Author's Note: This is supposed to be a yuri fic written for my friend, ZL, but it seems more like fluff now… Luna and OC, hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it.
Dedicated to ZL!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I J.K. Rowling. If I did, the title would be changed to Hermione Granger, though it would sound less attractive… Only Zoey Lam does not belong to J.K. Rowling, and even then, Zoey Lam does not belong to me.
The Great Hall was suddenly silent as the huge doors opened. The tall stern lady, introduced as Professor Minerva McGonagall, strode rapidly and authoritatively to the front. In her hands were a small wooden stool and on it, a tattered brown rag of a hat. A tall bearded man in midnight blue robes with half-moon glasses gazed at the row of first years following fearfully behind her. He nodded to Professor McGonagall, then turned back to survey the group of first years.
Finally, his eyes rested on the tiny dark-haired girl. Nobody, save a dreamy blonde, wanted to go near her, because of how cold she had felt.
"Just like a Dementor, sucking up people's warmth and happiness."
That was a remark by a particularly cruel-looking boy with platinum blonde locks and a thin face on the way to the boats. The dreamy blonde had immediately stepped up in front of him and gazed at him so determinedly that he had to look away.
"You have that exact same effect on me too. Are you saying that you're a Dementor too, Malfoy?"
The boy had sneered.
"And you must be Xenophilius Lovegood's daughter. I can see the family resemblance so well. So, is the Quibbler still sprouting nonsense? Oh yeah, as long as it's called the Quibbler, it's still nonsense. Well, the Daily Prophet would never need fear any competition."
The blonde gave a musical laugh.
"Oh, so you're saying your father is nonsense?"
Malfoy's pale cheeks grew slightly pink.
"You… you… you had better watch out. Crabbe, Goyle! Let's go find better company before I waste my effort on a useless pureblood."
When Malfoy and his cronies had gone away, the blonde had turned to the dark-haired girl.
"Hi, my name is Luna."
Her hand was stretched out, her smile was huge. The dark-haired girl could not help but smile back a thin one of her own. She stuck her hand lightly against Luna's hand.
"I'm Zoey. Thanks for… just now."
Luna gasped slightly.
"Whoa, you're cold. Nice and cold. Well, you're welcome. Really, the Malfoy family is nothing but a family of bullies."
Zoey laughed slightly.
"Yeah. So, are the reports of Lucius Malfoy really true?"
And so both of them became friends in a matter of seconds.
But now, Zoey was alone. They were to be sorted into different house. She wondered briefly whether she would be sorted into her parent's house, Slytherin. She shuddered. After observing first hand two Slytherins, she was certain that it was not the house for her.
She blocked such depressing thoughts out of head. That was when she noticed the bearded man staring at her. She knew that he was Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the school. So, she looked away, certain that it was the right thing. Even though she rarely, if ever, felt so, she felt her cheeks grow redder. When she looked back up, Professor Dumbledore had already turned away, but the sight of him still made her cheeks remain red because she knew that he knew about her.
Professor McGonagall placed the stool and the hat right in front of Professor Dumbledore's table. Then, she walked back to her seat, her stern face surveying the frightened first years. Many first years walked in as if frozen, so scared were they. Luna just strode serenely in, as if doing this was an everyday affair for her.
The brim of the rag of a hat opened and erupted into song. Zoey just kept close to Luna, enthralled by the blonde hair that flowed like water down her back.
"Lovegood, Luna."
When Luna went up, the hat barely touched her smooth locks before shouting.
"RAVENCLAW."
Zoey held her breath as the hat shouted her name.
"Lam, Zoey."
She walked up gingerly. Lifting the hat to her hat, she squeezed her eyes shut and thought of only one word.
Are you sure? With your… condition and your family line, you would do very well in Slytherin, very well indeed.
Zoey held her breath and continued thinking of that one word.
Very well, if you insist…
"RAVENCLAW!"
Zoey let out her breath, barely breathless, and stood up. Replacing the hat on the stool, she strode towards the Ravenclaw table, where her new friend had already saved a seat for her.
…
Luna and Zoey became firm friends. They did everything together. Despite the other Raenclaws staying away from them, Luna because of her weirdness and Zoey because of her coldness, they did not mind. They had each other.
Luna never once complained about Zoey's heat, or lack of. And Zoey in turn never questioned Luna's weird theories and creatures.
One day, during the Christmas holidays, when almost everybody was back home and their room was empty of people save them, Luna suddenly perked up.
"Oh look, a purply-kish. Those creatures are as good as mistletoe."
Her voice was so dreamy.
Zoey looked up to find that purply-kish.
"I can't find it."
Luna laughed.
"Not many people can find it."
Zoey's eyes had a sudden twinkle to them. She inched towards Luna.
"I've found it."
Suddenly, she moved her head forward and gave Luna a huge kiss.
Luna giggled and gasped. Zoey's lips were cold as ice, yet they were soft. She returned the kiss. Soon, both of them toppled onto a bed. They rolled about, hugging each other.
Luna felt colder and colder by the second. Zoey did not seem to notice. In fact, a tiny snow storm hovered slightly below the canopy of the bed. It was something unique to Zoey, something only she could do, something not even their other brainy classmates could do.
Surprisingly, the colder Luna got, the more she did not mind the cold. All she wanted was Zoey.
Zoey snaked her hands beneath Luna's shirt. She could feel something comforting beneath her finger tips. When she touched Luna's skin, she almost gasped. For the first time in a long while, she could feel warmth. Not much, but it gave her comfort.
Both Ravenclaws finally lay still on the bed.
"Luna… I can feel your warmth."
Luna glanced up. She stared into Zoey's eyes, which always fascinated her. They were dark and looked so deep that they were bottomless.
"You mean you… can't?"
Zoey nodded.
Luna giggled.
"At least you're not a Dementor."
"Hey!"
Zoey pushed Luna down into the bed. They wrestled around for a while, with Zoey finally overpowering Luna. Lying on top of Luna, Zoey started stroking Luna's soft hair.
"Whatever."
Luna giggled again. Then, her face suddenly grew serious.
"Professor Dumbledore was staring at you our first night in Hogwarts…"
Zoey stared at Luna.
"I'll tell you about it another day. For now…"
She kissed Luna again, moving her tongue into Luna's mouth. Luna kissed back more furiously this time.
They stayed like this till dinner. And even when they went down to the Great Hall late, everybody assumed that those brainy Ravenclaws had spent the whole day studying. Only they knew, and with Luna's dreamy stare and Zoey's dark, bottomless eyes, nobody bothered to ask them anything.
Which suited them just fine.