Long Road Towards Maturity

An: should’ve made it more clear perhaps. I don’t know what Luna’s real middle name is, so I made one up. The Luna Artemis Lovegood: made up by me… It's just that with her named Luna (moon), I chose the name ofthe Greek goddess of the moon to have the little opening to address to depth of Luna's innocence... (and I don't really see Luna as a Diana, Latin goddess of the moon and hunt...)

Now on with the show!

***

“Yes, Ronnie… Why don’t you explain to your dear sister and ugly girlfriend what you’re hiding under that concealment charm you got there on your neck, hmm?”

***

Ron felt his stomach turn, and he knew he must’ve looked green… In fact he was sure of it, because he felt Hermione’s hand on his arm, asking him what was wrong. But Pansy didn’t seem to care all that much. Ignoring Ron completely she went over to Hermione, with that purely malevolent glint in her eyes.

“Your boyfriend sure knows his stuff, Bookworm. You shouldn’t have left him so unsatisfied… But then again, what should we expect from the ugly… eternal… virgin…”

Pansy’s voice was mocking. She feigned a pout, which distorted her face even more. Ron stared incredulous at the Slytherin girl. This was just a sick set-up? This all to make Hermione suffer? Was she completely barmy? Who does such twisting things? And why was he being punished because the hag couldn’t stand Hermione? Fed up with everything he ignored the consequences and started yelling at Pansy:

“Ok, that’s it! You’re stark-raving mad! First you put me in under a Petrificus Totalis, then slobber all over me, and then, when I shove you away like a pest, you think it’s some kind of sign that I’m playing with you …”

To his disgust he saw the girl was just smiling lecherously at him. She wasn’t intimidated in the least, quite the opposite really… She really was of her knocker.

“Did you get dropped on your head or something when you were a midget? Because there’s something seriously wrong with you, you know? I almost feel sorry for Ferret-Boy right now…”

Speaking of the devil, a voice drawled behind them: “What’s got your panties in a twist, Weasel? Didn’t have a good time cheating on your girlfriend?”

Ginny and Hermione growled in perfect sync: “Shut up, Malfoy!”

Ron, forgetting everything but the frustration, disgust and anger he was feeling, bellowed: “Your disgusting girlfriend won’t keep her slimy paws of me!”

The calm mocking air Malfoy kept around himself was grating on Ron’s nerves…

“First of all… Carrottop… that is not, has never been, and will never be my girlfriend,” Pansy glared at the blond wizard, “Secondly shouldn’t you worry about your own girlfriend instead of ruining Slytherin’s image by letting rumours fly about…”

Ron seethed, that little albino piece of shit!

“Hermione’s NOT…”

“Ron’s not my boyfriend!” Hermione interjected, matter-of-factly.

Ron’s first reaction was to glare at her, but then great relief washed over him. Not sure if this fell under the contract, it was nice to know Hermione at least tried to prevent him from turning into a looser making googly-eyes at Malfoy…

Pansy shrieked: “What!” She seemed totally aghast, and then suddenly she stormed at Ron. Before he could jump out of her way, she’d slapped him: “We’re over, Weasley, and to think I let you get close enough to me to let you touch me! Urgh! Your blood-traitor stench is going to take months to wear off!”

Apparently Ginny had had about as enough of Pansy’s lunacy as Ron. The fiery witch pointed her wand at Pansy, threatening her:

“You listen here, you unstable bitch! You keep away from us! Or we’re going to Dumbledore and ask him if maybe Snape’ll be willing to spank you!”

“Care to enlighten me on this situation, Miss Weasley?”

Oh, this was definitely not a good day for any Weasley… The icy tones of Hogwart’s Potions Master were a clear sign the man was in a bad mood already. All of them, in exception of the two Slytherins had jumped almost a foot in the air, whirling around.

Pansy looked delighted. If this was for seeing her biased Head of House and knowing she was going to go unpunished, or if it had to do with Ginny’s threat of getting Snape to spank her, Ron didn’t want to know…

Hermione tried to explain what had happened, but Snape interrupted her:

“Miss Granger, did I ask for your tiresome comments? Mr Malfoy, I’m sure you will provide me with an accurate tale…”

‘Accurate! Codswallop!’ was Ron’s foremost thought…

Malfoy, though, had a pleased sneer on his face:

“Actually, Professor, I believe it was just Miss Weasley here, suggesting Pansy’d do something about her peculiar sexual fantasies about you…”

If the situation had been any less worse, Ron would’ve exploded from laughter. Pansy looked horrified, and he’d never seen Ginny’s face pale so fast before. He couldn’t see Hermione’s expression, though, since she was hiding it under the curtain of wild curly hair. Draco seemed extremely pleased with himself, and Snape just looked much like he looked before he exploded into wild rage in the Shrieking Shack years ago…

Before he could yell out any detentions, a little voice behind them broke them from the tense atmosphere of the situation…

“Oh, Professor Snape! There you are! I wanted to ask you something?” Ron recognised Luna’s spacey voice. Snape had whirled around on her, but she seemed undeterred.

