Not Like The Other Girls
Authors Note: This story is named after one of my favorite songs, 'Not like the other girls.' I doubt this would actually ever happen—I'd be scared if it did—but I really like it. This is a lonely one-shot.
Light shone through the ceiling of the Great Hall, although this was nothing compared to the mass of impressive Christmas decorations that were arranged around the room. The usual display of Christmas trees, decorated with ornate lights and glittery balls was the main focus of the hall but in the centre of the single table that had been left out, was the most fantastic ice-sculpture of the schools crest.
At the table, sat one lone student. She had long, dirty-blonde hair, large, moon-like eyes, a dazed look and was reading a magazine called, The Quibbler. As she turned the page of the magazine, she spooned in a large pile of Cornflakes soaked in apple juice delicately into her mouth.
A second student entered the Great Hall, closely followed by two others. The first had been a girl, small, with red hair and freckles that covered the majority of her face. The second was a boy, who looked as if he was related to the girl. He was tall, thin and also had fiery red hair but perhaps less freckles. The last was a boy with scruffy, jet-black hair. He wore glasses and was slightly shorter than the first boy. Resting on his forehead though, was a faint scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.
"Morning, Luna," the red headed girl said happily, as she sat beside her friend. "You're up early."
"I thought people always got up early on Christmas Eve?" Luna inquired simply. The boy with black hair raised his eyebrow amused and the other snorted, only to receive a harsh kick from the girl. "I did think so, Ginny," she laid out her issue of The Quibbler and pointed to the article.
"Sure. Harry and I were desperate to get up. We just couldn't stop ourselves from getting out of bed," the redhead informed Luna, this time receiving a kick to the shin from his friend.
"Ron," Harry hissed defensively for the sake of Luna's sanity.
Harry and Ron sat opposite the two girls and began to help themselves to food. A couple more students came into the Great Hall but none of them seemed to interest them. Only when a blonde-haired boy—tall and well built—entered the room, did anyone attempt to look up. He sat himself at the end of the table, sitting in a pose that made him look like royalty.
"Of the few people that had to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, why did he have to?" Ginny moaned and Luna shot a quick glance at the boy.
"Perhaps he feels that his home is not Christmas-y," Luna replied densely. Did she not see this boy was a troublemaker?
Ginny shook her head and decided not to question the subject further. "So, what do you think you'll be getting for Christmas?" she asked her friend kindly.
"Something special," Luna replied, her eyes glowing. "Something that I would never dream of getting," she smiled happily.
"Don't we all," Ginny rolled her eyes. She had been hoping that Luna would say 'a Weasley Sweater and a photo of Ron.' Ginny was sure her best friend had a crush on her older brother.
"It's going to snow," Luna informed her spontaneously.
Ginny looked up at the ceiling that was bewitched to show whatever the sky looked like outside. It showed no sign that it would snow and Ginny looked at Luna curiously.
"How do you know that?" she asked.
"I just do," Luna looked up at the sky and broke out of her day-dreamy voice. "Let's go out and wait for it?" she asked like a young child.
"It's a bit cold outside," Ginny moaned. "I do love snow though, all right—just let me go and get my cloak."
Ginny left and Luna remained seated at the table. She rolled up The Quibbler and allowed herself to sit and stare at Harry and Ron who were sitting opposite. Ron used his best efforts to try and ignore her but Harry smiled. She quickly bowed her head in an attempt to make it look as if she had not been watching.
She turned quickly as somebody tapped her on the back and Harry stood up very quickly, running around to the side of the table Luna had been sitting at.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked the same blonde-headed boy who had sat on the end of the table. He was standing behind Luna with his hands in his pockets looking very relaxed.
"I'm sure she's perfectly capable of asking me that herself," he informed Harry, "Potter," he added.
Harry opened his mouth but closed it as Luna spoke. "What do you want, Draco?" she asked.
Ron looked up. Someone had actually used Draco's name—they were in for it now. He quickly stood and made his way to Harry's side. Draco sneered slightly as he arrived.
"I couldn't help hearing that you were going outside and I wondered if I could join you?" he asked innocently.
Ron snorted. "Why—want to hex her?"
"Don't try and be smart with me, Weasley. I'm perfectly aware that your little sister will be there too," he added.
Ron turned red but it was Harry who spoke. "Luna does not want a filthy Slytherin such as you, walking with her," he snapped angrily.
"And yet another question I'm sure she can handle for herself," Draco replied casually.
Ginny returned dressed in her cloak and a set of red hat, gold scarf and one of each colour gloves. "What's going on?" she asked the three boys and Luna.
Luna spoke quickly. "Draco here, was about to join us for our walk," Luna smiled earnestly.
"He is?" Ginny's eyes bulged with horror.
"Yes, I am, Weasley."
"Oh, no. Christ. What is this world coming to?" she dare not question Luna's choice to invite Draco but gave her brother a pleading, 'follow us,' look.
