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There’s something about Luna. Ginny can’t quite put her finger on it, but there has always been something about the blond girl that both entranced her and put her off, since the moment they met as babies that could barely crawl. As the only magical girls in the same area around the same age, it was not surprising that their mothers were overjoyed to make them socialize, even though personally Molly Weasley and Pandora Lovegood did not quite see eye to eye.
So Ginny has always known Luna, and she has always known there’s something about her that is different. Luna is not always quite there, and sometimes Ginny isn’t sure if they even live in the same reality. Luna speaks of many creatures nobody’s ever heard of as if they were very much present and real, if difficult to find or see, and she does so with such a matter-of-fact attitude that Ginny is hard-pressed to disbelieve her, even though she thinks she should.
Ginny loved her as a child. Luna’s stories were full of life and magic and adventure, colorful and tangible in a way Ginny’s mother’s simply weren’t.
They grew distant at Hogwarts—the different Houses and the whispers of Loony Lovegood, the weirdo making Ginny keep her distance and pretend they were never close. She regrets it now, after five years of a distance the blond girl didn’t try more than once to breach (Ginny’s fault.) Ginny is glad that the DA formed, not only because it is needed as the war looms closer and Umbridge's classes are a scam, but also because gave her the chance to interact with the friend she has coldly (stupidly) ignored for so long.
(She had missed Luna so much, and she hadn’t even noticed. Ginny is such a fool.)
Harry’s insane plan to go to the Ministry is only possible thanks to Luna’s idea to use thestrals—creatures that Ginny had only vaguely known lived in school grounds but which Luna can apparently not only see but has also befriended.
She’s graceful and sure as she guides them into the Forbidden Forest, pale blond hair swishing behind her as she moves, like a beacon of moonlight.
Ginny envies her. She can barely walk without tripping on the uneven soil, and the others are not much better, huffing and puffing as they hurry to follow. Ginny has to stop a couple of times to help Hermione and Neville back to their feet after they trip and fall. How Luna can move so naturally among the trees in the darkness of the Forest at night is a mystery.
When they finally get to the clearing in which the herd has made their home, Ginny is not surprised to find that she can’t see the thestrals. She knew she wouldn’t be able to, but it’s still quite a relief. Going by the way Harry walks straight to Luna’s side, lifting his hand to pat the not-quite-empty air in front of them—yeah, he isn’t so lucky (and she knew that, too.)
She’s a little bit terrified of the fact that they will be flying to London on horse-like creatures she can’t even see. She likes flying, but that's on a broom, not a living being with its own mind that has a will of its own and which is invisible, to make matters worse. What if she falls? What if…?
A small hand closes around her callused one and tugs gently, making Ginny blink and look down from where her sight had been locked on empty air.
“You can mount with me,” Luna says with a dreamy smile in place, but her eyes are serious and focused in a way they usually are not.
Ginny gulps and nods, squeezing Luna’s hand briefly before letting go. “Okay,” she says, and if her voice trembles a bit she’s electing to ignore it.
As she climbs behind Luna onto their invisible mount, Ginny thinks that yes, there is something about Luna, something mysterious and strange and almost other-worldly, but it doesn’t bother her anymore. In fact, she thinks as the Thestral moves and she hugs Luna’s waist, Ginny’s quite sure that she’s looking forward to actually finding what that something is, to unravel the mystery and finally put into words what is it about Luna Lovegood that fascinates her so.