Luna's stringy blonde hair glittered as a crepuscular ray burst through the gray cloud coverage. The gentle golden light warmed the frigid February air. The blustery wind ceased as the temperature rose above freezing. A flock of yellowhammers warbled in melody. They skittered for food through winter barren bushes across the snow-dusted stone courtyard floor.
"I am glad we are together again," Luna said. She picked apart her hardened roll throwing crumbs to the little yellow birds.
"I am too," Ginny leaned her head onto Luna's shoulder and watched two yellowhammers fight over a small crumb. "How has your year been so far?"
"Lonely," The word hung in the air. Pangs of guilt and understanding hit Ginny's stomach.
"Mine too. How are your roommates? I don't think mine like me very well."
"They like to laugh. It is hard though because I can't tell if they are laughing with me or about me." Luna stopped picking the roll and shifted her weight underneath Ginny's head. She shook her off her shoulder. "That is okay, though, I don't mind. It gives me more time to read."
"Do you honestly not mind?" Luna started to comb through the long strands of copper hair with her delicate fingers. She parted Ginny's hair in three places and started to weave them into a loose plait.
"No. I do not think that I do." Luna continued weaving as Ginny twisted her body to give her better access to her hair. "I know I am different but I don't think I mind. I would rather know the truth about Nargles and Wackspurts than live unaware."
A wave of jealousy crashed into Ginny as she felt her shoulders tighten. How was Luna always able to be like this? How was she able to float through the world so unaffected by others? Even today, sitting in this corridor on a cold stone bench after months of neglect, she touched Ginny with such tenderness. Ginny doubted she would have the same internal fortitude to forgive.
"I do miss Mum sometimes. She loved Hogwarts. I hope I am the person she would have wanted me to become," Luna mumbled the last words without her usual confidence. She took her wand and cast a holding charm on the bottom of the plait below Ginny's waist.
"I miss your Mum too. I miss her singing and reading to us from the Tales of Beedle Bard," Ginny turned to Luna and put her head in her lap. Luna picked up brittel winter sticks conjuring them into fragile umber flowers and placed them in Ginny's hair. "I know she would have been proud of you."
Luna stopped putting the flowers around Ginny's crown. She returned to picking at the discarded bread for the birds. Ginny sat up out of her lap and dug through her bag looking for her parchment and quill.
"Well, this poem won't write itself. What rhymes with Dark Lord?"
"Fjord, heard, curd, blackboard?"
"My love is the depth of a Norwegian Fjord/ for the hero who conquered the Dark Lord?"
"I like that. Norwegian trolls are very different from English ones. They are smaller, have higher intelligence, and congregate in small colonies."
"Good. How would you describe his eyes?"
"Are you writing a poem about Potter?" a sullen voice drawled behind Ginny's back. Turning around she saw Draco Malfoy's sneering rodent face. "Oh, my! The Hero who conquered the Dark Lord is in love with wittle weasel Weasley!"
"Stuff it Malfoy. Just because no girl can stand to look at your ferret face doesn't mean you need to mock others. What are you terrified you will find yourself crying alone in your dorm on Valentine's Day?" Annoyance filled Ginny. Her mind filled with images of Draco insulting Harry, calling Hermione that horrible word, and their fathers fighting. "Even with your Daddy's money and faster brooms you are still second rate."
"How is Daddy's money now that yours is under investigation?" Draco's face showed no emotion beyond a cold expressionless wall. "Will poor poor Mumsie be able to make do? Or will she work in the fields with the rest of the cows?"
Ginny's face flushed a deep magenta. Rage replace annoyance as Ginny's field of vision turned blood red. Jumping up from the stone bench she went toe to toe with Draco and silently looked up into his stony face.
"Never insult my Mum and Dad," her words quiet barely above a whisper. Ginny's fists clenched tight and she felt herself pull her arm back as if to punch upward into his smarmy face.
Draco jerked forward hoping to cause her to flinch but she stood tall unwavering. Confusion over her lack of reaction flashed on Draco's face for a brief second. Luna's hand reached from the stone seat gently touching Ginny's arm. She pulling her back from the almost altercation.
"Be happy I don't hex girls."
"Be happy neither do I."
Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other confused by the last insult. Draco huffed and turned militaristic on his heel as he strutted out of the corridor. A loud "Moo" mixed with Crabbe and Goyle's laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.
Ginny sat with Luna seething. Anger pulsed through her at the insults hurled against her parents.
"His eyes are as green as pickled toads."
"What?" Ginny jerked her head away from watching the empty doorway. She looked in Luna's serene face completely unconcerned by what had transpired.
"Harry. Don't his eyes remind you of the toads we use to catch back in Devon? The ones by your Mum's pond that would scare the ducks when they would jump at them? They are the same pickle green as Harry's eyes."
Ginny threw her head back in laughter and joy. Luna was right. Harry did have eyes the same color as what they named "pickle toads".
"Oh Luna, what would I do without you?"
"You never have to find out." Luna leaned her head into Ginny's shoulder and pulled her waist tight into a sisterly embrace.
