FicWad

Chapter 44:- Winking DA.A/N: The normal, Malehorntaildragon, your work make me continue at this pace, thanks. Also welcoming GML who is been a great help in the spelling and other department as well as truly gifted mind in certain areas!

**

He wasn’t as nervous as he thought he would be. That didn’t say that he wasn’t nervous but he was feeling better than he had suspected. He had only a few minutes before he had to leave and set up the Room of Requirements so he took a quick look round the Common Room before he did so. It was almost empty of anybody above the third year as most of them had left minutes earlier for the meeting in the Great Hall with Dumbledore. He had been right that most of the Gryffindors had signed up and joined the DA.

The only ‘small’ problem that he had this morning was Gabrielle. According to Dumbledore she could not come, yet everything inside of him wanted to include her. He looked over at her for the last time before he got up and just hoped that she didn’t turn those eyes at him. He knew that if she did he would not be able to refuse. Luckily for him she just smiled at him and the rest. He was a little surprised when Ginny walked over to her and gave her a brief hug and whispered into her ear before returning to his side.

Seeing the two girls give each other a hug sired something within Harry. His mind was still full of the talk with Luna yesterday and the night had not been any better. The dreams he had flowed through him and changed from one girl to the next none of them were naked except Luna and he knew the only reason they weren’t naked was simply because he didn’t know what they looked like. When he woke up it was though his body was missing something, it literally ached. He noticed as well that his morning ‘stiffness’ took far longer to go away than normal and he was tempted to ‘help’ it in the shower but refrained from doing so to him, it just felt wrong or dirty.

He blamed his aunt Petunia, she had once caught Dudley with a magazine, and of course she blamed Harry for leading him astray. Vernon had gone on for hours about the “freakishness” Harry had brought into his home and driven home hard that sex was dirty. However he wasn't sure how long he would be able to hold out, if his dreams had anything to say about it.

His eyes lazily watched Ginny approach and he drove all of these thoughts away. He might be ‘dating’ Ginny now but anything sex related was definitely something that was off limits, especially when they hadn't even had their first date.

“Ready?” he asked her.

Ginny paused for a second before replying. Harry was afraid she was reading his mind and desperately thought about anything else. Professor McGonagall naked (why wasn't that working), Pansy Parkinson (Nope), Quidditch (Damn), Snape in his underwear (Ouch that did it). As his thoughts cleared Ginny seemed to ponder him intently before replying.

“Yes but she really should come.” Ginny said eventually remembering what she had promised Gabrielle only moments before. The young girl had agreed that she couldn't come, and had impressed upon Ginny to look after Harry but Ginny had said that she would try and get Harry to change his mind.

“But Dumbledore said…”

“We are just going to have to think think something up then, aren’t we?” Answered Ginny a little more forcefully than she meant too as Harry used the same reasoning again.

Harry was a little shocked at Ginny and didn't immediately respond when she slipped her hand into his and turned towards the portrait hole.

Harry stood for a moment and continued to look at Gabrielle. A smile graced her face and he was sure he could feel it impact on his magic. That smile always brought happiness and calm to his magic and it always lit up Gabrielle face almost like and angel. Following Ginny’s lead he turned and left the now very empty Common Room.

As soon as they were outside Harry waited for the rest to arrive. He took the lead up to the Room of Requirements but felt Ginny squeeze his hand every so often to let him know that she was still there. He stood at the end of the corridor, Ginny let her hand slip out of his but pouted at him as their backs were still to the rest. She saw Harry face flush suddenly and realised that she had made a grave error. If Harry wasn’t concentrating the room would take on whatever Harry wanted. She took a step back hoping the Harry could refocus his mind in time because her mind was still flowing down thoughts that she wasn’t ready to share.



Harry glanced over his shoulder as he cleared his mind. The Gryffindor’s had walked the route to the Room of Requirements it seemed like the rest of the old members had been waiting for them because the group got larger and larger as they walked up the Grand Staircase. They were all now waiting at the end and looking at Harry. He took a small steadying breath before he started his pacing. After the third turn the door appeared the same as always. Harry walked up to it and waited for a moment and then pushed it open.

