Okay, this is my first fic, but you don't have to go easy on me. Flamers are a mystery to me, why bother reviewing a fic if you hate it that much? Ah, well. All flamers will be severely water balloon bombarded for bringing more heat to this abnormally hot weather. I live in Wisconsin, so I guess it's not THAT bad compared to…let's say Arizona. Enough about me. I have to get a few things cleared up and then you can read in peace. RIP! I just noticed that! Yeah. Sorry.

One: This is purely fictional. It will generally follow canon, well, some of the time, but Luna is not mentioned up until the fifth book, so I have some lovely blank canvas to work with. Excepting what she told Harry and all that…blah blah blah. Yes, I have read the sixth book, but Sevvie is going to be nice. Well, maybe not nice, precisely, but on the Light Side (am I confusing something with Star Wars? It just feels like it...)

Two: I was under the impression that butterbeer was nonalcoholic and there was no drinking age, but in the fourth book Winky was getting all drunk-like. So, we are going to use our fabulous powers of pretend to transport ourselves into an alternative universe where, not only does the Harry Potter world exist, but that it's perfectly reasonable for three year olds to be drinking butterbeer without drunk side-effects.

Three: If I DID own Harry Potter, I wouldn't be here writing this amateur ficcie. Well, I could, I suppose, but I'm the kind of person who would be terrorizing little kids into worshipping me…and bitching around trying to get more money. And building that twenty-three bedroom mansion J.K. was falsely rumored to have. That may be why I'm not getting anywhere in life. Sigh. I do not own the Harry Potter series. La la la.

Four: If you think I need a beta, tell me in a review. I'm trying, though. Also:

Normal

Singing/Thinking

RIP!

"Look!" a young girl cried out, kneeling on the broad ledge below the window so she could see better, her pale blue, slightly too large nightgown pooling around her knees. She pressed her chubby face against the frosted glass, her clear blue eyes squinting at the dark skies outside. She brought a small hand up and rubbed away the foggy patch her warm breath formed on the frosty glass so she could see the glowing white orb better. "Luna!" she said happily, pointing.

A short, rather scrawny woman crossed the room to stand beside her daughter. Her back looked slightly hunched, probably from bending over her potions work in her poor-quality workshop for many years. A small smile graced her lips. "I see the moon and the moon sees me-" she started to sing in soft voice.

"Stop it Mommy!" a young girl protested. "I'm fwee, now! All grown up! I'm too big for that song,"

de la luz

"You're never too old for lullabies," said the middle-aged woman, and with a soft groan she settled herself on the window ledge. She beckoned to the girl, who plopped onto her lap. After a bit of hesitation, debating over trying to be more mature or letting the song on her lips be sung, the little girl decided.

"Under the shade of the old oak tree. Please let the light that shines on me, shine on the one I love." She was sure of the lyrics, as she had sung that song many times before. She snuggled into her mother as they both sang the last part.

"Over the mountains and over the sea. Back where my heart is longing to be. Please let the light that shines on me, shine on the one I love." At this last part, clear, content blue eyes met tired amber ones, and the little girl smiled. The mother also felt a weary smile tugging on her thin lips as she picked up her daughter and carried her over to the bed.

"Come now, moonchild, go to sleep," she said, pulling up the dark blue coverlet embroidered with tiny stars.

The girl's lips turned down as she pouted. "But I didn't get a story!" she whined.

The mother whispered "Nox," and the lamp on the nightstand obediently turned off it's dim glow. She sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her daughter's blonde hair gently. "But you got a song, wasn't that good enough?"

"No!" the daughter persistently.

"Alright. But a short one," the mother said.

"Can you tell me the one about Luna?" the girl said, wriggling in excitement.

"Oh, okay," the mother said, grinning tiredly, and began, "Once upon a time there was a little girl who was going to sleep in a small London suburb. Her name was Luna Lovegood, and her mother loved her very much. She had-"

"No, not that one!" the little girl shrieked loudly.

"Shhh, Luna! We don't want Daddy to hear," the mother chided gently.

"Why not?" Luna Lovegood inquired curiously.

