She sat on the edge of the astronomy tower, the crisp November wind blowing her long blonde hair around her face, radish earrings swinging in the breeze, bare feet hanging over the edge as she wrote.
Her note wasn't to anyone in particular, just to someone, incase they wanted to know why, not that they would care, or even realise. Because sometimes, Luna Lovegood cracked. Despite her dreamy, i-don't-care-what-people-think exterior, Luna was just a girl who wanted a friend. Someone who she could share anything with, who she could talk to, who she could laugh with, and at.
But the main reason Luna was out of bed so late at night, was that she doubted that anyone really cared. Would anyone notice if she jumped right now? Her father would, when he found out, and one or two of the teachers might realise she was missing from lessons, and probably the person who found her mangled body at the bottom of the tower, but other than those people, who else would notice? She sat on her own in lessons, at meals, in the common room. She only ever owled her father, and due to his busy job with
The Quibbler she didn't always get lengthy replies. She had no friends, the other Ravenclaws in her year were so tightly knit that she doubted they even knew her name.
As she pondered over this, she was oblivious to the fifth-year coming up the tower stair case. She didn't even realise someone was there until she heard a soft voice call, 'Luna? Are you okay?' She turned around, and smiled at the fifth year. Neville, she thought his name was. 'What are you doing up here? You must be freezing! Here, take my dressing gown.' He offered her the fluffy red gown and she wrapped it around her slim frame without a word.
'I don't normally see anyone up here' Said Neville. 'I come up every now and then, just to think. I know you don't really know me, but I've seen you around school a lot. Are you okay?' he asked.
A few seconds passed in silence before she replied. 'Do you think anyone would care Neville? Or even notice?'
'Notice what?' He replied.
'If I jumped.' She explain calmly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
'Of course!' he said. 'Your parents, your friends, the rest of your family! They'd miss you!'
'I don't have any friends. Or family. Or even both parents. It's just me and Daddy, you know.' She replied solemnly, yet airily at the same time. 'No, I don't think anyone except Daddy would care.' She shuffled herself a little closer to the edge of the tower. 'And I think he'd be okay eventually' She maintained the same airiness as she had had just moments ago, shuffling another inch closer to the edge.
Neville put an arm around her waist and pulled her back slightly more onto the floor of the tower. He dropped his arm and let it hang next to the blonde.
'Someone would care. I know you don't even know me Luna, I'd care if you jumped.' He whispered, more into the starry night than the her.
'Prove it' She said simply, the dreamy tone missing from her voice.
'Okay' He breathed. He turned her face toward his, and, in what was probably the most Gryffindor moment of his life, pressed his lips to her's. To his amazement, she kissed back lightly. After a few seconds, he pulled away.
'See, Luna, more people care than you think. Someone you don't even know probably cares. More people than you think. So come on.' He stood up and offered her his hand. The piece of parchment she had been writing her note on drifted to the ground. A gust of wind blew it over the edge and it floated through the night. 'Let's go down to the kitchens, get some hot chocolate and just talk. Then I'll walk you back to your common room. You'll feel better, I promise.'
She smiled, took his hand, and pulled herself up. The gryffindor robe covering her entire body. Her hand still wrapped in Neville's, they walked down to the kitchen in a comfortable silence. True to his word, they got hot chocolate from a house elf named Tots, talked untill two o'clock in the morning, and then Neville walked Luna back to Ravenclaw tower.
The next day, both were incredibly tired, but neither cared. As Luna sat on her own again at breakfast, a small barn owl dropped a note on her plate. She unrolled it, and read.
Luna, Thanks for letting me convince you someone cared. Last night was wonderful. Would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?N. xx
Luna looked up from the note with a big grin on her face. She cast her gaze over to the Gryffindor table, where she caught Neville's eye. He was smiling at her nervously. She nodded and his face split into a grin that rivalled hers. He walked over to the Ravenclaw table, sat down next to her and at the rest of his breakfast there, one hand holding Luna's tightly, oblivious to the stares and mutterings of those around him.
Luna and Neville rose from their seats a few minutes later, still hand in hand, and left the hall. Just as they crossed the threshold, he whispered into her ear, 'Someone always cares'
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