She was Luna like that.

CandiceMarie

Rating: G
Genres: Angst, Romance
Relationships: Ron & Luna
Book: Ron & Luna, Books 1 - 5
Published: 21/09/2004
Last Updated: 24/09/2004
Status: completed

There is a dance coming up, and Luna wants to go with a certain boy Weasley. Will he get her hints? Plotless, but fluffy. R/Lu. R and R, please ^.^ [NEW! I wrote another chapter/sequel to She was Luna like that because I couldn't resist. Check out what I named the chapter ^.^ ]

Chapters

1. She was Luna like that.

2. He liked Luna like that.

1. She was Luna like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any of the characters mentioned hereafter. They belong to the incredible JK Rowling. I am not making a single cent out of this. I wish I did, and was.

[A/N: I found myself falling in love with the Ron and Luna relationship almost hopelessly a few weeks ago, and decided to act on it. It was very hard trying to write Luna, and I'm pretty sure I didn't do her justice, but hey, I tried.

The following ficlet is a big plotless attempt at R/Lu fluff and angst. I am almost certain at some point, the story will not make sense, but that's what you can expect from a plotless ficlet from me.

At some point in the story, I will have made fun of a famous fandom term. And in my defense, I would like to say that I found it disturbingly funny at the time, in the wee hours of the morning.

Please refrain from flaming me, and pointing out how very pointless this whole ficlet was. Pointless and plotless as it is, I love this baby ^.^;

I think I've rambled on long enough, and you still have my ramblings below to tolerate, that is, if I haven't scared you off yet :)]

She was Luna like that.

Apart from her protruding eyes, dirty blonde, waist-length hair, and odd taste in earrings, that made her stand out in a crowd and caused her schoolmates to label her as “loony”, Luna Lovegood really was a normal witch. More or less.

Luna liked studying as much as normal Ravenclaws do, had hobbies like normal witches, enjoyed reading magazines (especially The Quibbler) like normal witches, and took interest in wizards like normal witches. She did take a special interest in one wizard, something not many normal witches would have done. And she liked it that way.

At first glance, Ron Weasley was just Harry “The Boy Who Lived” Potter's best guy friend/sidekick, Gryffindor's Keeper, and one fine Weasley ass. But Luna knew better. Ronald was irreplaceable to Harry, had been Gryffindor hero in his 5th year, and while he did have a fine Weasley ass, more than anything, Weasley was her King. And she gave him some “not so obvious” hints that he was, too.

See, they were so obvious because the boy was just plain clueless. But she knew someday he'd notice. She knew that someday, she wouldn't have to “accidentally” run into him, or tell him what a sweet little owl Pigwidgeon was, even though he was, because Ronald would notice her and make her feel all -

`Why are you wearing a Gryffindor necklace? Aren't you from Ravenclaw?' said Ron, raising a brow at her.

`Oh, Ronald! What a pleasant coincidence! If I'd have known I'd bump into you, I would have worn my radish necklace.'

Ron just stared at her. She, of course, returned the favor, ignoring Hermione, who rolled her eyes, Harry, who held back a laugh, and Ginny, who suppressed a giggle.

`Er, Luna, this is the Gryffindor table. Why wouldn't you run into me?'

She ignored the question and asked him a new one.

`Did you hear about the up-coming dance, Ronald?' Her voice was vague, but she looked at him with such interest, it was hard to not notice that her full attention was on him. Even he didn't fail to notice.

`Erm, yeah, I guess I did. Dumbledore's just mentioned it, hasn't he?' said Ron, loosening his collar. Were his ears turning a deep shade of red? `You didn't come here to, er, to… because of that, did you?'

Luna stopped staring.

`No, of course not,' she said, dreamily. `I came because I wanted to tell you that I still didn't like dancing.' And with that, Luna left the Gryffindor table and sat on her own house table, and continued to finish her half-eaten dinner. She was Luna like that.

However, she had lied. It's not that she hated dancing. She didn't mind it, actually, but if her King disliked dancing, then so should she.

***

Luna sighed in her four-poster bed, looking at the moon in its full glory. It had been days since she had told Ron that she still did not like dancing, and there were only a few more days left till the dance. It wasn't as though she was losing hope or anything, but she did want to go to the dance with Ron. She always found him so much more interesting than Harry Potter, and she didn't quite understand why anyone else wouldn't.

Luna sighed again. Then, with a last look at the magnificent silvery orb, hugged her pillow and fell straight to sleep.

***

It was the evening of the Halloween Dance, and Luna was examining the young woman in her mirror. She wore a charming pink Chinese dress that fell across her slender body, and reached her ankles, she had most of her dirty blonde hair in an elegant bun, with a lock of hair that went down one side of her tilting head. She had a cherry colored silk scarf around her arms, and she was wearing the shoes she had asked her father to buy, which were made of glass and its soles of wood.

