"Some people are awfully childish you know." Luna reasoned.

"Oh yeh?" Neville enquired.

"The badges are really silly actually. I have crossed Harry Potter in the corridors before and I can tell you that he certainly doesn't smell at all."

"Oh right." Ginny tried to hide her laughter, as did Neville.

"I mean yes support Cedric if you want but don't go saying Potter stinks when he really doesn't." Luna looked at Ginny and Neville, seriousness filled her eyes. Ginny and Neville both felt terrible but couldn't help but laugh. Luna didn't know why they were laughing; she assumed they were thinking of something that had happened in the Gryffindor common room or something.

"nargles." she muttered. This only increased their laughter, just as Neville and Ginny thought they had managed to get through the morning without hearing about nargles. Whatever the bloody hell they were.

"Luna, Luna wait!" Fred Weasley shouted down the corridor as he jogged up to Luna.

"Yes?" she turned and smiled. Fred draped his arm across her shoulder.

"I've missed you." he told her.

"I've missed you too." Luna's smile widened.

"So how are you? Have your injuries gotten better? I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you much recently. Me and George had eh- things to do."

"I've been fine thanks. Well it seemed your grand plan of an aging potion didn't work."

"Apparently so."

"You could have just got an older student to put your name in the cup you know." she informed him before skipping off. She was late for transfiguration.

"It is my up most pleasure to announce to all of you that Hogwarts will be hosting the Yule ball this year." McGonagall informed the transfiguration class. Excitement washed over all the girls, including Luna, however it was soon destroyed, "however, as you all know you will need an upper class man to accompany you. That means someone from the fourth year or above." McGonagall informed them, whispers were passed around the class as people began to wonder who would end up going and who would take them.

"Do you think you'll get to go?" Ginny whispered to Luna.

"Well, weirder things have happened." Luna said. She was deep in thought. Would she get to go? It would be nice. She had never been to anything like that before and it would be nice to get an invite.

"Well I'm sure someone will be willing to invite you." Ginny laughed. Stories had been passed around like a game of Chinese whispers as to why Luna was sighted leaving the boys dormitories in the Gryffindor tower. Of course they were all wrong but it had increased Luna's little army of admirers. Even if it was all for the wrong reasons. Luna, however, carried on blissfully unaware that any one even knew her real name.

"Well I'm sure you're going to get someone, Ginny."

"Actually, I already have."

"You move quickly."

"Not like that. Neville's class found out about it yesterday and he asked me last night. You have to find someone to go with, ok?"

"Maybe."

"For me?"

"I'll try." Luna laughed. It felt good to be loved.

"Thanks." Ginny smiled. She knew Luna would find someone, she was beautiful after all.

The group were gathered around a table in the library laughing about something that had happened with the Gryffindors that day. Luna felt a little bit uninvolved but then it wasn't their fault she was a Ravenclaw. But then was it hers either? Her thought went back to the conversation she had had with the sorting hat in Dumbledore's office. If felt like a life time ago but she remembered. She still wondered how things would have panned out if she had been placed in a different house…

"And then he actually had to dance with McGonagall." George laughed, this was the fourth time he and Fred had recited the story of how their younger brother Ron Weasley had been called out to dance with professor McGonagall. Luna didn't really see much of the funny side, especially when it kept on being told over and over again but the twins and Lee seemed to find it hilarious. So did Neville and Ginny the first time it was told. But now they were just laughing as awkwardly as Luna.

"So, who's actually going to this thing?" Lee asked. They instantly knew he was talking about the Yule ball. It was the only thing anyone ever talked about now a days.

"I am." Fred said, giving Luna a bit of hope.

"Me too." George added.

"I'm going." Neville said.

"Me as well." Ginny smiled nervously. She hadn't got around to telling her brothers that she was going with Neville, even though he had asked her well over a week ago.

"Sorry little sister but your too young." George said in an attempt to patronise his little sister.

"Not if invited by an older student." Ginny said with confidence in her voice.

"Who would take you?" Fred laughed.

"I-I am." Neville mumbled as if hoping the twins wouldn't hear him, however he was out of luck, suddenly all eyes were on him.

"Well isn't that just the cutest." Lee cooed in an attempt to break the awkwardness with laughter. It seemed to work pretty well as everyone laughed, even if it was a little half heartedly on the twins' behalf.

"Who's everyone going with then?" Fred asked. Did he even care that Luna wasn't going?

"Well Shamus is going with Lavender, Dean with Tamsin Applebee, Ron and Padma Patil, Harry and Pavarati Patil, Cedric and that Cho Chang girl and I think Fleur's going with Roger Davies. Much to Ron's disappointment." George laughed. And Lee joined in.

"I mean out of us idiot." Fred rolled his eyes at his brother. He didn't need to know about the whole bloody Quidditch team.

"Well me and Katie bell, Lee and Alicia Spinnet, Neville and Ginny and don't know about anyone else." George replied, reeling them off on his fingers.

"Well bearing in mind you where there when I asked Angelina." Fred laughed.

"I thought that was some sort of joke?" George replied, seemingly confused.

"Nope. Me, Fred Weasley, is going to the Yule ball with Angelina Johnson." he gave a cheeky smile. He had no idea why people were looking at him with shocked expressions on his face. They were just friends. Who else would he have taken? And also he kind of owed it to her after the whole broom cupboard incident recently…

Stupid, stupid Luna! Of course Fred never would have invited her; what had she even been thinking? Angelina was beautiful, a talented Quidditch player, a Gryffindor, she was popular and she was Fred's age. Luna on the other hand was none of the above. She felt worse than the time she had been beaten up. Her heart felt as if it had been smashed in to hundreds of tiny little pieces and then those pieces had been smashed once more. Someone had then glued her heart back together, just to smash it again. And then again and again. It had then been left trampled in to the mud of the Quidditch pitch and just left there alone. She felt broken and used. And the worst part? She had to put a smile on her face and pretend she didn't care. But in fact it killed her inside.