Hey everyone. This story was written for both The Return of the Chocolate Frog Cards and September Event: Back to School. I used the prompt of 18. (characters) Luna Lovegood for Back to School. For the Return of the Chocolate Frog Cards I wrote for (Bronze) Thornton Harkaway and the task was to write about someone who cares for magical creatures. This sweet little bit of fluff was inspired by the scene from Order of the Phoenix where Luna is feeding the Thestrals as she speaks to Harry. I think that's not the first time she's done something like that and can see her caring for the Thestrals all her years at Hogwarts. I hope you all enjoy Feed a Thestral (Find A Friend).
Luna enjoys going out to the Forest to feed the Thestrals. It's one of her favorite parts of her day because she can relax and doesn't have to pretend she doesn't hear the hurtful things being said about her. The Thestrals don't judge her. They are more her friends than anyone else in her house ever has been. Which makes her sad in a way.
"No judges you," she whispers sadly to the baby Thestral as it picks up a chunk of meat that she has thrown to it.
The baby Thestral blinks up at her cocking it's head slightly.
"I think you understand me more than the other Ravenclaws do," she tells the Thestral as she throws another chunk of raw meat for the smallest of the creatures.
Off to her right she hears a twig snap but knows that no one would be heading towards the Thestrals. No one that she knows of besides herself can see them. No one she knows would come looking for them. She's sure that no would come looking for her she only has a handful of friends and she thinks they only tolerate her.
Throwing another chunk of raw meat to the Mama Thestral she begins to sing a soft song to her creature friends. This is the only place that she feels able to sing. She sings to comfort herself and them. The Thestrals always seem to like when she sings softly.
Another twig snaps close by and the foilage clears to reveal a girl about her age. She's not a Ravenclaw for which Luna is glad. Most of her own house is pretty mean in their ridicule of her.
"Who are you singing to?" the red-haired girl asks her joining Luna in the clearing thinking them to be alone.
"I'm singing to the Thestrals," Luna tells her. "It's alright that you can't see them."
The girl doesn't laugh like everyone else does at her pronouncement. She stands next to Luna watching their surroundings in companionable silence and for the first time ever Luna thinks she may have found an actual friend.
"I'm Ginny," the girl says breaking the growing silence.
"I'm Luna," was the simple answer she gives. "You've probably heard people calling me Loony Lovegood though."
"Why do you let them?" Ginny asks looking over Luna. "You don't seem very Loony to me."
Luna turns towards the other girl for the first time since she arrived. She watches Ginny's face to see if any deception is being made but she can't find any. Ginny seems genuine in her statement.
"I guess it's just easier to let them say their piece," Luna tells her looking back to the Thestrals.
"Tell me about the Thestrals," Ginny says out of the blue.
Luna tucks her now empty bag under her arm begins to tell Ginny all about the Thestrals and to her surprise Ginny is actually listening to her. As the girls walk back towards Hogwarts Luna send a silent thank you back to the Thestrals for sending her an actual friend.
I hope you all enjoyed Feed A Thestral (Find A Friend). I can totally see Ginny finding Luna singing or talking to herself in the woods and try to make friends with her. Can't you?