My first attempt at a fic in the Potterverse :] This is a Dean/Luna Oneshot, based on an idea I got whilst listening to "What About Now" by Westlife. Randomness, I know :L

Hope you enjoy :] Please review and let me know if it's okay :L (yn)

Oh, and...I couldn't bring myself to kill Fred :L

Em xx

Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse, but if I did, Dean and Luna woulda ended up together :]

Today was the day. This was it. Just another hour or so, and it would all be over. Dean glanced at his watch. He should be there right now, at the church. He was one of the groomsmen, Harry, Neville and Ron being the other three. He'd promised her. But he couldn't do it.

Dean liked to think he was a strong person – he'd spent months on the run from Death Eaters, survived torture at Malfoy Manor, dived headfirst into the Battle of Hogwarts and escaped relatively unscathed. But he knew he wasn't as strong or brave as people thought he was. Dean cursed himself for being weak. He was a coward. It was the reason why he was sitting on a worn bench in the park, still in his suit, instead of getting ready to watch the love of his life marry another man. He only hoped Luna would forgive him. He just wanted her to be happy.

Neville had caught him trying to slip out unnoticed. But, surprisingly, hadn't tried to stop him. "You tried, Dean, that's all anyone could ever ask for," he had said. "Don't worry, I'll cover for you." So Dean had left, and now here he was. Sitting on the bench he and Luna had spent so many Saturday mornings curled up on, throwing bread to the ducks in the duck pond. It was one of her favourite places, this bench. The two of them had returned to Hogwarts after the war, Dean having not finished his seventh year and Luna having to start hers. They'd been practically inseparable ever since what had happened to them at Malfoy Manor. They sat next to one another in all the classes they shared, and ate together despite being in different houses. Most days Luna would join Dean at the Gryffindor table, but he tried to make it as fair as possible by going over to the Ravenclaw table too.

And then, when they'd left school, Dean went to work in the illustration department of Obscurus Books in Diagon Alley. The Quibbler gained popularity so fast that Luna's father had to employ several more people, and opened up a main office just down the street from where Dean worked, putting Luna in charge. The two of them met up for lunch every day and sometimes dropped in to visit Fred and George at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Weekends would be trips up and down the coast following up on sightings of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack or Heliopaths or Blibbering Humdingers, after a quick visit to a very specific duck pond. Not once did they find anything conclusive, but Dean didn't mind. As long as he got to spend time with Luna, it didn't matter to him what he did in his time off.

Six years. He'd had six years to tell her how he felt, but he hadn't. He kept putting it off and backing out and he didn't think he'd ever forgive himself. And then Luna had got that apprenticeship with that wizarding naturalist company, and it was too late. The job had taken her half the world away from him, and it wasn't until she was gone that Dean realised just how empty his life was without her. So he'd made up his mind to tell her when she came home; looking back, he knew that the only thing that got him through those two long, lonely years was the thought that maybe, just maybe, Luna might love him too.

When she finally did come home, she was engaged to a man she'd met on her travels, Rolf Something-Or-Other, and Dean gave up. It hurt too much to keep trying, keep hoping. And that had left him here.

In the distance, church bells tolled six o'clock. Luna had wanted a sunset wedding. Dean had known she would – it was her favourite time of day. He remembered those days at Shell Cottage as if they were yesterday, when the two of them would sit and watch the sun go down every night. Back when he was just starting to fall for her. It felt like a lifetime ago. He'd been only seventeen back then, nothing but a boy on the brink of falling in love. The real deal, not the kind he had felt for Ginny. Now he was 26, Ginny and Harry and Ron and Hermione were all married with families of their own. Luna was just minutes away from pledging her heart to another, better man for the rest of her life. And still Dean loved her. He was powerless.

