Making Amends

The keys scraped in the lock and the door shook slightly before swinging open to reveal Harry Potter with grocery bags in his hand. Stumbling into the apartment, Harry lugged the heavy plastic bags into the kitchen. He set them down on the counter, wiped his forehead, straightened his glasses and ran his fingers through his now wet hair.

"That looked heavy," a voice stated matter-of-factly from behind him.

Harry froze. He turned around, not sure who the voice was coming from and therefore more wary than usual. As soon as he saw who it was, however, he sighed deeply and smiled.

"Hi, Luna," he breathed, pulling her into a short hug. "I wasn't expecting you," he finished.

"I know," she said, and the lilting melody in her voice made Harry smile. "I just wanted to say hi...so hi!"

"Hi! How have you been? I haven't seen you since..."

"...Winter of 2002. You kissed me before I went to the Alps with my family."

"Right," Harry said uncomfortably. He and Luna had dated for a short time a few years after their graduation from Hogwarts. Harry didn't want to think of why they had ended it. Luna had understood completely, but the memories still made him squirm. "Anyway, um, what are you really here for?" he asked. He would do anything to keep the conversation away from what was really on his mind.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm having a party on Saturday night. It's at my house, you know the address. Would you like to come?"

"Sure, Luna, I wouldn't miss it...what time?"

"Six thirty sharp. Well, I'd better get going...bye!"

"Hey, wait a minute, do you want to stay for coffee?"

Luna's face immediately expressed discomfort.

"I don't drink coffee...it tastes like Nargle vomit."

Harry's face matched Luna's as he immediately vowed to throw out all the coffee in the house.

"Er, Luna, how do you know what...?" Harry faltered over his words.

Luna's head was tilted as she stared at him solidly.

"Never mind." On second thought, he didn't want to know.

~*~

Saturday night came faster than Harry expected it to. Before he knew it, he was standing on Luna's doorstep ringing the doorbell. A silhouette appeared behind the stippled glass, growing clearer with every passing moment before the door opened.

Harry was ready to greet Luna, but the words died down somewhere in his larynx. The person who had opened the door was definitely not Luna.

It was, unless Harry was deathly mistaken, Blaise Zabini.

"Harry?"

It was definitely Blaise Zabini.

"Hi, Blaise," Harry said weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here...would it be too rude to ask what you're doing here?" Blaise's eyebrows were up in question.

"I thought I was at Luna's, but I suppose I lost my way somewhere," Harry let his voice fade. He couldn't be more embarrassed. His face was turning red and he was starting to break a sweat despite the freezing weather.

"What a coincidence! I'm going to Luna's...we could Apparate together if you want," Blaise offered.

Harry wished he could simply melt through the concrete pavement as he stammered his acceptance and thanks.

~*~

"Hi, Luna!" Harry greeted her with a relieved smile and a hug. Blaise did likewise, although Harry was quick to note that he did it with much more ease. How did he manage it? He had completely kept his cool when he saw Harry standing on his doorstep (most likely smirking inwardly at Harry's appearance; he must have looked like he was running a marathon while lightning continually struck his hair). After what had happened at Hogwarts, Harry thought that some minute amount of modesty must have lingered in Blaise, but apparently not.

It was Christmas of their sixth year and Dumbledore had insisted on an "inter-house unity party". This would have been all well and good had he not mentioned that this party was for the sixth-years of Gryffindor and Slytherin only. Ron had been indignant, having had plans of his own for that night. Hermione was all for the evening but quickly changed her opinion with a lot of Slytherin-bashing and some very colourful language. Harry put on a furious tone, but inside his heart was pounding with the intensity of thunder. The Slytherin sixth-years included someone he had been eying lately. He wasn't about to tell anyone about it, not even Ron and Hermione.

That night, a large amount of astonishing events had taken place. The Slytherins were insufferable...for the most part. They had snuck in some Firewhiskey and other liquors, and they had cast some Imperturbable Charms on the doors and the walls so as not to be overheard.

Things had happened between Harry and his mysterious Slytherin, and they had decided to pursue their feelings further. They did this for a short time before the Slytherin sent Harry a letter saying they needed to break up. He was instructed not to ask why, and Harry, out of pure respect for the boy's feelings, had not.

He regretted it now that he was seeing Blaise Zabini looking so suave. It would have been...interesting...to see where the relationship was heading.

Harry smiled before taking a step into Luna's brightly decorated house. Perhaps, he thought, my relationship with Blaise has not yet ended.