'It's flick then circle and swirl then say the words... or was it the other way around...No.. No.. It was circle flick then swirl... Or was it...' A teenage boy sitting in the midst of the classroom was chewing on the edge of his quill while trying to remember the order of he steps to the Heat Charm. Green eyes went desperatly to a bushy haired girl who sat beside him.
The girl just sent me a Not-In-A-Million-Years look as she scolded him,"I told you Harry that you and Ron should have studied more instead of playing that ridiculously barbaric chess game!" Hermione said as she continued to write her answers with ease. Harry sent a pleading look to Ron who just him a Ya-Like-I-Know-The-Answer snort. Harry sighed shaking his head, 'Everything is definatly back to normal. A scolding Hermione. A clueless Ron. And me.'
Harry began to stare out the window after finishing his test.(Guessing on most the answers) 'It looks like a perfect day for flying. If only these classes would END!' Harry thought as suddenly an image of a woman on a hill with wavy brown-black hair in a cloak came into Harry's mind. Harry blinked,"What the..." Hermione and Ron were giving him strange looks again. 'Wonder what they think I'm thinking.' Harry saw the pity in Hermione's eyes and turned away.
'She thinks I'm thinking about Sirius.' Harry's eyes narrow,'Wish they'd stop treating me like I'm about to break. It was last year.' Harry couldn't have been more thankful when the bell for classes to be over rang. Harry was the first out the door. He didn't even wait for Ron and Hermione. He was sure they'd get along without him. Harry hurried down a now empty hallway. He didn't care where he was going, He just wanted to get away. To be alone, away from their pitying looks and questioning gazes. It seemed he needed to be alone more often now.
It was facinating, really. The way they were like ravenging wolves, looking for every little piece of gossip. It was amazing how a person could even sort the truth from the lies, anymore. Today.. She was the prey. She heard their whispers and endured painfully as if she had not a care in the world. 'Haven't you heard?' 'I mean Weasley, even SHE could do better than that.' 'Loony and the Weasel, can't you just see it!' 'Loony Luna likes that Weasley, Harry Potter's friend.. what's his name.. John?' The girl sitting in the class, hearing them talk as if she had no ears, just sat there. Her dreamy composure never waviering.
The girl would be considered pretty, were her hair not so messy and wavy, or her eyes just not so wide and different, or if she ever truly smiled. She wasn't ugly, yet she wasn't pretty. She was plain and strange. That was the combination that had sealed her fate. For people always feared the unknown, and that was what Luna Lovegood was... The Unknown.. The Unexplained. She was an outcast, never quite fitting in. No matter how cruel they were. She never sank to their level, she was never cruel or unkind. Yet the others were. She was the butt of pranks and jokes often. But she paid no heed to them.
The cruel torture of hearing this gossip was ended by the dismissal of the students from the Charms class. Luna kept a calm stride as she disappeared down the hall. Classes of the day were over. She would hopfully not have to endure anymore. But She knew fate was not so kind, she would have to face them in the Ravenclaw Dorms. Luna knew where she could get just a bit of escape... she knew where she could get away from the cruel reality. The dreamy blonde just seemed to be wandering the halls aimlessly as she disappeared out of the sight of the 'wolves'.
"You do know that this counts as a major percent of our grades, don't you,Ronald?" Hermione said with a frosty edge that neither Harry or Ron could explain as they exchanged looks. As Ron looked at Hermine suspiciously,"O.k. Hermione, that's it what's wrong with you?" Hermione just gave him a chilling glare as she shuffled her parchments, she took on her instructing bossy air,"Nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?" Ron stood up and leaned across the table,"Your acting bossier than usual. And I don't like it one bit." Hermione's brown eyes flashed as she stood up and met Ron,"I think it's just a mit to bad you don't like it. It's the way things are, Ronald." Hermione said his name with a bit more bite, Harry could see Ron wince, as well as his confusion level rising along with his temper.
Ron's clear blue eyes became much like the blue fire, Hermione had conjured in their first year,"Well Hermione I-" "Hello...Harry, Ronald, Hermione..." a unmistakable voice said dreamily. Harry's green eyes shifted from the what seemed to be another Ron and Hermione's lover spats, Even if they weren't lovers to the pale eyed blonde. Harry noticed something in her gaze as she looked at the two fighting. He knew she'd interupted on purpose, Harry couldn't help but smile at her. He offered his silent gratitude,"Hello Luna.."
