Watch out for Nargles! (a Luna Lovegood fanfic)

17

Sara left us approximately two hours later, after we had bought as much sweets at Honeydukes as we could carry, had too much butterbeer already, and were now equipped with Hiccough sweets and sugar quills that would make History of Magic more bearable until winter break.

"Where's she going off to?", Luna asked me, as soon as Sara was out of earshot.

I leaned in to her and tried to rest my head on her shoulder, but soon gave up. It didn't quite work when we were walking on a snowy road.

"What do you think?", I asked her back. She tilted her ehad to the side and stared into the distance. This was her, thinking.

"I don't know", she finally said. 

"Really?", I said, amused. "I had to tickle it out of her this morning, she hadn't told me about it. But she's gonna see a guy, Oliver was his name I think."

Luna chuckled. She reached out with her arm, the one I wasn't holding, and let it be snown on. Then she gave me a light kiss on the cheek.

"I wish her fun!", she smiled.

"Me too", I replied.

---

We decided to not go to Madam Puddifoot's Teashop. It was were all the couples usually went on dates, and we presumed it was packed with people by now. So we strolled around the little village, admiring its beauty and idyll. I bought roasted almonds for both of us, and eventually, we sat down on a bench a bit away from the main street. It had stopped snowing and the sun was shining. The world around us seemed to shine, the snow glittering with sunlight. 

I lay my arm around Luna and rested my head on her shoulder. It was very comfortable. If nothing else disturbed us, I could sit like this the whole day.

"I can hear you chewing", I said.

"That's gross!", she answered. She was eating the almonds, and put one into my mouth. "Here, now you don't have to listen to me eating."

I ate the almond, then made puppy eyes at her and she gave me another one.

"I think you have to feed me", I tokd her. "Seeing you eating is very distracting."

"Don't be silly!", she laughed. But she kept putting almonds in my mouth.

---

For lunch we went to the Three Broomsticks again. I was looking out for Sara, but she was nowhere to be seen. We ordered a huge portion of apple pie with vanilla sauce, and butterbeer. Being as cliché as we were, we shared the plate. 

Then we walked around the village again, but staying on the main street. It was starting to get dark early, and at around three o'clock we decided to go back to Hogwarts. Maybe we could share another hour before a fireplace together, because my fingers were starting to freeze. Luna had put her hood on, and I assumed she wasn't much better. In addition, it had started snowing again, but not that nice little snowfall there was before, but huge snowflakes and the wind was becoming more unpleasant for every minute that passed.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sara?", I called to Luna over the whoosing of the wind.

"If you want to", she replied, but I saw that she was really freezing and hoped, that this Oliver would accompany Sara home.

"No, let's get inside, it's really not funny outside anymore", I said and we started half running back to the school grounds. 

By the time we got there, the wheather was developing into snow storm and we barely saw the path in front of us. Suddenly I spotted a light in the distance. 

"There's Hagrid, we've almost reached the gate!", I called. 

And indeed it was Hagrid, holding a lantern in his enormous hands to show the stdents the way. Now it wasn't a long way left, and soon we had reached the welcoming warm of the entrance hall. Having deposited our wet clothes in our rooms, we met again outside the Great Hall to get inside and drink some tea. In the afternoons, the Great Hall was open for everyone, and it was like a big common room. Before the fireplaces were multiple big comfy chairs, and tea was served on the Ravenclaw table. We each took a cup und sat on a chair together, with me underneath.

"I'm not too heavy for you, am I?", Luna asked carefully.

"No, I could carry you up the stairs to your room, if you wanted to", I replied jokefully.

"You could?", she asked, with a serious voice.

"Sure, why?", I asked back, a bit worried about the sound of her voice.

"Why haven't you done it then?", she wanted to know.

I was surprised and watched her cautiously. She wanted me to carry her to her room? Really? Suddenly I was filled with daringness and put one hand under her knees.

"Shall I?", I asked with a daring smile on my face.

She just giggled, so I put my other hand around her back and stood up, with her in my arms. She laughed. I carried her to the Ravenclaw table so she could put back our cups, then walked to the entrance doors.