A/N: Harry and his gang all belong to JKR. One can only hope that what I've done with them here will be something along the lines of what she'll do with them in canon. Not that I think I can compete…I just really like the thought of R/LL together! LOL
I'd like to thank dear, sweet Ilka for the information regarding the onion ritual…Love you, girl!!!! Thanks a million. And Alexis for helping me out with the star research and for informing me that the North Star is NOT, in fact, the brightest star in the sky…that distinction belongs to our dear Sirius. Thanks, Lex, love you!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little slice of R/LL…
Terri
For Ilka and all the folks on the R/LL thread at the EW forums.
Moooooooooooooonlight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Beyond the Stars
Luna sat down on the steps of the dilapidated old house she and her friends had been holed up in for several weeks. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville were all inside doing what they had come to do best…research. Luna, however, had grown tired of looking at books and hearing the quiet talk all around her. She needed peace and her sanctuary…the nighttime sky.
She stared at the moon and the vast array of stars scattered haphazardly across the clear, midnight sky for as far as the eye could see. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, drawing in as much of the nighttime air as her lungs would allow. She held it briefly, then slowly released it, the tension in her body following it as it drifted silently away on a subtle breeze. She opened her eyes as her world came into much sharper focus.
Woods surrounded the old house and shadows from the gently swaying trees appeared to dance in the light of the moon. She smiled as the image took her back into a not-so-distant past where father/daughter expeditions had taken her to some of the most remote places…where often, the trees would dance with the moonlight…and father would dance with daughter. In moments of carefree fun her father would pick her up and swing her around, proclaiming, "We're close, Little Luna. Tomorrow for sure…I can feel it!"
Her smile turned bittersweet as she pictured her last day with her father. His forlorn expression when she'd told him, in no uncertain terms, that she was leaving, had nearly broken her resolve. Somehow she'd found the strength to battle him…and win.
FLASHBACK
"Little Luna, the answer is no! You are entirely too young and I'll not have it. You'll return to school as scheduled and that's final."
"Father, I'm nearly an adult witch. Only a couple more months and you'll be unable to stop me anyway," she countered. "Need I remind you of my part in the battle at the Department of Mysteries? I held my own there and I will do it again, no matter where we go next. I'm a member of Dumbledore's Army and that alone is reason for me to go. We are a team, committed to one goal." She placed her hand on his arm, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "We are stronger together, father. The six of us…we need each other. Can you not understand that Hogwarts isn't the place it once was? There was a battle there, remember? It was the six of us then…again. Please, father, I will learn so much more in the uses of practical magic out there…" she gestured outwardly with her arms as though to indicate the world, "then I could ever learn in a classroom."
"Luna, please," her father quietly pleaded. "I've already lost your mother, I can't-"
Luna folded her hands in front of her and stood her ground. "Father, I know that it scares you. Believe me when I say that it scares me, too. But I know," she put her hand over her heart, "in here," and patted it, "that the likelihood of success will increase immeasurably if the six of us work together." She stepped forward to give her father a hug and quietly spoke the word, "Daddy," and felt his resistance begin to shatter. "Returning to Hogwarts will not assure my survival," she stepped back and looked into his eyes, "but I know, I'm certain, that going with Harry will. Please, don't ask me how I know-"
He placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her forehead. "I'd never presume to, Little Luna, your instincts are so seldom wrong." He pulled her into a tight embrace. "I don't know what to do," he muttered against her hair.
"Let me go, father," she said, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist. "Just let me go."
Reluctantly he released her. "You're right," he quietly conceded. "You're growing up so fast." He brushed his hand across the side of her head and looked into her eyes with tears forming in his own, "I'm proud of you," he whispered tightly through his constricted throat.
As Luna made her way out the door she turned for one final look, the tears burning at her own eyes. "I love you, daddy," she said, her own voice hoarse and heavy with emotion. "I'll be back."
END FLASHBACK
Luna wiped a hand across her eyes as the memory of that moment washed over her now. "I'll be back, daddy," she whispered, sending her renewed promise to him on the wind.
