Preface: This oneshot was written for the Harry/Luna April Fools Collection on SalTalStudios discord. Check out the other submissions by looking in the FFN community or the AO3 collection. Please feel free to join using the link at the end.
Author's Note: This story is mostly canon compliant, the only differences being that Percy died instead of Fred, and I'm ignoring the epilogue. That said, I never would have gotten even this far if it were not for the support of many people over on the Harry/Fleur Discord server, the link to which will be at the end along with a fanfic recommendation. Thanks to DaveAthenai, Charlennette, and x102reddragon in particular for inspiring me and encouraging me to write these stories. If you enjoy the story please leave a comment telling me what you think worked and what didn't. Your feedback is crucial in helping me to get better as an author.
Ready to Stay
It was the sound that did it, the watery, heaving cough of the balding wizard three tables over. Even after one of his friends slapped him on the back, and the other had the far more sensible idea to hit him with a medical charm meant to clear airways, Harry could still hear the sound. Not the sounds of the balding wizard, struggling to get his bearings after his beer went down the wrong tube, but another sound. Wet, heaving, rattling breaths against the backdrop of the Forest of Dean, along with Hermione's frantic movements as she did her best to save Ron from his terrible splinching.
"Yeh alrigh' Harry?"
Harry looked up at the sound of Hagrid's voice, releasing the white-knuckled grip he had unconsciously taken on the handle of his mug.
"Yeah, Hagrid. Just memories, that's all."
Hagrid's face darkened, and Harry almost wished he hadn't spoken. The war hadn't been fair to anyone, but there was a kind of innocent sureness that some people had, a certitude that the world was a fundamentally good place. It was most common in children, but Hagrid had held onto it for decades. Even three years after the war ended, Hagrid still hadn't managed to recover it. They sat in silence after that, quietly finishing their food and drinks before they made to leave. The different sizes of their hands made a normal handshake impossible, and Harry reached up and grasped the base of Hagrid's thumb while Hargrid's fingers closed around his whole wrist. The two gave a sort of firm twitch, each holding the other's hand in solidarity, before letting go.
"Same time next Friday, Hagrid?"
"Can', gotta look after a detention up at the school. I can do Thursday though."
Harry nodded his acceptance and said his farewells, both to Hagrid and to Madame Rosmerta, who was standing behind the bar a few feet away. Exiting the Three Broomsticks, Harry paused, breathing in the warm air. It was early May and summer was approaching in full. Suddenly, the sound of an apparition rang out through the air and Harry spun to face the noise, his hand flying to the slim leather holster resting on his right hip. The newly-arrived man stumbled, losing his balance and falling drunkenly on the damp ground. Harry released the tension in his limbs and did his best to calm his racing heart, then set off in the direction of his cottage a short ways away.
It was a bit strange having his own home, but he had grown to like the small house on the edge of Hogsmeade Village. He'd bought it just after the war, when Ron and Hermione had decided to go back for their repeated seventh year. Harry couldn't do it, and they had understood and supported him, even if Hermione also started leaving pamphlets for self-study courses everywhere Harry went.
Harry rounded the last corner into the lane with his little home, low cobbled walls separating his property from the neighbours on either side. The setting sun was hanging low above the horizon and cast a beautiful light on the flowering bushes that sat on either side of the green-painted door, and glinting off of the many small diamond-shaped panes of glass that made up his windows. There was a gentle rattle as Harry's key turned in the lock and a slight squeak of hinges as he pushed open the door. As Harry walked in, he saw that the side table by the entrance was covered with a small stack of letters left there by the owls that would fly in through the small, especially-charmed window over the front door.
There was a copy of the Quibbler, a catalogue of the latest WWW products along with a quarterly report that the twins insisted on sending him, since he owned thirty percent of the business and received the same cut of the profits. The twins had tried to give him forty but he'd outright refused to be getting more money from their labours than either of them were. There was also an invitation to some formal event in a few weeks at the ministry; Hermione would likely be there and Ron went where Hermione did, and lastly, three envelopes containing reports from his non-profit organizations. Harry looked at them and sighed, the fledgling good mood that had grown over his walk home thoroughly ruined. It wasn't that the envelopes were unexpected or unpleasant, Harry was actually quite proud of the charities he'd set up in the wake of the war, they were just yet another reminder of that horrid time right when Harry least wanted one.
In a split second decision, Harry banished the collected mail onto his dining room table to read later and summoned his broom and a dark-brown riding jacket from where they rested in the closet by the back door. Pulling on the thin, charmed leather overcoat, Harry took the Aurora Flare in hand and went right back out the door he'd come in less than a minute previously. Standing on the front stoop, Harry ran his hand over the polished purple varnished shaft of the broom and checked the pale twigs at the rear. Seeing no blemishes on the Firebolt's successor, Harry mounted the broom and kicked off, rising like a rocket into the air.
~0~
Wind whistled through Harry's hair as he left his problems behind on the ground, the Aurora Flare carrying him up and up, higher than the clouds, and Harry felt as if he could pluck the moon from its place in the heavens where it shone, the full moon only three days away. Coming to the top of his arc, Harry turned back to the earth and fell. He laid down on the handle of his broom and made himself as narrow as possible, urging himself faster with all the power the broom could give him. He shot towards the earth like a meteor and broke through the clouds to see the trees of the Forbidden Forest far below. At the speed he was moving, it would be seconds until he reached them. At the last moment, Harry pulled up, arcing out of his dive a scant ten feet over the tops of the trees, and glided over the dark woods as his adrenaline faded.
With the clarity came memory, and the thought of the reports from the War Victims Fund, Henry's Orphanage, and the Center for Lycanthropy sitting on his dining room table made him realize that he really didn't want to go home just yet. So Harry didn't. He turned his broom to the south, the purple wood obeying his commands at a speed approaching thought, and soared off into the night air. For an hour or more, Harry glided over the land beneath him, the treetops giving way to meadows, and then to trees again as Harry soared past. It was quiet and peaceful, but eventually, Harry tired. His arms were starting to ache and his lower back was protesting strongly as he sat astride his broom, perpetually leaning forward. Even then, Harry wasn't ready to return, so he looked around for somewhere to land instead.
After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Harry spotted a clearing in the trees and a pond lying within. The light of the moon glinted off of it strangely, and Harry flew down to the water's edge, gliding silently towards the bank like a ghost. The sounds of the forest surrounded Harry as he stepped on the springy earth, an owl hooted somewhere nearby, and there were frogs and toads gently croaking from around the pond's edge. Insects hummed and chirped, and fireflies danced above the waters and through the ancient woods. A faint wind rustled through the twisted trunks and the soft lapping of water on the bank produced a pleasant sound, almost like a tune. The scent of the forest and water relaxed Harry, and the warm evening air soothed his protesting back and aching arms and Harry found himself wanting to just sit down by a tree and take in the place he had found. So that's exactly what he did.
He looked around and spotted an old gnarled oak by the water's edge and sat down among its many arching and twisting roots. Resting his head against the trunk of the tree, Harry drew up a single knee to his chest and laid his other leg out flat. The Aurora Flare he had ridden there rested in the crook of his shoulder, the shaft leaning down beneath the arm resting on the raised elbow. Harry closed his eyes and just sat there, basking in the sounds and scents of the night about him. And as he closed his eyes Harry could almost hear a gentle melody, like distant flutes, soft chimes, and the strings of enchanted lyres.
