HARRY POTTER REUNION
It was a fine spring day, and as had been planned, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were meeting at Luna's house for a day out. It was decided against meeting at any of their houses because they visited each other every alternate day, they were so close that they had forgotten that they did not live there. And also because Luna's house was pretty quirky, which would add a sense of fun and weirdness to their little get-together.
Harry reached there first, he was so ecstatic, then Hermione and then finally Ron. Ginny was at the Malfoys, so she came a bit late. Hermione saw Harry and waved, and he waved back, then ran towards him and hugged him happily. Ron strolled a bit more slowly, but when he too came near enough, Harry extended an arm and made it into a trio hug. When they parted, the first thing Harry noticed was that they both were breathless. "What had you two been doing? You are as red as my sneakers!" He grinned. "Thanks for pointing that out." Ron scowled.
"Come on, Ron! Cheer up! We were racing on a broomstick and I beat him and he's sour because girls aren't "allowed" to do that. Ha!" Now it was Hermione who smirked.
Luna, unaware of all the commotion downstairs, stood hanging little threaded miniature versions of the crumple-horned snorkacks to her window sill. "Hey! There's Luna! Wonder what she could be doing?" Harry nodded in answer to Hermione and caught a glimpse of Luna looking confused.
"Luna! We're here! What are you doing?" Harry and Ron shouted in unison. She spun around and looked out of the window. She thought she had heard Harry's voice. She turned back again, thinking she had mistaken it. "LUNA!" This time Hermione yelled. Luna whipped around, she hadn't mistaken it. It was Hermione, surely. "Hey! Harry! Ron! And Hermione! Where's Ginny?" She called out. Everyone turned to look at Harry who said, "Uh, she's gone down to the Malfoys." He looked fit to burst. "The MALFOYS, Is she out of her mind? When did she tell you that?" Ron's ears reddened to resemble a beetroot. "Um, I met her on her way, when I was coming here. Why, you didn't meet her at the breakfast table today? I thought she was your sis!" Harry looked a little frustrated.
It was fortunate Hermione intervened, "Ok guys, enough chit-chat, tch... you two are despicable; can't you enjoy a good day when you see one?" The convicts almost immediately stared hard at their shoes. But they were distracted by the arrival of a certain ginger young lady with a silver-blond haired chap. Harry clenched his fists so hard, his knuckles became white. Hermione grabbed hold of his arm, and pressed it so hard, Harry actually jumped. Now, even though his surprise had taken off the better part of his anger, his hand was still very pale, thanks to Hermione's mighty grasp.
Ginny bounced over and gave Harry a tight hug. Harry was so astonished by the behaviour of both these girls, he didn't even realize as he returned Ginny's hug. Even Malfoy surprised him. How could he have come here when he knew very well he was unwelcome? Ginny seemed to realize Harry's thoughts as she coolly explained that Draco had come to drop her off, and asked Malfoy if he would like to spend some time with them. At this point of her little speech, both Ron and Harry glared hard at her. Luna had once again gone and got lost in her own sweet world, so she failed to notice Malfoy standing outside. Instead, when she finally snapped back to reality, she yelled down to them if they would like to come through her window as it was wide enough. Malfoy snickered, and Harry stamped on his foot, and then looked at him innocently as if it had been an "accident".
"How could we possibly come through your window, Luna? I don't think that even at twenty, I could climb up to your window." replied Hermione. "Speak for yourself!" Ron and Harry said together as they began climbing to the sill, clinging to the tiered house tiles. They had almost reached the drawing room window on the second floor, when Luna appeared holding out a couple of broomsticks. She looked startled to see them puffing and wheezing as they tried to keep their hold firm. "Harry and Ron, what are you trying to do? Here take these brooms. I meant for you to come up with these." Luna spoke softly, but wide-eyed enough for anybody to guess what she said, as she threw two brooms down for Ginny and Hermione.
"Err, Luna, we'll manage, we're almost there." replied Harry looking at Hermione double over with laughter. They quickened their pace, and after a bit of tough work, climbed out into her room and Luna gave them both a hug. Harry looked at her ceiling painted with five of their faces- Neville's, Hermione's, Ron's, his' and Ginny's. He had seen it only once before, at the time Luna had been kidnapped by Death Eaters on the Hogwarts Express, and her Dad had tried to surrender the trio to get his daughter back. Ron was right by his side, gazing at the ceiling, a bit wary that he was almost standing on Harry himself.
