Alright, this is my first time writing one-shots, so I'll be writing them with little schedule. But fear not! That might actually mean almost every day at times, but other times it might make mean not for weeks. Sorry, but that's reality! For now, I'll let you read on!
Disclaimer for all of my one-shots. I only own the story and original characters. I own nothing in the Harry Potter canon. I hate doing these….. Maybe tomorrow I'll wake up as J.K. Rowling. For now, though, I own nothing!
My first one-shot is Harry and Luna. It's not much of a 'romantic' one-shot, like most, but it's still a one-shot!
Chapter One: Harry/Luna - The Order of the Phoenix
Harry sighed and shut the textbook. He had absolutely no interest in studying at the moment. Who cared if Snape gave him a 'P' instead of an 'A'? Well, maybe he should have cared. A 'P' would have him fail potions, while an 'A' would have passed him. Okay, never mind, he should care, but he certainly had no interest in studying at the moment. If he had to read one more time about how effective bezoars were, he would likely have an aneurism.
Hermione would kill him. She truly would. After he was dead, she would tell him to continue studying. Ron would laugh and ask if he wanted to play chess. Harry felt like doing neither. He needed some fresh air.
He glanced out of the Gryffindor common room window. The sun was dying, slowly settling down for the night beyond the horizon, shifting its gaze on North America. It wasn't coming back any time soon, and Harry thought it best to make the most of the dying light.
He grabbed his invisibility cloak, not that he needed it, and he rose. He glanced around, but nobody was paying him any attention. Ron was staring into the fire while Hermione looked over his work. They weren't looking in his direction, and Harry quickly threw the cloak over his head. He snuck out of the portrait hole, ignoring the confused questionings of the Fat Lady, and started off down the hallways. He descended the many stairwells quickly, avoiding one or two students who were heading off in various directions.
He reached the Entry Hall, and slunk outside into the fresh air, removing the cloak as he did so. He thought he might go down and visit Hagrid, but something held him back. He needed some time to think. Some time to clear his mind. It was difficult to clear your mind when Snape was prodding it constantly in 'remedial Potions.'
He headed off towards the lake, and collapsed by its shore. One or two other students were laying around, not even looking at him. Not like they needed to. Harry didn't care if they did, and in fact he preferred being ignored.
He lay back and soaked up the last rays of the cold spring sun. It wasn't much, but it at least was bright and cheery, which he didn't get much of anymore.
He was glad to be alone for a while. He liked Ron and Hermione, of course; they were his best friends, but he liked being alone sometimes.
Alone, that is, until he heard someone lie down beside him. He opened his eyes, and looked swiftly to his left, wondering who on earth was there.
The first thing he noticed was long, straggly blonde hair, and then his eyes were assaulted by a mirage of colours. It looked like something a hippie might wear. A lime-green jacket, bright red pants, a bright yellow t-shirt and mismatching blue and pink socks, lacking shoes, all invaded his eyes. It took a moment for him to get it in.
Luna Lovegood turned her head sideways and smiled at him. "Hello, Harry," she said cheerfully.
He responded with something that sounded vaguely like "Hurmaluna." He cleared his throat, still trying to take in her outfit. "Erm, hello, Luna," he corrected, trying to sound like she was dressed completely normally. "Um, what are you wearing?"
"Oh, this?" She asked innocently, as if she didn't think he would notice. "Well, bright colours disagree with Nargles, you know. They're hypersensitive," she added, as if it was obvious. "But, colours do put one at a risk of Humdingers. They're attracted to colours," she said.
"Oh, okay," Harry responded stupidly.
"Nargles are smarter than people," she said, as if their 'conversation' has been about human intelligence. "They know who shouldn't be touched, and who is weak. That must be why you're still alive. If you were weak and you wore such dull colours…" she motioned to his school robes, "you would probably be dead. But they stick to the weak ones. I wonder why Cho is still alive," she added thoughtfully.
Harry didn't think it wise to question her about her beliefs. It might result in a conversation he didn't want. "Um, well, I don't think they only pick on the weak people, or else everyone weak would be dead, wouldn't they?"
"Like Neville," said Luna simply.
"Neville's not- oh, never mind. Well, I really don't think I believe in Nargles anyway, so I shouldn't worry."
Luna gave him a piercing look. "Why not? What reason do you have for not believing?"
"Uh…"
Truth was, Harry didn't have any. He only knew that nobody else believed in them.
"Er, nothing, I guess," he replied lamely.
"Then why on earth shouldn't you?" She asked quietly.
Harry thought about that. She was right, in a way. He had no reason to not believe in them. True, he had no evidence they did exist, but nothing to suggest they didn't.
Luna beamed, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Well, I think I'll just go have some pudding. See you around, Harry."
As she wandered off towards the Entry Hall (not directly, more in a zig-zag), Harry felt himself thinking. Maybe she's right, he thought.
He shook his head. His life was too complicated already. But as he stared off across the black lake, he began to wonder. Was she right? Were there some things that were real, despite all evidence to the contrary. At that moment, a dark speck appeared above the Forbidden Forest, and Harry recognized the skeletal frame of a Thestral. Some things were just too complex, he thought.
Well, there we have it. One-shot #1. The next one will likely have an actual pairing, and not just be thought-provoking for one particular character. Until next time, I remain TheHonourableSkye, and God bless you all.