Extended Family

Chapter 8: The Moon Rises

This is set during Luna's seventh year at Hogwarts

Luna set the planter pot on her desk.  She sighed softly, looking at the smooth layer of soil that filled the pot.  Nothing grew from it yet.  She did not expect anything to be growing of course, she had only just planted the seed after all.  While certain plants grew very swiftly, and magic could be used to coax growth from all sorts of plants, she would not do that to this plant.  It would defeat the purpose after all.

After some reading, consultation with Neville, and some charms work, she finally created this pot and the seed within.  If she did everything right, if she was patient and careful, the blossom that grew from it would be beautiful and worth the effort.

It would also take a little less than a year.

She sighed softly.  The process would be difficult, she knew.  She would have to be careful and caring.  However, that was the point of this.  If she did things right, she would be rewarded for being patient and calm.  It would be hard, and she did not know if she would be successful, but she would do her best.

She put her sunflower sibling stone beside the pot, as if giving it a role model to look up to.

Her smile appeared.  Much like how she looked up to the person that gave her the sunflower sibling stone.

She went about her evening routine of getting things ready for tomorrow.  Luckily, she had her own private room in Ravenclaw tower.  She spoke softly to the stone as she changed, brushed her hair, laid her clothes out.  She laid down in bed and reached out to caress the stone gently, injecting her magic and feeling into it.  Her lids lowered and she soon fell asleep.

When she woke, she was disappointed to see nothing from the pot yet but ecstatic to see her stone lit.  She reached out and plucked the stone from the mount, holding it to her.  She sighed, feeling the warmth spread through her hands and she laid in bed for a few minutes holding it.

Emboldened, she got up and started getting ready for the day.

-0-

"Miss Luna, why are you supporting the Gryffindor team?" a first year Ravenclaw student asked her.

Luna smiled softly.  "Because Ginny and Mirabelle are my friends."

"But they're playing against the Ravenclaw team."

"Just because they are playing against the House, it does not mean I cannot support them."

The first year looked at his friend.  They looked at the rest of the Ravenclaws nearby.  "It doesn't?"

"Not to me.  Everyone has different reasons to support others.  I choose to support the ones that support me."  She hesitated.  "Part of my reasoning is very personal.  When I first started Hogwarts, the House was very unkind to me.  People called me loony and odd and crazy.  They took my things."  She spoke plainly, only the vaguest echoes of pain and discomfort reminding her of the intense pain and discomfort she used to feel.

"That's not right!" the first year gasped.

"No, it was not.  Luckily, I had an amazing friend from a different House that helped me.  He was kind and cared.  He helped me learn that people can earn your friendship and support and it isn't wrong.  That is not to say I am not proud to be a Ravenclaw and wish my Housemates well, but I rather support the ones that I want to."