Acquaintance and Absence
People were beginning to trust Reese with their secrets and burdens far more than she’d like. She had inadvertently become a repository for the woes of those around her, perhaps seen as harmless and unassuming. If only that perception were entirely accurate, Reese could bear it with less disdain.
“They call me Loony, too.”
"Pardon?" Reese jolted, abruptly snapped out of her reverie, her gaze shifting to the unexpected presence beside her. A dreamy aura seemed to envelop the girl, as if she were floating on the waves of an imaginary boat, her ethereal white-blonde hair dancing in an invisible current. With a voice as gentle as a whispering breeze, she spoke again, her words carrying an otherworldly softness.
"Whispers of Loony Lupin reach my ears only scarcely, once or twice," the dreamy-looking girl beside Reese uttered, her voice an exquisite whisper that seemed to float in the air. Her resplendent mane, a cascade of white-gold strands, danced around her head as if enchanted, untouched by the breathless stillness that enveloped the surroundings, imbuing her with an otherworldly allure.
Reese tightened her lips into a firm line, her gaze shifting briefly towards Luna. "Right. Cheers.”
"Some people call me Loony Lovegood, you know," Luna continued, her gaze fixated on an unseen horizon.
"Slytherins, I reckon," Reese replied, her tone carrying a tinge of dry humor.
"No matter the House, only matter the mind," Luna countered, her voice tinged with a whimsical cadence that danced on the air.
Reese cast a sidelong glance at Luna, her curiosity piqued. "Right..." she trailed off, a subtle note of uncertainty coloring her words.
"I disagree, Reese Lupin. I think you're quite sane," Luna remarked, her words delivered with a serene certainty that defied conventional wisdom.
Reese offered a slight nod, acknowledging Luna's perspective. "Same to you, erm..."
"Luna," the dreamy-looking girl supplied, her voice as soft as a wistful sigh.
"Right, of course. Thanks, Luna.”
Reese had been lingering amidst the vibrant Herbology greenhouses on that September morning, a solitary figure amidst the slowly dissipating crowd of students. Her attention was consumed by the blossoming flora that surrounded her, their colors and scents weaving an intricate tapestry of nature's beauty. Lost in her thoughts, it took a while for her to register the presence of the other soul nearby.
The girl had been kneeled gracefully amidst the flourishing flower beds, her slender fingers delicately plucking blossoms with an air of quiet reverence.
The orphic girl they’d call Loony seemed to materialize wherever Reese ventured, her ethereal presence leaving an indelible mark on the surrounding atmosphere. Luna's aura possessed a mystical quality, akin to a spell cast by the ancient enchantments of Guadium, permeating the air with an otherworldly essence. It was impossible for Reese to ignore the captivating allure that Luna exuded, her every movement a mesmerizing dance that held the onlookers spellbound in awe.
Luna's unabashed references to her own "loony" nature, even more frequent than Reese's, created a peculiar bond between the two girls. Luna thought the mutual nickname made them soul-bonded friends. Days turned into weeks of Luna hopping into step beside Reese when she was on her way to classes, as she drifted into verbal explanations of the intricate workings of her labyrinthine thoughts. Luna's stream of consciousness, though often enigmatic and complex, held a certain allure for Reese, drawing her into the depths of Luna's whimsical world.
In the depths of Reese's own introspection, optimism had never been a prominent trait. It was with a touch of skepticism that she initially approached her budding friendship with Luna, unsure if their contrasting dispositions would harmonize. However, as days turned into weeks, Reese discovered herself captivated by Luna's inherent warmth and the infectious allure of her unwavering positivity. It became evident that Luna's name, like a celestial moniker, held purposeful significance, for she embodied the enigmatic qualities of the moon itself. Much like the ever-shifting lunar phases, Luna's presence cast a spell on all those who encountered her, leaving them entranced by her ethereal charm and perpetual sense of wonder. Reese, too, found herself enchanted by Luna's moonlit spirit, gradually realizing that the girl's radiant optimism was as irresistible as the moon's gentle glow in a starlit sky.
