Chapter Two
"Harry, you're not eating," Hermione's concerned face watched him as Harry raised his head from the table.
"I know," He replied. He didn't have much else to say. The early morning had seemed a blur to him. He didn't know what had hit him then, with Luna. He'd completely forgotten everything else that had been bugging him, and all he could think of was her.
"Yeah, we've got a game today, remember?" Ron grinned. "If we're gonna kill the Ravenclaw team, you gotta have your strength!"
"I'm not hungry,"
"C'mon Harry."
"I'M NOT HUNGRY!" Harry crashed his fork on the table and stomped up the stairs, leaving Hermione and Ron at the table, all of Hogwarts staring at them. He didn't know what had irritated him.
***
"Harry, this is silly--"
"Yeah, c'mon down to Hogsmeade--"
"It'll do you some good to get outside!"
"Please, Harry."
They'd been at it for about a half-an-hour, and Harry couldn't stand it anymore. He fixed his hair and slipped out the door. Hermione jumped with glee and Ron chuckled.
"Knew we'd get to ya sometime," He laughed as Harry nodded in return.
The trio walked out of the portrait-hole and into the Great Hall. The hall was cleared now, as most had already left for Hogsmeade. Only one person stood in the center.
"Keep walking," Harry whispered, and hesitated as he passed Cho Chang. He blushed. Why did he have to blush?!
"You still like that prat of a girl?" Hermione glanced back as they passed through the double-doors and out onto the autumn-coated grounds.
". . . No. . ." Harry paused. Really, he didn't. He just felt uncomfortable around her. Okay, maybe he did, a little.
"He's lying," Ron told her, "and I don't blame him for liking her. She's hot!"
"Ron!" Hermione shouted, and Ron suddenly appeared to be very scared. "How could you be so shallow?!"
"Just kidding!" Ron pleaded, although Harry could tell that he was most certainly not 'just kidding'.
They climbed into the carriage that had parked in front of them, and Harry recalled his experiences with thestrals, the horse/reptile-like creatures pulling it. He smiled at the thought of Luna being there, and soon corrected himself.
***
"Well, here we are." Hermione stepped lively onto the cobblestone street. Harry and Ron joined her. "Where should we go?"
"Let's go get a butterbeer," Harry suggested, and Ron nodded in return. They walked past the many other Hogwarts students, and other. . . creatures on the streets. Harry smiled with relief that he hadn't seen Luna, and together they walked into the Three Broomsticks.
A young waiter came to their wooden table. "How may I help you?" Hermione smiled and asked for three butterbeers, while Ron and Harry discussed their Quidditch tactics for the game later that day.
"We need you to block today, more than you ever have," Harry leaned his elbow on the table, and Ron seemed intensely interested. Hermione was looking around the place, and rolled her eyes at what she saw.
"Oh no," Hermione moaned. "Here she comes."
Harry didn't have to ask who.
"Hi, Harry," The same pair of stunningly gorgeous azure eyes met his. He found it hard to stare into them, as if they were judging him. He was falling into them, into beautiful pools of sapphire.
Luna smiled and whipped around, her perfect blonde hair flying in the air, as she walked back to her table, where next to her sat Neville. Harry felt a pang of jealousy hit his heart.
As soon as she was out of ear-shot, Ron burst out laughing. "What was that about?!" Harry wished he could laugh along, pretend it was all a joke. But, fact was, it wasn't. He watched her chatting away with that git, that bloody fake.
"I can't stand her," Hermione told them, "she's so annoying, and she never leaves me alone."
"You're talking," Ron replied. "Heh, Harry, remember last year? She was so clingy. . ."
Harry suddenly became aware that they were talking about Luna.
"Well, I suppose so--"
"See? He agrees!" Ron burst into laughter once again, although this time Hermione didn't laugh either. She leaned across the table and whispered into Harry's ear, "I think he had a tad too much butterbeer." Harry grinned.
It felt like they'd been in that spot for hours, talking of school assignments and formals, what they were planning for the holidays. Harry. . . Harry. . . a voice in his head rang repetively. Harry. . .
"HARRY!!" Ron bellowed, and he woke up from his temporary sleep. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah, you seem a bit. . ." Hermione peered at him, ". . .out of it."
"Oh yeah, I'm just a little tired, that's all," Harry shrugged.
"Harry, you know you can tell us if it's. well, You-Know-Who."
"Wha?- no!" Harry laughed, until he felt a tug at the collar of his shirt. He looked at Hermione, who had her left eyebrow raised. He heard a whisper in his ear.
"Come with me," Luna's voice spoke calmly with no hesitation. Harry looked questionably at Ron, then got up awkwardly and followed the wisp of hair of which he could see.
Luna walked into an empty hall, and opened a stone door with an odd- shaped key. Harry noticed it was inscribed upon, but he couldn't read it from his angle. They entered the room, which was circular, with a chair on the far right side, and a teal carpet on the floor. On the walls were paintings of fruit, all types of fruit.
At last, Luna spoke.
"Look, you and I both know something," She spoke, and Harry watched her crimson-colored lips.
"Yeah?"
"Yes, or at least I do."
"And what's that?"
"I owe you something."
"For what?"
"For you taking me to the Department of Mysteries,"
"No, really, it's okay--" But Harry was interrupted.
The door closed and he was the only one left in the room. He could taste a hint of cinnamon-flavored lip gloss sitting gently upon his lips.
