Chapter 21

“Has he ever told you that you were beautiful?” Ashley asked, pacing in the small space of the dormitory.

“Yes,” Luna automatically answered.

“Does he tell you it enough?”

She hesitated; Luna wasn’t the type of girl that needed to be told she was pretty every half hour but she would admit that it was nice to be complimented once and a while. Contrary to what everyone seemed to think, Luna wanted to feel pretty. Draco had told her that she was beautiful once or twice in the last few months but Luna yearned for something more... she wanted someone that would tell her she was beautiful even when she had just woken up, she wanted someone that wouldn’t be afraid to be seen with her... she wanted Draco to call her his girlfriend.

Ashley took her silence as a yes and continued without an answer, “You are beautiful Luna, look at yourself! Flawless skin, perfect hair, I can only wish that I was as pretty as you,” She told Luna sincerely.

Luna shook her head, a small smile dancing on her lips, “you are beautiful Ashley... I know I’m pretty but beautiful? Not so much.”

Ashley rolled her eyes, “yeah, okay. If you don’t feel beautiful then there’s something wrong. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be proud to show the world the beauty that is Luna Lovegood.”

Luna couldn’t help but wonder if that could actually happen. The way Ashley said it made it seem like an actual possibility, not just a hopeless dream that crept into another of Luna’s restful sleeps. She looked at her reflection once more in the large mirror hanging from the wall in front of her, was it possible that Ashley could make her beautiful?

“You’re not talking much Luna... I’ll take that as a good thing, I’m hoping you’re considering this because I think it’ll be a good thing and Gin and ‘Mione both think so too.”

“What!?” Luna questioned, “You got Ginny and Hermione in on this?”

Ashley nodded, “Ginny and I were talking the other night and as far as I can tell, she’s a style expert. Hermione... well, she’s really pretty and is good at making herself look beautiful in the morning but she’ll probably just watch...”

Luna sighed; Ginny was in on this, there was no getting out of it now. Ashley had been planning this make-over for weeks. Everyday she’d go on and on about how she couldn’t wait for the make-over and Luna would just nod and agree, assuming that it would never actually happen. Well, it was happening and she had absolutely no idea how to tell Ashley that she didn’t want a make-over.

“They’re on their way up with the supplies!” Ashley told her happily.

Luna gaped at her. It was happening now!? As if summoned by thoughts, Hermione and Ginny burst into the room, both with huge grins on their faces and armfuls of makeup and hair equipment. Luna’s eyes widened as she took in everything. This was going to be a hell of a make-over.

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Luna looked at herself in the mirror for the millionth time; a permanent smile lighting up her face. Luckily, she didn’t look like the clown she somehow imagined she’d resemble. The girls hadn’t put on a lot of makeup, choosing to instead go for the natural look. They had curled her hair in large ringlets that fell down her back in beautiful blonde waves and chosen an outfit that all of the girls deemed ‘normal’. Luna preferred her choice of clothing but she had to agree that this definitely looked better. The only thing that she was wearing that made her seem of the least abnormal was her earrings. Those she wouldn’t take off, no matter how much the girls begged her.

“Now, for the great unveiling,” Ashley said with an over exaggerated hand movement. She practically dragged Luna down the stairs and into the Great Hall. At first, Luna felt like a complete idiot. That is, until the heads began to turn and the mouths dropped open. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but judging by the glint in the boy’s eyes and the poorly hidden jealousy in the girls, it was a good thing. Her eyes almost instinctively found Draco’s and her lips turned up in a smile when she saw him. He was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes; Luna couldn’t quite place her finger on it. It seemed to be a mixture of shock, happiness and longing but there was something else there, a hard glint merged well with the other soft feelings. She was so lost in Draco’s eyes that she didn’t notice that a small group had crowded around her.

“Luna, you look really pretty today,” a Hufflepuff boy whom she didn’t know by name told her shyly.

Another nameless boy stepped out from the crowd, “Do you maybe want to eat with me, Luna?”

Zack Martinez, a boy in her grade spoke up bluntly, “will you go out with me?”

Luna’s jaw dropped as she took in her little group of admirers and she looked once more at Draco. There was a new feeling overwhelming the earlier ones now; fear. Fear of losing her to someone else, Luna realized with a start. That’s when it hit her; the feeling she’d seen earlier was clearer now.

Determination; Draco was determined to win over her love before it was stolen away.