fic for dragyn_42: The Attack of the Wrackspurts (Ginny, Luna, PG)
Title: The Attack of the Wrackspurts
Author: lyras
Recipient: dragyn_42
Rating: PG
Character(s): Ginny, Luna
Summary: As Ginny falls prey to Tom Riddle, Luna develops her own theory about what's going on. 1400 words; set during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Author's Notes: I'm so happy this exchange is running again! Thank you to virginia_bell for organising it. To my recipient: happy holidays, and I hope you enjoy this!
--
"I'm sorry to disagree, Professor, but that's wrong."
The voice lilted unfamiliarly, but its serenity reminded Ginny of Tom. Amid the expectant giggles of the Ravenclaw girls, she glanced around and caught a scornful expression on the face of one of the boys. She seemed to be the only one in the class who didn't know the speaker - except for the teacher.
"I beg your pardon?" asked Professor Binns. He looked pale with shock, but then, all the ghosts Ginny knew were pale, so it was hard to tell.
"The goblins were defending their right to Wadebury Shire, which had been granted to them by Gryffindor's great-grandson, Ealred." The girl had long blonde hair, worn loose and tangled in a way that would have had Ginny's mother tutting, and her wide, pale blue eyes blinked earnestly as she spoke.
"I think you'll find that history..." Professor Binns imbued with word with a holy air. "...history states that Ealred signed that treaty while he and his daughter were in captivity, Miss Lumwood."
"Oh, no," the girl said, heedless of the scuffling and giggles around her. "It's Lovegood. And my father researched the Wadebury Treaty in a special investigation last year, and he's convinced that the kidnapping story was a lie circulated by Ealred's nephew to justify his takeover of the area."
"Yeah." It was the boy whom Ginny had noticed earlier. "But your dad also thinks the air's full of invisible fairies that eat your brain while you're asleep!"
"Not fairies," the girl said over the laughter. "Wrackspurts. And they don't..."
"Whatever they may be," Professor Binns interrupted sternly, "in this class we deal with historical facts, not fairytales, and history states that the treaty was signed under duress. Now, if I may continue..." His tone acquired its usual drone, and the class was once more lulled into a bored torpor.
Still, Ginny watched the blonde girl for the rest of the lesson. She wasn't pretty, but she might be interesting. It was a shame you were supposed to keep to your own house so much, because she was decidedly uninterested in the other Gryffindor first years so far. Of course, there was always Harry Potter.
She sighed and wondered if she was blushing. It seemed impossible that she could contain so much excitement and admiration without bursting, or at least blushing. She couldn't wait to get back to Tom, so that she could talk more about Harry.
* * *
The first Ginny knew about her fall was when she hit the ground, landing flat on her face but somehow unhurt, except that all the air seemed to have been forced out of her. Rolling onto her side, she squinted into the sun and concentrated on breathing while the fuzziness receded. Then the sun was replaced by a moon-face with blonde hair.
"You should be careful, Ginny. The wrackspurts can pounce when you're unconscious."
"I'm...all right," she choked, but when she attempted to lift her head from the grass she fell back, still dizzy.
"Are you sure you aren't being troubled by them?" Luna asked. Ginny opened one eye again, cautiously. "It's just, you fly perfectly - I've seen you. And you seemed to fall for no reason. You simply dropped out of the sky."
"M'OK," she mumbled.
"Well, I think you should be careful," Luna said. With the sunlight at her back, her hair looked like a halo. "It's a classic sign, you know."
I think it's me, Ginny thought. I think I'm the one who's attacking people: I think Tom's evil, and that he's controlling me. And I don't know how to stop it.
"Here." Luna helped her into a sitting position and placed a magazine in her lap.
"Daddy discusses wrackspurts in the latest issue," said Luna, "and I really think you should read it. Will you promise?"
"I - OK." If I told her, she thought, she might believe me. But then, no one else would.
No. She was going to try Harry first. He and Ron would understand.
* * *
"Hullo, Mrs Weasley. I was wondering if Ginny wanted to come out for a while?"
From the kitchen, Ginny heard her mother say, "Oh! It's Luna Lovegood, isn't it? Goodness, dearie, it's a long time since we've seen you. Ginny!"
She dropped the spinach that she was rinsing and wiped her hands on her jeans as she stepped through to the hall. "Hi, Luna."
"Luna was wondering if you wanted to go out to play," said her mother with the familiar, anxious look that Ginny had wearied of over the past fortnight.
She hunched her shoulders. "Mu-um! We're not kids."
Her mother opened her mouth and then shut it firmly. That, too, Ginny had seen frequently since coming home from Hogwarts. It was getting to the point where she would almost rather be shouted at. Instead, her mother addressed Luna.
"Does your father know you're out this far from home?"