"Because Daddy is…busy," Karina Lovegood told her daughter. How could she explain to her daughter exactly why she had a bruise on her cheek? She sighed inwardly. Kevin Lovegood was normally a sweet man, but only this morning he had struck her for the second time that week. He had apologized profusely and told her he was "stressed." Karina had reluctantly accepted this, but she still did not want Kevin to strike her in front of a little girl, or even more horrifying, lose control and strike Luna himself.

She did not want to admit it, but her life seemed to be crumbling before her eyes. Perhaps, if she could dredge up a moment from her busy schedule, she could go and see Severus, talk to him. She hadn't seen him in so long...no, that would mean leaving Luna alone with her father. Maybe it would be easier just to take-

"Mommy?" Luna asked in a whisper. "See, Daddy can't hear me now. Will you tell me the story?"

The older witch absentmindedly began to pick at one of the embroidered stars on the quilt, and then began. "Long ago-"

"Last time you said 'once upon a time'," Luna said accusingly, forgetting to whisper.

"Luna, please be quiet and let Mommy finish the story. She's tired right now," said Karina, loosening a thread on the star she had been listlessly prodding at. Luna fell silent, somehow now sensing her mother's weariness.

"Long ago, there were two sisters. One was named Aurora, and she was the goddess of the sun. Aurora is a form of the Latin word for 'light'," said Karina.

She had found a good deal of comfort in reading through her childhood and adulthood, and as a result was quite knowledgeable. This particular myth came from a collection of stories she had been reading a few days before she had given birth to Luna. Luna had apparently shared the same fascination for her namesake as the expectant Karina had, and the story was now a regular telling in the Lovegood household.

Karina cleared her hoarse throat, coated with the fumes of the Healing Draught she had been making for the Order, and continued. "Aurora had a beautiful golden chariot which she drove across the sky each day, casting glittering light upon the earth below. Her sister was the goddess of the moon, and her name was-"

"Luna, just like me!" said Luna, squealing in excitement. Then her face fell and she hastened to drop her voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry Mommy, I forgot about staying quiet and letting you tell the story."

"It's alright, honey. Yes, her name was Luna. Luna is Latin for 'moon'."

Luna opened her mouth but then remembered her promise and closed it quickly. Karina noticed this. "What were you going to say?" she asked her daughter, curling the now-loose silvery thread around her finger. Suddenly she seemed to realize what she was doing to the poor coverlet, and her hands clasped together for a moment, then she carefully began to smooth the navy blanket out.

Luna's eyes brightened and she asked, "Does Karina mean anything, Mommy?"

"Well, actually, Karina has…" she trailed off, watching her daughter intently. Luna was squinting fixedly out the window at the foot of her bed.

"What is it, moonchild?" she questioned. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder to the large window and found nothing amiss. Just the night sky through a frosted layer of glass.

"Mommy, can clouds be green?" Luna asked.

"No, not usually-" Karina suddenly leapt up and scrambled to the window. She scratched furiously at the frosted glass, then gave up and undid the latch, tugging the window upwards. It can't be! Karina's mind screamed at her. She finally wrenched the window open, pressing her spectacles up her thin nose and thrusting her head out into the winter air. Suddenly she was freezing, partly because of the chill breeze, but mostly because of the cold feeling of dread that stole over her heart. There was no mistaking the shape in the distance. The "green cloud" came sharply into focus, the shimmering skull fixed with a look of malice, a serpent wriggling out of it's mouth. Karina locked her amber eyes with the cavernous black abysses that formed the skull's eyes. "No…" she said, gasping. The skull was far away, that much she could tell, but murder had been committed. The sensible part of her mind told her she needed to apparate straight to Dumbledore's, she couldn't spend any of her time dawdling. But a large part of her mind was still shrieking, This can't be happening, if only this were a dream. Not now, oh please, not now!

A small hand tugging on her robes temporarily settled her mind and she brought her head sharply back into the house, startled. Luna's large sapphire eyes stared up at her, fearful. Luna! What could she do with Luna?

"Is it all going to be okay?" asked Luna, her voice quivering. She hated to see her mommy afraid; it made her feel scared, too.

