A/N: My entry for the Blood-flavored Lollipops: "Which are for vampires. Who kill people. So this story has to be about a character witnesses/causing a death or actually…erm…dying." category in owluvr's Honeydukes Competition. Enjoy! Actually, this almost made me cry as I was writing it. And that was when people started interrupting me, trying to get me to join 'family time' because apparently I had been in my room alone for too long... :P

Little Moon

It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily, and you so little. But know this; the ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them in here. -Sirius Black

Chloe Lovegood was one of those people who was never found without a smile on their face. Despite her tendencies to be a bit eccentric and her strange hobby of taking extravagant vacations with her husband and daughter to various other countries to search for supposed magical creatures, it was known that a quick conversation with Ms. Lovegood would always lift a mood or brighten a day. There was something about her that just made life a little happier when she was around.

Her husband, Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood, was a tall man with sparkling silvery-blue eyes who loved his family with all his heart. He was the well-known editor and printer of the magazine entitled 'The Quibbler', a rather interesting magazine that he printed from the comfort of his own home. It was renowned for its questionable conspiracy articles (usually written by friends Xeno had met on his family's travels), but its sound advice on how to deal with common magical diseases using natural remedies and potions.

Their daughter, one Luna Lovegood and the focus of our interest, was an exact replica of her mother, sharing her dirty-blonde hair and opalescent blue eyes. Having grown up the daughter of two very open-minded magic users, her mind was always open to supposition and strange ideas that might or might not be real. She went along with her father's motto of 'If there's no proof it doesn't exist, it must exist somewhere'.

Our story begins when Luna was nine years old. It was a few days after her family had returned from a five-week trip to Ireland, where they had been searching for Effelbearders, which were more commonly known as leprechauns. Even though they hadn't actually seen any, her mother had collected a promising array of supposed glimpses of the creatures and a detailed map of where they had been sighted.

The young girl was, however, bored at the moment. Her father was reviewing an article on Quarks and their role in Muggle politics. Her mother was consolidating her data and needed "absolute silence". Luna had already gone through all of her books and couldn't find one to interest her. She had resigned herself to looking for patterns in the way that the Borralhoppers were running around on her ceiling.

"Luna! Come and help me with dinner!" Her father's voice came from downstairs.

Springing up from her bed, Luna slid down the spiral staircase that wound through the middle of their cylindrical house and landed neatly on her feet in front of her father.

"Hello daddy!"

"Hi Luna my dear. I was wondering if you could go and fish for some Freshwater Plimpies from the stream today. It's nearing the spring equinox and there should be an excess of them near the bend around Arrow Point."

"Of course I can!" The young girl raced to the front door, blonde hair streaming out behind her.

"Don't forget your wading boots and scarf, Luna. I wouldn't want you to get a cold just as soon as we've arrived home and it's a bit nippy outside."

"Yes daddy."

Sheepishly, Luna turned around and hurriedly pulled on the tall rubber boots and a bright, multi-colored scarf. Then she flew out the door again to the deep laughs of her father, relishing the fresh air.

She made her way past the garden of Dirigible Plum trees, through the field of Whistling Wheat and down to the creek. Picking up her net from the small shack near the water, she ran down to the splashing water, searching for the round fish-like animals.

It was after dinner and Luna's mother had made her famous blueberry muffins. She always did it after going on a big trip.

"How was your day today, Luna?" Chloe asked as they sat on the porch, looking at the stars. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you with your Butterbeer cork necklace you were making, but Alissa from the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures needed my notes by tonight."

"It's alright Mummy. I learned that Borralhoppers fly in different patterns depending on how old they are. The babies prefer circles, while the adults fly in more of a figure-eight movement. I saved my necklace until tomorrow so you could help me."

Chloe smiled down at her little girl, who was still looking up at the night sky. "I'm glad you learned that. As soon as I get back to the Revealing Room I will add it to our journal."

The journal was a book bound in shiny black leather and embossed with shimmering silver stars. Chloe had found it on one of their travels and, after hearing a few of Luna's ideas about magical creatures and the world in general, deigned it to be their shared journal that would hold all of her discoveries in it.