"Oh, Daddy doesn't mind as long as I'm home for dinner," Luna said cheerfully. "Anyway, he promised to make bumbleberry crumble if I brought home enough berries, and the best patch in the county's in Bluewater Dell, so I thought I'd see if Ginny wanted to help." She looked at Ginny, who nodded.
"Well, all right. But I want you back here by five o'clock sharp, both of you. There'll be lemonade and fruit scones, and then either I or Arthur will take you home, Luna. I won't have you wandering the countryside on my watch, whatever your father thinks about it."
"That's very kind of you, Mrs Weasley," Luna said, as if people were always saying this kind of thing to her.
* * *
Bluewater Dell was nowhere near any water, as far as Ginny knew, but it was a favourite hangout for the gnomes that were evicted from the nearby Weasley garden. Ginny yelled insults at them, sneaking a glance at Luna to observe the effect of her shocking language. But Luna was staring raptly at the motley group.
"Aren't they amazing?" she said in a hushed tone. "I wonder if they'd let us get close?"
"They're not amazing when you have to spend every Sunday afternoon chucking them out of the flowerbeds," Ginny retorted. The gnomes were shouting back now, and making rude gestures, so she retaliated with a face that she'd once seen Charlie make and had then spent hours perfecting in her mirror. The gnomes bored of the game soon enough, though. Wandering through the hedge into an adjacent meadow, they began a game of football with a turnip.
"Oh, well." Luna sighed. "You're so lucky to get them in your garden, Ginny."
"Hmm." But the short fight with the gnomes seemed to have cleared a blockage in Ginny's mind, and she felt lighter as she began rooting in the bushes for the juiciest berries. The sun was hot and she'd probably come out in freckles, but it was too beautiful a day to care.
"I'm glad the wrackspurts have gone," Luna said a few minutes later.
Ginny stared at her.
"The ones that were plaguing you at school," Luna prompted. "It was wrackspurts, wasn't it? I was getting very worried about you."
"Oh!" Wrackspurts, thought Ginny. Well, that was one way to describe Tom. "Yeah, I suppose."
"You look much better now," Luna continued, "and of course, you're safe. They never come back once they've been denied."
"He's gone," her mother had wept, squashing her close, but not close enough, while her father had paced in front of the fire and spoken of having words with the Minister about Lucius Malfoy. "He - it - he's gone, and you're safe. You're safe, my little girl!"
Looking at Luna, whose arms were covered in scratches from the bushes, and at the pile of striped bumbleberries between them, Ginny felt for the first time that she believed her mother's words.
"Yeah," she said. "I'm safe."
Author: lyras
Recipient: dragyn_42
Rating: PG
Character(s): Ginny, Luna
Summary: As Ginny falls prey to Tom Riddle, Luna develops her own theory about what's going on. 1400 words; set during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Author's Notes: I'm so happy this exchange is running again! Thank you to virginia_bell for organising it. To my recipient: happy holidays, and I hope you enjoy this!
--
"I'm sorry to disagree, Professor, but that's wrong."
The voice lilted unfamiliarly, but its serenity reminded Ginny of Tom. Amid the expectant giggles of the Ravenclaw girls, she glanced around and caught a scornful expression on the face of one of the boys. She seemed to be the only one in the class who didn't know the speaker - except for the teacher.
"I beg your pardon?" asked Professor Binns. He looked pale with shock, but then, all the ghosts Ginny knew were pale, so it was hard to tell.
"The goblins were defending their right to Wadebury Shire, which had been granted to them by Gryffindor's great-grandson, Ealred." The girl had long blonde hair, worn loose and tangled in a way that would have had Ginny's mother tutting, and her wide, pale blue eyes blinked earnestly as she spoke.
"I think you'll find that history..." Professor Binns imbued with word with a holy air. "...history states that Ealred signed that treaty while he and his daughter were in captivity, Miss Lumwood."
"Oh, no," the girl said, heedless of the scuffling and giggles around her. "It's Lovegood. And my father researched the Wadebury Treaty in a special investigation last year, and he's convinced that the kidnapping story was a lie circulated by Ealred's nephew to justify his takeover of the area."
"Yeah." It was the boy whom Ginny had noticed earlier. "But your dad also thinks the air's full of invisible fairies that eat your brain while you're asleep!"
"Not fairies," the girl said over the laughter. "Wrackspurts. And they don't..."
"Whatever they may be," Professor Binns interrupted sternly, "in this class we deal with historical facts, not fairytales, and history states that the treaty was signed under duress. Now, if I may continue..." His tone acquired its usual drone, and the class was once more lulled into a bored torpor.
Still, Ginny watched the blonde girl for the rest of the lesson. She wasn't pretty, but she might be interesting. It was a shame you were supposed to keep to your own house so much, because she was decidedly uninterested in the other Gryffindor first years so far. Of course, there was always Harry Potter.
