Friends
Lirum laid in the grass looking up at the two Gryffindor boys. While they stared back with devilish grins.
“You know, I’ve given it some thought, and I think I’ll pass.” Lirum said as they sprang from the ground running back towards the castle.
“Oh, come on! It was only a joke!” Fred yelled after them laughter still echoing behind them.
Lirum made their way into the castle, stopping briefly in the courtyard to rest. Fall was beginning to set in brining with it a cool breeze. They heard the crunching of leaves and noticed Neville making his way in towards the castle.
“Lirum? I never see you outside the library…or the great hall I suppose.” The second year boy said looking like he’d rolled in the dirt.
“Yeah? Well, it’s the weekend I suppose. Can’t only ever eat, study, and attend classes, now can I?” Lirum joked resting against one of the stone arches. “You alright Neville? You look like you might have taken a tumble?”
“O-oh this? No, I was helping out Professor Sprout actually.” He said dusting himself off. “Herbology seems to be just about the only thing I’m good at. Even then I’m not great, but Professor Sprout said I’ve got a green thumb.”
“Hey, you can’t be too bad if Sprout’s complimented you!” Lirum replied.
“Bad at everything else though. Bad at potions, bad at charms, bad luck. My gran thought I was a Squib.” Neville said.
“Hey, talking bad about yourself isn’t going to help you know that.” Lirum said sternly.
“I know but why is it always me! You have to have heard by now!” Neville cried exasperated. “Trevor on the train! Tripping in front of everyone! Running off with the sorting hat! That was just the first day! Constantly cursed! Picked up and hung by my robes by pixies! Passed out in the only class I’m good at!”
“Maybe it’s just bad luck, or maybe you just need a little extra time. Have you thought about getting a tutor?” Lirum asked gently, trying to calm the distraught young boy.
“Hermione’s too busy, and none of others spare me the time of day to ask.” He said.
“Ok well, I have my own study sessions to attend to so i it would be a bit harder to work out, but I do have a free period on Thursdays. I usually use it for extra study and assignments, or I suppose it would give me an excuse not to let the twins try to steal my weekends anymore, if you wouldn’t mind missing a quidditch match or two...” Lirum trailed off thinking to themself.
“Are you saying you would teach me?” Neville asked. “But I’m bad luck, and I can’t remember anything. You only ever see me when I get cursed or forget something important.”
“Well then you’ll need someone to help you remember right?” Lirum said, pushing off of the pillars to walk inside, gesturing Neville to follow. “Also if I’ve already been un-cursing you and helping you find your things, why wouldn’t it make sense that i’d help you with this?”
“Where are we going?” Neville asked.
“You said you liked herbology right? It’s best to start with something you’re already interested in. Once your confident with one thing the rest will come.” They answered ready to lead him to the library. As they started though they heard a rumble behind them. They looked back and saw the flushed second year and realized it was about time for lunch. “You worked up an appetite with Professor Sprout, huh?”
“Y-yeah? Um…is it ok if we wait until after lunch? I’m starved.” He answered and Lirum chuckled turning corse for the great hall.
As they walked together toward the great hall there was a comfortable silence until Neville spoke again.
“If all your friends are Gryffindor why do you sit so far away?” The second year asked.
“I’m sorry what? It’s because I’m a Ravenclaw. I have to sit at the Ravenclaw table of course.” Lirum said, confused.
“But the Ravenclaw table is next to the Gryffindor table? So why don’t you sit closer to your friends?” He asked again.
“Because other people sit there.” Lirum said as they opened the door to the great hall.
“But you have friends you could be closer to? Why wouldn’t you choose to be closer to your friends?” Neville asked, following Lirum into the hall.
“Well if they wanted to be closer to me then they could have moved, but they didn’t.” Lirum shrugged. “Seriously, what is up with you kids asking weird questions all the time?”
“T-then I’ll move.” He said with a nod. “and I asked b-because we’re friends.”
“Ok, calm down kiddo. You don’t have to change where you sit just for me ok. You’ve got friends in Gryffindor too, right?”
“N-not really. I mean Hermione’s nice, b-but we’re not really friends. We are though! And your friends should stick by you!” Neville said, getting more confident as he spoke.
“Ok, come on, sit down.” Lirum gestured to the seat behind them.
“R-right!” He said, taking his seat.
“You wouldn’t have happened to see Luna while you were out, running about would you?” Lirum asked. A little concerned their spacey little shadow hadn’t come in for lunch.
“Who’s Luna?” Neville asked, turning around in his bench seat to look at Lirum.
“Luna Lovegood, the little blond first year, who’s always right behind me.” Lirum said, hoping he’d noticed her. But he still had a clueless look on his face. “Well, you’ll know her soon enough.”
The doors opened wide after Lirum said that. Honesty, they weren’t sure if they wanted it to be Luna. Given the timing, and loud bang the doors made when they were thrown open. But sure enough when they looked they saw a short scraggly haired blond girl soaked to the bone carrying something round and scaly. A smile plastered across her face ear to ear.
