Luna sat alone in the common room in the Ravenclaw quarters. As usual, while the others went outside to enjoy the weather, or headed to the library to study or whatever her classmates did, they did not include Luna in their activities.
Luna Lovegood was different from her classmates. Most people found her strange because of her differences, but Luna was comfortable with being herself. From her radish earring and butter beer cap necklace, to sticking her wand behind her ear and reading her fathers magazine the Quibbler upside down, Luna preferred to do things her way.
Luna glanced outside the window and caught a glimpse of the clear blue sky.
"It is a lovely day." She muttered to herself standing up. "I suppose I could go sit outside to study and read." She reasoned and gathered up her belongings.
Luna was used to being by herself but sometimes she did wish that she had some friends. Most people assumed that Luna was fine constantly being alone, but if people would have taken the time to notice, they would have seen how lonely Luna really was.
Outside, Luna settled herself under a large tree and spread out her stuff. All around her, the other students laughed and hung out with their friends. Luna drew out the copy of the Quibbler she had been reading inside and opened to where she left off.
"Look everyone, it's Looney Lovegood." A familiar arrogant voice called out.
Luna looked up. The voice belonged to Draco Malfoy. A cruel boy who was a year older than her in school and who's father had been a death eater.
Draco and his friends laughed cruelly. Other students near by that had heard him joined in the laughter. It wasn't an usual thing to be making fun of Luna. To them, she was nothing more than a strange girl in their school.
Luna looked at them all with one of her usual dreamy expressions. She refused to show her hurt on the outside. She breathed slowly fighting back her tears and buried her nose in the magazine.
Harry Potter was walking by with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasly. They had heard what Draco had said but they had not joined in with the laughter.
Hermione glared at Draco as the three of them made their way over to Luna.
"Don't let a dumb git like Draco get to you Luna." Ron said as the three of them sat.
Luna looked up at them her strange eyes unblinking.
"I don't let people like him bother me." She answered in her soft dreamy way.
Hermione studied her closely. She figured that Ron and Harry would let it go being that they were boys but Hermonie suspected that Luna was just like any other girl and her feelings had been hurt though Luna wouldn't show it.
"Well maybe if you wouldn't dress or act so weird, people would be nicer to you." Ron said slowly.
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed annoyed that he would say such a thing.
"I have to be going." Luna said standing quickly getting her stuff together.
She walked inside blinded by tears. She had always liked Ron and thought he was a nice guy. He had been ok with her before but today just proved it, Ron was just like the others.
Luna decided just to face it. She was never going to have friends.
"I can't believe how rude you were Ron! You acted like a total git! Just as bad as Draco!" Hermione exclaimed angrily.
"It wasn't very nice Ron." Harry agreed.
"I was just telling the truth you guys!" Ron protested.
"Well you didn't like it when Draco would make fun of you for being poor Ron, you have no right to tease Luna." Hermione said her cheeks flushing angrily.
Ron felt bad.
"Luna is lonely. She doesn't have friends and people are always playing mean tricks on her. They are always stealing her things." Harry said.
Hermione sighed and glanced at the school where Luna had disappeared. True she thought Luna was strange herself, but Luna needed a friend, everyone did.
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In her room Luna looked at herself in the mirror. Maybe the others were right, maybe she was too strange.
Luna sat on her bed with a sad sigh. Growing up without a mother had been hard. Traveling the world with her father had been nice but maybe it was not enough.
Luna threw her magazine aside and flopped onto the bed and cried softly into her pillow.
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The next day when Luna awoke, she felt sad once again. An idea came to mind but she hesitated. Did she really want to try to change?
Luna pulled on her robes and paused looking at her necklace and earrings. She did not put them on as usual. Instead she picked up her brush and began brushing out her long hair.
Carefully, Luna twisted her hair into a braid. She stared at her reflections startled. Without her usual jewelry and long flowing hair, Luna looked a bit different.
"This isn't me." She whispered sadly.
Then she straightened herself and squared her shoulders. She got her books and headed out to the main hall for breakfast. She held her head high as she entered. As she walked slowly to her table, she heard the whispers and she felt the eyes on her.
"What happened to you?" Draco asked her with a cruel laugh as he stepped in front of her.
Luna calmly stepped around him and sat at her place. She ignored the pointing and whispering and began to eat.
"Luna! You look different. You look nice." Ron said as he Harry and Hermione entered the hall.
She looked at them with a small smile.
Hermione looked at her worriedly. This wasn't the Luna she knew.
"You guys, I don't like this. That isn't Luna."
"Oh put a cork in it Hermonie, she looks good." Ron said.
Through-out the day Hermione noticed that people were being nicer to Luna. Every time Hermione and the others passed Luna in the hallway, she was surrounded by different people. Hermonie sighed and shook her head heading off to her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
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Luna felt nervous at all of the new attention she was getting. The entire day people kept coming up to her complimenting her new look. The girls giggled over how pretty her hair looked in a braid.
No one was teasing her yet Luna did not feel happy. This wasn't right. This person wasn't the real Luna.
This thought alone made Luna want to cry more than her loneliness because now that she had friends, Luna had lost the most important person in her life. Herself. Luna realized that she didn't need these other people who didn't even care for who she really was. All she needed was who she was and she should have been happy with that.
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The next day, Luna got up to get ready for a new day. She brushed out her long blond hair, put on her radish earrings and butter beer necklace and smiled at herself. Luna Lovegood was back.
She entered the great hall once again head held high. She head the usual snickers she got but this time, she paid no attention.
"Luna! You look great!" A voice called out.
Luna turned as Hermione, Harry and Ron walked over.
"Hello." She greeted them.
Hermione was smiling.
"Nice to have you back Luna." She said.
"Thank you Hermione. I just realized that I'm happy with who I am. I don't need to change for people." Her gaze went to Ron who flushed.
"Sorry about that Luna." He said.
She nodded.
After breakfast Hermione walked over to Luna.
"Would you like to join us outside before class for a while to study?"
Luna smiled.
"I would thank you."
As she followed the others outside she realized that in being herself, she did have friends. As she sat on the grass under the tree with them Draco walked over once again.
He opened his mouth to speak but Hermione cut him off.
"Don't bother Luna again or I'll make your life miserable." Hermione snapped.
"Shut your mouth you ugly mudblood." Draco hissed.
Before anyone could say anything, Luna had drawn out her wand from behind her ear and whispered a spell. Large purple welts arose on Draco's face.
Harry, Ron and Hermione burst out laughing as Draco ran from them clutching his face.
"Thank you Luna." Hermione said.
Luna shrugged.
"That's what friends are for." She drew her book out reading it as usual upside down.
The others looked at each other a smiled. Dreamy Luna Lovegood wasn't so bad after all.
Author's Chapter Notes:
The stories are stories that stand on their own. Im not putting this together to make one long story its just a couple of shorts im trying to decide to enter one in a contest.
