written for the houses competition, year two, round one
house: ravenclaw
word count: 497
story type: drabble
prompts: "nothing can be that important."
characters: luna lovegood, xenophilius lovegood, pandora lovegood
a thank you to my lovely betas — AJ (nottheonlyfangirl) and niamh (ElectricClover)
saudade
— (portuguese) the feeling of missing someone you love
word count: 497
Luna doesn't understand why her mother won't come back home.
She sits by the window every night, looking out over the moonlit fields, hoping that her mother will appear, arms laden with herbs for her latest experiment.
She never does.
Luna can remember Mum's carefree laughs, the silvery-gold hair that resembled her own so much, and her vibrant, pale-green eyes. She remembers her in her strange lab full of pretty colours, how she would smile softly when Luna would sneak in, eyes wide with wonder.
Luna misses those days. Her father resembles a statue, his eyes dead and unseeing. Sometimes, when she shakes him out of his stupor and asks him when Mum will return, he holds her tight, assuring her that she'll come back soon.
And so, she keeps her hopes up, a smile on her face and joy in her heart because Mum is coming back soon. She does wonder where she's gone but her father doesn't talk about it, so she lets it go.
The hope stays, growing everyday despite the doubtful whispers in her mind. Something is wrong, they say. Very, very wrong.
So when she sees her mother lying weak and pale on the hospital bed, she cannot help but let those malicious voices take over.
Her father is sitting by Mum's side, holding her hand and crying uncontrollably. Her mother shushes him. It will be alright, she whispers.
Luna is still confused — why are her parents so upset? What is going on?
"Luna, darling," whispers her mother. "Come here."
Her feet seemed to weigh her down as she slowly makes her way to her mother's side. Her father has gone to fetch a Healer. Sitting down on a hard stool, she tries to muster up a smile.
Brushing her hair out of her face, her mother says, "Luna, my dear, I — I will be going somewhere — far, far away from here. And — and I can never return." She is interrupted by a violent coughing fit that seems to drain what little energy she has left. "I wish it wasn't this way. When I'm gone, promise me that you'll be brave and wise. You are a treasure, darling. Remember that."
"B-but, Mum… What about us? Daddy and I? Nothing can be that important that you have to leave us, forever! Y-you can't leave us!" Luna can feel the tears forming in her eyes.
Her mother only smiles sadly, her eyes drooping and her hand going limp in Luna's. A soft sigh seems to pass through her lips. Luna nudges her, hoping that she'll awaken.
When her father comes back with a Healer, he finds Luna clutching her mother tightly, begging her to wake up. His heart breaks at the sight and he collapses. No…
When Luna returns home that night, she leaves her father's grip and walks blindly to that old, familiar window, staring out over the moonlit fields again.
Perhaps, perhaps, some day, she'll return.