| 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 |

tw: self harm, depression,bullying

She kissed me.

Ginny freaking Weasley kissed me.

oh my gosh.

As she got ready in her dorm, those words and thoughts of Ginny's lips on hers ran through Luna's head, sweeping wave after wave of excitement, fear and bliss over her.

What if Ginny acts weird about the kiss today?! What if she acts like nothing ever happened? Luna's anxiety slowly built up, roaming all around topics, like her bullies. like her mother's death. 'No one really loves me. My bullies are right, I'm just a dorky dyke... does Ginny really love me? No, she can't, I'm unlovable. Nothing will ever get better'. until she couldn't take it anymore.

She dug out the old mirror shard that had belonged to her mother and stood there, shaking and sobbing, all of the worst thoughts in the world still pummeling her, and the blonde desperately wanted an escape. The pain let her escape.

Luna made one cut on her already scarred arm. She pressed the sharp edge to her soft underarm skin again, about to make another cut, when the door opened, and some of her roommates walked in. Luna jumped, wiped the tear out of her eye, and hastily stuffed the jagged mirror fragment back into her trunk. The girls stopped in their tracks and then saw Luna's rolled up sleeve and bloody, cut arm. "Omg, Luna! Are- are you- are you ok?" The girl named Sarah asked. The other girls, named Evanna, Lily, Tara and Coral, looked in shock and concern as well.

"Oh! Oh yeah! I'm fine!" She should tally the number of times she says that. "I- I just, cut myself! On- on-" she looked around, " the corner of my bed when I was looking for my mirror under it!" Luna said in an unusually high voice, even for her. They didn't care about her, really, did they? No, no... they were just shocked, and disgusted... they must have been. They couldn't care, Luna thought.

"Well, I hope you're okay." really? Sarah opened her bag and handed Luna a pink bandage with with a white smiley face on it. "Here you go, Luna. I know we haven't talked much," the other girls nodded in agreement, "but please don't think I- we, don't like you; and feel free to, uhm, come talk to us, or study with us in the library if you'd like!"

Luna sat there, stunned. Why were they being so nice to her? Luna had gotten the feeling before that these girls thought of her like everybody else did: as weird as anything. "O-ok, thank you..." They all smiled. "You wanna walk to class with us babe? What's your first period? We all have defense against the dark arts first except Coral, she's in arithmetic, you?" "Same, defense against the dark arts." replied Luna, gaining confidence. "Sure, let me just grab my bag, I have some Narlywiggles in there- they ward off bad scents and spirits." The girls laughed knowingly, and soon Luna joined in. Then they set off to their first class together: DADA.

Could they really care? I... I'm starting to think so.

***
later that day:

It was already October, and Halloween was approaching fast. It was the 19th. The leaves were set red and brown by now, and were begining to fall off of their trees, sprinking the ground like it was a cake. The weather was getting more chilly as well, so the sweaters started coming out. Ron's mum, Mrs. Weasley had sent Ron his jumper, because he had forgot it at home. Presumably on purpose. The Halloween feast was coming soon, and pumpkins and Jackolanters alike were lining the castle walls, singing Halloween jibes every now and then! They were also floating above the tables in the Great Hall, making the mood in the castle exciting and spooky.

"Luna!" Ginny's voice rang through the air as she walked into Professor Lupin's class, who had been there ever since Luna and Ginny's second year, after the curse put on the defense against the dark arts job by Tom Riddle, (Voldemort) got undone, when he was defeated.

Luna caught sight of Ginny, and her facial expression said everything. Luna relaxed, and the worried anxiety ball in her stomach came undone, which she hadn't even realized was there until it lifted. Ginny was half smirking, half smiling. Under that look, though, was a knowing look, acknowledging that they had kissed.

Oh my lord, she is so beautiful. Oh gosh. Oh gosh. I miss her lips. I wish they were touching mine again right now...

Ginny came and sat right next to Luna at their 2-person desk. "Hey, best friend." She joked. "Hey, girl." They giggled. "Luna, thanks for Saturday night. That kiss- Thank you, and I'm glad we did it." They both smiled at each other.

"Ahem." Professor Lupin got up and addressed the class. "Hello students! I hope your having a lovely day..." The rest of the lesson went fine, and before they knew it, the whole gang was descending into the dungeons for Potions with Professor Slughorn.

"Harry, m'boy! And his friends!" exclaimed Professor slughorn jubilantly for the millionth time. They all greeted him and walked into the classroom/dungeon. "We are going to be making a love potion today, called Amortentia. Luna's heart sped up. Of course, she didn't need any to know that she was in love with Ginny.

I don't think Ginny needs one either, she realized, smiling to herself.

After Slughorn read the instructions, they got to work. After half an hour of fruitful brewing, time was up and just about everyone had finished.

"If it smells like some things that you love, or enjoy, you've most likely done it right. Neville crinkled their nose and said, "Ah no. Mine smells like fish and boiled eggs. And- ew, is is that dirty socks?" "Ah," bellowed Professor Slughorn from across the room, yes, Neville, er, uhm, you seem to have gotten the directions backwards, and it's spewing outpjthe smells you hate!" The class erupted in laughter. Neville turned a little pink, but then still joined in laughing, too. Almost everybody else's was a varying shade of pink, close enough to the correct color.

Of course, Hermione had gotten it perfect, and reported she smelled fresh parchment, freshly mowed grass, and a rose scented candle smell that her parents always had burning in her l house.

Luna leaned over and smelled hers. "I- I smell fresh dirigible plums, tulips, Vanilla, and..." She trailed off. She had also smelled Ginny's sweet flowery hair.

(Ginny)

Luna had trailed off, but Ginny had a strange feeling she knew the fourth thing that she had smelled.

Ginny leaned over her cauldron and breathed in the scent of her own flowery burrow scent: home, vanilla, peppermint, and... the fresh, sweet, spring scent that hung around Luna.

The smell of love, she thought, smiling and laughing internally. Cringy, I know, but quite honestly, still so true. I need help.

(Luna)

As Luna and Ginny walked out of the Potions classroom together, two other 6th years emerged from out of the shadows. Two, bulky looking Slytherins. A boy and a girl, by the looks of it, who Luna had been bullied by before.

"Oh, loook, it's Loony LovegoOooOOoOood." The girl said in a mocking, singsong voice, looking at Luna, who's throat tightened and her heart sped up to where it was beating a million miles a minute. One of them tugged at Luna's hair, the boy, while the girl sent a stinging curse at Luna's hand, laughing in cruel amusement.

Ginny stepped in front of Luna and said, "Shut up. Shut up! You two pricks think you can just go around bullying everybody in sight, ruining their lives! You pieces of shit!"

And with that she sent a double bat-bogey hex at both of them, and walked off, holding hands with Luna by her side, feeling braver, holding hands, and continuing to fall in love.

Word Count: 1293

Hey besties xx I know this chapter was a little heavy, but i wanted to make it meaningful. :))

PSA: if any of u r going through bullying, self harm, PTSD, self-hate, or anything else, you are lived, and people care about you. I know it's hard, but try to ask for help if you need it and if you can. I'm always here for anybody who needs anything. Feel free to message me anytime !! ilysm !! xx

-rue