Slamming the door of the TARDIS shut as he rushed out, pulling on his tweed jacket the man stormed towards the steps of the National Gallery. However he stopped and walked backwards, back to his TARDIS. "I'm sorry," he looked to it and patted it, with a pang of guilt hitting him.
Tripping as he sped up the steps he adjusted his bow-tie, spinning around hoping nobody had seen. As he entered the gallery he looked around desperately. "Don't wander off, why doesn't anybody ever listen?" he asked himself, slapping his forehead.
"Sorry, you haven't seen a red head running round the place, have you?" he turned to a young woman with straggly blonde hair and pale skin, who held her map upside down. "Bloke with her, big nose," he grinned, pointing to his own.
"A red head?" she smiled, looking up from the map. "I know lots of red heads, they're ever so kind," beamed the small girl with wide eyes.
"Right, yes, of course," the man looked quite panicked, "Always wanted to be ginger," he muttered with fierce disappointment.
"Things always have a way of coming back to us, that's what mother used to say" replied the girl in a whisper.
Flashing her a quizzical look the eccentrically dressed man circled her slowly, rubbing his hands as he studied her.
"Are those…" he began, pushing her wavy hair behind her ear, "…radish earrings?" he asked curiously.
"Dirigible plums, help to keep away the nargles," her wide eyes lit up.
Pulling a magnifying glass from the pocket of his tweed jacket the man looked through it, examining her face for a few moments with one eye shut.
"Call me the Doctor," he extended his hand after stuffing the magnifier back into his pocket, "Everybody else does, not sure why. Well actually I do, some people call me John," he rambled and pulled his hand back when she didn't accept the handshake.
"Luna, Luna Lovegood," she smiled, blinking a couple of times. It seemed her eyes were very protuberant, giving her a constantly surprised expression. "Some people call me Loony, but it's just a bit of fun really," she smiled, nodding.
"How.. different," he tilted his head, peering at her necklace, "Butterbeer caps!" he exclaimed, looking at her necklace, his face lit up in excitement. "Oh my," he let out a giggle, "How exciting…" it was if the cogs were turning in his head, figuring something out.
Luna stared around the gallery dreamily, smiling to herself before skipping off to one of her favourite paintings. Swaying as she admired the bright yellow sunflowers of the Van Gogh painting she had not even noticed the raggedy man follow her.
"I've met him," he said quite proudly, "And see that?" he pointed to the 'To Amy' along the side of the vase, "That is my red-headed Scottish friend."
"He is my favourite artist," she kept her eyes fixed on the bright yellows and even brush strokes. "How did you know him, are you very old?" she asked casually.
"Yes... yes," he looked at the floor for a moment, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But actually I travel in a big blue box," he added cheerily. "Which they weren't supposed to wander away from.." he mumbled.
"Who? A big blue box?" Luna turned, for the first time in the conversation looking interested.
"My… my friends," his lips curved into a weak smile, "My TARDIS, wonderful, I could show you if you'd like."
"You're sad," she took a step towards him, "You might smile but your eyes are sad, so very old and sad."
Taken aback the Doctor let out a nervous chuckle. "Me? Never, not at all. I'm okay, I'm the king of okay."
"You should go find your friends, you're lonely without them," she turned back to the painting.
"Yes.." he agreed, looking around the wide room, "Well.. I suspect they won't be around much longer.." he swallowed nervously.
"Why's that?" walking past him to the next painting she wished to admire.
"They always do," he followed her again, "Miss Lovegood? Would you like to help me find them? Perhaps you could come travelling with us," he offered, almost sounding like a plea.
"Where will you travel to?" Luna asked.
"Wherever you want. Anywhere in the galaxy, past, present or future. Sky's the limit," he straightened his bow tie proudly.
"I'm very sorry; Mister Doctor, but Rolf Scamander and I are going looking for Dabberblimps tomorrow, perhaps another time."
"Ah.. yes," he found it most unusual for somebody to be so unphased by everything, not looking for explanations, but for somebody like her she wouldn't need any.
"Hermione says they aren't real but she's a little close-minded," she explained.
A wide smile spread across the Doctor's face, "It can be tomorrow for as long as you want," he urged.
"For those I'd leave behind," she pointed out. "Not for me. I'd love to see the stars though," she admired the sky in the painting in front of her.
"Then come with us," he pleaded, "It gets terribly boring when they disappear for hours on end," he pulled a face of disgust. "Sometimes they even ban me from the swimming pool!"
"Do you know me, Mister Doctor?" her voice was curious.
"Your father," he began, chuckling at her intuition, "Fantastic, wonderful man. I met him when I first found Hogsmeade… I don't know how but he knew all about me," he paused for thought, "You're a lot like him."
"That's kind of you. Daddy knows about everybody, he's a journalist, you know, for The Quibbler."
"Yes, I helped him with an article many years ago.. I had a different face then but.. for him it's only been a few short years."
"That's nice," she turned and skipped past the other paintings, "It was nice to meet you, Mister Doctor," she called, her spiralling curls bouncing as she went.
"Miss Lovegood," he saluted as he saw her disappear and then chuckled to himself. "Luna Lovegood," he said to himself, pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and tossing it in the air.
"RUN!" yelled a panicked Amelia Pond, her husband running behind her, as she grabbed the Doctor, dragging him with her.
"What? What have y-…"
"No time to explain," called Rory as security guards attempted to catch up.
Amy snatched the sonic from the Doctor's hand and rushed out of the gallery, pointing it at the parked TARDIS and the trio rushed inside the blue box.
"I told you not to wander off!" he panted before putting his arms around the couple's shoulders, pulling them close to him and kissing Amy's head. "The Ponds," he grinned, that familiar feeling of loss showing it's face.