The Dreamy Redhead (A Linny fanfiction)

Chapter 12

Luna POV:

"Hi, Luna," Neville says, scratching his head.

"Hello, Neville. How have you been?" I say happily.

"I'm fine. Listen, I have to tell me something," he says, turning pink. He takes me a corner of the room, before looking at me intently. He hesitates, and I look down very awkwardly.

"Luna, I think- I think I like you," Neville starts. I look up, surprised. I didn't know that Neville liked me. I nod as a signal for him to keep going.

"I think I liked you since my 7th year. I liked how you stood up for yourself. I liked how you brave and smart you were. I think that's what started my crush. Luna, I want your honest opinion. Do you like me too?"

I'm taken aback. What should I do? On one hand, it breaks my heart to reject Neville, but on the other hand, it breaks my heart even more to cheat on Ginny. I take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Neville, but I don't think I like you in that way."

Neville looks ashamed at himself, so I take his arm. "Oh, Neville, this is not your fault! I know what it's like, Neville. I know what it's like to have someone who doesn't like you back. You can't change their opinion. It's not your fault. I know you did all you could."

"You do?"

"Well, not really, but I've known someone like that. Hermione. When Ron and Lavender got together, she was heartbroken. She started crying in the bathrooms all the time. I discovered her once crying, and I tried to comfort her. I don't think it worked very well, though," I say.

Neville nods once. "Can I ask, you though? Why don't you like me?"

Yeah, Luna, why don't you like him? A voice pipes up in the back of my head. I hesitate for a moment, thinking of what to say.

"I- I'm dating someone right now. I hope you understand," I say, turning pink myself.

"Oh, no, I understand! Who're you dating? You don't have to answer, I don't mean to be nosy."

"Ginny Weasley," I answer, not daring to look at Neville's expression.

"Oh! I didn't know!" He says.

"That's kinda the point. I don't want anyone to know about it yet."

"Well, you should. People are going to have to know at one point or another. Otherwise, they'll just be angry when you don't tell them and they find out for themselves."

"You're right," I say, sighing, "You must be so heartbroken, Neville. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be! I'm happy for you!" Neville says, eyes widening. "You have a date already! Even you're more social then I am!"

"Oh, Neville, it's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself. You shouldn't."

Neville sighs. "I'm trying not to. Well, it was nice meeting you anyways. I'll be going now, my grandmother is waiting for me. Goodbye!"

"Bye, Neville."

"Earth to Luna! Earth to Luna!" Ginny's says, waving her arms around me. I snap out of my daydream.

"Sorry, I was just thinking...ok, I'll tell you everything." 

Ginny looks at me intently.

"Neville was telling me that he had a crush on me."

Ginny doesn't have an immediate reaction, she just nods and says, "Continue."

"Well, he told me that he had feelings for me, and he asked me if I liked him in that way or not. I said no, I said that I only saw him as a friend, and I was dating you. He seemed really cut up about it, so I tried to reassure him. I don't think it worked very well, though. He also told me that we should tell everyone about our relationship at one point or another. Do you think he's right?"

Ginny thinks for a while, taking everything I said in.

"Yes, I think we should tell them. Today," Ginny says very simply.

"R-Really?" I say, taken aback.

"C'mon, the longer we wait, the angrier they'll be that we're basically hiding our entire relationship."

I hesitate a moment, before saying, "Yeah, we should."

"That's the spirit you two need," A new voice pipes up. I look around frantically, searching for the voice, when I see it.

I see Neville near us, grinning ear to ear.