AN: Set 5 or 6 years after the seventh Harry Potter book which, unsurprisingly, I didn't/ will not write. Luna and Collin and all other recognisable characters belong to JK Rowling's imagination. I just play with the action figures…
Luna Lovegood and the Big Blue Sofa
The warm soft material of the blue sofa felt nice to touch as Luna stroked it for a while in contemplation. Quite recently she had bought an apartment over her shop near Diagon Ally but hadn't been able to find wizard furniture to suit the modern look of the flat. So here she was rubbing the fleecy arm of a plush three-seater wondering if the luxury it promised was worth the price.
She touched the arm, she felt the leg then she sat on the middle cushion and laughed softly to herself as the cushion sank with a puff of air. But still, she wasn't sure if this was the chair. Slipping her feet out of her clogs she tucked her legs up under her bum and sat back. The sofa was simply divine. Pushing her legs away lengthways she stretched out and imagined herself to be lying on the velvety underbelly of a giant snorkle beast…
click
click
click
Colin Creevey flashed his camera several times in quick succession. Usually he worked as a freelance photographer but today the Quibbler had commissioned him to follow Quidditch player Viktor Krum and his new girlfriend around Diagon Ally. Colin had hoped that he'd catch them doing something embarrassing (or even better; criminal) but so far he had been disappointed with a mere ten shots of them kissing. When the couple headed back towards the leaky cauldron he decided to call it a day and head home.
Moving swiftly through the Muggle streets with hisface fixed firmly ahead he was surprised to see a mass of people outside the rather expensive furniture shop Harrods. Stopping to see what was going on he overheard an old lady grumbling,
'I don't see what all the fuss is about, these reality window displays aren't worth the price the pay for them. In my day a mannequin or two was good enough for the common folk but no, now they 'ave to go one better and block the bloody footpath in the process…'
Colin followed her as she cleared a pathway through the crowd with her walking stick until he could see into the shop window. The cause of thedisruption became obvious immediately. Luna Lovegood lay sprawled out on the central window display sofa. Colin was absolutely certain it was her; she had recently become the first legitimate seller of enchanted items to Muggle consumers. It had kicked up quite a fuss in the papers but Colin had thought the commotion overrated, the items were only lightly enchanted and your average Muggle wouldn't know. Still a picture of Luna doing something as stupid as sleeping in a shop window would probably reawaken the press's interest and earn him a big fat bonus from the Quibble's new editor. With one finger on the shutter button he raised the camera to take a picture…and then changed his mind. Sighing he tucked the bag under his arm and strode into the shop.
She could hear the heartbeat of the snorkle beast banging like a fist on glass as she slept;
Pound-pound-pound-BANG.
'Luna'
Oh, it could talk.
'Luna, get up!'
A strong arm pulled her into a sitting position and she was unpleasantly surprised when the snorkle beast's sixty eyes turned into thirty spectators staring at her. (A policeman was now attempting to move them along with the assistance of an old lady waving a walking stick.)
She noticed the person who pulled her up also staring at her and glanced over at him. The camera bag and conveniently posed notebook told her everything she needed to know in a second. Turning she ran towards the display door and, although they couldn't explain it later, the two security guards hastily stood aside to let her through.
Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sprinted down the street. How could she have been so damn dumb? Hadn't her father continually stressed to her the importance of keeping your head low in times such as these? That was before he got ill though… afterwards he hadn't made much sense at all just-
'Luna wait!'
Damn, the guy was following her. Scooting down a side lane she whipped off her cloak and turned it to the (invisibility) laced side. It didn't work as a real invisibility cloak would but it should hide her well enough till the journalist passed by.
The problem was he didn't. Luna almost laughed. Almost. He was real Quibbler material this one.
'Luna?'
His voice echoed along what appeared to be an empty passageway. No other exits, no doors so either she disappearated (which wasn't likely given the recent blanket ban on apparition) or she was still here somewhere, hiding.
The thought of a pay rise spurring him on Colin took out the only contraband item he owned, a magical viewfinder, and pressed it onto his camera. Luna showed up immediately to his left as a half-cloaked shadow. Very slowly, with his arm outstretched, he moved in her direction.
'I'd like to write an interview Miss Lovegood and I swear that's all. Just a few questions about how you persuaded the ministry to allow you to sell magical items on a Muggle street. How and why your relationship with the Muggle Liaison Officer broke up, exactly what kind of items you sell and-'
He was within arms reach now,
'Did the recent death of your father affect your-'
WHAM. One swift movement later and Luna was flying barefooted around the corner, her long hair and skirt whipping out of sight behind her. Collin was left clutching in one hand her cloak and in the other his goolies.
End chapter One.
Coming in 'Chapter Two: In witch Muggles and Magic go very well together.'
Colin pays Luna a visit in her shop…
AN: As this is my first on-line Harry Potter fanfic, I'd really appreciate hearing what you thought of the characters as older people. I've tried to mature them from fifteen year olds to twenty three year olds without much background to build on. I gave Luna and Colin professions I thought they might follow and I'm assuming for this stories sake that You-know-who is dead but that some of his followers are still out there wreaking havoc in the wizarding world.
Also, don't worry I do actually have a plot in mind, this was just the introduction! Thanks for taking the time to read,
Galleena.