Disclaimer: I own nadda. What did you expect? Jo?
A/N: This was rather interesting to write, and I hope it turns into something a lot of people can enjoy. I haven't run across a fic quite like this yet, so I'm guessing this ship is one of a kind.
Chapter One: The Prankster (Fred's POV)
Luna Lovegood, fourth year Ravenclaw, had to be the strangest person I knew.
And that's saying something. But it's true. This is after throwing Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, George Weasley, even Harry Potter, along with the rest of the student body and staff of Hogwarts and anyone I had ever met into the mix. She was definantly a strange one.
My name is Fred Weasley, by the way. And this is the story of how I feel head-over-heels for Loony Lovegood.
It all started back in September, the beginning of my seventh and final year of Hogwarts. I had just boarded the train with my brother, twin, and fellow prankster, George Weasley, whom might I say, was devilishly handsome. Anyway, we had shoved our trunks under the seats in an empty compartment, and headed back to the door to give one last goodbye to Mum. We werealmost to the door when I saw her.
Her hair was wrapped up in a bun on top of her head, a few strands falling loosely around her face. Her robes sleeves were rolled up, and a Ravenclaw scarf and untied tie hung loosely around her neck. She had large blue eyes, which, at the time, were clenched tight as she stuggled to pull her trunk onto the train. The only problem was that the trunk was snagged on something in the doorway and wouldn't come loose.
I now recognized her as Luna Lovegood. The only reason I had identified her was because of the passing students shouting out taunts of how Loony Lovegood would miss the train if her crumpled horned snorklacks didn't help her out. I frowned, something inside me making my stomach turn. I didn't like people calling her names for some reason. At least when George and I teased it was all in good fun. This... this wasn't ok.
"C'mon, Fred," George said as we neared the door. "Or we'll miss Mum's ritual lecture."
"Oy, I'm coming, I'm coming," I called as I veered to the right and made a bee line for Luna. "Need some help?" She looked up at me, opening her eyes, and just blinked. "Er..." I was starting to feel rather stupid. I thought maybe I should have just turned around and went back to George before anyone noticed my ears had flushed red, or that I had just spoken to Loony Lovegood.
"You want to help me?" She asked, her voice calm and soft, like she was off in some day dream, and not really talking to me.
"Well... yeah, I guess," I answered, scratching my head. "You do need help, don't you?"
"I can't get my trunk onto the train," Luna replied in that same dreamland tone.
"I noticed." I hopped off the train, in time to hear Mum asking George where I had skivved off to, and bent down to pick up the end of Luna's roughed up trunk. Unfortunately, that's when Marcus Flint decided to rear his ugly head. Literally. He approached with his cronies, which surprisingly looked better than he did, and instead of politely asking me to move like any normal wizard would, he kicked me like some muggle football.
Let me tell you, that hurt. Flint might have been ugly, but he had good aim, and he was pretty big. And strong. So yeah, it did hurt. Anyway, once I finished lying on the ground in shock, I picked myself up and brushed off my robes.
"Good to see you too, Flint," I replied with a grin. "I trust your summer was enjoyable?"
"What are you doing helping out Loony Lovegood, Weasley?" Flint spat. His expression didn't make his face any easier to look at, let me tell you.
"Since when is it a crime to help someone, Flint?" I asked, arching a brow.
"And here I thought you couldn't go lower than dirt," Flint growled, shoving me again. I stumbled backward, sure that if my face wasn't red in embarrassment, it was probably crimson with anger.
"Only you would know," I growled, pushing him back. All I do is try to be nice and help someone, and this is the thanks I get?
"What did you say Weasley?" He now had me shoved against the train.
"You heard me," I replied sarcastically. Then I raised my knee and hit Flint where the sun don't shine. He cringed as I wriggled away, grinning, in spite of shiner ringing my right eye. The slimy Slytherin waddled away, and I lifted the bottom of Luna's trunk, and together we managed to get it all the way on board. I jumped in after it, and she looked up at me, a slight smile on her face.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"No problem," I answered. "Er... It's Luna, right?" She nodded. "Ok. I'm-"
"Fred. Weasley," she said, catching me off guard. No one could tell me and George apart.
"Lucky guess," I muttered, turning to head down the hall.
"I wasn't guessing." I turned around just as she and her trunk disappeared into an empty compartment. Shaking my head, I continued down the corridor to George, who gave me an exasperated look.
"Where were you!" He exclaimed. "I had to make up some excuse for Mum. You know how hard that is!"
"Sorry," I said weakly. "Ran into Flint."
"I can see that," he muttered. "Come on. Lee, Ange, Katie, and Leesh are waitin' for us." We slid into our compartment, and just like I expect, were pounded with questions, most of which were about my black eye, and where I had been. Well. No one would have trouble telling us apart for now, anyway.
The rest of the train ride was pretty boring. Lee and George attempted a game of exploading snap once we had discussed our summer, and Ange, Katie and Leesh had some 'girl talk'. For once I was bored on the way to Hogwarts. My right eye hurt, and my bottom was somewhat sore from being knocked over. I couldn't concentrate (not that there was much to concentrate on), and I didn't have the heart at the moment to start scheming for our beginning-of-term shebang we always pulled.
It seemed Loony Lovegood had taken up room and board in the not-so-sane corners of my mind.