LUNA
Pudding!, she thought, enthusiastic, serving herself a bowl.
It was dinner time, and even with the Great Hall crowded she was eating alone, as she did most the time. Some people ignored her or made fun of her, others were kind out of pity, but no one was really friendly to her but one person.
"Luna!" called Ginny. "Come sit with us"
She smiled and filled another bowl of pudding before reaching the Gryffindor table. Ginny was sitting in front of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and next to Hermione Granger and another boy who Luna had never seen before.
"You look older" she told him.
"I.." the boy stuttered, "I am"
"But Ron Weasley's taller than you" observed Luna.
Ginny giggled.
"This is Oliver Wood, Luna" she introduced, "and she is Luna Lovegood, Oliver"
"Nice to meet you" he said with a tiny smile.
"Nobody ever says that"
"Why don't you sit down?" proposed Hermione, pointing at an empty chair next to Ron.
Luna obeyed as if she'd given her an order, and put down the two bowls of pudding she wasa holding.
"I brought an extra bowl, if someone wants pudding" she announced, looking around her.
"You not going to eat that?" asked Ron Weasley, staring at the bowl. "You sure?"
Luna thought about for awhile.
"I think I am" she said eventually. "Take it"
"Thanks"
"Why did you do that?" Luna asked Hermione Granger.
"Do what?" she asked, surprised.
"You rolled your eyes, why?"
"Oh, that" huffed Hermione, giving Ron a severe look. "Because he eats too much"
"Because he eats too much" he said in a shriek voice, mimicking her.
"He's very skinny" replied Luna, staring at him, then looking at his friend beside him. "Harry Potter is very skinny also. Hello, Harry"
"Hello, Luna" he greeted.
"You're not very skinny" she continued, speaking to Oliver Wood. "You're quite sturdy actually"
The boy blushed, looking down at his empty dish.
"I know.." he said under his breath.
"Oliver is into sports, you know" explained Ginny, hitting his arm, "he has muscles because he trains a lot"
Oh, he blushed even more, noticed Luna, but she knew better than to say it out loud.
"Do you play Quidditch?" she asked, taking a guess.
"He plays the Quidditch, mate" Ron Weasley replied with his mouth full. "He's bloody good, he plays for Puddlemore United!"
Luna burst out laughing, and Hermione Granger looked at her with her eyes widened.
She always looks at me that way, she thought starting to eat her pudding once her laughter was over.
"What's so funny about me playing for Puddlemore?" asked Oliver Wood, confused. "I mean, it's one of the best teams in all England.."
"Oh, sorry, I wasn't laughing at you" Luna swallowed, "it's just that it has a funny name.. it makes me think of pudding"
"Oh"
He looked even more confused than before, but she shrugged and started to eat again.
"So, how long are you going to stay here, Oliver?" asked Hermione Granger.
Gulping gargoyles, there is something she doesn't know.
"Yes, and what exactly are you doing here?" added Harry Potter. "I mean, it's really good to see you, but why have you come back?"
"Missing good old Hooch?" guessed Ron Weasley, his bowl of pudding almost empty. "Or Harry, perhaps"
"I just wanted to say hi, that's all" Oliver shrugged before looking at the teachers table, "make sure Harry's being a good captain. McGonagall will hate you forever, if you don't win the cup this year"
"Yeah, last year went a bit wrong"
"I know, Angelina told me"
"But this year" said Harry stretching his arms up in the air, "we won't let anyone take that cup from us"
"Especially since there's no Umbridge around" commented Ginny.
"Gryffindor's won the Quidditch cup for three consecutive years" realised Oliver, looking back at his friends, "apparently all it took was for me to leave"
"You should stay this year too and see if that's true" suggested Luna, griding the pudding at the bottom of the bowl.
"I can't, I have to go back to work"
"To work?"
"Yes" Oliver hesitated. "You know, Puddlemore United"
"Is that considered a work?" Luna widened her eyes. "I thought Quidditch was a sport"
"It is" huffed Hermione, "but when you get paid for doing it, it becomes a job"
"I get it"
She looked down at her empty bowl, sad.
