I Learned Your Pulse

"Вы можете их увидеть?"

"It's not their fault you can only see them if you've seen death," said Harry softly. "They're actually sweet."

"I wonder what they're doing all the way out here," said Ginny in a whisper.

Hermione silently agreed, and they continued to stare as another thestral joined the one already drinking.

And then Luna and Neville were suddenly at their sides. "Hello," said Luna brightly. "Admiring the thestrals?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"No," said Hermione.

"Somewhat," said Ginny.

Hermione looked closer at the hands of Luna and Neville. She could have sworn she'd seen something glitter -

"Oh my!" she squealed, sitting bolt upright, taking Luna's hand and staring at the ring finger, which now held a sparkling gold band.

Neville laughed. "Noticed, have you?"

"What?" Ginny demanded. "What is..." she saw the ring. "Oh, Luna, Neville, this is great!"

Harry was last to spot the ring. "You're getting married?" he asked, as if he'd never heard of such a thing before. "But you're so young..."

Neville shrugged. "Young or old, whatever I may be, I want to be it with Luna."

Luna smiled and out her head on Neville's shoulder. "Isn't he sweet?" she said, in her dream-like voice.

And she began to cough rather forcefully. She bent forward, coughing loudly, and Neville held her shoulder, anxiety clear on his face. But when she was done, they both acted as if nothing had happened, and Luna continued with, "He was very original with his proposal, too."

"How'd he propose?" asked Hermione eagerly.

Neville blushed. "Well, I actually had the whole thing planned out, you see, but it kind of got a little messed up."

"What happened?" asked Ginny.

"We were researching Nargles," said Luna earnestly (Hermione and Harry riased their eyebrows, but stayed silent). "And he got us our books to look for them, but he got me the wrong book, and you see, Madame Pince came along and picked the right book out of the shelf."

"She was furious," laughed Neville. "I'd taken my own book and carved a little hole into it, and put the ring in there with a note that asked if she'd marry me, and she called me an imbecile, refused the proposal, and tried to charge me for destruction of my own book."

"I was slightly confused as to why he'd asked her to marry him," said Luna. "But when he explained, I understood."

"And she said yes," said Neville.

Hermione felt a pang of jealousy. She knew for certain that she wasn't ready for marriage yet, but she'd wish Ron would be more of a romantic.

"And got great information on Nargles," Luna finished.

Ginny laughed. "How cute," she awarded the story. "But why now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Neville, confused.

"Why now?" she repeated. "Why not wait? You've got loads of time ahead of you, there's nothing to make you rush anymore."

Neville once again shrugged. "See, we don't actually know that we've got loads of time," he said. "You never know what tomorrow might bring."

"It might bring more Nargles," said Luna brightly. "That would be great, wouldn't it?"

"It would," Neville agreed.