Why I'm Never Going to My Class Reunion

Chapter Nine- To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine

Miss Lovegood,

It is our pleasure to cordially invite you to the wedding of Mr. Harry Potter and Ms. Ginny Weasley on the 15^th of November. Please send an owl to Mrs. Molly Weasley to reply.

We hope to see you there!

-Ms. Ginny Weasley

Luna picked up the letter in shaking hands. She tried desperately to hold back tears. Harry was marrying Ginny. She was too late to tell Harry.

Luna felt very foolish and stupid that she had ever thought Harry could love her. What he had said in her sixth year was a huge drunken mistake. Harry loved Ginny and that's all there was to it.

She took a deep breath and walked down to the Great Hall. It was already bustling with students eating. Luna took her spot at the staff table and reread the letter.

"Good heavens!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed from over her shoulder. "Potter and Weasley are getting married?"

"Ron and Harry?" Hagrid grumbled, confused.

"No! Ginny and Harry!" McGonagall sighed.

"Right, right," mumbled Hagrid.

"They were simply mad about each other," said McGonagall, nodding her head. "I knew they would fall in love."

"Send them my congratulations," McGonagall urged Luna.

"Yes, mine as well," Dumbledore said.

"All right," Luna folded the invitation into tiny squares.

Luna walked into her first class of the day. "Hi, my name is Professor Lovegood and I'll be your Charms teacher."

The first years blinked back at her. Luna attempted a vague smile to her pupils. "Well, let's get out our wands," she instructed.

They all promptly did so and continued staring at her. Luna pulled out her wand as well. "If you don't mind me asking, which houses are these?" she asked her students.

A red haired girl raised her hand. Luna called on her.

"Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, professor," she responded.

"Okay, thank you, 5 points to Gryffindor for someone actually saying something," Luna said.

The girl beamed as her classmates in Gryffindor smiled at her and gave her high fives. Luna the briefly explained why Charms are so important to a young wizard's education, and demonstrated the unlocking spell.

The ball rang. "Class dismissed. We'll practice the spell tomorrow," she said as the kids filed out.

The red haired girl came up to her. "Thank you for the points, professor."

Luna smiled kindly. "You're welcome. What's your name?"

"Autumn Laine."

"Autumn, that's a pretty name," said Luna.

"Thank you," the girl smiled and scuttled off to catch up with her classmates.

"If I ever have a girl, I'll name her Autumn," Luna mused to herself. "Though she must have dark hair, she must look nothing like her name."

The third years poured in and Luna was interrupted from her thoughts. After that Luna had the sixth years and then she was done for the day.

After her classes Luna stared at the blank parchment in front of her. She was trying to think of ways to word her response to the wedding invitation. Luna knew it wasn't a very complicated thing to do, but it felt hard to her.

She finally penned, -Mrs. Weasley, I would be happy to attend your daughter's wedding. -Luna Lovegood

It wasn't much, but it didn't have to be. She tied the letter to her owl's leg and watched him soar off into the evening air. Luna sighed and leaned her chair back.

"Oh, Harry," she said softly to herself. "I didn't think it would be too late."

I watched the proverbial sunrise
Coming up over the Pacific and
You might think I'm losing my mind
But I will shy away from the specifics

'Cause I don't want you to know where I am
'Cause then you'll see my heart

In the saddest state it's ever been
This is no place to try and live my life

I'm sorry for the person I became
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to try and never become that way again
'Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been

I heard the reverberating footsteps
Sinking up to the beating of my heart
and I was positive that unless I got myself together
I would watch me fall apart

Chapter Ten- May You Find Happiness

Luna stopped her cab outside of a small church. She paid the driver and got out. It was a small, stone church. Luna could see a few brooms peeking out from behind a bush in a last minute attempt to hide them.

She couldn't believe she was going to Harry's wedding even what had happened all those years ago. Well, Ginny didn't know about it. And knowing Harry he would have never told her.

She opened the wooden doors of the church. A small hallway stretched along the building. Luna heard voices coming from the first door, and so she opened it. Inside was Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley.

