"Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" A glass containing a
white creamy substance shattered to the floor-the same floor that had seen
death, torture, pain. The very carpet that had felt abuse of a delicate
body fall upon its shoulders was now corrupted. . .again. But the face was
not the same.
***
"You need to get over him," A casual voice spoke gently through a torn ear. "He's obviously crazy."
"Yeah, I heard Justin say that he was down by the dock, just muttering to himself!"
"I wouldn't be surprised,"
"DO YOU EVER SHUT UP?!" Luna's eyebrows were frozen in anger. Her make-up had worn off, and she hadn't slept for two days. Every night she could be found at the Owlery, just waiting for a note. Some excuse. Anything.
The morning sun was just shining through the windows in the Great Hall, where most students had finished their assorted breakfasts. Luna, however, had no interest in eating at the moment. Her crystal-like eyes drifted to a corner of the room, and she soon found her feet wondering toward a black-haired boy, sitting with his two best friends at the Gryffindor table.
"Hi," Ron said. "Harry isn't feeling too well right now. Don't think he wants to talk."
"I just wanted to ask him about what happened back there," Luna smiled. "And I don't believe it's your place to tell me whether or not he would like to speak to me."
Hermione was about to say something, when Harry got up and gestured to the balcony that hung gently over the lake. "Meet me there in five."
Luna walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Her friends were laughing about her boyfriend. She turned away and visited the Hufflepuffs. They, too, had heard the rumors. Slytherin? Of course they had. They made a joke of him even when there was nothing to joke about. So she walked slowly to the balcony and looked at the water. In a way, she doubted Harry would come talk to her.
But he did.
"Hey,"
"Hi," Luna replied, solemnly. She was no longer made up.
"So you wanted to talk?"
"Yes."
"And. . .?"
A pause. Luna circulated to the opposite side and turned her face away. "What happened last night?"
"I walked."
"Be serious, Harry."
"I went to find you. I knew we had a date that night and also Ron said. . . never mind. It doesn't matter. I. . . I went for a ride on my Firebolt."
"A ride on your broom?!"
"Er. . . yes."
"You're lying." Luna could hear the tenseness in his voice. Had he been out with another girl? "Harry, you know you can tell me anything."
"That's it, Luna, I can't! You don't know how it feels! You don't know what's going through my mind! You haven't got a trace of a clue what is about to happen to this school! And the worse part is, I'm the only one who does! So think, for once before you start accusing me of lying!" He was sweating.
"Something bad is about to happen?" Luna was concerned. Harry never had acted like this around her before. What had happened last night?
"Yeah, but you wouldn't care. It's not environmental, or about Sirius being a rockstar or anything."
"Of course I'd care. If something happened to you, it would hurt me like nothing had ever before."
"Yeah right!"
"Harry, you have to know this. I love you."
"Well. . . I can't make that promise."
Luna's eyes burned. It felt as if someone had just yanked all of the tears out, because she couldn't cry, no matter how much she wanted to.
There was a long silence.
"Is it Hermione?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"It's nothing."
"You don't want me to get hurt."
Another long pause and Luna witnessed all the earth go by. The angels sung, the water rippled, the trees flew gracefully in the wind. The animals came out of the forest, had their young, and went back in. The birds whistled. But Harry made no movement or sound.
"No, Luna, I don't."
"I understand. It's okay. Well. . . see you around."
Luna left, just like that. Harry stayed and watched the stars. It was over. It was all over. She would probably never kiss him again. Never.
***
***
"You need to get over him," A casual voice spoke gently through a torn ear. "He's obviously crazy."
"Yeah, I heard Justin say that he was down by the dock, just muttering to himself!"
"I wouldn't be surprised,"
"DO YOU EVER SHUT UP?!" Luna's eyebrows were frozen in anger. Her make-up had worn off, and she hadn't slept for two days. Every night she could be found at the Owlery, just waiting for a note. Some excuse. Anything.
The morning sun was just shining through the windows in the Great Hall, where most students had finished their assorted breakfasts. Luna, however, had no interest in eating at the moment. Her crystal-like eyes drifted to a corner of the room, and she soon found her feet wondering toward a black-haired boy, sitting with his two best friends at the Gryffindor table.
"Hi," Ron said. "Harry isn't feeling too well right now. Don't think he wants to talk."
"I just wanted to ask him about what happened back there," Luna smiled. "And I don't believe it's your place to tell me whether or not he would like to speak to me."
Hermione was about to say something, when Harry got up and gestured to the balcony that hung gently over the lake. "Meet me there in five."
Luna walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Her friends were laughing about her boyfriend. She turned away and visited the Hufflepuffs. They, too, had heard the rumors. Slytherin? Of course they had. They made a joke of him even when there was nothing to joke about. So she walked slowly to the balcony and looked at the water. In a way, she doubted Harry would come talk to her.
But he did.
"Hey,"
"Hi," Luna replied, solemnly. She was no longer made up.
"So you wanted to talk?"
"Yes."
"And. . .?"
A pause. Luna circulated to the opposite side and turned her face away. "What happened last night?"
"I walked."
"Be serious, Harry."
"I went to find you. I knew we had a date that night and also Ron said. . . never mind. It doesn't matter. I. . . I went for a ride on my Firebolt."
"A ride on your broom?!"
"Er. . . yes."
"You're lying." Luna could hear the tenseness in his voice. Had he been out with another girl? "Harry, you know you can tell me anything."
"That's it, Luna, I can't! You don't know how it feels! You don't know what's going through my mind! You haven't got a trace of a clue what is about to happen to this school! And the worse part is, I'm the only one who does! So think, for once before you start accusing me of lying!" He was sweating.
"Something bad is about to happen?" Luna was concerned. Harry never had acted like this around her before. What had happened last night?
"Yeah, but you wouldn't care. It's not environmental, or about Sirius being a rockstar or anything."
"Of course I'd care. If something happened to you, it would hurt me like nothing had ever before."
"Yeah right!"
"Harry, you have to know this. I love you."
"Well. . . I can't make that promise."
Luna's eyes burned. It felt as if someone had just yanked all of the tears out, because she couldn't cry, no matter how much she wanted to.
There was a long silence.
"Is it Hermione?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"It's nothing."
"You don't want me to get hurt."
Another long pause and Luna witnessed all the earth go by. The angels sung, the water rippled, the trees flew gracefully in the wind. The animals came out of the forest, had their young, and went back in. The birds whistled. But Harry made no movement or sound.
"No, Luna, I don't."
"I understand. It's okay. Well. . . see you around."
Luna left, just like that. Harry stayed and watched the stars. It was over. It was all over. She would probably never kiss him again. Never.
***