"Luna!" Harry shouted, running to catch up with her, "Luna, wait!"

The blonde haired girl turned to look at him, only metres away from the barrier which would let her out into King's Cross.

"Yes, Harry?" she asked serenely, as if they were in a nice, secluded spot and not a busy station. It was even louder than usual, because as well as the squawk of owls and the meowing of caged cats there was an air of panic that now amount of noise could drown out. He was back. They couldn't deny it any more.

"I...I just wanted to say thank you," he said, feeling suddenly awkward now. He'd known he'd have to say something to her, and had began to piece words together on the Hogwarts Express. Now, however, his mind was completely blank.

"For what?" Luna enquired, tilting her head to one side. Her eyes looked even larger than usual. Eerily large.

"For...well, for joining the DA. For coming with us to the Ministry..."

He trailed off. He knew he should say something about how much she'd helped him in those first confusing weeks, just after Sirius had died, when he hadn't been able to accept it or move on or do anything but mourn.

"For being a good friend, Luna," he finished, giving up. It seemed to him to be a rather lame ending to the speech, but the smile that spread across her face told him that it was more than adequate.

"Oh, you don't need to thank me, Harry," she said brightly, "I enjoyed it. Having friends is very nice. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have any."

She was once again demonstrating her knack for speaking uncomfortable truths. Although, he supposed, it didn't matter that she'd had no friends at the beginning of the year. What mattered was that she had them now.

***

"Merry Christmas, Luna," said Harry. He'd caught up with her in the courtyard, trudging through the snow in a hat and scarf she'd obviously knitted herself. No shop would sell anything so oddly patterned.

"Oh, hello Harry," she said, "You didn't come back Slughorn's party last night. Did you get stuck in the bathroom?"

"Err...no," said Harry, feeling briefly confused before remembering that he'd left the party to follow Draco and Snape. He'd been so caught up in what he'd heard that he'd almost forgotten how he'd come to hear it. "I...I just wanted to give you your present."

"You got me a present?" exclaimed Luna, wide-eyed with delight and surprise. "Oh thank you Harry! I've never got a Christmas present from a friend before. It's almost even better than going to a party with you, as a friend!"

Harry, feeling slightly awkward, handed over the package. It wasn't much, just a box of chocolates shaped like the hare that was Luna's Patronus. He felt a bit guilty about that fact that he hadn't bought her more, even though Luna's smile was so bright it outshone the crisp white snow that frosted the castle.

***

With the situation in the Wizarding World so dire, it was remarkable that Fleur still found time to be so house-proud. Right now she was storming around Shell Cottage, demanding to know who had decimated her flower beds. All that was left of her previously perfect roses were a bunch of broken stems.

Harry could face down an army of Death Eaters, but the sight of the french woman advancing on her house guests was enough to send him running into the garden for cover.

Once there, he found the culprit sitting cross-legged by Dobby's grave, threading the stolen flowers into a wreath. Luna didn't noticed him until he sat down beside her.

"Thank you, Luna," he said, gesturing weakly at the flowers. He didn't know what else to say. Luna simply smiled, and rested a hand on his arm as she passed over the wreath for him to lay on the grave. Harry found her presence oddly reassuring.

***

Luna was sitting outside the castle, watching the sun setting over the Forbidden Forest.

"Are you ok, Luna?" he asked, a little uncertainly. She looked much more serious than usual, but he couldn't tell if it was just the light or not.

"Azkaban was raided by the new Ministry," she said, as if that was an answer. "My father is safe. He's back home now. I'll join him there soon, I expect."

Harry just stared at her, unable to see why this would make her upset. Obviously he didn't like Xenophilius very much, but Luna cared about him a great deal.

"The horn didn't belong to a Crumple-horned Snorkack," she continued quietly, not looking at him. "Daddy hasn't found it in the ruins. It didn't form again after the explosion."

Oh.

"Well," said Harry, "You can't give up all your beliefs just because Snorkacks might not be real, Luna. There are so many other creatures out there. What about the Nargles, or the Wrackspurt? Their existence is just waiting to be proven, and I can't think of anyone better to do it."

Luna slipped her hand into Harry's and smiled up at him gratefully. He wondered what Hermione would have said if she'd known he was humouring her like this, then decided that it was better to not think about it too much.

***

Solemn green eyes surveyed this latest visitor from within a nest of blankets knitted with extreme care by Mrs Weasley, sure to keep her latest grandchild safe from colds, sniffles and, more often than not, his own movement.

Luna regarded him in the same manner. Harry had expected some sort of comment from her - perhaps a suggestion involving dirigible plums and the child's ability to 'accept the extraordinary' - but she simply watched Albus Severus with wide-eyed reverence.

"He's beautiful, Harry," she said, extending a finger down for the child to clutch with a tiny fist.

"I'm glad you think so," the proud father replied, "Since he's going to be your godson..."

After all, there was a whole army of potential godfathers for the youngest and newest Potter. What he really needed was a godmother to teach him to think outside the norm.

Something in Luna's smile told Harry she'd rise to the challenge.