A/N: This is my first ever R/L fanfiction… I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I hope other people are too. I'm working hard to make all of the chapters at least 3,000 words, since I have a habit of writing short chapters and I need to break it! Reviewers, please tell me your comments, criticisms, and suggestions, they'll be very much appreciated. Oh, and thank you to my beta, Sundari Harmony, for pointing out many various and careless mistakes!
Hope you enjoy it!
Think What You Want
Chapter One
Thanks to life, Luna had lost her mother. The one person she could trust with her secrets, the one person that she could confide in. She had lost her to the horrible ways of witchcraft, while making a potion. A stupid experiment some might call it; something that she didn't have to do. But that was her mother's personality. She always did the things that no one thought possible, always believed in the unthinkable. People had to respect her for who she was. Luna had learned to do that, and she was becoming more like her mother after her death than prior to it. Her father always told her that she had her mother's voice, her mother's eyes, her mother's every quality. It always used to make Luna feel happy to know she was like her mother when she was little, but now that she was older…she was getting rather tired of it. Don't get her wrong, Luna loved her father and mother with all of her heart, but she just wanted to be her own person; a person who no one could relate her to. She set that as her goal in life, and she finally achieved it when she first set foot into Hogwarts.
When she first arrived at Hogwarts, people labeled her weird, strange, abnormal, or whatever one may call it. It made her sad to know that people mistook her individuality for peculiarity, and she spent many days and nights sitting in the corner of a corridor crying until someone asked her if she was alright, then she would head up to the Ravenclaw Tower. She didn't have any friends, which made things slightly worse. But she didn't think she needed friends. All she concentrated on were her studies and the many things she believed in. She didn't have time to meddle with things such as boys, gossip, dating, and friends. All she needed was herself… or so she thought. Many times she found herself lonely during the night, staring at the stars and the constellations. The only person that she could really relate to was her father, but he was always so wound up in his work and he wasn't at Hogwarts, when she was teased and alone.
"Why don't you invite one of your school friends over to our house?" her father asked at the most random of times. Luna always just simply answered,
"I'll see them in the school term Daddy, what's the use of seeing them in my time at home?" Her father frowned at her and usually asked no further questions. The horrible truth was that she didn't have any friends to ask if they could come over. If she did ask someone, they'd probably be shocked that Loony Lovegood would ask such a question. But something had happened the previous year that would change the fact that she had no friends…and would change her life as well.
The big change had been made by Harry Potter and his friends in that unforgettable year. His friends were Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Ginny Weasley. Luna didn't know any of them earlier that year, but grew to know them as very entertaining people. Hermione Granger was one girl who thought that she was never wrong, and she always thought she was right. Luna always felt like Hermione was annoyed by her, and by the time she knew what Hermione was like, it became fun to see her reactions when Luna talked about things that didn't have any proof whatsoever. She always wondered why Harry's other best friend, Ronald Weasley, always had a row with Hermione. Then again, a part of Luna always thought Ronald had feelings for her.
Ronald was a boy who was a bit disturbed by Luna. Whenever she so much as glanced at him, he always looked very uncomfortable. It wasn't Luna's fault she was a people-watcher, it was one of the things that interested her. But there was something about Ronald that intrigued Luna. His red hair, freckles, and many expressions made him…well…to say the least it made him a very likeable person. She could remember when she had discomfited herself on the train last year, when Ronald was sitting in her compartment with his friends. He had made a joke about Gregory Goyle, one of Draco Malfoy's cronies. Luna had laughed so hard that she made the owls spook and caused everyone to look at her with alarm. Ronald was a bit taken aback at her episode, and Luna was slightly embarrassed. She had to hide it of course, but when she got out of the compartment she swore to herself for humiliating herself like that. Surely he had forgotten all about it, but she sure hadn't.
Ginny Weasley, Ronald's brother, always told Luna that Ron get very uncomfortable around people who knew more than he did. Luna took that as a compliment and took a liking to Ginny. She always talked to Luna when no one else would, and she was the closest thing to a friend that Luna had ever had in school. They were in the same year, so they had most of the same classes. Sometimes Luna even went over to sit by Ginny during mealtimes when she was feeling lonely, which was quite often nowadays.