`Hmmm… you're missing something,' Luna Lovegood informed her reflection. `Ah, I know.'

Luna walked to the wooden desk next to her window, where there was a vase full of pink orchids. She took a moment to admire the beautiful flowers, before picking up and separating one from the bunch, and putting it in her hair, over her left ear.

The combination of everything Luna Lovegood was wearing was odd, yet strangely attractive. She looked at her reflection again, and told it, `Perfect.'

***

Luna left her dormitory and her house common room, and walked gracefully to the Great Hall, as if to meet someone. But, in fact, she wasn't meeting anyone. No one had asked her to the dance. Ronald didn't ask her to the dance.

Still, she went because she thought it common courtesy to Dumbledore to attend the Halloween Dance. And maybe she'll see a certain red-haired, freckly boy wizard.

She did indeed see Ron Weasley in the Great Hall, talking animatedly to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Who was with whom?

After standing in the middle of the entrance for about a minute, Luna decided to stand somewhere else, and admire the new interior design of the Great Hall.

As it was Halloween, the walls had been lined with orange and black banners, the candles that were usually floating above the House tables were now reduced to half their number to achieve a dimmer look, and they were inside floating jack o' lanterns. The House tables were nowhere to be seen and were replaced by smaller circular tables that seated about 6 people, and the teacher's table was replaced by a long, oval one.

There was a live band playing in a corner near the teacher's table, and every now and then, they played slow songs, with the added effect of the Hall light dimming. It returned to almost normal once the slow songs stopped, and the band played their other popular songs.

Luna sighed dreamily. It would have been really nice to have a slow dance with Ronald, while the light grew fainter and fainter until it would be impossible to see Ronald's scarlet face after she had kissed him. But she can only drea-

`Hello, Luna.'

Speak of the devil-

`Hello, Ronald. Having fun?' she said, not taking her eyes off the teacher's table. Snape looked as though he'd swallowed a couple of Nargles, and it wasn't even December.

`Er, yeah, I guess,' said Ron.

She finally looked at him, and realized he was alone; Harry and Hermione weren't there with him.

`Where are-'

`Oh, they're dancing. Hermione wanted to, and Harry couldn't refuse.' Luna followed Ron's rather gloomy stare and found Harry and Hermione at the end of it. They were dancing to a slow song, and were smiling to each other.

Ron sighed.

`What's wrong, Ronald?' she asked, as if she didn't know already.

`Don't know why I'm asking you this but, do you know how it feels like to like someone who doesn't like you back?' Before Luna could answer, Ron laughed uneasily. `Of course you don't, you're Loo-na Lovegood.' He cleared his throat, `Yeah, Luna Lovegood.'

At his words, Luna felt great sadness. She felt the kind of sadness that could never compare to the way she felt when people stole her things, and she couldn't keep her eyes from filling with tears. But when she spoke, her voice was neither shaky, nor dreamy. It was… normal.

`Actually, Ronald, I do know how that feels like. I also know how someone you really like not asking you to the dance feels like.'

Ron had an odd expression on his face. It was as though he was taken aback by her words.

`You should close your mouth, Ronald, you never know what could be flying around right this very moment,' said Luna vaguely, not even ten seconds later. She was Luna like that.`Gudshippers love to destroy this kind of atmosphere.'

Ron raised his eyebrow skeptically. `What exactly are Gudshippers, Luna?' It looked as though he thought it was against his better judgment to ask the question.

`It is said that Gudshippers are born from rotten pumpkins. And just look around you, there are at least a hundred pumpkins here, surely one of them has gone bad!'

`Luna, none of them have gone bad,' said Ron.

`Oh, suit yourself, then,' said Luna. `Excuse me. I've forgotten to do something in my dormitory.'

Luna turned around, but before she could take a step, she heard Ron call her name. Feeling rather sad, she could have pretended not to hear. But she didn't.

`Yes?' she said, turning to face him.

`Erm… were you serious before about not liking to dance?' he asked.

Even in her saddened state, Luna Lovegood was weird. Normal girls, given Luna's situation, would have answered, `No, not really.' or `Maybe.' or `Not really.' and have added `Why?'. But Luna answered Ron's question with:

`Yes, Ronald, I'll dance with you.'

Ron, once again, seemed taken aback. But he smiled awkwardly and led her to the dance floor, where, fortunately, another slow song was about to be played. The band said it was a Muggle song. The title sounded a lot like Feels Like Home.

