pariahs // a linny story

thestrals

ginny's three friends had eagerly claimed an empty carriage, and beckoned to her to join them. ginny reluctantly agreed, for she was now expecting the same lonely feeling that she had felt before.
"five to a carriage! only five, now, that's it..." hagrid shouted over the noise of the many students rushing to grab a carriage with their friends.
"o, 'lo, luna! how 'r we today?" ginny heard hagrid say.
she whipped around, eager to see the girl who she had missed the entire summer more than any of her other friends.
"very well, thank you. how are the thestrals?" luna responded in her dreamy, far-away voice. ginny grinned from ear to ear a grin that her words, even if she had them, could not describe. it seemed as if luna had heard the smile on ginny's face, for she looked right up at ginny and gave a smile of equal proportion.
"ginny!" she cried, and raced over towards the carriage. she pat the thestral that pulled it, which gained her some odd looks. but of course, she didn't care. she never cared.
talin, alina, and saige exchanged looks as luna climbed into their carriage, making it exactly five people. they didn't like luna much, and thought that she was odd for the way she dressed and the "weird" things she believed in.
ginny's response had been that judging people because they wear different clothes or have different beliefs than you is one of the lowest things a person could do.
the three gryffindor girls giggled as luna walked past them, whispering and pointing.
luna ignored them.
ginny stayed silent.
luna sat down next to ginny, and smiled her heart-warming smile again. "ebony is pulling this carriage." luna said, looking off into the distance at the thestral in front of her. luna had named all the thestrals and could tell them all apart -- a skill ginny was still mystified by.
luna's comment resulted in more giggles from the other three girls in the carriage that weren't ginny -- for they could not see the thestrals.
they were lucky.
ginny felt a sudden anger. didn't those girls understand how much she and luna had been through? didn't they understand how much death hurt? she wanted to tell them how much pain it cost her, how much her and luna had to deal with, how grief had changed her life entirely for the worse.
but of course, she couldn't.
she had a feeling she was in for a long year.
she had no idea.