Not My Loony - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Venutian Revelations

Spectrespecs brandished proudly on her head, Luna skipped alongside Ginny and Neville as they headed to what should have been Defense Against the Dark Arts. The new order had meant they studied the Dark Arts as a compulsory subject in the place of what was the trio's only class together.

"I can't thank you enough, Ginny," Luna said affectionately.

"It's really no problem," She replied; Luna admired her heroine's modesty. The three were turning the final corner before the classroom when Neville almost tripped over little Professor Flitwick.

"Watch where you're going, please!" He squealed, "Ah, yes. Just the two I wanted to see after your little escapade today."

"Please, Professor," Neville begged, "We can explain."

"I do apologise Mr Longbottom but regardless of the circumstances, I am obliged to see to it that you are in detention with me at eight o'clock sharp tonight."

"Oh, please Professor," Luna interjected, "You see, I was caught up with Blaise Zabini, but these guys helped me."

"I am terribly sorry Miss Lovegood, truly. But it is by order of the headmaster that these two receive punishment for their actions no matter how noble their intentions. Quite clearly you shall not be punished, Luna." But that just wasn't the point; she wasn't worried about receiving detention, it was Ginny and Neville who were losing out.

"It's alright Luna," Neville patted her shoulder, "Thank you, but we did sort of ruin an entire charms class."

"It's alright, you three," Flitwick whispered, "I trust you did the right thing, and I'll make sure the Carrows don't find out." He gave them a roguish wink and waddled on down the corridor. Dark Arts went by fast enough; the Unforgivable Curses weren't exactly a comfortable subject, but the theory was simple enough. It was actually casting the spell that would cause them the real grief to come later. Neville wiped a few stray tears as they walked on out and by the time they were in the courtyard, the worries of that horrid classroom were no more.

As they laughed the hours away together, Ginny and Neville played catch with a quaffle; though Neville was an atrocious catch he had a decent throw about him. Luna shrieked and cackled laughing with them the whole time, not just because of Neville, she was just so inexplicably happy. The hours whipped by and, in no time at all, seven thirty rolled around. By now they were fit to lay down and sleep right there, exhausted by the work of a good time. Ginny lay sprawled out upon a bed of leaves as Neville admired what looked to Luna like a type of cactus growing in a secluded corner of the courtyard. Luna sat at the base of the great oak tree she had always loved, resigned to the week's issue of the Quibbler. She could barely see Ginny as she lay on autumn's fiery leaves, her thick, smooth hair blending in miraculously.

"Ginny we'd best be heading off to Flitwick, you know?" Neville suggested cautiously. Ginny groaned and rolled over, prepared to stay there overnight if it meant she didn't have to walk the whole way to the North Tower.

"Come on, Ginny," Neville pressed, "We really have to get going. He's been nice about it so far but I don't think he'd appreciate us not even going to just one detention." After much gentle persuasion, Ginny gave in and the two of them headed to Flitwick's office.

"I guess this is good night," Ginny said to Luna, edging nearer to her.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Luna said shyly, "Thank you guys for helping me today, it's very nice of you." Though the fullness of her smile was clear, her eyes were at Ginny's shoes

"It's truly no problem, Luna," Ginny said. For a moment their eyes met and suddenly Luna was someplace else. She was bathing in the sun's glorious rays in a field of lush, green grass - autumn claiming its first few leaves. She laid there with Ginny and they simply looked up at the sky and dreamed together, lost beyond their own worlds to a land where they were one and above all - they were free.

"Yeah we'll see you later, Luna," Neville called, waking her from her daze.

"Good night!" She called back, but they were off. She revelled in the opportunity to be alone for a while, not even thinking of heading inside yet. As eight o'clock struck, she moved to the great oak tree in the corner of the courtyard. She ran her hands up its trunk, wrapping her arms around the first twist of its wondrous maze. As the branch grew narrower, the junctions became more frequent and the more difficult the choice of which path to take became. As the branches moved to splits and the splits to twigs, her fingers found the end of one of the millions of paths through the tree she could have taken. There was a beauty, she thought, in how trivial such a thing should seem, but in the space of a single oak tree was an infinity of complex differences. She plunged into the tree's twists and turns, lifting a graceful foot to whichever nook it came to first; her heart a pulsing compass, leading her way to the inevitable summit.

As the foliage grew thinner, she came to the end of her fate given path. From here she had a most remarkable view of the night - an atlas to the sky hitched right above her head. She laid down across two perfectly placed branches and allowed herself to be taken by the enveloping abyss of the dotted canvas above. Her eyes swept the sky, up and down the milky way and drifting beyond until coming to a stop on Venus, the brightest of a myriad of celestial orbs.

"Don't you ever stop being yourself," the words swam through her mind, "You're all I care about." Had Ginny truly meant what she had said earlier? If she loved and cherished Luna so much, what did it mean for them as friends? She didn't seem to feel this way about Neville or Hermione, or even Harry. Luna had been trying not to let herself be convinced that Ginny was in love with her, for she knew it wasn't wise to dwell on infatuations, but she found it increasingly hard to argue with herself. She thought perhaps, she might even love her back. She spent every day now longing for Ginny's company. Her security. Her comfort. Her embrace. She wanted Ginny to take her as the spellbinding chasm above her had done. With Ginny she was free and she was safe. With Ginny, she was Luna Lovegood in the purest of forms - one where her being could be truly represented, united in mind, body and spirit.

Engrossed in Venus' firm hold, a revelation of sorts filled her from the tip of her toes to the crinkle of her nose. She loved Ginny Weasley, and she would set out to coalesce their hearts at the price of the heavens.