Beyond Fear

The weeks leading up to Christmas brought an unusually harsh winter. Snow piled up on the windowsills, and the air inside the Rookery seemed heavy with something neither of them could name. It was a mix of the heat of desire that consumed them with every touch and the comfort of being together—a latent tension, as if both were walking a tightrope, unable to resist the pull of the other.

Their routine held a sense of comfort. Harry was always the first to wake, heading downstairs in his pajamas to prepare coffee.

As usual, Luna appeared minutes later, yawning and wrapped in a thick robe that barely covered her belly, her disheveled golden hair shining in its messy glory.

"Good morning," she murmured softly, as if not quite awake yet.

"Good morning," Harry replied, handing her a cup of tea and marveling at how her tousled appearance made her even more beautiful.

There was something simple and peaceful about these moments.

Some mornings, however, that peaceful aura was gleefully abandoned by Harry and Luna.

One such morning, as Luna opened a jar of jam to spread on her toast, Harry moved beside her to grab a glass from the cabinet. Their arms brushed, their bodies lightly touching, and she turned her face to look at him. It was a small gesture, but both felt the electricity that seemed to charge the air around them.

Before Harry could think, his lips were on hers. The kiss was hot and intense, as if they had been apart for months rather than just the hours of sleep. Harry forgot all about the glass, and Luna pushed the jam aside, placing her hands on him as though nothing else in the world existed but that moment.

"Harry," she whispered between kisses, her voice thick with something as essential as breathing.

He responded with a low sound, then brought his mouth to her ear, his voice rough and sending shivers down her spine.

"Do you know what I want, Luna?" He didn’t give her a chance to answer, his voice dripping with desire. "To bend you over this table and bury myself inside you while I watch your gorgeous ass."

"Do it," she replied instantly.

"Don’t tempt me, Luna," he growled, biting her neck.

"I’m not tempting you—I’m encouraging you," she shot back, pulling his hair forcefully and locking eyes with him. "I want you to bend me over the table and fuck me."

Luna, who always had soft words and rarely swore, turned deliciously filthy when they were caught in the storm of their desire. And she knew Harry adored it when she talked like that.

He gripped her neck, burying his nose in her hair. "It might not be comfortable for you, Lu," he said gently, though his voice was still thick with want.

Luna marveled at how he could be both tender and incredibly sexy at the same time. He made her feel things she never thought possible, and even when he was rough, there was a gentleness to him.

"We won’t know unless you try," she replied, pulling him into another kiss.

That seemed to break Harry’s concern. He slid a hand into her hair, pulling firmly to break the kiss.

His voice was commanding, sending a wave of excitement through every nerve in Luna’s body. His wild eyes made him look untamed.

"Turn around and take off that robe. Now."

Luna obeyed as quickly as she could. When her robe hit the floor, he placed a hand on her back, pressing her to bend over.

"Both hands on the table," he ordered.

As Luna complied, she felt Harry tugging down her pants and underwear. He was in a hurry, and she heard the sound of him pulling down his own.

She was already soaking wet.

"Hold on," was the only warning he gave before thrusting into her swiftly and deeply, harder and faster than they’d ever gone since they started having sex. Yet, even in his urgency, it wasn’t harmful to the babies.

Harry gripped her hips and maintained his quick, powerful rhythm, moving in and out of her.

Luna could only cling to the table and moan desperately at the overwhelming sensation.

"Fuck, Luna! How do you keep getting sexier?"

Luna only responded with another moan, the kitchen filled with the sound of their bodies colliding.

"Is this uncomfortable?" he asked, slowing his pace.

"No," Luna pushed back against him, urging him to continue, and he did. Despite her belly’s weight, the position wasn’t causing any discomfort.

"I want to feel you come around my cock," Harry growled. Luna loved his dirty talk—the way he told her what he wanted, how uninhibited he became during sex. It often pushed her to the brink, and this time was no different. A few more thrusts, and she was crying out, trembling as she came.

Harry kept going, relentless in intensifying her pleasure, until he followed her over the edge, groaning as he spilled into her.

He slowed his movements until he stopped, leaning over to rest his forehead against her back.

"Fuck! That was amazing," he said, his voice shaking.

"And all before breakfast," she teased as he stepped back and helped her up.

"What do you mean? That was breakfast," he joked, and they both burst into laughter.

Afternoons were dedicated to studying for their N.E.W.T.s. They tried their best to stick to Hermione’s schedule, knowing the babies’ due date was approaching and they’d have to pause soon. Luna usually sat on the floor of the living room, surrounded by books, with parchment scattered around her. Harry worked at the table but often found himself watching her more than the text in front of him.

"You’re not studying at all," she observed one afternoon without lifting her eyes from her book.

"I’m trying," he lied, closing his parchment with an exaggerated sigh.

Luna looked at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and something more. "Maybe you need motivation."

Harry raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, she stood and walked over to him. Her expression was serene, but there was determination in the way she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him.

What began as light teasing quickly turned serious. Harry pulled her onto his lap, her scent filling his every thought. His fingers traced the curve of her back, and Luna laughed softly—a sound that dissolved all his focus.

"Studying can wait," she murmured against his lips.