"Thanks Mum."

"Are you ready to go to bed now?" Chloe asked, running her fingers through her daughter's hair. "I think I'm ready to try my Dream Catcher spell now."

"Really? Did you have to figure out how to repel the Nargles, or was it something to do with where nightmares come from? I remember you telling me that you weren't sure which would work."

Her mother had been trying to work out a spell that, when people would sleep, keep nightmares away; for years (like a Dreamless Sleep potion, but only removing the nightmares and leaving the good dreams, and also without the possibility of becoming addicted). She had called the experiment 'Operation Dreamcatcher' and was trying to figure out a way to actually rid the bad dreams from a person's mind instead of just suppressing them. It was tricky work and Luna had been told not to interrupt "for her own safety".

"Actually, I found that it need only be an object in the same room that be imbued with the spell. Though I've only attempted the new and improved spell a few times, it should be safe enough for you to watch me as long as I have erected the proper wards."

"That sounds wonderful!" Luna exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she sat up and excitement filled her eyes. "Can we do it now, mum? Can we, can we?"

"As soon as you've got your pajamas on and your teeth brushed, I'll be ready to show you." She grinned as Luna ran into the house, eager to finish getting ready for bed.

Once Luna had gotten ready, her mother was already waiting in her room. Luna came up the stairs quickly to find her mother breathing deeply, showing that she was getting ready to perform one of her own spells.

"On the bed, Luna." She said in her musical voice. Whenever she let Luna watch her do her own spells she would always put protective enchantments around her to protect her from possible rampant magical energy that could be released during experimentation.

Luna hopped onto her bed and pulled up the covers, leaning back against the headboard. "Love you Mummy."

"Love you more my little Moon."

The words to their usual farewell said (spoken whenever Luna went to bed since she could first remember), Chloe pulled up her sleeves and began to chant in Latin, channeling her energy through her cherry-wood wand and into an intricate Dream Catcher that was suspended from the ceiling.

Luna watched, entranced, as her mother shaped her magic into what she needed. Because she was only nine, she didn't quite understand how her mother was able to shape her magic in such a unique way, but she knew it had something to do with the extraordinary amount of power she had. It sort of 'tuned her in' to the way that magic was and understand a lot about how it worked.

But suddenly there was a change in the rhythm of the spell that her mother was casting. Her chanting grew to a frantic speed and her mother was glowing with an ethereal light that emanated from within.

Eyes wide and frightened, Luna didn't know what to do. She knew that whatever was happening was not supposed to happen and she was terrified at what might happen to her mother, but she remembered what her mother had said about the dangers of interrupting during her work and held her tongue.

Her mother's voice suddenly stopped as though someone had cast a silencing spell on her and the light grew in intensity until Luna had to look away, for fear of hurting her eyes. A wind whipped through the circular room, lifting up papers and books and tossing them to and fro. The only spot left untouched was Luna's bed.

Chloe screamed as all the light seemed to be sucked inward, causing her to writhe with pain at the sudden gain of so much energy.

"Mum!" Luna couldn't help yelling, horrified at what she was seeing.

"Luna."

Her voice was a strangled whisper. Chloe's eyes opened to reveal gold orbs.

"Luna, I just want you to know that I love you."

"Mum! No!" she cried, tears falling down her face. "Please don't go! Please!"

"Sweetheart, I won't ever leave. I will always… be with you. Here." She placed a hand on her heart.

It was getting harder for her to speak as the magic shut her body down from the inside out. She panted with the effort of staying conscious for a few minutes longer.

"Promise me… that you will always remember you're special. That you're my… special little moon."

"I promise." Luna sobbed, wiping the tears away as quickly as they came.

"Never forget to be proud of… who you are, of who… you were made to be."

"I won't."

"Tell… Xeno I… love him."

And with those words, she took her last breath.

The wards around Luna's bed fell, and silence pervaded her room, leaving her feel empty inside.

But as she reached down to close her mother's (now bright blue again) eyes, she felt a wisp of warmth heat her up and dry away her tears. And she could swear she heard her mother's voice whisper in the stillness:

"Make me proud, my little Moon."

fin