Written for the Het-astic Drabble-Athon Competition.
Prompt 40; Belonging
Luna Lovegood had never felt as if she truely belonged to a good group of friends at school. She did not have a clique or people she regularly ate meals or shared jokes with. For the most part she was relatively ignored save for the occasional bully who'd steal her shoes or tease her. There were those who pleasantly tolerated her, but they never initiated any conversations. Her beliefs were very different to those of her peers, whom she suspected lived a very sheltered life. Luna hadn't met many people who knew of the existence of Gulping Plimpies or the lovely soup they made.
But she had a father that adored her and her health. She dared not ask for more.
And then she met Neville, the shy, round faced boy a year ahead of her. A friendship of sorts between the two had blossomed during their time in the Room of Requirement, training alongside other members of the D.A. He listened to her stories quietly, asking questions when she mentioned magical creatures he was was unfamiliar with. She'd sensed no skepticism, just honest curiousity. It was refreshing to have someone not stare at her as if she was, in fact, loony. In return she helped him with his homework, finding that he was much brighter than people seemed to realize. His downfall was in casting spells or making potions for grades, his nerves seemed to get the best of him.
He'd once told her that he never had a girlfriend, Luna couldn't fathom why. He was easily intimidated, clumsy, and forgetful, yes. But he was also exceptionally kind and brave as could be when needed. His eyes were the loveliest shade of brown with golden flecks, they reminded her of her mother's favorite sponge cake. When he laughed, his whole face lit up like a Christmas tree and his shaggy hair suited him nicely. All in all, she found him to be very handsome.
He started inviting her to sit with him and his friends during quidditch games and Hogsmeade trips. She'd sit with them in the Great Hall, study with them in the library, and even share gifts with them during the holidays. Before she knew it, Luna found herself befriending several of them. Dean, Seamus, Hermione, Ronald, Harry, Ginny. She had grown fond of them and felt that they too genuinely liked her.
The first time she'd written her father about them, he'd sent each of them a pair of earrings not unlike her own, to ward off Blibbering Humdingers. Neville had worn the clip ons for three days straight before she'd told him just keeping them somewhere on his person would suffice. Now they were kept in his robe pockets.
Neville Longbottom had given her a sense of belonging, something the young witch had never experienced but subconsciously craved. So two years later she gave him something he'd never had but wanted desperately.
She became his girlfriend.