Abruptly, he stood up. He cast one final, desperate look at the pond before walking away, under the cover of some trees. The park was empty, which he was glad about. There would be no easy explanation for what he was about to do next, should a Muggle accidentally see him. After a lot of practice and perfecting, the ceremony was expected to conclude at half past six. At six thirty, Luna Lovegood would say "I do", and slip on her wedding band, and kiss her new husband. Dean stepped further into the shadow of the trees that the sunset was creating, and closed his eyes. He knew where he wanted to be when it happened.

And then, with a sudden jerk to his naval and a sharp crack!, he was there. Dean opened his eyes to a beautiful, golden sunset. He stood on the edge of a cliff, a few feet from the edge, holding his tie down against the breeze. It was their cliff. Shell Cottage was not too far away; he could see half the building and the roof from over some rolling hills. This was the place he and Luna had claimed as their own, during one of their nights watching the sunset. It was his favourite place in the whole world.

Smiling sadly, Dean looked down at the stone at his feet. Whilst searching for driftwood one day they'd found a slab of rock washed up on the shore, and used magic to clean it up and cut it into a neater shape. They'd used it to mark the spot. They'd carved their names into it and Luna had cast a spell to stop the writing wearing away. Still as clear and eligible as the evening they'd written it, Dean read the writing:

Dean & Luna

In the top right corner was the symbol of the DA, and underneath their names was a row of runes that Hermione had taught Luna upon request. Together, the whole thing read:

Dean & Luna

'Forever free'

The words had sprung from one of their many long conversations, this time one about the trouble in the wizarding world. They'd admitted, somewhat sheepishly on Dean's part, that when they were together it felt as if there was no war, nothing to either win or lose. That they were simply free.

Dean took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to blink away the sudden tears that filled his eyes. He looked at his watch one more time. Six thirty. It was over.

His suit was simple, black jacket, white button-up shirt and black tie with matching black trousers. But as he looked down at the bright yellow rose pinned to the jacket, he was reminded painfully of the woman he'd just lost. All those years ago, during their time as prisoners, she had been his splash of hopeful colour in a sea of darkness. Carefully, he unpinned the rose and held it up to examine it. He twisted it between his fingers, and tried to hold himself together. It was harder to keep back the tears than he'd anticipated. "Goodbye, Luna," he whispered into the breeze.

"But I'm right here." Dean almost jumped in surprise. He turned, startled, to his right. Luna stood before him, simple, knee-length golden dress shimmering in the light of the sunset. Her long, silvery-blonde hair hung in loose curls to her waist, the way it always had done.

"Luna," Dean murmured, suddenly breathless at the sight of her. "What are you doing here? I thought..." He took a deep breath, cleared his throat and spoke again, louder and sounding more nonchalant than he felt. "You're supposed to be at the wedding," he said.

"I know," Luna replied simply, stepping closer. He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn't heard the sound of her apparating nearby. "I couldn't do it." Dean's heart skipped a beat, but he remained silent. "I spoke with Rolf," Luna continued, looking to her right, out over the glimmering sea. "He understands. He said he feels the same, actually. We're well suited as friends, but nothing more. We think the Wrackspurts may have been to blame for us thinking we were in love."

"You and Rolf, you...you called it off?" Dean tried and just about succeeding in not stammering over the words. Luna looked up at him, a smile coming to her face.

"Yes, we've agreed to just be friends. He's going to go back out to India to study the Jibbering Gnat-Horn, and I'm going to remain here." For a moment, Dean's heart stopped. This couldn't be happening. It had to be dream. He'd wake up any second now and find out that he was still at home in bed, and had to get up to get ready for the wedding. Nonetheless, he wanted to blurt the truth to her in this dream, to be able to stay it just once to her face. Even if it wasn't real. But, instead, all that came out was,

"I'm sorry for leaving."