“That’s the third time this week you’ve sat over with the Ravenclaws, you know,” Ron Weasley mentioned one morning, through bites of powdered-sugared french toast.
“And how come you noticed that and I haven’t?” Reese challenged with a skeptical quirk of her brows. Ron paused his chewing to think hard, before resuming promptly.
“He's right," Seamus chimed in from his seat next to Dean, his attention momentarily diverted from buttering a croissant.
"Perhaps you should make an appointment with the Sorting Hat, and it'll place you into Ravenclaw instead," Dean teased, provoking giggles from Seamus and Ron, and a faint smile from Neville.
Reese's brow furrowed in response, her expression a mixture of amusement and challenge. "What, are you jealous?" she retorted, her voice carrying a playful edge that mirrored the flicker of a smile on her lips.
"Of course, I can't have you spending all your time with Lovegood, or who will I turn to for homework help?" he retorted teasingly.
Reese waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, a slight roll of her eyes accompanying the movement as she redirected her knees towards Lacey seated on her other side. “Shut up, Thomas,”
“Only joking! Are you ready for the Quidditch trials? You’ve practiced with Fred and George a bit more, hasn't she, Macmillan?"
"Yes, she has!" Lacey's enthusiasm spilled forth, her voice filled with anticipation. "When will you start waking up early with me to get to the pitch? I ask every morning!"
A knowing smile curved Reese's lips, acknowledging Lacey's persistent invitations. "Ah, yes, I am well aware," she affirmed, her nod conveying both acknowledgment and amusement.
Lavender delicately lifted her gaze from her finely painted nails, interjecting with skepticism. “Lacey, you know second years hardly ever make it onto the team, don’t you?”
"She’s right," Ron added, making Lavender blush fiercely. "Maybe not this year, though. A lot of the better players have graduated."
“Oi!” A sudden outcry of offense erupted from the Weasley twins, their voices carrying a hint of mock indignation from their position further down the table.
"When are tryouts again?" Interrupting the conversation, Reese, her curiosity piqued, raised her goblet to her lips before posing her question.
“September eleventh,”
Reese nearly spat out her pumpkin juice, eyes wide.
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"How long has she been asleep?"
"What happened to her legs?" Bemused concern.
"They're terribly skinny. And she's rather pale, is she ill?" Tone-deaf curiosity.
"Hermione, don't be rude!" Defensive scolding.
Reese's bleary gaze fluttered, her lids heavy with weariness, as she tried to focus on the concerned expressions of Lavender, Dean, and Hermione. The three crowded around her bed in the infirmary, huddled closely like a trio of tender angels. Reese rubbed her knuckles around her eyes, wincing inwardly as she propped herself up on her pillow.
She blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings, but found that the throbbing pain that consumed her body made it difficult to register much else.
"What are you guys doing here? You shouldn't be here." she croaked, her voice fragile and weak from her sore throat.
"What are you doing here?" Lavender demanded, kneeling beside the bed to clutch Reese's arm. It ached to the touch, like a bruise, but Reese didn't shrug her off.
Reese glanced downward and found that her legs were, in fact, quite blemished.Her friends' voices reached her ears, but their words didn't quite register as she became lost in her thoughts. Careless, dangerous, she chided herself. The consequences of being caught were too severe to even consider. Dean's wave snapped her back to reality, and she blinked to clear her mind.
"Reese? Hello?" Dean waved a hand in her face, and she blinked abruptly, staring at him.
"Sorry, what was the question?"
"We just asked if you wanted some water." Hermione repeated, and while Lavender crouched beside Reese and Dean fixed her pillow up, Hermione now stood stonily behind one of the chairs, face unsmiling and skeptical.
"Oh, no, thank you. I'm fine." She was parched. Reese covered her ankles with her blanket self-conciously, and Lavender chewed the inside of her cheek.
"I hope you don't already have a headache... because Lacey is very cross with you."
Reese sighed deeply, tossing her head back against the bedframe.
