Mortals; Prompt 44. Hector – the favourite son of King Priam of Troy, and the leader of the Trojans in battle. Write about Ron Weasley. Alt; write about a favourite character.
Ronald Weasley wasn't sure what possessed him to approach the wistful looking blonde. Maybe it was the fact that she was standing waist deep in the Great Lake, fishing a large net through the water repeatedly. She seemed a tad lonely, which was unusual for Luna, and every so often she would stop what she was doing to peer around the grounds expectantly. It was painfully obvious that she was waiting for someone and by the look on her face, she had been for awhile.
"Looking for someone, Loony?" He called as he approached the younger witch, grimacing as the teasing nickname slipped out. Bloody hell, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. His ears burned in embarrassment. "Uh, Luna. I meant Luna." He said, running a hand through his shaggy hair nervously. Merlin help him, Hermione was spot on. He spoke without thinking quite often and that would get him into trouble on of these days.
But she merely smiled up at him brightly, letting the fishing net dangle loosely at her side. "Oh, hello Ronald! That's okay, a lot of people call me Loony." He wasn't sure what to say to that, but she saved him the trouble of awkwardly trying to comfort her, something he appreciated. He was no good at consoling women. "I don't mind it. It's no one's fault. It is Umgubular Slashkilters season, after all."
He cocked his head, more than a little bemused with the girl in front of him. A small smile found it's way onto his face at her odd explanation. "Umgob-what?"
"Umgubular Slashkilters." Luna repeated patiently, going back to her task of skimming the net through the water. "They're pesky fairy-like critters that have the power to confuse people. Daddy says they are very common around this time of year and the only thing that keeps them away are shells."
Ah, so that's what the bird was up to. Though her tried, Ron couldn't hold back his laugh. "Luna, you are certainly the most interesting person I ever met."
"Thank you, Ronald."
Such a simple, genuine reply. He watched her as she worked, not noticing the fond smile that refused to leave his face. Her hair was in a messy bun, showing off her odd radish earrings that stood out against her pale skin. The sleeves of her uniforms were rolled up to keep from getting in the way, her tongue was poking out in concentration, and she was completely soaked from the waist down. It was, Merlin help him, more than a little cute.
He remembered what had brought his over in the first place. "Are you waiting for someone?"
She shrugged, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Dean was supposed to help me, but I think he may have gotten sidetracked. I saw him walking the grounds with Ginny awhile ago."
He checked his watch, it was nearly supper time and he was positively starving. The last thing he wanted was to miss the feast. But as he watched her search the lake, Ron realized that he didn't have it in his heart to leave her out here on her own. His stomach rumbled in protest, but for the first time in many years he ignored it.
With a roll of his eyes and defeated sigh, he rolled up his own sleeves and waded into the lake to join in the hunt. He felt her eyes on him as he tried to make out any colorful shells beneath the surface and his ears burned in embarrassment. "Why are you still here?" Her question was so full of genuine curiosity that he couldn't help but answer with the truth.
"Because I want to be."