~0~
"Hello, Harry Potter."
Harry awoke with a start from his daze, he wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there amidst the roots of the old oak but at some point, he'd lost awareness of his surroundings. Startled fully to consciousness, Harry made to stand up abruptly only for his legs to get tangled in his broom and causing him to stumble back down. A quiet laugh sounded above him and Harry looked up to see the faint image of a person with blonde hair standing over him. Righting himself and adjusting his glasses, Harry looked up again to see Luna Lovegood standing there, a warm-brown coloured satchel at her side and a hand over her mouth as she did her best not to laugh at his predicament.
"Hello to you too Luna, er, do you happen to know what time it is?"
Luna tilted her head as she looked at him, a strange gleam in her eyes and the laughter not yet gone from her features.
"It's a little after ten o'clock."
Harry nodded distractedly as he rose to his feet, checking over his broom as he did so.
"Right, I should probably be heading back then. You as well, I can't imagine there's much reason to be out in the middle of the night... wait, why are you out here?"
Luna smiled brightly at the question and gestured away into the woods as she answered.
"I was observing a colony of Imps when a Whibblestumper found me and led me here."
Harry considered that for a moment, it seemed a bit strange, but of course, that meant it made perfect sense considering who said it.
"Right then. Er, I'll get out of your way, I suppose."
Luna considered him again, the same strange gleam in her eye. "You aren't in my way, Harry Potter, I came looking for you after all."
When Harry thought about it like that, he supposed she had a point. "But I thought you were observing Imps?"
"An Imp colony, and yes. They are still there, and I can still observe them, but at the moment, you are the more interesting creature in these woods."
Harry was a bit taken aback at that and looked at her for an explanation.
"I've already told you why I'm here, but why are you?"
Harry wasn't sure how to answer that, and as he looked out at the fireflies dancing and blinking over the water he murmured the only thing that came to mind.
"I guess I just wasn't ready to go back."
"Are you ready now?"
"Not really."
"Then come with me."
Harry turned back to Luna in surprise, and noted the faint blush on her cheeks with astonishment, he didn't think he'd ever seen her embarrassed before.
"Come with you where?"
"To see the Imp colony, it's only a few minutes walk away and these woods are beautiful at night."
Satisfied with Luna's answer, Harry considered a moment as he looked down at the broom in his hand. He really wasn't ready to go back. Harry pulled a small sack from a pocket of his coat and pulled it wide enough to put the entirety of his broomstick through the opening, and as he finished stowing the expanded bag in his pocket, Harry finally gave Luna her answer.
"Sure." Then, smiling, Harry added, "Over the river and through the woods, to the Imps colony we go."
Luna smiled brightly and reached out to take his hand, leading him off through the trees to see what wonders they could find.
~0~
Harry's hand was still clasped tightly in Luna's as she led him over roots and under fallen logs. She seemed to know the path they were taking quite well, and Harry was grateful for that fact as he had no idea whatsoever where they were. Mushrooms large and small littered the ground and glowed with a faint yellow light, the same colour as the fireflies darting about them and through the trees. Shafts of moonlight poked down through the canopy far overhead, and in the light of one, Harry caught a glimpse of Luna's silver eyes as she turned back to him with an excited smile on her face. The moonlight glinted off her irises, and Harry had to work his brain to catch up with what she had just said.
"Come on, Harry, we're almost there."
Soon after that, she came to a halt in front of a gap between two large trees, a faint golden glow spilling out from between and around them. She put a silent finger to her lips and drew her wand, and Harry felt the odd disconnect of a Notice-Me-Not charm settle over the two of them. Creeping forward, Luna pulled Harry along by the hand still held in hers. She led him through the narrow gap between the trees and onto a small ledge over a hollow. The two of them were situated on a fallen tree atop a small slope, one that had collected soil and morphed into something like a short cliff. Below them in the hollow, Harry could see the source of the golden glow. This was the Imp colony.
There were dozens of them, near a hundred if not more. Tiny little brown and black bodies proportioned like those of Cornish Pixies and near the same size. The wingless Imps walked around the hollow gathering the glowing mushrooms and catching fireflies which they put in small woven baskets made of reeds and stiff thread. Harry was entranced by the sight of them, the little creatures moving about their tasks and clambering over rocks and fallen twigs, the size of logs compared to them. Luna tugged on his hand and pointed upwards when Harry turned to look at her. He followed her gaze and felt his jaw drop.
Arrayed above them was a tiny village. All around the edges of the Hollow, carved into the trees that made up the small copse they were in, were little holes glowing with light. Frames made from sticks and woven fibres stretched around them, and platforms of woven reeds and twigs rested atop the frames. Woven lanterns filled with fireflies hung from branches and crafted poles, and walkways stretched around the edges of the copse of trees and across the hollow. Moss was woven throughout the structures in an artful sprawl, and glowing mushrooms grew on the wood of the trees along the paths as if planted there. And everywhere, walking along the paths, poking out from the holes in the trees, climbing up and down between platforms, were Imps. One of them, sitting with its legs swinging over the edge of the nearest platform, was weaving what looked like a large basket from grasses and twisted fibres. It was humming as it worked, and with a start, Harry realized that throughout the colony, the Imps were softly singing.
Harry turned to face Luna, slack-jawed and barely able to believe what he was seeing when he found that she was already looking at him, a small smile on her lips and that same strange gleam in her eyes. Harry closed his mouth feeling rather foolish, feeling the beginning of a drop of drool almost make its way from his mouth. He went to speak, to try and express his wonder in a more eloquent fashion than by drooling, when she placed a single finger on his lips and shook her head gently, raising her wand in her other hand. Harry got the message and stayed silent so as not to break the charm concealing them from the Imps. Luna turned back to the incredible sight around them and rested her head on her crossed arms in front of her as she looked back up at the colony. Harry followed suit, and they lay there on the warm earth, content to simply take in the unbelievable scene.
They stayed there for hours, just watching the Imps go about their business and listening to their gentle songs, but eventually, the Imps began to make their way into the little holes carved into the trees and did not emerge again. As Harry watched the last of the Imps climb into its home far above, a faint sound almost like the scratching of an oddly soft quill met his ears. He turned back to look at Luna and found her no longer simply laying there, but drawing a large pad of paper with an odd, honey-colored wooden pencil. As if sensing something had changed, Luna looked up at him from her drawing to find him staring at her as she had been staring at him earlier. An odd flush made its way up her neck, and Luna glanced over at the village to find it empty, all the Imps asleep. She pulled a watch from her satchel and read the time, nodding to herself as she did so. Packing up her unfinished drawing, Luna silently stood and offered Harry a hand to help him up. He gladly took it, and Luna leaned back as far as she could without falling over to haul him to his feet. Raising another finger to her lips, Luna crept back between the trees and out of the hollow, pulling Harry along after her.
They kept silent all the way back to the pond, and the trip didn't seem nearly as long the second time around. When they arrived back to where they had started, the moonlight had shifted to illuminate the other side of the pond, and the bank on which they stood was cast in shadows from the trees.
"Are you ready to go back now?"
Harry started at the sound of Luna's voice, the first he'd heard in hours.
