"Luna?" Sally poked her head cautiously in the compartment, and
looked startled to see Luna crying.
"I-what. Why did you do that to Lily?"
"Oh no. That was Lily?" Sally nodded.
"What was that, Luna? I've never seen anyone act so self-defensive
before," said Sally, uncertainly. Luna proceeded to tell her some of the
things that happened to her in NYC.
"And that, Sally," said Luna, smiling bitterly, "is why you should raise your kids in the country." "I understand, Luna. It was like you were controlled by something, well, dark. I've read about that. You were living in a flashback." "It was really nice meeting you Sally. I'm glad we got to talk, at least for a little while." "What are you talking about? You don't want to be friends anymore?" Sally looked puzzled. "Oh, of course! You mean, you don't hate me for doing that to Lily?" "Well, I don't hate you, because, quite honestly, I think I understand you more than other people are going to for a while. I feel compelled somehow to 'take you under my wing', so to speak." As she spoke, Sally had handed Luna some Pumpkin Juice, a Chocolate Frog and a tissue. Luna wiped her eyes and sipped the juice. "Thanks, Sally." "You should change into your robes. Here. Oh, and Luna. I should warn you. I told you that Lily and James are dating." Luna nodded. "Well, he's quite overprotective, and Remus and Sirius would walk through fire with them, so, if they give you a hard time, it's not personal, okay?" Luna winced, and nodded again. "Don't worry, they'll accept you soon enough. And until them, we're friends, yes?" Luna smiled and hugged Sally. "I'm very glad that I met you." _______________________________________________________________________ Luna was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, and she was seriously contemplating crying again. Her first day hadn't gone very well. To start, she was overridden with guilt about the way that she'd treated Lily on the train. She had a headache from crying, and she had to wait forever to eat, and be embarrassed in the Great Hall before she even got to sit down, so she almost had a panic attack from her weariness, her hunger and her anxiety. She'd sat next to Sally at dinner, but when she'd bitten into her dinner, she had found that *someone* (and she had a good idea who, as the people sitting across from her giggling included Lily and a boy that she was holding hands with. Luna could only assume it was James and his sidekicks) had bewitched her meal, so she was STILL hungry, as she couldn't eat it, depressed at the thought of classes with these people, and she really missed her mother and brother. She frowned as she wrote her letter to them, assuring them that she missed them, but had found a friend and should be doing quite well once she got settled. Satisfied, she stood up to take it to the Owlrey. Smoothing her robes and rubbing her eyes, she left the common room, only to be knocked down by someone on entry. "I'm sorry, I-oh. It's you," this boy spat venomously. He had reached down to help her up, but dropped her hand as if he'd been burned. He spun on his heel and entered the common room. Luna frowned at herself. It had been one of the boys that Sally had pointed out at dinner, the one she'd been talking about on the train. Realization darkened her face. The boy she, Sally, was in love with, Sirius Black. She picked herself up and continued on her way, chin up, shoulders back, mouth set in a grim line of determination, and tears running silently down her cheeks.
"And that, Sally," said Luna, smiling bitterly, "is why you should raise your kids in the country." "I understand, Luna. It was like you were controlled by something, well, dark. I've read about that. You were living in a flashback." "It was really nice meeting you Sally. I'm glad we got to talk, at least for a little while." "What are you talking about? You don't want to be friends anymore?" Sally looked puzzled. "Oh, of course! You mean, you don't hate me for doing that to Lily?" "Well, I don't hate you, because, quite honestly, I think I understand you more than other people are going to for a while. I feel compelled somehow to 'take you under my wing', so to speak." As she spoke, Sally had handed Luna some Pumpkin Juice, a Chocolate Frog and a tissue. Luna wiped her eyes and sipped the juice. "Thanks, Sally." "You should change into your robes. Here. Oh, and Luna. I should warn you. I told you that Lily and James are dating." Luna nodded. "Well, he's quite overprotective, and Remus and Sirius would walk through fire with them, so, if they give you a hard time, it's not personal, okay?" Luna winced, and nodded again. "Don't worry, they'll accept you soon enough. And until them, we're friends, yes?" Luna smiled and hugged Sally. "I'm very glad that I met you." _______________________________________________________________________ Luna was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, and she was seriously contemplating crying again. Her first day hadn't gone very well. To start, she was overridden with guilt about the way that she'd treated Lily on the train. She had a headache from crying, and she had to wait forever to eat, and be embarrassed in the Great Hall before she even got to sit down, so she almost had a panic attack from her weariness, her hunger and her anxiety. She'd sat next to Sally at dinner, but when she'd bitten into her dinner, she had found that *someone* (and she had a good idea who, as the people sitting across from her giggling included Lily and a boy that she was holding hands with. Luna could only assume it was James and his sidekicks) had bewitched her meal, so she was STILL hungry, as she couldn't eat it, depressed at the thought of classes with these people, and she really missed her mother and brother. She frowned as she wrote her letter to them, assuring them that she missed them, but had found a friend and should be doing quite well once she got settled. Satisfied, she stood up to take it to the Owlrey. Smoothing her robes and rubbing her eyes, she left the common room, only to be knocked down by someone on entry. "I'm sorry, I-oh. It's you," this boy spat venomously. He had reached down to help her up, but dropped her hand as if he'd been burned. He spun on his heel and entered the common room. Luna frowned at herself. It had been one of the boys that Sally had pointed out at dinner, the one she'd been talking about on the train. Realization darkened her face. The boy she, Sally, was in love with, Sirius Black. She picked herself up and continued on her way, chin up, shoulders back, mouth set in a grim line of determination, and tears running silently down her cheeks.