Yes, the full moon fell on September eleventh, and, yes, Reese had no choice but to miss quidditch tryouts due to circumstances she could not control. And though she wasn't particularly fond of quidditch in any form, she felt the immense guilt that came with disappointing her friend.
"I know—can you tell her that I'm sorry? I really—jit wasn't intentional."
Dean and Lavender nodded in understanding. Hermione stepped forward to sit in the chair, crossing her arms standoffishly. "Where were you, Reese? What happened?"
Hermione's inquisitive gaze was like a spotlight, demanding an explanation for Reese's absence. Lavender and Dean exchanged concerned glances, sensing the tension in the air. Reese's fingers fidgeted nervously on her knee, searching for the right words to explain her situation.
Lavender started warningly, "Hermione, please—"
"Did you get into a fight? Did somebody hurt you? Where were you? You weren't in bed this morning."
"Come off it, Granger. She just woke up." Dean defended, and though he was likely curious, too, he didn't say so.
Reese struggled for a response, her fingers tapping incessantly against her knee, before the curtain tore open with such force that it nearly knocked Dean off his feet. There stood Lacey Macmillan with a broom in her hand, her smile bordering on mania.
Everybody seemed to brace themselves at once, and Lacey dropped her broom on the floor. "Reese Lupin, I am going to kill you—"
Her face dropped, though, when she saw the state Reese was in. Her anger mellowed into concern at the speed of light, eyebrows pinching as she sat at the foot of the bed. "Are you okay? What happened? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I'm not going to kill you! You very well may have been nearly killed, from the looks of it!"
Reese shrugged weakly, "That's a bit of an exaggeration."
"Are you okay? Can I hug you, or will it hurt?"
"Oh, I don't—"
"Too bad, you're getting one!" Lacey proclaimed, flinging herself on top of Reese. She grimaced, accepting defeat.
"How'd it turn out?" Dean asked, once Lacey had finally freed her friend. "Are you Gryffindor's new bright prospect?"
"Say 'hello' to Gryffindor's new reserve chaser!" Lacey thrust both fists into the air, looking tall and proud. The four of them offered a round of applause. "It all started this morning. I woke up extra early for a hearty breakfast in preparation. Reese wasn't in bed when I fell asleep last night, so I thought she got in late and would prefer a bit of a lie in, so I didn't wake her—"
Hermione corrected, much to Reese's dismayed irritation, "She wasn't there this morning."
"—and so I tried to wake Lavender, but she was all like, 'leavemealoneleavemealone' and so I rushed down to the pitch, all revved up, and showed off my skills, and I was the only second year except for Harry Potter! I mean, I am a reserve, but that is just a step in the right direction!"
Reese, despite the pain, was grinning stupidly, while Dean mocked a curtsey and Lavender blew kisses at the Quidditch successor.
"Good job, Lace, we're really proud of you," Lavender congratulated, very kindly.
"Thank you! You can imagine my confusion when I saw that Reese was not out on the field with everyone else. I asked three different Weasleys, Harry, and that gorgeous Slytherin boy and none of them would tell me! I was so angry, but now that you're injured, and didn't bail on purpose, I'm no longer upset."
Reese huffed out a laugh, "Appreciate it,"
"What happened to you?"
Reese bit her lip anxiously, and was immensely relieved when the curtain ripped open once more to reveal a red-faced Madam Pomfrey, prepared for a scolding.
"What are you four doing here? Didn't I tell you all that she was not to be disturbed? Visitation hours are over! Everybodyup!" Madam Pomfrey clapped her hands, letting the students file out of the room with reluctance.
Once the space was once again desolate, Reese was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry—I didn't know they'd be here, truly. I didn't ask them to—"
Pomfrey let out a resigned sigh, her expression softening as she checked Reese's condition once more. "It's quote all right. You'll need a bit more sleep, but you should be well enough to attend dinner and enjoy your weekend."
"Thank you."
"Of course, now eat something!"
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On that Saturday, the common room teemed with activity.