"Yeah, I think so. And Luna," Harry paused for a moment, struggling to find something to say, "Thanks."
Luna smiled up at him, her expression bright but her eyes oddly sad.
"Whenever you need me, Harry, I'll be there."
Harry felt a surge of affection for her as he heard the words, and his answer was slightly more emotional than intended.
"I know you will, Luna, and you can't possibly know how grateful I am for that."
Luna smiled at him mysteriously before turning and walking back through the woods the way she had come, her voice echoing through the air as she left him there.
"Oh, I don't know, Harry Potter, after all, I've never been bothered by what's possible before."
~0~
Sunlight filtered through a crack in the curtains and shone directly onto Harry's face. The warmth was pleasant enough, but as the light glow penetrating his eyelids woke him, Harry opened bleary eyes only to find the rays of the sun stabbing into them like blinding daggers. Harry jerked his head to the side and blinked furiously, reaching around for the glasses on his bedside table as he sat up fully awake. Getting out of bed, Harry showered and got dressed for the day, and when he wandered into the dining room, he saw the small pile of mail still sitting there. The clock struck eleven just as the memory of the previous night came flooding back to him, and Harry absently waved his wand to put the kettle on as he sat down to read the post.
The WWW catalogue was interesting, but he'd likely get far more information from the report the twins had attached to it. The Quibbler was also likely to be a pleasant reading, and it reminded him of the incredible experience he'd had just the previous night and so, Harry set it aside to bolster his spirits later. It was then that Harry got to the three letters he had been so dreading the previous day. None of them were likely to have bad news in them, Harry mused as he opened the War Victims Fund's report, but they still made him think about things he'd rather not. It was strange enough that he even had the money to fund three separate charities, let alone what they were for. He had his parent's money of course, and while they hadn't been nobility, they were certainly well off. Sirius had left him everything as well, and that meant he had inherited the full wealth of a centuries-old family along with all their assets. Many of said assets had defaulted under neglect, and many more had been rendered worthless by the impact of the war, but the rest were still highly profitable. Strangest of all were the vaults he inherited from the Lestrange's.
Harry still wasn't sure how exactly the Goblins had determined that the possessions of some of his most bitter enemies rightfully belonged to him, but from what little he had been able to glean, the Goblins simply hadn't had anyone else to stick the money to, what with Andromeda disowned and the Malfoys in prison, and so they gave it all to Harry on the excuse that as the heir of the Blacks, Harry was the best candidate. There'd been so much chaos going around in the murk after the war that no one had bothered to bat an eye, and so Harry had ended up with yet another family's wealth and possessions. Hermione was convinced that the Goblins just hadn't wanted to lose the vaults to the Ministry by declaring the vault holders dead without an heir, and Harry was inclined to agree.
The letter from the War Victims Fund was routine enough, although it seemed they were running low on some of the more costly long-term care potions. Harry made a mental note to write in an item on the next budget to take care of that, and then he moved on to the report from the Center for Lycanthropy. They were planning to open a new clinic in Ireland soon and had run into difficulty purchasing the property. Harry frowned, he'd have to draft a letter to the Department of Properties and Estates later to deal with that. Last was the report from Henry's Orphanage. It was the third of the charities he'd commissioned after the war; he'd named it after a young half-blood boy, who'd lost his parents in the fighting and died in Knockturn Alley, after he'd wandered in one night with nowhere to go.
It had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. The Dursleys had always referred to orphanage's like prisons and asylums for horrors, and while Harry knew they weren't exactly reliable sources, their claims had seemed to be confirmed by Voldemort's memories when he visited them in sixth year. In the end, it had been Ron that convinced him to do it, his reasoning had been characteristically straightforward and seemed obvious in retrospect.
"Well, just do it differently, I suppose."
Ron had explained himself in a bit more detail after that, but the core was the same. If Harry didn't want his orphanage to be horrid, then he just had to make it as un-horrid as possible. Hermione had scoffed at how oversimplified Ron's advice was but Harry took it to heart. Because of that advice, Henry's Orphanage was equipped with a full infirmary, a small primary school, a library, a playground and garden, and all the other things a child could need to grow up well looked after and happy. The matron, a woman named Elladora, had hired a staff and bookkeeper, and mostly kept things running without Harry's help. In fact, she only really needed him to pay for things, and he did that by signing a letter every three months and relaying it on to Gringotts. The thoughts of money brought his mood back to a slight melancholy and Harry gave up on the budget as a bad job. He'd come back to it later, but at that moment, Harry just didn't want to think about it.
It was strange, Harry mused as he brewed himself a steaming mug of tea, that he would be unhappy at the prospect of having enough money to not need to work a day in his life, but it just didn't sit well with him. He'd never not worked for things, even as a child, the Dursleys had put him to work constantly, but now he made enough money off his one-time investment in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to live comfortably for the rest of his days, regardless of the piles of gold in Gringotts. He'd not wanted a thing to with it when the Goblins first got a hold of him for an account meeting, the same meeting where they'd dumped the Lestrange vaults on him, and he'd told them to do whatever they wanted with it. The goblins had taken his words and run with them, and now they made more money with his investments than Harry was able to spend, even after he'd set up three separate charities to spend it for him. Harry shook his head, giving up on the distraction of tea, and sat back down at the table with a huff.
A glint of blue caught his eye and Harry turned to see the multicoloured cover of the Quibbler blinking up at him. Harry summoned over with a wave of his wand and caught it in his left hand, on the face was a headline about some strange goings-on in Kent, and Harry opened the magazine up at random and settled into an article about mood crystals by Parvarti Patil. The characteristically wild article just barely fell within the limits of plausible belief, and Harry had a good laugh imagining Parvarti having the time of her life conducting "research" by sticking large glowing rocks in strange places all over her flat. The article also reminded Harry of Luna, and that made him think about Imp colonies. Harry stood up and went in search of his battered old copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, all concerns of living an aimless life forgotten in the wake of simple curiosity.
~0~
"This is all we have on the subject."
Harry nodded politely at the slightly star-struck shop-hand. The boy was maybe eighteen, barely out of Hogwarts, and young enough not to have been immunized to Harry's presence while they attended school together, however briefly... And he was still standing there.
"Er, that's all."
The boy started, embarrassment colouring his face as he nodded rapidly and fled. Harry shook his head and turned back to the shelf he had been perusing. Flourish and Blotts', it turned out, didn't have a very in-depth collection on any of the many subjects it sold books for, and Harry found nothing whatsoever on the social behaviours of Imps as he had been hoping. It was absolutely mental, for three days he'd been obsessed with the Imp colony Luna had taken him to observe in the forest. He'd searched every book on magical creatures he possessed, scoured Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, even written to Hermione asking if she knew anything on the subject. It all turned up dry. Granted, Hermione would likely get back to him in a week's time as the new foremost expert in the relevant field of study, but he didn't want to wait that long. The uncharacteristically petulant thought gave Harry pause, and a blush rose to cover his cheeks to match the Shop-hand's.
Harry shook his head and placed Weird Wonders of the World of Wealds back on the shelf he'd taken it from, running his hand through his hair in frustration. His idle curiosity of Saturday morning had transformed into an all-consuming need to find out more and he had no idea why. Maybe it was just because he'd seen the Imp colony with his own eyes, maybe it was because none of the books he'd found had anything even close to describing what Luna had shown him, maybe it was because this was the first spark of academic curiosity he'd felt in more than three years. Whatever the reason, Harry needed answers. How he wished he'd thought to ask Luna about what she'd shown him before she vanished into the trees, Harry was almost tempted to try casting a summoning charm on her in order to get some answers.
