The Fair Lady and the Knight in Need of Hair Gel

Something changed over the summer. I don't know exactly what because she certainly hadn't changed that much, but I felt a change. Sure, I've had crushes but I've never felt like this before.

I know we both had matured mentally a great deal but that wasn't the change. The way I felt around Luna changed, something would pull at my heart--or at least it felt like that--when I looked at her.

At night I would lay in my bed for hours, thinking about her for hours on end. I knew that I was supposed to clear my mind before sleep but I couldn't help but think of her.

She makes me feel better about things that I stress about. She helped me out of the depression I was in after Sirius died. I just wish I could repay her somehow, someway.

~

I've never seen her cry, but today I found her; though she was silently crying, I could see the pain in her silvery, doe eyes.

I asked her what was wrong and she tried to put on a front, saying that it was nothing, but she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

It was heart wrenching to see her like this and I asked what had happened as I held her to comfort her and she sobbed into my cloak.

"Just the Slytherins," she said with a sniff. "Draco Malfoy."

My blood started to boil furiously. "What did he do?" I asked trying to hide my anger.

Luna sniffed. "He said some dreadful things about my father and--" she paused with a muffled sniff, "you."

I was surprised because she usually didn't get upset about the petty insults that came from Malfoy.

I sighed. "You shouldn't listen to them, they aren't worth getting upset over," I whispered in a soothing voice.

Luna pulled away and nodded. I looked at the tears running down her cheeks and lifted my hand to wipe them away.

She smiled. "Thanks," she said, her voice starting to become airy again. I always liked the way she said almost everything in a dreamy tone as if she was very uncaring and free about her life.

I nodded with a small grin, though I was trying to hide my anger at Malfoy. I never wanted to see her hurt again.

~

It was later in the week when I cornered Malfoy. It was that time of the night that only Filch and his blasted cat would prowl the corridors while everyone was asleep.

I was heading out for my nightly flight, ready to get my head cleared before sleep, and Malfoy was just landing on the Quidditch pitch. Obviously I wasn't the only one who fancied a flight that night.

My anger boiled as I watched him dismount without a care in the world and arrogantly walk toward the Slytherin broom shed. I glared and dropped my Firebolt as I thought of Luna's tear-filled eyes just a few nights prior.

My fist balled as I rushed towards him, anger building with each step. How in the world could someone make another person cry and not care? How can he be so low without feeling guilty?

I tapped his shoulder and he whirled around with a questioning glare. "What are you doing out here, Potter?" he asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

My jaw set. "You are an arrogant bastard, Malfoy. How could you do that to Luna?" I asked through clenched teeth.

He smirked. "So you have a thing for little Loony do you? I always thought that you would like someone who deserves a straight jacket and a padded room."

My face twisted with rage. "Answer my question!" I growled fiercely and snatched the front of his robes with my left hand. I held my right fist to his face and his eyes widened in fright.

Malfoy gulped. "I--" he squeaked and tried to pull away.

I reeled my fist back and hit him square in the jaw so fiercely I was sure that I knocked out a few teeth. My hand throbbed from hitting his bony jaw, I was sure that I would have an interesting bruise there in the morning.

Malfoy dropped to his knees and clutched his jaw. He looked up at me with a glare and got off the ground, breathing heavily. I could already see a bruise forming where I hit him.

He rushed at me but I was ready and I jumped on him making us both tumble to the ground. Malfoy tried to push me off with all his might and he tried to kick me but I had him successfully pinned.

I glared and started pummelling his face. Anger lashing out with each and every blow--anger from seeing Luna cry over something that he said, and for being mean, and for tormenting her--the list went on.

With one last punch he went limp, his eyes closed, his lip bleeding. There were bruises starting to form on his face where I punched him. His nose was starting to bleed; surely it was broken.

Heavily breathing, I rolled off of him and got up from the dewy grass. I looked up to see Luna staring at me, her eyes wider than usual...

~

She couldn't believe that I did that and for a few days she was mad about what I did to Malfoy but that didn't last long.

I was regretting it in the library while staring at my blank Potions homework when she came over and sat in the chair next me. I loved the way that she could make me feel lighter by just being near me.

"You know," she whispered airily, "what you did was sort of sweet." I looked up at her and she smiled amiably.

"I've never known anyone that would beat up someone because he hurt my feelings and I think it's kind of sweet of you to do that." I loved the sound of her voice, like an angels voice, so sweet and carefree without a worry in the world.

I blushed and smiled at her. "Anything for you, Luna, I just couldn't walk away from that and let Malfoy get away with making you cry. It's not right."

She giggled. "You're sweet, you know, that's what I like about you. You can be so..." She bit her lip as her face took on a dreamy expression. "Chivalrous and it's thoughtful of you to defend me."

I felt my blush increase at her words. She shifted closer to me. "You know, I think it's only right to give my sweet, chivalrous knight a kiss, don't you think."

My mouth went dry and I gulped silently, practically speechless. "I s'pose so..." I managed to say through my nervousness of being close to her.

She leaned in, tilting her head a bit, my lips meeting hers. It was nothing like I had experienced before, it was the most amazing kiss I had ever felt in my life. It ended much earlier than I wanted it too but it was then I knew that I really knew I loved her.

She looked at me, her eyes wider than usual. I could see a hint of surprise in them, most of the time they were misty and dreamy but this time I could see.

She smiled softly and I put my finger to her lips as she opened it to say something. Soon my finger was replaced with my lips. Never had I initiated a kiss but I never had I pined for a kiss so much.

Luna was gentle, and very tentative. I was sure that she was just as inexperienced as I because she fumbled very much like myself. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close; her hands resting gently on my shoulders as the kiss became more passionate.

I pulled away breathlessly and held her in my arms, looking straight into her brilliant doe eyes. "I really like you, Luna, a lot," I said panting slightly.

She gave a smile that could only be rivalled by an angel's. "I like you too, Harry," she said in an even more airy tone than I had ever heard.

I swallowed a nervous lump in my throat. "I sometimes think that I like you so much that I--I love you," I said wide eyed, not believing that I said that.

Her cheeks reddened slightly. "You know, I think that sometimes," she said dreamily, glancing downwards in a nervous fashion.

I tilted her chin up with my left hand and gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Luna," I said with a small smile. "I know I do, I've never felt this way about anyone before. You're the most amazing person that I have ever met... I love you."

Luna smiled serenely. "I love you too, Harry, you're my knight in shining armour," she said in a light tone, leaning in for another kiss.

I pulled away. "Shining armour?"

She let out a light giggle. "Right, not shining armour. How about... my knight in need of hair gel?" She ruffled my hair and I chuckled softly.

"Shining armour sounds better," I said as the ruffling of my hair ceased.

She leaned up and met my lips for a short kiss. "My knight in need of hair gel."

I chuckled and kissed her again. "My fair lady," I whispered against her lips.

She giggled and pulled away. "That's the name of a play."

I laugh quietly. "Why yes it is... but I'm not denying that the title doesn't suit you."

She blushed and smiled. "You're too sweet but you're still the knight in need of hair gel."

"It kind of grows on me," I said with a crooked grin and she let out an airy laugh.

"Literally."

~