Summer Holiday 1993
Okay, so she had to admit, things did not go as well as she assumed.
Bloody Tom Riddle and his bloody cursed diary. Ginny felt like a complete fool. She let the loneliness of a new school and shyness she was not accustomed to, take over and unknowingly wrought havoc upon Hogwarts. A bloody basilisk!? Honestly...
Everyone, Dumbledore, McGonagal, Harry, her parents, Luna, all of them had tried to tell her it was not her fault. It was Lucius Malfoy and his evil Lord Booger Brain that are to blame for the atrocities that occurred that year. She was so distraught, she told them all she refused to go back. No one could change her mind, or so she thought.
Ginny was laying splayed out on her bed when in strode Luna without knocking, as usual.
"Hi, Luna.." Ginny said dully. She was sulking and would have preferred to be left alone, but arguing with Luna was like arguing with a butterfly.
"Ginevra." She replied happily, plopping down gracefully onto the floor.
Ginny propped herself up onto her elbows so she could look at her friend on the floor. "Yes?"
"I'm thirteen years old." She said rather matter of factly. Ginny cocked a brow at her, waiting for a continuation of her statement. Luna was gazing lazily up at the ceiling. Ginny assumed she was seeing one of her fantastical creatures flying about over them. "So technically I am your elder. Your birthday isn't for a few weeks, yet."
Ginny was staring at the ditzy blond incredulously. Elder? Hardly. "Luna, your point?"
"You are to return to Hogwarts for your third year." She replied curtly, and finally looked into Ginny's bemused face.
Ginny gaped momentarily at her, and then rolled her eyes, sitting straight up now. "Luna, if I have refused my own parents, brothers and even Harry bloody Potter, why on Morgana's blasted broomstick would I agree for you?" Ginny crossed her arms and frowned at Luna.
"Because, silly, we are best friends." She replied as though this should be so obviously the answer to all their problems. Ginny took a moment to collect her thoughts, but could not help but to burst into a fit of raucous laughter. Luna smiled adoringly at her freckled friend and hummed softly to herself while Ginny regained her composure.
"Lu-Luna!" Ginny gasped between loud chortles, "you can be absolutely barmy sometimes, you know that, right?" Ginny finally rasped, wiping the influx of tears from her eyes from laughing so hard.
Luna shrugged and pat the spot of carpet next to her. Ginny slid off the bed and sat with her, legs crossed and up to her chest so she could hug them to herself, feet crossed at the ankles.
"Would you like to talk about it though, Gin?" Luna asked in a bit more of a reserved tone. Ginny pursed her lips and shook her head.
"I've said all I needed to about it to mum and dad and some of dad's Auror friends. Talking to Dumbledore was the easiest though. He kept offering me all kinds of different sweets."
Luna hummed again, this time in acknowledgement, and Ginny smiled at the memory.
"Sometimes I do feel like I'm going to fall apart or something, but then I remember I'm okay, and no one was killed and... and it's not so bad." She whispered. Luna nodded and took Ginny's hand in hers. They stayed like that for awhile before Luna had to leave, and Ginny felt sad she wouldn't see her friend for the rest of the summer.
The Weasley clan was going to be heading on a nice trip to Egypt in the next couple of days before start of term kicked up again. Her father was lucky enough to win some Galleons from the Daily Prophet contest he'd entered, and instead of investing it like Percy suggested, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley agreed on a family trip.
Ginny sighed. Start of term really was coming. She could tell Luna really wanted her to go. To be fair, Ginny wanted to as well. The thought of not seeing her friend for an entire school year made her stomach twist up in knots, Well, she certainly was never very good at saying no to her best friend.
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August 31st 1993
"Ginevra!"
Ginny turned to see her lovely friend meandering through the Leaky Cauldron toward her. She'd written to tell her they were back from their vacation and meeting up there with Harry and Hermione. A wide grin spread across her face.
"Luna! Oh, I missed you like mad!"
Ginny scooped her up into a hug and twirled her around once, Luna giggling happily before being placed back on her own two feet. She brushed some of her blond waves away from her face and smiled brilliantly at her.
"Is it true Harry blew his aunt up like a balloon? I saw Fred and George outside and they seemed to be pretty entertained by the idea." Luna asked happily and Ginny laughed.
"Yeah, he did. Almost got himself into serious trouble, but I guess the Minister brushed it under the rug this time. Dad says it's because Sirius Black is on the loose now, and is trying to get to Harry." Ginny whispered, leading her friend to a quiet corner of the pub where they could talk.