"Hello, Harry Potter."
"MERLIN'S SAGGY LEFT BAL-"
~0~
Luna wouldn't stop smiling. Harry glared at her harder. Luna smiled even more. The top of his head still hurt from where it had slammed into the low ceiling when she had made her sudden appearance, and Harry was sure his cheeks were now permanently flushed with blood from the embarrassment of what he'd shouted in his state of shock. And Luna was still standing there by the entrance to the alcove Harry was practically hiding in, a bright smile plastered across her face.
"You know, Harry, I wouldn't have thought you'd be the type for anatomical expletives."
"Yeah, well, I'd like to see what you come up with when I teleport behind you and say your name unexpectedly."
Luna tilted her head in consideration for a moment, then, "Morgana's ingrown toenail."
"Er, what?"
Luna arched her left eyebrow at him, her expression almost sardonic.
"You asked what I would come up with."
"Ah." Harry felt like an idiot.
Casting around for anything and everything that could get him out of his present situation, his mind fell onto his obsession of the past few days.
"Imps!"
Luna blinked at him in surprise, and Harry felt his blush deepen as he realized he'd spoken his epiphany aloud.
"Er, that is, I was looking for books on Imps when you found me, but Flourish and Blotts' didn't have what I was searching for. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me more about them. That or point me to the right book."
Luna looked at him in confusion, the expression utterly wrong on her face.
"I wasn't aware you studied Imps, Harry."
"Er, I don't normally, just, I've been a bit obsessed with them ever since you took me to see the colony."
Luna's face was expressionless as he finished, and for a moment Harry was afraid he'd said something wrong before she answered, almost cautiously.
"I have some journals on the subject in my flat, You could borrow them if you'd like. Not sure you'd get much out of them though, they're mostly written in shorthand."
Harry mulled over her words, disappointment flaring within him and twisting his expression before a note of clarity shot through the feeling like a sunbeam.
"You'd get plenty out of them though, right?"
"Yes. That's why I have them…"
"Right then! In that case, do you mind if I come with you to your flat and have you explain it to me?"
Luna froze, an odd mixture of shock and some unidentifiable emotion playing across her features.
"Um, sure, Harry. That'd be delightful."
"Excellent!," Harry responded, a beaming smile spreading across his features, "When can we go?"
The question seemed to take Luna by surprise once more, and she stuttered slightly as she replied.
"Er, now, I suppose. I don't have anything else planned for today."
Harry felt the excited anticipation like a wave of static throughout his being, quivering at the prospect of finally satisfying his fevered curiosity. And as he stepped in close enough for Luna to side-along him back to her flat, he took in the slight blush that was creeping up her neck, idly noting that this was the third time he'd seen her blush in three days, which was three more times than in all the years he had known her previously.
~0~
Luna's flat was like a representation of Luna herself. It wasn't quite the same as her home at the Rook, yet it reflected her as she was now in a way that her old decor would not have. There were many of the same elements, artwork was scattered everywhere and odd plants were hanging in drying clumps around the edges of the room. But the differences were even more numerous, strange anatomical models hung from the ceiling on muggle fishing wire, and every available surface was covered in leather-bound notebooks filled with drawings and flowing script. The starkest contrast was in the colours, Luna's old home had been filled with pale, cool hues, but the flat was covered in warm, earthy tones. The walls were a golden-cream colour, and the timber frames and rafters were varnished to deep, honey-brown. There were illustrations of small creatures playing through painted vines and brambles lining the ceiling and walls, and little motes of gold flowed and scattered throughout. It was so very different from what Harry had known, but at the same time, it fit Luna perfectly.
Speaking of Luna, she was standing rather awkwardly by a closed door on the other side of the room, and Harry realized with a start that he'd been standing silently by the entrance for nearly a whole minute, just taking in the decor.
"It's really nice, Luna, it suits you."
Luna smiled timidly at his sincere words and cleared her throat with a soft cough.
"Well, Harry, you wanted to know about Imps, let's sit down and you can ask away."
Luna gestured to a table sitting in front of a broad casement window as she spoke, and Harry walked over quickly, eagerness lending him a speed that was probably a bit too fast to be polite indoors. Luna sat down across from him at the table and pulled a thick notebook over to her from where it rested on a pile nearby. The notebook was an old leather-bound affair, the cover and spine softened by years of use. Luna took a deep breath, almost as if to center herself, and gave Harry a serene, almost unfocused smile that he had seen many times before.
"Alright, Harry Potter, what do you want to know?"
Harry felt a blush creep up the back of his neck as his mind went momentarily blank, and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Where do they get the grass?"
For the second time that day, Harry saw confusion grace Luna's features, breaking through the serene disconnect that had been there.
"Er, for the baskets and platforms. I mean, the colony we saw was in the middle of a forest, there's no glades anywhere near them so I was just wondering…"
Harry felt his voice trail off as the confusion on Luna's face gave way to incredulousness, and she shook her head in bemusement as she answered.
"You know, I've never really thought about that before."
"Oh, umm, any ideas?"
Luna tilted her head slightly to the left, her face clear of otherworldly aloofness as she considered the question.
"I suppose they might harvest it elsewhere, but I can't really think of anywhere near enough to do so."
The day progressed just like that, with Harry asking questions and Luna giving the answers to the ones she knew, and theories to the ones she didn't. The table rapidly grew too small for their collection of papers and journals, and they moved to the small sitting area nearby. Papers and notebooks spread out around them as they sat next to each other on Luna's tiny couch, poring over possible models for the economy of natural resources used by Britain's indigenous Imps. It wasn't long before midday came and went, and Harry distractedly made them sandwiches and tea halfway through a spirited discussion about Imp family social structures. Even while cooking and eating they didn't stop talking, and before long, their conversations began to include tangents that had little or nothing to do with Imps at all. Throughout the day, Luna became more and more animated, the dreamy expressions had hardly been present at all in the first place, and the haze in her eyes was gone within the first hour. By the time the clock struck seven in the evening, she was just as animated and focused as Hermione in full on lecture mode, although much more willing to listen. The chime of the clock came at a lull in the conversation, and the two of them looked out the window in shock to see the dark sky outside.
Harry checked his battered gold watch, taking in the stars circling around the edge with a muttered curse.
"What's the matter, Harry, are you late for something?"
He looked up from his watch to see the slightly sardonic, dreamlike smile winding its way across Luna's features.
"Nothing scheduled, I just had some correspondence I was supposed to get done today."
"I guess I have taken up quite a lot of your time recently, you'll be ready to go back by now."
Harry paused as he took Luna's words halfway through standing up and getting ready to leave.
"You didn't take up my time Luna, if anything I took up yours. Thank you for indulging my curiosity," Harry said, seriously.
A faint tinge of red crossed Luna's cheeks as she smiled serenely at him from where she stood, and she nodded her head slightly in acceptance of his words.
"That said, you're right, I really should be getting back now."