Harry walked in and looked around; it was finished very similarly to the last time but he did notice that it looked much larger than before. He also saw three strange additions. In the corner nearest the door he saw a small desk, chair and perch: obviously the room had made space for Dumbledore and Fawkes if required. As he looked closer at the desk he noticed another item, he picked it up and read the bottle “Olivander’s Wand Polish.” and underneath in small writing was the following note “Warning, overuse can make your wand slippery to the touch.” He quickly set the bottle back down on the desk, and tried hard not to think about why it was included by a room that works based on need. He walked to the centre of the practice area and waited. Ginny almost hesitantly poked her head into the room and was relieved at what she saw. She too noticed the desk and perch, but on top of the desk she saw a bottle.

She picked it up and read it “Wand Polish? What do think this is for?” she asked Harry

Harry tried hard to suppress the blush that was forming, thankful for the lighting in the room. “Must be a hint about taking care of our wands, Mr. Olivander is always going on about Proper Wand Maintenance.”

She looked unconvinced, but Harry turned to observe the rest of the room, and to hide his guilty look. The rest trooped in behind her and looked round the room most of them had smiles of recognition as they looked at the room and started to form the regular semi-circle around Harry that he had used when teaching them.

He looked at each one in turn and they all looked directly back at him. Most of the old members had heeded his call, Cho and her friend were missing as well as Fred and George but the rest were here. He was a little surprised at Cho and had expected her to be here and even prepared himself, but obviously she had decided not to turn up.

In the back of the room Harry noticed Susan and Luna. They had their heads down having a whispered conversation. After a few moments Luna looked up quickly and gave him a look after her eyes had too flicked towards the desk. He felt the painful tightness in his trousers and quickly thought about Snape’s underwear again, hoping that she would not ask about the polish as well. It only took a few seconds for him to be completely composed, and so he turned to the old members of the DA.

“Welcome back everyone. Before we begin I have a few things that I must tell you. This is now an official club so that means we don’t have to hide out anymore.”

“So none of the good old days!” called out Dean.

Everyone chuckled slightly before Harry replied.

“No Dean but I’m sure that we can come up with something else. As I was saying it’s an official club now with Professor Dumbledore as its Teacher representative. Unfortunately there are now a few restrictions placed upon us.”

“Such as?” asked Shamus before Harry could say anymore.

“No offensive spells mainly. Professor Dumbledore said it would be irresponsible for me to try and teach offensive spells in case of mistakes etc.”

“But without those what’s the point?” asked Parvati.

“Initially I thought the same but with some help…” Harry looked at Ron and Hermione who were standing just a little too close together compared to the rest of the group. “…we can still learn what we need to. We are here to learn to defend ourselves. We aren’t going to rush out at attack Death Eaters or something.”

“But you did last year!” said Colin.

“And that was a…mistake.” Harry noticed that Ginny shuffled a little closer to him from her position at the end of the line when he had hesitated. Harry’s eyes washed across the group as he saw their reaction. He wasn’t surprised to read the various emotions on their faces but as his eyes washed over all of those familiar faces a thought did start to form. Colin’s words did stir something inside of him, shields and counter charms were alright but sometimes they might need something a little stronger, but what could he do to get round Dumbledore’s restriction. Suddenly he had two problems to deal with, Gabrielle’s non attendance and the restriction of offensive magic.

A solution to one of the problems came almost at an instant as his eyes continued to flow around the group. It was though it came in two parts, if he was supervised they might be able to do more. And then it developed almost on its own to who could supervise them. Dumbledore was the only one Harry thought of but he wasn’t sure if he was the best as it was his restriction. Then his mind brought up a replacement, maybe she would be good enough. She was definitely powerful enough, it might just work he would have to speak to both her and Dumbledore but it might just be possible.

“Something might be possible....hopefully later in the year we can practice a few spells under supervision that is but that is far in the future for the moment.

