Written for the 24 Hours of Romance Challenge at Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenge forum.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
- means that time has passed.
Author's note: my first Blaise/Luna. Luna may be a bit OOC at first, but I explain why in the story.
He saw her walking alone in Diagon Alley. Something about the way she was staring at the ground, deep in thought brought her to him. He recognized her from school, but didn't know her real name. The Slytherins always called her "Looney Lovegood." He knew her real name couldn't be Looney.
He laughed at himself as he kicked himself off from against the wall from where he had been standing crossed arms for almost an hour. He was waiting for Draco Malfoy to come back from the shop he was visiting and got bored leaning against the wall for an hour. His left foot had fallen asleep and ached as he started to walk.
"Where are your radish earrings?" He asked as he approached her. She froze turned towards him and didn't say a word. Her bright blue eyes had a worried look. When she still didn't respond, he pointed to her ears.
"I took them off," she admitted as she absentmindedly put her left hand to her left ear to feel the earring that wasn't there.
"Why?" He asked. Curiosity had gotten the better of him.
"Why?" She gave him a confused look.
"Yes, why? Why did you take your earrings off. You've worn them ever since I've seen you in Hogwarts," he picked up a pebble from the ground to keep his hands occupied.
"I just don't feel like wearing them anymore," she said sadly. At the tone in her voice, he took a second look towards her. He wasn't really checking her out, but he was curious. It was as if she had changed.
Standing before him was a girl who usually wore bright, happy clothing. This time, he witnessed her wearing black pants and a grey shirt. Then he noticed the strangest thing. Her hair was dyed black, not the usual happy, sunny blond he remembered.
So if she was who he knew she was, why had she suddenly changed her appearance? He shook the question out of his head and decided to speak it.
"You changed." It was more of a statement. Blaise rubbed the pebble hard in his hands. He could feel them getting sweaty.
"I'm sorry?" Her blue eyes were there, they were something she couldn't change. Her pale face was the same as well.
"You're not wearing bright colours. You're wearing dark, dull colours."
"Kind of like how you are?" His words were thrown back at him. Blaise dropped the pebble and looked down at his outfit. He was wearing black jeans and a white button down shirt. Unlike his friend Draco Malfoy who wore suits all the time, he preferred dressing more causal.
"I always dress this way, you don't." he pointed out. He finally found some colour in her as her cheeks turned a rosy pink.
"It's none of your business," there it was. Her usual long drawn out, dreamy voice came back with a hint of sadness. "Now if you excuse me, I have to finish some shopping before night fall," she said.
"Why before nightfall? Are you going to turn into a vampire?" he joked, but when he realized he was the only one laughing, he stopped.
"No, that's when the nargles come out." she said as she tried to get past him. He crossed his arms.
"See? The old you is still in there somewhere," Blaise said smiling. She didn't return a smile to him.
"Why do you care?" she asked as she turned back around to face him.
"Why?" he repeated her question.
"Yes, why."
"Look, Lovegood-" He started to say.
"Luna. Luna Lovegood. Not Looney Lovegood, just LUNA," there it was. He figured out the problem. She was tired of people picking on her all the time so she changed everything about her.
"For the record, I never once called you Looney Lovegood. In fact, I always got on the other Slytherins for calling you that. And second, I never knew your first name. All the teachers called you Lovegood. And third, Will you go out with me tomorrow night?"
They stared at each other. Their eyes locked. Brown eyes to blue for several long moments. His question had startled them both. He hadn't expected to ask her that at all, but her unusually strange behavior, even stranger than usual made him feel sorry for her, even slightly worried.
"Why? Is this some kind of prank?" She asked as she started to look around for the other Slytherins.
"Luna, we're grownups now. There's no one else except Draco Malfoy and he's been in that shop for an hour and a half already. Have I ever pranked or done something bad towards you in School?" He asked as his face fell. He couldn't help but feel sad. Her words hurt him in ways he didn't understand.
"Just say no if you don't want to go out with me," Blaise looked her square in the eyes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"You didn't hurt my feelings."
"You're not the only one who can read people," she stated flatly.
"Good point," he managed to show her a weak smile. In return, she gave him one. He thought it was the prettiest smile he had ever seen.
"Yes," she said.
"You will?" His face light up like someone tasting butterbeer for the first time.
"I'm giving you one chance to prove you're not like the others."
"Luna? One suggestion please," he begged with his eyes as he hesitated. He formed the words in his mind, but struggled to put them together in sentences. He finally sighed and spit out what he was trying to say.
"Can you please change back to being a Blonde and wearing those radish earrings?" He begged her.
"Why?"
"Is why the question of the night? Because I miss the earrings. I miss the sunshine yellow blonde hair. I miss the crazy clothes. And most importantly, I miss your dreamy voice. If something's wrong, you can tell me. I'm not like the others," there was something about Luna that made Blaise spill the beans. He was never this honest towards anyone.
"I'll think about it. Meet me in front of the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow around seven, before the nargles come out," she smiled at him.
He paced the front of The Leaky Cauldron nervously as he waited for Luna to show up. Blaise didn't dare tell Draco who he was seeing for he knew Draco would never understand. After all, Draco was the one who started calling her Looney. He turned around after pacing a full circle and stopped dead in his tracks. She was standing there before him looking lost. Her hair was dyed back to his favorite color of hers, blonde. She wore a pale purple dress with white circles splashed on it at different spots. The best part of her outfit was the radish earrings he liked. It was her signature mark.
"You came," he stated nervously.
"I didn't realize how much I meant to anyone," she said sheepishly as she blushed.
"Do you want to tell me what was wrong?" He asked as he held out his arm.
"No, I don't. I think you already guessed it anyways," there it was. Her dreamy voice soothed his nerves as he felt her warm hand against his.
"Luna?" he said as he turned to her.
"Hm?"
"What are nargles?" he asked out of curiosity as they started to walk in the direction of the new café that just opened up.
"I don't know exactly what they look like, but I know they're there," her dreamy voice sang in his ears as he paused.
"You can believe in something if you can't see it?" he asked.
"Yes. Don't you believe in love? You can't see it but it's there," she started staring at the stars that just came out. A shooting star passed over them as he made a wish.
When he turned to look at Luna, she was standing inches from him.
"I believe in love," he replied gazing into her bright blue eyes.
"So do I," she whispered.
"Luna," he started to say as he inched a few inches closer to her.
She beat him to it, before he could she had kissed him lightly on the cheek. When he stood back with a dazed look on his face, she smiled.
"Thank you for bringing the 'real' me out. I had lost her for quite some time and found her again through you."
Special thanks for MadameGiry25 for being a fast beta and getting back to me so quickly.
