Luna Lovegood was a small girl, barely earning space in a crowded room. Being so tiny, Luna could have blended in quite well, had she chosen to, but blending simply was not her way.
Wearing bright colors was carrying the paint of flowers on her body, and silver bangles were the shiny lifeline between Luna and the Earth.
Others might not have been able to see it as well a she could, but with a mind like light bouncing about in a mirrored room, the world was quite beautiful to Luna.
One almost-night, skipping down the stony steps leading to the quidditch pitch, Luna Lovegood felt a tingle in the air beside her. Turning, Luna saw Harry Potter walking steadily toward her from the other side of the Castle.
Being ten metres away, Harry hadn't expected to be seen, but then he never would get used to the strange, clairvoyant presence that was the lovely Luna.
When he finally reached Luna in her place of pausing on the steps, Harry promptly forgot just exactly how to use the English language.
"Hello Harry."
Ah, yes, there it was, English once again.
"Hello Luna, I was just-ah, could I, erm, ask you about something?"
"Of course, Harry, anything at all." Sang Luna in her faerie-light voice.
"Well," Harry started, "I've just been going over this bit about Unicorns, in a book I found in the restricted section last night, and it said something about their magic that I'd like to see. Magic of the Earth, it said. I thought maybe you could take me to meet them, since the ones in the forest seem to like you."
"Oh yes, they do like me, Harry. I make a habit of bringing them the juice of a star fruit that Daddy sends me from the fields beside our house. They only grow around rivers blessed by Naiads, you know."
"Right, well, that's why I came to ask you, 'cause you know about things like that."
"On our way, then, Harry?"
"Now?" Harry asked, startled by the soon-ness of their expedition. "Yeah, let's go now. Are they out tonight? The Unicorns?"
"Oh yes, they always dance at twilight. That's when they do their magic."
And so, the children walked through the forest, just as the night was beginning to bring light through the trees, on their way to find gold-and-silver creatures dancing in the night.
Luna led, and Harry followed, watching her while she walked. Not walking, really, it was more of a dance.
Luna never walked, and tonight she floated.
Stopping suddenly, Luna bent to pick violets from the roots of a tree, and wind them through her hair. Gently pulling purple through her braid, Luna looked to Harry.
"Flowers, Harry. Magic exists in their perfume, and in their color. There is never life without flowers."
Turning about again, Luna twirled her way through the forest until she reached a great, towering tree. Harry, pacing slowly through the vegetation behind her, slowed, and stopped.
"Where are we, Luna?"
"We, Harry dear, are standing just beside the silver tree. The leaves, see?"
And Harry did. The wispy leaves turned in the moonlight, and caught the rays in their silver dance.
"It's beautiful."
"Of course it is, It's earth and metal all in one, magic, magic. Magic all around us."
"This is where they come to dance."
"It is, Harry, this is where the Unicorns live."
For hours that night, magic children danced with the Unicorns of the forbidden forest. Dusk 'till dawn, their magic filled the air.
When the sun finally did rise, Luna led Harry away from the Great tree, and out of the forest. On their way back up the hill, Harry asked Luna "Do you always dance with them at twilight?" To which Luna replied,
"Yes."
