Luna had felt a bit off ever sine Santana's accident. She spent a lot of time with Brittany in the hospital wing, Santana was finally darting in and out of consciousness. Madam Pompfrey and the rest of the staff were working hard to figure out what that boy hit her with, but at least she was recovering.

"Do you think she'll get better soon?" Brittany asked as they were leaving the hospital wing one day. She looked worried. She was always worried lately. Her marks were dropping even lower than usual and she moped around. The spring in her step was gone. The twinkle in her eye had vanished. She wasn't Brittany anymore, not without Santana. It was affecting Luna, too. She hated seeing her friend this sad. When people are close like Luna and Brittany, a feeling could flow through one right into the other.

They had been friends since their very first day at Hogwarts together.

Luna was a year younger than Brittany, but they had first met on the Hogwarts train. Santana was going through a brief period where she only wanted to be around other Slytherins to show off, mostly, and make herself feel good about herself. Brittany was left lonely and confused, and the train ride to Hogwarts would have ben miserable if it wasn't for Luna.

Brittany walked through the train, a basket carrying her big, brown cat called Lord Tubbington swinging feebly from her arm. She felt to small for her clothes, for her trunk, too small to feel. She had been wandering up and down the train, looking into full compartments with dewy eyes and wishing more than she had ever wished for anything in her life that she had a good seat.

She walked along and found an oddly empty compartment. There was only one girl inside, and she was looking out the window. Brittany could tell she was a rather harmless first year, but the real reason she went in to sit with Luna Lovegood that say was because she liked her hair. She was hoping, if she played her cards right, that she would get to touch it or even braid it by the end of the train ride.

She slid open the compartment door and Luna's head turned a bit slowly to look at Brittany. Lord Tubbington gave a wail from his basket.

"Can I sit here?" Brittany asked, pointing directly at the spot in which she intended to sit. She was going to sit there either way, but she thought it would be polite to ask. Luna nodded.

"I'm Brittany. And this is Lord Tubbington." she said, pointing to the basket. Tubbington poked his head out and let out a low meow before wriggling out of the basket and flopping over next to Brittany.

"I'm Luna Lovegood." Luna said. Brittany took her hand and shook it enthusiastically, and though Luna wasn't expecting it, she wasn't fazed at all. She just turned to look out the window again.

"Are you in your first year?" Brittany asked. Luna nodded at the window. Brittany took a moment before saying "Are you nervous about the Sorting?"

Luna paused. She waited. Brittany cleared her throat a few times before Luna answered. Another nod. Brittany reached out and put her hand on Luna's knee. Luna's big eyes focused on that instead of the countryside speeding by.

"It's fun, getting Sorted." Brittany said. "The Sorting Hat sings to you and talks in your ear. He goes right through your head and speaks to you and-"

"You're very strange." Luna said, cutting across Brittany. Brittany tilted her head, but didn't look offended.

"Well, so are you." Brittany said with only a moment's hesitation.

Something connected inside the two girls then, both of them fully recognizing that they came off to the rest of the world as strange made them equals. Their age and hight and family no longer mattered. Brittany was odd. Luna was odd. They could be odd together until the end of time if they wanted to.

And though neither of them realized what had actually happened in that glorious moment, they knew they had found a friend in each other.

"I want San to get better." Brittany mumbled as they walked together. Luna nodded, taking Brittany's hand. Brittany sighed. It was a gesture they had both grown accustomed to.

"So do I." Luna said. Brittany looked at her with a mildly confused expression.

"You two don't seem close." Brittany said, keeping her eyes locked on Luna.

"Yes," Luna said, "but we've talked, and deep down, she's a very stunning person. She lies a lot, but she's good. Someone like her doesn't deserve what she got."

Brittany nodded weakly.

Just then, Artie rolled up to them. He had been chanting in his head all day, through breakfast, through classes. Today is the day, ask Luna out. He knew about Santana, word had spread around the school quickly. But it was now or never. Santana or no Santana, he had to power through his own fear and ask her out.

But God, it was hard to talk to her when she was looking at you with those eyes.

