Discovering a lost heart.
Author's notes: This is my first HP-fic, and my second fanfic entirely. The fic takes place in Harry's 6th year, and it is early May. Other than that, you should have all the information you need, granted that you have read the first five books.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor Hogwarts, nor any of the related characters and whatnot. I don't even own a flying broomstick. JK Rowling owns it, as she is the one who created it all with her brilliant mind. Warner Bros claims that they own it, but I will not acknowledge this as they are not the creators. I'm not making money on this, nor do I plan or in any way intend to.
Chapter 1, Secrets.
"Hey, Harry! You'll never guess what…"
But it was Ron that never could have guessed what it was he was going to see.
There stood Harry, with his hands gently squeezing the upperarms of a girl with bushy, brown hair, his head gently bent down, kissing the girl. The girl that both Ron and Harry had known forever, ever since that day on the train to their first year at Hogwarts. The girl that had saved their necks so many times. The girl that had always annoyed him with her stuck up, know-it-all-attityde. The girl, that he had believed himself to be the first of the both of them to discover. The girl that he didn't knew if he loved or liked, or even hated. The girl that was pushing her tiny hands to the small of Harry's back, looking so incredibly happy. Hermione. Upon hearing Ron's shout, both of them jumped away from each other, but it was too late. The image had already burned itself in Ron's mind.
"Oh, hi Ron. Erh…what are you doing here? I mean what do you want."
Ron didn't know what to say. For the longest period of time, it was all he could do just to stand there and breathe.
"Ron! It isn't what it looks like. I mean, it is what it looks like, or rather… How do I say this?" Harry was lost for words, something Ron wasn't sure could have been expected.
"You don't! I can't believe the two of you! With You-know-who on the loose, there are better things to do than snog all day long."
"Now, wait just a minute! You got it all wrong." Hermione snapped, flushed by Ron's accusations. But Ron didn't wait around to hear her trying to defend herself. He walked briskly back through the Fat Lady's portrait, and once outside he started to run through the corridors.
He just couldn't believe it. Harry and Hermione. Harry and Hermione. Together. How long had it been going on? Why hadn't they told him? Had they been laughing behind his back? Poor little Ron. So completely immature and naïve to the ways of love. He wouldn't understand even if we told him, so why not just amuse ourselves by watching him suffer and make a bloody fool of himself, while we kiss and do all kinds of fun things he will never know of. All of this time, as Ron had been noticing Hermione, little by little, he had been realising bit by bit what a wonderful girl she really was. At first she had been driving him crazy, and still did actually. But now he had just been feeling crazy for her. Hadn't she noticed how he felt for her? For heaven's sake, he had even bought her perfume. Didn't that count for something? Of course he knew he couldn't compete with Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived and everything, but still… So what if Harry was more famous than him? So what if Harry was richer? Or smarter? Or braver? Or better at just about everything? So what if Harry could have his pick of girls, and he picked the one Ron had happened to fancy? It's not like there wasn't tons of other girls out there, waiting and longing for the boy who was second best to The Boy Who Lived… Right? Ron had been so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't notice that he had reached the grounds and that he was being watched by a mysterious figure who was lurking in the shadows of a corridor, watching him through a window.
Luna was standing by the lake, looking over the giant squid's lazy movements in the water. She was still gathering courage. Funny, that usually wasn't a problem. It was difficult to remember a time when she had been as nervous as she was now. Maybe during the sorting ceremony. Or maybe that day on the train, when she had mustered the courage to say something to him. He, who had been on her mind for such a long time, ever since she first heard of him during her first year. He had been quite famous then, what with the flying car that he had rode to school with and everything, so maybe it wasn't that strange that she had gotten interested in him already then. She remember aproaching Ginny, the only one in her year she could be certain had the information she needed on him. She never told Ginny back then who she was interested in, afraid that it could lead to a tension between them. Only recently had she actually told her about her crush, and to her surprise Ginny hadn't minded at all. In fact she said that it had been fairly obvious. Now Luna's interest in him had grown, first into a schoolgirl crush, and now to a love in full bloom. It had taken her some time to realise it, but she knew with all of her heart that it was true. She loved him. And her happiest moment had come to pass last year, on the train to Hogwarts for her fourth year, meeting him. At first she had dreaded that moment, fearing that all of her dreams would be crushed by seeing him in person. But now, she was as happy as she could be, because he was everything she had hoped for. And before the year ended, she got to meet him again and again, and even go into battle with him. And yet, she had never mustered the courage to tell him. Why was it so difficult? She told Ginny about it, why would it make any difference if she told him? If she only had a little more courage, just a little more, so she could tell him without hesitation. Then again if she had had more courage, she would have been a part of his house, and then she wouldn't have had any problems at all. She could have gotten to know him that way, and then she wouldn't feel so nervous about it. She could have just sat herself next to him at the Gryffindor-table, and maybe pass him a note or something… But that doesn't matter now, does it? Wishful thinking can't change the past anyway. Focus on the present and what must been done. What was that now again? Oh, yes. Come out in the open and tell him that she felt about him. Yes, that shouldn't be too difficult. Now should it? A soft trample in the grass from behind her, interrupted her musings. She turned around quickly. Who dared to interrupt her internal preparation to confess to her love? She let out a small, almost inaudible gasp of surprise. None other than Ronald Weasley.