Karina shut the window firmly, then bent down and took Luna's small hands in her own cold ones. She realized she was shaking slightly, and tried to calm down as she looked into her daughter's eyes. She hated to lie, but it really looked like Luna needed to hear this. "Yes, it will all be fine." She hesitated, and then made her decision. "Mommy has to leave for awhile, okay?"

Luna nodded, feeling slightly mollified.

Karina sighed. "I will be going down to get some potions, and then I'll go. I don't know when I'll be back, but you will stay with Daddy. He'll take care of you." I hope, she added silently in her head. Why Kevin had refused to help the Order was still a mystery to her.

Luna threw her arms around her mother, and Karina returned the gesture. The sensible part of her brain was telling her reproachfully that every second counted, so she planted a kiss softly on top of her daughter's head. "I love you, moonchild," Karina said, then pulled out her wand and stepped into the hall.

She could not bear to meet her daughter's sad gaze as she shut the door, then sprinted down the carpeted stairs, swinging around the balustrade for an extra burst of speed before launching herself down the first-floor hallway.

The witch HAD thought about apparating between levels, but she it would probably take her awhile to clear her mind, and since she had an unfortunate habit of splinching herself when she was too distracted, she decided against it.

Karina entered the living room, looking around furiously for Kevin. "Kevin?" she yelled, hoping he was within earshot. "I'm leaving!" She continued dashing all the way down the stairs to the basement, before snatching up her bag of potions for the Order of the Phoenix.

Finally, she stood in the center of her cluttered workshop, breathing deeply, trying to focus on clearing her mind, and then on the three D's. The last thing she heard from her house was a door slam angrily, and a wave of apprehension crashed down upon her as she thought about leaving Luna and Kevin alone, but she was already on her way.

Karina didn't seem to have gotten her mind clear enough, and she felt one of her fingernails separate as she apparated to Headquarters. She would have laughed at her mistake if the situation weren't so grave.

When her feet finally landed on solid ground, she had half a mind to turn back, but Albus Dumbledore was hurrying towards her, so she merely tucked a strand of graying brown hair behind her ear and straightened her robes exhaustedly before turning to listen to details.

The little girl who had been named after the moon stood silently for a few moments. She did not like it when her mommy left. After awhile, she moved back to the window seat and sat down on it, staring silently at the large silver moon out of the window. But then she saw the green cloud that had made her mother so upset, shrouding the stars surrounding the moon, and she turned her face away. A tear fell out of her eye, and she tried to suppress it, tried to be grown up, but then she was sobbing, the only sound in the deathly still room.

Then Luna heard footsteps, and her face brightened. Maybe her Daddy had come to comfort her. She did not know why, but he was not there to hug her as much as he used to. The door opened, and her father's large silhouette was standing in the doorway. Her slammed the door shut and Luna uncrossed her legs and ran over to greet him. She faltered when she saw the expression on his face, and hugged his legs gingerly, but he did not pick her up or return the hug. Puzzled, the three-year old scrambled back up onto her bed, watching him.

"Where did Karina go?" he roared.

Luna shuddered slightly. She did not like the tone of his voice. "She went away after she saw the green cloud," she said, pointing to the window.

Kevin Lovegood stomped over to the window and pulled open the window, but his movements were full of anger instead of fear. He saw the Dark Mark and cursed angrily, brutally slamming the window shut. "That bitch!" he muttered. "When she comes back…"

Luna decided to take a chance and stuttered out a question. "Will you finish the story for me, Daddy?" she asked tentatively.

In flash, Kevin had stormed at his daughter's bedside, clenching his fists. "She's been telling you stories now? Is that it? And you want me to finish one. How…sweet," he said in a strained voice.

Luna nodded, face hopeful.

"Putting filthy shit into your brain, is she now?"

Luna frowned. She did not quite now what that meant, and it sounded like a bad thing. She DID like the stories and wanted to hear the ending. "No, Daddy."

Suddenly a fist connected with the little girl's head, sending her sprawling. Luna whimpered and closed her eyes as the force carried her over to the edge of the mattress opposite of where her father was. Her hands scrabbled at her quilt, but she couldn't regain her balance, and she tumbled out of the bed and landed painfully on the wooden floor.