In a few moments we will be joined by the new students. I’m asking you to help me. Last year we were just a group of friends helping each other out, this year I would like it to be the same so please make them welcome and work with them.”

**

Dumbledore lead the large group of students into the room and looked around. His eyes took everything in before he gave Harry a brief smile and a nod. He turned and left the room allowing the door to close behind him. There were a fair number of students for Harry to teach but less than he had feared. Shaking his head slightly Dumbledore looked around the floor before walking off back to his office his mind working through his next problem and glad that Harry hadn’t disobeyed him and brought along Gabrielle.

Harry looked at the new students as they stood in the doorway, they all were looking around the room and muttering to themselves.

“OK then, everybody please come forward so you can all hear.”

The students all shuffled forward and joined the existing members. Harry couldn’t help the smile spread as he saw the existing students disperse amongst the new arrivals. Although he did feel a bit empty as he saw Ginny, Luna and Susan together. He resolved to think of a way to get Gabby involved in the DA one way or another.

“Good morning to you all and welcome. We are here to help protect ourselves, nothing more. No matter what you may have heard that is the only reason we are here. Here we will have the chance to practice what we have learnt in our Defence lessons. If you are here for anything else please leave now.”

Harry waited but saw that everyone was looking intently at him. He had gone over this opening speech with Hermione, Ginny and Gabrielle. It sounded so proper almost teacher like, to Harry it felt so weird.

“Very well then let’s split up into small groups and start to review. If you would like to spread out and try and keep within the same year.”

There was lots of movement and shuffling as everyone moved around. Harry marvelled at how there was enough space for them all within the room.

“Ok we will start with Expeliarmus.”

“Why that?” whined a Ravenclaw boy and Harry smiled, it was just like last year and that was how it turned out. It wasn’t an exact mirror to last year but it felt so similar that for most of the morning he had a smile on his face.

Harry brought the lesson to a close just before Lunch time. As the students started to file out he felt exhausted as the stress and worry bleed off of him. The old students were the last to leave with him at the back. As the door’s closed behind him he glanced over his shoulder and saw the door fade back into the wall.

“That went well.” Said Ginny lightly holding his arm and they started the long decent to the Great Hall.

Harry’s magic calmed at this close contact and he just wanted to close his eyes and flow with it as his body felt so drained. As he entered the Hall he saw that most of the students he had just been teaching had preceded him in and for once the room looked remarkably full on a weekend.

As Harry took his normal seat those around him took theirs but Harry felt that he was missing something. His head turned towards the door as that thing came into view. Gabrielle walked in with the normal following of a few boys and walked straight to her normal place next to him, Harry now felt like he was at home.

***

Trudging up the stairs to his dormitory Harry mused at how busy he had become. He couldn’t remember being this busy last year but he just felt that he had no time for himself. Sunday had been the DA which had lasted all morning but then in the afternoon and evening he had had to sit with Hermione to go through the course outline and chat about the new students. Gabrielle and Ginny had stayed close to start with but eventually they had drifted off as they saw and probably felt how much Harry was concentrating on Hermione.

After Monday’s lessons he had sat with the girls for another of Gabrielle’s lessons. He started to work more and more to control his abilities, he felt now that for the simple levitation charm he could do it with his sight present. It was costing him a lot to do it, but he was sure now that he could perform that one spell far better than anyone could imagine. Both Ron and Hermione had joined them but not seeing what was happening Ron dragged off Hermione for ‘Rounds’ as they were now calling it. As soon as they left everyone gave each other a very meaningful look. Susan didn’t really understand what everyone was doing until Luna turned round and said.

“Oh so they have gone to have sex.”

Ginny blushed hard at the open words once more but did manage a reply.

“Um…no I don’t think they are doing that, yet. They just go on ‘Rounds’ to snogg.”

Harry turned his back at Ginny’s words so as not to give his best friends up but he really wanted to laugh out at that innocent comment from Ginny.

“Oh,” Luna replied wistfully “Hermione really should have sex she seems very up tight recently and sex can very relaxing you know.” Harry broke out into a coughing fit when he could no longer hold back. Ginny patted his back gently trying to help.

