Waning Moon

Disclaimer: All these characters do not belong to me.

A/N: I know that Luna wasn't exactly described like that in the book, but I'll make her a bit ... plump.

SPOILERS FOR THE FIFTH BOOK AHEAD!!!

Chapter 1 (Anywhere but here)

I. Luna Lovegood and her father were making their way towards the Hogwarts Express at the platform 9 ¾. Mr Lovegood was chattering away, unaware of the fact that his daughter wasn't paying any attention to him: "Your fifth year will be hard, but never you mind, dear. You are very intelligent. You're in Ravenclaw after all! And even if you fail at your OWL's, the Quibbler will always have a place for such a talentend young lady!"

Luna smiled up at her father and nodded, before she once again looked at the other students ... there the Malfoy's where; Mrs Malfoy (her name was Narcissa, Luna thought) hugged Draco tightly although he struggled ... Mrs Malfoy was a beautiful woman, cold, but beautiful. Luna wondered what it would be like to actually have a mother. She knew that **her** mother wouldn't be like Mrs Malfoy; unlike Luna, Mrs Lovegood had had black curls and dark eyes and a body to kill for. Luna was sort of chubby and didn't look very interesting or very pretty in her opinion. She took a glance over to the Weasley's ... Mrs Weasley was practically radiating warmth and love. Luna would have liked to have her as a mother ...

"Well, dear, it's time to part, I suppose," Mr Lovegood said after a glance to his watch.

He hugged his only child and for a brief second Luna felt what is was like to be loved, but then she was torn from her father by a wave of students and got shoved towards the train. Then it started yet again ... The murmurs ... the whispers ...

"Hey Loonie! How was your break? D'you see any ... whatever it is a loonie likes to look at."

"Loonie, old rascal! Did you find all your stuff again? Or was all your paperwork invain?"

Luna hated these voices, teasing, taunting voices that reminded her that she wasn't worth their attention really. She hurried into the first compartment she reached and fell down on a seat; she almost wished she hadn't as she realised that she was with a bunch of Slytherins now, led by Draco Malfoy.

"Is there anything we can help you with, Loonie?" he asked.

"Uhhh ... ummm ... errr ... I ..."

"Spit it already," he snarled. "I ... am ... in the wrong compartment, I think."

"That's right, would you please move your fat ass? You're a disgrace to my eyes."

Pansy Parkinson let out a highpitched laugh while tears welled up in Luna's eyes.

"What's going on in here?" a sharp voice asked.

"Ohhh, Granger. Another freak."

Hermione glared at Draco for a moment, then she took Luna's hand in one of hers and grabbed her drunk with the other.

"What were you doing there, anyway?" Hermione scolded. "Slytherins are never good news, you know."

"I ... it was just the wrong compartment." Luna burst into tears; Hermione hurried to find the compartment she shared with Harry, Ron and Ginny. Finally she opened the right door, shoved Luna and her trunk in and fell onto a seat herself.

"Luna, what's wrong?" Ginny asked softly.

Luna was unable to answer the question (or any question for that matter) at the moment.

"What ...?" Harry started.

"Malfoy," was Hermione's simple answer.

Ron curled his fingers into fists and let out a deep growl that caused everybody, including Luna, to look into his direction.

"That bastard is getting annoying. At first it was only Gryffindors, but now he's starting to hate Ravenclaws, too. This'll end up in a ... school war eventually."

Luna shook her head. "No ... he doesn't hate the other Ravenclaws, just me."

Everybody fell silent; it was needless to say that the others could somehow understand Malfoy; Luna was dressed in the school robes already, but with a hat on that looked like one of those Hermione had made for the House Elves.

The rest of the journey Harry and Ron played wizard's chess while Hermione and Ginny where giggling over some love potions book. Luna sighed. As if Ginny Weasley actually **needed** such a book! Most of the boys were after her, and who could blame them? Ginny was tall, slim and pretty.

Who'd want a Luna Lovegood if they could have a Ginny Weasley?

When they arrived at the Hogsmeade station they were brought to the castle in carriages like usually, then the feast took place with more murmurs and whispers until Luna could finally go up to her dormitory to get some sleep. The other Ravenclaw girls ignored her, but that was fine with Luna since that meant that they left her alone.

At the same time Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were discussing Luna in the Gryffindor common room.

"I don't understand why everyone's being so mean to her," Hermione spoke up. "She's a nice girl and definitely loyal."

They had all started to think more highly of her since the end of the last term.

"Well ... it's ... I mean ... Hermione, just look at her!" Ginny called out. "She looks like a female Neville!"

Harry glared at her. "It's not bad being Neville and she's a nice girl, no matter what she looks like!"

"Harry's right, Ginny. Looks don't matter," Hermione added.

"Fine, I still can't really blame anyone who doesn't like her. What do **you** think, Ron?"

Ron looked up, startled, as though he had been thinking of something else while the others were talking. "Well, I don't mind her. Some of the stuff she did last summer was pretty impressive actually."

Ginny glared at her brother and got up. "Fine! I'll go to bed now. Night everyone."

With that she left, clearly furious.

II.

The next few days passed without any special events; Harry and Ron were struggling with the task of handling both Quidditch and school while Hermione helped Ginny with her schoolwork. One day while Ron was in the library he heard an uproar from a few tables; Mrs Pince had left the library to take a second year Hufflepuff to the hospital wing as a huge book had fallen on his foot and it was broken now. The students had taken the opportunity to make some noise, of course, but that seemed to be different. He turned around the corner to see Luna staring at a tall Slytherin who had something small and shiny in his hands.

"Give it back!" Luna cried. "Give it back!"

"Ohhh, Loony wants back her ring, now doesn't she? But I don't think I can give it back to you."

"I think you should," Ron said cooly.

The Slytherin laughed. "Weasel and Loony. How cute!"

Ron growled and took another step towards them. "I'm a prefect and if you don't ..."

"WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE!?" Pince yelled on top of her voice.

Ron smiled his sweetest smile and explained everything to Pince. She nodded, slowly and turned to the tall Slytherin. "Give that ring back to Miss Lovegood. I'll have a word with Professor Snape about this!"

The Slytherin threw the ring to the floor and left post haste. Luna fell to her knees and picked the ring up, tears trickling down her cheeks. Ron bent down and gently took her hand to pull her back up.

"Let's get out of here," he murmured and dragged Luna out of the library.

"What was that about?" Ron asked as soon as they had reached an empty classroom.

"What do you mean?"

"People have taken stuff from you before, why have you freaked out just about that ring?"

"I-it was my mother's wedding ring," Luna whispered.

Ron looked at her worriedly. "I didn't know ... are you okay?"

Luna smiled up at him, putting her masc of indifference back on as quickly as she could.

"Yes, of course. Thank you." With that she left the room and a very confused Ron behind.

A/N: Good, bad, indifferent? Tell me, please.