It's Luna's third birthday when she realizes something is missing. There is no magic to be found anywhere in this world and, with the glee only a toddler can hold, she revels in it.

Bedtime stories she thought had been familiar have been replaced with similar versions, unknown creatures have been replaced by flying saucers, and she's American.

She grows up immersed in conspiracy theories and chemistry and wonder.

Magic was always a realm beyond the mundane, but Luna had never known just how much muggle society had to offer! She doesn't know whether magic exists in this world or even where to look in America, but she doesn't mind. There's so very much to learn about the muggle world.

And aliens.

Luna has never been so fascinated with any of the magical creatures that were so likely to exist - beings from other planets and galaxies who might see fit to visit them and compare societies? It's dazzling.

Her dad was visited once and Luna hopes that she will be, too.

It's in sixth grade that she makes a science project detailing why aliens have definitely visited. Her fellow students have always found her a bit strange, but that's fine. She knows (in the way that only experience can give you knowledge) that the world extends far beyond what's right in front of you.

They start calling her Loony instead of Luna and that's fine. It's actually a bit amusing. Loony Lovegood has a nice ring to it and even though these children don't believe in the beyond, there are others, like her father, who know.

In seventh grade, the internet is up-and-coming and Luna and her father find online chat rooms where people discuss their encounters. She doesn't understand why it's called a chat room since it's clearly not a room at all, but supposes it's simply for visualization purposes and rolls with the terminology. The age of computers is just rising and she gets to grow alongside it.

It's so very, very exciting for someone who has never had technology as a part of their life. Luna is fascinated and wonders if it would work alongside magic. She puts that as a project for another life and dives into understanding the different devices just as much as she picks apart her father's conspiracies.

Conspiracies get along with Presidents just as well as they did with Ministers, and with the ever changing political structure (and that's fascinating on its own), there's more than enough theories to write a book. Or two. Which her father does.

It's in high school that she finds herself truly missing Harry. Sixteen years since she's seen her husband and best friend and she has so many observations and ideas that she just wants to share with him - theories only someone with a Hogwarts education could understand. Every year she hopes to see him in her class or in the halls, but it's never so.

She tries not to despair - they always meet after all.

Or, well, they're supposed to.

She frowns and then shakes the thought forcefully from her head. She's been on a set pattern in the last two lives and that's why she expects to find him already. But not this time. She has a whole lifetime ahead of her and she's not done yet. There's a long time still for her to meet him and she needs to keep reminding herself that she's not alone.

Just like they're not alone in the universe.

She goes to college and receives degrees in Astronomy and Communications. She searches campus some days to find Harry, but still no luck. That's ok. It's a big world and just because she's American, doesn't mean he's not British and it may be a long time before they meet.

She gets a job searching the stars for alien communications and her father couldn't be more proud. When they go to conventions he always shows her off and after a couple years, people starts recognizing her without being introduced. She's ecstatic.

Recognition is not new to her (she and Harry and been quite renowned in her last life) but she loves the fringe science she's fallen into and to have people acknowledge her for trying to prove these crazy theories, rather than only after she's proven them, is a delight she's never experienced before. It's a shared faith and carrying these people's beliefs as she searches the stars gives her a sense of fulfillment and belonging she wouldn't change for anything.

She's twenty-seven and there's still no sign of Harry when she meets Rolf Scamander.

He's tan with dirty blonde hair and mischievous blue-green eyes - it takes one glance across a booth selling radish earrings and bottle cap necklaces for Luna's knees to turn to butter and her heart to race like it hasn't since her husband. She's doomed from the get-go and once she finds out his grandfather wrote 'Where the Government Hides the Aliens' (the bible of her and her father), she offers up a silent thanks to Death for allowing her this lifetime.

Rolf had joined the community against his parents' wishes but has always been exceptionally close to his grandfather. She's introduced and nearly faints when Ned Scamander compliments her work.

All she needs is to meet Harry and exchange life numbers and she can die happy.

Or maybe live the next fifty years with the gorgeous young man who just offered her a drink.

The convention ends and they unfortunately live in different states. His studies focus on planets that may be able to sustain human life for when it's time to colonize space and Luna wonders if she's receiving pre-karma and something is going to go very badly in a later life.

She's too happy to care.

They exchange emails frequently and since her project is shutting down in six months, they plan to be put on projects in the same general area. Luna is successfully recruited to study a black hole from an observatory in the same state and while they're not in the same city, they're far closer than before and are willing to make the trip.

They travel to the convention together that year and rather enthusiastically share a tent. They're not engaged, just dating, but Luna can't see herself ending up with anyone else and is fairly certain he agrees.

That's when the murder happens.

There's still two days left of the convention when the FBI sweep in and starts questioning everyone. It takes less than two hours for everyone to know what's going on. A man was dressed up as an alien, killed, and dumped in the desert two miles from here. This is the third convention where this has happened and is officially in the hands of the FBI as a serial killer and a case that crosses state lines.

