She knew people laughed at her fashion sense, it was nothing new. Her necklace made of butterbeer corks or her favorite pair of brightly colored specks were not something most girls her age were wearing. But Luna Lovegood was not like most girls.
Her mother had always encouraged her to be herself, to wear what she wanted and behave as she liked, so long as she minded her manners. She remembered the older witch fondly, from her lovely singing voice to her wise words.
"There is only one of you in this whole wide world, my love. While everyone else is trying to be like someone else, be unique. Be you. Be my Luna."
So she did. Most ignored her, others sniggered when they thought she couldn't hear, and a few mercilessly teased her. She wasn't angry with them though, people often made fun of things that were different or that they didn't understand.
During the holidays her mother used to tie tinsel in her pigtails as a little girl. When she died, Luna carried out the tradition. It not only made her feel festive, but it was a reminder of something her mother enjoyed doing for her. A small comfort during the times she missed her mum the most.
She'd been walking down a crowded corridor one evening, on her way back to Ravenclaw tower after an interesting Ancient Ruins lesson. She was humming a jolly Christmas tune when a skinny, blonde boy wearing Hufflepuff quidditch robes commented on the large, multicolored tinsel bow she wore in her hair. He hadn't been particularly mean and Luna would have been content to ignore him, but an indignant shout of "Shut up, Smith!" from behind had the blonde witch turning around curiously.
Neville Longbottom stood a few feet away from the boy she believed to be Zacharias Smith, fists balled and red faced. He looked put out, though Luna couldn't fathom why. His next words answered her question. "You leave her alone, or-" he stuttered, unsure of how to finish the threat. She thought he looked rather sweet, like an angry baby dabberblimp. "-or we're going to have a problem!"
Though the statement was finished weakly, Zacharias shrank back. Neville was bigger than him, she reckoned he didn't want to get into a tussle if he was unsure on who would come out on top. Bit cowardly, if she did say so herself, but she accepted his mumbled apology and even offered to make him a smaller version of her bow that he could pin to his robes. He sent the pair of them a frosty glare before stalking away.
She turned back to Neville, whose ears were burning from pats on the back and praises from fellow students for 'standing up to that prick.' Luna waited until the hallway had cleared before making her way over to where he stood, bashfully shuffling his feet.
"He was wrong, you know." He said before she could thank him. "It looks very nice, your bow I mean."
It was then that Luna leaned up on her tiptoes to press her lips to his cheek, smiling at the way he stiffened at the contact.
She would have to wear this bow more often, it seemed.