Well, this might explain why Luna likes thestrals. It didn't quite seem to belong in Death Comes To Everyone, possibly because Mrs Lovegood doesn't appear in it. Oh, and there might (although I'm not promising anything) be another chapter or two later. But for now it's a one-shot. Yeah, another HP/DW crossover.

Disclaimer: blah, blah, not mine, blah...

Don't cry

DON'T CRY, SMALL PERSON, a voice said.

The girl, her big silvery eyes still shining with tears, looked up, intrigued. No-one had ever called her a small person before. She was always a child, a girl, a kid, Little Moon, Sweetie, but never did anyone call her a person. This was not to say that she wasn't treated like one, but it was still nice to actually be called a small person.

What she saw was quite surprising, although not exactly unexpected, when you came to think about it. She saw the black hood, possibly made of darkness itself, and underneath it the grinning face of a skull. Deep in its sockets tiny points of blue light appeared to be looking at her. It is hard to tell whether this was because she was a witch or because she was a child, or perhaps because she was Luna Lovegood, but she was not frightened at all.

'Are you real?' she asked.

AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE IT, the skeleton replied, I AM.

'Who are you?'

I AM KNOWN UNDER MANY NAMES(1), BUT WHAT I AM IS DEATH.

'My name is Luna,' the girl reached out to shake his bony hand.

I KNOW, he said.

Luna looked once again into what was supposed to be his eyes and decided to ask the question that had been bothering her since the beginning of the conversation.

'Those little lights in your… er… eyes,' she said 'How come they're so far away?'

Death stared at her, puzzled.

'Only the back of your head isn't that far. So how come they are?' she asked again 'Is your head bigger on the inside?'

The Grim Reaper didn't seem to know what to say, so Luna tried to answer her own question.

'Hmm…' she said 'I think in a way everyone's is, isn't it Mr. Death?'

POSSIBLY, Death replied, IN A WAY…

'I mean,' the girl continued 'how else would all the thoughts fit in there? How much space do you think a thought takes up?'

PROBABLY NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS A QUESTION, said Death, who had not been asked so many questions since that time he'd come for that philosopher…

'But more than an answer,' Luna added 'That's why they're always so hard to find!'

WELL, Death said, IT WAS NICE TO TALK TO YOU, LUNA, BUT I THINK I OUGHT TO GO NOW. I AM A VERY BUSY –

'Skeleton,' Luna supplied.

I PREFER TO BE CALLED AN ANTROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION. GOODBYE. I WILL SEE YOU LATER.

'How do you know?' Luna asked. She was only nine years old and all young people know they are immortal.

I MEET EVERYONE IN THE END, Death told her AND BESIDES, I REMEMBER IT.

The girl gazed at him in awe.

'You remember the future?'

YES, I DO, he said, I REMEMBER IT AS IF IT HAPPENED ONLY TOMORROW.

'I don't remember tomorrow,' Luna complained.

I ONCE WANTED TO FORGET IT.

And Luna understood him. Would she want to remember tomorrow? Would she want to have remembered today yesterday? She would have known her Mum was going to die. It sure wouldn't have made her happier.

'And what about Mum?' she changed the subject.

SHE IS IN THE REALM OF THE DEAD, Death said and, since it didn't seem sufficient, he added, I MADE SURE SHE GOT THERE WITHOUT ANY TROUBLES.

'Apart from being dead, you mean?' the tears were appearing in Luna's eyes again.

WELL, YES. IF SHE WASN'T THERE MIGHT BE TROUBLE. BUT DON'T CRY, Death said, ONE DAY YOU SHALL SEE HER AGAIN.

It was strangely comforting.


(1)Including Bill, but that's another story…