Some unidentifiable regret flashed behind Luna's eyes, and she stepped forward suddenly and pulled him into an awkward hug. A rush of heat flared across Harry's face as he started and wrapped his arms around her in reciprocation, patting her on the back a bit uncertainly. After a moment, she pulled backward just as quick as she had darted forward, and the smile on her face was as unfocused and distant as Harry had ever seen.
"Go on, Harry Potter, you're ready to leave."
As the door to Luna's flat closed behind him, Harry couldn't help but feel as if he'd done something wrong, but for the life of him, he didn't know what it was.
~0~
Harry hated going to Diagon Alley with a passion. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the alley, in fact, it had recovered so thoroughly that no one would ever know anything had happened, but there was something about the shopping centre that gave people an intrusive boldness they didn't have elsewhere. Stares and mutters followed Harry as he went about his shopping. Whispers of "It's him!" and "Mum, Mum, did you see him?" followed in Harry's wake like the wake of a stone jutting up through a stream, eventually encompassing the entire waterway. In an attempt to take his mind off of the ever-present stares and whispers, Harry cast his mind around for something to distract him, and not for the first time in the past five days, his thoughts landed firmly on Luna Lovegood. After the day they had unintentionally spent together, Harry had been unable to forget the flash of regret that passed through her eyes when their time had ended. He was sure he'd missed something, sure he'd overlooked some clue as to what he might have done wrong.
Harry groaned internally, that certainly hadn't been his idea of a good distraction. The entire reason he'd gone to Diagon Alley on a Saturday morning in the first place was in an attempt to get his mind off of the recurring conundrum, but here he was, in Diagon, still running the same things over and over in his head. Suddenly he wished his mind would latch back on to the whispers, and as he adjusted his grip on the wooden crate of potions ingredients in his left arm, Harry wished Luna was there so he could just ask her what was going on and be done with it. Harry paused in his stride, looking around furtively and almost expecting to see Luna walking towards him, or else to hear her characteristic greeting from just behind him. A wave of disappointment filled him as nothing happened, and Harry shook his head to clear it as he continued on with his shopping.
About an hour later, Harry tapped his wand against the large cloth sack he'd filled with all his purchases and watched it shrink down to fit in his pocket. The whispers had trailed off a bit in the last half an hour as word of his presence percolated through the alleyway and people got over their shock at seeing him. Well, that or they had just gotten more discreet about it. Either way, Harry's foul mood had abated, and he was pondering going into the Leaky Cauldron for a chat with Tom and lunch, maybe a shepherd's pie. Just as Harry's grumbling stomach made his decision for him, a flash of blonde hair caught in the corner of Harry's eye. About a hundred feet away, slowly walking out of Scribbulus Writing Implements with her face pointed down as she rifled through her bag of shopping, was Luna Lovegood.
For a second, Harry stood rooted to the spot as he marveled over the strange frequency with which they were encountering each other lately. Then a truly devious idea occurred to Harry, and he smiled mischievously to himself as he cast silencing charms on his shoes and robes to block the sounds of his movement. Harry tapped his bag of parcels with his wand and shrunk it down to fit into his pocket, distantly he saw Luna do the same. Harry followed Luna fairly swiftly, and soon he was creeping up behind her silently, aided by the charms on his robes and shoes. Twenty feet, fifteen feet, ten, five, three...
"Hello, Luna Lovegood!"
Harry watched with satisfaction as Luna jumped and let out a startled eep. She whirled around and froze at the sight of him, taking in his wide grin and the mirth dancing through his eyes. Unfreezing after a moment, Luna sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperation filling her voice as she spoke.
"I can now see why you were so shocked when I appeared out of nowhere when you were thinking of me."
Harry tilted his head to the side in consideration for a moment before answering.
"But you wouldn't understand that unless… Luna, were you thinking of me just now?"
Luna's eyes widened and a faint blush crossed her cheeks. "Er, I mean, it was nothing bad." Luna sounded vaguely desperate, blushing further as she fumbled her attempts to move past her mistake. Harry took pity on her and waved her off, walking up beside her and continuing along in the direction she had come from.
"So, Luna, what brought you out here today?"
"Oh, I was getting ready for an expedition tomorrow."
Harry glanced over at Luna as she answered. Her shoulders were tense and Harry internally cursed himself again. Evidently, five days wasn't enough time to remedy whatever mistake he'd made during the day they'd spent together. Luna continued in her reply heedless of Harry's thoughts, the words slipping from her lips like a nervous babble.
"I'll be going to the north coast of Scotland, it should be raining heavily so I needed to get some more resilient writing materials."
"What are you searching for this time? I don't think the Imps from last Friday would much like those sorts of conditions."
Luna let out a weak laugh, an almost surprised sound as if she hadn't meant for it to happen. She cleared her throat slightly before she answered, refusing to so much as look at Harry as she did so. Maybe there was some way he could make up for his mistake on Monday, some way he could pay her back for whatever it was he'd done?
"Certainly not, though I haven't been studying Imps since the night I found you by that pond. Last Friday was the final day of my observation of the colony."
"Really? Huh, Lucky I landed there, then."
"Yeah, lucky."
The two lapsed into silence as they walked slowly down the alley, and Harry found himself missing the conversation. It was strange, He'd spent less than twenty-four hours with Luna in the past three years, all of it over the course of the past eight days, and yet speaking to her felt just as easy as talking to Ron or Hermione or Hagrid. Another glance at Luna revealed her to still be resolutely looking at everything other than him, and Harry felt a pang of disappointment shoot through him. He wanted her to look at him, he wanted their conversations to continue.
"Would you like to get lunch?"
Luna blinked owlishly at Harry in surprise and were it not for his internal celebration at succeeding in getting her to look at him, Harry probably would have joined in her shock. He hadn't been meaning to say that at all. Still, in for a knut.
"I was just thinking, we're near the Leaky Cauldron and I wanted to get something to eat anyway. I wondered if you might like to join me."
Luna stared at him for a moment longer, her expression inscrutable, and then slowly nodded her head.
"I would like that very much."
Luna's voice was soft, almost tentative, but it was a positive answer regardless, and Harry felt a broad grin come over his features as he gestured towards the archway into the Leaky Cauldron directly ahead.
~0~
"I'll have the toasted grilled chicken and watercress."
"And you, Mr Potter?"
"Shepherd's Pie."
Tom scribbled down their order on his notepad and gestured the two of them off in the direction of an empty table in the corner. Stepping away from the bar, Harry made his way over to the table with Luna trailing close behind him. As they sat down, Harry readied himself to ask Luna what he'd done to upset her, and also to apologize if need be. Before he could get the words out, she blurted a question of her own, looking quite surprised at having spoken aloud.
"What was the correspondence?"
Harry blinked in confusion, his thoughts off balance as his memory cast backwards to try and remember what she was talking about, and he saw something like suspicion bloom in Luna's eyes as he took too long to answer. Harry frantically searched his mind as he saw something that looked a bit like realization flit across Luna's face, and then his brain supplied the relevant memory just as a crestfallen expression began making its way onto her features.
"From Monday night?"
The barely perceptible hurt froze in its tracks across Luna's face, and Harry whooped internally at having done something right as she nodded.
"Right, er, it was from the Center for Lycanthropy."
Luna's face froze as a dawning horror rose in her eyes, and she leaned forward suddenly as she spoke with intermingling shock disbelief colouring her voice.
