InsaneJournal

NaNo FanFic Part 23
Previous Part
Pairings this part: Harry/Luna
Rating: PG-13
Notes: More catching up after the holidays.

August 2005, Harry and Luna's flat, London

Harry set her gently on her feet in the entry to their flat, and Luna rested her head on his shoulder. 

"I'm afraid to ask whose idea that was," he murmured into her hair.  "What possessed you to drink all night?"

"Mm," Luna buried her face in the curve of his throat and slid her hands into his hair.  "Security - better than hexing those syco- syc- fans.  Is it warm in here?"   

Harry's arms tightened around her.  "I'm sorry.  It won't always be like that."  He said something else into her hair, but Luna lost the thread of his words as she leaned more heavily against him.  He smelled so good, and she was suddenly so very tired. 

"No, you don't, don't fall asleep on me.  Come on, Luna."

Luna made a small wounded noise as Harry made her walk into the flat, then became engrossed in the dancing colors on the ceiling.  "Did they always move like that?" she asked, staring up at the swirling paint.  There was a soft buzzing in the back of her mind, and she felt wet warmth on her temple, then her neck.  It took her a moment to realize that Harry had kissed her, and was looking at her as if waiting for something.  "Your eyes..." she whispered, reaching up to brush his hair out of his face.  "They're very dizzy." 

Harry said something else, and suddenly there was a cold compress against her brow and a glass bottle in her hand.  "Drink it," Harry said in her ear.  She didn't think he needed to be quite so loud or forceful, she was standing right here.  "Luna.  Drink the potion."  Oh, there was a potion in her hand.  She drank it. 

Harry wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb and guided her to the settee.  "Now drink some water.  Poor Luna, you don't have any idea what's going on, do you?"  His smile was more amused than strained, at least.   

Luna felt some of the fuzziness of the last few minutes fade, and realized that Harry's voice had indeed been a near-constant thread in the background. "Oh."  She saw the jewelry box on the table by Harry's knee, next to the empty bottle of sobering potion and a large self-filling glass of water.  "I'm sorry."   She winced and took a long drink of water, and Harry held out another potion bottle.

"Headache remedy," he explained.  She shook her head automatically, but he closed her fingers around the bottle and removed the cork.  "This one won't interact with the sobering draught.  Take it."

Luna looked at the bottle for a moment, but in the end she trusted Harry's judgment and downed its contents in one swallow.  The flavor was bad enough to make her gag, and she reached for the water.

"Not going to be sick, are you?"  Harry looked worried as he gently tucked a long curl of her hair behind her ear. 

"You're the one feeding me that swill," Luna replied after the water had at least partially cleansed her palate. "You said something earlier - about holding on to you? I didn't do anything terrible, did I?" 

Harry leaned back with a sigh.  "No, we just lost track of you for a while, until Ron tracked your wards. Half the attendees probably won't even remember you were there." 

That made Luna sad somehow.  She sipped the water until it was gone, then set it on the table to refill itself.  "I wish -" she stopped herself before she finished the thought.  She was not sure what she really wished in any case. 

"Come here," Harry said softly.  Luna relaxed against him, and their bodies fell easily into a familiar, comfortable embrace. He summoned a knitted throw from the chest across the room and wrapped it around them.  His hand slipped inside her robes and under her camisole to rest against the small of her back. 

"Does it bother you too much, the security?  We could let ourselves be seen..." 

Luna heard the reluctance, the worry in Harry's voice.  She looked forward to the day when his personal paranoia eased enough to allow them to enjoy a day out in Wizarding London, but she knew that today, of all days, was not the day to propose such a thing.  Not when Harry had heard curses and threats screamed at him from across a courtroom, promising revenge and horror for him and his loved ones at the hands of Death Eaters Reborn. 

"No, Harry," she said with quiet certainty.  She slipped her fingers between the buttons of his shirt and felt his heartbeat under his skin.  "It bothers me sometimes," she admitted, not looking at him, "but it's too soon.  It would worry you too much." 

He kissed the top of her head.  "The world is changing." 

"Not fast enough," she whispered, but she pressed closer to him.  "I love you so much."  She knew what she wished; she wished that she could heal Harry at last, forever, smooth away the scars in his psyche, ease his sleep, cure his fears, let him be the man he could have been without Voldemort.  But would he still be the same man she loved when that was done?  Perhaps it was enough that together they were healing as best they could, slowly, painfully, but together.  Magic did not solve all problems or mend all wounds. 

Harry held her for so long without speaking that she would have thought he had fallen asleep, if she could not feel his pounding heart against her fingertips.

"Luna." 

"Mm?" 

"I know I'm difficult, but I don't want to lose you." 

Luna pressed a kiss to the side of his neck.  "Never." 

Harry tugged at her shoulders, pulling her up until she rested her forearms across his chest and looked down at him.  His hands framed her face.  "I'll be yours forever," he said, his thumbs caressing her cheekbones.  "Marry me, Luna." 

Luna stared down at him, unable to speak. 

"All the secrets, the security, it will be over soon. We can be a family.  If you want?"  It was hearing the sudden uncertainty in his voice that helped Luna find her own.

"Yes, love," she dipped her head to kiss him.  "Yes. I want that."

Harry let go of her and summoned the box from the table.  Luna watched him open it, feeling a nervous flicker of memory.  "Harry, did you ask me once already?" Luna blushed at the thought.

He laughed as he drew the ring from the box and eased it onto her finger.  "Next time I have an important question to ask, I'll remember the sobering draught first."  The ring was a braid of gold with tiny sapphires around the circumference.  Luna admired it for several seconds before leaning down for another kiss.

Between kisses, Harry tried to explain his plans.  Luna anticipated much of it, so she felt no qualms about interrupting him.  "I've a chain in the box-"  "So there won't be questions-"  "And a simple charm to disguise the ring later-" "But we'll have a party-" "And I've requested -oh-" "Requested a transfer-"

Luna got a bit more creative, scooting down under the afghan, stripping Harry of clothing and coherency with each second. 

"London Local- oh, Merlin-" "We'll be- ah-"

Luna flipped the afghan down and raised her head. "Tell me later, love." 

Harry shut up.