(i. Engagement Party)
Luna used to love Neville. She used to only want to be with him, and she used to wait up all night to see him walk through the door when he got home from work. But that was years ago, and now Neville has moved on from her. Moved on to Hannah Abbott. And this is precisely why she does not want to face either of them, because Neville has moved on, and Luna doesn’t know if she has yet.Yet Luna is not about to turn down the invitation to their engagement party. She hasn’t seen Neville in too long of a time, and she knows that they left each other for a reason.
It is March and appropriately cold and windy. Hannah’s house looms over the hill, and Luna tentatively knocks on the door. She doesn’t think Hannah will open the door, since it is her party, and Luna would prefer to not have to say anything to Hannah at all. But she knows that isn’t reality.
–Luna,†says Hannah cordially, opening the door. So Luna was wrong. And this didn’t please her. Luna hadn’t been ready to face Hannah.
–Thank you for coming,†Hannah says.
Luna smiles tightly. –How could I miss your engagement party? Congratulations.†Luna hands Hannah a carefully wrapped gift with a small bow on the top of it.
–Thank you,†Hannah says, escorting Luna into a room full of guests. –Can I get you anything? We have drinks, Firewhisky…†She trails off, letting Luna fill in the blanks.
–No,†Luna says. –I mean, not right now. Maybe in a bit.â€
–Of course,†Hannah says politely. Luna can see her swallow. –Well. I’m going to go and find Neville. I’m sure he’ll be…really happy to see you.â€
Luna bites her lip and watches Hannah leave.
–Luna,†a voice sounds at her shoulder. Luna turns to see Justin Finch-Fletchley. Justin smiles at her. –Hi! I haven’t seen you since…â€
–Yes, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?†Luna says, relieved to hear her voice in its normal faraway tones. Justin nods.
–I’ve been meaning to write to you for ages,†Justin says, almost shyly. –But I never really got around to it. I’ve been busy.â€
–Really?†Luna says. –What have you been doing? Daddy and I went to the north for a little to look for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, but we didn’t find any.â€
Unlike most people, Neville among them, Justin doesn’t look perturbed at Luna’s comments. –That’s a shame,†he says.
–Yes, we were quite looking forward to showing everyone,†Luna says.
–Do you want to go and get a drink?†Justin asks. Although Luna has just declined Hannah’s offer, she suddenly nods.
–I’d love to,†Luna says. –Really.†Even though it’s on the spur of the moment, Luna can’t help wondering why she agreed to Justin’s offer but not Hannah’s. As she follows Justin to the table, she can’t help but feel a bit guilty.
–Changed your mind, then?†Hannah walks up to the two of them and arches an eyebrow. Luna blushes.
–Well—Justin offered—and—–
Hannah laughs. –It’s fine, Luna. I won’t hold you to it.†She hands Luna a wine glass. –What would you like?â€
–Hannah, really, I can get myself a drink,†Luna says. –There’s no mistletoe; I’m safe from the Nargles.â€
Hannah looks confused for a second, and then she brushes it off with a smile. –Right.â€
Luna looks around for Justin for a second and sees that he’s gone back to the dance floor, leaving her with Hannah. –Actually,†she says, –go ahead. What do you have?â€
– Well, we have Firewhisky, butterbeer, pomegranate wine…†Hannah says, almost relieved.
–Just the wine, then,†Luna says. As Hannah pours it, Neville approaches them.
–Hi,†he says to Hannah, and kisses her on the cheek. Hannah smiles and hands the glass of wine to Luna. For a second, their fingers touch, and Hannah’s dark eyes meet Luna’s blue ones. Luna quickly shakes away her gaze and turns to Neville.
–Thank you,†says Luna. Neville turns to greet her.
–I’m really glad you could come,†he says. Luna is sure he is remembering the time they spent together too, but she only nods. Neville doesn’t continue, and Luna takes a sip of the wine.
It leaves a burning aftertaste as she swallows, like it wants her to remember it was there. It is dark and after Luna sips it, she feels full.
She doesn’t often drink; at least, nothing stronger than Butterbeer, and times like these make her wonder why. The taste of pomegranates on her breath leaves her dumbstruck for a moment, like this is a taste that is not about to go away.
It is still there when Luna is leaving the engagement party with the rest of the guests. The flaring taste and scent that Luna cannot get enough of.
When Hannah kisses her on the cheek and thanks her for coming, goosebumps arise on Luna’s neck. Hannah smells of mystery, of heat. In short, she smells like the taste that is still in Luna’s mouth.
(ii. Wedding)
Hannah is locked away inside a room. It is a spacious room, a room that many people would die to get inside of, but still, Hannah is forbidden to leave. She is wearing a pearled white dress that took hours to pick out, low white heels, hair pulled back in an elaborate braided bun with a veil over it.
Hannah is getting married.
She still cannot face the fact that in less than an hour, she will no longer be Hannah Abbott, no longer the round-faced, pink-cheeked girl who was the first one called for the Sorting Hat. No, she will be Hannah Longbottom, the woman.
–It’s almost time, Hannah,†someone says; Hannah isn’t quite sure who. She merely nods. When it is time, and she walks down the aisle, it’s like she’s floating.
So why isn’t she unbelievably happy? Why, when the wizard bonds them together, isn’t she ecstatic? What is wrong?
–Hannah,†Neville says after they kiss, when the reception begins. When they have time to speak by themselves. –Are you okay?â€
Even though she’s not, Hannah nods and forces a smile. –Yes, I’m just…†She doesn’t have to finish. Neville nods.
–I know.â€
But does he?
–I’ll be right back,†Neville says, –just the loo.†Hannah sits down at a table. After a while, Luna sits beside her.