“Did you want to have sex Harry you seem very tense a lot of the time too.” Continued Luna.

Harry’s coughing fit returned with a new. After a moment a very red faced Harry replied coarsely. “Thank you Luna, but I’ll be fine.” Harry would be eternally grateful that the conversation quickly changed.

The girls had sat together at the start but Harry absently had watched as Susan and Luna started to bounce ideas off of each other. They weren’t loud almost afraid of being over heard but they were talking for over an hour and even Harry could see how happy they both looked. Gabrielle and Ginny just left them to it as they flitted between helping Harry and then trying to improve their own connection. Harry had seen a slight look of frustration cross Gabrielle’s face once or twice and had almost stopped doing his own training to see what was up but Ginny looked over at him and stopped him from moving. It seemed that those two kept discussing something as well and something that they didn’t want Harry or the others to hear.



Now Tuesday had come and here he was trudging up to his room. Lessons had been good and the free periods with Ron were fun but the time was just rushing by. This evening he had to look at his mail once more, he decided that he would do it in the room in the hope of speeding up the process and also to insulate the others from his new status. He pushed open the door and crossed to his bed, pulling open the lid of his trunk and looked in. He was surprised to see only a few letters. He was sure that after last time he would have ‘tons more to deal with’ more to deal with.

It didn’t take him long to go through the letters as most were of the same type. He had decided that he wasn’t going anywhere until he fully understood what was happening. He had also received two letters from the Ministry concerning the Wizengamot. They both contained lengthy passages about an upcoming reading of a new bill and directions of how he could obtain the full transcript. Shaking his head, he had just dropped them back in his trunk thinking that now was not the time to take on anymore work.

Amongst the mail he had received a slightly different letter from a ‘family’ this one wasn’t asking him to a party or anything but was asking if they could help him in anyway. A complete stranger was asking if he could help Harry. He didn’t know what to do with this as never had he experienced anything like this before, maybe he should show this to Dumbledore and he could use it.

As he answered the last letter and turned back to his trunk, a small crack announced the arrival of Dobby. Harry spun and looked at his elf. He was standing as normal his head slightly bowed as if waiting. Harry saw with a little satisfaction that he was still dressed in the clothes that he had lent him and they were there normal immaculate condition.

“Um…what’s up Dobby?”

“Oh master Harry, Sir. You ask me’s if I need’s help, how wise you are even before I have arrived you already knows.”

“Know?”

“Yes sir about Winky sir.”

“Winky?”

“Yes.”

“What about Winky?”

“You’s not know? I’m mean….”

“What is wrong with her?” quickly asked Harry not wanting to let Dobby start on anything.

“She’s un-happy sir and…not well.”

“Not well?”

“Yes she is drinking more and …. And not eating now.”

“What can I do?”

“I’s was thinking that if you could have a word then the Great Harry Potter might bring her out of it.”

“Well I can if you think…”

“Oh Harry sir…” gushed Dobby as he reached out a hand towards Harry.

“What now?”

“Um…yes sir.”

Harry thought that if he suddenly disappeared with Dobby people would know and start to ask questions.

“How about I get the others, you know Ron and Hermione.”

“They can help?”

“Well they know about her, if we all speak to her then it might help.”

“Alright sir I’ll just go and tell her then.”

With a small crack he was gone. Harry shook his head at the thought of what he had just gotten himself in for with Dobby again. He walked back to the Common Room still thinking about Dobby and Winky and walked straight to Ron and Hermione.

“Finished already?” asked Ron.

“Yeah there wasn’t much there, but Dobby came to me.”

“Dobby?”

“Yes he said there was a problem with Winky.”

“Winky?” quickly asked Hermione.

“I sort of said that we’ll talk to her.”

“Of course, come on then.” Replied Hermione jumping to her feet and literally dragging Ron up.

“What, now?” he asked.

“Yes, now.” Replied a little frustrated Hermione.