The other friend that Harry Potter had was Neville Longbottom, a very forgetful boy who always took a fright whenever Luna spoke to him. She didn't know why he was the way he was, but she supposed there had to be some explanation for it…even if no one knew about it. He was a nice boy once you got past his anxious exterior, and he even talked to her a couple of times in the past. But he would never loose his nervous personality; people just had to accept it.
Everyone Luna had met in the last year had took some sort of toll on her life and how it now runs it's course, and she was glad for it. She was edging to see them in the next term, which was only hours away. She couldn't wait for the next school year, it was sure to be a very promising one at that. That night's events took a very strong input in her life as well; she saw that when it came down to it, friends were willing to put their lives down for each other.
Luna sighed as she walked over to her Hogwarts trunk that lay at the foot of her bed. She had everything jam-packed and ready to go. Books, clothes, quills, ink, parchment, potion ingredients, and everything else was packed away in her old trunk. One thing she didn't have packed away was her beloved bracelet that her mother gave her when she was five years old for her birthday. She told Luna that it would always keep her safe, no matter what happened. According to her mother, it contained something that would be cherished from witches and wizards all around if they came upon it. Luna didn't care what it meant to other witches and wizards, all she knew was that it was a very important valuable and she never wanted to loose it…never.
Luna looked around her room with her large blue eyes. She had dozens of articles from The Quibbler that she had torn out and put on her wall. There was the one about Harry of course, the Triwizard Tournament, several tidbits about magical creatures, and of course…the Department of Mysteries. Her father had done an extraordinary job on the article itself, but she had only read it once, in fear of reliving the night she spent at the Department of Mysteries… Luna herself was knocked out during the battle, but didn't sustain any bad injuries whatsoever unlike some of her friends. Ron had been scarred by brain tentacles, Ginny suffered a broken ankle, and Hermione had been hit with a very strange curse. They were all living however, and that was what she was thankful for. She stopped staring around the room when she heard a pecking on her window. It was a large barn owl…she had an idea who it belonged to, and it had a large envelope tied to its leg. She unlatched her window and let the owl inside. Luna walked over to him, carefully untied the letter, and then opened it. Out fell a parcel wrapped in newspaper and one page of parchment, partly filled with the handwriting of…
Dear Luna,
How are you dear? I know that it's just tomorrow that you return to school, and I just wanted to let you know that I love you and for you to have a great time at Hogwarts. But there is a matter that I need to press to you.
Your father and I have both seen you grow up to be a fine young woman, since your mother has passed away. It is a family tradition that you be given this necklace I have had held for the next woman in the family who is in Ravenclaw house. I was in Ravenclaw like you, and your father was himself. But I couldn't give it to your father because he was a man, and the necklace wasn't meant for a man. I ask you not to lose this necklace, because it has been passed down for generations in our family.
I love you Luna, and I hope you enjoy my gift that I have enclosed. May you treat it with care and respect. I think that I made a mistake sending it by owl mail, but there was no other way to get it to you in time for school to start. Your grandfather and I miss you so much.
Much Love,
Tobby
Luna read the letter from her grandmother over and over. Then she glanced over at the parcel that lay on her green bedspread. She picked it up and started unwrapping it slowly. She let the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen fall into her hand. It was a glowing blue, and then had a crystal imbedded into the middle of it. While examining it with her hand, her finger felt something inscribed on the back of it, so she turned it over to look.
Wyona Lovegood
That name must have belonged to her many times great grandmother, since it wasn't her grandmother's first name. It was written in some Victorian lettering, and glistened when it hit the sunlight. She grinned as she unlocked it, lifted her hair up, and placed it around her neck. She felt the chain that was around it. It was incredibly smooth, and made out of beautiful silver material. She sighed and lay down on her bed to think. It was very nice of Tobby to send her this beautiful necklace, and she was sure to take extra special care of it since it was a family heirloom.
Luna stood up and walked over to her desk to get a piece of parchment. She wanted to send Tobby a thank you note, just to say she had received the gift and she loved it. She took her quill and ink and began to write.
Dear Tobby,
Thank you so much for the gorgeous necklace. I love it, and I will be sure to take good care of it and keep it with me always. I'll see you next summer and I can't wait to send you a letter once I get to Hogwarts.
