The next three days flew past. Luna had a steady flood of visitors, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, James, Remus, Rachel. She didn't count Healer Williams as a visitor, more like a constant annoyance.
She spent an hour a day learning to use her new chair. She'd only almost ran over Sirius about four times, once on accident.
"Ready to go?" Mrs. Weasley asked opening Luna's door. She nodded taking a deep breath and sliding out of bed and into her waiting chair. She knew she had no reason to be nervous, this was what she'd been waiting for. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had both come leaving the boys with one of their uncles. They would be taking her straight from the hospital to the train station. She'd be meeting the boys there.
"I think I have everything," she said taking a look around the room.
"If not, we'll owl it to you," Mr. Weasley promised leading Luna down the hall.
"Luna! Wait up!" Luna spun her chair around. Rachel was running her direction.
"You can't leave without saying good-bye to me!"
"I wouldn't dream of it, Rachel. What's that?"
"Oh, I got a bag of cookies for you to eat on the train. There's enough to share with those boys that keep coming by your room."
"Thank you, Rachel. I'll write, I promise."
"Good. I don't want to see you back here again, Luna." Luna laughed.
"I'll try," was the best she could offer. Rachel laughed as Luna and the Weasleys finally made their way out of the hospital.
"How are we getting to the station? Along side apparation?" Luna asked.
"No, we've got a portkey. It would be hard to apparate all of us and your chair. It's not a burden," he quickly added. Luna nodded. She knew she'd have to get used to people thinking that even her new family didn't.
The station was busy with students returning to Hogwarts after the winter holiday.
"Do you see James or Sirius?" Luna asked trying to crank her neck. Being in the chair made it hard for her to see above most people's waist level.
"Not yet. Luna, what does the Lupin boy look like?'
"Brown hair, scars on his face."
"Over there, I think that's him. Oh, there's James." Luna smiled following Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to where they'd seen the boys. She got separated and nearly hit a red haired girl.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm still learning how to drive this thing," she apologized quickly. The girl looked at her and blinked a few times.
"Your wheelchair...it's um...missing the wheels."
"It's a prototype," Luna smiled.
"Gryffindor colors," the red head stated.
"Oh, Hogwarts! Can you help me then? I'm looking for my friends, James, Sirius, and Remus. Do you see them?"
"This way, I'm Lily by the way. I'm the in same house as your friends."
"I'm Luna. I'm hoping to be in Gryffindor too!" Lily smiled as they caught up with the boys.
"Thank you for finding her," Mrs. Weasley said to Lily. Luna sighed wishing she would quit getting lost. She wondered if she'd always been this hopeless in large crowds. Being shorter than everyone because of the chair wasn't helping anything either.
"Luna!" She felt a pair of arms scoop her out of the chair, having magically undone the straps holding her in place. She looked straight up in Sirius' eyes. Lily laughed as James shook his head.
"Lily!"
"Hi, James."
"I didn't know you went home during the hols."
"I usually do," she answered.
"Oh, alright, the girl in Sirius' arms is Luna."
"We've met. She says she's friends with you."
"Sirius found her."
"That really doesn't answer anything..." Lily muttered.
"Luna, we'll write you. If you have any problems, don't hesitate to let us or your head of house know."
"I will," Luna promised. Sirius put her back in her chair strapping her back in. The group went on ahead. Mr. Weasley followed them with Luna's luggage. Mrs. Weasley looked at Luna.
"I know I'm not your mother, but Luna, if things with Sirius...heat up, be careful." Luna felt her face redden.
"Mum," Luna whined causing the pair to blink. "I'll be careful,"she added.