"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
- Dr. Seuss
i. dreamer
They called him weird–odd, strange, crazy.
Perhaps they were right–but he's always considered himself a dreamer.
:-:
It started with books. Ones of fire-breathing dragons, of distant lands, of time-travel and saving the world. His classmates thought he was a nerd-his brother found it stupid–and his parents constantly nagged him to go outside. He would reply that he was outside; he was battling a villain and rescuing a beautiful princess for crying out loud! At this, his mother would shake her head and roll her eyes–while his father would laugh and argue that if the princess was beautiful, she deserved to be saved. His father always said things like that.
He was up far later than he was supposed to be, re-reading his favourite book yet again-a flashlight in his hand, eyes swerving back and forth as he read, pages flipping at a rapid pace. Stories were so much more to him than combinations of 26 letters on sheets of parchment.
He pretended he was on missions, he would have sword fights with small butter knifes against himself; he'd talk to the air as if he were talking to someone.
His family learned to accept it, but soon Colin was turning ten and it was no longer okay for him to obsess over books and have imaginary friends.
ii. capturer
On his tenth birthday, his mother told him to get a new hobby-other than reading-and bought him a science kit hoping he'd take a liking to it. It got thrown into a cabinet and was never used, but soon he discovered his love for taking pictures. He bought a cheap disposable camera with his allowance and took it everywhere with him, snapping about a dozen pictures each minute. His father bought him a better camera for Christmas, and Colin was overjoyed.
"Why do you like it so much?" His father asked one day. "Taking pictures, I mean."
Colin had an answer, because his teacher, who had heard the multiple clicks of the camera during his lectures, has asked him this question before.
"I like to capture moments."
iii. enchanter
He had received it not long after his eleventh birthday, which had been celebrated with a small cake and a tasty dinner. His father gave him some film for his camera, and his mother gave him a new suit for her sister's upcoming wedding. Dennis gave him a hand-made card and a book (which, without a doubt, was just another gift from his parents.)
It came in the mail–Dennis was the one who discovered it. "Mum, Dad–it's a letter for Colin!" He ran to the dining room, where his father was signing papers for his work and his mother was sewing up Colin's ripped shirt. Colin ran down the stairs two steps at a time, excited seeing as he never got a letter. Dennis dropped it on the table and everyone crowded around it.
"Mr. C. Creevey–" Dennis began, but Colin snatched it before anyone could read any more. He opened it hastily and threw the envelope on the floor, his eyes scanning the letter faster than ever. Eyes widening, he stared at his parents and handed the letter to them, as Dennis was jumping up and down trying to read it, too.
They took much longer to read it then Colin, but he could see their shock increasing as they read each word. When his mother finished, slightly before his father, she stared at Colin and said, "You're a wizard!" He wasn't sure if that was a question or a statement.
He grinned and soon everyone did, too. "That's brilliant!" His father exclaimed, and hugged his son. "It's just like your books!"
"They're called enchanters, not wizards!"
"They're the same thing!" Dennis cried exasperatedly, and everyone laughed. Colin agreed and said, "Fine, fine, they're the same…"
Though secretly he still liked enchanter better. It sounded more magical.
iv. wonderer
"Have fun!"
"Remember to send us letters every week!"
Colin was leaving to go to Hogwarts, and he was so very excited. His parents gave him a quick hug, his mother pecking him on the forehead more than necessary. Dennis acted like he didn't care, but Colin knew that he'd miss him.
"I'll bring some cool magic stuff home," Colin said to Dennis. His brother grinned and said he couldn't wait.
"What are you going to say to the school?" Colin asked, this time speaking to his parents. "I mean, you can't say I've just…vanished. They'll think I died or something!"
His father chuckled. "Don't worry, we've sorted it all out. We said you're going to live in Scotland with your grandmum."
"I don't have a grandmum-!"
"Ah, but they don't know that, do they?" His father winked.
Colin checked his watch. "It's almost eleven o'clock! Got to go!" He waved good-bye and took off with his trunk and his new owl, Magus.
As he ran towards the train, he wondered about all the things he'd learn, the friends he'd make and the sights he'll see.
He wondered if he'd fit in.
v. admirer
It was almost the end of the school year when he met her. He had been petrified earlier in the year and his parents were very scared–they even considered pulling him out of school. He explained to them that he loved Hogwarts and he didn't want to leave, so his father, knowing how much Hogwarts meant to him by the letters he sent, let him stay.
Colin didn't know exactly why he loved Hogwarts so much–maybe magic just fascinated him. He was rubbish at Quidditch, but he loved to watch it and cheer on Harry. Harry was so humble, he never admitted to being famous, although he was very much so. Colin admired him quite a lot.
Or maybe it was her.
They met in Astronomy, when the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw First Years were taking the class together. She talked of things Colin have never heard of, but then again Colin was still learning about the magic world. She was wearing peculiar earrings, and many people were staring at her oddly, but that didn't stop him from talking to her. She seemed very friendly.
They only saw each other three more times, but each time she would help him and whisper the name of the constellations in his ear. Sometimes she was wrong, but it was okay. His mark would've been much lower if it weren't for her.
