A/N: This cookie is basically Ron and Luna talking after Harry and Hermione's surprise wedding in Chapter 18, while Harry and Hermione are, um...occupied. http://fanfiction.portkey.org/story/4941/18 Thanks, Lady Starlight
Chapter 18: Beginnings...A short talk....
******************************Astronomy Tower***************************
September 19, 1997.
10:15 pm
"I can't decide if that was really a surprise or not," Ron muttered as he looked down to watch Hagrid walking around his house with a torch in hand, obviously looking for something, from the fact that Fang was clawing at the door, it was probably his key.
"I knew;" Luna replied, snuggling closer under his cloak as he stood with him looking down, "It was rather obvious, really." She played with her fingers, idly impressed with the contrast of her lightly tanned skin with the dark, damp stone of the walls. "Ronnie?"
"Yeah," Ron replied distractedly, as he watched Fang nearly knock Hagrid down as his large friend found the key and let the boarhound in to eat. Ron pulled his cloak tighter around himself and Luna as the winds on the top of the tower picked up, he watched a small owl fit about the towers, and a larger dark shadow give pursuit, as he waited for her thought to process.
"Are you alright with this?" she frowned and looked down, twisting a long strand of blonde hair in her hands, "I mean..."
"Luna, I'm with you, I want to be here with you," Ron replied patiently, she gave him a small smile and shrugged, not talking. "I really liked your dress, by the way."
"It's alright, Ron," Luna whispered, smiling slightly, "You don't have to..."
"I want to, I should have said something earlier," Ron shrugged and glanced down at her, "I suppose I was a bit...flustered, I suppose, I just never..."
"That's not really the problem, Ronald," Luna whispered serenely, "They won't leave you behind, they need you." Ron didn't answer as he looked out over the grounds, she reached down and pulled his hand into hers and started to lightly run her thumb along the back, "You know that, Ron, they consider you a brother, no matter what."
"How do they need me, Luna?" Ron laughed harshly, as he pulled his hand from hers and stepped away. He looked back, and saw her shivering slightly; he frowned and took his cloak off, draping it around her shoulders to drag on the ground. He paced to the other side of the roof of the tower and back, idly batting several brass telescopes into lazy spins as he passed. "For what, really, Luna? For comic relief, for making dumb comments, I'm not much good past that, I doubt that the fate of the world will hinge on a Quidditch game anytime soon."
Luna's habitual small smile slipped, she took a breath, and looked up at him, closing the space that he had opened between them, in two flitting strides, "I'm tired of you cutting yourself down, Ronald," she reached out, to grab his arm, he turned and stepped to the wall, followed instantly by her. Luna shot her arm out again, and turned him around with a surprising display of strength, "I don't give a damn that you aren't the 'Chosen One' or whatever bullocks you've gotten in your head..." Her voice cracked slightly, "I'm really glad you're not, Ronnie."
Ron closed his open mouth, as he realized what she was trying not to have to say, "I can't promise that I won't..."
"I know," Luna whispered, and stepped forward, burying her head against his chest, "Just promise me that you'll try, I couldn't stand it...I'm not brave like Hermione, the hat stuck me in Ravenclaw after all."
Ron swallowed, closing his eyes as his fingers tapped lightly on the back of her neck, searching for something to say, finally after several silent instants in which the calm night was broken by the hoots of the school owls, the calls of the Thestrals and the distant chime of the clock tower announcing the half hour, "It made a mistake, Luna...it was wrong...You are one of the bravest people I know...and since you seem to love me-I'm starting to have doubts about your intelligence really," he teased. Luna poked him in the abs. "Ow!"
"That didn't hurt," Luna muttered, as she rose on her toes to kiss him.
"It did a touch," Ron objected, as he gave her a slightly pleading look.
Luna smirked, her eyes glowing brighter in the starlight, and looked down as she lightly traced her fingers over the supposed injury, "Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?
"Would you?" he asked softly, she smiled and brought her fingers to her lips, kissing them, before sliding her fingers under his shirt to press them lightly against his belly. "I was hoping for a bit more, honestly."
"Later," Luna promised as she looked up at him. She froze as the door to the roof opened gradually, and both her and Ron turned towards it instantly, Ron's hand slipping to his back, and Luna's to the hem of her short skirt, pulling it up to expose the dragonhide sheath hanging there. The tips of her fingers caressed her wand, as she watched a pair of students in jeans and t-shirts more or less fall from the door, the smaller of the pair, a blonde fifth year in Luna's house, gasped as she caught sight of the pair standing closely together.
"Wha..." her companion, a brown-haired fifth-year Hufflepuff muttered exasperatedly as she stepped back, her eyes on Ron's half annoyed, half amused expression, "Come on, Sarah, you were the one who suggested..."
"Occupied, mate," Ron announced in a low voice that carried nonetheless. The Hufflepuff turned, and gulped. Luna smoothed her skirt back over her wand holster, and leaned back against the wall next to Ron, Ron glanced at her, and back at the interlopers, "If you don't mind?" he asked of the pair, their eyes widened and the boy, who Ron dimly remembered was named Steve, maybe, grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her back through the door.
Luna looked back up at Ron as the door closed with a loud BANG, stepped back to him and buried her face in his shoulder as giggles erupted from her. Ron just smiled as he dropped his chin to the top of her head.
A/N a short one...next one, if I post the one I think I will...will earn the rating...