She sighed and wondered if she was blushing. It seemed impossible that she could contain so much excitement and admiration without bursting, or at least blushing. She couldn't wait to get back to Tom, so that she could talk more about Harry.
* * *
The first Ginny knew about her fall was when she hit the ground, landing flat on her face but somehow unhurt, except that all the air seemed to have been forced out of her. Rolling onto her side, she squinted into the sun and concentrated on breathing while the fuzziness receded. Then the sun was replaced by a moon-face with blonde hair.
"You should be careful, Ginny. The wrackspurts can pounce when you're unconscious."
"I'm...all right," she choked, but when she attempted to lift her head from the grass she fell back, still dizzy.
"Are you sure you aren't being troubled by them?" Luna asked. Ginny opened one eye again, cautiously. "It's just, you fly perfectly - I've seen you. And you seemed to fall for no reason. You simply dropped out of the sky."
"M'OK," she mumbled.
"Well, I think you should be careful," Luna said. With the sunlight at her back, her hair looked like a halo. "It's a classic sign, you know."
I think it's me, Ginny thought. I think I'm the one who's attacking people: I think Tom's evil, and that he's controlling me. And I don't know how to stop it.
"Here." Luna helped her into a sitting position and placed a magazine in her lap.
"Daddy discusses wrackspurts in the latest issue," said Luna, "and I really think you should read it. Will you promise?"
"I - OK." If I told her, she thought, she might believe me. But then, no one else would.
No. She was going to try Harry first. He and Ron would understand.
* * *
"Hullo, Mrs Weasley. I was wondering if Ginny wanted to come out for a while?"
From the kitchen, Ginny heard her mother say, "Oh! It's Luna Lovegood, isn't it? Goodness, dearie, it's a long time since we've seen you. Ginny!"
She dropped the spinach that she was rinsing and wiped her hands on her jeans as she stepped through to the hall. "Hi, Luna."
"Luna was wondering if you wanted to go out to play," said her mother with the familiar, anxious look that Ginny had wearied of over the past fortnight.
She hunched her shoulders. "Mu-um! We're not kids."
Her mother opened her mouth and then shut it firmly. That, too, Ginny had seen frequently since coming home from Hogwarts. It was getting to the point where she would almost rather be shouted at. Instead, her mother addressed Luna.
"Does your father know you're out this far from home?"
"Oh, Daddy doesn't mind as long as I'm home for dinner," Luna said cheerfully. "Anyway, he promised to make bumbleberry crumble if I brought home enough berries, and the best patch in the county's in Bluewater Dell, so I thought I'd see if Ginny wanted to help." She looked at Ginny, who nodded.
"Well, all right. But I want you back here by five o'clock sharp, both of you. There'll be lemonade and fruit scones, and then either I or Arthur will take you home, Luna. I won't have you wandering the countryside on my watch, whatever your father thinks about it."
"That's very kind of you, Mrs Weasley," Luna said, as if people were always saying this kind of thing to her.
* * *
Bluewater Dell was nowhere near any water, as far as Ginny knew, but it was a favourite hangout for the gnomes that were evicted from the nearby Weasley garden. Ginny yelled insults at them, sneaking a glance at Luna to observe the effect of her shocking language. But Luna was staring raptly at the motley group.
"Aren't they amazing?" she said in a hushed tone. "I wonder if they'd let us get close?"
"They're not amazing when you have to spend every Sunday afternoon chucking them out of the flowerbeds," Ginny retorted. The gnomes were shouting back now, and making rude gestures, so she retaliated with a face that she'd once seen Charlie make and had then spent hours perfecting in her mirror. The gnomes bored of the game soon enough, though. Wandering through the hedge into an adjacent meadow, they began a game of football with a turnip.
"Oh, well." Luna sighed. "You're so lucky to get them in your garden, Ginny."
"Hmm." But the short fight with the gnomes seemed to have cleared a blockage in Ginny's mind, and she felt lighter as she began rooting in the bushes for the juiciest berries. The sun was hot and she'd probably come out in freckles, but it was too beautiful a day to care.
"I'm glad the wrackspurts have gone," Luna said a few minutes later.
Ginny stared at her.
"The ones that were plaguing you at school," Luna prompted. "It was wrackspurts, wasn't it? I was getting very worried about you."
"Oh!" Wrackspurts, thought Ginny. Well, that was one way to describe Tom. "Yeah, I suppose."
"You look much better now," Luna continued, "and of course, you're safe. They never come back once they've been denied."
"He's gone," her mother had wept, squashing her close, but not close enough, while her father had paced in front of the fire and spoken of having words with the Minister about Lucius Malfoy. "He - it - he's gone, and you're safe. You're safe, my little girl!"
Looking at Luna, whose arms were covered in scratches from the bushes, and at the pile of striped bumbleberries between them, Ginny felt for the first time that she believed her mother's words.
"Yeah," she said. "I'm safe."