"Harry, are you, when?"
For a moment Harry was confused, and then came a sudden realization as he realized just how his words had sounded.
"Oh no, I'm, er, perfectly healthy."
He sent Luna his best reassuring smile, though it faltered a bit when, instead of looking relieved, Luna's confusion only worsened.
"But, why would you need to write them if you aren't infected? Unless is there something wrong with Teddy?"
"No, er, I was writing them because I fund the organization."
Whatever it was Luna had been expecting, it wasn't that. Her jaw closed with an audible clack of teeth, and she was momentarily stunned as she looked at him. The silence dragged on for a moment before she spoke, her voice still carrying notes of confusion.
"Do you, ehm, fund anything else?"
Harry let out a weak chuckle at that feeling relieved that the conversation had stabilized a bit.
"Yeah, actually. The War Victims Fund and Henry's Orphanage. And also Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, I suppose."
Luna seemed to be utterly flabbergasted by Harry's response and her expression was more than a bit comical, at least now that he wasn't frantically worrying about putting his foot in his mouth anyway.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Luna asked, faintly.
"Yeah, I gave them my Triwizard winnings after the tournament to get them started. I didn't think much of it at the time but they made me a partial owner after that. I still help them cover the initial cost of new expansions and the like, and they give me a cut of the profits."
"Ah. And that covers the costs of your more, ehm, philanthropic pursuits?"
"Merlin no."
Harry chuckled ruefully at the almost desperate confusion on Luna's face before he continued.
"All that comes from the Goblins. My vault ended up as the final resting place for a lot of people's gold after the war, a lot of it just because it had nowhere else to go, and I told Gringotts to have at it however they wanted. They get a share of my investment profits so it's in their best interest to make as much as they can. And, well, they're rather good with gold."
Luna nodded slowly, "I suppose they would be, being a nation of bankers and all. I guess I wouldn't have thought you the type for investing and charity."
Luna's face flushed as she heard the words leave her lips, and she hastened to clarify.
"I mean, it's not that I don't think you're smart enough for investing, or that you wouldn't want to help people, I just always imagined you to be the type for more… direct methods."
Harry's smile faded as her words registered, and for a moment he sat there, staring sightlessly off into the middle of the pub.
"Yes, I suppose I would be."
Luna's expression was vaguely uncomfortable as Harry focused back on her, but her soft voice was resolute when she responded.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Harry smiled gently and shook his head ruefully, "It's not a secret Luna, just not something that comes up very often."
Harry took a steadying breath, about to launch into his story when he was interrupted by the arrival of their food. The lanky young woman who was waiting tables placed their meals and drinks in front of them with a quick flick of her wand before scurrying off to get someone else's order. The interruption had helped steady him, however, and as he ate his first bite of shepherd's pie in a little over a month, Harry felt far more at ease.
"I quit the Auror academy three months from graduation."
Luna looked up sharply from her sandwich, the question clear in her gaze.
"I was, well, a danger. I'd been fighting my whole life, I was good at it, still am, but I was always fighting for my survival or the survival of others. Everything was a matter of life or death with no in-between. One day in training, I lost my wand during a duel."
Harry took another bite of the shepherd's pie, savouring the flavour as he organized his thoughts.
"We'd gotten quite close to each other over the duel, less than ten feet apart by the end of it. We were flinging spells and parrying them faster than we could actually see. Neither of us was thinking, both of us just acting on reflex and instinct. So when she disarmed me, I didn't think. The duel was supposed to end, but I tackled her. I knocked the wand out of her hand and tripped her, pinned her to the floor and punched her in the chest."
Harry fell silent in his tale, the memory of Cassandra Vance's shocked scream ending in a wheezing gurgle as his fist drove into her sternum like an avalanche ringing through his mind. Luna watched him, unmoving. Waiting for him to continue.
"If I hadn't spent the war-fighting to protect, if I'd spent it fighting to kill death eaters, then she wouldn't have gotten up off that training mat."
Harry let out a sigh as he put his spoonful of pie back down in the dish.
"In war, I'm an asset, but as part of a peacetime law enforcement unit? Then I'm a liability. I'd have been a danger to myself and my fellow Aurors, I knew it as soon as I saw her gasping for breath beneath me, moaning in pain. I handed in my resignation from the Academy the next day."
Harry lapsed into silence as he ended his confession, the sound of the pub washing over their corner table as stared down at his shepherd's pie, a mixture of old shame and uncertainty writhing through his chest.
"It sounds like you made the right choice."
Harry looked up at Luna in surprise. She had an uncommonly serious expression on her face, and her gaze was caring as her eyes seemed to pierce right through him.
"You've been fighting all your life Harry, and you never backed down from doing the right thing, but it isn't good for you to spend your whole life chasing after others' mistakes."
Luna's expression softened, and Harry saw a hint of sadness in the tenderness of her expression.
"You are good at fighting, Harry, but fighting isn't good for you."
Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that, and he just sort of sat there awkwardly for a second before answering.
"I, er, was mostly thinking about everyone else when I decided."
A gentle smile crossed Luna's face as she shook her head.
"Of course you were, Harry, but you're part of everyone too."
Harry wasn't sure why, but he felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
~0~
They finished their food in contemplative silence, each of them slowly working through their meals while staring off into space, lost in thought. It was strange, thought Harry, that it felt so different telling Luna that story. He'd told Ron and Hermione, he'd told Andromeda, He'd told Fred and George, He'd told Ginny, He'd told Arthur, He'd even told Fleur in their semi-frequent chats over coffee and tea. Whether it was because Luna's last name was something other than Weasley, or if it was because of how she responded, Harry wasn't sure, but it was without a doubt different. Thinking of Luna reminded him of what she'd said before she agreed to lunch, and with a slight shock of guilt, he realised they'd spent the entirety of their time together talking about him.
"What's the expedition for?"
Luna's eyes focused on him from where they had been staring aimlessly, and it took her a moment to grasp what he was asking.
"Oh, I'm going up to the north coast to look for a Leanabh Mara. They're a species of magical creature that lives in treacherous cliffs, rock faces, and hollows under boulders on the coasts of Scotland. They look like children and like to come out during storms to play in the rain and the waves, though they also sometimes linger a bit after they pass."
"Huh, I've never heard of them."
Luna smiled at the curiosity in Harry's voice, becoming more animated as she responded.
"Not many have. They don't provide much that's particularly useful to our society, and they aren't dangerous in any way. The only thing of note to wizards is that they create large, delicate pearls that can be used in certain mind-affecting potions. The pearls vanish like Leprechaun gold when separated from the Leanabh Mara's den for more than three days, but they can be used as ingredients in that time."
Harry pondered that for a moment. They sounded interesting, but if they were mostly useless except for a rare and highly circumstantial potion ingredient…
"Why are you studying them?"
Luna tilted her head for a moment, considering her answer.
"They fascinate me. They're fully sentient, but they have no desire to socialize or learn. They can speak to other beings in whatever language the being they are speaking to uses, but they don't seek people out. They're content to just stay in their dens by the sea, playing in the storms when they come. That's all they need to be happy."
When Luna put it that way, Harry had to admit that it did have a certain appeal. In fact, Harry's mind whirled with possibilities, they sounded intriguing enough to see them himself. Harry took a moment to consider himself before he made his request, he'd been rather monopolizing Luna's time as of late, and he resolved to make sure she knew she didn't have to bring him if she didn't want to.
