Luna was perfection. There was no other word that could do her justice. She could see her from across the room, a vision of golden curls wearing a bright, white dress that floated around her as she danced. It was decorated with gold ribbons, some of them knotted into neat little bows while others shimmered and danced with her every movement.
Pansy wondered what it might feel like to be so free. She clearly didn't worry about how others must see her, nor did their judgment seem to bother her in the least. Pansy envied her that as she lived in a world full of expectations and worries about keeping up appearances. It all made her anxious, so she covered it up with a mask of indifference and a touch of snobbery. Luna exuded calmness and peace; a happy smile graced her lips beneath eyes that sparkled. Her aura seemed to spread to those around her as many couldn't help but smile in wonder at the sight of her.
How could anyone find her anything but beautiful? Pansy had been watching her from a distance for as long as she could remember. From those first glimpses that made her heart beat loudly in school corridors, to chance meetings at ministry events and the weddings and celebrations of their peers, her obsession has grown. But the word obsession was too unkind for the purity of what she felt. Awe. Wonder.
Unrequited.
Heartbreaking.
Luna was all things lovely and bright. Pansy felt like darkness and despair. She couldn't even bring herself to hope there could be anything between them. Draco always rolled his eyes at her dramatics and told her to give it a chance, but that was easy for him to say, he was living his own personal fairytale with Gryffindor's golden girl. Not everyone was strong enough to take chances, not everyone was rewarded for a moment of vulnerability. Pansy had a lifetime of humiliation to prove it.
"Would you like to dance, Pansy?"
Her eyes wide, she took in the sight of her fairy before her. Her mind raced, her breath caught and she might have panicked were it not for a sudden moment of clarity. She smiled and reached for Luna's waiting hand before following her back to the dance floor.
Pansy may not have been one to take chances, but only a fool passed up an opportunity.