Chapter 1
Luna had always loved the fourteenth of February when she had been growing up. She had always exchanged gifts and presents with each other over breakfast, and then spent the whole day together, fishing for plimpies, or just curled up by the fire reading to each other. Sometimes she had sat on her mother’s lap, and they had told her stories about Hogwarts back in their day.
Valentine’s day was about love, and luna’s parents had always shown her that love didn’t have to be between two people, a husband or a wife, or a girlfriend and boyfriend, but anybody. Love was a very precious thing which was supposed to be shared, whether that be loving a pet, or a family member, or a friend, it didn’t matter. Any kind of love was a special thing, and it was to be cherished.
Her mother wasn’t with her anymore, she had died nearly seven years ago when Luna had only been nine years old. Luna still missed her Mummy, but losing her had reminded her that the friends and love that she did find, only had to be cherished even more.
Luna didn’t have a boyfriend. Oh, she liked boys, that wasn’t the problem, just none of them seemed to like her. They all thought she was crazy, or away with the fairies, they called her Loony. To be fair, half the girls called her Loony too.
To be honest, though, she hadn’t met anyone that she felt that way about, but she knew that romantic love was the sort of thing that she’d know the moment she felt it. So she didn’t worry, because she knew when she met the right person she’d be happy.
For now, though, she had more than enough love, between Daddy and her friends, she had so much love, she sometimes felt like she was slightly spoilt.
Her friends though had gone slightly crazy over love, over the last few months. Harry was busy mooning over Ginny, but Ginny was dating Dean Thomas. This always amused Luna, because Ginny had been lovesick over Harry for years, but now that Harry had actually noticed Ginny, she was dating someone else.
Luna didn’t quite like Dean, if she was hanging out with her best friend Ginny and her boyfriend Dean, he’d always try and hide his snickering if Luna started talking about nargles or crumpled horned snorcacks, and she knew he laughed about it with Seamus later.
She didn’t mind Dean laughing about her, Merlin knows everybody else did, but she didn’t like people talking about others behind their backs. If someone had to say something about her, they could say it to her face, or not at all.
And then there was Hermione and Ron…..
They were not happy, and they hadn’t been for months. Hermione had realised she was in love with Ron, but Ron had been busy snogging Lavender Brown in every dark corner, or cosy armchair that he could find for three months. Hermione and Ron were hardly even talking to each other, and Harry was usually having to act as the peacemaker between his two best friends.
The only one of her friends who seemed to be entirely happy with his love life was Neville. Neville was much more level headed and shy than her other Gryffindor friends, but he had started going out with Hannah Abbot a few months ago. They shared a love of herbology and would spend hours in the greenhouses together.
Luna had decided that it was time to remind her friends of the importance of their friends and that boyfriends and girlfriends may come and go, but friends would always be there. But she had a plan!
She had woken up extra early, making five handmade invitations. Valentine’s day was on a Sunday this year, so even if they spent the day with Luna they would still get to spend the evening with their other halves.
She cast a quick drying charm on the handpainted invitations and skipped down to the Great Hall in a jumper and pair of jeans. She didn’t stop at the Ravenclaw table, but first of all, went to the Hufflepuff table where Neville was having breakfast with Hannah.
‘Good Morning Neville, hi Hannah,’ said Luna slightly dreamily holding out one of the invitations to Neville.
‘Happy Valentines day Neville,’ she beamed.
‘Um thanks Luna,’ said Neville smiling slightly as he took and opened the envelope.
‘Room of Requirement, 10 o’clock,’ said Neville, ‘can I bring Hannah?’
‘The more the merrier,’ said Luna skipping off to the Gryffindor table.
She gave Harry and Hermione their cards, they were slightly confused but said they would come all the same. She also invited Ginny and Dean if he wanted to come. Dean though said he had to do his Potions homework, Ginny glared at Dean as she knew for a fact he no longer took potions, but Luna tried to pretend she hadn’t seen it.
That only left Ron and Lavender, who were practically sitting on each other’s laps, and feeding each other breakfast. Lavender’s friend Parvati was sitting next to them and looking completely disgusted.