Despite her earlier hostility, Hermione extended an invitation to Reese to join her by the plush sofas and roaring fireplace to complete their homework and set texts. Though hesitant at first, Reese was eventually coaxed out of bed by Lavender's insistence. While Reese was uneasy about further interrogation attempts, the presence of Ron and his younger sister, Ginny, made her feel a bit less apprehensive about being alone with Hermione.
"Wait, we're doing work?" Ron blurted, glancing down at Hermione and Reese's parchment, and rolling his eyes when his sister, Ginny Weasley, began pulling out a few slips of homework, too.
"Mind if I do, as well?" the Weasley girl asked, looking at Reese timidly. Weasley had been doing this all week; attempting lame small talk when surrounded by a group, hoping for a segue to forgiveness, before she would bitterly cross her arms once she was again ignored. Reese didn't answer, glancing away as she feigned carelessness, so Hermione did instead.
"Sure, Ginny."
"Thanks..." She muttered, frustrated and unsatisfied.
Eventually, Ron began rambling about quidditch, and the two siblings launched into a heated argument about the Chudley Cannons and the Hollyhead Harpies. Reese was relieved to find Lavender, of all people, bounding down the steps to join them, pulling Reese from this dreadful topic.
She nodded curtly to all of them, greeting them uncharacteristically diplomatically, "Reese. Hermione. Ronald. Ronald's sister."
"Ginny," she corrected with a grumble.
"Now that we've finished role call," Reese pulled her lips into a thin line, "Care to join me with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Lav?"
Lavender pressed a hand to her heart and squeezed in beside Reese on the floor in front of the sofa. "Oh, Professor Lockhart is a dream, isn't he?" She swooned thoughtfully. Reese grimaced.
"That is not what I meant. Would you care to join me in discussion of the homework, not our rubbish teacher?" Reese rephrased.
"He is a fine man!" Hermione disagreed, as the Weasley girl nodded along in agreement. Both Ron and Reese groaned in unison.
"He wrote all of the books for our lessons this year," Weasley informed.
"He has a very impressive record," Hermione insisted.
"He won Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award several times!" Lavender gushed.
"He's completely full of himself." Reese commented truthfully, leaning back against the sofa. "The most blatantly egocentric man I've ever met."
Ron nodded, "And she's friends with Slytherins, so she's a reliable source when it comes to levels of snobbiness."
"Alright, well, no need for the jab, but thanks for agreeing anyway."
"Cheers."
"Well, you lack my taste." Lavender winked good-naturedly. Ron looked behind him rather awkwardly to see if there was another, more good-looking boy behind him that she was gesturing to instead. Reese snorted, and Weasley giggled into her hand, appearing no longer heated about the debate.
After over an hour of general silence—along with the occasional absent chatter from Ron and Ginny and, oddly, Ginny and Lavender—they had decided to call it a night. Everyone began to gradually disperse—some retreating to dinner, others leaving to mingle with their other friends—as Reese and Lavender picked themselves up off the floor to head up the stairs to the dorms. As the evening darkened into the golden skies and setting rays, Reese was interrogated by yet another one of her friends. Unlike with Hermione that morning, however, the unceasing spew of questions had nothing to do with Reese's suspicious whereabouts as a werewolf.
"Can I ask you something?" Lavender hummed yet again, strolling unnecessarily slowly through the hall.
Reese eyed her warily, "I s'pose."
"Ginny is a nice girl, I think."
Reese's tensed shoulders quickly relaxed. Fine, she’d talk nonesense—as long as she didn't have to dodge any full-moon skepticism. "That's not a question."
"Well, don't you think she's a nice girl?"
"No," Reese concluded decisively, wasting no time in pushing the dormitory door open and kicking her shoes off beside her bed.
"Why not?" Lavender frowned defeadedly. Reese threw a disbelieving glance at her from over her shoulder.
"I reckon you know why, since you are so keen on bringing her up all of a sudden."
"We all make mistakes. Lacey, back me up here!"
Lacey stood in the doorway to the loo, hunched over as she scrunched her damp hair in a red towel. "I don't make mistakes," she commented, innocently, "but I like Ginny. She's cool, I heard she's pretty good at Quidditch, for a first year."