Conspiracies and outlandish claims are rampant as the paranoid and anti-establishment advocates feel threatened by the strong government presence invading their sanctuary.

And that's how she finds Harry.

He's one of the FBI agents and trying to interview Matt Hudgins (who was abducted and then forced into silence by the government). She knows these people and knows that the investigation will go nowhere at this rate. As he turns back to his partner to discuss the lack of cooperation, Luna makes a decision.

Boldly walking up behind him with a wicked grin, she forcefully grabs his hand and pulls it into the air. "You can trust him!" She loudly proclaims and people slowly turn their attention to her and the FBI agent. "I can't vouch for any of the others, but I promise, this man is a good man who only wants to catch the murderer and has no ulterior motives."

She smiles up at Harry's completely gob smacked expression and mentally pats herself on the back. It's been years since she last put that expression on his face and it is no less satisfying in this life than the last.

"Hello Luna." he awkwardly states.

"Hello Harry." she beams.

"May I have my arm back?"

She looks up at his arm, back to his face, and answers, "Maybe. That depends entirely on whether you'll have coffee with me so we can catch up."

He gives a gentle smile full of affection. "I'd be glad to."

"Good." She releases his arm and welcomes Rolf as he slides his arms around her waist possessively. It's adorable how he thinks to be jealous of Harry (and considering they had been married, maybe there's a point) but Luna feels nothing but the fond contentedness of running into an old friend.

"Who's this Luna?" he speaks next to her ear and she smiles as it tickles. So cute.

"You remember that old friend I was telling you about? The one I didn't know how to get in touch with? This is him."

Rolf straightens and moves to stand more at her side instead of being draped over her but his one arm is still firmly around her waist, even as he extends the other to shake hands with Harry. "Rolf Scamander. Luna's fiancé. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Harry has a particular fondness in his eyes that can only mean he's known Rolf in a previous life and approves. "Nice to meet you. I'm Harry Evans, Luna's old friend."

Luna basks in amusement and completeness as she turns her head to face Rolf. "Fiancé? I don't recall you proposing. Is there something you've been meaning to ask me?"

He smiles down at her. "I've always thought it was rather obvious that I intend to spend the rest of my life with you. Although, if you want a grand gesture, I'm sure I can find something that wo-" She kisses him and feels like she's just proven the existence of moon frogs all over again.

Finding Harry and getting engaged to Rolf all in one day? Priceless.

All she needs is for a flying saucer to land and validate the existence of aliens and this will be the most perfect day for lifetimes. As it stands, it's still among her favorites.

After reassuring Rolf that they'll celebrate their engagement tonight, she leads Harry out to an RV that has been turned into a cafe and they take a picnic table as far to the side as they can. There's no one sitting directly next to them, but she's not worried about being overheard. Odd stories are quite accepted here.

"Harry Evans?" Luna prompts, taking a slow sip of her caramel frappuccino.

"Better than Harry Snape. Mom and James got divorced when I was four. I went with my mom and became an Evans. She remarried to her childhood friend, Severus Snape, when I was nine. It's been... interesting."

He blows on his plain black coffee and her lips twitch at the stereotypical drink.

"Snape as your step-father? That must be strange." She remembers the two of them being coworkers for three years before Snape had retired as headmaster. He'd been a remarkable man although he and Harry were never more than cordial.

He ducks his head and mumbles into his coffee, "It's even more awkward because I dated him in my last life."

Luna barely resists a spit take and forces herself to swallow before bursting into raucous laughter. "You.. used to... and now..." She chokes out between burst of laughter but she just can't finish. She doesn't even know if she has any way to make fun of this. The whole situation is some sort of cosmic irony completely at Harry's expense.

He balls up a napkin and throws it at her head. "Shut up. It's not as bad as the time you dated your own great grandfather."

Luna finally contains herself, eyes sparkling with mirth. "I date my own great grandfather? Well that's certainly going to be an interesting lifetime."

Harry hangs his head for a moment. "Shit. I haven't even asked what lifetime you're on."

"I'm on my third. Hello, love."

He flushes and it's adorable. She wonders if he feels awkward about having been married or if he's embarrassed for sharing information so early on. She doesn't mind either way. She has her best friend back and there's so much to catch up on.

He clears his throat and takes a sip of his coffee. "Right, um. So, I'm on life twenty-five, I'm part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, and I used to date my step-father. I think that sums up everything."

Luna smiles over her coffee and is content to just sit for the next few minutes, enjoying his presence.

Then, "What's it like having Snape as a father?"

He flushes and stares into his coffee. "It's... Don't tell anyone, but he's actually a better father than James." He ducks his head and tries to hide his face but he's blushing all the way to his ears and it's adorable. "I don't mean just in this lifetime, either. I mean that he really is a better father than James. And my mom is so happy with him. It's still really awkward but I look at how he fits into our lives and... I just can't imagine anyone fitting so well.