"Oh, that famous musician, yes, I know who he is. Recently believed to have escaped Azkaban, but surely you must know he's been on tour for quite some time now?" Luna was looking to Ginny with wide eyes and Ginny laughed.
"I don't think he's a famous drummer, Luna. Anyway, do you think this year will be okay? Honestly?"
Luna smiled her dreamy smile and said nothing. Somehow, in the strangest way, this was still comforting enough for Ginny.
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September 1st, 1993
"Bye, mum, dad." Ginny said, giving each of her parents a tight hug. Everyone was boarding the train to Hogwarts again and Ginny couldnt help but to feel a little nervous. Her first year had ended up so horrible, and she was concerned her classmates would shun her because of it.
Before Ginny got too comfortable though, she was faced with more strain on her personal relationship with Hogwarts. The train slowed to a stop on its way to the wizarding school, and went dark. In the confusion, she split up from Luna and her brothers. She felt herself panic, not only for herself but for her friend.
Where had she wandered to? Was she safe?
Ginny managed to fumble around in the dark and crowded corridor od frightened and nervous students to a compartment. She peered inside and saw Harry, Hermione, Ron and a gentlemen seated, well more like slumped down, on the seats, with his coat covering his head and torso.
She went in, hoping Luna would somehow find her way to them, or at least to any compartment, but suddenly she felt a bone chilling dread shiver along her spine. Her breath frosted over and she was trembling. She became vaguely aware of a figure cloaked in black, faceless, with scabbed and peeling boney hands reaching toward Harry. She wanted to scream or cry, and grab Harry away from it, but the overwhelming fear, sadness and pain took hold of her very core and she was unable to move an inch, save for the terrible tremors washing over her.
She felt a movement beside her, and saw the man that was asleep jump to his feet, throwing his coat aside and pointed his wand at the imposing creature. A shimmering blast of white light shot from his wand and the creature retreated from the compartment. It seemed like the instant it fled, the usual warmth of the train and the normal sounds and chatter returned.
Harry passed out beside them, Ginny burst into sobbing tears, clinging to Hermione as she offered as much comfort as she could.
"Here, give her this. It'll help, it really will." the man said, and Hermione took some chocolate from him and offered it to her.
Ginny took it with shaking hands and ate. It surprised her that she felt better right away, and soon her attention turned to Harry who was finally coming around.
Dementors. That's what it was. She learned they sucked every bit of happiness around them up and the fact that Harry and Ginny suffered through some serious traumas was why they were affected so much. She scoffed to herself. What a wonderful start to the year. Eventually, Luna found her way to them, and Ginny followed her to the compartment she shared with Fred, George and Neville.
She spoke quietly to her, filling her in on what happened. Luna kept a comforting hand on hers as she spoke and it made the ordeal a bit less painful now that she was close by.
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October 21st, 1993
Ginny and Luna ended up having several classes together this term, and despite the drama surrounding having Dementors near the school, things were going well. Professor Lupin, that man with the chocolate, turned out to be an incredible professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Ginny was really enjoying her second year. There was that one time when Harry fell off his broom during a Quidditch match that wasn't the best moment, but he was alright. His broom... well, not so much.
She spent quite a bit of time studying with Luna in the library, or on the grounds under a large tree by the Black Lake. Today, they chose to sit by the lake.
"What are you working on, Luna?" Ginny asked as she pulled out her notes for Potions class.
"Herbology. Neville gave me some old notes of his, and said I could look through them for anything useful. He's very thorough."
Ginny nodded and watched as Luna pulled out the sheets of parchment and laid out on her stomach, legs bent up and swinging back and forth. Ginny smiled, and watched as strands of her hair floated around her head in the passing breeze, the blond illuminated like a halo. Ginny inhaled sharply. She felt a flutter in her stomach, and wondered how she'd never really paid attention to just how delicately pretty Luna was. She felt another flutter in her stomach, and shifted where she sat.
When did Luna get so pretty...? I mean, yes, of course she's pretty. I mean, of course I think she's pretty, she's my best friend! Ginny scowled silently, and turned her attention to the notes in her hands.
She stared unseeingly as Luna sighed beside her, and rolled onto her back. She held the notes up in front of her face, and had her legs bent up at the knee. Her hair fell wildly across the grass and the contrast of the blond against the green made her look like some kind of Fae.
Ginny huffed and Luna tilted her head to look at her. "Having trouble?" she asked with a note of concern in her airy voice.
"You have no idea." Ginny mumbled, but shook her head.
End Chapter 4