Disclaimer: I cannot claim ownership to the world of Harry Potter.
HecticZ's Rainbow Noise Challenge
Song: Overdue - Muse Characters: Seamus and Luna Color: Navy Blue Prompt: Hate
Deadline: April 15th
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Moonstruck
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Seamus watched as his blind seven-year-old child climbed into bed and rolled up the navy quilt to her stomach. The light of the full moon entering her window illuminated the paleness of her features. The way she tuned into the light and closed her eyes suggested that she could almost see it.
She couldn't. Diana Taliesin Finnigan was blind from birth.
"Papa?"
"Yes, my little moonbeam?" he said as he came closer and smoothed out the duvet.
"Daddy!" she giggled, "I'm not LITTLE anymore! I can't find Daphne."
Seamus smirked. The name of one of the prominent Slytherins and been turned into a nickname for his daughter's favorite ostrich plushie.
He grabbed the little beat up avian toy and deposited it into his child's open arms.
"Don't worry Daddy, Mummy will come back. You said she promised."
He didn't dare attempt to tell her at this age that her mother had run off with another man. Luna Lovegood, once to be Luna Finnigan, was now Luna Scamander, with a happy family. Diana had two little half-brothers. How could he explain that to his seven year old? He didn't know, so he kept silent; until the day she asked.
"Daddy is my room still navy blue?"
She asked this every night. Seamus was happy his daughter couldn't see him frown.
He hated this color. He hated it so much. Like mother like daughter, it was their favorite. It was the color of Luna's dress; the night she left them for good.
Even though his daughter was blind, she demanded that her room be that color. At that time in the store, he was willing to give in; just so that she would breathe again.
Sometimes he thought about changing it, but every time he raised his wand, he would start to feel overwhelmingly guilty. He would bear it for her. His little Moonbeam.
In her bed, she looked like a de-aged version of her mother, sans eye color. Diana's irises were as white as the sclera around them. Her pupils were a dusky grey instead of the black one would see in the eyes of a person with the ability to see.
"Yes sweetie, the room is still blue."
"NAVY blue Daddy!"
"The moon still shines, I still love you, and your room is still navy blue."
"Good night Daddy!" Diana turned her face once again toward the window and yelled, "Goodnight Mummy!"
I'll never forget you weren't here for her.
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"Seamus?" A voice called from the door that was magiced open with a simple alohomora spell.
He squinted his eyes. This was a horrid dream, one that occurred often on those days in early spring. A dark night, a kiss goodbye and she was gone.
"Seamus?"
'Go away I hate you. Why should I care about you?'
"Seamus, I'm not leaving till you answer."
'Why?'
"Because I had no other choice. Diana wasn't going to get better."
He must have questioned her out loud.
His forehead scrunched, "Don't blame this on her. Don't blame this on nargles. You should have been here."
"No matter what I say, the only thing I know that you will believe is that 'I know'. I'm sorry," Luna said as she grasped Seamus' hand before he jerked it away from her.
This was real; she was back. He didn't know how he felt about it.
"Are you going to tell her? Tell HER that YOU couldn't handle OUR DAUGHTER being BLIND?" Seamus shouted in the small kitchen. He knew with her hearing, there was a good chance Diana could hear him. But right now he was confronted with more pain than he felt he could take.
She flinched. Her old radish earrings swayed in the motion.
"I know I can't pay for all of my mistakes, but… I found what I was looking for."
Her large eyes teared up. He had never seen her so serious. Not even when they heard Diana's diagnosis. Not even when she left that night, four years ago, knowing that she wouldn't return. At least until now.
"Why," he whispered as he dropped down to the table and listlessly looked up at the cracked and stained ceiling. He didn't have the time or energy for this. He had to get up early, he had the first shift.
"I had a feeling I could find a cure," she stated as she smiled wanely.
She twisted a lock of blond hair in the poor light and examined it from multiple angles like a crane.
"Did the nargles force you to marry Rolf before letting you have it?" Seamus asked sarcastically.
He was used to women trying to pin the blame somewhere else when they broke up with him. They'd say it was something about themselves, but he knew it was because they couldn't handle playing second fiddle to a little blind girl.
"It was a crumple-horned snorkack actually, and Rolf was doing me a favor."
Seamus covered his eyes with a hand, "Could you just go now. Please. Just go."
He begged. He promised himself he never would reach that level again.
"No, I'm here to stay. You have cobwebs in your corners," Luna stated as if it was a perfectly good reason to shack up with an ex-fiancé.