***

Harry walked down the steps in front of his two best friends and looked out at the elves arrayed around. The room hadn’t changed from the last time he was here, the house tables were still laid out in a mirror of the ones above. The elves were busily moving about obviously still working yet Harry saw that each of them glance his way.

He stepped off the last step and moved forward in the kitchen, the elves parted for him but each seemed to ignore him as he walked forward. It wasn’t rude or anything but they did seem to ignore him. In contrast, he saw that they each looked at Ron and Hermione and seemed to move closer to them as they followed in his footsteps.

When he had passed almost half way he heard a small squeal of delight followed by the running foots of Dobby as he scampered from the end. The other elves parted for Dobby as well forming a small corridor to the far corner of the room.

“Harry Potter sir and friends, it’s so great to see you come here so soon.” Dobby said excitedly.

“You’re welcome Dobby, now what exactly is wrong with Winky?” Hermione asked politely.

“She is very sad Miss Hermie.”

“Well then, show us to Winky and I’m sure we can think of a way to cheer her up.”

Dobby led them down the corridor of elves to the corner were a pile of rags seemed to await them. As they drew closer they realised that the pile was moving but only very slightly.

“Winky?” Hermione asked tentatively.

A muffled sound came from the pile and probably the dirtiest house elf they’d ever seen appeared. They could barely make out her eye’s as her hair was so matted, dirty and long that it nearly covered them completely. Her ears were almost pointing downwards, her face looked sickly pale and littered around the floor were numerous bottles. When she spoke her speech was slurred.

“You’s wants winksy?”

“We heard that you were feeling down so we came by to cheer you up.” Hermione said soothingly.

“Winkssssy bad elf, nooooo maaaster’ss or misstresss’ss. Yoouus come to be Winksssyyy’sss mistresssss’sss. I’sssss no want yoursssss pity!” The elf slurred angrily.

Hermione almost took a step backwards at the words spoken by Winky. They not only were they slurred but sound very hostile to her.

“Is that what you want Winky? To have a Master?” Harry asked somehow understanding the elf’s emotions.

“I’sss wantssss tooooo be aaaaa goooood eeeelfssss!”

“We can help.”

“Noooo...nooo’sss yoouu’sss can’tsss!” Replied Winky in a shaking voice.

“Why not?”

“Yooouu’s put me here, yoouu’ss lost me my’sss family!”

Hermione squatted down next to Winky and tried once more.

“But you are free now.”

“Freess too doo nothingsss! That’s not being a good elf.”

“But you have work here.” Said Harry.

“Being paid to do workss, that’s not being a goodss elfss. I’s...I’sss wanting a family to look aftersss.”

“Then why don't you find one.”

“Whatss good house will take messs, a disgraced elfssss?”

“I would.” Responded Harry, Hermione looked sharply at him her eye’s almost boring in before she whispered harshly.

“Harry you can’t be serious!”

“Look at her Hermione! You can’t tell me that, that’s good for her.” Harry defended quickly.

“She just needs to adjust that is all.”

“Adjust, Hermione she’s been like this since the Quidditch world cup! I agree that they should have freedom, but you can’t tell me that what she’s doing is healthy. Listen, I’ll pay her, give her days off, sick leave, everything, just like I do for Dobby.”

“And if she wants to leave you’ll let her?”

“That very moment, I swear.”

“I don’t like it Harry.”

“I know Hermione, I know. Winky?...” Harry asked hoping that the elf hadn’t been listening to him and Hermione bickering. “Winky I would take you on.”

“Whatss sso youss can help me! I’ss think nooottt, I’mss noott some charity casesss to be useedes to make you feel betterss.”

Harry was stuck by the sudden venom in the words but pressed on.

“I really want to be your master, not to help you but to help me. I have a big house and new responsibilities. I need an elf who’s had experience. You have that.”

“You’ssss need my’s help?” asked Winky with a tinge of hope in her voice.

“Yes I need you, but you need to stop drinking, and get cleaned up first. Dobby here can take you to my home where you can recuperate. After you feel better we’ll talk again ok?”

