Not My Loony - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Butterbeer and Radishes

"Morning sleepyhead." Said the sweetest, most soothing voice. It took Ginny several moments to realise who it was. She was surprised to learn that Luna was the first one awake after the previous night's adversities.

"Feeling alright?" She asked passively.

"Oh yes, I feel fine actually. My father sent me an infusion of Aedrommula and Summercress after last time so I'm feeling great." Ginny daren't question the origin of the plants, having never heard of them in herbology.

"What time is it?" She finally asked.

"The tower hasn't struck seven yet." Ginny pushed her hair out of her eyes and curled into a tight ball.

"We could lay here for hours alone." She mumbled. Luna rubbed her back.

"As enjoyable as that sounds I daresay it is not prudent. We should get Neville and head to breakfast, Ginny." Said Luna softly. Ginny's mind drifted; she had spent so long chasing Harry but now he seemed meaningless and unimportant. She thought it must be that they'd spent so long away from each other now that she'd lost interest, but somehow she just wasn't sure.

"Thank you for helping me last night," Luna interrupted, "I love having you and Neville around, it's like having friends." The Room of Requirement had not been merciful, giving them a single bed and stony floor. Together, the two girls climbed out of bed, Luna almost dragging her red headed friend. They woke Neville, who insisted on taking the floor and together they headed for the door.

"I'll head out first and check. If it's all clear, I'll knock three times." Neville said.

"Won't you be seen if someone's out there right now?" Luna asked.

"No, Hermione said the door has a sort of confundus charm." Ginny retorted, "Other people won't think anything of it unless we all go out at once and make a song and dance of it." So Neville led the way out, knocked three times and the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy fleeted out of sight. A few staircases later, Luna skipped off to Ravenclaw Tower as Ginny and Neville steamed on to meet the Fat Lady.

"You two lovebirds have a night away, did you? Naughty, naughty." The Fat Lady giggled.

"What?" They responded in unison.

"No. Never. Truly not." Neville managed awkwardly, stunned at the lady's assumptions.

"Oh alright then. What's the password?"

"Er..."

"Tapeworm," Ginny spat.

"Indeed." And the portrait swung open to reveal an empty common room.

"They must be at breakfast," Ginny said, "Get changed I'll meet you there if we have time, otherwise I'll see you in Charms when I'm done with Potions."

"I think I'll head straight to Herbology," Neville responded enthusiastically, "Sprout wants us to help the first years repot mandrakes."

"Charming," Ginny said before heading up to the girl's dormitory to change. She seldom got the chance to change alone, this gave her a few moments to think. As she slipped out of her robes, pulled off her crumpled shirt and looked in the mirror, she thought of Harry. Was this all there was to their relationship? Lust? She hadn't truly been worried about Harry this whole time. It was Hermione she cared about, and if she was really honest, she was worried about Ron. He had always been the least confident wizard of the family and she couldn't bare the thought of his constant self-doubt hurting him or anyone else, especially Hermione. She knew Hermione liked Ron, even before she had said so herself. As she slipped on a fresh shirt and robes, she thought of Luna. She had always found her intriguing, not least for her unfashionable butterbeer cork necklace and unmissable spectrespecs. Luna had the gift of truly not giving a damn what other people thought of her, despite the fact that people bullied her and called her 'Loony' every day. She purely did not care. No one that pure at heart deserves that kind of treatment, and Ginny dedicated herself to ensuring Luna never had to put up with those people anymore, much less those horrid Carrows. With a renewed sense of purpose, she picked up her bag, marched down the dormitory stairs, climbed out of the portrait hole and headed straight for Potions. 

"Ginny m'lass," came the voice of Horace Slughorn from the front of the room, "We were beginning to worry. Not to fret m'dear, just pull out your book and come join us."

"Well you see Sir," Ginny began, "I seem to have er... misplaced my copy." She smirked at the reminder of the previous day's confrontation with Pansy Parkinson. It was worth losing her book to see Pansy run off crying with a lump on her head.

"Well not to worry," he twiddled his lately diminished walrus moustache, "Just grab yourself a spare copy from the cupboard." Ginny did so in earnest, grabbing the first one she saw. She found a work bench next to Colin Creevey and opened up her book. A few pages in, she was overcome by the familiar smell of radishes and butterbeer. Butterbeer and radishes. Radishes dipped in butterbeer. She was possessed by the rich, captivating aroma.

"You alright, Ginny?" A lassoo bound itself to her thumping chest and dragged her back into Potions. Colin was shaking her shoulder. Realising what had happened she quickly returned to 'The Draught of Living Death' in her textbook, keen not to be caught daydreaming by anyone.

"I'm fine, Creevey," she shot. Carefully reading the instructions, her eyes drifted to the top of the page, where the initials P.L invaded every space on the margins. Radishes, butterbeer, P.L; could it really be Pandora Lovegood's old Potions book?

"Ah, Ginevra m'girl. Got old Pauly Lancaster's book then, eh?" Came the unmistakable voice behind her.

"Well, yes, I suppose I do then." She fashioned a weak smile; she couldn't help being somewhat disappointed. If this book had nothing to do with the Lovegoods, what was that smell she had recognised so clearly as Luna's scent?

"To keep you up to scratch, lass, you'll see I have three potions up the front there," Slughorn continued, "The first there is Veritaserum, it forces the consumer to tell the utmost truth; the second is Felix Felicis or liquid luck. I'll surrender it to whoever can brew the most impressive Draught of Living Death." He rocked on his heels once and proceeded to leave her to it.

"But Sir, what was the third potion?"

"Oh yes. That there, m'lass, is Amortentia."