Luna had lived her childhood in relative isolation. She had her parents, to be sure, but with no other girls or boys her own age nearby, she quickly learned to be self-sufficient.
Even at Hogwarts, she was apart from the crowd. Unlike most of her housemates, Luna was interested as much in artistic pursuits as in demonstrating her cleverness. And so she continued to sit alone.
For a while, she was happy that way. She enjoyed the company of her thoughts and dreams – and she had plenty of both. But eventually, the day came when she saw the people around her, talking to their friends, and she realized that she wanted companionship.
But who would want to be friends with her, with Loony Lovegood? She was just too different.
When she looked back, she would feel that it happened almost in a flash. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Ginny... taking her in, making her feel not only accepted but incorporated.
And yet she could never quite shake the feeling that if they needed her, she only needed them more. She craved their company, finding that they occupied her mind even when she was busy with her other thoughts. So she painted their figures on her ceiling. She wrote to them whenever she could, and sometimes imagined conversations with them.
And yet she came to a startling, wonderful conclusion. She was loved.