AN: Hey! This is a short little drabble for the Hunger Games Competition over on HPFC! I used the prompts: melodious, Padma Patil, Seamus/Luna, Diagon Alley and Mystery. Enjoy, and review please!
Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to J. K. Rowling.
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Seamus was in Diagon Alley when he heard it.
It was his day off, and since he didn't have anything else particularly exciting to do, as all his friends had made other plans, he had decided to spend his day browsing the curiosities that Diagon Alley had to offer. While he had been going there almost his entire life, he could almost swear that he noticed a new shop every single time he went there.
He didn't know if it was on purpose, if there was some sort of magic that revealed a shop to you each time you go, or if he just didn't come enough and more shops kept opening, but he didn't question it. Unlike some people he knew *cough* Hermione *cough*, he didn't feel the need to know or explain everything around him. He was content just letting things happen.
When he heard it, in fact, he had just noticed a new candy shop across from Flourish and Blots, which he absolutely knew hadn't been there before. He came to Flourish and Blots often enough to know how the shops around it looked, and Betties Bottled Candies had never been there before.
So, of course, he had to enter the shop. It didn't hurt that it was a candy shop either.
He was just pushing open the door, getting his first whiff of delicious, sweet, candy scented air, when he heard it.
It was the most haunting, melodious, and beautiful thing he had ever heard. It reminded him of Gothic castles, flickering candles, and, strangely enough, the warm, comforting taste of a well-brewed pot of tea. It was a strange contradiction of mysterious and lonely, mixed with the homely feeling of warmth and comfort.
Now, while Seamus staunchly kept forth the image that he was as rough and tumble a man as they come, he had hidden soft spot for music.
When he heard the tune, which had been faint to begin with, fade away, he turned around, letting the door clang shut (in Padam Patil's face, she later told him, very disgruntled. He apologized, but couldn't find it in him to be truly sorry. If he hadn't taken off so suddenly, he never would have caught her, so how could he profess to being sorry for something that had led to him finding her?) behind him, and took off in the direction the sound was still faintly coming from.
Though he could hear the haunting notes in front of him at every turn, he couldn't for the life of him see who was making the sound. It was only when, after he had passed an alley and he was becoming increasing frustrated that the music was fading no matter which way he turned, that he saw a flash of white disappearing down the alleyway had just passed, and he just knew that was where the music was coming from.
He dashed down the alleyway, and caught up with the girl just before she opened a door leading into an apartment situated above one of the shops.
"Wait!"
His loud shout startled the girl, who turned around with a gasp, before her face relaxed and she smiled a serene smile, typical of the Luna Seamus remembered from school.
"Oh. It's you. Hello Seamus."
Seamus was struck speechless for a moment that it was this odd, eccentric, mad trap girl whom everyone, (he included, he was ashamed to admit), taunted at Hogwarts who had made that enchanting sound.
"H-Hello Luna."
They were silent for a few seconds, Seamus becoming more and more uncomfortable with the silence while Luna continued to smile at him. Just as Seamus was considering making a run for it and pretending he had never met her, she said, "Was there something that you wanted?"
"Yes. I mean, no. I mean- what song were ye singing? Just now, I mean."
If his question surprised her, she showed no sign of it.
"Oh, that. It's a song I sing to attract something."
"To attract what? And did it work?" Seamus knew it was a strange question, but he honestly couldn't imagine something who wouldn't be enchanted by that song.
Luna smiled.
"Yes, yes it did."