Spectrecs firmly planted on the bridge of her nose, Luna Lovegood walked around the garden, hoping to see Nargles and Wrackspurts surrounding the pretty Ruin Roses. Her long blonde hair flew behind her as she skipped with her every step, a dreamy smile on her lips completed the image. It was a warm summer, just before her tenth birthday. The wind was almost none existent, but the greenery around her was enough to keep fresh air for her. It didn't matter of course, Luna was simply happy to skip and look for her creatures. The young blond was surrounded by her simple bubble.
Her mother and father were in their own works, trusting Luna because they knew their daughter was sensible enough to be careful around some plants and creatures in their garden. She knew not to get close to the Dirigible Plums, not to the Thornic Violets, and to never inhale the scent of the Ruin Roses- only the Nargles could stand the smell of those pretty flowers. Her dad was not at home, he was at The Quibbler office in the far side of Diagon Alley. He only went there thrice a week- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays- just to see how the printing and the articles were coming through. He usually spent most of his time at home, going on trips with both Luna and her mum to look for exotic and unknown creatures to feature in their magazine.
While her dad was away, her mom was the only one to look after Luna. The woman, blonde, with a sweet heart-shape face and with the brightest blue eyes the young Lovegood had seen in her nine years of living, was a potions mistress. She believed in her father's ideas, but most importantly, Mrs. Lovegood gave her best in taking care of her family. How she budget her time between potion making, providing care for her husband and daughter and even going on trips with them, the nine-year-old wouldn't know. It was the secret her mum won't tell her yet. She always said that she didn't want to see her baby married yet and having her own family, but she knew Luna would pick up her ways, sooner than later. By that time, she'll be happy to teach the girl everything she knew. To Luna, she was most loving person in the world.
Today, Luna's mother was inside her potions lab at the basement of their home. Luna was never allowed inside the Potions lab without her mum or her dad with her, and even if her mum was always there, it's a rare thing for her to go in there. She found the outside world more attractive that the basement. The creatures were more curious than the potions bubbling inside the cauldrons. She wouldn't dare say that aloud, she'd only hurt he mamma's feelings and she didn't want that.
So Luna asked if she could be out in the garden with promises of safety measures and careful explorations from the deepest of her heart. The sun was out shining and Luna knew that the Sun-bathing Slugs would be out today. She just needed to see them! And with full trust, her mum agreed. So there she was, skipping on every step while keeping a close look out to the grounds and the flowers. She couldn't miss a minute of the Nargles and the others' appearances for the day.
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Happily, Luna used her pink handkerchief that matches the pink rose theme of her sundress. It was the same colour of the roses and it'll create a camouflage for the Nargles. They love pink and greens too, that's why they appear a plenty around mistletoes. Spectrecs firmly on her nose, she took a risk to lean up closer to look at the buggers up close. The sun was readying for it's setting and Luna had been there for half-a-day. It meant that her mum was down the basement for half-a-day too.
With that realization, Luna quickly toppled back on her heels and stood straight. Never in her nine years of existence her mum lasted that long in the Potions laboratory. A rare frown grazed her lips but it quickly vanished. She shook her head and thought only of good things, like their next trip to South England. Her mum probably had just lost track of time. She should get her.
A soft growl of stomach agreed with her resolve and she reduced into soft giggles. She smoothed her dress and took the handkerchief back on her pocket as she skipped to the stairs up the front door. The house was eerily silent, but she thought that mum had probably put a silencing charm so she won't disturb her in her play. Thoughtful mum, Luna thought with a smile. Acts like that made the little girl realize how her mum loved her.
She entered their home and made a quick route to the basement. Every furniture in their home was mismatched. It wasn't that they couldn't afford to buy a matching set but there's an old belief that matching set made Racklefaeries mad, and the give you Rackle Pox when they did. So everything was mismatched and it was home for young Luna. She reached the basement door, and turned the knob.
It was unlocked, which was a shock to the little girl. Her mum usually locked her door because she said it could be quite dangerous for young ones like her. So she took it as a sign that she could enter. The basement was dark, too dark to see anything. With careful steps, Luna climbed down the ladder and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Luna spotted her mother. She smiled to the woman and made a move to run to her.
"Mum!" She called her attention. The older blonde witch looked up and for a moment was confused, but it was quickly replaced by a warm smile.
