Criticism and Comments will always be taken into account so don't feel shy; I don't have a BETA, so me, myself and I could have missed something. I write what I would want to read, but I'm aware that this might be different from what others want to read, so please feel free to suggest anything that you would want in this story.

Thank you MiraQuinn for your lovely review.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchise, it belongs to J.K Rowling and her affiliates and not me. :(

Ginny stood in the boiling water of the dorm showers. She was scrubbing herself furiously; partly to scrub off the mud she had accumulated from the Quidditch practice, but mostly because she felt like if she scrubbed enough, she could remove all trace of the day.

Following her weird dream last night, Ginny had woken up to a stressed Thea and a weird headache. The day only got worse from there. When she had arrived at breakfast, someone had stolen all the eggs and bacon off her table, and so she was forced to eat dry toast. Her empty stomach had growled all the way to lunch.

In charms, the class she shared with the Ravenclaws, some smart-ass had decided to set her desk on fire. Lunch was no better. Dean made a huge show of pulling out her chair and keeping her plate full; which was nice, but really weird and awkward. Potions was almost an escape. Quidditch practice SUCKED royally, she couldn't even score a single goal. Ginny turned the hot water up further and stared at the beige tiles that lined the shower walls. She was tired. Really tired. Despite this; she knew she wasn't going to fall asleep, so she did what any rational person would do. She stepped out of the shower and found her running gear. It was going to be a long night.

Luna stared at the moonless night and sighed contentedly. She watched the reflections of the stars in the black lake ripple and swirl the further she walked into the water. Her ankles were starting to get cold, but she didn't want to chicken out yet. She still wanted to see the reclusive Meta-Philla before the new moon was over. Luna willed herself to take another step, distracting herself by naming as many strange vegetables as she could. Broccoli was definitely on the list.

Soon she was waist-deep in the black lake, her white dress floating around her in the water. She smiled softly, enjoying the ethereal experience that came from the lake. She cast a quick eye protection charm and then ducked under and into the icy water.

Luna breathed out slowly, following the bubbles with her eyes. She stuck her wand in her mouth and began her search.

She knew the Meta-Philla were bright and luminous, so she was certain that as long as she didn't cast any light of her own, she would be able to spot one. The task proved more difficult than she thought; the tiny creatures did not want to be found. She wondered if this was for the best. Perhaps the things shrouded in mystery were the most special.

Ginny pushed her legs forward, trying to persuade them to keep moving. She had already been running for 30 minutes, but a trivial thing like time never stopped her. She was running to clear her head, and until her head was clear, she would not stop.

The lawn around Hogwarts was springy and green, and Ginny couldn't help admiring the grounds, even as her lungs screamed for air. The night was clear, and Ginny succumbed to temptation and stopped running and simply took in the night. It had become a pastime for her; these nocturnal walks. They helped clear her mind. She leaned against the stone of the outer wall of Hogwarts, trying to catch her breath. She stared out at the black lake and tried not to think. The night was super dark, but when she squinted, she thought she could see ripples. Come on, Ginny… she thought, paranoia is never a good look. But the more she did look, she swore she could see shapes darting in and out. The stars reflected in the lake seemed more luminous than the stars themselves. Curious, Ginny jogged over to the edge of the lake. They were brighter…She stared in awe at the flickering lights beneath the surface of the water. She lent in, enraptured. They seemed to be saying something like they wanted her near. She leant in further and with one very uncoordinated splash, she fell into the cold depths of the lake.

Luna was getting closer, she could feel it. She felt the Meta-Philla before she saw the flickering lights. She covered her ears with her hands. They used sonar to enrapture and trap their prey. Luna shook her head, trying to clear the image of a girl from her vision, sure that it was one of the Meta-Philla's illusions to lure her in. When she saw the tendrils reach out to try and drag the girl deeper, Luna was sure that it wasn't an illusion. She nearly choked in surprise. What was this girl doing? Did she not know the dangers of the black lake? Without hesitation, Luna dove in, kicking with all her might. She grabbed the unidentifiable girl and pulled her up with all her strength. The Meta-Philla didn't give their prey up easily—but Luna kept pulling. Luna was surprisingly strong, and she knew it. Eventually, the slimy tendrils snapped. Luna winced. She didn't mean to disturb them, but they were trying to eat a girl. Luna shook her head disapprovingly at the Meta-Philla and they shrank back. Satisfied, Luna willed her exhausted legs to propel her and the lifeless girl to the air.

The surface broke and Luna gasped for air. She dog paddled to the bank of the lake and lay the girl, who Luna thought looked familiar, on her side. Luna pressed down on the girl's chest, and the girl coughed up water, blinking blearily. Luna leant in, her face inches from the girls. She squinted, trying to see if the girl was conscious or not. The girl jumped so abruptly into a sitting position that Luna nearly fell backwards out of sheer fright.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked tentatively.

The girl blinked, clearly disoriented. "Oh, me? I'm fine!" She said unconvincingly. "Just—uh—taking a dip…"

Luna didn't blame the girl for feeling embarrassed. She had been privy to some of the Philla's tricks when she was younger.

"They are very beautiful, aren't they?" Luna commented.

"Hmm?" the girl said, blushing.

"The Meta-Philla," Luna said as a way of explanation.

"Oh." The girl paused. "I never knew so many lived in our lake…" she said slowly.

Luna laughed. It was a soft, tinkling sound. "Neither did I. I was expecting maybe a couple and I was met with a couple of thousand." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously. She hoped this girl didn't think she was weird.

The girl smiled. "I'm Ginny, by the way." She said, more shyly now. "I think we've met before, on the Hogwarts Express."

Of course! How could Luna have forgotten? She blushed. "I'm Luna." Why was this so weird? Luna was never this self-conscious around her other classmates. She stood up, wringing out her sopping wet dress. Luna extended her hand out to Ginny.

When their hands met, Luna felt a little buzz. Ginny's hands were rough and calloused, but they fit perfectly in hers.

For some reason, when they stood up, Ginny wouldn't look at Luna properly. She kept avoiding her gaze or staring so hard at her face that Luna would have found it aggressive if she didn't know any better. What was going on?

Ginny's heart was beating fast and her cheeks were aflame. Even now, as she was warm and safe in her dorm, she still felt as weirdly exhilarated. Just from the embarrassment of being saved from drowning in the Black Lake, she told herself. She couldn't stop thinking about Luna. Luna's hand in hers, Luna's strong grip as she hoisted her out of the Black Lake.

Now, far from the lake, she could admit it. She thought Luna was awesome. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on in her messed-up head, but she knew that she wanted to be friends with this strange new girl. Ginny sighed. She had probably scared her new friend away with her scrutinising gaze. Ginny hugged her pillow to her chest. Well, what else was she going to do? It wasn't like she could look down; Luna's wet dress had clung to her, revealing more than what would have normally been deemed appropriate. What Ginny wouldn't let herself think was… she had wanted to look down. God, it sounded so bad when she thought about it.

Ginny drifted off into a restless sleep, images of blonde-haired girls haunting her dreams.

Thank y'all for reading! The next chapter will be up soon; this is basically my therapy so I'll be updating pretty often. Thanks, and please leave a review! They are like little rainbows in my grey days. :)

I've heard slow-burns are the best so this will be a fiery one. ;)