This big, beautiful eyes…

Artie cleared his throat to clear his mind, although there still seemed to be a thin layer of fuzz on everything there. Brittany just kept walking, as if Artie had never even showed up. Artie knew how that was. After breaking up with Ginny, he couldn't stop moving. He was always doing something with his hands, his wheels, going somewhere, keeping busy, so he wouldn't feel bad or doubt himself. He suspected it must have been ten times worse with her. Luna looked down at him with a vague smile though.

"Hello, Artie. I've missed talking to you for the past few days." Luna said. Artie thought her happiness spreading over her face looked like pure sunshine. He couldn't hate himself for being cheesy though, because rather than thinking in sentences he just thought with clouds of emotion he could translate into words if he so desired. And those clouds just broke to make way for Luna's dazzling smile.

"So have I. Luna, you like music, right?" Artie said. Luna nodded. "Oh yes, it's all very good. I especially like Muggle music. They seem to write a lot of songs about love."

"Well Luna, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." Artie said, sounding far, far more confident than he was feeling. "Want to come down to the grounds with me?"

"Of course." she said, and she reached out and took his hand. Even though it meant Artie had a bit of a difficult time maneuvering himself, he didn't care. Fireworks were exploding inside his chest. Not big ones, certainly. But they were there, budding like flowers. Luna helped push him out until they were under the beech tree on the grounds, overlooking the glassy, pristine lake. People were laughing and having fun everywhere. Artie couldn't have asked for better conditions.

Once he hand Luna had settled themselves, he started to sing. He had always liked the song, speaking of an intriguing, lovely, odd-yet-joyful girl. Now there she was, right in front of him. And he was ready to show her how he felt.

He cleared his throat and she gave him a look she had never given him before. She looked alert, happy. Luna was excited. That was all the inspiration Artie needed.

"Now that she's back in the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in her hair

She acts like summer and walks like rain, reminds me that there's a time to change, yeah…"

Luna was leaning in. Just slightly, just a bit. Like she was trying to get as close as she could to the music without Artie noticing.

"Since the return of her stay on the moon, she listens like spring and she talks like June, yeah… Yeah… Now tell me, did you sail across the sun? Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights are faded, and that heaven is overrated? Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star, one without a permanent scar, and did you miss me while you were lookin' for yourself out there?"

She had closed her eyes, she was swaying a bit. Artie began to get nervous. This couldn't go too well, things had to set into motion, his voice had to crack at least… When things went too perfectly, it made him anxious. But he kept going. There was no way he was going to just stop in the middle of a song that made her look so… Pleased. That's what he was reminded of. A content cat, laying on it's belly in the sun.

"Now that she's back from that soul vacation,

tracing her way through the constellations, yeah…"

They were starting to get a bit of attention. It wasn't every day that people in Hogwarts just burst out singing. Luna didn't seem to mind though. She was off in her own little world, one filled with Artie's singing.

"She checks out Mozart while she does tae bo, reminds me that there's room to grow, yeah… Now that she's back in the atmosphere

I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol Jane

Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land…"

A few people were gathering around, noticing. Two blonde Slytherins, a boy and a girl, came to watch. The girl had her hand resting on her stomach. She was smiling widely. Dave and Brittany walked over, Dave had his arm around Brittany's skinny form. They were both smiling wider than Luna had seen in days. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were watching, grinning at Luna. Another pair of Slytherins, brunettes this time, were doing an over-exaggerated formal dance and laughing at themselves. The boys voice seemed to be as high as his friends. Sam Evans walked over with his girlfriend Mercedes Jones, his arm around her shoulders, and stole a kiss from her. But Artie tried with all his might to only focus on Luna.

"Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet, did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day, and head back to the milky way

And tell me, did Venus blow your mind, was it everything you wanted to find

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?"

Luna was clapping along to the music now, she had dropped to her knees so she was just a bit shorter than Artie in his chair. Artie was grinning down at her, now past the point of worrying and finally thinking that what he was doing might work out. He spent a long time contemplating how to ask out a girl like Luna Lovegood, and music presented itself as a solution.

He still couldn't believe he just might pull everything off.

"Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken

Your best friend always sticking up for you... even when I know you're wrong

Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone conversation

The best soy latte that you ever had... And me…"

The small crowd they had attracted grew still then. Everyone was waiting, still, for the end of the song and what Luna's reaction would be. It was a moment where everything was tense, yet mysteriously relaxed. Calm, yet feverishly excited. It was peace of mind filled with an incessant buzzing. It was romance, and everyone watching Artie and Luna had their own stories to tell. Their hearts went out to the two people in the center of their circle, and they were attracted like magnets.

"Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet

Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

And head back toward the milky way

Tell me did you sail across the sun

Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded

And that heaven is overrated"

Luna looked over Artie's shoulder at Dave and Brittany, looking so happy for her. She had never wanted anyone's approval over anything, not because she thought lesser of anyone else, but because she was capable enough to do things on her own. But Dave and Brittany mattered. They were big parts of her. Their friendship had consumed her heart and she couldn't just let anyone into that space she had willingly given to them. Artie's serenade was something special, and it was clear they saw that. But they needed to show her it wasn't a bad decision.

Dave gave her a two thumbs up. Brittany giggled. It was final.

"Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star

One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?"

As Artie drew out his long, final note, everyone cheered. Artie smiled at her and looked at her extremely expectantly.

"Luna, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked. The mini-crowd cheered again. His voice shook slightly and he was twiddling his thumbs. Luna didn't know why he was so nervous, but she sure thought it was cute. There had always been something about Artie Abrams, something small, something captivating. Charisma or something of the like. But it had pulled Luna in from the night she found him wheeling off to the hospital wing and it grew inside her. It was like vines, tangling themselves around her heart. Wrapping it up. Squeezing it.

She walked over to him on her knees still, effectively staining her robes against the bright green grass, and she threw her arms around Artie's middle. Artie, in surprise, wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'll be your girlfriend." Luna whispered, her cheek pressed up against his belly.

Artie's stomach did backflips.

Dave was steadily growing happier. Santana was now conscious the majority of the time they visited her in the hospital wing, and she was well on her way to making sarcastic remarks again. Brittany was happy now that Santana was recovering, and Artie was making Luna happier than Dave had ever seen her. He felt a bit bad that she never looked that extremely content when she was just around them, but better late than never.

He was seeing a lot more of Kurt lately too. Kurt ha no apparent feelings for Dave other than mutual respect, that was for certain. And they weren't exactly meeting up outside of classes. But he walked with Dave sometimes, stood next to him during their still immensely frustrating apparation lessons. He even turned up to watch Ravenclaw quidditch practice once or twice, but left before Dave could talk to him.

Dave was strolling through the corridors, in no particular hurry to get to his next class. He was having one of those days where everything felt just fine and nothing really mattered. Flitwick wouldn't kill him if he was just three minutes late, would he? It didn't seem like it.

He was mildly pondering life, looking up at the high, arched ceilings when he ran into a boy that looked as though he was in a rather big hurry. He was nowhere near as tall as Dave, and nearly bounced off of him as they collided. Something rather big he was carrying crashed to the floor, and Dave snapped out of his daze right away.

"Shit." the boy murmured, staring at the broken guitar on the floor.

"Here, let me get that for you." Dave said, getting out his wand, pointing it at the not entirely broken but now slightly banged up instrument and said "Reparo."

"Thanks." the other boy said gratefully, pulling out a smile so bright that made the sun look dim. Dave thought that it was rather unnecessary, seeing as it was just a guitar, but he was running to wherever he was going to.

"No problem." Dave said with a little nod. "I'm Dave."

"Blaine." the other boy said. They shook hands.

"Where are you carting that thing off to, anyways?" Dave asked conversationally. Blaine looked a bit flustered at this question, as though a little part of him wasn't exactly sure either.

"Do you know Kurt Hummel?" he asked.

"Yes." Dave responded, just a little too quickly. Blaine didn't seem to pick up on it though.

"Well… I've kind of been sitting with him in potions for a while and rumor is he can sing. I'm gonna try and convince him to sing with me." he said. Maybe Dave was just being paranoid, but it sure sounded as though Blaine's voice had dropped a bit lower, and he sounded too enthusiastic about just a song. Dave's eyes narrowed a bit, but it seemed as though there was an invisible bubble around Blaine that negative thoughts couldn't penetrate.

"Uh, yeah, well have to go." Blaine said, firmly picking up his guitar and nodding to Dave before hurrying off.

Dave stared after him for a bit, not really comprehending what had happened.

Who was that kid?