Babanod

When Harry finally arrived home after a long, boring day at the Ministry, the soft light from the kitchen was spilling into the hallway. He smiled to himself and shifted the bag of Chinese take away in his arms so he could shrug off the messenger bag Luna had got him for his birthday last year. Once he'd rid himself of the bag and his shoes, he padded down the hall towards the small kitchen, the gentle scratching of a quill just audible over the soft pitter-patter of a spring rain spilling in from the window above the sink.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said without looking up from her parchment as he entered the room. "How was your day?"

Harry kissed the top of her head and sat the bag of take away down on the table across from Luna. "Extremely dull. We didn't get a single lead on the case at all today." He glanced at the papers and sugar quill wrappers strewn about her. "What about yours?"

"Busy," Luna said and stretched while Harry started taking the cartons of food out of the brown paper sack. "Remember that witch from Cornwall who's Morgan le Fay reincarnate I told you about? I interviewed her for Dad this morning and I started writing everything up when I got back."

Harry smiled and handed her a box of sweet and sour chicken. "That sounds...interesting. How is your dad, by the way?"

Luna smiled and summoned two butterbeers from the refrigerator. "I got a letter from him today. He says he's enjoying scouting in Africa."

"I still think you should have gone with him," Harry said, popping the tops on the bottles. "You would've had fun."

Luna smiled and stole a bit of Harry's beef chow mein. "Not trying to get rid of me now, are you, Harry? Well, I'll tell you what--it's not going to work. You're stuck with me."

"Could be worse though," Harry said thoughtfully and laughed as Luna playfully swatted at him. "I could've fallen head over heels for Millicent Bulstrode."

Luna frowned. "Don't make fun of her. She's quite nice once you get to know her."

A vision of Millicent holding Hermione in a headlock second year quickly traipsed through his memory, but he conceded and simply nodded as he tucked back into his dinner. For a few long, pregnant moments the silence of the kitchen was only broken by the sound of their chopsticks scrapping against the paper of the take away boxes and the gentle rumbled of thunder outside.

"Harry?" Luna said, setting down her box of food and biting her thumbnail.

"What?"

"I went to that Muggle bookshop in town today." She sounded nervous.

Harry smiled. "Good for you, love. Find anything you liked?"

Luna smiled and stood. "Be right back." She quickly disappeared through the doorway, her blond curls bobbing as she walked

Harry took a sip of butterbeer and tried read what she'd been writing. He shook his head, not able to make out her tight scrawl upside down , and looked up when Luna strode back into the kitchen, a thick paperback clutched to her chest.

"I got this," she said and handed the book to Harry.

Harry choked on his butterbeer when he read the title. "You--we--how?"

Luna smiled and straddled him. "What to Expect When You're Expecting--sounds interesting enough. Maybe you should read this too if you're still confused as to the 'how' part. Or you could ask Professor Lupin. I'm sure he could tell you. Whichever you prefer is fine by me."

Harry grinned goofily and laid a hand on Luna's stomach. "I think I know how this happened--and I know it doesn't involve a stork or drinking out of the same cup, thank you very much. But you're really pregnant?"

Luna placed her hand on top of his and leaned forward to kiss him. "Yes, I'm really pregnant. The healer told me last week. I thought I was when Dad asked if I wanted to go to Africa with him and that's why I didn't go. I wish I had gone, though--he said he thought he saw a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Harry smiled. "So you're really pregnant?"

Luna laughed. "Yes, Harry. I'm pregnant, up the duff, have a bun in the oven--whatever you want to call it, I am."

Harry smiled and kissed her again. "Promise me something, Luna?"

Luna looked sceptical. "What?"

"Please don't decorate the nursery with heffalumps and woozels."

Luna laughed musically. "Harry, even I know there are no such things heffalumps and woozels."

"I knew that," Harry said with a law, allowing himself to be dragged towards the bedroom.