Author's Note: This a little drabble I couldn't resist, as I adore the idea of Luna and Theo interacting and/or connecting. Luna I just adore, and Theo is so fascinating and mysterious. They might be a little OOC...but then, that is pretty subjective as none of us on here are the original creator. This is my first fanfic attempt in the Harry Potter universe, but hopefully by no means my last. This little snapshot has gotten my creative side revving for a possible multi-chapter fic centering around these two. If you like what you read at all and would like any more, please let me know. :) Reviews are wonderful, especially kind ones.
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or any of that swell universe.
Walking from the first potions lesson of the year, Theodore was looking forward to potions with Horace Slughorn more than he had thought he would be. He seemed like a fat, brown-nosing old idiot but he appeared to be competent enough when it came to potion-making.
Theo walked a few paces behind Draco and Blaise, lost in his own musings about the potions they had been introduced to. Draco was obviously rankled from not earning the Felix Felicis, but Nott found the Veritaserum the most fascinating by far. He could relate to being undetectable; he was not hugely popular in his own house, and as far as the other houses were concerned he was basically a non-entity. The concept of draining people of hidden truths really tickled him, but he could care less about learning more about individuals. Draco was one of the people closest to him at school, and he was getting seriously tired of his typical bullshit and his pathetic little clique. Draco could occasionally provide stimulating conversation, but more often than not it was his usual spiel about Potter, Weasley, and Granger, or Quidditch, or how rich and amazing he was. The joke he had made about Granger in Potions had been fairly funny but Theo could't help but feel a little weary of the same jokes over and over again.
Of course the new favorite topic for his blonde friend was to not very subtly elude to his secret mission, his new status as a Death Eater, and the shiny telling tattoo on his left forearm. If it was Theo he would have kept his mouth shut, but then, he had always been a bit brighter than his arrogant classmate.
Theodore Nott had gotten so lost in his thoughts that he had lost track of where he was. He had walked himself right out onto the grounds, barely aware that he was doing so. He paused briefly, considering joining the others for dinner but he wasn't in a mood to listen to Draco or Blaise gossip and gloat any longer, or to observe Vincent and Greg trying to string thoughts together into logical patterns of speech.
He plopped down on the grass and began to peruse his notes and homework assignments. The breeze caused a brown lock of hair on his forehead to sway annoyingly on his forehead, and he kept brushing it to the side absentmindedly. As he sat with his legs crossed, he mused, not for the first time, that being tall and gangly had its disadvantages. His stringy build forced him to look like a human pretzel far more often than he would like; he would like to never look like a tosser.
His thoughts drifted from the Arithmancy assignment he had started, and a derisive scoff left him as the remembered how Slughorn had gushed about the power of the Amortentia potion. The main resulting effect brought on by infatuation that he had observed in his classmates was temporary loss of all dignity, or in the case of the males, unseemly and unplanned erections that occasionally led to mean-spirited ridicule from peers.
Theo had always known he was attracted to girls, especially the appealing shapes created by their hips and breasts. He had a small crush on Lavender Brown in his fourth year, but that ended when he heard her speak and knew her looks were not enough to distract one from her inane and flighty personality. He couldn't think of a significant crush he had experienced in recent history. He wanked off almost daily but no specific girl stuck in his mind. Draco had gloated about losing his virginity to Pansy, and others liked to talk of conquests on slow nights in the common room. Theo wasn't concerned about not having got his end away. Sure, he would like to, but the moment hadn't 'arisen' in any sense.
He had sniffed curiously and discreetly near the Amortentia like everyone else in class, but the scents he picked up were not particularly enlightening. It smelled of old books, gingerbread, something earthy, and faintly of...Butterbeer? Theo did not feel that strongly about Butterbeer, but he maybe just wasn't a passionate person or whatever.
The sun had yet to set and there was an undeniably beautiful sheen of approaching twilight upon the landscape. Theo closed his eyes with a sigh, embracing the silence and solitude.
"Hello. You're Theodore Nott."