"I end up feeling kind of guilty because James is still around and I feel like I should support my 'real dad' but, Snape is everything I picture in a father in the way that James has never accomplished. He's been my mentor a couple times and almost like an uncle, but I honestly like him being my father best."

It's a sweet moment and Luna knows it took him a lot to confess to something like that. Harry has never been much of one to talk about his feelings and fifteen lifetimes hasn't seemed to change that. Still, she can't resist the urge to make fun of him.

"More than you like dating him?" she taunts and gives a chesire grin as he glares back at her.

"You know as well as I do that those are entirely different circumstances and it's happened to you before, too!" He declares before faltering. "Or, well, you will. Damn meeting out of order."

"Dating my own great-grandfather?"

"Among other things."

She arches an eyebrow curiously but knows he won't expand on the subject. How very intriguing.

Luna tells him about the Quibbler of this world (her father's blog) and her continued search for alien life. His eyes sparkle in amusement and mirth and it's enough to know that at some point, she will meet an alien.

Or be an alien. Anything's possible.

Harry's partner (Zacharius Smith, surprisingly) tracks him down half way through a tale of James and Sirius taking him water skiing for his thirteenth birthday.

Harry ashamedly apologizes to him, trades contact information, and promises to continue catching up with Luna, and returns to his hunt for the murderer. Luna isn't surprised that they forgot about it. When you have entire lifetimes to discuss, it feels like everything else is irrelevant. What's an hour or two when a year is just a drop in the bucket?

She imagines they get caught up in reminiscing and catching up rather often - she decides to make it a personal challenge to see how long she can distract him.

The murderer is caught (something about forcing the government to acknowledge that aliens are real) and Harry is whisked away from her after a single round of drinks involving Rolf and a rather sinister threat about his extensive knowledge on how to get away with murder should he ever hurt Luna. Rolf holds himself together surprisingly well and swears that he has no intention of ever doing such.

Luna smiles wryly at Harry acting like a protective father and as she walks him to his hotel room (with Rolf waiting in the lobby) she asks if the threat was completely necessary.

"More obligatory - Rolf is always good to you."

Luna beams at the ringing endorsement and is familiar enough with his subtle statements to realize this isn't the first time he's seen her marry Rolf. She has so many exciting lifetimes to look forward to!

Two years later, Harry is her best man at the wedding (and no, she doesn't care to find a 'maid of honor' or appease Rolf's best friend, Trent, as the 'true best man'.)

For the first lifetime, Luna has children. Two girls named for stars in the sky she and her husband study so hard.

Her oldest daughter, Bellatrix (and Harry had a coughing fit that he refuses to explain when she first informed him), has only just started high school when Luna is diagnosed with cancer.

Luna isn't used to being sick. Magic heals most diseases quickly but cancer has remained elusive even to them. Capella, in her second year of middle school, throws a fit yelling about how Luna wasn't allowed to leave.

Rolf is the supporting, loving husband who takes on as many responsibilities as he can to make things easier for him. She tells him that even if there's not long left in this lifetime, she'll marry him again in another. He doesn't know that it's true but, he promises her the same and that no matter what, he'll take care of their girls.

Trix and Pel, 16 and 13 respectively, have their own ways of dealing. Trix throws herself into her studies, that little Ravenclaw, and swears to become a cancer researcher. Luna tells her not to give up on her dream of being a pioneer in clean energy. Pel on the other hand, gets more attached. After her initial outburst, she started clinging to Luna as much as possible. Going on errands, loading the dishwasher; any moment she could spend with her mother she would.

Oh Pel, her loving little Hufflepuff.

She had no doubt that her family would be able to take care of each other. Plus, she was leaving them with Harry.

"I hate watching you get sick." Harry is visiting her while her kids are in school. He's brought a bouquet of bright, cheery flowers, to replace the ones from last week.

"Hmm? Does this happen often?"

Harry shakes his head. "No. It's only happened once before but, it's slow. It's hard, even though I know I'll see you again, watching you waste away."

Luna takes his hand. "I don't see it that way. This way, I get to make all my good-byes and be sure that everyone will get on without me. Besides, they'll have you. And I'll haunt your ass if you let anything happen to them."

"Haunt me? Luna, we both know that's not how death works. Well, at least for us." He chuckles.

"Tormenting you in our next life counts as haunting." She says it like it's official doctrine and Harry chuckles some more and gives a nod of agreement.

"I see. Considering we have a long time after this, I better get it right, huh?"

"Damn straight."

Luna passes away at the age of 42, leaving behind loved ones she knows will take care of each other. She'll miss this life. More than any other, she suspects. She'll have Harry in every life and Rolf in several others, but there will only ever be one Trix and one Pel.

This chapter has been changed and reposted. I was working out some issues before and the fact is, I want this story to remain light hearted, even though it deals with death.