"I just don't get it," Ginny said with a huff, throwing her quill down.
Luna leaned over the table, her long blonde hair almost falling in the inkpot. "What?"
Ginny gestured at her book. "That…whatever. The muffle-whatsit. I don't get it at all."
Luna stood up and moved to Ginny's side of the table, sitting close to the redhead. "Well, Muffliato is a spell that…"
Ginny tried to listen, really she did. But Luna's presence right there, her low whisper in Ginny's ear — it was impossible to concentrate with Luna around. Ginny shot up out of her seat. "Er, thanks, Luna, I, um, I have Quidditch practice. Thank, though, really, it makes a lot more sense now." She fled the room, leaving her books and papers behind.
—-
Ginny had a hard time falling asleep that night. She kept imagining herself padding down the staircases, entering the Ravenclaw common room (somehow figuring out the riddles; usually Luna had to answer them for her), and curling up beside Luna. Ginny wanted nothing more than to fall asleep with her hands tangled in Luna's white-blond hair. Her imagination painted such a vivid picture that when she opened her eyes and found herself alone in her bed in the Gryffindor common room, she welled up with tears. After what felt like an eternity, she drifted off to sleep.
—-
Luna was sitting alone, like usual, her nose buried in a book. One finger twirled idly in her hair, and her huge eyes were half-closed, the way they always looked when she was concentrating. It took every ounce of courage Ginny had to clear her throat and make Luna look up from her book.
"Luna, can I, um, talk to you? Privately?"
Looking concerned, Luna flicked her wand and the noise around them faded to a low buzz.
Ginny glanced around. "What'd you do?"
"Muffliato, remember? It keeps people around us from hearing our conversation." Luna looked down at her lap. "We talked about it yesterday. Until…"
Ginny sat down next to Luna. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run away like that." Luna kept looking down. "I mean it, Luna, I just got scared."
"Scared of what?" Luna murmured, raising her face to look at Ginny. "You're a Gryffindor, aren't you?"
Instead of answering, Ginny leaned forward and pressed her lips to Luna's.