Love from,
Luna
She finished writing and slid her paper into an envelope sitting on her desk. The owl was perched on her bedpost, as if Tobby had told him to stay until she wrote a thank you note. Luna walked over to the large owl and tied the letter to his leg with a piece of string she had in one of her desk drawers. The barn owl hooted softly and flew out her window. She watched him fly into the sunset, while the trees around her house swayed in the wind and a cold breeze ran past her face roughly. She could see old Ms. Leary sitting on her lawn chair outside on her porch. Ms. Leary seemed to enjoy Luna's company, since she was an old witch herself. She had already gone down to see her this week, and spent at least a whole afternoon talking to her about the Department of Mysteries and Harry Potter. She had enjoyed it, and wished Luna good luck at Hogwarts this year like she always did. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door and she told whoever it was to come in.
"How are you Love?" asked her father, Cirendius Lovegood as he walked into her room. Her father had called her Love ever since she was a baby.
"I'm fine daddy," she said dreamily as she smiled faintly up at her father. He came over to her and kissed her on the forehead gently. He saw the letter on her bed and the newspaper wrapping.
"Did you get a package today?" he asked. Luna nodded her head and took off her necklace to show her father. She laid it in his hands as he held them out, and he examined it with care. His eyes were wide with surprise mixed with shock.
"Who sent this to you?" he asked quietly.
"Tobby did, she said that it was a family heirloom. She also said that it went to the next Ravenclaw woman in the family. Since I was the next female Ravenclaw, she sent it to me."
"I see… Well, that was very kind of her now wasn't it?" he said, still examining the necklace with interest. Luna nodded her head vigorously and smiled. It seemed like he had seen this necklace before, but Luna wasn't sure. "I'm glad she passed this onto you, I know that you'll take very good care of it."
"Yes, I'll be sure to," she said. There was a silence in the room that made Luna feel someone was hiding something. Was her father telling her the truth behind the necklace? Did he know something she didn't? Oh well, now wasn't the time to ask, she just wanted to talk about normal things with her father now and spend time with him before she went off to Hogwarts again this year. He handed her back the necklace at last and she draped it around her neck.
"You have everything packed for the train?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Of course, I'm all ready to go… Now all I have to do is wait another twelve hours," she said.
"Yes, only another twelve hours… I'll miss you while you're gone at Hogwarts," he said, hugging her tight. She hugged him back and held on for a while. As she let go, he glanced at his daughter once more and got up to leave the room. Luna nodded her head and said, "I'll miss you too daddy, I love you."
"I love you too. Good night Love," he said before walking out of the room, closing the large wooden door behind him. Luna looked down at the floor and blinked. She loved her father with everything she held dear, and he was the only person she had to lean on for support. He was more protective of her now that Lord Voldemort was in power once more, and was actually considering not letting her go to Hogsmeade at all in her fifth year. She raised a very strong objection, and she won. Hogsmeade was a great privilege; she would never want it taken away. It was a great place, even though it had lots of people and was crowded. Luna smiled to herself as she put her necklace around her neck and lay down on her bed. In a few days, she would start another year at Hogwarts, another year towards graduation. Usually she didn't anticipate school term, but this time she did.
Luna looked out her window once more, it was now dark outside, and she guessed that it was at least 9:00. She had already eaten dinner, but she needed to put on her pajamas and get ready for bed. She turned off her light in the bathroom after she'd brushed her teeth, walked over to the wall to turn on her fairy nightlight, (which had live fairies inside), and pulled on her pajama bottoms and a large t-shirt which used to be her dad's. She then got into bed and pulled a book from her bedside table. It was a muggle book, but one of her favorites. Her father always had muggle books because of his father, who was a muggle. Yes, Luna's father was a muggle-born… It didn't bother her that much, just that Slytherins at school always called her a muggle-born or even worse when they were in a bad mood…mud-blood. Luna always questioned how the hell someone could find out another person's background when they didn't even know the person themselves, maybe their parents told them? That matter would never be put to rest in her mind.
She read her book, Tuck Everlasting, for about thirty minutes in her bed, then yawned and decided to turn out the light. She stared into the darkness for a couple of moments, and then put her head down on the pillow. She listened to the cars zooming down the street as she closed her eyes.
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