title: If Not Always In the Way We Expect
author: the lovely delirium
ship: luna + ronald
summary: Without much verbal agreement they turned and walked together in the direction of the Entrance Hall, the silence comfortable and serene on both ends. In retrospect they would be puzzled by how it all began, but in the end would have to write it off to their expectations.
disclaimer: i own nothing, of course.
author's note: i wrote this for a contest, but it never got judged. i have never written in this ship before either, but i rather like it. however, i do think i failed to capture luna's character accurately and i don't think this is very good at all. she is difficult for me to write.
The ethereal blonde Ravenclaw by the name of Luna Lovegood packed her unique possessions into her trunk with leisurely pace. It was end of term, her fourth year, and after the wonderful experience she had with Dumbledore's Army and finally feeling like she almost had friends she wanted to savor every last moment at Hogwarts. Even the battle at the Department of Mysteries was something she would cherish, despite the loss of Harry's godfather, because she was with the people she was growing to love, even if they might not see things the same way.
As the sun broke through the royal blue curtains sheathing her dormitory's tower window Luna took inventory of her abnormal possessions. She had her butterbeer cork necklace and her radish earrings, and various other oddities she called her own, yet not everything she had brought with her at the beginning of the school term was among the lot. She frowned down at her trunk and the empty vacancy awaiting her belongings and tried not to look poorly on the rude students who had stolen her property. They really were just reacting in the expected way to someone who was different, and Luna was accurately described as 'different' when in comparison to her peers, that was certain. But long ago Luna Lovegood had learned not to take these offenses to heart, for there would always be some people in the world who needed a laugh, and who was she to deny those petty beings by changing?
At any rate, Luna was still disheartened that her fellow classmates hadn't the kindness to return her things to her before the end of term. She'd gone looking a couple of days ago and recovered only a margin of the absent items. It seemed that contrary to prior years when her mismatched shoes and home-knit sweaters had been hidden around the castle quite perceptibly, the students at Hogwarts had discovered cleverer places to obscure Luna's belongings. At long last Luna resounded her ardent hunting and yesterday posted her extensive list of omitted property stating that if anyone were to find said property to kindly return it to the Ravenclaw common room. Harry Potter had courteously asked if she needed any help yesterday when he found her hanging the lists about the castle, but Luna declined, not wanting to waste his time when she had already searched the castle and grounds in their entirety.
Unfortunately, nothing of Luna's ownership had been left in the common room and she had to settle on the fact that some things were not meant to be found. Now, Luna didn't mind losing a couple pairs of shoes – the grass felt nice between her toes, anyway – but she was bothered anyhow that her mother had been wrong in Luna's childhood. The things we lose some times don't come back to us in the end, like her mother had always promised. Luna sighed, a sound uncharacteristic to the content girl, but closed the lid of her trunk anyway. There was no use in waiting any longer; the Hogwarts express would be departing soon.
Luna walked down the stairs, the usual skip in her step no longer in attendance. She was the last one left in the Ravenclaw Tower, or so it appeared, so she privately stole one last glance of the lovely place to last her until September. Her home could get lonely during the summers, despite the presence of her father, whom she loved dearly, and Luna would miss the days filled with the ones she viewed as friends.
As she proceeded towards the exit Luna thought on them all, though the list was short. Ginny Weasley had always been nice to her and even defended her a few times when the comments were becoming particularly impolite, and Harry Potter listened to her even though she knew he thought some of the things she said were peculiar, Hermione Granger was a bit uptight and very close-minded but their time in the D.A. was enough to prove to Luna that she was certainly devoted, then there was—
"Oh, hello Ronald," Luna said in her airy voice, just as the ginger-haired boy occupying her mind ironically appeared just outside of the common room. Her large milky eyes never left his face as she discerned that he looked rather nervous. She wondered why, but thought better of outright asking him. She knew Ronald didn't much like it when she pointed out things like that, so she waited to see if he would explain himself.
He cleared his throat, but avoided her probing eyes expertly. "Hi, Luna," Ronald said, shortly but not unkindly. Luna awaited some other recognition, but realized quickly that she would not receive one. Under further scrutiny she noticed his face tinged pink at the cheeks and ears, and his gaze firmly fixed to the floor. Noting his odd behavior Luna determined that there could only be one thing plaguing him.
"Wrackspurt got you, Ronald?" Luna reached out and patted his arm sympathetically, nodding when he finally met her pensive stare.
That brought a small smile to his freckled face, though he looked adorably confused by her inquiry. "Erm, a what got me?"
"A Wrackspurt," Luna continued insistently, wondering vaguely why her stomach sort of flipped when Ronald smiled. That had never happened before. But then again, she couldn't recall another time when Ronald had smiled at her. He typically just looked uncomfortable by her statements of brutal honesty. "They're invisible creatures that float through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. I didn't see one here, but I'm not wearing my Spectrespecs."
Ronald shook his head, seemingly amused by her ridiculous claim, but still smiling all the same, which happened to be reward enough for Luna. She didn't receive many smiles, especially from people like Ronald Weasley, unless it was in taunting laughter. "Yeah, Luna, must've been a Wrackspurt."
They settled into another silence and Luna dropped her eyes from his face to the plethora of items piled hazardously in his arms. She was startled that she hadn't noticed the untidy heap sooner, seeing as how Ronald had been standing there holding them all the while. Perhaps a Wrackspurt had gotten to her as well. "What's that you're holding Ronald?" Upon further inspection she thought some of the objects looked very familiar. In fact, were those her sneakers…and her Potions textbook? Flabbergasted, Luna peered up at Ron with her large, round, glassy eyes. "Ronald, are those my things?"
Once more Ronald flushed a mighty crimson, even the tips of his ears glowing, and in response to her shocked question he muttered a jumbled explanation. "Well, it's just that…I saw your fliers and…It's awful that people would take your things like that so…I kept an eye out…And well…here." Luna watched him unblinking through his strangled speech, stunned and pleasantly flattered that Ronald Weasley even cared to stop to read her posted list, let alone take time to search for the things she couldn't find. He had never seemed like one to care at all.
She took the collection from his arms – an assortment of shoes, jumpers, and books – and kneeled to place them in their rightful vacant places in her trunk, all the while hiding her bright smile. With one last look at her properly full trunk, she stood to bestow Ronald with the deserved gratitude. "Thank you very much, Ronald. That was very nice of you."
He conveyed a bashful shrug that Luna thought was rather cute by the way he obviously didn't have the words to say. Without much verbal agreement they turned and walked together in the direction of the Entrance Hall, the silence comfortable and serene on both ends. Each of them hid a quiet smile and walked so their arms nearly brushed.
In retrospect they would be puzzled by how it all began, but in the end would have to write it off to their expectations. Luna certainly didn't expect Ronald to be the one returning all her possessions, and Ron didn't expect himself to be the one to do it either. Luna was glad to know her mother was still right, because Ronald Weasley was most definitely not what she had expected.