[Professor Luna Darani]

It wasn't often that Luna got to pull a joke on Harry. Come to think of it...it wasn't often that she got to share good news either.

She chuckled to herself for a moment before regaining composure and daring to knock on her boss's door.

"Harry. I need to talk with you...It's Luna." This is how must of their conversations started...but this one was funnier.

[Harry Potter]

"Oh...." Harry, for some reason, was expecting the knock to be followed by the voice of Ginny. Seemingly he missed his wife, but no matter, he would see her that evening, assuming he didn't have to stay late at the Ministry.

"Right, come on in, Luna," he called out, after giving his wand a quick wave to unlock his door.

[Professor Luna Darani]

"So I know we've been kind of busy and I just asked for a week and all.....but I need more time off." she replied, channeling the energy she wanted to use to laugh and made herself look nervous instead.

[Harry Potter]

Harry blinked his expression into one of mild confusion---he was quite unsure if Luna was joking or not, though if she was, this wasn't, in Harry's opinion, that humourous of a joke. Luna didn't exactly have the sense of humor of a Weasley twin, but Harry knew her to be more creative than this. That deduced Harry to believe that Luna was indeed being serious in her request.

"Er...of course, if you need time...but...I don't understand...are you ill?" Harry's expression was now more confused--and a bit worried---it was highly unlike Luna to willingly take time off on her own accord...something had to be horribly wrong.

[Professor Luna Darani]

"Ill? Heavens no! You worry too much, no..." she answered again. "It's just that...I've got some family coming and I'm not going to need long. Only nine months or so.." Luna said casually as she took a seat in front of his desk.

[Harry Potter]

Harry made a funny sort of noise in the back of his throat, and after swallowing and coughing several times to recover, he raised his brow slightly at Luna.

"Nine months? For family? I don't...Luna, are you sure everything is okay?" Harry cleared his throat a bit, and thought for a moment about conjuring a glass of water, but the matter at hand demanded all of his attention. Something was definetely wrong, but it was simply a matter of getting Luna to speak openly about it.

[Professor Luna Darani]

"Harry...." Luna was quite red at this point. She had honestly figured he would have understood with the "nine months" term. He had three kids...possibly he was asleep for it? Either way, her joke was becoming more trouble than it was worth.

"It's special family. It'll need a lot of attention. It's not often that you meet someone who is both a Darani and a Hamren." she escaped from a grin that was begging to be let out.

Harry might be slow, but Luna was persistent, and at this moment rather determined to tell him in a round about way. For some reason...

[Harry Potter]

It had dawned on Harry the moment Luna had said his name with that look in her eyes. His face fell slightly, but not at all out of disappointment...he simply had to wait a moment to hear her go on in order to confirm his suspicion.

The tiniest of smirks flickered in his expression, and then with some hesitation and a look of uncertainty, he opened his mouth, closed it again, and then gave a sort of soft, airy laugh.

"You're..." he said, his smirk widening and his green eyes suddenly giving off a bit of a spark.

"Right," he said, giving a nod as he let his gaze fall to the ground for a moment.

"That's...blimey, I mean..." He looked back up to Luna, wearing a half-grin.

"Congratulations," he said, his tone carrying a hint of a happy, yet astounded laugh.

[Professor Luna Darani]

"Thanks." she said watching cautiously.

"So I figure when I get the due date..I'll take about...oh I don't know..three maybe four days off before I'm back in the swing of things."

It was true, Luna was a workaholic. She loved the excitement of her job and she loved feeling important. She even loved the boring stuff. Only Harry suspending her could keep her away..and that NEVER lasted long.

[Harry Potter]

"Three or four months, actually, but bully for you for trying," Harry said sternly, his face suddenly pulling into a look that he often gave to James. He furrowed his brow a bit, as he tried to recall the Ministry's policy for maternity leave.

"Or five, rather...eighteen weeks is customary, I think...have you told Bill yet?"

[Professor Luna Darani]

She grinned. "No, but Keely knows which means the whole castle will know by the end of the week."

"I don't have to take off that much time. Teaching isn't that big of a stress to me. That and I don't believe I'm having a multiple birth this time so I don't expect to spend my last month on bedrest as I did before."

"I'll take five months off when they pry the casework out of my cold dead hands." she added.

[Harry Potter]

"Okay, four months then," Harry said, crossing his arms. He knew he couldn't force Luna to take an entire five months, but he also knew that he couldn't let her return to work too quickly. It was all a matter of comprise---much like parenting.

"I'm only asking this out of consideration for the child, of course," he added, giving a bit of a smirk.

[Professor Luna Darani]

"I'm not agreeing to anything. I'll wait and see how things are going then."

"Speaking of the child. Do you think Headmaster Weasley will hit the roof? I mean, I'm already an inconvenience...The last thing I want to do is lose that position. Being near Garrin, er, Professor Hamren is a good thing right now. Ours isn't the most professional of relationships..."

[Harry Potter]

Something like a snorty chuckle escaped Harry's throat. He offered Luna an amused half-grin, but then he shook his head.

"I wouldn't worry. Bill wouldn't sack anyone due to a pregnancy--I'd have to double check, but I'm reasonably sure that being with child isn't a fireable offense."

[Professor Luna Darani]

Luna chuckled. A thousand thoughts blazed through her head. So much had happened in three months. She got her jobs in order. She found a man that loved her and her children despite her wretched past. She was pregnant. The man that had tormented her was dead, and her only living sister had been thrown in jail after trying to get rid of Landon, which confused Luna as Landon and Celia had been lovers.

Once again..she tried to speak.

"Well then. Which should I do first, tell my parents I have a new boyfriend or that I'm having his child. You're a parent. What would you prefer?"