"Don't move honey, I need to add this last one. I'm not sure what will happen so stay away." She said calmly and lovingly, a small smile on her face. It was meant to be scary, her brain told her, but Luna felt as calm as her mother. She nodded and stayed on her place. She watched her mum as she picked up a bowl of some dust, she didn't know what, and used her thumb and index finger to take a pinch. Very carefully, Luna's mum sprinkled it on the top of the bubbling cauldron.
For a moment, everything was calm. The older witch looked happy and contented as she removed her goggles and her gloves. She looked at Luna and almost beckoned her to come to her side. But as she did, something unexpected happened.
The next events were frantic, the most frantic Luna had ever seen in her short existence. Her mum's ears perked up as the supposedly calm brew started bubbling louder. The witch looked down at the now turning gooey green substance and it was increasing in volume. Luna, ready to go to her mum, stopped in her tracks. She looked frightened to her mum and back to the cauldron.
"Hide, Luna!" Her mum commanded. It was the loudest Luna heard of her mum. She thought the woman was angry with her and she was shocked still that she didn't move a muscle. "Go! NOW!" The blonde witch boomed and this time Luna ran away from her to the farthest wooden shelf full of books. There was a small space between the shelf and the wall and it was only her who could hide in there. She could see what was happening from the tops of the lined books. She didn't feel her eyes broke into tears.
Her mum tried to calm down the cauldron but instead of doing that, it was doing the opposite. Everything she put was reacting badly, only adding to the furious bubble inside the cauldron. When her mum realized she couldn't do anything to save it, it was too late. A loud explosion happened, Luna docked down and hid behins the books as it did. She covered her nose with her hand and shut her eyes tightly. The smoke died down and Luna made a move to stand.
The cauldron was detroyed. There was goo in every place including the front of the shelves. Her mum was lying by the opposite wall, seemingly unconscious. Luna's heart quickened, and she ignored every logic her mind was trying to tell her. Luna scurried out of her hiding place and run as quickly as possible to her mother's side.
"Mum! Mum!" She cried as she reached her. She didn't care that her hands were now full of green goo that covered her mummy's robes. She knelt beside her mother and grasped her robe tightly with both hands, attempting to shake to woman awake. She tapped the older witch's cheek as she continued to cry her name.
The woman's eyes moved quickly behind her eyelids and she stirred gradually awake. "L-u-Luna," the woman whispered in her hoarse voice. She smiled wider and hugged her mum by the neck. "Don't die, mum. Don't." She told the woman by her neck. Both of them covered in green goo.
There was something wet by her hand, she realized after a brief time of hugging her mother. She pulled back and hold out her hand. Her eyes widened and fright completely took over her. "You're bleeding, mum!" She gasped and cried even harder. "Don't die!" She shrieked.
"I won't honey," her mum whispered and touched her cheeks like she always did when Luna was crying because she had a boo-boo. Luna leaned into it and took her hand with both of her hers. "Promise me, please?" She requested as she kissed her mother's palm. She looked at her mother's eyes. It would always be the brightest blue she'd ever see, and it would always be in her heart.
"I promise, sweetheart." The woman's voice was barely a breath. She smiled happily to her daughter and closed her eyes. Luna leaned closer to her mother and hugged from on her middle, her head to her chest. She felt her mother's lips touched the top of her head, and Luna sighed contented.
"You better do that," Luna whispered.
She felt a bried nod, and sigh. She could feel her mother's laboured breathing but she refused to stand up and let go of the woman. She might leave, she didn't want that. She promised. "I'll be in the most magical place there is, sweetie. I won't leave you." She heard her mother tell her as the woman's hand stroked her hair. "Mummy would never leave you. She'll always look after you, and love you. You won't ever feel alone, my baby." She continued, every word a difficulty for her.
Luna, realizing that she didn't want to hear those word because it wasn't doing her good, pulled back and frowned. "You won't leave. You'll just stay here!" She commanded, her voice mimicking her mother's when she told her to hide. The woman only smiled tiredly at her and took her hand before she kissed it.
"Of course, I won't." Her mother replied. Satisfied, Luna smiled and hugged her again. Her mother closed her eyes and took her last breath.
There was a faint pop from upstairs and Luna ignored it. She pulled back from her mother and cried harder. Her tears rolled down her cheeks faster and her breathing became laboured. "You promised mum! You promised! You're no fair!" She cried as she shook the woman awake. But it was no good. Her mother would never ever open her eyes again.
