Sickles in the Moonlight

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed for your feedback! I am glad many of you have liked this fanfic. Like I said last chapter, this is a collection of little vignettes covering Harry and Luna's relationship through the next couple years. I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out, and I hope you find it enjoyable as well!

****SitM****

Ch. 3 – Diamonds in the Candlelight

January 3, 1996

Harry was miserable.

He felt that he shouldn't be so down, considering he was back at Number 12 Grimmauld Place with his godfather (who Luna still insisted was actually Stubby Boardman, retired lead singer of The Hobgoblins). But this holiday break had been kicked off by an awful dream where he was a snake and he attacked Mr. Weasley. It happened in that mysterious corridor he had seen during the entirety of the fall term in dreams.

Harry had seen it for what it really was; not a dream, but reality. He had immediately brought it to Dumbledore's attention, and Arthur was retrieved just in time. For a long time Harry closed himself off from everyone, thinking he had done the deed, that he was possessed by Voldemort and had attacked a man who had become a father figure for him. He couldn't handle the nervous and accusing stares from his friends.

Eventually, Hermione and Ginny managed to pull him out of his funk. They helped him to realize it was all just the weird connection that he and Voldemort had. He had been a bystander, with no influence over the outcome.

Still, it wasn't until Arthur was released from St. Mungo's a couple days ago that Harry mostly let it go. He wrote a letter to Luna, apologizing for not accompanying her on the train ride at the beginning of the holiday, and promising that all would be explained to her when the next term started.

He missed Luna terribly, and he couldn't understand why. He had never missed Hermione or Ron this much, even over the summer when he was stuck at the Dursleys. This was almost a physical pain. He decided he would ask Hermione. She was a girl, she would know about feelings and such, right? Harry hoped so, otherwise he would remain completely lost.

There was a knock on the open door, pulling Harry from his thoughts.

"Hey mate, you wanna play a game of chess?" Ron asked.

"Sure, Ron" Harry replied, and he stood to follow Ron out of the room and downstairs.

A few minutes into the game, Hermione and Ginny walked into the sitting room and took the chairs next to the boys. Harry looked up from the game that he losing spectacularly to see the girls had joined them.

"Hey Hermione, Ginny," Harry started. "I was actually gonna go looking for you once Ron beats me again."

"Oh? Why's that?" Hermione inquired.

"Well, it's Luna," Harry explained, while watching his remaining bishop get brutally smashed by Ron's queen. "I don't know what it is, but… I just can't get her out of my mind. It's so bad, I'm almost hurting, and I thought maybe you could help me understand what my problem is."

Hermione and Ginny turned to each other, grins on their faces, and then started giggling! Giggling! Harry was incredibly confused how they could think this was funny. Finally Hermione turned back to him and asked, "You miss her terribly, don't you?"

"Of course, I mean, I should, shouldn't I? She is my girlfriend after all."

"And you would probably do anything just to be with her again, yes?" Ginny added.

"Definitely, I always feel better with her around. It's like when she's around everything is okay, no, better than okay, and…"

The girls suddenly squealed, which caught Harry off guard, and even Ron broke his concentration at the high-pitched sound. Ginny squealing, he could understand, but Hermione? He'd never heard her squeal in the 4 ½ years he'd known her.

"You love her!" both girls exclaimed.

Harry's eyes widened at that, then he closed them in self-reflection. Did he really love Luna? He thought back to all the time he and Luna had spent together, all the comforting hugs they shared, all the quick kisses between classes, the not-so-quick kiss under the mistletoe in the Room of Requirement after the last DA meeting before the end of fall term.

His eyes shot open again, and a grin split his face. At the same time, Ron checkmated him and shouted in victory, but nothing could dampen Harry's mood now.

He was irrevocably in love with Luna Lovegood!

****SitM****

December 15, 1996

Luna was irate.

She did not usually express anger. Even when people badmouthed her father's Quibbler, she typically maintained some semblance of calm. But when a no-good, jealous, obsessed little fourth year twerp gives your boyfriend chocolate cauldrons laced with love potion; chocolates which, for some idiotic reason, said boyfriend consumes, not even Luna Lovegood could reign in her raging temper. Especially when the girl steps out of the Gryffindor common room, arm in arm with her man!

This was the situation that led to Luna leading Harry through the halls of the school at that very moment, speedily walking towards Professor Slughorn's office in hopes that he would have an antidote ready. Luna was growing very tired of pulling an unwilling Harry along. He was shouting at her for taking him away from his "one true love, Romilda Vane!"

