating stare. “I love the moon.”

Ron reluctantly pulled his eyes away from her to look back up at the moon.

The silence stretched between them and Luna sat up and stretched her back, inhaling deeply as
she did. She tilted her head and sniffed the air. A change in the direction of the breeze had
brought the sweet scent of onions wafting in their direction. “Mmm…” she moaned without thought.
“Can you smell that?”

Ron craned his neck and drew in a long breath through his nose. “What is that?” he asked. Before
Luna could answer he inhaled again. “Onions?” He turned to look at her questioningly.

Luna laughed lightly and nodded her head. “Did you know that in some cultures, the onion was
used as a marriage-oracle?”

Ron laughed. “No, I didn't,” he replied after a moment. “Tell me about it?”

“You still think I'm just Loony Lovegood, don't you?” she asked without a trace of
malice…only genuine curiosity.

Ron reached out to touch her hand. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I just find it ironic that
you know so much about things most people don't even stop to think about.” He squeezed her hand
before letting it go and adding, “I think it's fascinating. Will you tell me the rest?”

Luna eyed him for a moment and then drew her hands against her body. She glanced back up at the
moon before turning to him and nodding her acquiescence. “In some cultures, it was customary for a
woman who was willed to get married to take four onions and name each of them after a bachelor,”
she smiled and eyed him coyly, “a *celibate* bachelor.” Ron laughed and Luna continued, “On
Christmas Eve, the woman would put each of the onions into a pot and place them in four different
corners of the room to await Epiphany, which occurred on, um,” she rolled her eyes back to think,
“January 6th, I believe it was. Anyway, it's the man whose name was given to the
onion that buds who will come to ask for the woman's hand in marriage.”

“You're not serious?” Ron asked incredulously.

“Oh, but I am,” Luna replied. “Women, well, people in general really, will do some seemingly odd
things in the pursuit of love.”

“But what if the four men the woman has chosen aren't interested in her?” he asked. “Or,
what if the one that buds isn't the man she loves…or the man who loves her.”

Luna shrugged. “I don't know, Ronald. I guess that was something the woman dealt with when
the time came. I suppose that if she believed strongly enough in the symbolism, then what came of
it would just…” she shrugged again, “be.”

“So who would your four bachelors be?” Ron asked, only half teasing.

“I'm not sure I'm ready to divulge that information, Ronald,” Luna replied.

“Oh, come on, Luna,” Ron pleaded. “All right, fine, if you won't tell me, let me guess then.
How about Harry…” Luna shrugged and nodded. “Neville…” she shrugged and nodded again. “Er,
definitely me…” he said with a nervous laugh.

“Are you confirming that you're celibate, Ronald?” she asked sincerely.

Ron's cheeks burned a deep red and Luna could almost feel the heat from where she sat beside
him. Ron cleared his throat, “I'm not sure I'm ready to divulge that information, Luna,” he
said, stealing her words.

“Oh, Ronald, of course you are,” she said as she reached out a hand to touch his arm. “Who else
would have you?” Her eyes widened at the implication of her statement. “I mean, who would have any
of you?” she added quickly.

Ron's expression hardened instantly. “There are others,” he snapped far more harshly than
he'd intended.

“Yes, Ronald, there likely are,” Luna quietly agreed. “But as I said, you've been far too
busy over the years looking at the stars to notice much else.”

Ron's expression softened and he looked at her questioningly. “Tell me again what's
wrong with that.”

“Nothing, really,” Luna sighed. “Unless you take into account that the star you're looking
at only shines for one man…” she looked at him with wide, sad eyes, “and if you were being honest,
then we would both know that he's not you.”

Ron watched her in silence for a moment then turned his gaze to the sky. “So, er, where were we
anyway?” he asked in an effort to change the subject.

“Number four.”

“Oh, right,” Ron paused a moment to think. When he couldn't come up with another name he
turned helplessly to face her. “So who would number four be, then?”

“Draco Malfoy,” Luna stated without preamble.

Ron began to cough. “Dra…Malfoy?” he gasped between breaths.

“Why not?” she asked. “He's quite handsome. And personally, I'm not convinced he's
nearly as bad as he thinks he is…as most people think he is, really. He just needs the right woman
in his life…like all men, do.”

“That's assuming he's celibate,” Ron stated.

Luna shrugged. “Doesn't matter, really,” she replied as she turned to look at him. “He's
not the one I want anyway.”

“So which one do you want?” Ron asked, his voice sounding heavy and unfamiliar.

Luna stood up and looked down on Ron where he continued to sit. “I like a man who can see past
the stars and appreciate the beauty of all the objects in the sky,” she said softly. “You'll
figure it out…someday. Goodnight, Ronald.”

Without another word she walked back into the house, leaving Ron on the porch to think. He gazed
up at the nighttime sky and this time his eyes went directly to the moon…Luna.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luna returned to her regular seat, content now to listen to the murmurings around her. Harry and
Hermione were sitting at the table, her cheeks rosy with quiet laughter. Harry was smiling as he
watched her…his look of admiration did not go unnoticed and Luna smiled at the two of them even as
she wondered if they'd ever figure it out.

