black_hat

A brief, drabble-ish thing about Ginny and Luna's relationship.

It wasn’t the first time she had heard the Ravenclaw girl called names.

It wasn’t the first time the name calling bothered Ginny more than it fazed Luna. Ginny usually ignored such things because she had learned to stay out of fights. Sometimes people just didn’t want help and would misconstrue it as pity, and Ginny didn’t want to accidentally put someone down in that way. She didn’t want to be hated.

Yet this was different.

Ginny had been like Luna once upon a time. She had once expected to see the good in everyone, and then found out that people wore masks. They didn’t have to be a Death Eater to wear a mask.

Loony Loony Lovegood.

They whispered behind her in the Transfiguration class, and her grip tightened on her quill, nearly snapping it in two.

What, are you stupid? Do you really see creatures, or do you just want attention?

Their words were in his voice, and she was suddenly alone and bare and seen. Caught.

Stupid, little Ginny. Did you really believe he would save you, that anyone could stand such an annoying girl, or did you just like the attention? It felt good, didn’t it?

“You know, it doesn’t matter if they are real or not, Humbingers. Things are usually true if you just believe it, actually. It seems you want me to believe that I’m stupid. But I really don’t believe it so it’s not true. Sorry.”

Ginny paused. If you believe it…then did she have some power all along?

“That’s called being delusional,” a boy pointed out, under his breath. And then Ginny stood up, and if was as if her feet moved of her own accord because she was frightened and her hands shook. And yet she had to do it.

“S-stop it,” she said, sharply, to the group of Ravenclaws, mixed with Gryffindors that encircled the girl. “You’re making fools of yourselves. What’s worse, the person who has their ideas, or the people who are obsessed with other people’s ideas? If you had any brains to fill a cup, which I doubt, you’d see you’re just making yourself feel better by trying to hurt someone else.”

And she stood there, shaking like a leaf, but she kept her head up the entire time and her eyes blazed with determination.

They stared back, their mouths hanging slightly open in surprise at her ferocity. But then again, she wasn’t talking to them.

“Hey, wait up,” Ginny called, hurrying after Lovegood. “Um, are you okay?”

“I’m quite all right,” Luna responded, maintaining her pace. “You didn’t have to do that, really.”

Oh great, Ginny thought. It’s what I figured would happen if I interfered.

“Listen, I know it wasn’t any of my business,” she said, fiddling with her bag strap awkwardly. “I just really hate bullies.”

“They were just voicing their opinion,” Luna observed. “I wouldn’t take that from them. They look forward to it, and I don’t want to make them sad.”

“Well, words can hurt. And it’s like everyone is so fake, looking away the whole time.”

“…You’re talking about something else, aren’t you?”

“No…yes. Possibly. It’s just the point of the whole thing, and that’s my opinion.”

Luna smiled slightly. “You’re Ginny. I’ve seen you before, and wanted to be your friend.”

She started. “Oh. You could have…sat by me or something. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“I don’t know if I would make a very good friend,” Luna said. “But I do like what you did today. Do you feel better?”

“In the moment, I did. To be honest, I’m not so sure now. It doesn’t matter what I say, the world will still be hypocritical. It’s like I’m in some sort of dream where I can’t wake up.”

“The best thing about dreams is that you can shape them yourself. I can show you how,” Luna said then paused as if nervous. “If you’d like…”

Ginny knew this would never work. She had seen too much. The truth had changed her vision in such a way she couldn’t miss the lies if she tried. Perhaps it was a good thing though. She would always know when people were wearing a mask.

But for Luna, she nodded. She would pretend for Luna. Luna was the first one in along time who didn’t wear a mask and that made Ginny feel strangely desperate, thrilled, and ridiculously hopeful.

It was like having a second chance. And once you tell a secret, you can never take it back. So from then on, Ginny decided to take care of Luna Lovegood.

Because she knew that there were some things worth fighting for, no matter what the price.

:-)