Ron thought he heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up from his own broodings. Oh, it was just Luna. Must have heard wrong then. She is way to mellow to do anything sharply, yet alone breathe sharply. Now that he was out of his depressing train of thoughts, he took a look around him. Blimey, he had reached the lake. He had had no idea where he was going, how had he managed to end up here? And what was she doing here? Lord knew that he had seen enough of her over the last year or so. Ever since the battle in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, she had been with him and the others every now and so often. He was thinking of getting out of there, as fast as possible. Even during normal circumstances he found her hard to bear, now that his world had turned upside down, he just wanted to be alone.
Oh, my God. How come he is here now? I'm not ready. Just give me a few more minutes, and I can say it. One more moment and I can tell him. Am I blushing? She reached a hand as discretely as possible to her cheek. No, she didn't feel that hot. Well, that was something at least. Oh, what is wrong with me? She wasn't usually this nervous in front of him. That was why she had believed today would be the day, the day when she could tell him. Now, go on, say it. Say it or regret it. He looks like he is going to go away. Please don't go away. With You-know-who around every corner, there is just no telling when she would ever get a chance like this again. Oh no, he is already turning around. He is going to leave her all alone and nervous, without ever having made the confession. Quick say something, anything.
He didn't know what to make of her. She was just standing there, like usual, not even reacting to his presence. And yet, he had a sneaking suspicion that she had something on her mind. Oh well, let her think about it in peace, he had his own problems. He turned around and started walking away.
"RONALD!"
Reflexively he put his hands over his ears. What in the world was she shouting for? He was standing right there.
Oh, blast! Why did I have to scream my head of like that? Now, he'll just think I'm an idiot as usual, and walk away. Status quo. Nothing changed.
"What is it?"
She could not dare to believe it. He hadn't walked away, pretending he didn't hear anything. Instead he had responded. To her. Quick, come up with something, while there is still a chance. Don't let him get away now.
"Don't step there." She pointed at a spot of grass, just beneath his raised foot.
"Why not?" He knew he shouldn't ask, but Loony Luna's antics could sometimes be a bit amusing. And he knew he needed a laugh now.
"Is there a Kacky Snorgel there, that you're afraid I might trample?" He was already laughing a bit, if only chuckling.
"First of, it's called a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Second, they only live in Sweden. Third, there is a poisonous spider around here, and I don't think you would want to be bitten." Why could she only come up with such an awful lie? He was bound to see through that one.
"Spider?" Ron got awfully nervous. She could actually be on the level with this one, and he didn't want to take any chances if spiders were involved. Now wouldn't that be all his horrors unleashed on one day. Harry kissing Hermione, spiders and Luna being on the level with anything.
"Yes, a Spotty-Striped Waterspider, to be exact. Usually they reside on the bottom of the lake, but this one climbed up just now. I saw it myself. He is hiding in the grass somewhere, I reckon I'd capture it, before telling the teachers." Well, what do you know? He actually seemed to believe it. He must be an arachnophobic. This bluff could actually work. Lucky for her that she had recently read a report on Spotty-Striped Waterspider, that her father was writing an article on.
"Wait," Ron said wavering just a little on his voice, "now wait just a minute!" He was having a difficult time balancing on only one leg. "How can it be Spotty-Striped?"
"It is striped, but the stripes are a little slurry, so they look a bit spottish," Luna replied calmly.
"You said it was poisonous, right?" Ron couldn't understand why she was so bloody calm. It was so unnerving.
"Yes," she replied even more calmly.
"So how did you reckon on catching it with your bare hands?" he asked, thinking that something wasn't right with her story.
"Bare hands?" She said dubiously while pulling her wand from behind her ear.
"Why didn't you pull it out before?" Instead of letting me make a fool of myself on one leg, he thought to himself.
"Because sudden movements could scare it. Now, could you just hold still?"
Ron nodded slowly. Her seriousness had gotten through to him, and his fear of spiders convinced him to do as she said. She whipped out her wand, and bended her knees slowly, trying to get a closer look under his foot. Now, what to do? She thought quickly and then muttered a spell. A small beam of light vent from her wand to the small spot of grass, and there was a little explosion and a flash of purple light. Ron jumped on the one leg still standing on the ground, fighting to keep his balance intact.
"Oh, blast! It got away." She feigned a look of frustration.
"What does that mean?" Ron, still standing on one leg, was getting fed up with this. He looked ridiculous, standing there. And she wasn't making things easier by being so mysterious about everything.
"It's alright now. You can put your foot down." No reason to prolong it. In case he discovered that there wasn't a spider scurrying around in the grass, it was best to let it stop now.
Ron did put his foot down, slowly. He wasn't sure that he believed what she said, but for some reason he felt better and happier by just playing along. Yes, he felt better, but… Better from what? And then he remembered the reason he had had for storming out of the Gryffindor tower, and he just wanted to be alone again. He turned around once more and without saying a word to her. He was about to leave, when Luna did something she had never done before, and grabbed his arm.