Friendship

I tiredly pressed a finger to my temple, gently rubbing it, to relieve myself of the stress that was within me. I was tired, pressured, depressed, and it was all for one reason.

Luna Lovegood.

After our fifth year, we got rather close. For no one can share a life-death experience and not become friends. Even though Luna and I were very different people, we struck off well. Within weeks, we were very close friends.

She was my best girl friend, and most trusted confidante. She knew everything about me, and we were always together, bent over some parchment in the library, giggling over some funny incident by the lake. Wherever she was, I would be in close proximity.

We loved the friendship, for since young, I had always wanted to have a close girl friend to talk to, and Luna was the perfect friend, just like I had always imagined her to be. She was crazy at times, and wild but undeniably intelligent, for she was a Ravenclaw after all. I, on the other hand, was quiet, studious, and never one to talk much.

But under her influence, all changed. I was no longer the good, quiet little girl I used to be. I was much more active, and more sporting. Despite our difference, we were close. And it was all very well.

Even though Luna and I were different people, even from different houses, our friendship sustained. But perhaps because of the differences, we were always arguing. I never understood why she would snap at me, though, suddenly, for no particular reason. It was peculiar, and I could not comprehend the mixed feelings that swirled in my mind.

Our friendship was complex, even more so perhaps, than the one I share with Harry and Ron. But through every argument, and every making up, our friendship held on, and in the end, we always reverted back to friends.

This time, though, it was an entirely different thing. I could not comprehend how a joking sentence I made caused her to simply explode into flames, and rage at me. After which, she had ignored me for the whole day. I re-thought over the events of the past few days, and nothing I did that offended her came to mind.

I was confused, and frustrated. She had no reason whatsoever, to burst out at me, for a crime that I did not commit. Never being a person to keep my emotions in check, I simply allowed my tears to flow when no one was looking. Or so I thought.

Hannah saw my tears, and immediately, she was there for me, with a handkerchief, with wonderfully comforting words. Her words brought a smile to my lips, and cheered me up immensely, though in the depth of my heart, there was still this aching emotion, my heart was still bleeding.

I would admit it to no one, but it hurt deeply. As observers, all the other girls understood. They knew what I was feeling. But they kindly kept quiet about it. They merely allowed me to enjoy their presence, to be grateful to them for being there.

It was only until later that someone came up with a theory. The correct theory. Luna was not one to reveal her true feelings. She kept all her emotions to herself, and she never told anyone things about herself. Even though she had a crazy exterior, inside, her heart was battered and bruised by many a thing that other people had said.

And humans cannot bottle emotions very well. She could not contain it any longer, finally. She needed a way to let go of her feelings, and by looking for that minute reason to pick a fight, she had screamed at me, wanted to get rid of the feelings inside her.

I finally understood.

But it did not lessen any depression I felt. I wrote her a letter, hoping she would understand, but within an hour, I was already convinced she would not reply to it, even though I did not know if she had read it or not. My heart fell.

That night, I couldn't sleep. It was horrible, and my thoughts kept turning towards the scene, replaying it, over, and over again. Finally, I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning, Harry brought me my breakfast up. He knew there was something wrong with me, even though I said nothing. Gratefully, I accepted the bread and butter he got for me. Then, he gently tugged at my arm, and led me to the lake, so that I would tell him what happened.

My words came out in one huge tumble. So did all the emotions, all the feelings. He listened sympathetically, allowing me to rant, and put and arm around me, trying to comfort me. My tears came again.

Later that day, as we headed towards our first lesson, we encountered Luna. She had an apologetic look on her face, as she faced me. Harry decided to leave the two of us to it. The corridor was thankfully empty.

Silently, she handed me a letter, and her eyes willed for me to understand, before she wheeled around, and left, following being Harry towards the first lesson. My first thought was to throw the letter away, to just tell her that I was giving up on all this. But finally, I unfolded the parchment, and my eyes took in her explanation.

Without another word, I hurried after her, and tapped her shoulder as she turned around.

"I understand," I said softly.

With a smile, she hugged me, and we released each other, our spirits lifted. We were friends once more.