Harry Potter doesn't belong to me,... [insert any missing disclaimer parts here].

This is a oneshot. Really. Following a oneshot is useless – really. Just fav it if you like it. That's more useful, because you actually get a list of your favourites, not just update notifications (which won't happen).

Bye, Sugar!

"Bye, Sugar!"

Harry Potter, recently married husband of Hermione Potter, closed the door. Luna Lovegood, one of their friends, had just left – she had visited to tell them about her next expedition to find some rare magical creatures, the names of which Harry couldn't even pronounce. Harry always found it relaxing to talk to Luna; Hermione, though, quickly developed a pounding headache and a twitching eyebrow whenever "rare" creatures were the topic of their discussions.

Still smiling, Harry turned from the door towards his wife, who stood just behind him. Embracing him, she waited a few moments before she asked her question.

"Why do you always call her sugar, Harry?"

She felt his smile as it formed with his lips lightly touching her neck, long before he drew back to look into her eyes.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing you of anything – it's just, sugar is usually something guys call their girlfriends or wives, not someone they see as a sister..."

Harry started chuckling. Several seconds passed before he had calmed down enough to answer.

"I can't call you sugar – it doesn't fit you." Seeing Hermione roll her eyes, he continued. "All joking aside, do you remember what Luna was like back when she got together with Ginny?"

"Before or after they did?"

"Both – she didn't change all that much, if you remember."

Hermione tried to remember. Due to her incredibly detailed memory, it didn't take her long.

"Yes, actually. She'd always hang around you, clinging to your arm like a child. Many people actually thought you were a couple, even though you always claimed you saw each other as siblings. It was a sweet picture, really..."

Harry nodded.

"Luna's got this unique perspective. In a way, she never grew up – for her, the world is as wondrous a place as it is for a toddler. Everything she sees is worth questioning, every idea is worth contemplating, and anything which makes her happy just has to be a good thing. She doesn't really see the creatures she talks about, it's more a case of 'if I can imagine it, why shouldn't it exist?'."

Hermione thought about that for a second. So many things made sense when thinking about Luna that way. Her childish ideas, her occasional weirdly insightful (and often very direct) statements, even her ignorance of social norms, everything was like the girl was mentally still a small child.

"But, why do you call her sugar? That can't be all the reason, can it?"

Harry chuckled again.

"It's a joke between us. Just because she retains her child-like perspective doesn't mean she's stupid, you know? And sometimes, even she starts to doubt her self. When her feelings for Ginny started to grow, she didn't know how to handle it. Were these feelings real? What did she feel? Was it right to feel something like that for a girl? Part of her being a little girl just made it worse, as that part of her simply couldn't understand those feelings at all."

Hermione nodded for him to continue. By now, they were seated on a couch in the living room.

"Well, whom would she talk to? Most people were bullying her, and even most of those who liked her didn't really try to understand her. So she came and talked to her 'big brother' – me. I tried to reassure her, told her that Ginny wouldn't reject her harshly. During that conversation, we talked about what Ginny was like: A redhead with a temper, but a good friend. Outspoken, but never cruel. Challenging and stubborn, out of conviction. Fiery, but nice. So at one point, Luna called her spicy."

Hermione laughed softly.

"That's so like her, I don't doubt it for a second. So you..."

"I told Luna she'd be the perfect sugar to Ginny's spice, because there couldn't be anybody sweeter than my little sister. Me calling her sugar is an insider joke as well as a reminder that I support her in this and don't think any less of her. So please, don't start calling her that – she'd be alright with you knowing, but that name is private for us... well, Ginny calls her sugar, too, but I don't think she knows why Luna smiles that much when she does it."

Hermione nodded and rested her cheek on Harry's chest, cuddling with him. It was nearly an hour later when she spoke again.

"So, if you can't call me sugar, what will you call me?"

I think I managed to make this somewhat realistic, if short. I like it, though, and didn't want to include it in any "oneshot accumulation story" where nobody would ever find it.

Special thanks go to Contramancer, whose profile currently (and for the last several years) includes a very nice little poem called "Sugar and Spice". That poem and some random late night character contemplation about Ginny and Luna inspired this story months ago. Now, I got around to writing it.