At that Luna waved a hand dismissively and her smiled widened slightly. "It's okay," she said in her dreamy voice. Then, "When I was with Rolf, I thought it was time to settle down, have a family. Make a home for myself. But when Neville said you'd left and tried to cover for you, it made me think." She looked up at him with a smile that threatened to melt his resolve, and when she took one of his large hands in her own he wondered if she felt the sudden burst of warm electricity that surged up his arm and filled the empty space in his heart. "You've been a huge part of my life these past nine years, Dean. Something was missing the last two years I was away. You were missing. I missed you terribly, every minute of every day, and it was horrible. And what Neville said made me think of Blibbering Humdingers..." A little crease appeared between her eyebrows as she frowned, running her fingertips over the back of Dean's right hand. Dean was trying to pay attention to her words and work past the fact that it was the first time she'd touched him in years. He'd stopped breathing properly long ago.

"Blibbering Humdingers," Luna continued quietly, "don't really have a home. They move about from place to place a lot, hiding away, making little burrows for themselves. But never homes. Poor things. I thought to myself, 'I'm not a Blibbering Humdinger. I don't want to be one.' I may be ready to settle down, but that doesn't mean I'm going to have to make a home. I already have one. I used to have one with Daddy, but I have a new one now, and it's my favourite one." Dean met her gaze, barely daring to breathe, soft brown eyes filled with curiosity, undeclared love and the faintest flickers of hope. "My home is here with you, Dean." His breath hitched, and he licked his lips nervously. If there was ever going to be a moment, it was now. It was the biggest risk he'd ever taken in his life, but he'd waited too long not to try. He held up the yellow rose and placed it delicately in her hair, making her smile.

"Luna," he breathed, moving just a little bit closer, gently taking her hands and holding them close to his chest. She peered up at him through her lashes, silvery-grey eyes curious, patient. "I should have told you six years ago. I should have told you nine years ago..." Dean swallowed and tried to say the words that were repeating themselves over and over inside his head. He'd wanted to tell her for so long. But was he really brave enough? And then a sudden picture crowded into his head, an image of he and Luna on this very cliff, saying their "I do"s – and then the picture changed, and he was opening the front door of his house and stepping inside, taking off his coat. He'd barely removed his scarf when three small, dark-haired children burst into the hallway and threw themselves on him. The youngest, a little girl who greatly resembled her mother, presented him with a picture of something that he somehow knew to be the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Then Luna was there and taking one of the children off him before kissing him on the cheek – but then the whole scene went up in flames, and there was Luna, walking down the aisle with a faceless stranger, and suddenly Dean wasn't so scared anymore.

"I love you," he said quietly. There was a second of silence, then her face lit up with a beaming smile.

"I love you too, Dean," Luna murmured, and leant up to kiss him. After a moment of surprise he kissed her back, and the rest of the world was forgotten. He pulled her close and she moved her hands to rest against his chest, feeling his heart beat underneath her fingertips. Luna smiled inwardly; his lips were softer than she'd expected. When they were desperate for air they pulled back, but stayed close enough for their noses to brush occasionally. Luna watched his face for a moment, and then her eyes filled with sudden concern.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked softly, keeping his hands on her waist while she moved her own to cup his face gently.

"You're crying," she murmured, and wiped away a tear with the pad of her thumb. "Must be the Nargles...I thought I saw some Mistletoe around here..."

Dean only smiled at her and chuckled. "Luna, you're amazing," he said, and leant down to kiss her again. Luna sighed against his lips, seeing gold even with her eyes closed as the sunset finally began to come to an end. At least the Nargles would start to disappear back to their Mistletoe. She couldn't quite remember ever feeling this happy, and that made her even happier. Then she saw, once again, in her mind, the vision of the three dark-haired children that she'd been seeing in her dreams for years. Luna smiled; she'd come back from her travels months ago.

But now she'd finally come home.

Just to clear it up a bit :] The nine years is from when he was 17 and she was 16, when they were at Shell College :] Their time at the manor & Shell Cottage, plus finishing school which is roughly one year, plus six years after that, then the two that Luna was away :] Give or take a couple months, nine years :].

Anyway, hope you liked it and that it was alright, please let me know in a review so that I know whether or not to write another one :] xx