Her promise well on its way to her father, her thoughts turned abruptly to what it was that had brought the six friends together for a third time and how close they'd become as a result…
Much to Harry's chagrin, countless wizards who felt they knew best how to fill Dumbledore's shoes had come forward upon his death, hell bent upon `taking care of' -"The Chosen One". As a result, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been forced to use their time at Privet Drive and The Burrow to covertly strategize their hunt for the remaining horcruxes.
Throughout the days leading up to Bill's wedding the trio's meetings were becoming more and more discreet, thus becoming more obvious to Ginny who had spent an undeterminable amount of time spying on them…
FLASHBACK
"Ginny, you shouldn't have done that," Neville scolded. "You know how upset Harry will be..." he looked around nervously before adding in a harsh whisper, "not to mention Hermione!"
"Lighten up, Neville," Ginny scoffed. "The whole point is that we know part of their plan. The question is…" she looked around to be sure they were alone, "what do we do about it?"
"I say we threaten them," Luna said flippantly. "Tell them what we know and then give them an ultimatum; either take us…or we spill."
Ginny and Neville looked at Luna with eyes full of surprise and admiration. "I can't believe you just said that," Neville said incredulously.
Ginny smiled. "Sounds like something I'd think up. I can't believe I didn't…let's do it," she said and Luna could see in her eyes that Ginny had already begun to formulate the plan.
END FLASHBACK
Luna chuckled lightly at the image of Harry being `persuaded' to allow her, Neville, and Ginny to accompany him, Hermione, and Ron on their search.
As it happened, their services had been invaluable and for that, looking back now, Luna was grateful…
Harry was, naturally, the leader of their ragtag Army. Everyone was responsible for reporting to him any findings, and very few actions were taken without his prior consent. The use of magic was to be kept to a minimum to ensure their various hideouts could not be easily traced…Harry made sure the rules were enforced and adhered to. Often Luna found herself admiring his fortitude.
Hermione was the organizer; the one who issued the orders, lead the research, and generally kept them all in line. Everything that was reported to Harry was then, in turn, reported to Hermione. She organized the research, copied and filed their notes, and generally stayed glued to Harry's side. Despite their differences and `unique' perspectives in most things, Luna admired Hermione's perseverance and commitment to Harry.
Ron was the strategist. Any time they thought they might have information on the location of another horcrux Ron laid out the best, most deliberate means by which to get them there. Although the depth of his skills had yet to be challenged, they all knew it was only a matter of time before he was put to the ultimate test. Luna's faith in him had never faltered…she knew he was ready.
Neville had convinced them that his skills in Herbology would be of utmost importance once they were out there…and he was spot on. Although Herbology played a vital role in many aspects of their journey, his most significant contribution proved to be to their health. Throughout the months that they'd been searching, each of them had lost a fair amount of weight, but Neville's knowledge of edible plant life and his knack for finding freshwater resources had kept them sustained during the times when real meals were hard to come by. Luna had yet to find a way to express her gratitude for Neville's seemingly inexhaustible knowledge and the work he put into making sure they didn't die of starvation.
While she knew that Ginny was the reason they were all together, and that she was still her best friend, Luna had always thought that Ginny's real purpose was a bit of a mystery. She'd spent countless nights pondering it whenever she needed to take her mind off of her own responsibilities for a while. She thought perhaps Ginny brought to the group a pleasant aroma, or that maybe it was her famous [or infamous] bat-bogey hex…or maybe, as was the most likely of all reasons, it was just easier to bring her along than it would've been to leave her behind. Whatever the reason, it didn't much matter because she'd proven to be a great assistant to Neville when it came time to identify and forage for their next meal. Luna often found herself smiling at the vision the two of them made when they were huddled together over a book.
Luna often felt as though she'd been born to the job that had been laid out for her and she often relished the time she invested in it. She gazed up at the night sky and smiled as the stars began to fall into alignment and she began to rattle off the names of one constellation after another. The group often traveled by night and it was her job to navigate them with only the stars and the position of the moon as their guide. Stars and planets and life in space had always been a passion of hers. To discover things that people didn't dare to believe in, to believe in things that people claimed only existed in the imagination…these were things that drove her, that stimulated her own perseverance. Thankfully her services had proven invaluable and Harry, Ron- and even Hermione- had not let her efforts go unappreciated.
