Ron heard Hermione giggle as he led her through the forest behind his
house. He was taking her to a spot that Ginny had shown him last summer.
She said that Luna had shown it to her. It was beautiful. There was a
stream and flowers all around. It looked like a picture off one of those
muggle postcards. As they got nearer, Ron slowed down. He knew that it
was just beyond the bushes in front of him. But, before he could separate
the plants, he heard a sound. He immediately stopped and turned to
Hermione. Ron saw that she had heard the noise too. She put her fingers
to her lips. Ron nodded and tried to listen harder. It almost sounded
like...like someone crying. Ron tiptoed closer, with Hermione at his heels.
He parted the bushes and could make out a figure lying against the rocks across the stream. Ron stepped through the bushes and then turned to help Hermione through. They both gazed at the girl sobbing. All of a sudden, Ron recognized the girl. He knew that sandy hair. He knew that yellow dress. He leaned down to Hermione and told her to go get Harry. Hermione nodded and, taking one last look at the girl, ran away to fetch Harry. Ron slowly waded across the stream to help the girl. She did not hear him coming. Her sobs rang out through the clearing. As he reached her, he bent down and touched her softly on the shoulder. She flinched and looked up at him, her hand covering half her face.
"Ron?" she asked.
He nodded and then asked, "Luna, are you alright?"
She shook her head and looked away. He reached up and removed the hand from her face. She protested very little. He then reached up with his other hand and moved the wet hair away from her eyes. Ron gasped and quickly removed his hand from her face and moved back slightly. Luna had a deeply bruised eye and a gash on her right cheek. The colors of the bruise and the cut stood out against her pale skin. Suddenly, he noticed her wince and glance down at her hand that was still held by him. He looked down and noticed how bruised her wrist was. He quickly dropped it then moved in closer.
"Who did this to you?"
"I'd rather not say." she replied as she tried to avoid his eyes.
"I'm going to take you back to the Burrow."
She nodded. He stood up and reached down to help her up. She grabbed his hand but, before she could stand upright, she stumbled. Ron caught her around her waist and she attempted to smile gratefully at him. He looked down at her foot and noticed her ankle looked broken. She was in bad shape. He helped her stand upright and they slowly made their way to the edge of the stream. As Luna was about to try to step in, Ron suddenly bent down. She looked at him quizzically as she leaned on his back.
"Hop on my back," he said.
She nodded before she hopped on. She put her legs around his waist and he held onto them, wary of her ankle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. He started to trek through the water. As Ron was walking through the water, he began to think of his relationship with her. Although they had never been great friends, they still spoke often. They were getting closer. He knew he could talk to Luna if he ever felt the need. Plus, she was his best friend's girlfriend.
As they reached the other side of the stream, Luna offered to get down. Ron would not hear of it. So, with Luna on his back, he started to make his way up the path to the Burrow. As they were nearing the tree line, he saw Harry and Hermione running towards them. He slowly lowered Luna to the ground as Harry reached them. Harry quickly bent down slightly and scooped Luna up as a mother would a toddler. He gave Ron a hurried thank you before making his way back to the Burrow and to Mrs. Weasley, who was prepared to take care of her. Ron put his arm around Hermione as they followed behind Luna and Harry.
Harry leaned down as he walked briskly and whispered, "Everything's going to be alright"
Luna nuzzled his chest and nodded as tears sprung to her eyes. She knew that someday he would be right.
Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when...
He parted the bushes and could make out a figure lying against the rocks across the stream. Ron stepped through the bushes and then turned to help Hermione through. They both gazed at the girl sobbing. All of a sudden, Ron recognized the girl. He knew that sandy hair. He knew that yellow dress. He leaned down to Hermione and told her to go get Harry. Hermione nodded and, taking one last look at the girl, ran away to fetch Harry. Ron slowly waded across the stream to help the girl. She did not hear him coming. Her sobs rang out through the clearing. As he reached her, he bent down and touched her softly on the shoulder. She flinched and looked up at him, her hand covering half her face.
"Ron?" she asked.
He nodded and then asked, "Luna, are you alright?"
She shook her head and looked away. He reached up and removed the hand from her face. She protested very little. He then reached up with his other hand and moved the wet hair away from her eyes. Ron gasped and quickly removed his hand from her face and moved back slightly. Luna had a deeply bruised eye and a gash on her right cheek. The colors of the bruise and the cut stood out against her pale skin. Suddenly, he noticed her wince and glance down at her hand that was still held by him. He looked down and noticed how bruised her wrist was. He quickly dropped it then moved in closer.
"Who did this to you?"
"I'd rather not say." she replied as she tried to avoid his eyes.
"I'm going to take you back to the Burrow."
She nodded. He stood up and reached down to help her up. She grabbed his hand but, before she could stand upright, she stumbled. Ron caught her around her waist and she attempted to smile gratefully at him. He looked down at her foot and noticed her ankle looked broken. She was in bad shape. He helped her stand upright and they slowly made their way to the edge of the stream. As Luna was about to try to step in, Ron suddenly bent down. She looked at him quizzically as she leaned on his back.
"Hop on my back," he said.
She nodded before she hopped on. She put her legs around his waist and he held onto them, wary of her ankle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. He started to trek through the water. As Ron was walking through the water, he began to think of his relationship with her. Although they had never been great friends, they still spoke often. They were getting closer. He knew he could talk to Luna if he ever felt the need. Plus, she was his best friend's girlfriend.
As they reached the other side of the stream, Luna offered to get down. Ron would not hear of it. So, with Luna on his back, he started to make his way up the path to the Burrow. As they were nearing the tree line, he saw Harry and Hermione running towards them. He slowly lowered Luna to the ground as Harry reached them. Harry quickly bent down slightly and scooped Luna up as a mother would a toddler. He gave Ron a hurried thank you before making his way back to the Burrow and to Mrs. Weasley, who was prepared to take care of her. Ron put his arm around Hermione as they followed behind Luna and Harry.
Harry leaned down as he walked briskly and whispered, "Everything's going to be alright"
Luna nuzzled his chest and nodded as tears sprung to her eyes. She knew that someday he would be right.
Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when...