[A/N] August 29th, 2016 - Songfic requested by itisariddle on tumblr, posted there on August 28th, 2016. For now this is a one-shot.
Song: Brooke Fraser - Bloodrush
It's atrophy in motion | The slowing down of necessary moving parts | It wouldn't be so tragic | If it weren't machinery of the heart
Luna ran her hands under the tap, watching the water wash away dirt and tiny rocks from her fingers after hours spent in the garden. The clear water running up from underground to meet her, to caress her skin and remove the pieces that blackened her fingertips, whispered warm greetings in its cool voices before plunging back down to wait for her to call them again. There were still leaves in her hair from standing beneath the dirigible plums. She could see the uneven hints of color throughout her hair as the tiny green leaves wove through it, creating vines in their adopted home. Leaving her shed, Luna grabbed the dress she'd hung at the door while washing her body, careful not to disturb the leaves moving to crown her head.
Three owls waited patiently for her on the iron fence. None had taken the opportunity to fly through the open cottage window to steal the food she'd made for lunch, all of them taking the time to preen their feathers and hoot at her in greeting.
Hours using her hands sweating away the thoughts plaguing her, she was now ready to receive the letters from each bird. A lively conversation of clicks and hoots spun around her as she welcomed them all into her home to share her afternoon tea before they flew back to their owners. The birds and the woman basked in the quiet of the afternoon.
Footsteps down the stairs in the center of the house, ruffling the feathers of the largest owl before she ran a single finger down its breastbone, disturbed the peace and reminded her why she'd needed the ritual of digging her body and soul into the dirt.
Theo stumbled the last few steps of the staircase and caught his balance on the railing. He remained that way for several breaths, staring at his feet, while Luna dismissed her tea guests out the bay window.
"You should have joined me in the garden," she said while pouring him a cup of tea from the tray. "The sun was hot enough to burn away anything."
"I'm already burning." His long legs made the distance from staircase to table normally in four strides, like when he rushed to scoop her into his arms, but now he made sure it lasted ten.
"From the inside," she replied.
He heavily landing on a chair across from her instead of next to her. One of his fists thumped heavily on his chest where his heart was protected. The thumps were more punches as he repeatedly beat out a rhythm to show her exactly where he hurt, and Luna poured him tea to preoccupy his hands instead. When that failed, she moved to the chair next to him, and grabbed both of his fiery fists into her own.
"One's a letter from Draco to each of us," Luna said as she massaged Theo's knuckles, pried away from intentionally working to maim himself. "He's with Harry-"
"Known that for awhile now," Theo said sullenly. Without missing a beat, Luna squeezed his palms to silence him, granting him a rare quelling look.
"You need to stop the ichorleaf, love," she whispered, moving her hands, still holding his, up to his face to cup his burning cheeks. "It will only keep burning you alive unless you stop."
Theo pulled in a shuddering breath, moving his eyes up to meet hers for the first time in days, wondering how this woman could still love him after he'd-
"I let him go, Luna," Theo choked out. "I drove him away and didn't try to get him back."
"Yes," Luna said, standing up and not breaking their hands' contact. She settled herself down into his lap and moved her hands so her cheek could rest against Theo's. "And the sun will set again before you can go to him. Leave the ichorleaf with me, and find him. You weren't meant to hold the fire, you are our deep sea."
"I am the sea," Theo repeated as he began to breathe more steadily, matching the temp of Luna's chest moving up and down against his own. His voice was desperate as he grabbed for anything he could that would comfort him. "He is the sky-"
"And I am the ship between you," Luna intoned, finishing the enchantress's spell cast so long ago it felt as if they'd always lived as one.
Theo sobbed softly into Luna's neck, his breath as hot as the sun outside, but she held him closer against her sunburned skin. She felt more than heard his whispered pleas of come with me, come with me, please.
Smoothing his hair back from his forehead coated in sweat, Luna kissed all over Theo's face before taking his lips in her own. She could feel some of the false fire within this man, this piece of her soul, draw into her own body and a small part of her was singed nearly beyond repair, until she broke their connection to whisper against his lips, "A ship cannot sail without her sea."