She pulled her book closer as Ron walked through the door. Their eyes met briefly until he was
pulled away by the sound of Hermione's laughter. Luna watched his reaction with interest.

“What's so funny?” Ron asked as he moved to join Harry and Hermione at their table.

“Oh, nothing really,” Harry said. “We were just looking at this book on astrology and I was
telling Hermione that she reminded me a lot of the North Star.”

Ron jerked his head up. “What do you mean?” he asked, his eyes locked with Luna's.

“Only that the North Star is the brightest in the sky. Any time you're lost, you seek it out
and it'll guide you —”

“That's a common misconception, you know,” Luna interrupted.

“What's a common misconception?” Ron asked.

“That the North Star is the brightest star in the sky.”

“Then what's the brightest star?”

“Sirius.”

Hermione dropped her head and nodded. “She's right. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky.
I tend to forget that when for so many years my dad always told me to look for the North Star and
that I could tell which was the North by how bright it shone.”

“Sirius,” Harry said, breathing the word softly. “I knew that. How could I—”

Hermione put her hand over Harry's. “Don't worry about that now,” she said gently.
“He's the brightest in the sky and he's always watching out for you. You'll always know
how and where to find him.”

“There are many ways that Hermione *can* be compared to the North Star, though,” Luna
continued in an effort to take Harry's mind away from his Godfather.

“How so?” Harry asked.

“Well, by all appearances, the North Star doesn't ever change its position in the sky,” Luna
stated. “The whole reason people look to it is because it is *always* there, it's a fixed
point. All the other stars and constellations appear to revolve around the North Star. It will
never lead you astray…it's unfailing.”

Harry turned to look at Hermione, his eyes as serious as they'd been since the quest for the
horcruxes began. “That's perfect,” he said softly. “That's exactly what you are to me…” he
looked around the room, “to all of us. You're the unfailing center of all of this…and I
don't know what I'd do without you.”

Hermione's eyes dropped in embarrassment. “Thank you, Harry,” she said softly. “You have no
idea how much it means to me to hear you say that.” She chanced a glance back up at him to find him
staring at her intently. “I feel the same way about you…I don't know what I'd do without
you.”

Ron cleared his throat and broke the spell that seemed to encapsulate his two best friends. “So,
Luna, what kind of star would our hero here be?” he asked, gesturing wildly toward Harry.

“Hercules,” Luna replied without a moment's hesitation. “He's a Greek warrior. He's
really only visible from April through October when he charges his way across the sky.”

“He defeated Draco, the dragon, didn't he?” Hermione asked.

Luna's eyes brightened as she nodded. “Yes, he did. As well as Hydra, the nine-headed
Serpent. They were all victims of Hercules and, as such, were placed into the sky as
constellations.”

“Bloody hell,” Ron exclaimed.

“If I'm not mistaken, he defeated Cancer, too,” Hermione said, caught up in the excitement
of the moment. She looked up at Ron and added, “Cancer is the crab.”

“I knew that,” Ron stated sullenly. He looked up darkly when the others began to laugh, then the
moment overtook him and he began to laugh with them.

When the laughter faded away a forgotten voice from the corner cut in, “Couldn't he also be
Orion?” Ginny asked. “With the mission we're on right now, I imagine `The Hunter' would be
nearly fitting as well.”

All eyes turned to look at her in bewilderment. “Well, yeah,” Hermione said. “He's certainly
hunting right now, isn't he?”

“We all are, aren't we?” Ron piped in.

Luna looked up and smiled. “Yes, Ron…” she said quietly. “Right now we all are.”

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance and a smile before turning their attention back to what
they'd been working on.

In the corner, Ginny and Neville smiled at each other before their attention was drawn back to
the different herbs and magical plants they'd been studying.

Ron looked around the room and smiled at how `right' everything felt. “Guess it's time
to get back to work then, uh?” He looked up to find Luna watching him and he quietly made his way
over to where she sat. “May I?” he asked, indicating the chair next to her.

Luna waved her hand at the chair and said, “Of course. You know you don't have to ask.”

Luna looked back down at her book and Ron placed his hand over hers, causing her to look back up
at him in mild surprise. His eyes drifted over to where Harry and Hermione sat huddled together, “I
know what you mean about looking at the stars,” he said as his eyes drifted back to meet hers.
“They'll always be there for us, but we can't make them give any more than they're
willing…we can't force them to shine for any one of us alone.”

Luna turned her hand over under his and he interlaced his fingers with hers. “So what are you
saying, Ronald,” she asked quietly.

“I'm saying that, as beautiful and brilliant as the stars are…” he held her hand tighter, “I
think I'm beginning to see the moon in a whole new light.”

“And?”

“And I'm beginning to like what I'm finding, more and more.”

“It *can* guide you, Ronald…” she said softly, “if you'll let it.”

Ron's gaze intensified for a brief moment before he looked down at the book Luna was
researching then smiled knowingly. “I think we can guide each other, Luna,” he said without having
to look up to see the smile that had alighted in Luna's eyes.

Have to give credit where credit is due:

References:

North Star - http://ms.essortment.com/northstarastro_rmdz.htm

Hercules - http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/Constellations/summer/hercules.html

Orion - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/activities/dots/orion/

Onions - (GRIMM, A. 956).

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