“I found one!” She said running straight towards Lirum dripping after everywhere as she went. “It’s a Gulping Plimpy!”
Luna approached with what truly appeared to be a fish similar to a regular Plimpy but Lirum was unfamiliar with. Just as Luna had described in the morning it was quite round, with long legs and webbed feet. It’s limbs had also been tied in a knot. Whether the knot had been tied by Luna or the merfolk, Lirum would never know. But unlike a regular Plimpy witch should be yellow it was blue and almost resembled a puffer fish.
“Oh my god it’s real.” Lirum said in shock. “There’s no way! Merlin’s beard!”
“I told you they live in the black lake.” Luna pushed. “I thought you believed me.”
“Well, I believed you thought it was real, and that i would like to see it if it was-well is I guess” Lirum said baffled.
“What is that thing?” Neville asked.
“A Gulping Plimpy I suppose!” Lirum answered, still a bit shocked.
“That’s not a thing though?” Neville said staring at the odd mess of rubbery legs and scales in the first year girls hands.
“Well I mean we’re looking at it aren’t we. Can’t very well deny that, can you?” Lirum gestured towards the odd looking fish.
“I-I guess not.” Neville agreed.
“So you believe me now?” Luna asked the boy. “I’m Luna. And you need an anti Nargles charm.”
“I’m Neville? I’m a friend of Lirum’s.… W-what’s a Nargle?” He wondered if he wanted to know the answer.
“There little fairy’s that thief thinks right from under your nose. They’ll even steal your pudding if your not careful.” Luna answered matter of factly. “Oh I need to make another charm. Would you help me Lirum? Neville will need one. Will you show him yours? You still have it right?”
“Of course I still have it, Luna.” Lirum said, pulling the string of blue and green beads out from under their shirt. “I told you I’d treasure it always. Haven’t taken it off since.”
“Do you have a color you prefer Neville?” Luna asked, pulling some things out of her bag.
“I think this can wait Luna your still sopping wet. Let’s get you into some warmer cloths first yeah?” Lirum said standing up from the table.
“I can’t go yet. What if the Nargles steal something important from our new friend?” Luna argued.
“Yellow, like compassion a-and red, like courage.” He answered “and I can wait till after for the charm. Don’t let yourself get sick because of me.”
“I’ll make you one right now.”
“Oh helga, Tergeo.” Lirum said, casting the liquid cleaning spell. As they pulled as much the water out of Luna's hair and clothes as they could. “When you catch a cold because this, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”
“But you’ve already pulled most of the water out, we don't need to go.” Luna protested trying to string some beads together.
“Luna, where are your shoes!” Lirum shouted as they stood from the table. Trying to usher Luna back towards the Ravenclaw dorms. “I leave you alone for one day. You come back soaking wet with a fictional creature in hand and no shoes.”
“I took them off when I got into the lake. The Nargles stole them.” The first year girl said nodding. “But that’s ok, my mum always said the things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect. So I know they’ll be back.”
“Well for now let’s get you warm before you start this year off with a cold.” Lirum said as they dragged Luna towards the door with an apologetic wave back to Neville. “We’ll start out tutoring soon, alright Neville.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Said Fred who’d just made it into the great hall, followed by his brother.
“Soaking wet and barefoot the first year did my best with a cleaning charm but that doesn’t help being barefooted.” Lirum gestured down and behind them.
“Longbottom? Why are you sitting down here?” George asked, turning his attention towards the second year much farther down the table than normal. “Aren’t you gonna sit with the other second years?”
“I-I was sitting with my f-friends.” Neville answered sheepishly. “Lirum and Luna.”
“Since when are you two friends?” Fred asked as he looked between the first and second year.
“Lirum-“ the pair spoke at the same time unsure witch should go first.
“I thought I told you, you don’t need to go-“ Fred started before George covered his mouth. But he’d already earned Lirum’s glare.
“Freddie! Let's not go shooting ourselves in the foot.” George warned.
“No Georgie let him finish. Let him dig his own grave.” Lirum said, crossing their arms. “Let him finish his thought so I can hit him. I’ll fight you muggle style, go on.”
“What would you know about muggle fighting?” George asked to let his brother go.
“I was friends with Tonks before they graduated. They taught me. You think a half-blood that grew up in muggle London, didn’t learn how to throw a punch.” Lirum argued.
“You wouldn’t hit me! We’re friends!” Fred argued back.
“Wrong. If you bully my friends, you’re no friend of mine.” Lirum said, pulling Luna behind them.
“Fred! Drop it! Before you regret it and cost both of us a friend.” George snapped.
“No George, I think you’re alright. You have enough sense to know when things aren’t funny, and that you should stop.” Lirum said, looking at George as they pushed past them, before turning back to look at Fred. “Unlike someone else we know.”
“He just wants your attention because he likes you.” Luna said far to casually turning Lirum and the twins all bright pink.
“Back to the dorms!” Lirum yelled, grabbing Luna's wrist once more, dragging her behind them. The twins began arguing at a whisper as the pair of Ravenclaws abandoned the great hall.