The sun rose over the hills beyond The Black Lake like they did every morning, but today it was a truly beatiful sight. Not to say it isn't always, because every sunrise is beatiful in its own way. No, today's sunrise was a pinch more beautiful because of the day it followed. For one small girl, it had been the day she had made her first friend on her own. This girl had a name like anyone else, her name was Luna Lovegood.
While she had friends in the form of the Weasley family, she had yet to make her own friend at school. When she had came here, she had no intention of making one. Her father had been her friend for years and Ginny Weasley had been what she had assumed a best friend to be. Luna had been quite content with having two friends in her life, even if one was her father and the other a girl that had been forced into playing with her due to lack of neighbors.
When Luna had arrived at Hogwarts, she had no hopes for anything more than education. She went to class and spent her spare time either reading or searching for answers to the questions that roamed in her mind. She would search for Nargles or Crumpled-Horned Snorebacks when she was bored. Yesterday changed a lot for her though. She had made a friend, a real friend, named Corvus Black.
Luna slid her legs off of the bed and turned as she sat up and took in the room. Her feet, still covered in the red canvas sneakers, made a soft thud in the slowly brightening room. She hadn't wanted to remove them for fear of a fellow Ravenclaw thinking it would be funny to thrown them outside or hide them from her. Luna stood, straightening her pajama pants and night shirt. They were blue, simple and pure. The gentle blues of the room soothing her as she danced over to the desk beside her bunk. She decided she should write a letter to her father. She must tell him of her newest friend and how he was. She quickly pulled her bag, which had been resting by her bed, over to her. She pulled from it three things. A quill in the shape of a woodpecker head, an inkwell with blue ink and a stack of parchment.
She opened the inkwell, allowing the smell of it to drift into her nose. It was a comforting scent, the smell of ink. She had grown up with it, the smell always making her think of home and her childhood with her father. A gentle smile came across her face as she remembered the days she would sit with her father as he told her stories of strange and mystical creatures that hid away from the world.
Luna dipped the quill and brought her thoughts to the parchment. The blue ink traveled from the metal tip of the quill onto the faded parchment, words and thoughts becoming one. Slowly, she weaved a story of a chance meeting with a kind young boy. She wrote of his tall height and thin build. The way his smile was warm and his eyes deep and comforting. The ink formed paragraphs that spoke of the kindness he had done her and the gift he had given her with the offer of his friendship and his shoes. She wrote of the joy that filled her knowing that she had made a friend who wanted to know her, simply because they were drawn to her for who she was.
She laid the quill down on the surface of the desk, the wood worn but well maintained and a deep brown. The quill rolled slightly, a drop of blue ink threatening to spill from its tip and fall down to the dark brown wood below. She read over the letter and a smile crossed over her lips as she felt content with it. It was long, but most of her letter to her beloved father were. She gently folded the parchment, making sure not to smudge the ink as she did so. She placed grabbed a small iron pitcher, warm and filled with a blue wax. Luna lightly tipped the pitcher, the blue wax spilling out and pooling in a near perfect circle over the seam of the letter. She placed the pitcher back on the desk, reaching for a seal stamp. She stamped the wax, the impression of the Ravenclaw crest impressioned upon the cooling blue wax.
Luna stood, the wooden chair creaking in thanks as her weight was lifted from it, however little that weight was. She picked up the letter and placed it into her bag. She would go to the Owlry later after breakfast to send it. She made her way to her trunk, opening it and searching for something to wear. She sifted through several different colored fabrics and things. It was Sunday, so there was no need to dress for school. Today, she could wear something that she felt like wearing and not something she was supposed to wear. She searched for a few bangles and bracelets, along with a necklace that had a large seashell on it. She also found a red beret to wear. After searching through many things, she found what she wanted. Pulling them out, she was rewarded with two thing articles of clothing.
The first was a large pink blazer. It was simple, but it was important to her. Her mother had owned it, so she kept it and treasured it. It was small, but still hung over her like a drape. She didn't mind though, wearing it made her feel that much closer to the woman that had brought her into this world.
The second was a simple pair of jeans. They were newer, a present from Ginny last year. She had barely grown, so the simple blue pants still fit her and to be honest, they were a bit loose. She still needed a shirt though, so she placed the articles aside and dove back into the pile of clothes that lay in her trunk. She didn't have to search long though, because her small hand found a simple black shirt that she hadn't even known she had. She had never worn it, she considered black to be too dark and sad. It was a long sleeved black shirt. The top half of the shirt buttoned up to allow a certain amount of modesty. She smiled, the color reminding her of her new friend. She decided that the black shirt would be the one to complete her outfit for the day.