‘Morning Ron, Happy Valentines Day!’
‘Um Luna,’ said Ron, ‘i’ve already got a girlfriend.’
‘Do you now?’ said Parvati raising her eyebrows sarcastically, ‘I would never have known!’
‘It’s not a romantic card,’ said Luna, ‘it’s a friendship Valentines.’
Ron smiled in relief and took the card from Luna, but then froze for a moment.
‘It doesn’t sing does it?’ he asked dubiously, remembering Lockharts singing Valentines from Luna’s first year.
‘Not the last time I checked no,’ said Luna.
‘Well that’s alright then,’ beamed Ron.
‘Room of Requirement,’ said Ron in interest, ‘i’ll see you there in half an hour.’
‘What about our special Valentines day plans?’ sulked Lavender.
‘Those are tonight,’ reminded Ron.
‘Come on Lav,’ said Parvati pulling Lavender away from Ron before they started snogging, ‘let’s get our Divination homework done.’
Lavender blew Ron a kiss as she walked away, and Ron caught it, grinning foolishly.
Now that everyone had been invited, Luna had to go and check that the room was ready.
She had arranged with her friends the house elves for lots of food to be sent up to the room, and she had tried to prepare for every possibility in the room, there was lots of squashy armchairs and sofas, a magical wireless and record player, lots of books for Hermione of course, and even a large assortment of muggle board games.
She got up to the room, and arranged all the snacks and drinks on a table at the side of the room, and carefully arranged some flowers in a vase in the middle of the room. Just as she finished putting up the banner, Neville and Hannah came walking into the room.
‘Happy Friendship Day indeed Luna,’ laughed Neville, reading the banner.
‘Thank you for inviting me Luna,’ said Hannah.
‘That’s quite alright, I invited Dean and Lavender too, but they didn’t want to come.’
‘They’re missing out then arent they?’ laughed Hannah going over to inspect the board games.
‘Oh you’ve got Operation!’ she exclaimed, ‘Justin’s told me about that.’
Neville and Hannah went through the board games, while waiting for the others to arrive. Ginny then arrived, followed not long after by Harry and Hermione, and then finally Ron.
‘What are you doing here?’ snapped Ron seeing Hermione reading on a sofa.
‘I could ask the same thing to you,’ said Hermione cooly as she turned a page, ‘i’m surprised you and Lavender can survive without each other for a whole day.’
‘For God’s sake!’ groaned Harry.
‘Can you two please stop fighting just for one day!’
‘If not for yourselves then for Luna?’ said Ginny.
Hermione nodded shortly and put her book away, and Ron grumbled ‘fine,’ under his breath.
Luna beamed at them both, she was smiling so much, her face almost hurt.
‘So what are we going to do today then?’ asked Ginny tuning the wireless, trying to find a station.
‘Well, we’re celebrating a different kind of love, that of friendship.’
‘We don’t have to give presents do we?’ asked Harry who hadn’t brought anything.
‘No, you only need to bring your lovely selves.’
‘We’re going to do whatever you all want, as long as we do it together.’
‘The Chudley Cannons are playing this afternoon,’ exclaimed Ron, ‘can we listen.’
‘Only if you and Ginny don’t fight over if the Harpies are better,’ laughed Neville.
‘There’s only one rule for friendship day,’ said Neville.
‘No there isn’t,’ interjected Luna.
‘Oh yes there is,’ laughed Hannah, ‘Neville just made it, no fighting!’
‘Now come on Harry, Hermione,’ said Neville, ‘show us how to play muggle board games!’
They spent the morning eating unhealthily large amounts of chocolate and sweets and playing Monopoly, and Operation. In the afternoon, they listened to the Quidditch match, even Hermione got involved, and she hated Quidditch.
By the end of the day, Luna had achieved her aim for their first-ever Friendship Day. Ron and Hermione were friends again!
They had talked it all over, and Hermione had apologised for being jealous of Lavender, and Ron had apologised for being jealous about Viktor Krum.
It was the best Valentines day ever.
