Final chapter! =(

Neville couldn't concentrate at all during Potions class. Which made this class harder than usual, since under normal circumstances, he still couldn't understand a word Professor Snape said.

But these weren't normal circumstances.

Luna had said she loved him. At least that's what he thought. What if at that moment, her dreams switched and she really meant those loving words for somebody else? Neville wanted to ask her, so badly, but he was still in the process of mustering up enough Gryffindor courage.

The nerves he felt caused his hand to shake, and Neville accidentally dropped his porcupine quills in his potion. Those were supposed to go in last! he thought frantically. Neville's potion began to bubble uncontrollably and fizz.

His partner, Terry Boot, noticed the gurgling cauldron and his eyes grew wide with fear. "HIT THE DECK!" he screamed. The class turned in their direction and noticing Neville's overflowing cauldron, dropped to the floor immediately.

Almost instantaneously, Neville's potion exploded, sending his ladle flying out the door and purple goo to splatter across the walls and Snape's precious Potions supplies.

Snape growled as he got up from the floor. Terry ducked away, muttering some excuse about going to find a mop. Neville kept hi face plain, even though he was quaking with fear on the inside with every step Snape took closer to him.

When Snape reached the desk, his finger trailed across the goo-covered ingredients laying splayed across the the table. Neville focused on a bookshelf on the other side of the room.

"Detention, Longbottom. This Saturday, my office. It amazes me that your pureblood status isn't living up to its expectations," Snape sneered. Neville glared at the bookcase, but his ears heard a frightened cry.

"Professor!" a Ravenclaw girl called. "It's Luna, she's been hurt." Snape gave one last leer before sweeping away to look at Luna. Neville sighed, but began to crane his neck, trying to get a look at the girl he had watched over for the past two nights.

Luna got up slowly, clutching her left hand, where the skin was quickly becoming inflamed, spreading up her arm. She tried to keep her emotions under a shield as usual, but the pain was too great. One by one, tears began to slip out of her eyes. The class let out an audible gasp in unison. Luna was known to keep calm, always. If people insulted her, she didn't care. She was full of small smiles and dreamy looks, but never sadness.

"Miss Turpin, please take Miss Lovegood to the infirmary," Snape ordered.

"I'll take her!" Neville blurted, but was silenced by Snape's livid face. Neville backed away.

"You've already caused enough damage. Class, bottle a bit of your potion and leave it on my desk. You're dismissed for now." The class began bustling around to get beakers for their potions. Neville started digging in his bag, but Snape stopped him.

"Not you, Longbottom. Clean up this mess, no magic, and I don't care how long it takes."

Neville groaned, but glanced over at Luna, trying to say sorry with his eyes. But her own misty blue eyes were so glassed over, he wondered if she had even seen him at all.

Luna didn't know what had come over her. All she knew was that half of her body was dependent on Lisa for support. She walked carefully up the stairs, Lisa murmuring words of encouragement in her ear.

"It's gonna be okay, Luna. We'll get you cleaned up, Madam Pomfrey will take care of you..."

"What happened in there, Lisa?" Luna asked tiredly. She was weak, vulnerable, and she hated the feeling.

"Neville exploded a potion," Lisa said.

"Really? Oh..." Suddenly Luna felt the pain overtake her body and she blacked out.

Neville scrubbed furiously at the purple glop. It was resistant to most cleaning supplies, and Neville had to waste half an hour mixing cleaning solutions to figure out what would work. But he had to get to Luna. The sooner this was gone, the sooner he could run up to the hospital wing.

Luna's friend, the girl who had taken her to the infirmary, skipped in. Neville looked up and recognised her.

"Hey!" he called out. She glanced at him.

"Oh, hello Neville," she said, picking up her and Luna's bags.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Lisa. Lisa Turpin," Lisa responded uneasily.

"Well, Lisa, Lisa Turpin, how's Luna?"

Lisa fidgeted uncomfortably and shifted her feet, avoiding Neville's eyes.

"Lisa, how's Luna?" Neville demanded.

"She collapsed on our way to the hospital wing," Lisa said in a small voice. Neville dropped his rag and sprinted out the door. He flew past frightened first years and up the stairs. His adrenaline was kicking in at this point, his mind focused on one person. Snape could give him detention for a month, as long as Luna was okay.

Luna...she was hurt from something that he has caused. Her injury was all his fault. Tears pricked on his eyes, threatening to fall. But he held them back and continued his fierce sprint, nearly knocking down Professor McGonagall.

Neville burst into the hospital wing, unaware of the commotion he had caused.

"Luna! Where is she?" he cried. Madam Pomfrey stared at him with pursed lips.

"She is recovering from her faint," said Madam Pomfrey strictly. "I don't believe she is ready for visitors just yet."

"But-"

"Neville? Is that you?"

Neville looked past Madam Pomfrey and spotted Luna at the farthest end, sitting up in her bed.

"Luna!" he said, relieved. He strode past Madam Pomfrey, who disappeared with a huff, and to Luna's bedside.

Neville sat down in an abandoned chair next to Luna. He took her hand.

"Luna, listen, I know the explosion was all my fault. I'm sorry. I-" Neville was interrupted, not by Luna's voice, but by the smile that was creeping onto her face, growing larger with each word he spoke. Luna didn't show any teeth, but it was a sweet smile nevertheless. "What?" Neville said, confused.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me," Luna answered. When she noticed Neville's bemused face, she continued. "For coming to see me. I don't care that you caused the explosion. There are dangerous amounts of Wrackspurts in Professor Snape's room anyways."

"Um, Wrackspurts?"

"They're invisible creatures that fly in your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. They're the reason you can't concentrate in Potions. Wrackspurts."

Neville blinked, trying to remember what he was about to say. That was the thing about Luna. She made your mind wander.

"Luna, I have something to tell you," he started uncertainly.

"Yes?" Luna locked eyes with him. Neville knew he couldn't back down now.

"I...I worry about you. A lot."

"Oh yes. I know. You're like a big brother. But not."

Neville sighed. "Yeah. Um, no. That's not what I was trying to say. Really, I-"

"Less than three." Again, Luna stumped him. "I less than three you," she repeated.

Neville thought back to the days when he was in a Muggle elementary school, when he studied something called math. It sounded familiar. Less than three..okay, but what did that mean?

Like she was reading his thoughts, she continued. "Flip it." Neville processed this information in his mind. Flip it...less than three...OH!

He smiled. "I less than three you too, Luna."

The end! Hope you enjoyed it!

~macadoodles!