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“Even nargles are not this cruel.” Luna grumbled as she walked away from the alcove she had been reading in. “At least they leave my things where I can find them, eventually.”
Luna should not really be that surprised at what she had seen. Neville may be shy but he was never one to intentionally hurt someone. It was just that he had his eye on someone besides her. He didn’t know that he had taken a special place in her heart as she watched him defend others over the last year.
“Better you know now that he cares for Hannah.” she continued to grumble to herself as she walked back to the Ravenclaw Common Room. “Neville has always been a friend. No use now wishing for more.”
Luna continued to wander the halls of Hogwarts, putting off actually stepping into the common room of her old house. She, along with a large chunk of her classmates, were spending an unexpected extra year at Hogwarts to make up for their disastrous seventh year. Professor McGonagal had suggested it after the disaster that was supposed to have been their final year. There was actually a separate tower and common room for all the 8th year students, but most of them tended to spend time with their old houses. It felt more like they were home than trying to make up for lost time.
“Umph, I am so sorry.” Luna bounced off another student. “I was not looking where I was going. Head in the clouds and such.”
“Luna, are you alright?” Hermione reached up to steady Luna as she recovered from their run in. “You look like you have been crying. What happened?”
“Oh. Hi, Mione.” Luna shrugged and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I just saw something I was not expecting. May have gotten my heart bruised a little.”
“Neville and Hannah?” Hermione asked quietly, as she led Luna to a bench in another hidden alcove. “I heard that he was going to ask her out the other day. I know you and he became good friends over the last year. I didn’t know it was more.”
“Apparently, just more for me.” Luna sighed. “Will I always be the one who doesn’t fit? You have Ron, Ginny has Harry and now - Hannah has Neville.”
“There is someone special out there for you.” Hermione hugged Luna as she watched her friend try and gather her feelings. “Neville is a good friend and has always been. But, when he kissed you on the cheek, did your world move?”
“No, it felt like a family member was greeting me.” Luna shrugged as she thought about Hemrione’s question. “It was sweet and it was quick, but , now that I think about it, nothing else felt special about it.”
“Neville is sweet and kind and , for most of us, a brother that would do anything to protect those he cares about.” Hermione let go of Luna and settled deeper into the bench. “You deserve to find someone who will cherish you. Kiss you like you are the only thing they need to exist, Like you are their world.”
“That really happens?” Luna looked at Hermione carefully as she spoke. “I see you when Ron comes to visit. He can never seem to hold you close enough. Like he needs to so he can be steady.”
“It does.” Hermione could not hide the smile that lit up her face. “We cherish the time we have together. When he kisses me, nothing else exists or matters.”
“I am never going to find that.” Luna shrugged. “I have lost to many people that I loved. You are lucky to have found your one.”
“You deserve to find you one, as much or more than any other person I know.” Hermione hugged Luna again. “You deserve to find that someone that makes you forget the world, someone that cherishes you as much as you cherish them. Don’t give up.”
“I don’t want to wait.” Luna rached up to wipe away a fresh wave of tears. “I have lost too much. I want more.”
“It will come.” Hermione said as she stood from the bench. “It’s time for dinner anyway. Come sit at the 8th year table with me. Rolf is back from a weekend with his grandfather. I’m sure he will have tales of new creatures and his niffler is always sneaking something from someone’s pocket.”
“Rolf is always fun to be around.” Luna smiled as she got up from the bench to walk with Hermione. “He does tell good stories about the creatures he sees. I wonder what the house elves have made for dessert?”
“The only way to find out is to actually eat dinner.” Hermione tugged Luna’s hand as they began to walk towards the Great Hall. “Nothing cures a bad mood like pumpkin pasties and ginger beer. Time to live a little and maybe even kiss a frog or two.”