Author's Note: Thanks for sticking around for this chapter!
Thanks for all your lovely reviews; I received an email about one the other week, reminding me about this story's existence. Sorry for the wait, and thanks to all of you who who have favourited/followed/reviewed.

The first thing she noticed was a sharp pain between her ribs. Ginny gasped with the suddenness of it, her dream-like state interrupted by the sudden throb. Stretching out in her sheets, eyes still closed, she inspected the damage, wiggling all of her limbs to make sure her ribs were the only source of pain.

Ginny felt her foot unexpectedly make contact with something hard at the end of her bed. Ouch! She exclaimed in her mind; her mouth was not awake enough to cooperate. She sleepily opened her eyes to find sunlight streaming in through a large window in the ceiling. Since when was there a ceiling window in the Gryffindor dorms? She thought, her head feeling slightly dazed and disoriented.

"It will wear off soon!" A chipper voice broke through her internal bewilderment. "You only had slight exposure to the Meta-philla, so you should feel relatively normal after breakfast."

The last night's events came back to Ginny in a rush. She remembered toppling into the Black Lake and falling prey to some odd creature. Not to mention, she had to be saved by a girl of her own age.

Determined not to look any stupider, Ginny quickly blinked her bleary eyes and sat up. Now that she was upright, she could see her bed in the infirmary, and the girl seated at the end of it. Just great, Ginny thought, it must have been her that I kicked unconsciously!

Partly because Ginny felt she needed to say something, but also out of genuine curiosity, she asked, "How did I get here?"

Luna, who Ginny could now remember the name of, made a soft surprised noise. "You don't remember?" It was rhetoric, Ginny thought, so she made herself refrain from replying. Luna continued, "I had to take you here after you collapsed on the way back to the castle."

Collapsed?! Ginny felt her cheeks grow hot, and she hoped that her blush wasn't visible in the glare of the morning sun.

"It must have been the meta-philla's song," Luna said thoughtfully. "Sometimes it can have that effect on people."

Ginny felt like she needed to say something, so she uttered a small "thanks for bringing me here".

Luna smiled and said, "It was no problem." When she said it, Ginny couldn't help but believe her. Genuine warmth seemed to radiate from Luna, and Ginny simultaneously felt self-conscious and at ease.

Ginny shifted her pillows behind her in an effort to sit in a more comfortable position. "Sorry if I kicked you before," she started, "I'm sorry about that, I had no idea I was in the infirmary." She blushed, hoping it didn't sound like she was rambling.

"No problem," Luna looked amused. Ginny suddenly realised she was apologising a lot.

After what felt like eternity, Ginny asked, "What time is it?"

Luna glanced down at her wrist, which was covered in a woven hemp band. "About 8." Ginny was a little confused about how she managed to deduce that from her bracelet, but she figured it wasn't a good time to ask. "Did you sleep well?" Luna continued, looking concerned at Ginny's lack of verbosity.

"Oh, yes. I guess. Yes, I did sleep well." Ginny's mouth stumbled over syllables as she tried to organise her thoughts. Why was she so awkward?

"That's good. I often find I don't sleep as well during the new moon, but I'm glad you managed alright."

Ginny considered this, wondering if that was why she had felt so alert and restless before going on her jog. Probably not, she deduced; yesterday had been odd all day.

"Your friend Thea gave me these," Luna began, picking up a sweater and a cloak and sliding them towards Ginny on the bed. "She said she would have given them to you herself, but she had an early morning study session; tutoring some first-years, I think." Ginny was glad Thea wasn't in the infirmary; Ginny was already embarrassed enough with just Luna there.

"Thanks," Ginny smiled, grateful that she didn't have to trudge all the way to the Gryffindor common room to retrieve her things. She was still wearing her running gear, which, while practical, was not exactly modest for a Thursday morning. Her skin-tight sports pants wrapped snugly around her waist, and her sports bra only covered the bare minimum. Considering this, Ginny quickly pulled the sheets up higher over her torso.

"well… I guess you'd better change then," Luna said. Ginny inwardly cringed, Luna must have noticed her attempt at modesty.

"Thanks again, Luna" Ginny said earnestly.

Luna felt an odd wave of something unidentifiable in her gut when the red-head said her name.

"You're welcome," she said earnestly. She stood up, smoothing her crinkled blouse. "See you around, Ginny," she said, beginning to walk away. Luna certainly hoped they'd see each other around. There was something about Ginny that Luna immediately liked. Something about her intrepid manner, her unflinching gaze. Or maybe It was something in the way she held herself, not like most people, but like someone who knew who they were, and wasn't afraid to show the world.