A/N: Xenolphilius and Luna attend Bill and Fleur's wedding. Some parts are similar to canon (the books and the movies) and some parts are not (like Krum's argument with Xeno). Some dialogue was also taken from canon. I do not own Harry Potter.
Submission for:
The Battlefield Wars: Battle #4 - Luna Lovegood. Xenophilius Lovegood -The characters visiting a wedding.
Race through Hogwarts: (setting) Burrow
Father's Day Competition: Xenophilius/Luna
"Daddy, are you almost ready?" her voice, like the sweetest wind chimes, floated up the staircase and through the open bedroom door. "The wedding starts in about thirty minutes."
He grabbed his hat off the edge of mirror and hurried down the stairs, pausing as he gazed at the vision which stood in the living room with her back towards him. It was as if he had stepped back in time, thrown into a memory of a similar woman who often waited for him with a warm cup of tea as he took his sweet time getting ready in the mornings.
"Luna," he breathed, prompting her to turn around and shine her dreamy blue eyes on him.
"Daddy," she said as she walked up to him. "Don't you look smashing," she said as she took the hat from his hands and placed it over his platinum hair, playfully leaving the tassel in front of his face.
"I should be the one complimenting you," he said, stepping back to admire her. She stood before him in lovely yellow robes to match his own, with her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back, accented by a large sunflower pinned to the side. "You're growing up into a beautiful woman, Moonbug. Soon, it will be your wedding I'll be attending."
She gave him a small smile as she tipped on her toes to kiss the tip of his nose. "Let's go," she said as she ran out of their front door. "And don't forget the present."
He chuckled, grabbing the wrapped box she had prepared last night as she flew down the front steps with all the exuberance of the little girl of summer days lost. Even though she was growing up, she would still be his little girl.
The pair trotted over the hill towards the large tent in the distance, talking about his latest findings as the sound of chatter and soft music grew louder. Suddenly, Luna tugged his arm, her eyes bright with discovery as she pointed to the high grass surrounding the Weasleys' home. "Look, Daddy, gnomes!"
He squinted, his eyes not quite what they used to be, but could easily see the two beady eyes staring back at him before they ducked down.
"Tell them I'll be there in a minute," his moonbug said as she left his side and began to wade through the grass, her head turning to the right and left as she tried to find more.
He continued on, greeting the two red-haired boys who stood at the entrance to the tent before he noticed an old friend of his walking past. When he bid his colleague farewell, he turned to see his moonbug had returned to his side.
"Daddy, look - one of the gnomes actually bit me," she said, holding her finger up in his face.
He inspected her finger, the skin slightly glistening around two small holes, and beamed. "Luna, my love, if you should feel any burgeoning talent today - perhaps an unexpected urge to sing opera or to declaim in Mermish- do not repress it! You have been gifted by the Gernumblies!" he cried, before he stepped further into the tent.
Luna smiled, having a soft laugh over her father's antics, before she let one of the red-haired boys lead them to their seats.
The ceremony was wonderful, he thought, as he stood along the edge of the marquee. He had risen from his seat just a few moments ago, remembering he had to present his gift to the new couple, only to see his moonbug had left their table as well. His eyes scanned the dance floor until they came upon her bright yellow dress and he smiled. The Gernumblies magic was working wonders on his little girl as she danced in her own beautiful way.
He took a sip from the flute he had taken from a passing tray. His own wedding hadn't been this magnificent or well-attended. The Lovegoods were not a rich family, having fallen on hard times in the past. He had been a young journalist with very few Galleons to his name when he met his Pandora. What she saw in him the day he walked into her stationery store, he never knew, but he kept going back until eventually, he popped the question and they married in his parents' backyard. A few months later, his moonbug was born, the perfect image of his beloved Pandora.
Oh, how he missed her so. She would have loved to come here, to chatter with the new bride, and he would dance with his beauty beneath the hanging lights. He looked out to see his moonbug dancing with the youngest Weasley and he stepped forward. He could still dance with this beauty.
"Mind if I cut in?" he asked, offering a charming smile to the young redhead.
She shook her head and walked off, allowing him to take his daughter's hand and twirl her, a slight giggle coming from her mouth, just like he did when she was smaller. Their dance then took on a looser tone, their steps out of rhythm with the music around them but they didn't care. This was just how they were, this was how they enjoyed themselves and he'd be damned if he let anyone take that away from him.
Suddenly, there was a bright light as a silver patronus floated down through the centre of the canopy. It was a lynx, who opened it mouth wide and spoke in a loud, deep, slow voice.
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
It was chaos afterwards as everyone began to scatter. Some people didn't understand the patronus' messages, though they understood the urgency, while others were springing into action, drawing their wands with practiced ease. Loud pops sounded around them as people disapparated once the protective charms around the Weasleys' house had broken.
He looked above the crowd to see black-robed figures had joined them, their wands also at the ready and deadly curses on their lips.
"Moonbug, we have to-" he began, but stopped as he watched the frightened expression on his daughter's face turn serious, her hand finding her wand as she stared towards the approaching figures. Did she mean to stay here? Did she mean to fight?
He acted quickly, just as she was about to run, and threw his arms around her, twisting on the spot to get them to safety. They landed in their kitchen, stumbling slightly on the landing as the sounds of the battle wafted through the open window left forgotten.
"Daddy!" his moonbug shouted, her brow knitted and her face flushed. "Why did you do that? We have to go back. We have to help them."
"No!" he shouted back, his hands clamping on her bare arms. "I have to keep you safe, Moonbug. I can't let you get hurt."
"But what about the others? They need our help," she defended, twisting his arms to break free.
"They'll be fine. They can handle themselves, but I would die if something ever happened to you, Moonbug," he said. She stopped struggling and looked up into his eyes. He let one hand rise to caress her cheek. "You're all I have left."
She bit her lip, her blue eyes searching his as she began to think. He hoped she still didn't want to go. He couldn't deny his Luna what she wanted, but he needed her. Then her shoulders slumped. "All right then, Daddy," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pulled her into his embrace.
That night, they warded the house as best they could and spent the night together in the living room sipping on their tea, jasmine with honey and mint, as they told stories and ignored the flashing lights from behind the hill until they died out. He knew he couldn't protect his Moonbug forever, but he would keep trying until he couldn't.