Luna thought the title was appropriate. Ronald's touch somehow felt like home…

She had to admit, though, Ron was not a great dancer. She knew he wasn't. She wasn't, either. She was, however, appreciating very much that he smiled occasionally, and had the courtesy not to look at Harry and Hermione once.

When the song ended, Luna thanked Ron for the dance politely, and then told him that she really needed to go. She couldn't for the life of her know why she wanted to go so soon, but she did. Maybe she was subconsciously happy she had had her dance with Ron.

Luna left the Great Hall with mixed emotions, which was new. Usually, she allowed herself to feel two emotions, at most. She sighed yet again. At least I have my orchid. She reached up her hair as she descended the staircase that led to the Ravenclaw common room, expecting find one of her beloved pink orchids, only it wasn't there.

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her, and someone call her name. A red-haired, freckly someone.

`Luna, you dropped this,' he said, when he was close enough. Ron handed Luna her pink orchid.

`Thank you, Ronald,' she said happily. As she took the flower from Ron, she dropped it again.

Ron bent down to pick it up, which made non-existent butterflies in her stomach flutter about, and handed the orchid back to her.

`Maybe you should be more careful next time, but that's just me,' he said. Luna stared at him.

It was Ron who spoke again.

`And, erm… you look nice tonight. The orchid makes everything look…erm, what's the word?'

`Perfect?' Luna suggested.

`Yeah, that's it. It makes everything look perfect,' Ron finished.

`Thank you again, Ronald. See you.' And she left without another word. She was Luna like that.

However, after Ron's footsteps told her he was going the other direction, Luna turned around and stared after him. She made to call him back, her hand instinctively moving forwards, but stopped herself immediately.

`No,' she thought out loud. `I shan't make him fall in love with me.' Ron turned the corner, and she sighed. `That way, it's his fault if he does, and not mine.'

She continued down the stairs, and hummed “Weasley is our King”. After having such a special and uncommon night, all she could do was hum that song, and listen to the sound of her shoes echo in the hallway. She was Luna like that.

**The End**

[A/N: … now, now. Put away your pitchforks, please >.< ]

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2. He liked Luna like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any of the characters mentioned hereafter. They belong to the incredible JK Rowling. I am not making a single cent out of this. I wish I did, and was.

[A/N: Because you've all put away your pitchforks, and haven't burned me at the stake, I've decided to write a sequel to She was Luna like that, and here it is. See how well I played with the title? Now it's He Liked Luna like that? I'm telling you, I'm a genius. I do geniusy things, too. All bow down to my great geniusness. (insert eye-rolling here, please)

This ficlet is just as plotless and pointless as its predecessor, and I thank all of you who have reviewed that :)

As I did before, I slipped in a fandom term in this ficlet. In my defense, I found it cute in the middle of the day ^.^ See if you can find it :D

This is my attempt at fluff and humor together. Please refrain from flaming me again. I know, I know. It's hard. But I am stubborn, and probably won't even listen to you *smiles*

Reckon I should shut up now. Please enjoy. I insist :) ]

He liked Luna like that.

Ron Weasley felt different. It was the sort of different he couldn't quite explain. He went back to the Halloween Dance that night, and looked around the Great Hall. The live band was still playing their popular songs, Harry and Hermione were still dancing, the teachers and students were, too. Well, except Snape. He looked like he'd just swallowed something awful.

Nothing was different, really, other than how he felt. It was like he had found a new feeling. Or was it a new person to feel the feeling for?

Ron shook his head violently.

No, it wasn't possible. He fancied Hermione. Hermione was… annoying. No, no. Hermione was amazing. She knew exactly how to make Ron …angry. No, she knew exactly how to make Ron think. Luna didn't mind him angry, though… wait…Luna?

Ron shook his head violently again. Where did Luna come from, he asked himself. Yet, there was a small part of him that knew Luna had made quite an impression on him tonight, and he liked it. Perhaps it was this small part that was different about him.

But Ron denied it. In fact, he denied it so much, he failed to notice he was comparing every dress and pair of shoes to Luna's. None of the other girls had their dresses compliment their hair the way that Luna's did. None of the other girls were brave enough to wear such an odd combination of glass and wood for shoes, either.

Nope, Ronald didn't notice all that at all. And nobody even has flowers in their hair.

By the end of the night, Ron, failing to notice his growing interest in pink orchids, headed straight back to his dormitory. Harry and Hermione seemed to have gotten themselves lost… in the grounds of Hogwarts.

***

Over the next few of days, Ron found it very hard indeed not to smile a little at Luna whenever their eyes met. He didn't know why, really. She would return the smile, sometimes. Other times, she would just stare. Then he would go red. Then people would point this out, and he would go further red.

