A Nuna Fan-fiction: After the Battle

Chapter 9: I Want To Be Happy

Neville's POV

We walked to the Three Broomsticks in silence. I was still considering what Aberforth said. If he could tell that I liked Luna, what were people that saw me everyday saying? I didn't even notice we had passed the pub until Luna tapped me on the shoulder.

"Aren't we going in there?" She asked. I mentally slapped myself. I was so clueless to everything. 

"Oh yeah," I said, barely acknowledging her. We walked into the pub and picked a small, circular booth for the two of us. Madam Rosmerta comes to take our order once we sit down.

"What can I get for you two today?" She asks. I'm very grateful that she didn't automatically assume we were dating as well. 

"Two butter beers," Luna told her. When Madam Rosmerta had walked away, Luna laid her hand over the top of mine. "Neville, what's wrong?" She asked me. I can't keep a secret from her. She always seems to know that something's wrong before I even know it myself. 

"Nothing," I lied, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"Don't you dare lie to me," she scolded as she grabbed my chin and turned it so we were looking each other in the eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked again, firmer than the first time. I could be honest, I could tell her everything. I could tell her that I love her, that I want her to love me. But I didn't, I couldn't. 

"I...I...I want to be happy, and right now it's just hard to be happy," I explained. I wasn't lying, but I also wasn't telling the whole truth. I was telling enough of the truth for her to believe me though. 

"It's okay, Neville," she cooed as she comforted me. She talked softly to me until I felt okay. 

"Here you are," Madam Rosmerta said as she laid two jugs in front of us. "Two butter beers." She then left us in a state of awkwardness. I cleared my throat and reached for my butter beer, chugging it down my throat without a seconds hesitation. I put the, now empty, jug down to see Luna staring at me, wide eyed. 

"What?" I asked, embarrassed. 

"Nothing," she giggled. "It's just interesting, how different the male personnel is from the female." She then took a sip of her butter beer and looked up at me with hopefully eyes. 

"Thank you," I said, though she didn't know what I was thanking her for. My entire life, I haven't felt loved. My parents didn't remember me, and Gran never wanted to do anything but yell at me. The friendship Luna has given me makes me feel loved again.

"No problem," she said as she gave me a hug. I hugged her back, and we stayed like that for a while before she began to lean back. Even as she leaned back, she never released her arm grip on my shoulder or my back. We looked each other in the eyes, our noses inches apart. I couldn't stop myself. I leaned in, now our lips were centimeters apart. 

"Luna," I whispered.

"Yes?"

"I love you," I said. I said it, I told her. I waited for a repulsed reaction, pure hatred, or disgust, but none of those things came. Instead, she looked up at me with her silver eyes, shining brighter than I've ever seen before. 

"I love you too," she told me. I wasn't sure I had heard her right. Luna Lovegood in love with Neville Longbottom. Imagine that. That's when I couldn't hold back anymore. I leaned in closer and our lips met. A surge of warmth shot through my body as she kissed me back. Her fingers tangled into my dark hair as I held her body closer to mine. 

When we released, we were both out of breath. Her face was scarlet, and I can imagine mine was as well. 

"I love you," I told her again. She looked at me with kind eyes and a lively smile. 

"Good."

"Would you like to go anywhere else?" I asked her

"How about Honeydukes?" She asked. I nodded and we stood to leave. She entangled her fingers into mine, and I saw Madam Rosmerta wink at me as we walked out onto the street.

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Luna's POV

"I love you," Neville said as he held me in a tight embrace. It was like my heart had burst of joy. I know my face turned the color of a tomato, but I don't care. He looked anxious as he waited for me to respond.

"I love you too," I said as I looked him in the eyes. They lit up as he pulled me closer to him and our lips met. No words could describe what this kiss felt like. I was on top of the world, on Cloud 9, looking at the view from the Eiffel Tower, and so many more amazing feelings all in one. I felt like we could live in this moment, just the two of us forever. Too soon, he broke his lips from mine. 

"I love you," He said again. Maybe he was making sure this was real and not just a dream. To both of our reliefs, it was real.

"Good," I said. Good could mean so many things. Good because I love you too. Good because I want a kiss like that to be real. Good because you're the only boy I want. 

"Would you like to go anywhere else?" He asked me. I don't know if it was the intimidation of everyone else in the pub, or the sudden boredom of this place that made him want to leave. Whichever reason it was, I'm okay with it. I thought about where I would also want to go. In all honesty, I wanted to go to Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, but I knew, with the sudden death of Fred, no one would be there. 

"Honeydukes," I finally decided. Somewhere always enjoyable and high variation. I quickly downed the rest of my butter beer, and enclosed his hand in mine. I'm almost positive I saw Madam Rosmerta wink at him before we left, making me blush more fiercely than before.