Soon it was the last day of school–Colin was exiting the Great Hall and was heading towards the Gryffindor Common Room where his trunk and owl were waiting, when she greeted him on his way out.
"Hello, Colin!" She said in her dreamy, happy voice. "Thank you for being so nice to me. I'm very happy that you talked to me during our Astronomy lessons. No one ever talks to me, they think I'm strange."
"You're not strange-" Colin started, although he didn't really believe it.
"It's okay, Colin, you don't have to lie to make me happy. You're already plenty nice."
Colin didn't know what to say, but fortunately he didn't need to. "Have a good summer break," she called out as she skipped away, "and watch out for the nargles!"
:-:
It was now a week into summer break, and though taking photographs with his new camera was fun, he couldn't wait to go back to Hogwarts. He lay on his bed and thought about everything that happened to him in the past year and a half, and grinned. I'm lucky to have magic in my life, he thought. In that moment, he felt as if his life couldn't have been better.
He was also glad to have met Luna Lovegood.
vi. accepter
Summer was finally over, and he was standing on the platform waving good-bye to his family once more. He grabbed his belongings and stepped onto the train, searching for an empty compartment to sit in.
Last year he had sat with some nice Hufflepuff and Gryffindor boys, though back then none of them knew what house they'd be sorted into. This year, he found a compartment, empty except for a blonde girl in Ravenclaw robes. She was reading a magazine–The Quibbler, Colin observed-and was wearing an odd bracelet of what looked like mini cauldrons. They boiled and bubbled like a real cauldron.
"Cool bracelet," Colin said, as he sat down across from her. She beamed.
"Thank you. Most people think it's a bit odd. Perhaps that is why you are my friend, you accept me for who I am."
:-:
In Colin's second year at Hogwarts, they became closer friends–studying, talking, laughing more than before. She asked him to sit with her at the Ravenclaw table, but when she got back the table was full. No one moved over when she asked them to, so she suggested they ate outside near the lake. It's nice there, she said. I love dipping my feet in the water.
He wished he stood up for her, he wished he had demanded the older Ravenclaw students to move over and stop treating Luna so harshly. But he didn't, because he was too scared. He often thought that the Sorting Hat must've made a mistake–he couldn't possibly be a Gryffindor.
vii. knower
Ever since he started to read, he had dreams–they often had to do with his favourite book. Except he would be the one battling the villain, he'd be the one saving the princess.
Up until Third Year, the princess had no face.
Soon, slowly, it became Luna's.
:-:
He fell in love with her the way you fall asleep–slowly, then all at once. He no longer saw the odd, innocent girl he made friends with, but instead, a beautiful blond girl with silver eyes like the moon and voice like a beautiful lullaby. Her laugh made him happy, her smile made him gulp. She was so beautiful, but no one knew it.
In a way, he quite liked that. It meant that she was only his, and his alone.
viii. finder
Every day he found a new thing he loved about her.
He loved how she danced. He loved how she had lost somebody and was still so happy.
"Mum's probably telling stories to all the dead children," she said one day. "She's a rather good storyteller, you know."
He admired how she talked about her in present tense, rather than past. How she accepted the loss of her mother without crying.
He loved how she refused to believe that somebody was bad, how she would come up with some theory to right a wrong.
"Oh, they're actually quite nice," she said. They were talking about the Ravenclaws–Colin had said they were very mean. "Just not to me."
He loved how she was so curious about everything, how she listened so intently when he spoke of muggle things. He loved how she cared about the simplest things, how she always put others before her.
He loved how he loved her. He couldn't have found a better person to love, if that made any sense.
:-:
"We're very alike, you and me," Luna pointed out one day. "Except you're more braver and kinder and smarter."
Colin stammered. "No-no, you're wrong."
"You're very humble," Luna added. She smiled and said, simply, "I wish I was like you."
Colin started to retort, but decided to just accept the compliment. "Thanks." Though by the time he replied, Luna had walked away, heading towards her next class.
ix. thinker
Colin was usually very studious and attentive during classes, but this year Luna was the only thing on his mind. It was unhealthy, really–if he calculated all the minutes he thought about Luna, he would easily have a week worth's of time. Possibly a month. He did think about her quite a lot, after all.
He daydreamt about confessing to her, or how he would one day be brave enough to stand up for Luna. He pictured giving her a beautiful necklace for Christmas, or getting stuck under mistletoe with her. The best of his dreams was the one where Luna confessed to him.
But that's just ridiculous, he thought. There was no way Luna Lovegood would be in love with someone like him.
Besides, she probably didn't think about him. She probably daydreamt about catching nargles or something. If you could catch nargles, he still didn't understand what they exactly were.
You'll get over her, he convinced himself. Just a crush.
Right?
x. lover
Colin had always loved things. When he fell in love with a book, he fell hard. He never liked anything, it was either love or nothing at all.
He was in love with Luna Lovegood.
And for the first time, he couldn't fall asleep–because reality was so much better than his dreams.
A/N: I'm not too happy with this, tell me what you think. I might delete this and write another fic based on this quote. It is such a brilliant quote, after all.
Unpopular pairing, but I thought I would try it.