She isn't deaf, despite what those people think. She hears all the words they say. How could the girl known as "Loony Lovegood" be smart enough to gain her Mastery in Magical Creature Studies?

She is well aware of all the names they call her behind her back. She ignores them. Through all her years at Hogwarts, she has learnt to mostly ignore them. Mostly. They still bother her sometimes, when she is alone at night, for isn't that when our worst thoughts come back to torment us?

She has no one to share her pains with. None of the other Apprentices at the University bother to associate with her, irrespective of their fields. It is almost as if she is a little invisible to them when they cannot think of some harsh words about her. The idea of being friends with "that strange, quiet girl" is appalling to them.

They think her timid, shy, too weak to stand up for herself, when they whisper those insults. She lets them. She tries to not it affect her work, and her Professor is pleased.

Sometimes, her old peers of Hogwarts drop in. It used to be mainly Ginny, but she started bringing Harry, Ron and Hermione, soon enough. She learns a lot about the latest goings on in the wizarding world from them, though she rarely tells them about her own life. She does not want to burden them, after all. And the only one who really asked about her was Harry. He had taken to staying back later than the others to chat with her. So much so, that Ginny soon began to tease her about it.

Luna paid her friend no attention, until the day Harry asks her out to dinner, and she finds herself accepting, to her own surprise. She never expected there would be much in the way of romance for her, and she would have been perfectly content to accept the fact. But then, they spend so much more than one dinner, together. She finds she likes it. There is little that was unexpected after that. There are dates, and outings, beautiful nights when they can spend time with each other without a care in the world, and there are letters galore, when their own schedules do not allow them to meet. She finds in him an honest companion, and he finds a faithful listener, who is unwilling to judge him based on things like his past achievements, which didn't have as much to do with him as people think. She likes him for who he is, beneath the world's judgements of the Boy-Who-Lived, and he does not care for the image they have formed of her either, for even a second.

There is no one who is happier than him in the crowd, when she is awarded her Mastery with top marks. Some of the other contenders and audience look at her with envy, but he is exuding pure happiness.

He tells her he loves her, that night, and she giggles, before returning the sentiment. She still remembers the first thing he said to her on their first date.

"I've never met anyone so...insane."

"Why, thank you!"

"I didn't mean it as an insult, Luna. I meant..."

"I know. I know, Harry."

She giggles again at the memory. It has been a long time, but it feels like yesterday. A beautiful yesterday.

She thinks of the beginning of her story, when she had felt so alone, which only cruel words surrounding her and the only thing keeping her focussed being her work. How things have changed, and for the better.

Then, she smiles when she realise the whispers have faded into nothingness in the shadow of her joys.

Notes: For my lovely TGS Buddy! I hope you like it Selena! :D

Also for the Through the Universe Challenge at the Golden Snitch. Prompt: A little invisible

Also for the Dreamcatcher Challenge: Prompt: Write about a known 'light' character.

And for the Jurassic Park Event: Write about a character who is considered different, but manages to come out on top.

And for the Doll Event: Write about a character known to love creatures.

And lastly, for the Ollivander's Wand Shop! Prompt: Write about a Ravenclaw