When they reached the potion master's office, Luna rapped loudly on the door. Professor Slughorn opened it seconds later. His ears were immediately assaulted by his best student's loud shouting, so with a swift wave of his wand, the boy was silenced. The girl clutching his hand looked up at him, gratitude in her eyes.

"Excuse us, Professor, but my boyfriend here was given some questionable chocolate cauldrons from another student, and his mind is now quite clouded by a love potion," Luna stated, then added, "And perhaps a couple Wrackspurts as well. They do tend to be present when manufactured infatuation is involved."

Slughorn ignored the latter comment, taken aback at the fact that his prized pupil, The Boy-Who-Lived no less, was in such a state. "Well, we can't have that, now can we? Come in, come in," said the flustered professor, as he opened the door wider for the couple to enter.

Luna guided a resisting Harry to a comfortable couch and sat him down, planting herself on his lap so he couldn't escape. She knew this potion would wear off eventually without continued use, but she couldn't stand to see Harry in this state. She wanted him to remember what the both of them had as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Professor Slughorn was searching through his storage cabinets for an antidote. When he found it, he quickly unstopped it and rushed over to the occupied couch.

"Here you go, Harry my boy, drink up," he ordered hastily.

"Why? What is that?" Harry eyed the bottle in the potion master's hand suspiciously.

"Just a calming draught. We've got to get you to relax, wouldn't want your Romilda to see you so discomposed now, correct?"

Harry stilled. "No, you're right, I can't let her see me like this. She needs to know I'm made of tougher stuff!" He eagerly grabbed the potion and downed it swiftly. His face scrunched up in distate; the love potion antidote did not taste pleasant. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he looked at to the girl in his lap, then at Slughorn, back to Luna, then his face fell.

"Lu, I am so sorry! I didn't mean any of what I said! Those chocolates, they… I'm sorry," he finished lamely.

"I forgive you, Harry. It was a love potion, and its effects were likely worsened by wrackspurts," Luna assured him.

"R-really? You forgive me, just like that?"

"Of course, Harry. Just be more careful with edible gifts from other girls in the future."

"Right." Harry hugged Luna tightly then turned to the potions professor. "Thanks for your help, Professor Slughorn. If there is anything I can do to repay…"

"Oh no, dear boy, that is not necessary. But I do look forward to seeing you and your lovely lady at my Christmas party on Friday."

"Of course, professor." Harry returned his gaze to the girl in his arms and said, "Now, my 'lovely lady' and I need to leave so I can apologize properly."

Harry scooped up a giggling Luna in his arms and carried her out of the room, in search of a suitable broom closet to snog in.

****SitM****

July 1997, Dumbledore's Funeral

"Luna, I'm sorry, but I…"

Harry was cut off by Luna's finger on his lips.

"Shh, I know what you want to say, and I understand. You want to protect me. But there is hardly anyone who doesn't know of the love we share, even dirty cretins like Draco Malfoy. He will likely have already told Voldemort of us," Luna reasoned.

Harry stared at her, considering her words. She was right about his reasons for a breakup, and yet the more he thought, the more he realized she was right about the futility of it. Everyone who knew either of them, which unfortunately included Malfoy, knew how much they cared for each other. He slowly nodded, but Luna wasn't done.

"Plus, my father will never stop supporting you, so he will be a target, and will probably try to use me to stop him from printing his support of you in the Quibbler."

Harry finally gave in. "Fine, you're right, you will already be in too much danger to stay at the school. But what about the Trace? Moody was telling me about it and you won't be able to use magic if you come with us. You'll still be underage."

"Yes, but only until mid-February, and I would be with 3 other people who can use magic, so I won't need to use it except in dire circumstances, when we've already been detected."

Harry was silent for several moments, but eventually a smile lit up his face.

"Okay, Lu," Harry conceded, grinning at her affectionately. He pulled her into a tight hug. Whispering into her ear, he added, "Besides, if I'm honest with myself, I wouldn't last a day without you, love."

"Nope," she agreed, happy tears in her eyes. She relished in the warmth of her boyfriend's arms around her and breathed in the wonderful scent that was unique to her Harry.

Everything would turn out alright. Luna was sure of it.

****SitM****

May 2, 1998

Harry walked slowly down the stairs, head down, still going over everything he had just seen in the Pensieve. Snape had loved his mother, then devoted himself to Dumbledore after her death. He had protected Harry in his own special way in memory of her, despite his striking resemblance to James, his childhood nemesis.

Then there were all the conversations Snape and Dumbledore had. Conversations about Harry's destiny: to be killed as Voldemort's final, unintentional horcrux. He now had to sacrifice himself so that the Dark Lord could be ended once and for all.

Tears leaked out of his eyes and ran down his face. What would he tell Luna? Could he tell her? He doubted he could do what he had to if he saw her. But he didn't get to choose, for Luna came running up to him.

