Ethereal: Bluna

8. Honest Conversation

Later that day, a group of three Ravenclaw boys approached Luna with all her lost belongings. She knew who they were. She had seen them around the common room and bothering people from other houses in their free time, which led them often to detention. One was granted from Luna, and suddenly everything made sense.

Once Luna got the chance to explain everything to Maybell and Emerald back at their dorm, the redhead was fuming with anger.

"Those stupid boys." Emerald said. "If I were you, I would give them detention for the rest of the year."

Luna laughed. "I was heavily tempted to."

"But I don't get one thing." Maybell turned to look at the blonde from her bed. "They expected you to believe they returned everything out of the goodness of their hearts?"

"They wouldn't tell me why they did it." Luna looked at the ceiling. "They said they felt guilty but I know that's not true."

"We'll figure it out." Emerald promised.

"You don't need to."

"We want to." Maybel interrupted. "You're our friend, Luna, and we care."

Without warning, Luna felt overwhelmed by her feelings. She had a hard time making friends, and while she enjoyed her solitude, she didn't think she could come back to like it as much as being around friends who cared about her.

"Thank you."

Later that night, Luna was monitoring the corridors of Hogwarts, making sure no one was planning on getting out after curfew. And, of course, she saw the tall figure of a boy making his way to the Black Lake. She followed him, without trying to be careful, and Blaise immediately felt her presence.

He observed her as she walked up to him. Really observed her,  almost admiring. He had never payed attention to Luna before, and seeing her that close under the moonlight was making him question why he hadn't. She was undoubtedly beautiful. She had long blonde hair, which Blaise found himself liking very much. Her skin was pale like porcelain, her gray eyes were icy, and the way she carried herself, how she talked and moved, made her look like a delicate doll. She seemed fragile, but that was the last word that crossed Blaise's mind to describe Luna Lovegood.

"Why are you staring?" She tilted her head, curious.

"I wasn't." Blaise turned his eyes away from her.

"Okay."

"I wasn't staring, I—" He frowned. "You sound like you don't believe me."

"I don't believe you." Luna admitted, and he crossed his arms, suddenly annoyed. "Are you always this grumpy?"

"What?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you laugh."

"Do you observe me that much, Luna?" He couldn't help but tease.

"Sometimes." She casually said, and she started to laugh at Blaise's expression.

"Are you always this... blunt?"

"I try to be." Luna shrugged. "I think I'm just honest. People are just so used to lies, they get surprised when someone actually tells them the truth."

He remained silent. What would Luna think if she ever found out the reason he needed her tabloids?

"Would you be honest if I ask you something?"

Blaise felt his heart stop. There was no way Luna could know what he was doing, about his task.

"I guess you are about to find out."

It was the best he could come up with, because he knew if he lied, which he was sure he was going to do, she wouldn't be able to tell.

"Do you like the Black Lake?"

Blaise blinked. Had he heard right?

"What?" He almost felt like laughing. Luna Lovegood was about to get a genuine laugh and smile out of him with her questions.

She raised her eyebrows, letting him know she was waiting for an answer. A true answer.

He could've lied, give a short yes, not bothering to give an explanation. The conversation would've ended there, and he would've taken that as a chance to return to the Slytherin Dungeons.

"No." He answered honestly. "I don't."

Blaise figured him being truthful in that moment didn't cause any harm. There was nothing Luna could do with that information, but it felt like giving away something personal, because she would have a piece of knowledge his friends didn't even care to know.

Luna didn't ask anything else. Maybe she was waiting for him to share his reason willingly, or maybe she just didn't care. Either way, Blaise couldn't stop himself from giving an explanation.

"It's the only place I can feel at peace." He admitted, and it felt like a weight was lifted off his chest. "You can barely see a thing, no one really comes here because it's not exactly... pretty, and it's silent."

It's the type of calmness I wish my mind had, he wanted to say.

"You like how it makes you feel."

"Yes."

Blaise felt like he couldn't look at her. He didn't want to see her expression. Was it pity? Curiosity? Boredom? Luna was someone he still couldn't read, and in that moment, he hated that he didn't know her well enough to know what she was thinking of him.

"I have a comfort place too."

"Here?"

He couldn't think of any other place in Hogwarts that could be just as quiet as the Black Lake.

"No. Not here." Luna smiled. "Back at home."

"Describe it to me."

"That would ruin it." She shook her head. "Maybe one day you'll be lucky enough to see it."

Her words knocked Blaise out of the moment and he frowned. He was not supposed to be engaging in conversation, with Luna, no less. But he couldn't stop doing it. It was like whenever she opened her mouth and talked about anything remotely curious, Blaise couldn't focus on anything else and his mind stopped thinking so much for a while.

"Maybe." He whispered a few seconds later.

"It's getting late. You should head back before someone sees you."

"You already have." He pointed out. "Doesn't that count?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Luna said as she started to walk towards the castle.

_______

so how are you liking the story?