Her thoughts of the six of them exhausted, her mind slipped unconsciously to thoughts of Ron as she laid back on her elbows and let her eyes drift skyward once more.
"The moon, the brightest light in the nighttime sky…it's there, always, to guide you and to keep you on course. But, sadly, you have yet to see it for all that it truly is…" She laughed lightly to ease the ache she found nestled in her heart. "I've watched you, Ronald," she sighed. "When you look to the sky you can't see the moon beyond the stars…you always look for the stars…"
"Is that a bad thing?" a voice asked from somewhere behind her.
It didn't frighten her, she merely shook her head. "Not always," she replied airily. "It all depends, really."
Ron took the few remaining steps forward and sat beside her on the stoop. "On what?" he asked.
Luna turned her head to stare at him for a moment. "On what you think you might gain by not looking beyond the stars," she offered. "There's a lot more out there, you know."
Ron looked up at the sky and stared for a moment in silent contemplation. "Tell me," he said, his gaze dropping to meet hers.
Luna laughed. "Tell you what, Ronald?"
The look in Ron's eyes deepened, catching Luna slightly off guard. "Tell me what else I should be looking at, if not the stars."
Luna looked skyward. "There are all sorts of things up there," she said in wonder. "Comets, planets, asteroids, debris-"
Ron laughed. "Are you saying I should be looking for trash?"
Luna's light, airy laughter followed Ron's as it was carried away on the breeze. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Most people can't see the debris anyway, not with the naked eye. I'm just telling you that there's more out there, that's all."
"So, is that it then?" Ron asked, his eyes drifting skyward.
"No," Luna replied serenely, "that's not all." She followed the direction of his eyes and pointed. "There's the moon, too." She lowered her gaze to find him staring up at the moon. When he didn't speak she looked up again in disappointment. "There's also-"
"It's beautiful."
Luna turned to find him staring at her intently. "It is," she said. She turned back to look at the sky, unable to hold his penetrating stare. "I love the moon."
Ron reluctantly pulled his eyes away from her to look back up at the moon.
The silence stretched between them and Luna sat up and stretched her back, inhaling deeply as she did. She tilted her head and sniffed the air. A change in the direction of the breeze had brought the sweet scent of onions wafting in their direction. "Mmm…" she moaned without thought. "Can you smell that?"
Ron craned his neck and drew in a long breath through his nose. "What is that?" he asked. Before Luna could answer he inhaled again. "Onions?" He turned to look at her questioningly.
Luna laughed lightly and nodded her head. "Did you know that in some cultures, the onion was used as a marriage-oracle?"
Ron laughed. "No, I didn't," he replied after a moment. "Tell me about it?"
"You still think I'm just Loony Lovegood, don't you?" she asked without a trace of malice…only genuine curiosity.
Ron reached out to touch her hand. "No," he said, shaking his head. "I just find it ironic that you know so much about things most people don't even stop to think about." He squeezed her hand before letting it go and adding, "I think it's fascinating. Will you tell me the rest?"
Luna eyed him for a moment and then drew her hands against her body. She glanced back up at the moon before turning to him and nodding her acquiescence. "In some cultures, it was customary for a woman who was willed to get married to take four onions and name each of them after a bachelor," she smiled and eyed him coyly, "a celibate bachelor." Ron laughed and Luna continued, "On Christmas Eve, the woman would put each of the onions into a pot and place them in four different corners of the room to await Epiphany, which occurred on, um," she rolled her eyes back to think, "January 6th, I believe it was. Anyway, it's the man whose name was given to the onion that buds who will come to ask for the woman's hand in marriage."
"You're not serious?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Oh, but I am," Luna replied. "Women, well, people in general really, will do some seemingly odd things in the pursuit of love."
