Luna and the Moon [H.S]

59: moving vans.

"Long engagements never work Harry, you've seen the movies and read the books," Gemma sighed. It felt as though Gemma was trying to make Harry back out of his plan to marry Luna, and that hurt Harry's heart.

"What? And suddenly every damn relationship is the same? You're some expert on love? No, you're wrong."

Harry wanted to reach out and apologise for raising his voice at his big sister, he hated when they fought it hurt his feelings and he wasn't a bad person. He needed to apologise, but he had to remain standing his ground – she had to realise not every relationship will go the same way it does in movies and books.

"I don't want to see you hurt again, Harry."

That sentence was the ice breaker for Harry, now he felt like he finally understood why she was so anxious about his and Luna's fast paced relationship. It had nothing to do with the quick speed things moved at, or Luna, it was to do with Harry's terrible history with romance. She feared he would fall back into the darkness that was heartbreak. Just like he had with all of his previous exes, even the exes that he only dated for like five minutes anyway. She just worried for her brothers mental state, and his emotional state – he had to understand that. He would care just as much about her if the roles were reversed.

"I'm happy Gem," Harry smiled, his glossy eyes proving his love for his fiancée was so strong that it was not dismissed by Gemma. She engulfed her tall brother in a tight hug, tightening her arms and kissing his cheek. "Please support me."

"What if it happens again. It'll be the second time it's happened to you Harry," Gemma whispered, her voice cracking as she looked at him with so much love. She didn't want her brother to endure the physical and emotional pain he had been bruised with so many times before. She didn't fear that Luna would do such a thing to her brother, but she couldn't help but worry. You never know what one is capable of until it happens.

"She would never lay a hand on me like Kate did," Harry replied. His voice was determined to stay strong but it wavered on the road to breaking point. He never saw or spoke to anyone about Kate, he just bottled all his feelings inside and briefly told his family before disappearing off to London as an escape. He felt ashamed of how he let her push him about, a man doesn't let a woman do things like that to them. They are strong not weak. That's just how society sees it, if you are a man and get abused by a woman you are weak and pathetic, a push over. "Luna is nothing like Kate."

"I know... But I don't want anyone to hurt you like they've done before. You don't deserve it Harry."

Like she hit play on the unwanted memories a slideshow of purple, blue and yellow bruises littered Harry's skin. Her palm constantly slapping his cheek. All the mean words she ever snapped at him screaming in his ears. The harsh contact with the wall as she'd push him against it in her fiery rage. Sleepless nights on the floor and the couch in the living room. Never seeing his friends. He found himself remembering everything like that chained and locked up box of his dark past love life was opened, he felt the horror crawling through his skin as he practically shook in his boots.

"I'm okay now. I'm happy."

Gemma ignored his words. "Does Luna know what happened?"

"Not all of it," Harry muttered shyly. How do you tell them woman you love that you were physically abused by another woman years ago, that it doesn't affect you but you do sometimes remember something. It's not like Luna would touch Harry and he'd flinch, he'd moved past that phase. He just sometimes would remember a little something that was related to Kate, like maybe an episode of her favourite show or the smell of a candle she used to burn in her bedroom. Harry didn't even tell Gemma that he kissed Kate just months ago, he couldn't bring himself to even mention that fact as it made him sick to his stomach anyway.