Neville thought he might pass out as he Apparated to the church, Harry and Ron right behind him. Ron was still muttering as they arrived.
“This is the most God-awful color I’ve ever seen in my life. Hermione will demand a divorce once she sees me in this.”
“Shut up, Ron, we’ve all got to wear it,” Harry said, laughing good-naturedly. “At least the groom gets to be stylish.” He patted Neville on the shoulder as they walked inside the lobby.
“I don’t know if I can do this. I think I’m gonna be sick,” he confided in them.
They both grinned at him. “You’ll be fine. This is normal,” Harry joked. “Ron and I both had to talk one another down at our own weddings.”
Neville nodded, though he felt no better about it. This just felt... wrong. Suddenly, a strange question popped back into his mind. “What does elf-shot mean?”
At that moment, Ginny and Hermione came round the corner. “Neville!” Hermione hugged him. “What are you saying about being elf-shot?”
“I asked what it means.”
Hermione looked at him strangely and commented, “It’s a very old Irish Muggle term. I came across it once in a Muggle Studies book. It has something to do with a sickness caused by fairies, but I’m sure you’re not elf-shot.” She laughed as he flushed.
Ginny stepped in asking, “How are you, Neville?” When he only responded with a nervous laugh, she pushed him toward the main doors into the church. “Go on, your Gran is already here and she’d like a word. Besides, the bride is coming in here soon and you can’t see her.”
He pulled her aside for a second and whispered, “Ginny, I really might not make it through this.”
“Neville, breathe. You’ll be fine. Don’t fret too much. Now go on in and see your Gran. She’ll set your mind at ease.”
She poked her head around a corner and stole a glance into the lobby. Luna quickly spotted her friends, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. They were all standing around and chatting for the last few minutes before the wedding started. They were obviously part of the wedding party, because they were all wearing horrible shades of pale yellow-green and an odd pink that they would never have chosen for themselves. Luna usually liked yellow, but this was barely passable.
She spotted several others, Seamus, Dean, Susan Bones, Ernie Macmillan... apparently, she was the only person from Hogwarts who’d not been invited. It hurt, even though she knew why. The bride didn’t like her.
With good reason! Look what you’re doing!
An older lady and a young couple she didn’t know brushed rudely past her as she made her way in the door. As she didn’t recognize them at all, they must have been from the Abbott family. Speaking of Hannah Abbott, where was she? The wedding would start any moment...
Before Luna could find a good place to hide, the rest of the wedding party came stomping down the hallway, lead by the bride herself. Luna ducked behind a curtain that she could only hope wasn’t Nargle-infested. She really didn’t care at the moment. Luna chanced a look around the fabric to see the bride. She looked...puffy.
That was impolite.
Well, it’s true.
Hannah was wearing possibly the biggest dress Luna had ever seen. It bulged out at the bottom and at the sleeves. It was a pale cream color with a bright yellow sash obviously meant to be a nod to her House at Hogwarts, but it washed out an already pale Hannah.
She’s still prettier than you. Luna again doubted her choice to come. She knew her eyes were too big and her hair was too pale. You are not the type of girl who can pull this off. She knew there was nothing interesting about herself, except that everyone found her family an oddity. He’d never choose her. She’d killed that chance long ago.
Her thoughts were broken as Hannah turned on a little bridesmaid behind her and chided her for stepping on the train of her dress. The other girl, also a Hufflepuff if Luna remembered correctly, cowered as if she’d been through this all morning. Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione rubbed her temples while Ron and Harry started to snicker, earning themselves a vicious glance from the bride.
Luna took her chance and used the distraction to slip in the side doors that lead into the church. People around the room were exchanging the normal pleasantries, shaking hands and chatting barely above a whisper. Then she saw him. Neville.
He was standing in the front talking to his Gran and he looked exactly the way he had when she’d walked away in Diagon Alley a week ago. Like he’d be sick any moment. She tried not to giggle nervously; it was just the way he handled anxiety.
Her mind wandered of its own accord back to one specific night when they’d met by the lake. It wasn’t the first time they’d met up alone like that. They would lay by the lake and talk, usually ending with her explaining some creature he’d never heard of or him explaining the use of some magical plant she didn’t understand. They’d often make silly plans to find new animals or new magical plants in places never before explored. Once, he had interrupted her babbling about Moon Frogs midsentence with a chuckle and a kiss. Their very first kiss. She remembered the way her heart had soared and she’d lost all sense of what she’d been talking about.
Then she remembered another night. She’d been so stupid and naive. Neville had started talking about getting married after Hogwarts. At fifteen years old, Luna really hadn’t known what to say and began babbling. It had hurt so much to watch his face fall when she opened her mouth. He’d thought she was changing the subject to avoid it and assumed that same nauseous look. Then he’d dropped the subject. Forever.
They’d drifted apart quickly after that, Neville retreating from what he apparently thought was rejection. But they’d been able to stay friends, sort of. She had never let him get away or dodge her. Throughout the rest of their years at Hogwarts, there had been little hints, lingering glances, small touches that always made her breath catch. She’d flirted the best she knew how to try and encourage him again, but she wasn’t very good at it and he wasn’t very good at catching it. There was a reason she wasn’t a Gryffindor. And so nothing had ever happened. She’d told him once, at a birthday party for Ginny, that it broke her heart to see him dating someone else. He densely asked her why, but before she could get the courage to answer, the girl had walked up to drag him away.
Her idiotic feelings had never gone away. Her heart still leapt every time she got an owl from him and still plummeted every time she imagined him with someone else. She still stared at his face on her stupid ceiling until she fell asleep each night. She could never bring herself to remove him.