Ginny spent the next few weeks working and reworking the poem. The night before Valentine's day she was too excited to sleep. Harry would receive the Valentine in early morning before the hall crowded for breakfast. There would only be a few people down eating not paying much attention to the two of them. She could picture Harry's smile as she compared him to a toad and blackboard. It would loosen up his initial embarrassment making him laugh. Then her true feelings would come out.
He would hear how she found him divine. He would feel flattered at how she wished he was hers. He would puff his chest slightly up and stand a little taller at being the hero who conquered the Dark Lord. The poem would end, he would look up and see her. She would be standing behind the adorable little cupid with a voice as melodic as an angel.
Harry would really see her. The morning light would flicker through the large windows and light her hair on fire. She would be wearing her nicest robes and would stand there waiting. She wouldn't run to him. She would let him walk up to her. And she would smile a smirking sarcastic smile like this was no big deal. He would walk up and smile back at her. He would compliment her rhyme scheme and brilliance. She would be bold and talk to him with words instead of embarrassed muttering sounds.
Yes, tomorrow would be a perfect day. Ginny fiddled with her wand and prepared the wake charm so her wand would buzz at 5:30 am. She needed to get to the Great Hall as it was opening in the morning to wait for Harry. Ginny rolled over and fell into a deep satisfying sleep with pleasant dreams. Dreams filled with Harry and her playing Quidditch and talking as old friends.
Ginny woke not to her wand but to Xenia rummaging through her trunk for extra hair potion. Ginny rolled over and parted her curtains to look through the window. Rather than seeing the darkness of day breaking she saw the brightness of late morning. She heard the sounds of her dorm mates preparing for the morning. Ginny bolted upright with her heart pounding. She was late.
Frantically, she scrambled out of bed tripping. Her bed sheets and comforter tangled around her feet. Falling to the floor she kicked at her bedding trying to extricate herself from her bed. No no no. This is not how today is suppose to go.
Dressing in a blur she sprinted down to the common room. It was empty. She looked around to get her bearings. Was it empty because the first or second wave of students already left for breakfast?
"Good morning Ginny," a familiar voice yawned from behind a chair. Ginny spun around. She was face to face with Harry. Her face flushed deep crimson as she tried to slow her heartbeat. He looked straight into her eyes. His eyes were blazing as the pickle toad green contrasted the rich reds and golds surrounding him. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"Toads," she managed to croak out.
"Toads?"
"Erh, important early meeting. So sorry. Must go. Toads," she tore out of the common room leaving a bewildered Harry in her wake. A dark shadow descended onto Ginny. The optimism from the night before vanished and was replaced by a sense of foreboding. Maybe a public poem wasn't a good idea. Nerves flitted in her stomach killing her early morning hunger.
Her sense of foreboding transformed into pure dread. Once she entered the Great Hall she saw an explosion of pink, taffeta, and hearts. Angry dwarves dressed in white sarongs with golden wings stood conversing in deep graveling voices. These were not the adorable angel like cherubs she had been expecting.
She sat at the farthest corner of the Gryffindor table. Thankfully, Lee, George, and Fred sat towards the middle. They were far away enough to miss her discomfort but close enough to obstruct her from the sight of anyone entering the Great Hall.
She piled her plate with bland porridge. Her stomach churned in anxious anticipation. She waited almost thirty minutes before seeing the familiar combination of unruly black, fire red, and bushy brown. Harry's expression transformed into a look of pure disgust seeing pink hearts and annoyed dwarves. He shook his downcast head towards Hermione and Ron as he grabbed a seat closest to the door enabling a fast exit. Packed to the seams the sound of student conversations bustled through the hall. Ginny prayed the dwarves would refrain from giving the Valentine now. Her anticipation built with every bland bite of porridge as the dwarves talked to themselves. Glancing down towards the trio relief swept over Ginny as she saw empty seats and plates.
Ginny drifted powerlessly through the day as her stomach tied thicker knots of trepidation. By late afternoon a dozen dwarves had disrupted almost all her classes. Waiting in a line outside of her last class she wondered if Harry had received his Valentine yet. Maybe Harry would be unable to figure out the sender. Maybe hers would not be the only one. After all, it isn't like she signed her name. Long vanished was her great plan on him hearing the musical poem and feeling gratitude towards her. Now she wanted to survive the day with relative anonymity.
"Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted the angriest dwarf she had seen that day. Ginny looked up and saw a very agitated and flushed Harry spin around. He tried escaping the oncoming dwarf but the dwarf locked on Harry from across the hall like a bludger. He battering rammed his way through the crowd. Plucking his harp menacingly he said gruffly, "I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person."
"Not here," Harry hissed frantic to escape the crowd. Ginny's stomach filled with apprehension. Several of her fellow first years snickered at the humiliating scene unfolding.
"Stay still!" The dwarf grabbed Harry's bag attempting to hold him back.
"Let me go!" Harry was angrier than Ginny had ever seen him. He snarled his last set of words as his bag split open spilling the contents onto the floor.
Ginny's heart stopped cold. She heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Ginevra. Did you miss me? I have a new friend now."