"They sound fascinating. If you wouldn't mind a useless tag-along, do you think I could go with you?"
Luna did a double-take as Harry's request penetrated the academic musings she had been engaging in, and she turned to look at him with an odd mixture of disbelief and something unidentifiable in her voice.
"You want to come with me, to the north coast of Scotland, specifically looking for the worst and foulest weather we can, on the off chance we'll glimpse an incredibly rare magical creature that is, by all accounts, useless to witches and wizards?"
"Well, when you put it like that it sounds a bit mad."
"That's because it is a bit mad."
Harry grinned, "Well, you know me, never exactly been the pinnacle of sanity, have I?"
Luna snorted, "No, no you haven't."
The amusement fell off her face as she became serious, and there was an oddly cautious hope in her eyes as she considered him.
"Are you sure?"
Seeing how much weight Luna put into the question, Harry took a moment to consider it. Was he really sure? It didn't exactly sound pleasant, but then again… Harry's mind wandered back to the Imp colony, the wonder it held, Luna's smile as she led him along the path through the trees.
"Yes."
Luna stared at him for a few seconds, her gaze searching. Whatever it was she was looking for, Harry didn't know, but she seemed to find it quickly.
"Meet me here at seven o'clock tomorrow morning, wear your best harsh weather clothing and the sturdiest boots you own."
Harry nodded eagerly, excited at the prospect of the expedition. Luna smiled slightly at his enthusiasm and shook her head gently before standing up to leave. Harry put nine sickles and three knuts on the table to pay for their food and then stood to follow her. They made their way out into the tiny courtyard that held the entrance to Diagon Alley and both of them paused, turning to each other simultaneously with words on their lips. Seeing that they both halted, neither wanting to talk over the other, and Harry chuckled before speaking.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Luna."
Luna hesitated a moment, seemingly wrestling with something inside herself, and then she stepped forward abruptly and wrapped Harry in a gentle embrace. She was warm in his arms, and Harry felt a blush rising on his neck. Before Harry could hug her back, she stepped away, her face flushed pink.
"See you tomorrow, Harry."
Luna vanished with a pop of apparition. Harry stayed there for what felt like several minutes, but was probably no more than one, before he too disappeared with a sharp crack.
~0~
The sky was an utterly miserable grey. A light mist of rain was falling over the village of Hogsmeade, soaking everything through to the bone with an unseasonable chill, and what little of the early morning sunlight did manage to struggle down to the earth was tinted a watery yellow by the thick blanket of clouds overhead. On any other day, Harry would have thought it an ill omen, but today he nodded up at the dour heavens quite cheerily as he peeked out his kitchen window.
A quick glance at the stars circling round the face of his watch revealed it to be three quarters past six, and Harry hurriedly moved back to the closet that held his broom and riding jacket. The riding jacket wasn't nearly resilient enough for what he expected to be doing that day, but the closet also held one of his only relics from Auror training.
Harry pulled out his extreme weather gear, taking a moment to inspect it as he did so. It was coloured somewhere between stone grey and the crimson of more standard Auror robes. Made from a combination of a sturdy canvas exterior and supple dragon leather interior, and was heavily enchanted to resist any and all weather conditions that one might encounter in Great Britain and Ireland. It looked more like a hooded, high-collared muggle overcoat than a wizard's robe, and the chest fastened together in a double-breasted style that was vaguely reminiscent of a military uniform. Along with the coat was a set of trousers of similar construction and a pair each of gloves and boots.
He probably wasn't supposed to have them as they had technically belonged to the Ministry and not him, but after he'd handed in his resignation, they had been packed up with all the rest of his possessions and waiting for him by his bunk so he'd taken them and no one had ever asked for them back. Shaking off his musings, Harry checked his watch again, ten minutes to seven. Seeing that, Harry hurriedly gathered up the bundle of clothing and raced back to his bedroom to change.
Harry appeared in a dingy London alleyway with a soft snapping sound. He quickly cast a Notice Me Not charm on his person and made his way to the alley entrance. Across from him was a familiar timber-framed pub between a bookshop and a movie rental that had once been a record store. With a quick glance to either side, Harry strode across the street and made his way inside, dispelling the charm on him as he did so. Weak shafts of sunlight made their way in through the grimy windows and the dining room was mostly barren and empty but the pub still retained its welcoming air. Harry looked around and, seeing Luna sitting at the same table they ate lunch at the previous day, he made his way over. Luna looked up at the sound of his approach and her eyes widened as she took in his clothing. Her gaze lingered on the oddly thick high collar that rose around the hood, currently hanging off the back, and she shook her head slightly before speaking.
"Hello, Harry Potter, I was worried that you wouldn't appear."
Harry grimaced at the oddly distant tone of her voice as he sat down, his mind helpfully supplying him with the events of the past fifteen minutes in which he had tried and mostly failed to put on the complicated, though highly protective, garments he was now wearing.
"Sorry about that, Luna, it's been a while since put on this getup and it was a bit more involved than I remembered."
Luna considered him a moment before nodding and rising to her feet from where she had been sitting. She slid a hand into the pocket of her worn canvas overcoat, the surface of it an oddly waxy-looking cream, and pulled out a short length of thick cecil rope. A quick tap of her wand caused it to glow a faint blue, and she began making her way to the back door while gesturing Harry to follow.
"We will likely be arriving into a storm, so be prepared to get your footing quickly."
Harry nodded along to Luna's words as he stepped through the rear entrance of the pub, the door closing behind him with a slight click. Luna turned in the confined space and offered Harry the rope in her left hand while raising the hood of her coat with her right. Harry followed her example with his own hood as he grasped the rope in his left hand. The rope glowed blue for a second time as Luna tapped it with her wand while muttering under her breath. Harry felt a sharp tugging sensation just behind his navel and an instant later, the pair of them vanished into a swirling vortex of white light and colour.
~0~
Harry was greeted by the chirping of birds. The air was pleasantly warm and a fresh, gentle breeze played across his face as Harry let the short length of rope drop limply from his fingers. He stared in shock at the clear blue sky, the sun shining down full and strong overhead. He twisted on the spot to see where the promised storms were, but he saw nothing. A sound of profound frustration to Harry's right caught his attention, and Harry turned to see Luna glaring away inland to the east as if the rolling hills had personally offended her. Harry followed her gaze and saw a distant speck of dark grey receding over the horizon.
"Of all the days…"
Harry watched uncertainly as Luna stamped her foot and muttered vehemently to herself just beneath hearing.
"Are you okay?"
Luna looked over at him, her forehead creased in frustration.
'Yes, Harry, sorry, it's just…" She sighed wearily and slumped her shoulders, "This part of the Scottish coast has a reputation for being ravaged by storms nearly every day of the year, it's why no one lives here."
"And we managed to come on the one day the skies are clear."
Luna nodded tiredly at Harry's words. She looked defeated, and Harry was shocked by how it changed her appearance. Normally she was bright, joyful, and so incredibly… alive. But now she looked plain. It wasn't until the life that brought it was already gone that Harry realized that it made her beautiful in a way he hadn't ever seen before.