Theo was jolted back in to awareness of his surroundings. Before him stood a slight witch with exceedingly long dark blonde hair and unsettling large, pale blue-silver eyes. She had a friendly if almost vacuous expression as she looked down at him.
"That's my name." Theo snapped, it had taken him only a moment to place her. Loony Lovegood was never hard to spot, and had popped up in more than one discussion with fellow Slytherins, particularly those who were also children of Death Eaters, as the daft girl had been with Potter at the Ministry the night Theo's father was injured and subsequently sent to Azkaban.
"You seem very distracted, you should be more careful of Wrackspurts you know."
Theo merely scowled at her, confused about what Whackspurs were, confused as to why she had her wand tucked behind her ear, and most confused as to why the ardent Potter supporter was talking to a Death Eater's son.
"Who could resist a lovely night like this though..." The crazy bint paused so long with her eyes unfocused, staring off towards the lake, that Theo assumed for a moment she had forgotten he was even there.
"Are you visiting the Thestrals as well?" She finally asked.
Theo stared at the blonde fifth year, the derisive dismissal ready to emerge from his lips momentarily forgotten. He was the only one he knew of in Slytherin House who could see the disgusting creatures. Apparently Potter and Longbottom could too, as he had learned last year, but he hadn't considered the information relevant.
"You're visiting those beasts?" Theo asked with a sneer.
"Oh yes, they are very nice, and it is nice to remember my Mother. Oh, do you see them too, Theo?"
For a second it struck Theodore how pretty Loony was, and how mild and soothing her voice was, but he shook these thoughts as quickly as he could.
The Thestrals reminded him of his mother as well, but only in a way that brought an aching pain to his chest. He didn't care for the Thestrals' cruel reminder. "That's not your business, you loony cow. Fuck off why don't you?"
Lovegood's serene manner remained. "That was quite mean. I just thought you might like to join me."
The strange girl turned and began walking away, but only walked a few steps before turning slightly towards him again. Nott could see a sadder look on her face now, and a necklace of Butterbeer corks that he had only just now become aware of.
"I am sorry for your loss Theodore. I don't want anyone to be sorrowful, even rude Slytherins." On that parting note, the slim fifth year strode away towards the forest, and dropped out of sight.
Theo sat for a while, certain that was the most bizarre interaction he had ever had at Hogwarts. At last he heard his stomach growl, and decided to catch the tail-end of dinner. He wasn't done growing, as was evident from his lankier than ever build, and how he recently had to look down slightly to talk to Draco. He ate quickly and with enthusiasm.
After a few hours of study in the library he collapsed on his four-poster, and drew the curtains. None of his bunk-mates were in bed yet, engrossed instead in a game of Exploding Snap in the common room. His hormones had been mental of late and he couldn't ignore the throbbing under his pajama bottoms.
He began touching himself, imagining pretty girls and their shapely bodies, but none of his usual wank material was sufficient. His mind strayed to his exchange with Loony and images of her elfin form and probing eyes flitted into view. Surprisingly, as opposed to becoming dissuaded, Theo felt himself grow harder as he thought of her voice and face. When he had finished and tidied himself, turning on his stomach to sleep, he felt odd. The usual dull sense of shame and emptiness that filled him after ejaculation was combined with confusion and revulsion. Had he really just got off thinking of that crazy bitch and her maddening expression of pity? She was fucking weird and basically the enemy, and he didn't want to think about why that would be arousing to him. Theo rebuked himself internally until he drifted off to sleep.
He managed to occupy his mind with his studies and his personal interests for the rest of the school year, with only rare reminders of Loony's continued existence fiercely forcing his attention. For instance, he might have felt his lips twitch upwards during her Quidditch commentary. On the whole, he effectively avoided her. He chose to disregard that, sometimes, in mostly forgotten dreams, he was in a clearing with a herd of Thestrals, and Luna Lovegood was giving him her unique smile...and maybe in some of these dreams, she was wearing very little clothing.