The elf smiled showing a full mouth of ugly yellow teeth. “Osky massterss.” She replied trying to get to her feet and brush down her cloths.

“Dobby.”

“Yes sir, I’ll take her home and helps sirs.”

Harry smiled at these words and then looked at the other elves who were still ignoring him.

“Um what about the other elves’ they are sort of...”

“Them sir?”

“Yes.”

“They’s think you don’t like them. You brought your own elf to the castle and so not want them.”

“What!”

“I’ve been doing everything sir, like I should sir.”

Harry then understood why at virtually every meal all around him were his favourite dishes. It’s wasn’t luck or anything it was Dobby doing.

“Dobby can you tell them that I think they are just great and I only brought you so that you would not be alone in that house.”

“Of...of...of course sir.”

“Thank you Dobby, now please take care of Winky for me. Once she feels better we’ll talk some more.” Dobby nodded his head and took Winky by the hand and after a large Pop both were gone.

***

The rest of the week passed without incident until Friday evening. Harry, Ron and Hermione were retuning back to the Common Room from their free period together. Hermione had wanted to spend the whole time in the library studying or something but Ron and Harry had managed to drag her outside for a little while. On their return they could almost hear the commotion before the portrait swung open.

As soon as it did and they stepped through they could hear the excited chatter amongst the older students which could mean only one thing, Hogsmeade! Fighting their way to the notice board they saw that the announcement had indeed been put up, three weeks time was to be the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Harry like the others had the sudden felling of elation at this news that they could get out of the castle for a few hours.

It seemed to him that they had only just got here but a trip into the wizarding village would indeed be pleasant. It was then that a second thought sprung to his mind. He looked at Hermione and Ron and saw them looking at each other and understood that they would want time alone on that weekend. That wasn’t the problem, it was him, he was now friends with four different girls and three of them would be expecting him to take them to Hogsmead, wouldn’t they?

He felt his stomach drop at the thought of what he should do and then there was Gabrielle. She tried to spend as much of the weekends with him as she could and he had to admit that he enjoyed the time but this would remove almost a whole day, and if he ran a DA meeting the next day he wouldn’t spend any time at all with her over that weekend. With all of this running through his head he crossed to the sofas and chairs they used and flopped down trying to think of a solution.

As he sat there he heard a rather loud conversation from his roommates who were standing to one side.

“It’s great, and only three weeks to wait.” Said Shamus

“Three weeks?” question Dean.

“Yes to Hogsmeade.”

“Oh and you and Lavender....”

“No not that... you haven’t heard then.”

“What?”

“The new shop that has opened over summer my brother went in there and...WOW! ”

“Wow what?”

“The people who are there...ooooh.”

“What is this place?”

“Oh just a coffee shop.”

“Than what’s so special?”

“It’s the staff, they are wearing....you get to see....it’s amazing.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Honestly I am. Patrick told me they wear these clothes and everything you just wait and see.”

“But what about Lavender?”

“Lav...She’s game I know, I’ve already told her, she’s heard about it too. I bet it will be the most popular shop with the students, especially the older ones.”

“I wonder if...”

But Harry didn’t catch anymore as Ginny dropped into the space next to him and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

“What a week, but at least it’s over with.”

“Um...yea.”

“Great news about Hogsmeade, not long now to wait. So are you going to ask me?”

“Ask you?” said Harry turning now and looking directly at Ginny. He saw that she had turned her face so that it was upturned like a little lost dog.

“About taking me to Hogsmeade.”

“Um...yeah, I just...”

“Great, just the two of us.” She replied grabbing his arm and hugging it to her before continuing.

“It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks then, Slytherin match in two weeks and then Hogsmeade in three. But at least well be together through it all.”

“Yes it will be.” He replied leaning back trying not to think about anything else as this contact with Ginny suddenly reminded his body that she was a girl.

***

Talk about the Hogsmeade trip was all that Harry heard the next morning and for most of the weekend, it seemed to him as anybody in the third year or over was talking about the getting out of the castle. He felt nervous anytime anyone mentioned anything about Hogsmeade near him, as all that he could think about was the date he had with Cho.