He elbowed Ron to the side, as Ginny and Hermione appeared outside the window sill. Luna, unaware, that the others were waiting downstairs, had shut the pane, and that explained why two airborne girls were knocking at her window. Ron quickly undid the latch, and let them in, and they placed their brooms to the side. He looked triumphant at seeing Draco heading off down the street. Harry, too, it seemed shared the same enthusiasm, that is until Hermione told them off, "Now, now, you two, forgive Malfoy, will you? The subtle glances changed into frosty looks at her, while Hermione just dusted her hands on her pullover, ignoring the duo.
Luna came bouncing in front, and grinned. She made a motion with her hands for them to follow her. Ginny looked at Harry sceptically, but he smiled and shrugged it off, they liked Luna for her craziness, after all. Whatever she wanted to show them, or take them to, the worse could be a plain white teacup with no angle whatsoever of any eccentricity. Together they followed everyone to the basement of her house. You could call it a basement, since it was well below the house, or maybe a modern dungeon but it was nothing of the sort.
She had a disco pad in her basement! The room was set in the 70s and was full of queer prints and vibrant hues. It made you feel quite bouncy. The base colour of the walls and floor seemed to be a pale yellow, but it was hard to tell with all the splashes of paint everywhere. Whether it was intentional or not, he'd know soon, but nevertheless, it was awesome. His eyes fell on a table he hadn't noticed before. It was...curly. That's right. It was the only word Harry could think of which he deemed fit to describe the thing. The tiny piece of teak furniture was laden with dishes of all sorts. Harry got a lump in his throat, as he thought of his previous experiments with Luna's choice of foods. Gratefully, he saw that none of those were unrecognizable, only the usual delicacies. There were goblets of pumpkin juice, treacle pudding, fruit toast with whipped icing, jam tarts, strawberry with cold cream, spicy soups with saucy vegetable balls, bread sticks, butterscotch muffins and cupcakes, chocolate brownies and a huge pineapple sponge cake.
"Luna, what is this spread for?" Harry turned around to look at her chatting animatedly with a teddy bear. "Eating, of course, help yourself." she replied as Ron snorted.
"But, why have you brought us here?" he asked.
She looked at him a little queerly, "To eat. Tuck In."
Ginny scooped up a butterscotch muffin, and gorged into a piece. "Have a bite!" she said. Harry took a muffin and ate a bit. It was delicious, both in terms of its aroma and the taste. The muffin was full of sweet goodness; he hadn't eaten one like it before. Luna grabbed a goblet of juice, and Ron made Hermione take a bit of a brownie from his hand, seeing Harry's expression after he ate the muffin. Harry picked up a cup of soup and piled a few breadsticks and sauce balls into his saucer. Ginny took a helping of treacle pudding, some toast and a few jam tarts. Then they all sat down to eat on the lime green couch which was decorated with paisley drops.
"Harry...so how is your auror training going?" Ron asked through a mouthful of cupcake.
"Um, Kingsley said that even though I hadn't given my N.E. , I shall be able to become an auror in less than a year, or at least training will begin."
"Bloody Hell!" Hermione spoke in an excellent imitation of the Weasley sitting beside her. "Ow!" Ron elbowed her in the ribs, as everybody started laughing.
Hermione crossly came and sat beside Harry.
"Aw, cheer up!" Harry messed up her bushy hair.
"Not you too!" she folded her arms across her chest with a "humph".
"So, everyone, how'd ya like all this spread?" Luna voiced as she dished out plates with cupcakes, generous slices of sponge cake and bowls of thick cream and strawberries. There was some hot vegetable stew too.
"We loved it!" All of them spoke at once; including Ginny for the first time since they'd begun eating.
Ginny whipped up the cream with her spoon and ate a few spoonfuls of dessert. Luna too came and sat with them, and Harry made her eat some stew because she was only interested in serving them.
All of them finished their cupcakes, cake, stew and salad which had come a bit later. They then headed up the staircase to her drawing room, in which the erumpent horn still hung, despite Hermione's frantic warnings. Luna and her father still seemed to think that it was a Crumple-Horned Snorkack's horn. Hermione chose a tiny red cushioned chair by the window, as far from the horn as possible and Harry, Ron and Ginny obliged by drawing up their chairs by the window, too. They, well, everybody except Ginny and Luna, had already seen what had been made of the house last time, and they didn't want to experience the horn's wrath again.
Xenophilius Lovegood. He was a very very strange man. And just as he thought these words, Luna's father appeared wearing a smock and carrying a tray which looked full of mugs with purple liquids in them. Harry gasped, and nudged Ron. Ron and Hermione too looked pretty startled at the sight. Ginny, however was puzzled to see all their eyebrows raised. But they drank it, not because it was good, it was horrible, but because they didn't want to be rude. They all then stepped out of the house for a walk, filled with thoughts about what they could do to make their day even more worth remembering.