~ by Sarah Levesque

Luna Lovegood stared out the window, ignoring the collection of sumptuous foods that appeared around her. Having been at Hogwarts for five years, it was no longer surprising.

“Luna?”

The blonde girl looked up to see that Hermione Granger had slid into the seat next to her.

“Oh, sorry, Hermione. How are you today?”

“Me? I’m fine. How about you, though? I had to call your name three times before you noticed me, and you’ve put nothing on your plate.”

Luna sighed. “I’m sad today.”

“Have they been stealing your things again?” Harry Potter asked from the other side of the table. Ron Weasley was next to him. Luna hadn’t noticed either sit down.

“No.” Luna shook her head.

“Then what is it?” Hermione asked.

“I can’t keep spending time with Jonathan,” she said.

Ron looked around. “Who’s Jonathan?” he asked, his mouth rather full.

“He’s in Hufflepuff.” Luna missed the glances of surprise her friends shared as she continued, “He seemed most eager to accompany me wrackspurt-hunting, but even with my Spectrespecs he can’t see them. If the wrackspurts don’t trust him, how can I?”

There was a moment of silence, then Harry cleared his throat.

“You know, Luna,” he began awkwardly, “I’ve never seen a wrackspurt.”

“Nor I,” Hermione added quickly.

Ron snorted. “I sure haven’t.”

Luna looked at her friends in wonder. “Really?”

They nodded.

“I think, perhaps,” Hermione said slowly, “they only show themselves to you.”

“And my father,” Luna added.

“Well, yes, of course,” the other girl agreed.

Ginny spoke up, suddenly sitting next to Harry. Luna wondered how long she had been there. “How long has Jonathan been wrackspurt-hunting with you?”

“I’m not sure. A month or two, I believe.”

Ginny and Hermione shared a knowing look.

“Has it ever occurred to you,” Ginny asked, “that he might not be going with you because he wants to see wrackspurts?”

Luna frowned. “But why else would he want to go wrackspurt-hunting?”

“To spend time with you,” Hermione said, smiling.

Ginny was also smiling. Harry grinned, while Ron continued to look baffled.

He smiled, too, after a sharp kick from Hermione.

“You mean,” Luna said, coloring slightly, “he wants to be my friend?”

“I don’t think I’ve met this Jonathan,” Hermione said, “but if he’s been wrackspurt-hunting with you for two months, he might want to be more than friends.”

“How often do you go wrackspurt-hunting?” Harry asked.

“Oh, a few times a week.”

“And he always comes?”

“Oh, yes.”

“And you probably take his hand when you’re looking, right?” Ginny asked.

“Perhaps?” Luna said. “I do get excited when we go looking.”

Ron spoke up. “Okay, even I know what’s going on.”

Luna looked at him, confused. “What is going on?”

“The guy likes you,” Ron answered.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Luna agreed placidly. “It’s hard to spend time with someone you don’t like.”

Ron sighed his impatience with the oblivious girl and looked to Hermione for help.

“Not in a just-friends sort of way,” Hermione said.

“In what way, then?” Luna asked.

“I suspect in a boyfriend-girlfriend sort of way.”

Luna’s eyes widened and she blushed. “Really?”

“Well, I can’t say for sure without meeting him,” Hermione said hastily, “but it sure sounds like it.”

Luna looked around in wonder at the others as they nodded their agreement. “What do I do?”

“Talk to him,” Harry said. “See what else he’s interested in.”

“Keep holding his hand,” Ginny told her. “Don’t let go until he does.”

“Bet he’d like a hug sometimes,” Hermione suggested.

Ron snorted but was glared down by the others.

Hermione leaned closer to Luna. “And if he tries to kiss you,” she whispered into her ear, “let him.”

Luna’s eyes widened further and she blushed even redder. “Really?” she whispered back.

Hermione nodded. “It might be a bit… strange the first time, but that doesn’t last.”

“And keep us in the loop,” Ginny added, grinning.

Luna nodded and smiled tentatively at her friends. “I will.”

As she dished some food onto her plate, Luna could almost hear the flowers outside singing. Glancing across the room, she happened to meet the eyes of Jonathan himself. He beamed at her and she smiled back, suddenly shy again, and sure her face was red.

Today was going to be a good day, after all.