"Why are you tormenting me? You'll just end up going again. It will break her heart now that Diana will be able to remember when you leave again. I hate you," he groaned from his spot.
"No you don't," she smiled as she dropped her bag and took off her coat, "I know that you still care."
Seamus looked at her to retort, but stopped as he noticed the navy blue blouse. He grimaced in distaste.
"Oh? I think this color rather matches the radishes," she grinned with a smile reminding him of days long ago.
"I need a drink."
She summoned a glass filled with liquid to his hand. He drank it without checking; and found himself spitting out hand soap.
"I meant beer, you crazy witch."
"Ah. You didn't specify," her eyes closed as she smiled.
He dug through his robes and found his wand. The soap disappeared replaced by water that turned to rum. It had taken years of practice, but he could do it now without blowing his eyebrows off.
"We should get married now," Luna stated, intensely watching him from across the table.
He sputtered on his drink, some shooting out from his mouth.
"Good. I knew you'd agree," she nodded decisively as he attempted to sop up the mess with a sleeve. The table had too many cleaning charms blasted at it; one more and the lacquer was liable to vanish.
"Hey! You can't just walk back in here! We've moved on. WE don't need YOU!" It was a lie. But pride was something Gryffindors had in spades.
She placed her wand on the back of her ear. Luna tilted her head to the side in curiosity. Too many memories of Luna with her wand behind her ear. His chest ached.
"I think you've cared the entire time. But I found it, and everything will be better now."
"Be better how?" he grunted out.
Tonight was the weirdest one he'd had in a while.
It felt like old times. He never won an argument then, and he was failing pretty spectacularly now. He couldn't belive that he was actually contemplating what she had stated earilier. He didn't want another chance with the woman obsessed with shades of blue. Geez, his house would turn into a one color theme.
She withdrew a small vial from her coat pocket and cradled it to herself before she placed it in the center of the table.
"The natives wouldn't let us near unless we were married in one of their rituals; if we had turned back, it would have been another twenty years before the moon revealed their location once more."
"Why should I believe you? This could all be an invented excuse," Seamus rubbed his eyes, this was the last conversation he ever expected to have.
He felt bone tired.
"We got divorced when we made it back to Brittan. Rolf is dating Zacharias now."
"How do I know he doesn't swing both ways?"
"Seamus! He doesn't. I would know," she cocked her head to the side and smiled gently, "besides, he knew I was yours. They look so much like you, you know."
"Luna, I'm too tired for double speak, please just get to the point."
"Lorcan and Lysander of course. They've been waiting ages to meet their older sister."
"Half-sister."
Luna shook her head.
"I wanted you to meet your sons, as well."
Seamus stared at her. Obviously, he had heard wrong.
Luna cast a tempus and sighed, "I see that you still need to take this all in. We're staying at my father's. Make sure she drinks the entire thing. I expect to see you before noon tomorrow."
And she walked out of his life again; like a tornado, she left devastation and destruction behind. He picked up the small vial and tilted it in the pale light. He sighed. His potion scores were total crud; he had no idea what this was.
But he was willing to see if it would work.
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"Is it working?" his daughter asked sleepily.
Seamus' face tightened. It was a failure. Screw work. He had someone to talk to tomorrow.
"No, Moonbeam your eyes don't look any different. 'm sorry… I had hoped she knew what she was talking about."
"It's okay Daddy. I promise."
"I trust you, sweetie. I just wished it would have worked."
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"Daddy! Come see, the owls brought something; I think it's the pictures!"
Seamus picked up the squealing child and spun her about. In her hands rested an open envelope; he reached in and pulled out the first thick photo. He snorted. It had come out better than he would have thought. Seamus had taken Diana to visit Luna the morning after he had given her the potion.
He hadn't known he was arriving to his own wedding.
The moving picture showed himself, scruffy from a sleepless night, in a transfigured set of dark robes being pulled along by his bride, in a dress as pale as the moon, toward what had ended up being a flying taxi. Rice rained down from the sky, tossed by friends and family that weren't in the picture.
"Look Daddy, it's me!" his daughter shouted happily pointing to a small girl looking about in the foreground of the picture.
As she smiled happily at herself in the picture, Diana's navy blue eyes closed and she laughed.
Seamus laughed to.
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Man, I keep pulling Seamus and serious prompts. At least this one ended happier for everyone involved. Yay! A bit choppy, but meh, I'm satisfied.