Lying About the Castle

[i_lovegood]

((November 19th))
Luna lay on on her back on a seldom used staircase somewhere near the old Divination tower.  She had her foot hooked around the railing and had her head facing down rather than up.  Her gold hair trailed down several steps below like a carpet.  The horcrux book lay across her chest.  She had picked it up and attempted to read it a

Comments

[i_lovegood]

"You shouldn't keep secrets from Neville," Luna said sagely, playing with a chain around her neck. "Particularly not silly ones."

[laven_der]

"It's not silly!" She pouted, "He worries about me too much! So if I am actually falling on my bottom all over the castle, his head may explode!"

[i_lovegood]

"Neville's head exploded a few weeks back," Luna said. "So it's a little late to worry about. I actually think he's doing better now. And it helps sometimes to have some one else to worry about. I know I would want Harry to tell me if he fell down the stairs...at the very least, I wouldn't want him to hide it from me."

[laven_der]

She nodded, remembering the way Neville had been that week, "It's just going to happen again, though... and I'm not helping at all. Maybe I should just check myself into the Hospital wing like he wanted..." She drifted off before finishing her thought for Luna's benefit, "I haven't been able to sleep. For months. I'm on the verge of a meltdown myself!"

Thank goodness I'm handy with a make-up brush!

She knew she was being extremely flippant, but she couldn't help it. It made it seem much better then it actually was. She was behaving horridly and she knew it. Her face started to show her distaste in herself and she looked down at her notebook again, not making a move to write in it.

[i_lovegood]

"You probably ought to see Madam Pomfrey then," Luna said. She really hadn't been planning to say anything to Neville, but now she was wondreing if she should. "Any idea why you can't sleep?"

[laven_der]

"Stress, worry, scared-out-of-my-wits," She ticked off her fingers, "Or something physical, I suppose. My Mum was going to take me to get checked out over break, but that's just for muggle problems..." She blanched, "What if I have a terrible wizard disease?!"

She shook her head, laughing uneasily at herself, "No no... now I really am being silly! Holiday is in a month, yes? I can last till then. At home I don't have to worry about my family being without active magical protection... and everyone here can take care of themselves... but Holiday is also going to be a trial, because Hogwarts won't be able to protect people when at home. So... maybe holiday isn't the best idea!"

She stopped her rambling with a small yawn, now okay with the fact that Luna knew. It helped to lessen the burden. So now only Neville, Parvati, Luna, a few of her muggle friends and her parents (barely) knew. That wasn't so bad! It felt better this way.

[i_lovegood]

Luna opened her mouth but wasn't able to get a word in as Lavender rambled. It was only when she yawned that Luna guessed Lavender had stopped her rant. "Okay, you're going to see Madam Pomfrey." She took a last sip of tea and stood up. "I'll walk you down." Luna picked up her bag and slung it back over her shoulder, then looked at Lavender expectantly.

[laven_der]

"Luna," She said calmly, also taking a sip of her tea, "I'm not a drug addict! Lot's of people can't sleep that well."

On the inside she was starting to freak out.

[i_lovegood]

"I don't believe I accused you of being anything," Luna said, with an annoying amount of serenity while she stood unyeilding by the trap door. "Besides if you do have some terrible wizard disease, it might be catching, and we can't have Neville or Harry not sleeping."

[laven_der]

"That's not funny!" She said, her tone climbing in volume, Neville would have already caught it.

"You are blowing this highly out of proportion... as well as reading much to far into it! If I was really that bad, don't you think Parvati would have said something, or Neville, or anyone else? " She crossed her arms, equally being stubborn. If Luna thought that she was going to drag her down to the Hospital wing, she had another thing coming.

[i_lovegood]

Luna looked at her curiously. "Visiting Madam Pomfrey isn't a big. Harry does it all the time. And if it's nothing, it won't take her long at all."

[laven_der]

"So NOT visiting her wouldn't be a big deal either," she pointed out.

[i_lovegood]

"It would be if you're really sick," Luna continued stubbornly. "This isn't optional. I'm not asking if you want to go. I'm telling you that we're going."

[laven_der]

If she was anyone else she would have gone. But she wasn't just anybody.

"No, Luna. I trusted you with something. I thought we were friends."

Her bag of tricks was almost empty.

[i_lovegood]

Luna was completely unphased. "I'd be a very bad friend at this point if I didn't take you to the hospital wing," she said and opened the trap door.

[laven_der]

"I'm staying here." She said, returning to her notebook. A dismissal was the only thing she could do.... only thing she knew how to do. She hadn't used one for months now, but it was the only option, "Maybe I will see you later."

There goes another one.