"If you guys like her so much, why don't you be her friends. But leave me out of it."
Lavender sighed dramatically, tilting her head to look at Reese slyly. "Whatever you say. Hey, did you leave one of your books in the common room?"
"No." Reese answered conclusively, pausing in front of her wardrobe to rifle through the drawers.
"Oh." Lavender paused, "Oh, right, I did. Could you go get it for me? My fingers are killing me from all of that quill-using."
"What do your fingers have to do with—"
"Thank you! You're a peach!" Reese managed to dodge Lavender's cheeky attempt at booping her nose before she ducked out the door, rather reluctantly.
Lavender could be suspicious all she wanted. Reese padded down the stairs in her socks, emerging through the desolate common room that was illuminated by the soft glow of the golden candles that littered the red-papered walls.
"Er—Reese, hi." Ginny Weasley greeted timidly from where she shuffled by the cushy sofas. Reese suppressed a groan.
Damn you, Lavender.
"Wait, slow down!" Weasley held a hand out, as if she were halting a rather spooked horse. In Reese's prior attempts at passing in silence, this was far less simple to evade.
"I just came down here for Lavender's books." Reese informed stonily. Weasley spun slowly to face whatever direction Reese was walking in.
"Stop avoiding me—"
"Start avoiding me." Reese griped impatiently. She was tired, and hungry, and incredibly irritable from the full moon that had just transpired. She wanted nothing more than to close herself into the isolation of her bed.
Ginny's jaw clenched, her patience snapping rather quickly. "You know, I'm being a lot nicer to you than you deserve."
Reese's eyebrows shot up challengingly, craning her neck to stare at her in disbelief. "Oh, are you?"
"I am. At least I'm trying to make things right. How was I supposed to know you'd be there listening—"
"It shouldn't have been an issue in the first place—I shouldn't be your topic of discussion. We aren't friends. And I don't care, anyways, so drop it."
"It truly seems like you do care."
"How profound of you," Reese replied dryly, eyes narrowing irritably once she saw that no one had left a book down here at all.
"I'm not going to keep begging you forever." Ginny chided, arms dropping from her chest in frustration.
"Don't at all, perhaps. Not everyone has to like you, you know."
"Likewise."
Reese considered that a bit unfair. It didn't go unnoticed by her, the way Ginny wove through different friends effortlessly, her Gryffindor-esque ability as a social butterfly granting her nearly impeccable social skills when it came to anyone except Reese. It didn't take Weasley long at all to find her place, and yet it seemed somehow unfeasible that she could be disliked by one person. There was a first for everything, and Reese had no problem filling that role for her.
Reese was not like that at all. She was well content with the friends she had, but she lacked the ability to walk up to a group of kids and inject herself into their circle like Ginny could. No, not everyone had to like Reese, but, unlike Ginny, not everyone did.
"Get out of here, Weasley," Reese muttered, exhausted. Ginny didn't relent, though, raising her chin in determination.
"No. I won't just be dismissed."
Reese sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She would dismiss herself, then, if that's what it took. "Have it your way."
In the Great Hall that next morning, Ginny Weasley halted her attempts at civility with Reese, instead resorting to bitter indifference and unsubtle eyerolls. Lavender was utterly and, quite dramatically, devastated at their failed attempt at friendship.
"Me liking you, and you hating Ginny, and Ginny liking Ronald, will make Ronald hate me! I have to get on well with his sister!" Lavender hissed into Reese's ear as Reese stirred her mug of green tea mindlessly.
"And you do get on well with his sister," Reese said, glancing sideways at her.
"Not well enough! Not without you!"
"Lavender," Reese dropped her spoon, "relax. Ron is not going to hate you because you aren’t best friends with his little sister!"
Lavender frowned, slumping glumly in her seat and resting her head in her hands, "I want him to like me."
"And why wouldn't he? Just be patient." Reese smiled reassuringly, nudging her plate in front of Lavender, as she was too upset with Reese this morning to eat a thing.