Luna's Love is for good

Chapter 1: New Romance

UPDATE 280709: Due to recent reviews and my own suspicious that the plot of this story had gone to shit, I decided to rewrite this fic from Chapter 4 onwards. I can get a better perspective of what would improve the fic based on the constructive reviews that I've received. So, thanks for all the read/reviewers who helped to share the failings of this story so I can improve it. On the flipside, the hit count, which I had been proud of for excelling the 10k mark, has been reduced due to all the chapters being removed, I hope that I can accumulate this again fairly quickly. The story's been downgraded to a T, as I'm going to try to use less Lemon. But that's not to say I definitely won't introduce any.

Author's Note: I take no credit for Harry Potter, which is solely the property of Joanne Rowling. Also, the extract taken (and slightly modified) from Order of the Phoenix is duly accounted for and acknowledged as almost entirely based on another's writing. Beyond the sixth paragraph is solely my own writing and is based on the storyline from Order of the Phoenix. Further on, my own plot will be implemented.

Second Author's Note: While I appreciate anyone pointing out typos for me, I don't need anyone to beta-read the story. I'm a beta-reader myself, and as long as my faithful fans will point out ani ovbius tpyografical erors, I don't need people trundling through the entire story and wasting reviews by copying it out in the "perfected" form.

Harry had turned the corner towards the Fat Lady's corridor when he saw somebody up ahead fastening a note to a board on the wall. A second glance told him it was Luna Lovegood. There were no good hiding places naerby, she was bound to have heard his footsteps, and in any case, Harry could hardly muster the energy to avoid anyone at the moment.

"Hello," she said vaguely, glancing around at him as she stepped back from the notice pinned to the wall.

"How come you're not at the feast?" Harry asked.

"Well, I've lost most of my possessions," said Luna serenely. "People take them and hide them, you know. But it's the last night, and I really do need them back, so I've been putting up signs." She gestured towards the noteiceboard, upon which, sure enough, was a list of missing books and clothes, with a plea for their return

An odd feeling rose in Harry; an emotion quite different from the anger and grief that had filled him since Sirius's death. It was a few moments before he realised that he was feeling sorry for Luna.

"How come people hide your stuff?" He asked her, frowning.

"Oh ... well ..." she shrugged, "I think they think I'm a bit odd, you know. Some people call me "Loony" Lovegood, actually." Harry remembered, at the start of the year, when Ginny had been reluctant to share a cabin with Luna, calling her 'Loony' then, too. The feeling of pity only became greater, and rather painfully. Right now, he felt for her.

"That's no reason for them to take your things," he said flatly. "D'you want help finding them?"

"Oh no," said said, with a smile that warmed him slightly. "They'll come back, they always do in the end. I just wanted to pack tonight. Anyway, why aren't you at the feast?" Answers came straight to his head, explanations about Sirius, the conflict between him and Voldemort that he didn't want announced over the feast ... but somehow he couldn't bring this up. He shrugged.

"I just didn't feel like it," he said.

"No," said Luna, observing him with those misty eyes, deep and meaningful. "I don't suppose you do. That man that the Death Eaters killed was your godfather, wasn't he? Ginny told me."

Harry gave a curt nod. He was saved the need of having to explain about Sirius, but he felt as though he almost didn't mind Luna talking about him. He felt sympathy for her as he remembered that she could also see the Thestrals.

"Have you ..." he began, unsure of whether this was the right thing to say. "I mean, who ... has anyone you've known ever died?"

"Yes," said Luna simply, "my mother." Harry felt a strong empathy upon hearing these words. "She was quite an extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was only nine.

"I'm sorry," said Harry, and he meant it.

"Yes, it was rather horrible," said Luna rather calmly. "I still feel very sad about it sometimes. At least I still have Dad. And anyway, at least it's not as thought I'll never see Mum again, is it?"

"Er - it isn't?" Harry said uncertainly. She shook her head disbelievingly at Harry.

