Silver and Gold

Silver and Gold

The air outside was calm that day. It was early fall and the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were just getting settled into their new timetables. The Great Hall seemed to echo soft voices even when it was empty, as if to remember the last meal that took place there. Some of the more clever Gryffindor students were slowly discovering a small handful of the secrets that the Weasley twins had left behind a year before, and the entire school (except perhaps Slytherin) were still gushing at their departure. Even so early into the school year, the castle was truly beginning to feel like home once more to its residents.

Professor Flitwick's fifth year Charms class was working on a new incantation. After the students seemed to have mastered the spell well enough for class time, an essay was assigned and everyone soon began work on it, talking amongst themselves quietly while Professor Flitwick tended to a pile of papers on his desk.

Ginny Weasley (who this year was best known for being Gryffindor Chaser, and the Girl Who Dumped Michael Corner, Who's Now Going out with Cho Chang - every now and then she was "Ron Weasley's little sister" or "the girl who almost died a few years back") was having trouble with her essay. Normally Ginny did exceptionally well in the class, and Charms was hardly the worst or most troublesome class on her timetable, but this assignment was giving her quite the hard time. Every time she set down her quill to write, she found herself staring out the window instead, her mind gone blank.

She looked around the room to see who might help. She supposed it would be a good idea to ask a Ravenclaw; the only question was who. Those that actually seemed to be paying attention to their assignments (as opposed to giggling, passing notes, and slapping each other on the backs and laughing like the rest of the class) didn't seem too willing to come to Ginny's academic rescue. If ever she caught one of the students' eyes, a cold, hard glare would be returned across the room instead. Ginny sighed.

"You do know what all that is about, don't you?" Ginny turned and remembered that she had been sitting next to Luna Lovegood the entire time; somehow she'd forgotten.

"Huh?"

"My housemates." Luna hadn't looked up once. Ginny knew that Luna was well aware how important this year was (NEWTs were a big thing, everyone knew that) but apparently the girl had found a soft pink paper sheet in her schoolbag and, by the looks of it, had deemed it much more interesting than a Charms essay. Ginny saw that Luna had divided the paper into fours, and was now making tiny folds into one of the square-shaped pieces. "I suspect it has something to do with that tall, dark-haired boy and that Quidditch player - Cho was her name? Well, they're both in my house, you know, and sometimes I hear everyone talking about you and Harry Potter near the fireplace."

"What do they say?" If Ginny hadn't just heard Luna speak with her own ears, she wouldn't have been able to tell that Luna was even involved in the conversation. All her focus was set on that piece of paper, and as they spoke, Ginny watched her fold.

"Well, I'm not sure, but it could have something to do with two certain break-ups that occurred not half a year ago - the ones the whole school still whispers about?"

Ginny looked up. Luna was smiling. Not at Ginny, but more at her moving hands. Ginny sighed again.

"Yeah, I know." She dropped her head into the palm of her hand and her bright red hair (which was glimmering threads of gold from the afternoon sunshine pouring in through the open window) fell out from behind her ear and in front of her face. She looked blankly toward the wall she was facing.

Though Ginny couldn't see it, Luna frowned matter-of-factly and added, "Although, if you ask me, I think they're both just sour over last year's Quidditch season."

"Ron was amazing," Ginny agreed. "He really surprised the whole team with that last game."

"Actually," Luna said, smiling again, "they were really more interested in the flight and Seeking skills of one female Gryffindor redhead, who won a particularly fantastic match one afternoon."

Ginny grinned into her hair. Just as she began to think of something else to say, something large and pink began moving before her, blurring her eyes. She blinked a few times and focused. Luna was twirling a paper bird with large wings around and around in front of Ginny's nose.

"It's beautiful," Ginny said, staring at it. Of course she had seen paper birds before; she'd even made them herself. But the detail in this one was... Ginny couldn't even think of a word for it. No wonder it had taken Luna that whole conversation to make one.

Luna let go and the bird slowly came to life, spreading its wings and hovering.

"It's yours." Luna took a rather fake-looking flower from her schoolbag, pulled Ginny's hair back, and put the flower behind her friend's ear, holding the locks in place. "Plastic never dies."

"Lu--"

"Okay, everyone, time to pack up. Don't forget, those essays are due on my desk Monday morning. If you need extra help, feel free to drop by my office during the afternoon any time this weekend." Professor Flitwick hopped off his stack of books and the students began milling out of the classroom, obviously unenthusiastic about their next classes.

Ginny had totally forgotten about her essay, and now class was over.

"Um, Luna, d'you think--"

The girl had already left, and at their table she had left behind three more sets of pink paper wings.

That night after dinner, Ginny was getting desperate for help. She had already asked every other fifth year in the common room, and even one or two sixth years, but as it was Friday night, most students were off roaming the castle in attempts of finding a source of entertainment. This also meant that they would be back before midnight, having failed, but Ginny couldn't wait that long. It was their first Hogsmeade weekend and she would rather that the majority of her homework was finished. On top of that, there were two or three Quidditch practices being held throughout the weekend - meaning there was even less time to get things done.

So, in a final effort, Ginny headed in the direction of the library. If no one was there to help, she supposed she could put up with asking Madam Pince for some, though it was a resort she really didn't want to think about. Perhaps Ginny would get lucky and find Hermione there. Then again, if she was there, she was probably with Harry and Ron. The three of them were insistent upon being more involved with the Order of the Phoenix, and Hermione seemed to be working the boys harder than ever on research and ways to help out.

Ginny pushed open the doors to the library and skimmed it over for possible aides. Madam Pince was drying her eyes over a sappy romance novel at her desk. Not a rare sight, though it was at times disturbing to see such a strict woman getting so weepy. Hermione, Ron and Harry were tucked away into a corner, their table piled high with books, just as Ginny had suspected. She then noticed a group of Ravenclaw girls whom she knew to be very intelligent (even for members of their house). She began to walk over, but - oh. No, they too appeared to be part of the silver and blue club that wanted to stuff Ginny into a broom closet and never let her out.

Ginny was just about to turn and leave, sacrificing practice (and setting herself up for a lecture from Ron, who turned out to be just as bad as Oliver or Angelina or Anybody Who's Appointed Captain, Really). But as she turned, a very familiar glimpse of gold peered out at her from between a set of bookshelves.

She touched the plastic flower still tucked behind her left ear (it suddenly reminded her of her blonde friend's wand) and made a mental note to keep that paper bird inside her jewellery box once she got back to her dormitory.

Ginny Weasley needed help with her Charms essay, and Luna Lovegood would do just fine. She was in Ravenclaw, after all.