"What on earth have you gotten yourself into this time," Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the red-haired Weasley clan, mumbled to herself as she blindly groped for a way out of this seemingly never-ending passageway.
This wasn't her first venture out of the Gryffindor tower late at night. However, this was the first excursion she had ever gotten lost on. But no matter, she continued to press onwards through the infinite darkness. Finally, after traveling down the dank corridor for what seemed like hours, she came to none other than a flat-out dead end. Frustrated, Ginny let out an indignant little shriek, pounding the wall with her fist as she slumped to the ground in defeat.
All she had wanted was a glass of water. Really, was that too much to ask for? Fred and George had even told her where and how to get into the Hogwart's kitchen. And in her haste to quench her intense thirst she had even been stupid enough to forget her wand laying on her bedside stand. She cursed herself for her obvious lack of intelligence and for being obstinate enough to struggle down this blasted, un-lit hallway.
"I am—without a doubt—the stupidest person in Hogwarts," Ginny leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. It didn't really make any difference. Even with her eyes open she couldn't see a thing. The corridor was strange in the fact that it was completely void of any torches or windows. What made it odder was that the feel of the worn carpet suggested that it should have been well used. "Ginny, Ginny," she spoke to herself, "How do you get yourself into such predicaments?"
"Talking to yourself won't get you out of it."
Ginny gave a start at the oddly misty voice. She looked up. Not nearly an arm's length away shone a pair of round, very circular eyes. Ginny yelped in surprise.
Slowly a girl—hardly older than Ginny herself—emerged from the gloom with a lit wand in hand. She was so pale Ginny might've mistaken her for a ghost had it not been for her long straw-colored hair.
"What are you doing here?" the girl inquired nonchalantly.
Ginny stood up and brushed what little dust there was from her nightgown. The girl's gaze—though completely blithe—was making her feel uncomfortable. "Um…actually I'm lost," Ginny confessed.
The girl glanced at Ginny's hair with mild interest before proclaiming, "You're a Weasley."
"Tell me something I don't know," Ginny mumbled, once again cursing her intensely recognizable Weasley hair.
"Since you're lost I'm assuming you don't know the way back to Gryffindor tower."
Ginny reddened, not aware that this complete stranger had been able to hear what she had said.
The girl noted this. "Its ok. I have exceptionally good hearing compared to the average warlock," as she spoke she suddenly seemed to become very interested in a spot on the wall. She tapped at it several times with her wand. After a prolonged pause—during which nothing had happened—her attention again turned back to a now very bemused Ginny. "Your name is Ginny, or am I mistaken?"
Ginny wasn't sure if she should reply. This girl was odd, and definitely not all there. But in the end Ginny sufficed a small nod.
The girl nodded in a knowing manner. "It's amazing you found your way all the way down here. Especially without a wand or any light."
Ginny turned her head curiously at this. "Why?" she asked before she could stop herself. She had just previously decided to try and talk to this girl as little as possible lest she may go completely bonkers.
"This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room," the girl replied dreamily. "Only those that have been shown the way to it are supposed to be able to find it." She looked at Ginny. "I guess you've disproved that theory."
Ginny couldn't tell if the girl had just made an attempt at a joke or not so she contented herself by quickly changing the subject. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," she asked trying to sound polite instead of how she really felt; frightened that this girl was a complete lunatic and was just waiting for an opportune moment to finish Ginny off. Her brothers always did say she had quite a vivid imagination.
"Luna Lovegood," the girl replied vaguely.
Luna Lovegood. For some odd reason that name seemed to strike Ginny. She stood pondering for a moment. Then suddenly it hit her. "You're 'Loony' Lovegood!" she exclaimed without thinking. Loony. And now she knew why.
Luna glanced away. "Some people would call me that," she said quietly.
Ginny clasped her hands to her mouth. "I didn't mean that, Loony–I mean, Luna," she bit her lip to prevent anything else from escaping her mouth.
"It's all right. I'm used to that name," Luna smiled sadly. "I don't mind being different." For a moment, Luna seemed to be lost in her own thoughts during which time Ginny mentally smacked herself for being so uncaring.
Quite suddenly Luna came out of her spell. "I suppose you need directions back to Gryffindor tower," she looked thoughtful once again.
Ginny made to respond but Luna cut her off. "Go back down this hallway, when you come to the second right take it, you should see a flight of stairs, go up them and you'll find yourself by the library. I take it you can make back to Gryffindor on your own from there?" Luna had stopped her instructions to ask.
"Yes," Ginny nodded uncertainly. She threw a glance over her shoulder at the vastly darkened hallway. She dreaded having to go back and navigate blindly through it again.
As if reading her thoughts, Luna offered out her still-lit wand. "Take it," she said.
Ginny looked at it and then looked at Luna, feeling immensely undeserving of Luna's kindness—especially after what she had blurted out earlier.
Luna shook her head so that her hair swished back and forth. "You'll never be able to find your way without it." Ginny hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed the wand from Luna's outstretched hand. Luna looked at her wand regretfully, as if she might never see it again. "Just, please return it back to me as soon as you can. I need it for school," she stated with the only touch of emotion Ginny had heard in her voice this entire time. She was sorry that that emotion had to be concern mixed with doubt and fear.
Ginny turned around to face the dark corridor in front of her. She took a deep breath before turning back one last time. "Thanks, Lun–" but she was already gone.
Ginny clutched Luna's wand in her hand feeling extremely guilty. She mentally promised herself to give the wand back first thing in the morning…and to get to know this unique, slightly misunderstood individual a bit more. Nevertheless, she proceeded forward following all of Luna's instructions. Sure enough, she found the staircase, which—as Luna had said—lead directly to the library. Ginny had even turned around a final time to look back at the staircase that had lead to her odd encounter only to find a barren, blank wall. Ginny let out a little sigh of amusement wondering again how she could've ended up at the Ravenclaw Common Room.
Upon entering her dormitory she very tiredly put out Luna's wand ("Finite") and climbed into her four-poster. At the last moments before sleep totally captured her, she laughed to herself. After all that trouble she'd never gotten her glass of water. But then again, Mum used to always say, "Water is vital to life, but friends are vital to the soul."
^
A/N: It was short but hopefully sweet. This is the first thing I've written in a long time so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.