Written for the Gobstones Club: Silver Stone - Death - A - (word) Freckle, P - (colour) Fuschia, T - (word) relax

Written for Writing Club: Ned (Isaacswolfsbane): (sexuality) Bisexual

Written for the Ultimate Writer's Challenge: write about a bisexual character

Desire

Luna had been staring at the ceiling for the last half an hour, watching the enchanted stars twinkle above her. It was early in the morning, the hoot of an owl outside and the gentle breathing of her companion beside her, the only sounds. The room was dark apart from the stars, and she had no idea how long it was until morning. Truthfully, she hoped the night would last forever. The morning, she knew, would be too much.

She must have drifted back to sleep after that, for she was woken what only seemed moments later, but there was light, and the space next to her was empty. She sat up, looking around the small, over-decorated room. The duvet on the right side was peeled back, revealing her fuschia-coloured sheets. There was a light on across the hall and she heard the shower running.

Luna laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. She had made her mind up, and it had to be done. No matter what.

She lay in silence, her heart pounding against her chest with every moment it took. When the shower eventually turned off, she rolled over to face the door. A moment later, it opened. Cho stood in the arch, a towel wrapped around her wet body, her hair enclosed in another. She offered a smile.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she whispered, padding across the floor and sitting on the bed. She placed a soft kiss on Luna's forehead. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Luna forced a smile. "Sorry, I was awake for a lot of last night." She yawned, as if to enforce her point.

Cho nodded and then smiled. "Well, you get some rest. I'll cook breakfast."

Luna watched as Cho changed, feeling the guilt eat away at her. She had never been someone to believe love should be contained to just one person. She loved all of her friends, her family, and she loved Cho. But she also loved others - other women, other men, and there was one man in particular whom she had ended up making love to two nights earlier.

It wasn't the fact that she loved another that caused her guilt. It wasn't even that she had slept with him. It was that Cho didn't see the world as Luna did, and Cho would be hurt by her actions. Cho believed a relationship was between just two people, and until that night, Luna had kept her physical relationship exclusive.

But in the end, it had been too much.

"I love you, Cho," she whispered as her girlfriend left the room. That would never change, Luna knew. But she needed Cho to also understand that there were others that she also loved.

…

Rolf lay panting beside her, sweat dripping down his forehead and torso. He was a muscular man, and tanned from his many years under hot suns around the world. Despite his kind nature and gentle voice, he was a good lover - one that Luna was unable to resist. She had, of course, for many months, but her desire for him had become too much one night. That had been weeks ago now.

There was a connection between them - one that wasn't there with Cho. Cho made her feel good, physically, but Rolf could do more than that. He understood her desires and he wasn't worried. He would make love to her knowing that the next night she may be in the arms of another. And he loved her for it.

"I suppose you should be getting back to Cho," Rolf murmured, still trying to catch his breath.

Luna sat up, allowing her body to be exposed to him. "I suppose I should," she replied, for she had still not told Cho of her infidelity. She hadn't been able to.

Rolf reached out to stroke her matted, blonde hair. "You should tell her," he said. "For her sake."

Luna nodded, but said nothing. She knew she should.

…

Being with Cho was very different to being with Rolf. Being with a woman was very different to being with a man. Cho was more susceptible to being hurt - she was less secure, and needed Luna around a lot more. She talked to Luna about things Luna cared very little for - things like Quidditch, or Wizard's Chess. Rolf talked to her about magical creatures and new discoveries, and things that got her excited.

"Luna," Cho whispered one evening. The pair were curled up on the couch, Luna's fingers gliding through Cho's dark hair. The wireless was on, loud with excited Quidditch commentators.

"Yes?" Luna asked, withdrawing her fingers.

"Is everything okay? With us, I mean?"

Luna knew that there was an opening then, her time to speak. She should tell Cho about Rolf, about her feelings, her values. Yet the vulnerability in her girlfriend's eyes had her saying otherwise. "Of course, my love." She placed a kiss on Cho's forehead.

Cho smiled, though it wasn't a genuine one. "You've just been distant lately. I thought maybe…"

Luna shook her head, smiling. "Everything is okay. I promise."

This time, Cho really did smile. "I love you, Luna."

"I love you, too, Cho." And Luna meant it. She would always love Cho.

…

"I love you, Luna."

The words surprised Luna. Rolf hadn't come across as a man to express much emotion, but she could hear it in his voice that he meant it.

She smiled. "I love you, too, Rolf."

The declaration was sealed with a kiss, and as they pulled away, Luna noticed just how many freckles her boyfriend had on his face. She found them rather endearing.

…

Luna found herself attracted to both women and men. She enjoyed the company and sharing a bed with both. They each had their own things to offer. But there came a point in her life where she knew one or the other would have to end. Cho would never understand her actions, and although he had been understanding to begin with, even Rolf was becoming more frustrated with her desire to see them both. He wanted her, and she wanted him. Yet she also wanted Cho.

But a decision needed to be made.

It wasn't her infidelity that caused the guilt that rushed through her as she faced them both. Cho had caught her - she'd become more suspicious of Luna's distance and followed her. It was the hurt in her eyes that broke Luna, but it was also making her decision a whole lot easier.

Luna's beliefs, her desires, did not suit Cho. It would not be fair on her any longer to continue with this.

"I'm sorry, Cho," she whispered, and tears immediately sprung to the older woman's face.

"You… pick him?" Cho looked at Rolf, taking in his tall, muscled build.

"If I could, I'd pick you both," Luna said. "But… Rolf is more understanding about what I need."

This confused Cho, despite Luna having already explained it. She couldn't be committed to just one person her whole life. She had had - and would continue to have - multiple lovers at once. Some would be women, some would be men, but the desire within her would never change. Rolf understood that and he respected her decision. Cho did not.

"Every moment we've had together," Luna continued, "has been wonderful. "But I've hurt you, and I can no longer do that. You deserve to be happy and have what you need. I can't give you that, Cho."

Cho swallowed, fighting back more tears. She didn't try to argue, though. She understood.

"I loved you, Luna," she whispered after a moment. "I still do."

"And I, you." Luna stepped forward and placed a gentle kiss on Cho's lips; a goodbye kiss.

Cho then turned and that was the end. Never again would Luna feel the warmth and love that Cho brang.

"It'll stop hurting soon," Rolf assured her, placing a kiss to her forehead.

"I know." Already, Luna could relax. The guilt was still there, but it would vanish. She was who she was, and she knew that it didn't conform to the general understanding of relationships, but she wasn't going to change for that. Rolf understood her, and she hoped that in the future, her other lovers would, too.

…

It was her wedding day. A bright, sunny day and Luna couldn't have been happier. She woke to the sun beaming in her eyes. Today, she would marry a man that she loved with all of her heart.

As she rose, a soft hand pressed on the small of her back, sending shivers up her spine. She was naked and completely exposed to the kisses that came next.

"Hey," said the voice behind her, its speaker now moving to her neck. "All the best for your wedding today."

Luna smiled and turned, cupping Lavender's face in her hands. Her heart thumping, she drew Lavender's lips to her own.

"Thank you," she said. "I can't wait."

Lavender smiled. "I love you, Luna, and I just want you to be happy. I'll gladly stand in the crowd and watch you marry him, as much as it hurts."

Luna returned her smile, drawing in Lavender's body. "This will never change anything between us, Lav. Never." She kissed her.

Lavender broke the kiss, grinning. "We should probably get out of bed and get you into a wedding dress. Today is going to be a busy day."

Thank you to Emily, who beta'd this for me. And, the theme of death here was the death of a relationship.