"But what if the four men the woman has chosen aren't interested in her?" he asked. "Or, what if the one that buds isn't the man she loves…or the man who loves her."
Luna shrugged. "I don't know, Ronald. I guess that was something the woman dealt with when the time came. I suppose that if she believed strongly enough in the symbolism, then what came of it would just…" she shrugged again, "be."
"So who would your four bachelors be?" Ron asked, only half teasing.
"I'm not sure I'm ready to divulge that information, Ronald," Luna replied.
"Oh, come on, Luna," Ron pleaded. "All right, fine, if you won't tell me, let me guess then. How about Harry…" Luna shrugged and nodded. "Neville…" she shrugged and nodded again. "Er, definitely me…" he said with a nervous laugh.
"Are you confirming that you're celibate, Ronald?" she asked sincerely.
Ron's cheeks burned a deep red and Luna could almost feel the heat from where she sat beside him. Ron cleared his throat, "I'm not sure I'm ready to divulge that information, Luna," he said, stealing her words.
"Oh, Ronald, of course you are," she said as she reached out a hand to touch his arm. "Who else would have you?" Her eyes widened at the implication of her statement. "I mean, who would have any of you?" she added quickly.
Ron's expression hardened instantly. "There are others," he snapped far more harshly than he'd intended.
"Yes, Ronald, there likely are," Luna quietly agreed. "But as I said, you've been far too busy over the years looking at the stars to notice much else."
Ron's expression softened and he looked at her questioningly. "Tell me again what's wrong with that."
"Nothing, really," Luna sighed. "Unless you take into account that the star you're looking at only shines for one man…" she looked at him with wide, sad eyes, "and if you were being honest, then we would both know that he's not you."
Ron watched her in silence for a moment then turned his gaze to the sky. "So, er, where were we anyway?" he asked in an effort to change the subject.
"Number four."
"Oh, right," Ron paused a moment to think. When he couldn't come up with another name he turned helplessly to face her. "So who would number four be, then?"
"Draco Malfoy," Luna stated without preamble.
Ron began to cough. "Dra…Malfoy?" he gasped between breaths.
"Why not?" she asked. "He's quite handsome. And personally, I'm not convinced he's nearly as bad as he thinks he is…as most people think he is, really. He just needs the right woman in his life…like all men, do."
"That's assuming he's celibate," Ron stated.
Luna shrugged. "Doesn't matter, really," she replied as she turned to look at him. "He's not the one I want anyway."
"So which one do you want?" Ron asked, his voice sounding heavy and unfamiliar.
Luna stood up and looked down on Ron where he continued to sit. "I like a man who can see past the stars and appreciate the beauty of all the objects in the sky," she said softly. "You'll figure it out…someday. Goodnight, Ronald."
Without another word she walked back into the house, leaving Ron on the porch to think. He gazed up at the nighttime sky and this time his eyes went directly to the moon…Luna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luna returned to her regular seat, content now to listen to the murmurings around her. Harry and Hermione were sitting at the table, her cheeks rosy with quiet laughter. Harry was smiling as he watched her…his look of admiration did not go unnoticed and Luna smiled at the two of them even as she wondered if they'd ever figure it out.
She pulled her book closer as Ron walked through the door. Their eyes met briefly until he was pulled away by the sound of Hermione's laughter. Luna watched his reaction with interest.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked as he moved to join Harry and Hermione at their table.
"Oh, nothing really," Harry said. "We were just looking at this book on astrology and I was telling Hermione that she reminded me a lot of the North Star."
Ron jerked his head up. "What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes locked with Luna's.
"Only that the North Star is the brightest in the sky. Any time you're lost, you seek it out and it'll guide you -"
"That's a common misconception, you know," Luna interrupted.
"What's a common misconception?" Ron asked.
"That the North Star is the brightest star in the sky."
"Then what's the brightest star?"
"Sirius."
Hermione dropped her head and nodded. "She's right. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. I tend to forget that when for so many years my dad always told me to look for the North Star and that I could tell which was the North by how bright it shone."
