A/N: This is a second practice round for Quidditch League. The prompt is relationships. As captain, mine is romantic. I have chosen Harry/Luna as my pairing.

** the quote between these two stars is more or less a quote. I take no credit for it.

For my followers, this story takes place duringChoose a Savior. For those that haven't read it, Luna has replaced Hermione in the search for horcuxes. Prompts:

Quidditch Pitch: Just once, he wanted to be the one people respected.

Drabble Club: item: locket

Enjoy

Ron saw Luna as she sat reading in her chair. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, hiding most the delicate features of her face. She was beautiful, if a bit odd.

Ron, ssssshe'ss waiting, the voice hissed in his mind.

He clutched the locket around his neck for a moment before walking over to her.

"Luna," he started, losing his nerve almost as quickly as it came.

"Yes, Ronald," she replied, quizzical.

"Um, would you, would you like to go for a walk with me?"

"Has Harry's watch started?"

"Oh, um yea, I just, I just wanted to go for a walk and thought some company would be nice."

"Oh, okay. That would be lovely," her voice rang like bells.

If you keep sssspending time with her, He'll be the jealousss one. Sshe'd choossse you. Hermione never wanted you. It wasss alwayssss sssomeone else. You're unworthy.

Ron shook the voice from his head, but the anger started, his heart pounding.

"Ronald, what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Sshe'sss too ssssmart. You don't desssserve her.

'Shut it! She'll like me, you'll see, she'll choose me.'

"Ron?"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

She stopped walking and looked at him, her head tilted.

"I asked what you wanted to tell me," she repeated softly. We should check your head for wrackspurts. They make your brain go fuzz-"

Ron had taken a breathe and cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. Her lips were sweet, they tasted like the berries they had eaten earlier.

She pulled away, a sad smile on her face.

"Ron, you're sweet. But I think the wrackspurts confused you."

Even the crazy girl doesssn't want you. You are unwanted.

"Am I interrupting something?" Harry asked as he walked over, "I came to take over watch but you weren't there."

"I thought you said his watch started already, Ron. Why did you lie? I don't think it's the nargles this time."

"Harry, as a matter of fact you are interrupting something. Luna and I were just having some fun," Ron grumbled as he grabbed Luna's wrist and pulled her closer, pushing his lips to hers again. She tried to pull away, but this time he held her close. Harry tried to separate them and couldn't. Ron lost his breathe as pain centered in his groin.

You desssserved it. You're worthlesssssss.

"Ronald, I think it's time you take off the locket," she said as she held out her hand, as if she hadn't just kneed him in the balls.

"No! I'm perfectly fine."

The anger had spread, he wanted her to love him. Or at least like him. He wanted her to be there. He lost Hermione and would never get her back, so he needed Luna. He need her to see him, but Harry, or Hermione ochre anyone else. Just once he wanted to be the person people respected. Luna was a good start to that.

"Ron, give us the locket," Harry commanded, holding his hand out as well. "Well go inside and talk about this."

"No! You cannot control me!"

"What do you want from me, Ron?"

"I want what you promised. What the bloody hell are we doing? We've been camping out for weeks and we're about as close to finding the next horcrux as we are to destroying this one!"

"I'm sorry, but that's not my fault. All you do is listen to that stupid radio everyday. Did you think we'd be finding a horcrux everyday and that you'd be back home in time for Christmas? Well I'm sorry if this isn't what you expected."

Luna stepped between the boys, "Enough!"

Both boys stopped, shocked at the sudden rise in her voice.

"Ron, I'm sorry, I just feel that way about you. But I think the locket is messing with you. Please, take it off."

Ron's face was red with anger. He pulled the necklace off over his neck and the it at her.

"Happy now? Forget you guys, I'm out of here."

Ron disappeared into the woods, and then disapparated with a crack.

Luna picked up the locket, and held it in her hand. She and Harry stood there in silence for a moment.

A couple of weeks had passed and they were no closer to finding more horcruxes. Harry was outside on his watch, listening to the sounds of the forest.

"Harry, your head is full of wrackspurts today."

Luna startled Harry from his thoughts.

She sat down next to him and followed his gaze to the lake in front of them.

"I don't have feelings for Ron."

Harry looked at Luna, confused.

"I figured that after you kneed him in the groin."

"I didn't want to," she replied, with a far away look in her eye. "I think the piece of soul in the locket was lending it's power to him. It feeds on anger and fighting. It also draws wrackspurts in large quantities."