Luna smiled back as she nodded to Ron and Hermione who had turned thier gaze at her. Ron just sat down uncomfortably and Hermione's frostiness reached new level as she shot daggers at Luna. They all watched as Hermione picked up her stuff roughly and rudely glared at Luna, then she did something no one expected. Hermione's hand hand stung at the briskness of her blow to Luna's cheek,"To think.. I trusted you!" Hermione said in a voice that could kill as she left hurriedly. "Hermione.. It's not true.."
Luna whispered in a voice they'd never heard her use, her dreaminess gone as Luna held her cheek. Harry had shot up out of his seat as he took Luna's hand form her cheek examining it for any worse damage,"Are you ok?" Luna didn't look at him as she just looked straight ahead as she took Harry's hands quickly away from her as if his touch stung her more than Hermione's blow,"Fine, Just a bit of sting that's all." Luna said her dreamy sheild up again. Ron just stared off where Hermione had ran off, his jaw hanging a bit open.
Harry ignored Luna's pushing him away as he took her chin, looking at the now purplish skin that was fast forming. Harry felt a shimmer of anger toward Hermione for being so rude and mean,"What is wrong with, Hermione, I wonder." Harry muttered. Luna took his hand from her chin and took a step back. It was if she didn't want him to touch her and it stung a bit the way she recoiled from him. Luna looked at the door in which Hermione had left and said in her normal in-her-own-world manner,"You only have to open your ears and listen."
Luna stated as she then hurried off before Harry could do anything to stop her. Harry sighed sitting down looking at Ron,"What is with girls?" Ron shrugged,"No bloody clue... I don't think we'll find out either so it's not worth thinking of it." Harry nodded agreeing with Ron somewhat. His thoughts still on the way she'd not wanted him to touch her, he wasn't prepared at all for the hurt it caused.
He felt like kicking something. Maybe breaking it. He should have known. He didn't know why he was so angry, or why he felt this sense of loss. Harry plopped down onto his bed, gripping his pillow more tighter than needed. So Luna liked Ron. Of course according to the whole school she was head over heels in love with him. Harry's knuckles turned white as his grip grew tighter. That was torture. Hearing all those rumors. One had an account of someone seeing them snogging in an empty corridor. He could see it.
Ron there Luna laughing at something Ron had said. Then the mood in the air changed a bit more serious as Ron leaned closer to Luna who was against a wall... NO! Harry refused to see that mental image! He refused to think about it. He had one question in his mind. Why did he bloody care?!?!Harry tried to shove his thoughts in the back of his head,taking off his glasses,and dressing for bed. But as he laid there he couldn't seem to sleep, all he could think about was at that moment his best friend could be snogging Luna Lovegood.
Most Gryffindors were watching the unusual silence between the famous trio at breakfeast. Though Hermione not talking to Ron was perfectly normal, this time he didn't seem to know what he'd done. To everyone's surprise,especially Ron's, Harry had walked past the seat next to Ron and sat next to Hermione shooting Ron a quick frosty glare, before continuing with his breakfeast. Ron blinked cluelessly, wondering what he'd done. "Hello! Good Morning!" Luna's cheerful, yet vague voice interrupted the silence. Hary looked at her to give her a glare, but his was nothing compared to Hermione's, hers could kill. Luna had the nerve to smile at Hermione,"I was wondering, Hermione, If you wouldn't mind helping me-" Hermione cut her off,"I'm terribly busy, Luna. I don't have the time."Hermione said as she once again rose with a regal air, gathering her things.
Hermione left Luna in the dust, as Luna looked at Harry and Ron as if she didn't have a clue as to what was going on,"Well I bid you good day." Luna smiled dreamily and flounced off. Harry watched curiously as none other than Draco Malfoy followed her. Harry, too, got up to follow, leaving a clueless lonesome Ron.
So he was angry with her too. She could have endured Hermione's anger just fine, if not Harry her one real friend glaring at her like that. Luna was painfully aware of her footsteps echoing off the empty corridor as she then heard another noise. Draco Malfoy had on that grin and smirk, she didn't like the way he was looking at her. He walked closer to her almost circling her like a tiger ready to pounce as she looked at him vaguely.
Draco paused infront of her, Luna smiled dreamily,"What is it you want Malfoy?" Luna said genuinaly curious to why the Slytherin prince was here. Draco grabbed her arms smirking,"You,Lovegood." Luna tried to back away, even this was too weird, but she found herself against a wall, she looked up at him helplessly."What are you talking about, Malfoy?" "I just want to talk with you. You have a moment." Luna shook her head,"I have to go. I'm to busy at the moment. I am very sorry." Luna said slipping out of his grip and turned to leave almost got out of his reach when she was spun around to face the man that many girls would kill to be in her shoes. But she wasn't them. Maybe she was imagining it or was Malfoy getting a little to close.