In-Between Times

"In-Between Times"

Between summer and autumn...

It was September first, the first day back to Hogwarts and Harry and Luna were in a train compartment alone while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were on prefect duty. Harry was content to stare out the window at the passing English countryside where the leaves on the trees were just turning their fiery shades of orange and red and yellow. The sun, still stubborn and relentless, was high in the light blue sky.

Luna was content in staring at Harry. Her unblinking, clear, gray gaze was as unnerving as it had ever been and Harry shifted uncomfortably while trying to ignore the odd feeling in his stomach.

Then, suddenly, Luna spoke.

"I used to fancy Ron, you know."

Harry turned to look at her and snorted out a laugh. "That's nice, Luna."

"I don't now."

Harry nodded slowly. Luna had a habit of telling useless information, which was usually private or embarrassing to any other normal person. Her need to say these personal things in such an offhanded way never failed to make him ill at ease.

"That's... nice?" Harry shrugged, lost for an answer. He silently wished for the window beside him to open and suck him into the English countryside.

"I fancy someone else."

"Er, Great."

"You."

"'Scuse me?" Harry squeaked, his eyes widening in shock.

"I fancy you, Harry." There was no tremor or nervousness in her voice. She spoke in her usual quiet and ethereal tone.

"Oh." Harry tugged at his shirt collar, not knowing how to react. This was Luna, Loony Luna, and she wasn't exactly his first choice.

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll give you some time." She smiled dreamily at him, not in an I-fancy-you-dreamy way, just a normal Luna-dreamy way; if anything Luna did was normal. "I know you're going through some things now." She patted his knee in what he supposed was a comforting way, but it only served to make him even jumpier. "Did you know it's common for Alabsian youth to marry at thirteen?"

Harry stared at her as she smiled serenely at him. He gulped and gave a small, frightened smile. "Ri-ight." He didn't ask what or who Alabsians were, he was sure they were some sort of made-up race of half antelope and half mermaid that lived in a small farming community in Austria or something equally ridiculous and so very Luna-ish.

She stared at him for a bit longer before returning to her abandoned Quibbler. He shook his head and silently cursed his friends for leaving him with Loony Luna before he returned his gaze to the not quite autumn, not still summer outside.

Between autumn and winter...

Harry walked through Hogsmeade watching Hermione and Ron walk in front of him. They were in that phase of their relationship where they didn't show public displays of affection, but instead giggled and blushed when their fingers simply brushed against each other. Harry thought it was annoying but if he were honest, he would admit he was a bit jealous.

He slipped away from his friends and walked towards the woods that surrounded the town. He pulled his cloak tighter against himself as a cold wind that hinted of the approaching winter blew his fringe from his face. Leaves crackled beneath his feet and he swore he could smell snow making its way to him soon.

He leaned against a large elm tree and slid down to the hard ground.

"Hello, Harry!" a voice called down to him.

He jumped to his feet and looked up to see a cheerful Luna Lovegood perched on a nearby branch, a bag dangling off of her foot.

"Luna! What're you doing up there?" he called, shielding his eyes from the blurry, bright sun behind the clouds right above her pale blonde head.

"Come on up!" she said, waving her hands wildly.

"Why?"

"It's better here," she said as though it were common knowledge.

Harry begrudgingly found the large knots Luna had used and climbed up, joining her on her branch.

"Will this hold both of us?" he asked, knowing he sounded like a wimp; he really didn't fancy the idea of falling twenty feet to the hard ground that was littered with broken twigs.

Luna bounced a bit, testing the branch, causing Harry to cling to the trunk.

"Seems like it will."

Harry's mouth set itself in a tight grin. "Good to know. Now, why is it better here?"

Luna's gray eyes sparkled as she pointed towards the horizon of the Forbidden Forest. "That's why."

Harry squinted as he watched several Thestrals soar above the tall, dark trees in an oddly angelic dance. "Wow."

"Plus," she said, bringing her leg up so she could grab the bag from her foot, "it's a proven fact that jam sandwiches taste better at higher altitudes." She handed Harry a sandwich from the bag and he grinned as he took it.

"Proven fact, is it?"

Luna nodded her head so fiercely her large carrot earrings bobbed alongside of her face. Harry wondered if she had a vegetable garden simply for making earrings.

"Didn't you read it in the Quibbler a few weeks ago? You have been getting a subscription."

"Oh," he said nodding politely. "Of course, now I remember."

She smiled and took a bite of her sandwich.

"Have I thanked you for that? I can't remember," he asked, suddenly feeling guilty about what had been a very surprising birthday gift.

"Yes, you did."

"Luna, I don't know when your birthday is," said Harry feeling that he really should get her something.

She shrugged. "Do you smell it?"

"What?" He laughed at the sudden switch of subjects.

"Snow. It'll be here soon."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do," said Harry quietly.

Between winter and spring...

Harry walked beside Luna as they watched the stubborn snow glint in the bright yellow sun.

"Crocuses!" Luna said happily, pulling Harry by the sleeve of his jumper.

Harry looked down at a few green leaves poking through a pile of snow. "Leaves," he corrected her.

She shook her head. "They'll be crocuses, Harry."

"What's to get so worked up about? They're just flowers."

Luna pushed the snow from the leaves with her bare hands. "When crocuses appear, spring is here," she chanted in a singsong voice.

"Another proven fact?" he chuckled good-naturedly.

She shook her head again, her long blonde hair falling into her eyes. "Something my mum used to say."

"Oh." Harry immediately felt horrible.

She grinned up at him and he felt something, he wasn't sure what, in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, it's official then," he said, bending down beside her, taking her pink, cold hands in his.

"What is?"

"Spring is here," his voice was surprisingly deep as he looked into her eyes.

Luna looked around at the occasional pile of snow. "Still some snow."

Harry's eyes crinkled, and he shook his head. "Come on, you were going to show me the nargles nest."

"Right!" She stood brushing her hands on her long green skirt. "Mind, they may be dormant, it is past season. Too warm for them to be hanging about."

"Of course," he said, nodding his head in a way he hoped wasn't condescending.

She took his hand in hers and pulled him unceremoniously towards the Forbidden Forest. "It was right over here. Hagrid keeps a bunch of mistletoe handy even after Christmas," she explained.

But Harry wasn't really listening. He was too busy staring at her odd little smile and the way her mouth screwed up when she saw there wasn't a nest.

Between spring and summer...

Harry lay on the soft grass his arms tucked under his head. Every ten minutes or so, he took off his light zip-up jacket and shoved it aside, only to put it back on when a cool breeze started up again.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said as she sat beside him, tucking in her skirt.

Harry jerked up and sidled a bit closer to her, his elbow brushed hers, causing a blush to creep up his neck.

"Exams all done, then?" he asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yep." He fell back on his elbows, and watched her back.

She turned and pushed her hair behind her ear, where her wand also resided. She looked at him in that way she had. That unblinking way that caused his belly to turn over as though it were flying, or falling, or both.

"Luna," he said, as he sat back up, shoulder to shoulder with her. "I used to fancy Cho Chang you know."

She looked at him, gray eyes confused. "I know."

"I don't now."

"That's good, she's a bit odd."

Harry stifled his laugh. "I fancy someone else."

She turned her luminous eyes towards him.

Harry smirked sideways at her. "You."

She smiled in that dreamy-Luna-Lovegood way and he smiled back in that dreamy-I-fancy-you way. Harry slowly inched his way towards her and brushed his lips against hers.

She smiled up at him and whispered, "Looks like summer's here."

The End

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