"Harry, there you are. What's wrong?" she questioned, seeing his wet cheeks.

He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He just mumbled, "I-I'm a… a horcrux." She gasped.

"No. No no no no no no," she whimpered. She flung her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Harry couldn't hold it and also broke down in her arms.

They didn't break their embrace for several minutes. When Luna finally pulled away, she met his emerald eyes with her silver ones, a sad but determined look on her face. "You come back to me, Harry Potter. With all the misfortunes you've faced in life, you deserve a break, so you will win. And when it's all over, I'll be waiting," she stated lovingly and confidently.

Harry gazed back at her, expressing as much of his love for her as possible with his eyes. He pulled her into another embrace and whispered softly, "I promise."

He gave her one last kiss, then continued his walk down the halls of the school, through the entrance hall, and out the large doors of the castle to meet his fate.

****SitM****

June 20, 1998

Harry and Luna apparated to Grimmauld Place, having just been to visit her father Xenophilius. Still holding her hand, Harry led her down the street to Number 12. They walked up to the front door, and upon opening it, found Kreacher waiting eagerly for his master and his girlfriend.

It was the first time the couple had set foot in the house since their infiltration of the Ministry under Polyjuice potion the previous year. Kreacher was excited to show Harry how well he had cleaned up the place, especially since he had finally been convinced to remove Walburga Black's portrait.

At first Kreacher had adamantly refused to remove "his mistress' portrait," but Harry reminded him that she was the one who told his Master Regulus to be a Death Eater, which resulted in his death to stop Voldemort. Kreacher eventually agreed it was for the best. Harry just wished Sirius was still around to see it gone.

Kreacher took and hung their coats and guided them into the dining room, then popped out of the room. Luna smiled at the scene before them. All around the room, at least a hundred candles were burning brightly, and the dining table had been transfigured to be suitable for two. In the center of the table was a vase full of red, yellow and variegated tulips.

Luna beamed. She had seen Harry reading a book about the language of flowers the week before, and skimmed through it herself. She found this arrangement quite romantic.

"Harry! Did you plan this?" It was mostly a rhetorical question, but Harry answered regardless.

"Of course, it's been awhile since we had dinner between just the two of us. I figured this was long overdue," Harry responded happily.

He pulled out a chair for her, then when she was seated walked around the table and sat opposite her. Kreacher immediately popped back in with plates filled with food for the couple. He filled their glasses with butterbeer, then popped away again.

As they ate, they talked about anything and everything. Xeno was about to go on another expedition to find the elusive Crumple-Horned Snorkack. George was busy as ever again at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and Ron and Ginny were helping him over the summer until he could hire more help. Little Teddy Lupin was in the care of his grandmother Andromeda, and was still happy and healthy as ever.

They were about finished with dessert, when Harry grew nervous. Noticing this, Luna just waited for him to say something.

"Luna, you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Once I got to know you, I finally came to realize what love was. I have been through so much in the past few years, and throughout it all you have stayed by my side, making the happiest wizard there ever was. Now, I know that I'm going to start Auror training in a few weeks, and you are going back to Hogwarts for another year, but…" Harry paused, gathering his Gryffindor courage, as he put a hand in his pocket. His fingers closed around the small, velvety box.

He continued. "But I hope after that's all over," he started, getting out of his seat and pulling his hand from his pocket. "That you would do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He finished, dramatically opening the small box in his hand, revealing a ring, a large diamond set in the middle of the metal band, flanked by a smaller diamond on either side.

Luna gasped at the sight of the ring, the diamonds reflecting the dimming candlelight around them. Her eyes filled with tears, and she loudly proclaimed, "Yes, Harry Potter, I would love to be your wife!"

It took all her willpower to wait for him to stand and slide the ring onto her finger, but once it was on, she jumped at him, hugging and kissing him for all that she was worth. They didn't break their kiss for a long time, until Kreacher popped in momentarily to turn on the Wizarding Wireless.

They just held each other close and danced slowly to the music. Harry smiled. They had gone through so much, and in the end, they had won the war. But he had won something far more precious.

He had found love, and he would never let it go.

****SitM****

A/N: That's all folks! I considered doing an epilogue, but decided this was a good stopping point. I'll leave what happens later up to you if you think it matters that much. This was always going to be a short story, it just got a little longer than originally planned. Huge thanks to poobear1969, absolutleyfabulous, and my parents for helping me realize I could and should do more! In the end, I was much more satisfied with the result! As always please review!

Also, don't know when I will get another story out as I'm starting college soon, but I will be working on it. Thanks for all your support!