"Luna!" Ginny said excitedly. "I'm so glad you came! It's been ages!"

Luna hugged her old friend. "Yes, it has. You look just like you always did."

"No," Ginny sighed, shaking her head. "I've grown a little in the middle."

"The Weasley family curse," Mrs. Weasley shook her head sympathetically.

"Your dress is beautiful, Ginny," said Luna.

"Thank you," Ginny beamed, twirling girlishly around in the dress. "I just hope Harry likes it. He hasn't seen me in it!"

"You know it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding," scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm sure he'll like it," Luna assured Ginny.

Luna heard the wedding march strike up. Ginny panicked and began running around the room.

"It's not supposed to start yet! I'm not ready!" Ginny shrieked.

"Luna, do be a dear and get them to wait, please," begged Mrs. Weasley.

Luna nodded and left the room. She walked to the end of the hallway into the altar area. Luna walked over to the organ.

"Do you mind if you wait a bit longer to start?" she asked.

"I was just warming up," the organist replied.

"Right," Luna said vaguely.

Luna, wrapped in her thoughts as she walked away, bumped carelessly into someone.

"Oh, sorry," she said, looking up to see who she had walked into.

A pair of remarkably green eyes looked back at her.

"Luna..." Harry said, staring at her.

"Hello Harry," said Luna promptly.

"I haven't seen you in a while, how are you?"

"Oh, you know, teaching Charms at Hogwarts."

"How's that going?"

"Fine, it's quite fun. Reminds me of when I was still at school. It makes me feel so old!"

Harry smiled. "Yeah, school. Seems like such a long time ago."

"Yes, and look at you now, about to be married," Luna said.

Harry nodded. "About that-"

Down the hall Luna heard Mrs. Weasley shrieking.

"I'll be back later," Luna said hurriedly to Harry as she rushed down the hall.

Mrs. Weasley was frantically trying to sew up a small hole in the side of Ginny's dress. Ginny looked to be on the verge of tears.

"This is my wedding day," said Ginny softly. "It's supposed to be perfect."

"It will be perfect," Luna tried to assure Ginny. "You're getting married to the luckiest man in the world, aren't you?"

"Yeah, you're right," Ginny smiled.

"Aha!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed triumphantly. "All sewed up! You better go take your seat, Luna, the wedding's going to start!"

Luna gave Ginny a hug. "'Bye Ginny Weasley."

Luna sat down in a pew in the middle of the church. Ron, Hermione, Fred with Angelina, and George with Alicia were all sitting in the row in front of her. It seemed that everyone had someone except her.

She had missed her chance, Luna reminded herself. It wasn't Ginny's fault she was the one getting married to Harry instead of herself.

The wedding march struck up, and the guests turned their attention to the back of the room. Harry was standing in the doorway, looking straight at the altar. Everyone watched him walk to the altar. Then, once more turned their attention to the back of the room.

Ginny was standing by her Father's side, her arm in his. He walked her down the aisle and lifted her veil. Ginny took her place opposite of Harry at the altar.

In a way, Luna still couldn't believe Harry was marrying Ginny. Had he felt absolutely nothing between them all those years? Luna felt foolish for even thinking he could care about her.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace," the minister said suddenly, breaking Luna's thoughts.

Luna's eyes welled up with tears. She could never say anything to Harry. If this was how he would be happy, she would leave him this way. Good-bye, Harry. Luna thought.

Luna closed her eyes, trying to restrain her tears.

"No," a voice said.

Luna opened her eyes to see who had spoken. Who had wanted to stop the wedding?

Hello there

Angel from my nightmare

The shadow in the background of the moor

The unsuspecting victim

Of darkness in the valley

Where are you?

And I'm so sorry

I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight

I need somebody and always

This sick strange darkness

Comes creeping in so haunting every time

And as I stared I counted

The webs from all the spiders

Catching things and eating their insides

Like indecision to call you

And hear your voice of treason

Could you come home and stop this pain tonight?

Stop this pain tonight