She quickly came back to her senses as an organ started to play on its own, sounding a little flat. It made the Wedding March sound like a funeral procession. She dove into an empty seat as others rushed to reclaim their own.
Harry and Ginny, then Ron and Hermione, followed by Ernie Macmillan and the little Hufflepuff girl, all walked gracefully down the aisle to stand on opposite sides of the stage. The doors flew open dramatically with little pink butterflies filling the room. Hannah floated down the aisle with her father, looking radiant despite Luna’s earlier observations. Her heart fell. There was no way she could do this. She was nothing compared to this girl.
She studied Neville as his bride approached. He had a small smile on his face, but it didn’t really look happy. Pleased, but not glowingly happy like a person is supposed to look on their wedding day. Could Hannah ever make him smile like that? The way a person should?
I could. I have before. He deserves to smile.
Neville watched Hannah glide up the aisle towards him and relaxed a bit. She was gorgeous. He knew he could marry her. She was a perfect match for him. They liked the same things, had the same friends, held the same beliefs. She cared for him. And he cared for her.
But do you truly love her? The way you once loved someone?
He knew he had to say no, but only because he had been hurt so badly the first time, right? It was just too hard to give it another shot. It wasn’t that he didn’t love her as much, he just couldn’t love her as much.
That’s sounds even worse! Why are you thinking this through now? It’s over. You’ve chosen. Besides, it’s not like anyone is running in to stop you.
Neville took a deep breath and took Hannah’s hand as she met him. There were too many people watching. He felt almost... trapped. But it was just nerves. Harry and Ron had felt the same, and look how happy they were, how perfectly they were matched. He listened carefully to every word said over him and his bride, and found the strength to smile at her as she looked up at him.
Despite his self-assurances, he still found himself holding his breath when he heard, “... Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Luna didn’t hear most of what was said, because she couldn’t take her eyes off Neville. She got lost in daydream after daydream, reliving little moments, wishing she was the one up there beside him, wishing she’d done something, anything to fix what she’d messed up that night. Godric, give me the heart of a Gryffindor, if only for a moment. Then the dreaded words were said before she felt any of the courage she begged for.
“...Speak now or forever hold your peace...”
The typical dead silence accompanied the words as if anyone were afraid to even shift in their seat.
No! I can’t do this! I’m not ready!
He said forever, Luna! This is your last chance!
Then her mutinous body made her shoot to her feet before her mind knew what to say. Her hands shook quietly as most of the room gasped and everyone turned to look at her. She caught a couple of the horrified looks, but Ginny was beaming, Hermione had a smug smile, and Harry’s thoughts were evident on his face, nearly cheering “Do it!” Ron was bewildered and the bride looked like she was ready to kill.
But then Luna found the only face she needed to see and completely relaxed. Neville. He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. She locked eyes with him and she saw a hope there that gave her all the courage she needed. She was used to being stared at, so ignoring everyone else was fairly easy after that.
“Don’t...” Her voice shook some, but she found it easily and began talking almost too quickly for her airy voice to be understood. “Don’t say yes to her. I know I don’t belong here and I have no right... but you can’t. I made a huge mistake, but I’m not a Gryffindor, and I was just scared. But it would be partially my fault if I let you make an even bigger mistake without saying something. Run away. Don’t make her any promises. I only want you to promise me!”
Neville felt his heart stop. He’d snatched around and searched for her, finding her there, standing in the middle of a row of people. She’d come. She had come to stop him. Luna... And then she apologized and actually asked him to walk away. To be with her. He felt he couldn’t move.
The bride was no longer dumbstruck. “How dare you? No one even invited you!” she shot nastily. Luna looked away from Neville and lost her nerve. Hannah was now fuming at her, and Neville had simply looked shell-shocked. She should have seen this coming. There was no way to change the past.
Hannah rounded on her again. “If you think you can come here and ruin my wedding...”
“Okay.”
Neville’s single word, finally forced out, made both girls’ heads snap around to stare at him. She’d come. She’d taken a bigger chance than he ever could have taken to be with him. He needed nothing more.
Luna felt like her heart would burst as she struggled to remain standing while her knees tried to give way. Whispers shot through the room and Hannah turned on Neville.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“I... I really am sorry, Hannah,” Neville stuttered, hating to hurt her. She was so kind. So good to him. But then he looked out and stared into Luna’s eyes. “I love her, Hannah. It wouldn’t be fair to you to pretend otherwise.”
“Fair to me? What part of this is fair to me?” Hannah hit him in the chest with her bouquet, flowers falling everywhere. He knew he deserved far worse for doing this to her.
Wrackspurts had completely filled Luna’s head, as she couldn’t seem to speak and could barely hear over a constant buzzing in her ears.
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” Neville began, reaching out to hug her lightly.
“No!” She shoved him back, clearly furious and humiliated. “Just... just go!”
People across the church started an uproar, mostly Hannah’s family. Neville noticed his Gran looked like she might burst out laughing, for she’d never liked Hannah. Not that she’d accept Luna any easier.
A couple of the Abbott family members turned on Luna, shouting at her, until Harry and Ginny made it over and pulled her safely into the lobby.
Ginny hugged her fiercely. “I don’t know what possessed you to do that, but thank Merlin you did!”
Neville shot out the doors seconds later, searching for her. He spotted her and ran to pick her up and spin her around. She almost laughed in surprise. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have come, but...”
“No! Thank God you did!” He put her back on her feet. “I nearly made the biggest mistake of my life!”
She beamed up at him until he kissed her. Ginny giggled while Harry cleared his throat. “Uh, you two might want to get out of here. This will get ugly before it gets better.”
Neville never took his eyes off Luna. “Let’s run away together.” He laughed. “Where to?”
“Anywhere we can find something new.” She giggled and they Disapparated on the spot.