This is the beginning of a series of tumblr drabbles featuring the delightful Luna Lovegood. Happy reading!
A Day in the life of Luna Lovegood
Luna sighed as she heard a muffled giggle erupt from behind her. They were going to play a trick on her again. It would be the third time this week, and she was starting to wonder if the prizwats were tipping silly dust into the pumpkin juice. Ignoring the laughter, she continued to walk down the deserted corridor. Her footsteps echoed off the vaulted ceiling before trickling back into her ears. The glowing tip of her wand lit the way, pushing away the oppressive darkness with cheerful efficiency. She wasn't supposed to be out of her dorm room at night. Nobody was. Not with the Dementors peppering the sky outside Hogwarts like black confetti.
It wasn't safe. That's what they said. Sirius Black was on the run and until he was caught, they were to remain inside their dorms and tucked beneath their covers. But Luna couldn't sleep and the desire to wander the empty hallways had been too strong to ignore. Besides, she was certain that he wouldn't hurt her. The dream fairy had told her she wouldn't die until she was a wrinkled old woman, grey-haired and stooped over. So she was quite sure that she'd be safe from the insane wizard.
Another hushed bubble of laughter split the silence. Luna stopped walking. She counted the seconds in her head as she waited for them to approach. At eight, she was tackled to the ground. She huffed out a surprised breath as pain slid along her hip and chest. Her arms were pulled behind her back and she was yanked to her feet. Someone else grabbed the back of her neck and pushed until she was bent over. From that position, Luna spotted three sets of legs behind her. Two male, one female.
She heard them whispering to each other, too low for her to understand what was being said. When they began to lead her through the castle, Luna was more bemused than scared. It was actually quite interesting. She'd never studied the flag-stoned floor before. The colour was a mixture of slate and steel and when the light hit it a certain way it seemed to glitter. The surface was pitted and full of shapes that hinted at secret words.
"Where are you taking me?" Luna asked when they began to haul her up some stairs.
"Shut up, Loony!" one of the boys hissed.
The voice was unfamiliar. Although, she had the feeling that she should have recognised it. A puff of icy air brushed her ankles. She took a breath and tasted the night on her tongue. They were taking her to the Astronomy tower. Luna didn't have time to react as they pulled open the heavy doors. She stumbled as they pushed her outside and against a pillar.
"Incarcerous!"
Thick rope appeared to encircle her body, tying her to the pillar. The rough stone bit into the bones of her spine. It happened in the blink of an eye and she didn't have time to react, let alone defend herself. Their footsteps retreated. A startled hiss of air escaped her lips as the door to the tower thumped shut. Heavy silence cloaked her as she stared out at the stars. She blinked, tracing the scattered constellations that decorated the midnight sky. For a moment she remained that way, lost in the twinkling lights before reality set back in. She wriggled her arms but they were trapped against her sides making it difficult for her to take a full breath. Her wand was caught between the strands of rope.
She closed her eyes and dropped her chin so that it touched her chest. Her wispy hair slid around her face, hiding it from view. After a few seconds she began to hum a tuneless lullaby to herself. It was the one her mum used to sing to her. A song of forgotten dreams and lost wishes, blown away by the wind and trapped by a wicked prince.
The surrounding air turned frigid. It bit into her skin with icy teeth, sinking into her bones. Luna watched with growing curiosity as the ground beneath her feet turned grey and then white. She lifted her head. The first thing she saw was the ruffled edge of a black robe. It floated and rippled above the ice-covered stone, filling her vision with obsidian shadows. Up, her gaze travelled, taking in the shredded cloth and skeletal frame. The outline of an inhuman face looked back at her from the confines of a deep hood.
"Hello," Luna whispered to the Dementor. "Have you come for a memory?"
A sigh reached her ears, so low that she wasn't sure that she'd imagined the soft sound. She pulled in a breath of cold air, wincing when it threatened to embed her lungs with shards of ice.
Staring into the hood, Luna allowed a gentle smile to curve her lips. "I have one for you. A memory, I mean." Her eyes lost focus as she tugged it from the hidden depths of her mind. "It's very precious and I think I would rather give it to you, than have you take it from me."
The Dementor hovered in place. A silent presence that sucked the emotions that lingered on the air and left behind a paralysing void. Luna had the oddest feeling that it was regarding her. Pulling the strands of her soul apart to examine what lay beneath.
Spidery hands reached for her face. Fingertips brushed along her cheeks and threaded through her hair. They held her in place, tilting her head back and up. The Dementor crept closer, bringing with it the scent of death and madness. Luna's eyes fluttered shut as she called up her happiest memory. Dry, desiccated lips touched her own, chill breath entered her mouth.
Luna fell back in time, slipping into the memory of a sunny meadow. The air was alive with the sound of buzzing insects, warm sun bathed her skin, her nose filled with the scent of crushed flowers. She was running, chasing after the dandelion seeds her mother was blowing into the light wind.
"Hurry, Luna!" her mother's gentle voice called. "Catch them and make a wish before the prince steals them away!"
Luna giggled, her small hands reaching for the fluffy seeds. The playful wind tugged them out of her hands and she laughed, delighted as they spun up and into the air. She looked back to see her mother twirling, pale blonde hair whipping around her like a banner. Luna rushed towards her, throwing her arms around her waist and spinning with her. She tipped her head back and stared at the fluffy white clouds.
Her eyes widened as they twisted and darkened. The soft edges turned to the colour of slate before flushing black. Luna's face felt sheathed in ice. Her lips were numb. When she looked back at her mother, it was to see her face fading into darkness. Her silky hair evaporated into smoke. She blinked and a tear slid free. When she opened her eyes the memory of her mother was gone and in its place was the Dementor.
Its face filled her vision. Rough lips moving against her own with surprising gentleness, drinking the memory she had been brave enough to give. Luna felt a bony hand trace up her front. She sighed when the ropes dropped to the ground, pooling around her feet like wet spaghetti. The Dementor drifted back.
Luna smiled and bobbed a quick curtsy. "Thank you."
She stepped away from the pillar, careful not to slip on the icy floor, and walked towards the doors. The Dementor watched her the entire time. Luna could feel its stare touching the skin on the back of her neck. Her hands were shaking when she reached to pull open the door. Darkness met her and she fumbled for her wand. Her lips tingled as the numbness wore off.
"Lumos," she said, twisting to close the door.
She was halfway back to the dorm when she stumbled upon Professor McGonagall.
"Miss Lovegood! What on earth are you doing out of your dorm?"
Luna cocked her head to the side. "Hello, Professor. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd have a wander."
"With Dementors prowling the grounds?" McGonagall shook her head in bemusement. "Off with you. Back to your dorm this instance."
Luna blinked before strolling back down the dark corridor.
McGonagall watched until the young Ravenclaw was out of sight. "Such an odd child."
A huge thanks to Catherine Morgenstern for waving her grammar wand. Thanks, dearest. If you guys would like to see Luna paired with anyone in particular then please drop me an ask on tumblr, jheeley. And lastly, please leave me a review and tell me your opinions.