Assignment 4, Women's History task 4: Write about someone making sure someone feels included.
Word Count: 691
"Don't look now," Romilda says as the three friends make their way down the snowy Hogsmeade street, "but it's Loony Lovegood."
Though Demelza giggles, Ginny doesn't even smile. Her eyes follow Romilda's gaze. Sure enough, Luna Lovegood stands in the middle of the street, spinning as the gentle snowfall continues.
"Why can't she just be normal?" Romilda asks with a roll of her dark eyes.
"I feel so bad for her," Demelza agrees.
"I don't."
Ginny doesn't think she can take it anymore. It doesn't matter that she barely knows Luna—the two have been paired together during a few lessons, but they're still little more than strangers. She doesn't like the way her friends laugh and ridicule her. There's a strange warmth in her veins.
"You really shouldn't be so rude," she says, walking away from her friends and toward Luna.
"Gin?"
"Get back here, Ginny!" Romilda calls. "What are you doing?"
"No going back now," Ginny murmurs to herself.
It's strange. She's always considered herself a brave person, and she's always been so quick to fight. But this makes her feel absolutely weak; deep down she knows it isn't the cold December air that's making her shiver.
"Luna?"
The Ravenclaw stops spinning. She looks at Ginny with wide, curious eyes. "Oh, hello," she says, pushing a hand through her wild blonde hair. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"
"Aren't you cold?" Ginny asks.
"A bit," Luna says, shrugging her slender shoulders. "Shouldn't you be with your friends?"
Ginny glances over her shoulder. Romilda and Demelza are still there, watching the scene unfold. Romilda taps her foot impatiently, tugging at her pale pink scarf. When Ginny meets Demelza's gaze, her friend calls out, "We're heading into Honeydukes!"
"I'll catch up," Ginny calls back before turning her attention back to Luna. "Want to join us?"
"I wouldn't want to intrude," Luna says softly, lifting her hand and chewing on her thumb nail, seeming to lose herself in thought for a moment. "I know people like to spend time with friends on Hogsmeade visits."
"That's why I'm inviting you." Ginny offers her a broad grin. "I want you to be my friend."
"Why would you want that?"
The question makes Ginny's heart break. Has anyone ever reached out to Luna before? Has she always been pushed aside and excluded?
"You only hang around Gryffindors," Luna says. "I don't feel like I'm a good match. I'm not very brave, you see."
"It takes guts to be as gentle as you are," Ginny says with a shrug. "If you ask me, that makes you pretty damn brave."
She likes the way Luna takes the compliment without protest. Luna just smiles as though she's pleasantly surprised before nodding. "Are you sure your friends would want me to join?" she asks. "Between you and me, Romilda doesn't like me very much. I gave her a charm like this—" She gestures at a bit of blue-green plastic around her wrist. "—to keep Wrackspurts to a minimum. She threw it in the bin."
Ginny grimaces. It's easy enough for her to befriend Luna, but there's no denying the fact that her friends are a bit problematic. She wishes she could assure Luna that everything is fine, but she knows she can't make that promise. "If they have an issue with you, they can take it up with me."
Luna lunges forward, wrapping Ginny in a tight hug. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a friend," she says. "Now I get to have a best friend."
"Come on. I hear Mrs. Flume is experimenting with dragon fruit and chocolate," Ginny says, pulling away and leading Luna along.
Romilda and Demelza don't give Luna any trouble. Though they look less than thrilled at the new addition, they still talk to Luna as they fill their baskets with sweets. Slowly, Ginny manages to relax; at least she won't have to fight her friends.
"What do you think?" Ginny asks, as Luna nibbles the chocolate and dragon fruit fudge.
"I think it's perfect," Luna says.
"I think it's weird," Demelza says, making a face.
Ginny shrugs. "Some of the best things are."
Also for
Back to School: visiting Hogsmeade
Insane House Challenge: Honeydukes
Character Appreciation: messy hair
Disney, Bagheera: Write about someone who is just done with the people around them being problematic.
Book Club, Angela: best friend, normal, protective
Showtime, Point of No Return: "No going back now."
Count Your Buttons: dragon fruit
Arcade, Amy Rose: pale pink, "Get back here, [Name]!", hugging
Lowdown, Mai: Write about someone standing up to their friends
Bex's Basement, James and the Giant Peach: Write about someone whose greatest desire is friendship.
365: Honeydukes
Sewing 101: Honeydukes, laughing, no Slytherins
Feline Fair, Sphynx: Write about a Ravenclaw
Color: blue-green
Birthstone, ruby: "It takes guts to be as gentle as you are."
Gryffindor: Ginny, Romilda