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At the same time the fourth year Gryffindors were learning Summoning Charms with Professor Flitwick, third year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were having their first Herbology lesson of the year with Professor Sprout.
A few minutes before the class was scheduled to start, Ginny found herself in Greenhouse Three sitting in between Colin on her left and Luna on her right. There was an empty brown plant pot on everybody's desk.
"You know," said Ginny matter of factly to Colin and Luna, "I'm really glad Headmaster Lupin has retained Professor Sprout. She's a highly knowledgeable Herbology teacher who has always taught her students well."
"Well," said Luna dreamily as she stared off sideways at the rightmost wall, "Sometimes, even when you have to go down a different path, it's best to make a few of the same turns."
"I wonder what Professor Sprout has planned for our first lesson of the year, " piped up Colin eagerly.
They wouldn't have to wait long to find out. As Colin finished his sentence, Professor Sprout walked into her classroom.
Professor Sprout was carrying what looked like egg shaped plants. These plants seemed to have many pink seedpods that were full on shining beans.
"Today," Professor Sprout addressed the class, "I'm going to be teaching you about Puffapods. Now, Puffapods don't have any particular practical use, but they do produce pretty pink and purple flowers."
"This sounds like a simple lesson," said Luna observantly, "But that's a good thing. It's best to start the year off with a simple lesson. Nothing good comes of trying to run before you can crawl."
"It's good for students to ease back into things at the start of a school year," agreed Professor Sprout, "Now, the shining beans in the seedpods will bloom the nanosecond they make contact with a solid object."
"I'm guessing human skin doesn't count as a solid object?" asked Ginny.
"No," confirmed Professor Sprout, "So, here's what you need to do to get those beautiful pink and purple flowers to bloom. You must strip the shining beans from the seedpods and throw them into the plant pots. Aim is important here. I don't want to see flowers blooming all over the floor."
So, calmly, and carefully, the class, including Colin, Ginny, and Luna, started stripping the beans from the seedpods. Everyone was careful to hold the shining beans tightly in his or her hands. When the plants were stripped bare, they threw the shining beans into the brown plant pots upon their desks.
Instantaneously, before their very eyes, all of the beans that had been thrown into the plant pots bloomed into beautiful, vibrant, lively flowers of brilliant tents of pink and wonderous shades of purple.
"OOH, they're so pretty, " cooed Colin and Ginny together.
Luna, however, had a vastly different response to the blooming of the Puffapods.
As soon as her eyes caught sight of the freshly bloomed pink and purple flowers in front of her, Luna immediately burst into tears and sat sobbing for several minutes.
"Luna, what's wrong?" asked Ginny in concern.
"Seeing these fl-flowers is v-very emotional for m-me, " said Luna chokily, "Because they remind m-me of m-my mom."
Ginny put a comforting right arm around Luna's left shoulder.
Colin went over to Luna's other side and put a comforting left arm around Luna's right shoulder.
Ginny's and Colin's comforting gesture calmed Luna down a bit, and she said, "Mom loved purple. She was a hyper pro purple woman. Mom always kept purple flowers around the house when she was alive. She was especially fond of Puffapods."
"You knew the flowers your mom was keeping were called Puffapods?" inquired Colin.
"No, " admitted Luna, "She never told me that. But she always purchased purple flowers whenever she could, and she liked them in tandem with pink. She never bothered about what flowers were called or differentiating between types of flowers. If she saw flowers she liked while shopping, she just bought them, plain and simple. My emotions were set off by seeing these flowers because I recognized them as a type of flowers mom was very fond of and frequently kept around the house."
"So," said Ginny sadly, "These flowers became a painful reminder of you losing your mom when you were nine?" Ginny asked Luna.
"Partially, "said Luna bluntly, "But they also reminded me of the pleasant times mom and I spent together when she was alive as well. I guess the best way to sum it up is to say that Puffapods make me very emotional because to me they are a symbol of my mom and the love that was between me and her."
Ginny and Colin both patted Luna on the back and Luna realized something.
"I need to let more emotion out, but I need some help getting it out," said Luna seriously, "Ginny, could you please sing me a quiet and sad song."
Ginny obliged and slowly and quietly began to sing.
"Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high.
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow.
Skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star.
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops.
Away above the chimney tops.
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow.
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why, then, oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow.
Why, oh why can't I?"
As Ginny sang, Luna sobbed harder and harder with each passing line, all the while feeling like something was being extracted from her.
When Ginny's song ended, Luna took a moment to compose herself and took a deep breath. A much calmer look came across her face after that.
"Feeling better, Luna?" asked Ginny kindly.
"Yes, " said Luna gratefully, "I just needed that release. The thing is, I was nine when mom died. It's been over four years and I'm thirteen now. If I may be candid here, I've never truly come to terms with my mom's death."
"There is no worse tragedy than a child losing a parent, " said Ginny, sadly looking Luna eye to eye, "You're having to grow up without a vital part of yourself and who you are."
"Yes, it was rather horrible, " admitted Luna, "I do still feel very sad about it sometimes. "
"That's okay, " said Ginny reassuringly, "It's okay to hurt. It's okay to feel sad sometimes."
"It would not be okay to let it consume me though, " said Luna softly, "That's why it was so important for me to release that emotion. "
"Will you ever be able to look at Puffapods without pain?" Colin asked Luna.
"I can right now," smiled Luna, now looking at and taking in the beauty of the pink and purple flowers in front of her, "It's just that sometimes my emotions get set off and I never know when or why it will happen. I was not expecting these flowers to be exactly what they were. When my emotions are set off, I need to face them and let it all out. I always feel better afterwards, but I've got to release that emotion when it comes."
Colin, Ginny, and Luna were now quietly looking at the flowers from the Puffapods and silently taking them in.
"Thank you for your support, Colin and Ginny," said Luna warmly.
Colin, Ginny, and Luna all now looked between the flowers and themselves and exchanged small smiles.
A/N: It is canon that Luna's mom died when she was nine and it is said that she feels very sad about it sometimes. This chapter attempted to portray some of the emotion that Luna would constantly have to deal with.
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