Author's Warning: The ages are not like canon. Luna and Harry are in the same year and the Quirrel stuff is only beginning. It is also the Triwizard Tournament Year. And I invented some Ravenclaws.
The fourth-year Ravenclaw girls were clustered gaily around the fireplace in their bedroom. All except for Luna.
Cho Chang was braiding Isobel's hair and gushing about Harry Poetter and Cedric Diggory. "I don't know who's cuter!" she gushed. "But I'd definitely rather dance with Cedric than Harry. Harry looks so awkward, like he'd be an awful dancer!"
"Eh," Isobel muttered, "the odds of us going to a dance in the first place are nil since Hogwarts doesn't have them."
Sasha Raven rebuked as she curled Tina Prince's light brown hair, "The Triwizard Tournament is happening. That means the Yuletide Ball." Tina sat on a stool. A mirror was on the wall behind her.
Cho's eyes sparkled at the thought. "Finally!" She tilted her head then did a double-take. "Luna, what on earth are you doing?"
"Packing."
"Is the Hogsmeade trip this weekend? That seems awful early," a flabbergasted Tina speculated as Sasha started curling her eyelashes.
Smugly, Isobel answered for Luna. "Nah. She's just going to the Forbidden Forest."
An appalled Sasha blurted, "The Forbidden Forest? But that's dangerous."
"No shit, Sherlock," quipped Isobel.
Sasha silently stared at Isobel, considering. "Haha. I'm a redundant know-it-all. I am a Ravenclaw, after all." She surveyed her work on Tina. Grabbing Tina's middle, she spun her around so she could see.
"Wow!" Tina beamed, gripping the ends of her hair. "Awesome job! I hardly recognize myself."
"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore," Sasha replied. Then she strode to Luna's bed. Luna had a rucksack on her comforter that she was filling with objects. Sasha dropped her stomach to Luna's mattress, letting her legs dangle over the edge. Propping her elbows on the bed and chin in her hands, she asked, "Why are you going to the Forbidden Forest?"
"Unicorns."
"Unicorns?" repeated Sasha.
Excitedly, Luna mentioned, "Isobel saw a couple of unicorns entering the forest."
Sasha's gaze swung to Isobel, who beamed smugly. "Did you?"
"Yes! They were so pretty," gasped Isobel in dreamy reverie. "I mean, equines are awesome! I have a brown shaggy pony at home I call Merrylegs. After the horse in Black Beauty, of course, but his legs are merry! Luna's the one who said if she got a tattoo, she'd want one of a unicorn and thestral neck-hugging centered on her lower back."
Swinging her gaze back to Luna, Sasha marveled, "You did say that. I forgot about that. By the way," she stood off the bed, "I'd love a sketch of that. I know you like to draw, and you're pretty good at it."
"Thanks," Luna replied. "I just loved to draw wrackspurts when I was three."
Cho pouted majestically. "If Luna's going into the Forbidden Forest, oughtn't one of us go? Safety in numbers."
Luna shook her head. "If one of you wants to come, you are welcome, but I've got this." She closed her rucksack and held the whistle covered by the snarfblat whistle topper between her thumb and forefinger.
"I'd be tempted," admitted Isobel, "if it wasn't the Forbidden Forest under the guise of sheer darkness. But McGonagall will have your hide if it's daylight hours. Professor Flitwick may be our Head of House, but McGonagall is the one who worries me. She's abysmally formidable."
"Especially when she yaks about 'how can you do this to your parents,'" agreed Tina with an eye roll. "Please. I'm not alive for my parents. If I were, that'd make them selfish vampires."
"You should say that to her!" encouraged Sasha, clapping her hands.
"I did!" Tina exuberated.
"And?"
Deflating, Tina grumbles, "Got an extra week detention for sassing her."
Thoughtfully, Sasha muttered, "Oh, so that's what that was for."
"Well," Luna called, pulling up her rucksack and sliding it over her shoulders, "I'll see you guys after my mission."
"Good luck!" Isobel called cheerily.
"Better you than me," Cho offered. Then she grabbed Tina. "Let's go to the common with Luna. See if any cute boys will wink at you."
Tina nodded heartily and followed Luna and Cho.