He still felt a bit unhappy that Hermione had chosen Harry, instead of him. It had been quite an awkward few days, too. So it was within reason when he found himself sitting all alone in one of the Quidditch stands this evening. He chose Gryffindor's, naturally, and sat in the corner, so that no one would see and bother him.

Then, as he was wallowing in self-pity, something hard and wet hit him in the face. He rubbed his cheek, and was ready to curse the person that threw it until Mrs Norris and Crookshanks made little Norrshanks and Crookises, when he realized what the hard and wet something was.

Ron looked at the bench in front of him, where the thing had landed, and saw a wet, dead fish. There was a note attached to the hook that was stuck in the fish's mouth. Ron raised his eyebrow in disbelief. Why would anyone throw me a fish?

He took the note, opened it, and read what it said:

There are plenty of other fish under the sea.

Ron felt himself smile, in spite of himself. He looked around the big Quidditch pitch. The only person that was there, apart from himself, was Luna Lovegood, on the Ravenclaw stands. From the looks of it, she was about to leave, with a dreamy, yet satisfied look on her face.

He didn't know whether or not he should follow her. He didn't even know why he wanted to. All he knew was, he missed the smell of pink orchids.

`Hey, Luna, wait!' he shouted. But she was now nowhere to be seen.

Ron ran down to the Quidditch pitch and saw no one still. He wondered why he felt so strongly about seeing her. Then for some reason, he couldn't for the life of him know why, he thought about looking for her in the Astronomy Tower.

***

`Hey, Ron. Where are you off to?' asked Ginny, as he passed through the oak doors.

`Astronomy Tower. Bye Ginny,' he said.

`That's funny, I just saw Luna head that way. Dunno why you'd want to go there now,' she said absentmindedly.

Ron stopped.

He turned to face Ginny. `What makes you think I don't want to go anyway, knowing full well Luna would be there?' he asked irritably.

`Well, I have no idea. But why are you so cross all of a sudden?' she asked, just as angry.

Ron was at a loss for words.

`I … I … I have to go. See you, Ginny.' he said.

This whole thing was driving Ron crazy. He had no idea why he felt this way, and no idea at all why he even liked it. But he was, and he did.

He knew the only person who could help him was-

`Luna,' he panted, having almost ran the whole way.

`Oh, hello, Ronald,' she said delightedly, looking at him. `What a pleasant coincidence! Did you come here to look at the moon, too?'

`Er, actually, no,' said Ron. `I wanted to - '

`I did it,' Luna said dreamily.

`Yes, I thought - wait - did what?' Ron asked, confused again.

`I threw the fish at you earlier,' she said, not bothering to hurry up answering.

`I - I sort of gathered as much. But that's not what I came here to find out.'

`Oh?' she faced the moon now. `What did you come here for, then?'

What did he come here for?

`I … don't know, exactly,' he admitted.

`Hmmm …,' said Luna serenely. `Well, I can't help you, sorry.'

`You can't - Why not?' asked Ron in disbelief.

Luna looked at him, her red Christmas ornament earrings swaying happily.

`Because I told myself I wasn't going to make you fall in love with me. Now it's your fault that you have,' she said matter-of-factly.

Ron gaped at her.

He couldn't believe her nerve. He couldn't believe he was telling her such nonsense. She really was loony.

Luna stared at him for about two more minutes. Then, she once again gazed up at the moon.

`Is it just me, or does that seem like an unusually red moon to you?' she asked Ron, tilting her head dreamily.

Ron, in spite of himself again, walked towards the window and next to Luna.

`Why, exactly, does that moon look red to you?' asked Ron, staring at the moon, which looked silver rather than red.

`It just does,' she said simply. `Sometimes you have to open your mind more than your eyes.'

It was the first time Ron had actually thought about opening his mind more than his eyes, but he couldn't quite help thinking, no matter how ridiculous a red moon sounded, that Luna was right.

`Luna,' he said quietly a few minutes later. `When you said you weren't going to make me fall in love with you, were you serious?'

Because Ron was not talking to a normal person, and was talking to Luna Lovegood, the answer he got was:

`Yes, Ronald, you may kiss me.'

Ron was taken aback by this answer. But he smiled awkwardly, and took her cheeks in his hands, and did what he had unconsciously wanted to do for days, and kissed Luna Lovegood.

As they broke their kiss, Luna looked into his eyes.

`Ronald?' she said sweetly.

`Yes, Luna?' he said, caught up in the moment.

`When people ask, tell them I didn't make you fall in love with me.'

It took a great amount of self-control not to roll his eyes, and shake his head smiling at this. Luna was close to insane and creepy, but then again, she was so sweet and believed deeply in herself … and he had to admit, as Luna playfully brushed her lips against his… He liked Luna like that.

--- The End ---

[A/N: Oh my… the pitchforks again >.< ]

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