Luna Meets the Dursleys

III.

Glad to be free of the Dursleys, Harry stepped gratefully out the front door into the crisp late afternoon air. Luna followed, and shut the door behind them. She'd bundled herself up with a corduroy jacket and a multicolored scarf tied whimsically around her neck. She also wore gloves, but she took them off almost immediately once they had reached the end of the front walk. "Here," she said, reaching purposefully for Harry's left hand. "We'll hold hands to keep warm. It's nicer that way."

So Harry withdrew his hand from the pocket of his coat and intertwined his fingers with Luna's, whose hand he found to be pleasantly warm. Her cheeks were flushed, although it could have been from excitement rather than just the cool weather; she looked around them in quiet awe as they walked down the perfectly ordinary suburban street, and gently swung her hand with Harry's. For a long while she didn't speak, seeming content to just take in the atmosphere.

Harry walked alongside her, simply watching Luna's happy smile with her fingers curled comfortably around his. Every once in awhile she'd give his hand a little extra squeeze, and quickly glance in his direction as if to see if he noticed.

"This certainly doesn't look much different from our town," Luna remarked. "Well, there are the cars, and the houses are a bit closer together. It's cozy. I imagine you know all your neighbors very well. That must be nice."

"Well, actually I don't really know them that well," Harry admitted, and he found himself feeling bad that he didn't.

"I always wished we had more neighbors close by. I like looking out the window and seeing the lights on in the nearest house - it makes me feel like I have someone else there, even though they're pretty far down the road so they aren't really there with me. Some nights when daddy works late at The Quibbler I just sit by the window with my book and look out at the stars and the lights while I wait for him to come home."

"Are you friends with your neighbors, then?"

"No, not really," Luna said. "I'm alone quite often. But it's all right, I like being by myself. Except when you're around."

Harry didn't know quite what to say to this, so he said simply, "Thanks," and smiled awkwardly.

"I also like being around your friends at Hogwarts. They're all very interesting. Of course, I already knew Ginny since we're in the same year..."

"Well, Luna, they're you're friends, too."

"Ginny lives pretty close by, just a little walk from my house. Now that we're more acquainted she comes by to visit over the summer. We go on picnics and pick flowers." Luna either didn't hear what Harry said, or simply overlooked it. She leaned close to him and whispered, "I think she's developed a little crush on Neville Longbottom. But don't tell her I said so, she'd be upset with me."

"Sure, I won't."

Luna glanced knowingly at him. "Please don't tell Ron, either. He probably wouldn't like it very much if he found out that I knew these things about his sister before him. I know he likes to watch over her and protect her."

"Yeah, I suppose he does," Harry admitted and his heart lifted. He felt exactly the same way about Luna. Even though she wouldn't like the idea of being watched over and protected by him, Harry found comfort in it. He would do it, too. No matter what. He couldn't remember feeling love like this for anyone before. It really was amazing. There was Ron and Hermione, his parents, and of course Sirius, but that was different.

Love.

It was the first time he'd allowed the word to enter his consciousness, and for an instant Harry couldn't breathe. Was he really in love with Luna? He had no idea how he would know the difference. He had nothing to compare it to. Well, it did feel different from the way it was with Cho; that was infatuation, plain and simple. He'd never really known Cho the way he knew Luna.

"You're being very quiet, Harry," Luna remarked. She stopped walking and stepped in front of him. She looked him directly in the eyes.

"Hm? What?" Harry was still in a daze, the word 'love' swimming around in his head.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Harry, do you love me?"

"Huh?" Harry's breath caught in his throat. How could she have known...? But no, of course she didn't know. She couldn't read minds - although it was funny the way she seemed to sense how he was feeling most of the time without him having to say a word...

Luna didn't say anything, she merely stood quietly in front of Harry waiting patiently for his response.

"Luna, I - well..."

"You don't have to be afraid to say it. Love is a very positive thing, Harry." Luna took Harry's other hand and drew him slightly closer. He could feel her breath on his face. "You've lost a lot of people that you love, like your mum and dad, and Sirius, so you might be afraid but you shouldn't be..."

"No, I'm not afraid," Harry said. But inside, his heart was pounding against his chest and for a moment he forgot his own name.

"Really, once you say the words it just feels so good." Luna smiled.

"LunaIloveyou." Harry said it as one word, in one breath.

"I know," Luna said. Seeing Harry's somewhat stunned, bewildered look, she gave him a kiss. "Now, I think we should celebrate."

"Well, okay..." Harry still couldn't believe he'd said it. Luna I love you.

"Good. What should we do, then? Well, we could make snow angels. Daddy and I do that all the time when we're celebrating something. In the winter, of course. In the spring we pick flowers and make wreaths, in summer we make rainbows and in the autumn we jump in piles of dead leaves." Luna started to lead Harry toward the nearest yard, covered with at least six inches of snow. Judging by the dark windows and the absence of a car in the driveway, the owners weren't at home.

"How do you make rainbows?" Harry asked, wondering if there was a special charm or potion that he'd never heard of.

Luna dropped to her knees in the snow, then fell happily on her back. "We spray water into the sky when the sun is shining, of course," she said, but not condescendingly. "The sunlight reflects off the water and makes a rainbow."

"Oh yeah right," Harry said, feeling a bit foolish. He joined Luna in the snow and laid back. Seconds later, both of them were sweeping their arms and legs up and down, and back and forth through the snow.