"There's never enough pudding" she complained, "they should make more"
"Who, the house elves?" Hermione asked sourly. "Did you know that they are unpaid?"
"Oh, no" moaned Ron, looking at Harry, "here we go again"
"What!" she exclaimed, angry. "Everyone should know about that!"
"Know what?" asked Oliver, confused.
"Well" began Ginny, "the kitchens are run by house elves, but they don't get any wage"
"Can you believe it?" exhaled Hermione, raising up her hands. "I can't, honestly. You'd think Dumbledore should do something about this kind of injustice, but.."
"But the house elves like to work for free, so shut up about it" hissed Ron, standing up. "This pudding is really good, Luna, I'm taking another bowl"
"I'll go with you"
"No, stay. I'll fetch it for you"
"Thanks" replied Luna, as he walked away. "He's very kind, isn't he?"
"Charming" snorted Hermione, as she stood up as well. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed"
"Oh, no" said Ginny, "please, don't go, Ron's an idiot, he's the one who should shut up"
"It's not about that, really. I'm just tired, that's all"
"You sure?"
"Absolutely"
"Alright then" Ginny resigned, "good night"
"Thanks" Hermione waved her hand, "to you too. Bye bye, Oliver"
"Bye, Hermione" he waved back and smiled.
As she left the room, Ron came back with two bowls of pudding.
"Here" he said, handing one down in front of Luna.
"Thanks"
"Where's Hermione?" he asked, looking around. "Did she want some pudding as well?"
"No" ansered Luna, "she was tired"
"And you're an idiot" added Ginny.
"What did I.."
"Did you need to be that rude?"
"You wouldn't defend her if you'd spent the whole day with her" huffed Ron, "she's obsessed with house elves, always talking about bloody S.C.R.E.W..."
"It's S.P.E.W." Harry corrected him.
"What's spew?" Oliver asked with a grin.
"Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare" explained Ginny.
"Stupid Pointless Extra Work" joked Ron. "I'm sorry, but I'm far too busy to care about the house elves this year.."
"Is that why you had Hermione do your homework today?" asked his sister.
"Harry and I had Quidditch practice! Do you want Gryffindor to win the Quidditch cup or not?"
"Of course I do, but she's been very nice to you and you treated her like crap!"
"Please, shut up" Ron covered his eyes with his hand, "you're giving me headache"
"Fine" Ginny snorted and jumped up her chair, "I'm going to sleep too. Goodnight Harry, goodnight Oliver, goodnight Luna"
"Night" she replied, chewing her pudding.
"Goodnight" Harry and Oliver said at once.
"Women" grunted Ron, "what's wrong with them?"
Harry shrugged, and Oliver cleared his throat, looking at Luna.
"She's no ordinary girl" Ron smiled, "are you, Luna?"
"If you say so" she replied.
I'm not like Hermione Granger, if that's what you mean.
"Ginny is no ordinary girl" commented Oliver. "To be honest, I hadn't really noticed her when I studied here, but now.."
"What now?" asked Harry, curious.
"She's just.. different" explained Oliver, "from most girls"
"I can't see it" Ron said with a shrug.
"No, he's right" meddled Luna, "Ginny is different. She is nice to me. People usually aren't"
"Well.. I don't know about that" Oliver smiled uncomfortably, "but you have to admit that she's kind of butch"
"It's because she plays Quidditch" said Harry, "many girls who play Quidditch are like her, you would know about that"
"Yeah, just think about Angelina!" exclaimed Ron. "She's so manly"
"Ginny isn't manly" observed Oliver, "she's just.. wild"
"She's great" concluded Luna, and the three boys stared at her.
"Never said she wasn't" replied Oliver.
"Yeah, we know she's great" said Harry.
"Okay"
Luna nodded and stood up.
"You know what, I don't want it anymore" she moved her pudding towards Ron, "you can have it if you like"
"Really?" he asked, pushing his empty bowl away. "Thanks!"
"No problem. Goodnight Harry Potter, goodnight Ron Weasley, goodnight Oliver.."
"Wood" he smiled. "And goodnight to you, Luna Lovegood"
His face is pleasant to look at, she thought, and he says good things about Ginny. I like him.
She waved at them and trotted out the Great Hall.