Now that term had fully started again, Harry's one on one lessons
with Luna were moved back to Wednesday night (like they'd been in first
semester) and the group Occlumency lessons were Fridays.
Wednesday night Harry came to McGonagall's room as usual. He put down the book he'd been carrying and greeted Luna warmly.
"Hey, how's my favorite Legilimenist doing?" he asked brightly. He looked at her and his face fell. "What's wrong, Luna?"
She was sitting on McGonagall's desk as usual, but her legs weren't swinging carefree as the usually did and her face was sad. Harry could rarely recall seeing her sad or upset. Normally her face was an unreadable mask; though sometimes he saw a glimmer of emotion, usually happiness. Now he was concerned and confused. He walked toward her and repeated, "What's wrong?"
"Ginny told me. I'm sorry."
He asked slowly, "What did she tell you?"
"It's my fault." She sounded sadder than before.
"What's your fault, Luna? To the best of my knowledge you haven't done anything wrong."
"It's my fault you missed all your classes yesterday."
"Your fault?" he asked, perplex.
"It wasn't fair the way Delano was talking to you on Monday. I agree with Dumbledore. You may have to face all the problems of the world but you don't have to face them yet."
"Soon enough I will," he said gently.
"But not yet! So I thought you'd get a better night's sleep if you didn't have to think about all of that. But I messed the spell up a little bit. I made it too strong."
"That's okay. Really." Harry was shocked to realize she was crying. "Luna . . ." He desperately tried to think of something, anything, that would calm her down. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder but she only cried more. "Don't cry, please don't cry," he said. Telling her not to cry obviously didn't work (stupid Harry didn't realize that it never works and telling someone not to cry almost always made the crying worse), so he did the only other thing he could think of. He gave her a hug and rocked gently back and forward until she quieted down.
She had been clinging to him and let go, wiping her nose and eyes on her sleeve. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.
Even the thought of Luna whimpering was funny. Luna wasn't the sort of girl who whimpered; then again she wasn't the sort who cried either. She was the sort of girl who would totally kick your butted if you vexed her (kind of like Ginny), and she was somebody who hex you without twitching a muscle about the decision or showing any change of facial expression. Harry did the natural thing and laughed.
"You're laughing at me," she pouted.
Harry had never seen Luna pout before. She pretty out of character tonight. She must feel miserable. Harry thought about protesting that he was not laughing at her but that wouldn't help, and it'd be a lie besides. He decided on a different path. "Way to go, Captain Obvious."
She gave a little laugh. "Okay, we've wasted enough time I guess. You know I'm sorry right?"
"And you know there's nothing to forgive?"
She smiled and nodded. "Time to work then."
Because of her crying earlier, Luna was distracted enough that Harry did quite well with his Legilimency for a while. Unfortunately she did manage to recoup enough to give him plenty of trouble again.
By the end of their hour of practice, Harry was exhausted, but no more exhausted than after the previous Legilimency lesson. They said their goodbyes and returned to their houses. Harry found Hermione hunched over a library book. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Good news. Mystery solved."
"What?"
Harry sat down. "Luna confessed to the whole thing. She said that she didn't want me up half the night worrying about the future but that the sleeping spell she put on me went wrong and was too powerful. She said she didn't mean for it to happen."
"Oh." She was slightly miffed; she'd spent many hours researching but he just waltzed in with the answers.
Harry sensed this and said, "C'mon. I'll help you carry these back to the library. If we hurry we can get there before it closes."
He seemed to have said the right thing for once because she seemed somewhat less annoyed.
Sorry I didn't post this last night. I didn't have time. What do you think?
Preview
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For a couple of weeks, Harry's life seemed to be going well. Harry's past was unhappy and his future looked as bleak as ever, but for the present, he was happy. Unfortunately, happiness for anyone is only a temporary thing and this was especially true for Harry. His happiness was short-lived.
Wednesday night Harry came to McGonagall's room as usual. He put down the book he'd been carrying and greeted Luna warmly.
"Hey, how's my favorite Legilimenist doing?" he asked brightly. He looked at her and his face fell. "What's wrong, Luna?"
She was sitting on McGonagall's desk as usual, but her legs weren't swinging carefree as the usually did and her face was sad. Harry could rarely recall seeing her sad or upset. Normally her face was an unreadable mask; though sometimes he saw a glimmer of emotion, usually happiness. Now he was concerned and confused. He walked toward her and repeated, "What's wrong?"
"Ginny told me. I'm sorry."
He asked slowly, "What did she tell you?"
"It's my fault." She sounded sadder than before.
"What's your fault, Luna? To the best of my knowledge you haven't done anything wrong."
"It's my fault you missed all your classes yesterday."
"Your fault?" he asked, perplex.
"It wasn't fair the way Delano was talking to you on Monday. I agree with Dumbledore. You may have to face all the problems of the world but you don't have to face them yet."
"Soon enough I will," he said gently.
"But not yet! So I thought you'd get a better night's sleep if you didn't have to think about all of that. But I messed the spell up a little bit. I made it too strong."
"That's okay. Really." Harry was shocked to realize she was crying. "Luna . . ." He desperately tried to think of something, anything, that would calm her down. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder but she only cried more. "Don't cry, please don't cry," he said. Telling her not to cry obviously didn't work (stupid Harry didn't realize that it never works and telling someone not to cry almost always made the crying worse), so he did the only other thing he could think of. He gave her a hug and rocked gently back and forward until she quieted down.
She had been clinging to him and let go, wiping her nose and eyes on her sleeve. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.
Even the thought of Luna whimpering was funny. Luna wasn't the sort of girl who whimpered; then again she wasn't the sort who cried either. She was the sort of girl who would totally kick your butted if you vexed her (kind of like Ginny), and she was somebody who hex you without twitching a muscle about the decision or showing any change of facial expression. Harry did the natural thing and laughed.
"You're laughing at me," she pouted.
Harry had never seen Luna pout before. She pretty out of character tonight. She must feel miserable. Harry thought about protesting that he was not laughing at her but that wouldn't help, and it'd be a lie besides. He decided on a different path. "Way to go, Captain Obvious."
She gave a little laugh. "Okay, we've wasted enough time I guess. You know I'm sorry right?"
"And you know there's nothing to forgive?"
She smiled and nodded. "Time to work then."
Because of her crying earlier, Luna was distracted enough that Harry did quite well with his Legilimency for a while. Unfortunately she did manage to recoup enough to give him plenty of trouble again.
By the end of their hour of practice, Harry was exhausted, but no more exhausted than after the previous Legilimency lesson. They said their goodbyes and returned to their houses. Harry found Hermione hunched over a library book. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Good news. Mystery solved."
"What?"
Harry sat down. "Luna confessed to the whole thing. She said that she didn't want me up half the night worrying about the future but that the sleeping spell she put on me went wrong and was too powerful. She said she didn't mean for it to happen."
"Oh." She was slightly miffed; she'd spent many hours researching but he just waltzed in with the answers.
Harry sensed this and said, "C'mon. I'll help you carry these back to the library. If we hurry we can get there before it closes."
He seemed to have said the right thing for once because she seemed somewhat less annoyed.
Sorry I didn't post this last night. I didn't have time. What do you think?
Preview
*
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*
~
*
~
*
~
*
~
*
For a couple of weeks, Harry's life seemed to be going well. Harry's past was unhappy and his future looked as bleak as ever, but for the present, he was happy. Unfortunately, happiness for anyone is only a temporary thing and this was especially true for Harry. His happiness was short-lived.