AUTHOR NOTE: Greetings and welcome to my first publication on FanFiction...well anywhere really. I do hope you enjoy the journey and please feel free to leave comments, concerns, questions, or thoughts.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing in her world.
Disclaimer the 2nd: This story contains gender bending. If it's not your cup of tea, go play Warcraft or something.
Prologue: After the defeat of Lord Voldemort, everyone had returned for their 7th year at Hogwarts, even Draco Malfoy. However due to being out for a year, Ginny and Luna were now in the same year as the rest of the gang. There had been an accident in potions class. One that had left young Harry Potter female and nobody was quite sure how. Even Madam Pompfrey seemed stumped as she tried to figure out how to reverse it. Eventually Harry was released with a promise that they would work on it. That was two weeks ago. Since then Harry has had to go by Harriet and moved to the girls' dorm of Gryffindor.
Luna Lovegood approached her friend who was sitting on the stairs. To her it didn't matter if her friend was male or female, she was still a friend and Luna didn't have many of those. She was used to solitude and having every think she was "Looney." "Hello Harriet Potter," she exclaimed with her quirky cheerfulness. She waited a moment and when her friend didn't respond she became concerned. "Harriet Potter?" she asked concerned. As she knelt down beside the girl whose long black hair was covering her face, she saw tears. She hugged her friend in an attempt to calm her down, for she too knew what it was like to experience such sadness.
Harriet Potter was startled out of her dazed state by someone hugging her. She immediately recognized the long platinum waves as those belonging to her friend Luna. One of the few she had remaining. While she was the talk of the school after the accident people avoided her. Even her best mate Ron was a bit distant after the occurrence. Hermione said it was weird for Ron to see his best friend as a girl (a fact Harriet couldn't argue with. It was weird for her too) and that it would just take some time for Ron to come around. But he hadn't yet. In fact, he almost seemed to be avoiding Harriet like she had the plague or something. The attention and affection Luna was showing her was something she hadn't received a lot of lately and she was glad for the comfort. She returned the hug with tears still stinging her eyes.
Luna released the hug so she could look into her friend's eyes "what's the matter," she asked, genuinely concerned. "It's Ginny," came the reply, "she broke up with me saying that she could never be with another girl. I told her I wasn't really a girl and she said I most definitely was. She said she had waited to give them time to fix it but they just weren't. That it was like they had given up and besides she didn't want to be seen as "that kind of girl." She said that if I ever became me again we could talk about us again but she wasn't promising anything." Tears resumed streaming down Harriet Potter's face. "I'm sorry Ginevra did that Harriet Potter. For what it's worth I think she is crazy because you are quite beautiful." Luna blushed as she said that and quickly changed the subject. "Would you like to go somewhere else?" Harriet nodded and Luna lead her through the courtyard, away from prying eyes, and down to a secluded spot by the lake.
When they got to the lake they both sat down and just stared out over the water with Luna sneaking glances at her friend to make sure she was ok. Finally Harriet broke the silence, "I feel lost Luna. These past few weeks have been quite trying. I've lost Ginny. I've lost Ron. Hermione tries but I don't know. I'm sure she's just as weirded out as Ron. Everyone else….everyone else just avoids me. I mean even Malfoy who has been a torment since before we even arrived our first year is scarce of late." A few moments of silence passed before Luna responded. "Well I'll always be here for you Harriet Potter. Whether you remain this way or find a way to change back."
Shocked and surprised Harriet turned to her friend and found Luna was staring back at her smiling. There was something different about her today. It was almost like she was seeing Luna for the first time. Their eyes met and Harriet smiled for the first time in weeks.
"Luna…."
"Yes?" she replied questiongly.
"I….well…that is….I mean…" Harriet found herself stumbling over her words for the first time in a long time. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself despite her nervousness and racing heart. "What I meant to say is thank you. I mean it. Having you here with me when everyone else is…." she let that trail off before continuing, "well it means the world to me and I want you to know that if you ever need anything I am here for you too."
"Well now that you mention it there is," replied Luna with a devilish grin on her face. In an instant she had leaned in and gave Harriet a kiss on the cheek. Before Harriet had time to respond Luna had turned back toward the lake. Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Look at the Thestrals!" Harriet wasn't paying attention to the Thestrals though. Her mind was racing with what just happened. Her hand touched her cheek where she had been kissed, the sensation still there. "What did this mean," Harriet thought to herself, "Does this mean….it couldn't….me?" Luna, of course, was still paying attention to the Thestrals flying over the lake, occasionally swooping down just to get their hooves wet, and none to the girl she just shocked.
After a few more minutes of quiet contemplation Harriet had to know. "Luna. I'm confused…" Before she had a chance to respond Luna interjected, "Don't worry about it. Happens to me quite a bit. It is probably just wrackspurts. Why I remember this one time…." Now it was Harriet's turn to interrupt, "No Luna. That's not what I meant…" Luna looked confused for a moment before responding, "oh…well…..what did you mean then?"
Harriet turned red and asked, "what I meant was do you…you know…like me?"
"Of course I like you Harriet Potter! We're friends."
"I meant do you….um…like me like me? Like you know…." Once again Harriet was stumbling for words unsure of what to say.
"Like you like you? What do you mean?" Luna asked.
"I mean are you interested in me?" Harriet responded. She wanted an answer but Luna wasn't making it easy. Either she was teasing Harriet or legitimately didn't know and Harriet found both scenarios frustrating.
"Why you're one of the most interesting people I've ever met. I mean you're a fantastic witch and one of the most talented that I know. Not to mention your battles with Voldemort and your recent change," Luna stated matter of factly.
"Not am I interesting. Are you interested? As in dating me?"
Pretending to be shocked Luna replied, "Interested in dating you? Why Harriet Potter I had no idea you had such feelings!"
Harriet Potter turned a bright red and had a hard time forming a complete sentence. "But you…..and then there was….and you said…."
Luna laughed and smiled at the reaction of her friend. To her it was funny to see her friend act this way when she was normally the cool, collected, take charge one. "You're a funny one Harriet Potter. Anyway, now that you're feeling better I have got to get going. I've been meaning to do a bit of research. I'll see you later!" With that she stood up, twirled around and skipped merrily back to Hogwarts leaving Harriet to her own thoughts. She lay back on the grass and reflected on recent events.