Ron obligingly nodded discretely. "Well, bye then," he said. Harry stared at him in puzzlement.
Luna, Ginny and Draco left the Great Hall and stood out in the courtyard for a moment or two—allowing their bodies to adjust to the temperatures. Luna alone seemed unchanged by the cold, despite the fact she was wearing the least clothes.
"It's going to snow," Luna said once again. It didn't sound hopeful, it was a statement.
"It is?" Draco asked, just as bemused as Ginny had been.
Ginny muttered. "Apparently."
For several moments they stood in silence. Luna's neck stretched up so that she could stare into the sky, this alone seemed to make her quite happy. Ginny noticed her brother and Harry standing with their backs turned to them. That was close enough.
"I told you!" Luna exclaimed, making them all jump—even Harry and Ron turned to look.
Luna's face was literally, shining. Perhaps she was just so overwhelmed that magic had taken its course or maybe it was just because of the cold. Resting in her now outstretched hand was a single snowflake.
"Is that it?" Ginny smiled with a snort—Luna did amuse her sometimes.
"No," Luna wiped her hand over her head and Ginny looked up. "The heavens just needed to open," Draco watched her momentarily and sure enough, snow had begun to drift to the ground.
"Isn't it pretty," Luna twirled and Harry and Ron came over to join them.
"Don't you look at her like that," Harry suddenly shouted at Draco abruptly. The others turned to stare, except for Luna—she seemed far to occupied with the snow to care. "I know that look."
"And what look would that be, Potter? The jealous look you give me when I remind you that I have a mother?" Draco puffed his chest with pride.
"At least she's not sitting in Azkaban," he argued back. Draco moved beside Luna.
"What do you care, Potter?" he asked, ignoring Harry's last statement. "Why be so protective of her? What is she to you?" he glared into Harry's glasses.
"More than she would mean to you," he replied.
Luna looked totally perplexed. She seemed to have caught on that they were talking about her and pulled on Ginny's sleeve in an attempted to say she wanted to go.
"Care to duel for her, Potter—or do you just want to hand her over to me?"
"Harry," Ron tried to stop his friend. "Luna isn't an object. Neither of you can just take her," the wisest words that had ever come form his mouth.
Draco stepped back into a dueling position. Harry stood opposite and made the same move, pulling his wand out and stretching his arm forward. The two boys began to move in circles and Luna had a look of pure terror on her face. She began to step backwards in an attempt to get away.
"Don't you go anywhere!" Harry and Draco shouted in unison and Luna pulled herself between Ron and Ginny who were both only to obliging to try and comfort her.
"What's going on today?" Ginny questioned her brother.
"I haven't got a clue," he replied serenely. "But I hope they both get knocked out at the same time," Ginny did not ask him why.
"Ah," Luna squealed and clenched onto Ginny's arm as a stream of red and gold sparks hit Draco—he instantly returned the favour with his own silver and green.
"Do something!" Ginny begged her brother. "She's going to break my arm," Ginny tried to make Luna pull away.
"What, though?" he shouted because of the noises that the spells were making.
"Anything," Ginny pleaded.
Ron shouted. "No more blame!" but his attempt was effortless. Ginny quickly muttered a spell at him and his voice was amplified. "I am destined to keep you sane," Luna released her grip slightly and looked across at Ron. His voice became slightly ornate and smooth. "Gotta rescue the flame, gotta rescue the flame in your heart."
Draco looked up. "What the hell?" but Harry shot a spell at him and the once again started to fight.
Ron's voice began to sound poetic and sad. "No more blood, I will be there for you my love. I will stand by your side, the world has forsaken my girl."
Ginny's jaw dropped. "Ron?" but he ignored her.
"I should have seen it would be this way," Draco and Harry both stopped to watch him now. "I should have known from the start what she's up to. When you've loved and you've lost someone—you no what it feels like to loose."
"Ginny?" Luna asked her friend but Ginny silenced her with a nod. Luna could not take her eyes off of him. Harry looked ready to murder his friend and it looked like Draco would be there to escort him.
"She's fading away, away from this world, drifting like a feather, she's not like the other girls. She lives in the clouds she talks to the birds. Hopeless little one, she's not like the other girls, I know."
Luna looked slightly taken aback. "Am I really that weird?"
"No more shame, she has felt to much pain, in her life, in her mind—she's repeating the words, 'all the love you put out will return to you,'" he stopped and looked across to his friend and Draco—then, to the two girls. He blushed.
Ginny nudged Luna. "Wow, Ron…" she didn't know what to say.
"That was beautiful," Luna murmured.
Draco and Harry stormed off in different directions Ginny ran after Harry. "I knew you'd like it," Ron mumbled, tucking his hand behind his back.
"I did," she sighed.
They stood alone in the snow, as it whirled around them. Luna smiled to herself and Ron's cheek became lop-sided. From the other side of the courtyard an argument had sprouted from Ginny and Harry—but nothing was to ruin the moment. They settled down together on one of the benches and stared up at the sky.