Harry only nodded, knowing that sometimes it was better to listen.

"But I fear the locket played on his insecurities, which in this case weren't far off."

"Which insecurities?"

"The ones about you."

"I-"

"Harry, I don't blame you for his problems. They stem from his family to start. But he's the last born sin to the woman that always wanted a daughter. Everyone wants to be your friend because of what happened when you were just a baby. He's not particularly gifted in anything, though he's decent at tennis. But in short, he comes in second to you. It's not your fault of course, but he struggles with it."

"I suppose, but I never asked for any of it, and he knows that."

"But he's not wrong, Harry. He is second to you in almost all cases."

"He still can't blame me."

"It's easier to blame one person, instead of an army. Of course, he has some blame too. But this time, he was right. He's not my first choice. He never was."

Harry looked to Luna, only to find her staring at him. She blinked, waiting for something, but he wasn't sure. She reached her hand out and placed it over his.

"Harry, I have always admired you. You never caked me crazy, or Looney. And you listen. You aren't the boy everyone thinks you are. I mean, you are, but you are so much more than that Harry. You are a person. A good one too."

"Luna, are you-"

She leaned closer and slowly pressed her lips to his. And in the next moment, she pulled back.

Harry blinked at her, unsure of what to do or say. Ginny had kissed him goodbye. "Something to remember me by." She didn't want him falling into the arms of another woman. And he had told her, there'd be no time for girls anyway. Yet here he was, sitting by a lake, being kissed by Luna Lovegood.

"I know you care about Ginny, I see it in your eyes. I just figured that we're on an adventurous journey and it was better to act and know then to keep everything in and never know. I'm a Ravenclaw, seeking knowledge is in my nature."

"Luna, I-"

"It's okay, the wrackspurts were already making your brain fuzzy. You don't have to say anything."

And with that she removed the locket from around his neck to start her watch.

Harry looked down at his watch. It was midnight. He still had another hour before he had to go wake Luna. He still couldn't get her kiss out of his mind. She had soft lips, and a sweet smell. And it brought up thoughts and emotions he'd felt, but never really considered. She was beautiful. Truly beautiful, inside and out. She has such a loving soul, despite the way she was treated by her peers. Sure she was odd, but it made her special and unique. And she never treated him like he was special for any reason other than because he was her friend.

But she would be in danger of he loved her, just like Ginny. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with her, because he was realizing very quickly that he would like to travel that path, but he didn't want her to get hurt.

He heard a rustling from the tent and looked up. She was stepping out, but her eyes were closed.

*"I've never seen thus part of the castle, at least not while awake. I sleep walk you know. That's why I wear shoes to bed."*

She was walking towards the barrier of their charms. If she walked past it, he wouldn't be able to get her without losing everything they had. He jumped to his feet and ran after her, barely grabbing her wrist in time. He pulled her to him and embraced her, not sure what to do next.

He led her gently back to the tent and helped her lay down. Harry watched her sleep then, the small rise and fall of her chest, the slight part of her lips, and the way her eyes moved rapidly under the lids.

He felt drawn to her, in a way he'd never felt drawn to anyone before. She was a special person. She was lovely. She was perfect in her imperfections. Before he knew what he was thinking, he kissed her. She woke suddenly, and he stopped.

"Harry?"

"I-I was just," he struggled to find the words, "You were sleep walking. I brought you back here and I-"

She kissed him softly on the cheek.

"It's okay."

"Luna, I think, I think I could have feelings for you, but we can't be anything. If he finds out, he'll try to hurt you. He'll use you."

"Harry, there are two ways to live life. You can live in fear, never knowing what could be, which is really not living at all. Or you can face those fears and find out what's meant to happen. It's a lot easier to do that with someone by your side."

"I just don't want you getting hurt."

"If I can survive being Looney Lovegood and people stealing from me, making fun of me, giggling, I can survive anything. Especially with you by my side."

"He's dangerous."

"So are Crumple-horned Snorkack, but we have one in our home."

"A what?"

"Never mind. Just know, I've already accepted the battle. It's everyone's battle."

Harry couldn't decide what to do, so he pulled her into an embrace. She was warm, her skin was soft, if a bit chilled from the outside air. The smell of plums wafted from her hair, her silky soft, golden hair.

"No matter what, I'm here for you Harry. I always will be."

He kissed the top of her head, "Luna, I think I could be falling in love with you."