The Great Hall was sparsely filled with students, most having not awoken yet on the early Sunday morning. She did happen to notice Corvus was alone for some reason. Wasn't there a Hogsmeade trip today? Why was he sitting alone and not with his friends? She decided to walk to him and see what was the matter.
Corvus was not wearing anything she had usually seen him in. He was not wearing his usual jeans and black shirt, his sweater nor was he wearing the suit she had seen him in yesterday. No, today his clothing took a much more melancholy tone. He wore his black boots, since they might very well be his only footwear left. A pair of black pants, different from the suit because they were of a finer quality and seemed thinner. He wore a black dress shirt and a silver tie. A simple woolen vest, this vest being of a scarlet shade with thin black pinstripes, was being worn over the black shirt. The vest had silver buttons, each with the symbol that adorned his watch on them. His watch had been tucked into the left pocket, secured to the vest by it's silver chain. His hair was held in much the same fashion as the day before, a simple scarlet band to hold the hair in a tail and his bangs framing his face. He was certainly a handsome young man, but his usually joyous face was marred by a frown the likes of which she had never seen on him. While it looked foreign, for some reason she couldn't help but feel she had seen it far before today.
She sat beside him, his gaze fixed on the empty table, muttering something that she was straining to hear. She listened, soon being able to make out words and what appeared to be a quiet sing song voice that was actually very soothing, coming forth form his lips in a slow and steady stream.
"..like clouds o'er fields of May. On a quiet street, where old ghosts meet. I see her walking now, away from me so hurriedly. My reason must allow." Luna listened intently, trying to remember where she had heard the lyrics before. They were beautiful, soft and gentle words that fell from his lips with an inflection that she had never heard him use. It sounded...Irish? She tried to think of what it could be, but frowned when she came up to a blank. Corvus snapped out of his daze, looking up at her and a blush covering his cheeks. He immediately smiled at her though, the previous mood forgotten.
"Hello Luna." He said, his voice now devoid of the previous Irish accent. He smiled at her all the same, his soft and black facial hair giving him an even warmer effect on her. Luna smiled in return, pleased to see that the Nargals had abandoned their attempt to confuse her new friend.
"Hello Corvus, where are Harry, Ron and Hermione?" She asked. He smiled when she asked though, so it must not have been bad. Why was he in such a dim mood then?
"They are in Hogsmeade. I didn't feel like being a burden to them, so I let them go without me. They said it was tradition anyways." He told her, his voice filled with a slightly sad note. It didn't take Luna very long to deduce the problem. He had wanted to go, to spend time with them, but hadn't wanted to impose and possibly ruin his new friends tradition. She gave him an understanding smile. There were many times she had done the same when it came to Ginny. She reached over, placing her right hand atop his loosly held fist. He looked at her, a bit confused.
"Well, since they have gone off to do what they want, why don't you and I go and search Hogsmeade for some withering mushrooms? I heard that professor Snape was running low, I'm sure he would appreciate it. Not to mention it would give us some time to talk." She said. While she knew the words seemed to feel generic and well used, she meant them all the same. Corvus seemed to brighten as he heard this. He needed a friend to spend time with, to tell of the things that were bothering him and the secrets that he felt like he was uncovering. Luna smiled as she sensed his mood.
Corvus stood, straightening his outfit and readjusting his tie. He smiled down at Luna, a warm feeling washing over her as she was reminded that she now had a kind friend. He offered her a hand to help her up.
"Would the kind young maiden wish to accompany this foolish knight on an adventure?" asked Corvus in an over formal tone, obviously trying to get a laugh. Luna smiled, a small giggle escaping her lips as she did. She accepted the hand, standing up and walking by his side.
"Oh, but of course noble foolish knight. It would be this maiden's honor." She said, returning the formal jest and gaining a small chuckle from the young man. He towered over her, easily taller than any other fourth year she had ever seen. He was definitely odd, but he had an air of confidence and kindness that made one forget the oddness. They walked side by side out the Great Hall, unaware of the hushed whispers...
I know that this chapter is too short and not enough substance. I wanted to write so much more, but I'm moving to Wisconsin in two days and have been very busy packing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for adding this note when I said I wouldn't write anymore of them. I felt that I owed an explanation. I would like if people would actually write reviews for my story. I feel like I'm writing for one person, myself. I will continue, but your support will make me want to write much faster.