„Luna, I… I really like you", said Ginny „and I like being your friend. "

"That's sweet of you… yes it really is" said Luna in her usual dreamy voice.

With a smile playing around her mouth, Ginny got up and, without really knowing what she was doing, drew Luna in a short but affectionate hug. Luna seemed slightly taken aback but also pleased. She too smiled, though rather shyly as they embraced each other.

It was Ginny who finally broke up the hug and left the Ravenclaw common room, not without a last, rather perplexed at Luna, who, as she was standing in the middle of the room, seemed to have lost her air of dreaminess for just a moment.

Several weeks earlier

Ginny thought she was alone. Of course, she couldn't have checked quite thoroughly seeing that hot tears were running down her face as she was bursting into the Room of Requirement. She didn't even know what she had wished for, but the Room seemed to know instinctively; a whole row of vases was on display and Ginny smashed them as cold fury rose up inside of her. She started screaming, as loud as she could and fell face first onto the floor, which seemed to be magically cushioned. However, she did feel pain as she drove her fists like a mad person into the wall but it helped; her anger slowly abated and she was left with a feeling of overwhelming despair as she sunk to the floor crying. For a minute, or perhaps two, she just sat there, feeling as hopeless as never before in her life, not knowing what she could do, how she could continue.

"I didn't think I'd ever see anybody else her" said a voice from somewhere. Ginny stood up, immediately alerted and raised her wand; then she saw a shadowy figure step out of a corner of the room: it was Luna Lovegood. "Oh, it's… you", said Ginny meekly, feeling her voice trail way.

"Yes, I come here quite often", said Luna, "I have not forgotten this room and its powers are often quite useful to me when I… feel like being alone." Ginny was not surprised at these words. Luna was a gifted wizard but her strange behavior and steady belief in creatures such as crumple-horned snorkacks often left her isolated from her peers. Ginny was one of the few persons who genuinely liked her.

"I…" started Ginny but she couldn't continue. Luna looked at her inquisitively but didn't ask her what she had planned to say.

"I…" said Ginny again but once again, her voice broke off, "I… never mind, I… it's not important."

"You don't think I'd understand, do you?" said Luna, taking a few more steps towards Ginny. "I know quite well what you are crying about, Ginny". Ginny looked at her in utter disbelief. No, she thought to herself, she doesn't understand, she couldn't but Luna took a few more steps towards Ginny until she stood right in front of her and bent down to her knees.

"I'm not stupid", said Luna, "I can see how you look at Harry… it's him isn't it?"

Ginny didn't answer but the hot red color flushing her face was enough anyway. She looked at the floor in shame. Luna didn't say anything. She merely put her hands on Ginny's shoulders and Ginny thought it was better than anything she could have said. Suddenly she felt relief flushing through her body, relief that somebody finally knew her secret, there was somebody she could confide, relief at feeling like she could breathe again.

She looked up and saw Luna looking straight at her, the tiniest smile on her face, and even as Ginny woke up that morning, she could almost see that little smile that comforted her so much in her dream in front of her eyes and she could almost feel the soothing effect it had had on her.