"Of course, Daddy could probably conjure up a rainbow all on his own but since I'm still underage he doesn't do much magic when I'm not at school. He doesn't want me to feel left out," Luna went on. She stopped moving suddenly, and looked at Harry while her head still rested in the snow. Flakes dotted her hair and clothes.

"What?" Harry asked, after a long silence.

"I love you." Luna rolled over until she was right next to Harry, almost on top of him. "It really does work," she added.

"What works?"

"When you say 'I love you' for the first time. Daddy told me all about the first time he said it to my mother. Things just all come together."

As Harry looked into Luna's face he couldn't help but think of his parents. He wondered if this was how they felt when they were together. How did his father feel when he first told his mother that he loved her? Or was it the other way around? He liked to think it felt something like this.

**

When they walked into the bakery they were met with the warm, comforting smell of freshly baked pastries, brewed coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The glass-covered display cases were filled with cakes, cookies, muffins and pastries of all kinds. Staff in pale blue aprons bustled around behind the counters preparing orders. A few patrons occupied the handful of small round tables clustered near the plate-glass window, most of them with their hands wrapped around steaming cups of hot liquid. A small child with curly red hair kicked her feet against the legs of her chair while her mother talked on a cellular phone. The little girl looked up at the sound of the door chime and smiled cheerfully at Harry and Luna as they came in.

"When Ron and Hermione have children, I imagine they will look something like that," Luna remarked casually as she waved at the girl. "Do you think about the future, Harry?"

Momentarily startled by the abrupt change in conversation, Harry paused. "Huh?"

"You know, what our lives will be like when we leave Hogwarts."

"Well, not really," Harry admitted, feeling sheepish. But they were only sixteen, it didn't seem like a big deal not to think about their futures. Other than the immediate future, that is, Harry thought with a chill rushing down his spine. He tried not to think about the prophecy when he was away from school, but it was hard not to. Maybe I won't have a future after Hogwarts. He looked at Luna and felt a piercing pain in his abdomen.

Even though she couldn't possibly have known what he thought, Luna squeezed Harry's hand a little tighter and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Of course you will," she said quietly.

They walked over to the display counters and peered in at the baked dessert treats. Luna chose an apple turnover, musing aloud how she'd like to know how the Muggles got the apples to turn over. Harry almost wanted to tell her that it was just an expression, but instead he just smiled, taking simple pleasure in her curiosity about Muggle habits. He often marveled at the way she saw the world. She was able to see the uniqueness and whimsy of it, even in the midst of the growing conflict with Voldemort. It would be nice if everyone could see the world that way, Harry thought, specifically thinking of the Dursleys. To them everything was so black and white. There was no gray area, no middle ground. Either you were accepted, or you weren't.

Harry ordered a strawberry-filled pastry with a small cup of hot chocolate, then they made their way to an empty table. Fortunately one had just opened up by the window; the same table recently occupied by the curly red-haired girl and her mother. Luna immediately asked Harry if he'd like to share, to which he agreed, so they cut their pastries in halves and exchanged them. Then they settled in to eat with Luna periodically taking small sips of Harry's hot chocolate.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Luna remarked, as she watched the snow now falling gently outside.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. He took a bite of Luna's apple turnover; the pleasant taste of fruit, cinnamon and sugar filled his mouth. It was a little hot, but he didn't mind.

"It was very nice of your Aunt Petunia to recommend this bakery to us, don't you think?"

"Yes, it was," Harry said. He still couldn't believe that Petunia had been so - well, cordial to Luna. It was so unlike her.

"So she is your mum's sister. Is she the older or the younger one?"

"Well, I don't really know...older, I guess. I mean, she looks like she'd be older." It struck Harry that it had never occurred to him to ask about that. Of course he didn't care much about the Dursleys and their genealogic backgrounds, but now that he considered it he wondered why, particularly with Petunia; after all, she was related to his own mother. Perhaps because Petunia seemed to hold such a bitter resentment toward Lily, it hadn't occurred to Harry to ask. Not that she would have answered anyway, he thought. Undoubtedly she would have considered it rude to ask about her age, and then she would have banished him to his room with no meals for a week. Of course Dumbledore would know the answer, surely - he knew just about everything there was to know. Harry made a mental note to ask the Headmaster when he got back to school.

But Luna was on another topic. "I completely forgot to ask your aunt what kind of jewelry she'd like for Christmas," she said cheerfully, dabbing a stray bit of strawberry filling from her chin with a napkin.
"Oh really, you don't have to."

"Yes, I do, Harry. She's welcomed me into her home for the holidays and I have to thank her. Plus, she recommended this charming bakery. How do you like the apple turnover?"

"It's great," Harry replied. "Luna, honestly, Petunia's not expecting a gift. You don't have to go the trouble."

"No trouble at all! You know I love making things for people." Luna's eyes were so bright with enthusiasm that Harry could do nothing in response but smile and nod.

He hated the idea that anything Luna gave his aunt would probably be received with a look of utter confusion and dismay, no matter how well done the gift was. Petunia was not exactly discreet when it came to expressing her objection to things. Particularly to me, Harry thought.

The feeling of Luna's fingers closing over his own on the tabletop drew his attention away from his private thoughts. "Harry, you know that your family really doesn't hate you," she said soothingly. "They just don't understand you."

Harry didn't bother wondering how she'd known what to say, he just squeezed Luna's hand. "Thanks," he said.

"For what?"

"Nothing. For just being here, that's all. For coming back with me." Then he got to his feet. "Come on, we'd better get back. Dinner will be on soon." Fingers entwined, they exited the warm bakery and started on the short walk home.