Monday started with his normal free period and for once he was glad of the solitude away from everyone but Ron, because he could be counted upon not to mention the trip. He gave Ginny a brief kiss on the cheek as she rose to leave for her first lesson before he too got up and left with Ron.

He caught a glimpse of Luna as he walked out of the Hall, she just smiled at him and waved before dashing down a corridor and out of view. For some reason Harry like the way the girl ran, his eyes just sort of dreamily bobbed up and down.

Luna caught up to Susan just before she turned the last corner to her next class. Touching her arm lightly she asked, “Susan, may I have a word?”

Susan turned at the unexpected contact. These days it seemed to her like everything was about Harry, or sex, or sex with Harry. Every class they spent together, and during homework session made her worse, she had decided that she would give herself to him if he asked but now, now she was just hoping that he did ask. She knew he had a lot to deal with, and knew with the other girls around he did not think of her in that way. But that did not stop the thoughts that ran through her head like a herd of Hippogriffs every time she was near him or alone with her thoughts.

“Of course Luna!” She said smiling and turning around to face the girl wondering what she was now going to come up with.

Luna seemed to pause for a moment, surprised that Susan not only looked happy to see her, but also at the obvious tension in her body.

“Has anyone asked you to go with them to Hogsmeade yet?”

“Nobody has asked me yet, why” She said a little confused.

“Well I know we both want to have sex with Harry and would dearly love to go with him to Hogsmeade, but it seems most likely that he will be going with Ginevra, they are boyfriend and girlfriend after all. So I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the village?

I hear there is a nest of Bumbling Humdingers living just south of the Shrieking Shack. I thought perhaps since you were going alone, and I was going alone, that we could possibly go, together? Perhaps we can find a way to work out some of your tension.” finished Luna in her calm, dreamy voice.

“Um..” Susan was momentarily confused, she was still getting used to Luna's stream of consciousness, her way of speaking. It was a lot like listening to Hermione, only it made less sense if you tried to take it at anything but face value.

But then she thought about what she was being asked and she was surprised. Not just at being asked out by another girl, nor because it was Loony Lovegood that had asked her. She was actually more surprised that she thought the idea of spending an entire day away from the castle, with Luna could be ‘fun’. That and something else piqued her interest, having now spent some time with this ‘strange’ girl, she had started to notice odd things about Luna. Not her normal oddities but something that just didn't fit the picture everyone had of her. Maybe a little more time with Luna would let her figure it out.

“I suppose that does sound like fun, it will be nice to get out of the castle for a few hours, and to have someone to spend that time with. And it is not like any of the boys are going to ask me.” She replied trying to mask her disappointment at that final statement.

Luna looked at her with those saucer like eyes, and raised an eyebrow in annoyance, why was she the only one to see these things!

“You really should not put yourself down like that Susan, I happen to think you are very lovely. Any ‘boys’ who do not see that are rather missing out in my opinion.”

Susan did not know what it was about Luna's huge grey eyes that seemed to look right into her soul, but she felt a shiver pass through her, and not an unpleasant one it seemed that Luna’s words were affecting her other problem as well.

“Well.” She began hesitantly, “I think we have a date then, what was it you said about Humbling Bubblers?”

Luna smiled, and Susan felt warmth in her belly and in her heart. “Bumbling Humdingers, and I like the sound of that.” She gave the Hufflepuff girl a hug, seeming to brush her breasts against her more than was needed, and whispered in her ear. “It is most definitely a date.”

She then turned and walked off in what Susan could only call a very Luna'ish way. “Is she swaying her hips at me?” Susan thought before discarding those ideas.

“Great!” she thought, and blew out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. “I must be spending too much time with Harry, now my body is hoping that Luna is coming on to me.”

She turned once more on the stairs, and headed off to her next class. Thinking about blonde hair, huge grey eyes, and huge bre... “Stop Stop Stop” she told herself I’m not like that, never have been....but then again....