"Come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?"

"You mean ..."

"In that room with the archway, in the Department of Mysteries. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them." They looked at each other, Harry gazing into her eyes, transfixed. Luna smiled at him, Harry unsure what to say or think. Luna believed so many strange things, and yet he had been sure he had heard voices behind the veil aswell.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you look for your stuff?" he said to her.

"Oh no," she said pleasantly. "I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it to turn up, it always does in the end. Have a nice holiday, Harry."

"Yeah ..." he mumbled, "yeah, you too, Luna."

She walked away, leaving him with the same warm glow. As he watched her go, he felt the grief of Sirius dying leave him behind, replaced by new emotions. He waited for a minute, and then he too made his way towards the hall, deciding that perhaps the idea of food couldn't be too bad. As he entered, he saw the heads turn around, and felt eyes upon him from every direction, but it did not matter. He went down and sat next to Hermione and Ron. Glancing over at the Ravenclaw table, he saw Luna, and smiled at her. She returned the smile with a wave. Then, turning back towards the Gryffindor table, he reached forwards, grabbed something to eat and wolfed it down, talking to Ron and Hermione, half-dreading Dumbledore's speech, half-dreading the journey home. But all the same, he still felt happier than he had done in a while.

At last, the plates disappeared and Dumbledore stood up. The hall immediately fell silent. He cleared his throat, and Harry braced himself for what would come next.

---

The train journey passed with little disturbances, except from that of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were quickly dealt with. They had, most unfortunately for themselves, chosen to pick a fight in front of members of the DA. After a numerous amount of hexes and jinxes were sent flying, the three of them resembled a trio of giant, oozing slugs. They had nearly reached the end of the train journey, when Luna passed by the compartment. She opened the door, and said to Harry,

"Harry, can I have a word?" Puzzled, Harry stepped outside. The others, too, were a little mystified as to the excursion. Luna closed the door, and walked a little further down the corridor, as if wondering whether the others might lip-read them if they had spoken in plain view.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"Oh, nothing to worry about," she smiled. "I was just wondering if you wanted to visit over the summer holidays? After all, we're both members of the DA ..."

"It sounds brilliant," said Harry, returning the grin. Perhaps the enthusiasm he had shown surprised her, he had certainly surprised himself. But she beamed back at him.

"Wonderful. Daddy and me live in Ottery St. Catchpole, just in Devon ..."

"Ron lives near there," Harry realised.

"So you'll know where to find us?"

"Er ..." Now that Harry came to think of it, he had never made his way to The Burrow on his own. And he only knew vaguely of the village beyond The Burrow, he had never ventured there. Reading his expression, Luna said calmly,

"Oh, you can just take the Knight Bus. They'll know where to find -"

"Harry?" Hermione poked her head out of the compartment, and saw he and Luna standing there. "We're nearly at the station."

"Oh, right. Well, I'd better get changed," said Harry. "Bye, Luna."

"I'll see you soon, I suppose," she muttered dreamily, and returned to her compartment. Hermione gave him a look as if to say 'what was that all about?', but Harry did not answer her questionning stare, instead disappeared inside the cabin, feeling elated further. He got out his muggle clothes, and began to put them on, waiting to get off the train and meet Mrs Weasley and the others. Stepping onto the platform and disappearing through the solid-looking barrier that divided platform 9¾ from the rest of King's Cross Station. He was amused to see, standing there, a number of the Order of the Phoenix, which included Mad-eye Moody, his bowler hat obscuring his spinning blue eye.

Unable to wait for the summer holiday's, he greeted them, and even looked vaguely pleased to see his aunt and uncle, his cousin Dudley standing petrified by their side.

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I hope you liked the first chapter of this romance story. I'd love it if you left a review, tell me what you think can be improved or what you like about it. The story up until Chapter 4 will remain T-rated, beyond there will possibly be M-rated, just so you know.