“Have you ever seen a Snivvle? Because I was thinking: your hair’s always so greasy, and I thought maybe you’ve actually been attacked by one?” Luna’s stare shifted from the ceiling to Snape’s face: “Professor, are you alright? You aren’t seeing any Snivvles now, are you?”

Ron noted how Snape tensed at the word Snivvles, and realised it sounded a lot like Snivelus, the hated nickname the Marauders had always called him… Luna, however, didn’t seem to understand in what kind of blind rage her professor was in, because she was looking left and right, calling out for Snivvles…

Ron saw Snape fisting his wand and his arm move upwards. Before he could harm Luna, though, Snape was hit by four Stunners at once. Pansy shrieked again, and proceeded to faint when she saw her Head of House slump to the ground…

Ginny glared at Malfoy: “Why the hell did you say that to Snape!”

Draco ignored her, and turned to Luna: “You alright, Lovegood?”

There was no malice in his voice though. For some reason the ferret had come to treat Lovegood as a bit of a sister during the summer, when they were forced to live together. Ron still found it hard to understand the strange tolerance Malfoy had for the Ravenclaw…

Luna just stared off into space, like she hadn’t just almost been attacked by a Professor:

“I just wanted to know if he had managed to take a picture of the Snivvle who attacked him… But I guess it’s still a soft spot for him…”

At that moment Hermione burst out in laughter. The rest of them looked at her like she had been hit by the lunacy bug too now… Ron really started to believe it was a bug going around affecting the girls at Hogwarts…

“What in Merlin’s name is going on here!” Ron winced when he recognised McGonagall’s voice, but was concerned to see that Hermione was just laughing harder, instead of being properly worried…

This situation was not going to end well…

***

September 3^rd 1997,

Dear Diary,

Well, today certainly was interesting! I was on my way back from the Owlery (I send out a letter to ask Father for more information on people who didn’t want to heal from their ailments, to find a way to help Harry) when I ran into Professor Snape…

Of course, I immediately asked him what had been plaguing my mind ever since I thought of the situation of the Snivvles. And then the strangest thing happened. Professor Snape raised his wand at me!

He must have seen a Snivvle behind me, and was ready to defend me, but he looked odd… Maybe it was a real traumatic event when he was attacked by the Snivvles… Well I didn’t get to know for sure what he was going to do, because next thing I knew, he caught four Stunners in the back.

It wasn’t until he fell down that I noticed Ronald was there, too. Ginny, Hermione Granger and Draco, like Ronald, had their wands drawn. Maybe they were playing a prank at the Potions Master? Pansy Parkinson was lying on the ground, and then I must’ve said something funny, because suddenly Hermione Granger couldn’t stop laughing!

Even when Professor McGonagall found us, she was just laughing hysterically. I hope she doesn’t get her Head Girl Badge taken from her, though Professor McGonagall believes her favourite student was hit by a nasty laughing spell, because when she said the Finite Incantatum she suddenly stopped laughing…

But then we were all taken to the Headmaster’s office. Well, except for Professor Snape and Pansy Parkinson, they were taken to Madam Pomfrey. Professor Dumbledore asked us what happened, but I didn’t want Ronald to get into trouble because of me, and I thought they’d played a prank on Professor Snape, so I didn’t say anything and stared at the Phoenix in his office.

Ronald and Hermione Granger looked ashamed, and didn’t really seem to want to tell anything. And then Draco told their story, with Ginny occasionally interrupting when he was out of line.

It turned out they didn’t play a prank after all. And Ronald isn’t together with Hermione Granger. But Ronald was extremely embarrassed when Draco told what Pansy Parkinson had done… Poor Ronald…

But I can’t believe Professor Snape would’ve really raised his wand on me. I still believe he wasn’t going to hurt me. But if I would’ve said that, they would all be in serious trouble, because then they wouldn’t have had any excuse to Stun a teacher like that.

But now I have detention with the rest of them. Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to explain to me, that it would be a great opportunity to reflect about why I should think before speaking up. I just smiled at him and didn’t really understand. But it’s not like I really care about the detention. I get to do it with Draco under Professor Snape’s supervision, so I don’t think it will be that bad…

I’m more sorry for Ronald and Ginny, they get detention with Hagrid. Though I believe they like that large man… I just hope they won’t have to go to the Forbidden Forrest, because who knows, Ronald may really get bitten by a vampire!

I don’t think Hermione Granger minds a lot about her punishment either… She doesn’t get help from the teachers for her extra rounds as there isn’t a Head Boy yet, and she has to help Professor McGonagall with transfiguring the test subjects from all classes back to their original state…

Well, I better get ready to head of to the dungeons.

Until next time,

L.A. Lovegood

***

Please: review?