"I suppose you'll be ready to go soon. There isn't much reason to look for a Leanabh Mara under a clear sky, and I know you only came on the chance we might encounter one."
Luna's words shook Harry from his epiphany, and as he looked at her sitting slumped on a boulder, he couldn't help but wonder if there was anything he might be able to do to lift her spirits.
"Well, you did say they like to play in the puddles after the rain passes, so maybe there's still one out here."
Luna looked up sceptically, "Harry, it was already likely that we wouldn't find one even in the storm, it's nearly impossible to find one after the weather clears."
Harry grinned at her choice of wording, and he leaned forward slightly to look her in the eye as he spoke in an oddly intimate tone.
"Luna Lovegood, I have never known you to be concerned with what is and isn't possible."
Still leaning forward, Harry extended a hand for Luna to take and pull herself up. For a moment, she just looked at him in confusion before, to Harry's incredible relief, he saw a bit of the life return to her as she grasped his hand and stood. She rose to her feet and her gaze was almost challenging as she answered him.
"Alright, Harry Potter, let's see if we can't do the impossible."
Harry grinned.
~0~
The moss-covered rock beneath Harry's right foot slipped as he made his way down the slope, it shot out forwards and Harry was glad for the thick coat and trousers as he fell heavily backwards onto his rear end. Luna looked back at the sound of his fall, first concern and then amusement playing across her features as she took in the undignified heap that Harry had fallen into.
"Yeah, laugh why don't you, I'm sure my back can feel the sympathy in your sniggers."
Luna shook her head as Harry stood, her amusement morphing back into concern as Harry gingerly stretched his spine.
"You aren't actually hurt are you?"
"Nah, this thing was made to resist spellfire, a few rocks won't get through. I'll be good for a few more hours still."
The light in Luna's eyes dimmed slightly, and her voice was hesitant as she spoke.
"You know, Harry, you don't have to stay. We've been searching for a few hours already and while it's nice to have company, I wouldn't want to keep yo-"
"Luna." Harry waited for her to fall silent before continuing, "I am right where I want to be."
Her face turned a very fetching shade of pink and she nodded once before continuing on down the slope towards the next bit of shoreline that they had yet to search.
~0~
It had been two hours since Harry had stumbled down the slope, and while his feet were starting to get a little sore, it seemed he had been correct in his assumption that the Auror garb would protect him from the fall, at least it was good for something. Just as Harry finished musing on the merits of taking off his overcoat, as it couldn't be shrunk due to the enchantments on it, a large drop of water landed with an audible splash on the bridge of his nose behind his glasses. Harry's head reared back and he started blinking furiously, reaching up with one hand to take off his glasses so he could wipe away the water on his sleeve.
Harry froze midway through the act and looked up at the sky overhead, Luna's questioning eyes following his gaze. Harry looked down with a grin and saw some real hope of success rising on Luna's face.
"Well, looks like we might get some rain after all."
The two of them hurried on with their search as the front of the grey clouds began covering the sky overhead.
~0~
The rain was falling in great lashing torrents, distant summer lightning flashed over the sea, and Harry had a giant grin on his face. He glanced over at Luna on his right to see her own beaming smile shining out from under her hood as the water cascaded over them where they lay on the rocks overlooking a small hollow. In the hollow beneath them, surrounded by large boulders on three sides and the sea on the fourth, dancing in a large rippling puddle, was a Leanabh Mara. It was short, smaller than a goblin, but with very human proportions. Excepting the green skin and the overly large eyes, it did look very much like a young child.
A wave rose up in the open side of the hollow and rolled over the sand, bowling over the Leanabh Mara who laughed in delight and surprise as it fell. Rising immediately back to its feet, it jumped into the air and landed in the newly deepened puddle with its arms spread wide. Harry tore his eyes away from the creature at play and looked back over at Luna. An expression of heartfelt wonder graced her features, like a blind child given sight for the first time. She was beautiful, so completely and utterly incredible that it made his eyes go wide in the same wonder with which she saw the world. He turned back to look at the Sea Child at play, and settled further in place, content at peace while lying on the hard rocks in the midst of a Scottish storm, a beaming smile stretched so far across his face that he wasn't sure if it would ever leave.
~0~
Harry watched mournfully as the storm faded over the horizon. They'd only had half an hour or so to observe the Leanabh Mara before the rain ended and the creature returned to its den. He wasn't sure who was more disappointed by the storm's passing, the Leanabh Mara or them.
"Thank you, Harry."
The sound of Luna's voice brought Harry out of his reverie and he looked around at her to see an oddly tender expression on her face.
"I wouldn't have seen that if it wasn't for you."
Harry smiled back at her, though his voice was tinged with regret as he replied.
"You're welcome, I just wish it had lasted longer."
Luna shook her head gently, a soft knowing smile on her lips.
"Things like that never last long, the trick is to always keep searching for them."
Harry nodded good-naturedly, "I suppose you're right, there's always next time."
Luna tilted her head quizzically, "Next time?"
Harry grinned, "Yep, next time. You've given me a taste for this sort of thing, I don't think I could resist it if I tried. I'd like to tag along more often if you'll let me."
Luna gave a short laugh and nodded in turn, though her expression grew bittersweet as she looked out over the sea.
"Next time."
Harry felt the smile slide off his features and he took a step forward, one hand reaching up to touch Luna's shoulder, concern evident on his features.
Luna turned back to face him, and there was a kind of sad acceptance in her eyes.
"I suppose you'll be ready to go back now, Harry, back to your normal world and normal life and normal people."
She seemed to struggle with something for a second before continuing.
"I'll tell you the next time I have an expedition planned."
Harry watched as Luna looked down and began to back away, only to be stopped by his left hand on her shoulder. He put his right under her chin and tilted her face back up to look at him, and stared into her eyes for a moment before speaking, sincerity lending weight to his every word.
"Luna Lovegood, I am most certainly not ready to go back to my normal little world. In fact, I don't think I want to."
Something like wary hope, and that unidentifiable emotion that had so plagued him rose across her features as she listened, hanging on his every word.
"I think I'm ready to stay."
For a long moment, Luna stood frozen, and Harry felt his heart thudding in his chest as he stared into her eyes less than half a foot away from his own. Then Luna launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around him, her lips pressing against his own. Harry wrapped his arms tight around her and spun her on the spot, holding the kiss as he lowered her gently to the ground as they parted. He pulled back and looked at her, and the life and light that filled her were enough to take his breath away.
"I think I'm ready for you to stay as well."
Luna's word's brought a joyous laugh to Harry's lips, and Luna soon joined him, the sounds of their happiness echoing out over the rain-soaked beauty of the Scottish moors.
AN: Special thanks to Nauze on the SalTalStudios discord server for beta-reading this piece, and thanks Taliesin19 and Saliient for inspiring this oneshot as a part of their April Fool's collection. Go check out their incredible stories on their profiles, my personal favorite of which is Grow Young With Me by Taliesin19. Thank you for reading. If you liked the story then please leave a comment telling me what you think worked and what didn't. Your feedback is crucial to helping me improve as an author and is always appreciated.
Harry/Fleur Discord Server: /6EdQrSUjTB
SalTalStudios Discord Server: /hq5ZvYYMA7
Fanfic Recommendation: Grow Young With Me by Taliesin19, s/11111990/1/Grow-Young-with-Me