She felt two strong hands wrapped around her but Luna merely kicked and screamed. "Put me down! I'm going to mum! She's just sleeping! Put me down!" She shrieked and kicked and punched her father's back but the man only kissed her head as her carried her upstairs. When they exited the basement, Xenophilus Lovegood held his daughter as she cried on his chest murmuring that her mother was gone, that she's dead and that she'll never be back again.
He kissed the top of her head and whispered. "Sweetheart, mummy never left. She's always here. She'll always look after you, like she always did. You're not alone, and she didn't break her promise. She's just here." He said smiling through his own tears as he took Luna's hand and touched it on her chest. "She's always here." He reiterated and kissed Luna's forehead again. Luna cried harder and clutched her father's robe as tightly as she could. He'll never leave her. She won't let him.
She didn't leave her room at the attic of the Lovegood's residence for three days since her mother died. She didn't let anyone enter, her mother's colleagues, her father's employees, no one except her Daddy, and that was only when he's taking food for her. It didn't matter anyhow because she just touched her food enough to keep some energy but she never finished it. Three, four bites were enough, the rest were either pushed and poked or simply ignored.
She dressed in the sunniest yellow dress she had. She never left her bed, but she refused to think that her mamma was gone. The young Lovegood was in a trance-like state. She only stared in the ceiling, unseeing.
It was time to go.
Luna's first thought was not the dizziness that rushed to her because she had spent most of the time lying down. It wasn't the tiredness because she lack enough energy to make it through the day. No, none of those. Luna's first thought was that her mother's dead. For three days, she tried to deny it, to think that her mummy would come up to her room, stroke her head, fill her thoughts with every adventures and kiss her like she always did when she wasn't feeling well.
But today was no day for denials. Luna's mother was dead and she's not coming back. She wouldn't do any of those. Luna wouldn't see her bright blue eyes ever again. A knock interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and looked at the trapdoor that was the entrance to her room. Her father stuck his head and smiled, a tired kind of smile. "We're ready for you, pumpkin." He said in the softest voice she had heard from him. It was the most solemn too.
Luna wiped her eyes, she was unaware that she had been crying if it didn't drip down her yellow dress. She gave her daddy a nod and smiled. She had to be ready, for her mum.
It took Luna ten minutes before she went out to the garden. Her mother would be laid by the sunflowers and daisies, the late woman's favorites. People were dressed in black, even her dad. All were, except for Luna. The yellow dress caught every attention but she ignored them all. Her mum loved yellow, and she'll wear it for her mum.
Some small old wizard took over the service. He said a lot of words, Luna could understand them all, but she didn't listen. Instead, her mind wandered off to the last trip she had with Luna. It was in Wales, in an unoccupied island, in search of an Erumpent. Her Daddy was arranging their tent while Luna and her mother took a small trek to the woods. Half an hour later, they've encountered a bird, it's wing was broken, as well as it's neck. It cried and Luna began to cry for the bird too. Her mother gently picked up the bird, pointed her wand at it and murmured some incantation. Soon, the bird began flapping it's wings, and tweeting happily. It flew around them and Luna's tears was replaced by happy giggles. By the time the bird flew away at them, Luna's mother turned to her and smiled. "Sweetie, when a bird lost it's wings, it felt lost and dead, but it doesn't mean it's already dead. When a person passes away, they just leave their old body, but that doesn't mean that they're dead. They're still alive, only in some other magical place and will always look after the ones they love."
Luna didn't understand those words that time but she nodded still. As she looked at her mother's coffin, she thought of her last words. She wouldn't leave, like she promised not to. She's still there, only in some other dimension, but still looking after her. Her father was now talking and nearing the end of his speech. He looked at her and smiled. Luna returned it and stared at her mother's coffin.
Four wizard's levitated the white coffin down the digged hole by the flower bushes. Luna stood by her father, her hand in his. She threw the yellow sunflower down the grave and smiled. "I'm happy for you Mum. I'll be the best girl so you'll be proud of me. Just stay by my side always, please. I love you." She said, eyes directly on the white coffin.
By the time everyone was gone, Luna turned to her dad. "Mum's still here, Dad. I know she is." The old wizard nodded and smiled at his daughter. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "Always, pumpkin. Always."
This is the first time I ever wrote Luna in more than a few paragraphs and dialogues. I don't know if I gave enough justice on her but I hope it'll be alright. Please tell me what you think about this. :) I will love you forever. 3
-elaine