"Sirius," Harry said, breathing the word softly. "I knew that. How could I-"
Hermione put her hand over Harry's. "Don't worry about that now," she said gently. "He's the brightest in the sky and he's always watching out for you. You'll always know how and where to find him."
"There are many ways that Hermione can be compared to the North Star, though," Luna continued in an effort to take Harry's mind away from his Godfather.
"How so?" Harry asked.
"Well, by all appearances, the North Star doesn't ever change its position in the sky," Luna stated. "The whole reason people look to it is because it is always there, it's a fixed point. All the other stars and constellations appear to revolve around the North Star. It will never lead you astray…it's unfailing."
Harry turned to look at Hermione, his eyes as serious as they'd been since the quest for the horcruxes began. "That's perfect," he said softly. "That's exactly what you are to me…" he looked around the room, "to all of us. You're the unfailing center of all of this…and I don't know what I'd do without you."
Hermione's eyes dropped in embarrassment. "Thank you, Harry," she said softly. "You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that." She chanced a glance back up at him to find him staring at her intently. "I feel the same way about you…I don't know what I'd do without you."
Ron cleared his throat and broke the spell that seemed to encapsulate his two best friends. "So, Luna, what kind of star would our hero here be?" he asked, gesturing wildly toward Harry.
"Hercules," Luna replied without a moment's hesitation. "He's a Greek warrior. He's really only visible from April through October when he charges his way across the sky."
"He defeated Draco, the dragon, didn't he?" Hermione asked.
Luna's eyes brightened as she nodded. "Yes, he did. As well as Hydra, the nine-headed Serpent. They were all victims of Hercules and, as such, were placed into the sky as constellations."
"Bloody hell," Ron exclaimed.
"If I'm not mistaken, he defeated Cancer, too," Hermione said, caught up in the excitement of the moment. She looked up at Ron and added, "Cancer is the crab."
"I knew that," Ron stated sullenly. He looked up darkly when the others began to laugh, then the moment overtook him and he began to laugh with them.
When the laughter faded away a forgotten voice from the corner cut in, "Couldn't he also be Orion?" Ginny asked. "With the mission we're on right now, I imagine `The Hunter' would be nearly fitting as well."
All eyes turned to look at her in bewilderment. "Well, yeah," Hermione said. "He's certainly hunting right now, isn't he?"
"We all are, aren't we?" Ron piped in.
Luna looked up and smiled. "Yes, Ron…" she said quietly. "Right now we all are."
Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance and a smile before turning their attention back to what they'd been working on.
In the corner, Ginny and Neville smiled at each other before their attention was drawn back to the different herbs and magical plants they'd been studying.
Ron looked around the room and smiled at how `right' everything felt. "Guess it's time to get back to work then, uh?" He looked up to find Luna watching him and he quietly made his way over to where she sat. "May I?" he asked, indicating the chair next to her.
Luna waved her hand at the chair and said, "Of course. You know you don't have to ask."
Luna looked back down at her book and Ron placed his hand over hers, causing her to look back up at him in mild surprise. His eyes drifted over to where Harry and Hermione sat huddled together, "I know what you mean about looking at the stars," he said as his eyes drifted back to meet hers. "They'll always be there for us, but we can't make them give any more than they're willing…we can't force them to shine for any one of us alone."
Luna turned her hand over under his and he interlaced his fingers with hers. "So what are you saying, Ronald," she asked quietly.
"I'm saying that, as beautiful and brilliant as the stars are…" he held her hand tighter, "I think I'm beginning to see the moon in a whole new light."
"And?"
"And I'm beginning to like what I'm finding, more and more."
"It can guide you, Ronald…" she said softly, "if you'll let it."
Ron's gaze intensified for a brief moment before he looked down at the book Luna was researching then smiled knowingly. "I think we can guide each other, Luna," he said without having to look up to see the smile that had alighted in Luna's eyes.
Have to give credit where credit is due:
References:
North Star - http://ms.essortment.com/northstarastro_rmdz.htm
Hercules - http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/Constellations/summer/hercules.html
Orion - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/activities/dots/orion/
Onions - (GRIMM, A. 956).
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