a/n: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. Also thanks to bslehofer, my beta reader.
"Don't look so nervous, everything will be just fine," said Ron, arriving at eight am sharp at Luna's doorstep. "You know half of the people there. Besides, Ginny will be there the whole time if you need another familiar face," he said, scanning her hall for her bags.
"Where are the bags?" he asked, turning to her.
Luna looked quite pale, dreading the meeting with the Weasley's. Her hands were clasped together, her mouth in a grim smile. "I've shrunk them, they're in my pocket," she said. "Ron, can I make a request?" she asked, trying hard not to let her voice shake.
"Sure," he said.
"Can we drive up to the burrow instead of using the portkey?" she asked.
Ron's gave her a small encouraging smile. "It so happens that I'm very poor at setting up a portkey for two people, at such short notice, so we are driving up to the burrow. I'm using one of dad's experimental cars," he said, scanning her apartment for anything that she might have forgotten. "Everything's set. Let's go," he said, taking Luna's elbow.
"Didn't you crash into the willow in your second year thanks to a car?" asked Luna suspiciously.
"Well yes, but this time it's different. Today, everything is going to be perfect," said Ron, directing her out of the apartment.
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The smoke from the engine spread all around, as Ron tried hard to get a clear view of the carburetor. Their trip had started out in the worst way. In the middle of a rather empty road, which Harry had said was very romantic; their car had coughed one last time before completely giving way.
Frustrated, Ron gave the car a mighty kick. Suddenly realizing what a big mistake that was, he gave a loud girly squeak as his leg throbbed with pain. To add to the injury, Luna chose that precise moment to step out of the car.
"Is this the new way of fixing a car?" she asked. "What's happened? Why have we stopped Ron?"
"I like to play stranded on an empty road with my date who didn't want to come to this trip in the first place," said Ron sarcastically, giving the car a sour look. It seemed to surround him with more black smoke.
"Do you know it's almost impossible to find another car on this road?" asked Luna. "How are we ever going to get to the burrow?" asked Luna, helplessly looking around. "Hey, Ron, are you carrying a broom?" asked Luna.
"Yes, I am, but we can't leave Dad's car here, in the middle of the road," said Ron, not liking the picture of his father disappointed again at having lost another car.
Luna shook her head, and started walking round the car. She stopped suddenly, "Hey, I've got an idea," she said, and quickly extracted her wand from her coat.
Soon, the car shrunken to the size of a small pear, both Ron and Luna took off on Ron's firebolt 380, with the miniature car tucked safely away in Luna's shorts.
"I'm sorry about the car," said Ron, liking the feeling of Luna against his chest.
Luna had been a bit skeptical to get onto the broom, having not ridden one in quite sometime, but once in the air, she felt an odd kind of freedom. And the most surprising part was that she was enjoying Ron's arms around her.
"That's alright. Life doesn't stop because a car broke down. Besides, these things happen," she said, patting his arm. She closed her eyes and breathed in Ron's smell, liking the mixed simple smell of musk and male.
"No more worries madam, you're with me now. Nothing can go wrong now," he said with confidence.
"Really?" she asked. "Don't temp fate Ron," she warned softly. "Anything can happen," said Luna. The next moment she felt a tiny droplet of water on her head. Slowly she felt more drops. Soon the steady flow of raindrops had her drenched. "I told you not to temp fate, didn't I?"
"Blast," cursed Ron, holding onto the broom in order to steady it.
Luna held onto Ron's hands, scared of the wobbling the broom was doing. "Should we take a break, get some land?" she asked, holding onto Ron.
"No, the house is just a little away," he said.
"But I'm drenched," shouted Luna, as lightning struck for the first time. The sky quickly filled up with dark clouds, and the Luna's voice was drowned out.
"Don't worry, you look pretty," shouted Ron.
"What? I didn't catch that," shouted Luna in return.
"I said, I love you either way," said Ron.
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Luna wasn't sure what she had heard Ron say, but if her ears were functioning properly he'd said that he loved her. But she was sure that wasn't what he meant. He meant it to be nonchalant. Without any meaning. But was it?
As she climbed down the broom and onto wet grass, Luna felt a little dizzy. Drenched from head to toe, her white ladylike blouse had been rumpled beyond repair, and was now spectacularly see through. "Uh, Ron?" she said, turning to him, her cheeks tainted red. "Can I borrow your coat?" she asked him, completely forgoing the idea of using her wet wand.
Ron looked down at her and was mesmerized by the sight before him. The love comment had just popped out of his mouth, now he was wondering why. Was he in love with Luna Lovegood? Blinking quickly, he removed his coat, and handed it to her. Giving her time to straighten out, he ran his hand through his messed up hair.
"Ready?" he asked when she was done fidgeting.
"Yes," she said. Ron took her hand in his, and gave it a small squeeze. Both walked up the rest of the way to the house. The burrow was now in better condition than it had been some years ago. Thanks to the success of almost all of the Weasley children, it now looked like a nice and cozy place to live in.
As Ron removed the key to the main door, it burst open. A pair of big luminous eyes stared up at him. "Uncle Ron," shouted Eric, and quickly hugged his legs. A happy grin broke out on Ron's face. "Hello stranger, you remember Luna?" asked Ron. The little boy nodded and moved past his uncle to the lady with him. "I told mom how we tickled Uncle Draco," said Eric, staring up at Luna with admiration.
Luna nodded with pleasure, and came down on her knees to be on level with the child. "Good. Here's something for you," she said and removed a big box of chocolates from her coat. "Share it with your brothers and sisters," said Luna. Eric nodded and turned back to Ron.
"Grandma is waiting for you," he said, and quickly caught hold of his uncle's finger and dragged him inside the house. "Aunt Luna, follow me," he shouted behind his back. Luna, a little shocked at being called an aunt for the first time in her life, halted for a moment. However, soon she was filled with a happy feeling that comes with having a family. "I am."
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a/n: thanks for reading, now review.
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