"Harry, you're not eating," Hermione's concerned face watched him as Harry raised his head from the table.
"I know," He replied. He didn't have much else to say. The early morning had seemed a blur to him. He didn't know what had hit him then, with Luna. He'd completely forgotten everything else that had been bugging him, and all he could think of was her.
"Yeah, we've got a game today, remember?" Ron grinned. "If we're gonna kill the Ravenclaw team, you gotta have your strength!"
"I'm not hungry,"
"C'mon Harry."
"I'M NOT HUNGRY!" Harry crashed his fork on the table and stomped up the stairs, leaving Hermione and Ron at the table, all of Hogwarts staring at them. He didn't know what had irritated him.
***
"Harry, this is silly--"
"Yeah, c'mon down to Hogsmeade--"
"It'll do you some good to get outside!"
"Please, Harry."
They'd been at it for about a half-an-hour, and Harry couldn't stand it anymore. He fixed his hair and slipped out the door. Hermione jumped with glee and Ron chuckled.
"Knew we'd get to ya sometime," He laughed as Harry nodded in return.
The trio walked out of the portrait-hole and into the Great Hall. The hall was cleared now, as most had already left for Hogsmeade. Only one person stood in the center.
"Keep walking," Harry whispered, and hesitated as he passed Cho Chang. He blushed. Why did he have to blush?!
"You still like that prat of a girl?" Hermione glanced back as they passed through the double-doors and out onto the autumn-coated grounds.
". . . No. . ." Harry paused. Really, he didn't. He just felt uncomfortable around her. Okay, maybe he did, a little.
"He's lying," Ron told her, "and I don't blame him for liking her. She's hot!"
"Ron!" Hermione shouted, and Ron suddenly appeared to be very scared. "How could you be so shallow?!"
"Just kidding!" Ron pleaded, although Harry could tell that he was most certainly not 'just kidding'.
They climbed into the carriage that had parked in front of them, and Harry recalled his experiences with thestrals, the horse/reptile-like creatures pulling it. He smiled at the thought of Luna being there, and soon corrected himself.
***
"Well, here we are." Hermione stepped lively onto the cobblestone street. Harry and Ron joined her. "Where should we go?"
"Let's go get a butterbeer," Harry suggested, and Ron nodded in return. They walked past the many other Hogwarts students, and other. . . creatures on the streets. Harry smiled with relief that he hadn't seen Luna, and together they walked into the Three Broomsticks.
A young waiter came to their wooden table. "How may I help you?" Hermione smiled and asked for three butterbeers, while Ron and Harry discussed their Quidditch tactics for the game later that day.
"We need you to block today, more than you ever have," Harry leaned his elbow on the table, and Ron seemed intensely interested. Hermione was looking around the place, and rolled her eyes at what she saw.
"Oh no," Hermione moaned. "Here she comes."
Harry didn't have to ask who.
"Hi, Harry," The same pair of stunningly gorgeous azure eyes met his. He found it hard to stare into them, as if they were judging him. He was falling into them, into beautiful pools of sapphire.
Luna smiled and whipped around, her perfect blonde hair flying in the air, as she walked back to her table, where next to her sat Neville. Harry felt a pang of jealousy hit his heart.
As soon as she was out of ear-shot, Ron burst out laughing. "What was that about?!" Harry wished he could laugh along, pretend it was all a joke. But, fact was, it wasn't. He watched her chatting away with that git, that bloody fake.
"I can't stand her," Hermione told them, "she's so annoying, and she never leaves me alone."
"You're talking," Ron replied. "Heh, Harry, remember last year? She was so clingy. . ."
Harry suddenly became aware that they were talking about Luna.
"Well, I suppose so--"
"See? He agrees!" Ron burst into laughter once again, although this time Hermione didn't laugh either. She leaned across the table and whispered into Harry's ear, "I think he had a tad too much butterbeer." Harry grinned.
It felt like they'd been in that spot for hours, talking of school assignments and formals, what they were planning for the holidays. Harry. . . Harry. . . a voice in his head rang repetively. Harry. . .
"HARRY!!" Ron bellowed, and he woke up from his temporary sleep. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah, you seem a bit. . ." Hermione peered at him, ". . .out of it."
"Oh yeah, I'm just a little tired, that's all," Harry shrugged.
"Harry, you know you can tell us if it's. well, You-Know-Who."
"Wha?- no!" Harry laughed, until he felt a tug at the collar of his shirt. He looked at Hermione, who had her left eyebrow raised. He heard a whisper in his ear.
"Come with me," Luna's voice spoke calmly with no hesitation. Harry looked questionably at Ron, then got up awkwardly and followed the wisp of hair of which he could see.
Luna walked into an empty hall, and opened a stone door with an odd- shaped key. Harry noticed it was inscribed upon, but he couldn't read it from his angle. They entered the room, which was circular, with a chair on the far right side, and a teal carpet on the floor. On the walls were paintings of fruit, all types of fruit.
At last, Luna spoke.
"Look, you and I both know something," She spoke, and Harry watched her crimson-colored lips.
"Yeah?"
"Yes, or at least I do."
"And what's that?"
"I owe you something."
"For what?"
"For you taking me to the Department of Mysteries,"
"No, really, it's okay--" But Harry was interrupted.
The door closed and he was the only one left in the room. He could taste a hint of cinnamon-flavored lip gloss sitting gently upon his lips.