Wildest Dreams

Practice for Quidditch League

Season 4 / Challenge 10 / Chaser 3

Prompt: Lady and the Tramp - Optional: #5 No dialogue / #12 Kaleidoscope [word] / #13 'Fireflies' by Owl City [song]

...oooOOOooo...

Luna kicked off her heels as soon as she stepped out of the tumbled marble fireplace in her entryway. After 9 hours of running around the offices at The Quibbler she was happy to be holding the final proof for this month's edition. Although, to be honest, she was happier to be shedding the pencil skirt and silk blouse that had become her fatigues these last three years. She heads straight for her small bedroom tucked into the far corner of the downtown loft. The stifling work clothes are neatly hung in the closet she has charmed to clean the delicate fabrics and puts on her favorite black tights and an old quidditch jersey she nicked from a boyfriend a lifetime ago.

Had it only three years ago that she took on this role of Editor in Chief? It seems like just yesterday, and with a flourish only achievable by Xenophilius Lovegood, that her father disapperated from the halls of the Quibbler one last time. Leaving his life's work in his daughters capable hands.

Flexing her ankles and curling her acid green painted toes she slowly made her way through her weekday home. The wide plank floors beneath her feet have the rich patina achievable only by the centuries of hard working wizards rolling casks of rye and yeast, and barrels of FireFlame oak across the surface. The building is part of an old Firewhiskey distillery that had been converted into lofts at the very edge of London's esteemed Wizard District. After one too many nights spent on the couch in her well appointed office at the Quibbler, she decided to get a place in the city. She fell in love with this particular loft because of the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Thames. With nothing adorning them except the crisp white mullions between that panes of glass, an abundance of light pours in all day long. At night though, the lights of the city twinkle back at her like ten million fireflies lighting the ebony sky.

...oooOOOooo...

This week had been long; but not unlike those before. Needing nourishment, she heads into the kitchen and makes herself a cup of tea and pulls the anise biscuits from the back of the pantry she saves for nights like this. Putting it all on a chipped tray featuring a funny map of the Muggle Underground she levitates her late night snack over to a low glass table in the middle of her living room. The big fluffy couch has multicolored pillows piled at one end that Luna settles back into before taking a sip of tea and opening the proof she promised herself she would go over again tonight. Throwing a knobby knit quilt that looks remarkably like dragon hide over her legs she settles in for a night of editing. Tucking in to a long evening of ensuring the end product of the glossy mag is what her new and old readers alike had come to expect.

It takes a couple hours, and a few pending interoffice memos, before she is satisfied that they would be ready to go to press the following afternoon. Stretching her tight muscles, and tossing the final marked up copy on the end table she celebrates wrapping the arduous task by catching back up with an old friend. Her tattered copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is calling her name.

After finishing her last year at Hogwarts, Luna wandered the forests, moores, and mountains in Europe reconnecting with the world and everything in it. She started taking photographs of the after effects the Last Wizarding War had on creatures she ran across. After she found a particularly interesting Marbler deep in the Black Forest, her father encouraged her to write a short story to go along with the photos. The Quibbler published most of her articles, but she did have luck with a couple US papers, and even the Daily Prophet picked up a few of her freelance pieces. Eventulaly though, she felt the tug to go back to her friends and family and reacquaint with society again. She took a job on the Creature Feature desk at the Quibbler and kept moving forward with her career enjoying the thrill of seeing her discoveries on the glossy pages. But nights like these she would give almost anything for another chance to find the unfound. To let her wanderlust take over and never look back. And although she knows his book by heart now, Luna can't help but reach for her old friend, Newt, who has been with her through more ups and downs than she could count.

...oooOOOooo...

Reading well into the night it takes her a while to even realize she is dreaming. Looking around the Muggle street she finds herself standing on, she recognizes the entrance to the London Zoo. There is a soft May breeze, and the sky around her is turning the most beautiful shades of pink, purple, red, and gold.

Looking over to her left she sees the man that has been in more and more of her dreams lately. Newt looks back at her with excitement shining in his green and gold eyes. He points over at something and it takes Luna moment before she sees a sign that reads: "Zoo Closes Promptly at Dusk." He arches an eyebrow at her as though daring her to defy the rules. Casting a disillusioning spell on them she grabs his hand and pulls him through the wrought iron gates.

Winding their way past the ape house, the lion house, and through the reptile house they find a brick wall abruptly in their path. "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. ~Charles Darwin" was painted across it in black and gold years ago and can now barely be discerned on the worn brick. Near the center of the wall is a brick that at closer inspection has tiny flecks of what looks like diamonds embedded in it. Taking her wand out Luna taps three bricks to the left, and four blocks down, and then touches the center of the diamond brick with her right index finger. It slowly begins to glow from within and the diamonds in the brick radiate a kaleidoscope of colors upon their eager faces before the rest of the wall begins to shimmer and fade. "Welcome to London Zoo's Magical Menagerie" arches over the walkway that leads into this wonderous section of the zoo.

...oooOOOooo...

They had been to many different places in her dreams; the Savannah of Africa searching for the Mighty Machairodus Lion, the rain forest in Brazil where the tiniest Puffskein are found, and even once down to the depths of the Caspian Sea searching for the elusive Opalescent Hippokampi. But never had they been to the London Zoo. Centuries old Black Walnut, Fire Oak, and Silver Elm trees arch over the wide path winding through the section of land that is undetectable to the Muggles in the area. They ran down twisting paths that are edged with bioluminescent grasses that can be found in the American Prairies. The purple, blue and turquoise grasses wave and light up as the pair fly past. In one section there are little yellow flowers bowing their heads releasing the most delicious scents trying to lure them off the path. Puffapods of every color can be seen floating in the air, so that when you looked up, it was as though the skies were alight with so many magical enchantments. When they came to a fork in the path Luna walks to the right, pulling Newt to her favorite place here. The Flutter Fly House.

The walls of the Flutter Fly House are glass blocks. Looking at it one may think it would be cold, like being in an igloo. However, the night air inside is warm and thick with the scents of a jungle. The ceiling is enchanted much like the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Looking up at it Luna can't help but smile. Seeing the stars while indoors always brings a smile to her face.

Newt loops his arm around her waist and pulls her deeper into the sanctuary, Flutter Flies of all shapes and colors are flitting past them. Some have bright yellow fuzzy bodies with black and orange wings that are the size of ravens. There are bright pink ones with black spots that are the size of her thumbnail. The most beautiful ones had 2 large emerald green wings, and a second set right on top of the first that is translucent with iridescent veins all throughout.

They walked until they got to the bench right in the middle of the room. Luna knows this is a dream, so feels no hesitation when she pulls Newt down to sit on the bench next to her and proceeds to snog him silly. She puts her hands on his shoulders, and his go to her waist and they each pull the other even closer. They are soon breathless and pull apart to stare each other in the eye. Their nights always ended in a toe curling passionate kiss, but never went beyond that.

...oooOOOooo...

In the distance, waking her so softly from slumber she hears the stirring chords of her wake up call. It is time for her to get up and start another day. Luna knows that no matter how badly she wants it, she can't get back to her dream land once she is awake. All she can do is just hold onto the feeling a bit longer and remind herself again that she really needs to meet a nice wizard and do more than just snog in her dreams.