Chapter Text
There's not much else that can beat the views of the Scottish Highlands on a clear day. You can see almost everything from a height, too; the sprawling hills and sparkling waters seem almost like a paradise compared to the mess of a city that many leave behind to see this magical place. Magic, of course, is a pastime the Highlands know well, a secret well hidden within its beauty well-kept by Mother Nature for many, many years.
Of course, glass can take away some of that beauty, especially if it has been smudged with sticky hands. It's all you can expect from a train built to withstand a school's entire student body- fingerprints on the windows is the bare minimum for that type of glass. Y/N couldn’t help but wonder if there was any way to clean the years of grime off of the window pane she stared out of, although it was highly unlikely. Whoever cleaned this poor train must have tried a spell or two in their time, but obviously to no avail, or she would be able to see the grassy plains outside more clearly.
To think of it, Y/N had probably added to the issue herself as a first year. She had always sat in this compartment, each one of her previous four years at Hogwarts proving nobody else would, and it wasn't likely that anybody would join her this year, either. There was too much talk of 'Harry Potter' this and 'Ministry' that for anybody to even bother. The events at the end of the last term weren't exactly ideal, but when had school ever been ideal with Harry Potter running around? It was mainly a mystery to Y/N as to why everyone cared so much about his escapades, as if nothing like them had happened the previous year. She was so invested in her thoughts that she almost missed something in the reflection of the grimey window that seemed out of the ordinary. It was rather close to the glass, and was apparently talking to her.
"Do you have a headache?" Y/N panned her eyes to the seat across from her, where a blonde-haired girl sat calmly before her. She'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere, suddenly caring about a headache that she didn't have. Y/N shook her head and turned back to the window, almost willing this uninvited guest to get up and move on. She did the exact opposite. "Are you sure?" She asked, leaning in closer. "Wrackspurts are tricky creatures to find." It then dawned on Y/N who this was. She'd never personally seen her year's favourite victim of their jokes in person, but how could you mistake a Lovegood for anybody else? You couldn't; not one other wizard or witch outside of their family believed in 'wrackspurts', so you'd know by the mention of them.
Turning to face the infamous Luna Lovegood, Y/N gave a tired smile. "Don't worry, I'm completely free." Luna tilted her head. "Can you see them?" She pushed the bright glasses on her face up to the top of her head, her blue eyes filled with genuine wonder. They were a nice kind of blue- like darkened diamonds, glittering in the early autumn light that filled the carriage. If you stared for long enough, perhaps you'd drown in the deep blues of her irises, but with no want or need for a rescue; you wouldn't want to, losing yourself in those eyes would be far, far better than..
Y/N snapped back into reality, registering the patient look Luna wore on her face. "No, no, I just don't have a headache," she said quickly, which apparently satisfied the girl. Most people would have left here, however she did not. Instead, she set the stack of magazines in her arm down on the seat beside her and held out a hand. "I'm Luna, who are you?" Y/N took that hand and shook it gently. It was oddly soft, which took her by surprise. She almost forgot to respond as a result. "I'm Y/N," she choked out eventually, smiling politely. She quickly withdrew her hand from Luna's, tucking it into her lap as if a protective measure was needed from any further contact. Luna smiled in return, placing her own hands on the edges of the seat she sat on. For once, she turned her focus to the window, and Y/N couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief; those crystalline eyes no longer bore into hers, pulling her into their depths like some kind of siren.
This was how they remained for a good few minutes. The Highlands were entrancing after all, and Y/N found herself staring back out at them after awhile, joining Luna in her watching. It was quiet, but this was the kind of peace Y/N sought after, so she didn't have a reason to complain. It was almost comforting to have Luna sat with her, her eyes darting across the moving landscape in pure silence, enveloped in a world of her own. Y/N couldn’t help but glance over at the girl a couple of times, the dreamy look on her face pulling a smile onto her own, but she wouldn't look for too long for fear Luna would notice her watching. Would she care? Perhaps not, but it wasn't something that Y/N planned on finding out.
Suddenly, Luna turned, a curiosity settled on her face. "Are you a Ravenclaw?" Y/N nodded, still looking outside. The castle was nothing more than a dot on the horizon, but they were fast approaching. Watching it grow to full size was one of her favourite parts of this journey, and it always would be. The only thing that made it better was the fact that she had company for once- company that was talking still, yet she hadn't heard a word. Her eyes still set on the castle, Y/N tried to catch up with Luna's conversation.
"..you must sleep in my tower, so I wonder how I have never seen you before," she was saying, completely caught-up in her troubles about this. How was it so hard to understand? Y/N smiled at her again. "I've been here the whole time, don't you worry," she reassured, gingerly patting the girl on the shoulder. Luna hummed in response, her attention falling back to the window.
This time, Y/N did not follow suit. She sat at a slant, partially focused on the castle, partially on Luna. Her blonde hair cascaded in tiny waves down her shoulders as she took in the view, her eyes sparkling with the same wonder they had earlier. She seemed to be in a trance, transfixed on the natural beauty outside, her expression blank but happy- content with life was what she was. Y/N sat back in her seat, her attention more turned towards the castle as it began to loom over the train, the sky darkening around its grand stone walls as candles flickered in every window. Something felt different about this year- something that wasn't the looming threat of Deatheaters and wars that everyone had talked too much about ever since their past year at Hogwarts. She glanced once more at Luna, the lights of the castle reflecting in her eyes like stars in the night sky as they entered the station.
It was probably her.