–It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?†she says quietly. Relieved, Hannah nods.
–Congratulations,†Luna says. She’s about to add that Neville’s a wonderful man, but looking at Hannah’s face, she decides against it.
Hannah swallows. –It’s just…I’m so unsure about all this.â€
–It’s marriage,†Luna points out. –It’s going to be fine.â€
–Not that,†Hannah murmurs. –Neville.â€
–What do you mean?†Luna says. –What about Neville?†She sounds worried.
–Nothing,†Hannah says quickly, suddenly afraid that she’s said too much. Luna isn’t that easily fooled. She reaches across the table and takes Hannah’s hand in her own. And suddenly that is all Hannah can pay attention to.
–Really,†Luna says. –What about him? What did he do?†She sounds curious, and Hannah feels like she actually wants to know.
–It’s not Neville,†Hannah says finally. –Not really. It’s me.â€
–You,†Luna says.
–Yes,†Hannah replies, looking around, but Neville’s still not back. –I’m just so unsure about the marriage.â€
Luna looks shocked. –You’re not sure you should have married him?â€
Hannah takes a drink off a platter that a waiter is carrying around and takes a sip of it. –I’m not sure I should have married anyone.â€
–Of course you should have,†Luna says. She barely even notices when another waiter sets a plate in front of the two of them. –I know I don’t know you that well, Hannah, but you’re a wonderful woman, and you should be married.â€
Hannah takes another sip of her drink. –Can I tell you something?â€
–Er—yes, anything,†Luna says, even though she’s just admitted that she barely even knows Hannah.
–You should be married,†Hannah admits, –to Neville. You are a better person, you love him, and I… I don’t even really know what he is to me.â€
–You do love him,†Luna tells her. –You have to.â€
Hannah almost cracks a smile. –Or what? The Wrackspurts will come and attack me?â€
–You can’t rule it out,†Luna says.
Hannah does smile, and she reaches forward onto the plate and takes a pomegranate off it. –Have you ever heard the story of Persephone?â€
–Yes,†Luna says. –She was kidnapped, and she would have been able to leave the underworld if she hadn’t eaten the pomegranate. But she did. So for six months of the year, she had to stay down with the god of the underworld.â€
Hannah turns the fruit between her hands, and takes a bite of it. –So, Luna, can I leave the underworld now? Or am I like Persephone? Stuck where I don’t want to be?â€
–I think,†Luna says thoughtfully, –that you could go wherever you want to go.†She takes the pomegranate from Hannah’s hand and breaks off a piece of it. –Besides, if I eat this, I’m stuck there with you.â€
–Come with me,†Hannah says suddenly. Luna follows her until they are past the outskirts of the wedding, outside the party. Hannah turns towards Luna until they are unbreakably close. –This is why I shouldn’t have Neville.â€
Before Luna can say anything, Hannah kisses her. It is nothing like Luna expected; it is harsh and rich and smoky. Just as suddenly, Hannah breaks away. –I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—oh my, I’m sorry.â€
Luna says nothing. Because although she did not eat the pomegranate, she can taste it in her mouth as fully as if it were there.
And she cannot stop wondering what it would be like if Hannah kissed her again.
(iii. Aftermath)
Luna has taken to wandering the streets of Diagon Alley, in the hopes that Hannah will be there. She has not spoken to Hannah since the wedding, and to tell the truth, Luna is not sure Hannah wants to speak to her.
That kiss has torn Luna apart—on the one hand, she is sure that she did not want it, but on the other, she becomes marvelously excited whenever she thinks of it and she is desperately hoping that it will happen again. Luna doesn’t know what she is going to say when she sees Hannah. She doesn’t know if she will say anything.
Yet still, she wanders the streets. She knows that sometime, Hannah will come walking down them, looking for a new cauldron or some herbs for Neville. Hannah will see her, and they will speak.
I don’t know what I was doing, Hannah will say. Luna doesn’t want her to apologise, because she doesn’t know if Hannah has even done anything wrong.
And in her morbidly erotic fantasy, so wrong that Luna begins to wonder if the Wrackspurts really have got to her head, she will kiss Hannah again.
When the day does come, and Hannah does arrive, sitting at the Leaky Cauldron without ordering anything at all, Luna doesn’t know what to do. She stands awkwardly at the door, balancing the temptation to go sit beside Hannah and the need to go walk away. Her temptation wins out, and she sits.
–Luna,†Hannah says, but she doesn’t sound surprised. –I’ve been meaning to talk to you—– She breaks off. –I’m sorry.â€
–Don’t be,†Luna responds, even thought that is not what she planned to say at all. Now, Hannah does look surprised. She twists the thin wedding band around her finger.
–What do you mean, don’t be sorry? Luna, I kissed you.â€
–I know,†Luna says serenely. –Hannah, I know.â€
The second time they kiss, it is not sudden. It is not hurried or unexpected. It is raw and tender and it is not the fact that they are both women that makes it wrong. It is the wedding band around Hannah’s finger, the scrape of bricks across Luna’s back as they move to stay hidden.
It is the fact that even though neither of them have had the fruit, the taste of pomegranates lingers in Luna’s mouth as she gives a sad smile and walks away from the woman she thinks she loves.
Years later, when she falls in love with someone that she could actually love, she thinks of Hannah, and wonders why she could even have left in the first place.
The Taste of You by Padfoot11333
Story Notes:
This was betaed by the lovely Soraya/babewithbrains/xxbabewithbrainsxx. I don't own anything, and I highly doubt JKR ships this pairing.
Chapter Endnotes: Well, there you have it! My very first SSP! Please review (: