one week later...
one week later…
“Hey,” a voice said from behind her. Ginny turned around. It was the boy in the train carriage, the one who’s toes Ginny had stepped on accidentally. “Ginny, isn’t it? You’re Ron’s sister.”
“Yeah?” Ginny said, looking up at him.
“Well, I’m Neville. Neville Longbottom,” he said. Ginny had heard of his family before. “I was in the train carriage on… you know, that day.”
Ginny nodded. She knew which day he was talking about. But what was he here to say? Something about how she’d cried like a baby, how weak and stupid she’d been acting? She crossed her arms and waited for him to continue.
“You seemed really scared,” he said. Knew it, Ginny thought. “If – if you want to talk to me, I’m here.”
Ginny uncrossed her arms, caught by surprise. She was too shocked by this completely random request that she didn’t say anything. Neville seemed to take this as her being annoyed, so he turned red and quickly backtracked.
“I-I mean you don’t have to, obviously,” he stuttered. “I just thought – maybe you – okay, sorry. This is all stupid. I-I’ll just go now.”
He was halfway down the corridor when Ginny blinked and called after him.
“Hey, Neville, wait!” she said. He turned around, looking confused. She paused, not knowing what to say. Neville looked anxious. “Thank you.”
“O-oh,” Neville said. Now he looked surprised. “You’re – you’re welcome?”
Ginny smiled. He was nice. Neville had reached the end of the corridor when he turned around again and said, “Um, Ginny, if you’re feeling lonely, you can always… you know,” he turned redder. “I’ll be there.”
“Ok,” Ginny smiled. Neville grinned awkwardly and hurried off to whatever lesson he had next.
later that day…
“Hello,” a light, slightly sing-song voice said. Ginny looked up. “Can I sit here?”
The owner of the voice was a Ravenclaw – she was wearing a blue tie and scarf, with long blonde hair and silvery eyes. She seemed as though she was in a dream.
“Sure,” Ginny said. The girl sat down.
“Thank you,” she said. “No one else wants me to sit with them. I don’t mind. They’re not particularly nice, I wouldn’t really want to sit with them either.”
Ginny snorted. “They can be annoying sometimes, but you can tell me if they’re giving you trouble.” Ginny didn’t like people who bullied innocent people. They always reminded her of Tom, how he’d tricked his way into her trust and then slowly killed her. And even if she couldn’t fight back against Tom, she could still fight back against regular bullies. “Anyways, I’m Ginny, what’s your name?”
The girl smiled dreamily and twirled a long blonde curl around her finger. “I’m Luna Lovegood. Nice to meet you, Ginny. You’re the first person to be nice to me.”
“Really?” said Ginny, surprised. “Why? You seem nice.”
Luna shrugged. “People are just too close-minded to believe that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are real.”
“Crumple-Horned what?” Ginny asked, prompting a long explanation from Luna, causing Professor McGonagall to take five points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for talking in lessons. When the bell rang, Ginny and Luna stood up and started packing. Ginny swung her bag over her shoulder.
“So, Luna,” she said.
“Hmm?” Luna looked up from where she was pulling a magazine out of her bag.
“Wanna be friends?” Ginny asked. She hadn’t had any friends in first year. She’d thought she didn’t need any – not when she had Tom. And look how that turned out.
Luna beamed. “Really?”
Ginny nodded.
“Yes, of course! I’ve never had a friend before!” Luna said happily.
“Neither have I,” Ginny said, smiling as she watched her new friend pick up her bag.
“Really? But you’re very cool!” Luna said.
Ginny almost laughed. “Me? I’m not cool, I’m just me.” She’d been so lonely she’d turned to a talking diary for company.
Well, the whole of her first year had been, well, a disaster, to say the least. Maybe, with Luna… maybe this year would be better.
“Sure,” Luna shrugged. “Hang on, do you want to see my dad’s magazine?”
“Ok,” Ginny said. “What’s it called?”
“It’s called,” Luna announced, brandishing a colourful magazine in front of Ginny, “the Quibbler.”
the end