And it did. That afternoon, the books were forgotten, and the living room became the setting for a moment as intimate as it was inevitable.

As the babies’ arrival drew closer, Harry and Luna devoted themselves to finishing the nursery.

It was a December evening, and the twins’ room was nearly ready. The walls, painted weeks ago, glowed softly in the light streaming through the window. All that was left was assembling the furniture they had purchased at a Muggle shop earlier that morning: two small cribs and a white dresser with light wooden accents.

They had chosen the Muggle world to avoid reporters and unwanted encounters. Both were surprised that Rita Skeeter hadn’t published anything about the pregnancy yet.

Luna knelt on the floor, her hair in a loose bun, examining the scattered parts on the carpet. She held the instruction manual upside down, making Harry laugh as he entered the room with a toolbox. He wondered how she could manage that position with her large belly.

“You know reading it upside down isn’t going to make it any clearer, right?” he teased, leaning in to glance at the manual.

“That depends,” she replied, casting him a dreamy look. “Sometimes looking at something from a different angle reveals what’s hidden.”

Harry shook his head, smiling. “Let me see that.” He took the paper from her hands and turned it right-side up.

Luna just watched him for a moment, a soft smile playing on her lips as he studied the instructions with a focused expression.

“Okay, I think this will be easier than it looks,” Harry said, already kneeling to start assembling the first crib.

“I’ll help,” Luna offered, moving to sit cross-legged beside him.

“Are you sure? Last time you tried to help, the bookshelf ended up crooked,” Harry joked, recalling how Luna had insisted that the slanted shelf was an “artistic touch.”

She laughed softly. “Maybe I should supervise instead.”

As they worked, the room filled with laughter and lighthearted conversation. Luna busied herself sorting screws and smaller parts while Harry tackled the larger structures.

“This is easier than hunting Horcruxes,” he commented, tightening a screw.

“Perhaps. But hunting Horcruxes never required reading a twenty-page manual,” Luna countered, leaning over his shoulder to point at something on the paper.

The movement brought her closer, and Harry felt the warmth of her breath against his neck. For a moment, he stopped working and looked at her.

“Luna…”

She lifted her gaze to meet his, and there was something intense in his eyes—something that always seemed to linger when they were so close.

They leaned in, and their lips met. The kiss was soft at first but quickly deepened.

Luna responded without hesitation, her hands moving to his face as if she couldn’t resist either. The world around them disappeared, the crib pieces forgotten on the floor.

When they finally pulled away, both were breathless. Harry rested his forehead against hers, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Are we actually working on the nursery, or is this just an excuse to kiss?” he asked.

“Maybe it’s both,” Luna replied, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous sparkle.

Harry was always amazed by how desperately drawn they seemed to each other. At every opportunity, they found themselves lost in one another.

After the stolen moment, they returned to work, though the occasional touches persisted. Harry would rest his hand on her waist whenever he reached for something, and Luna’s fingers would brush his arm as she handed him tools.

When they finished assembling the first crib, they stood back to admire their handiwork.

“It’s perfect,” Luna said, her eyes glowing as she ran her hand over the smooth wood finish.

“It really is. I just hope they like it,” Harry replied, a proud smile on his face.

Luna chuckled softly. “They’ll love it. As long as we don’t try to read their manual upside down.”

Harry laughed, but his expression softened as he looked at her. He reached out, pulling her closer.

“You know you’re going to be amazing with them, right?” he said, his voice low.

Luna tilted her head, a small but sincere smile on her lips. “I hope I will be. And you will be too, Harry.”

For a moment, doubt flickered in his eyes, but before he could voice it, Luna kissed him again, as if to dispel any uncertainty lingering in his mind.

Their nights were always more intimate. After dinner and watching a movie, they would go upstairs and lie in bed together. Even lying side by side, it seemed impossible to keep apart; they always gravitated toward each other, finding the best position to accommodate Luna’s growing belly.

Harry loved how she fit against him, and it always led to him running his hands over her delicate skin. Even when the touch started innocently, everything changed as soon as he noticed her skin prickling under his touch. His hand would trail down to the space between her thighs, and giving her pleasure—hearing her sighs and moans—was better than his own gratification.

It was always like this—inevitable, as if resisting was beyond either of them.

December passed quickly, and Christmas loomed as a bright promise on the horizon. Luna had decorated the house with a mix of wizarding traditions and her own, which meant quirky ornaments that made Harry smile.

They still sought each other constantly, as if the desire between them was a hunger that could never be sated. Now, however, there was more care, as Luna’s belly had grown so large, and her back often ached.

On the night before leaving to celebrate Christmas at the Burrow, they lay in bed. Harry felt Luna’s breath against his chest and wondered what tomorrow would bring. They had considered not going, but Ron had sent a rare letter saying Molly would be upset. They decided to go, with the promise to return home early.

He wasn’t sure how things would go with Ginny there. Since their breakup, he hadn’t seen any of the Weasleys in person. Would they be upset? Harry reasoned that if they were, they wouldn’t have invited him. Still, the discomfort lingered.

Would he tell everyone he was with Luna? Then he wondered what their relationship even meant. They had never labeled it.

Sensing his quiet, Luna took his hand and placed it on her belly, feeling the twins move, hoping it would ease whatever was on his mind.