"Never, ever, say no to me again," her father said, his voice mingling with her sobbing. He moved around the bed so he could stand over his daughter. "Get up," he ordered, voice dangerously soft. Luna scrambled to stand up, still crying at the pain in her limbs. Kevin raised a hand as if to strike her again, and the little girl flinched, expecting another blow.

But just then a horrified look came over Kevin's features, and he stared at his hand in astonishment. His eyes grew wide as he looked at he looked at his daughter's tear-streaked face. He took a step backwards, then another and another, stumbling, until he turned and raced out of the room.

Luna crumpled to the floor, still wailing. Eventually her aches dulled and she curled up, watching the door fearfully, until her eyelids drooped and she fell into a fitful sleep. This was the position her mother found her in several hours later.

Karina wove her way through the celebrating crowd at Headquarters. The Order had engaged in battle and managed to scrape up a win, capturing several Death Eaters in the process, thus the reason for the party. They had lost one of their own, though, Edith Hawkins, who seemed to have a son entering his first year at Hogwarts, and all Karina wanted to do was to go home and nurse her aching heart in peace.

Someone had drudged up a few cartons of butterbeer; probably Mundungus Fletcher, and Karina, already exhausted beyond belief, subconsciously took the bottle someone pressed into her hand, preoccupied with searching for Dumbledore's pointed hat. She wanted to tell him she was leaving, in case he needed anymore potions.

Her face suddenly creased into a frown, seeing Mundungus Fletcher in the corner, draining a butterbeer and preparing to pop open another. She snatched it out of his hand, mouth pursing disapprovingly noting the several already-empty bottles he was surrounded by. She tilted her head and squinted at a label. There was even some firewhisky. The witch looked around, looking for some safe way to dispose of the full couple bottles she held. She certainly wasn't going to give them back to HIM. Karina finally pocketed the two bottles she now held in her hands and, arms akimbo, proceeded to lecture him. "Don't you think you've had quite enough, Mr. Fletcher?"

He grinned up at her and slurred out "Wingardium lasagna, Madame McGonagoll,"

Karina felt a tired grin creep onto her face, and she struggled to suppress it. She had always had a soft spot for Mundungus, even though he was constantly getting drunk. She patted her pockets, feeling all the bulges, taking out some potion flasks and enlarging them, shrinking others and rummaging around.

A black-clad arm thrust a corked beaker under her nose, and she took it, gave it to Mundungus Fletcher, who downed it greedily, and turned to face Severus Snape. "Hello, Severus. Didn't think you would be the type to carry around Hangover Remedies."

"Ah, well, I picked some up on the way here. Knowing these idiots," he said arrogantly, gesturing airily, "and how they manage to consume those drinks," he continued, looking pointedly at the snoozing Mundungus, "they will be needed. People are so stupid nowadays. My hangover potion has always been faster-acting then yours, you know."

"Whatever, Sev. Maybe because you've had more experience being drunk."

The potions master snorted.

"Well, there was that time in seventh year…"

Severus suddenly reddened slightly. "How is Luna?" he asked. Karina smirked at the obvious change of subject.

"Oh, she's as sweet as ever. But last week she mistook a Wolfbane Potion for apple juice."

Severus chuckled. Someone nearby stared in astonishment, and Severus flashed him a death glare. "Did it make a difference, seeing as she's not a werewolf?"

"I don't think so, but I was a little worried. The yelsrep might have had some side effects, but she didn't swallow much. She spat most of it right out."

"Very bitter, I suppose. Never tried one myself, but the root combination…"

Karina sighed. "I should be getting back, but Kevin and I have been having problems and I'm not so eager to work this one out."

Severus noted the depressed tone his fellow potions maker's voice took on when mentioning her husband. "My door is always open, Karina," Severus said. The eavesdropping person nearby choked on their drink. "Come by in the evening?"

"Yeah, same time as before."

He pulled out a tightly rolled scroll from his robes pulled a tightly rolled scroll out of his "If you have any of these ingredients in your workshop, I would greatly appreciate it if I could use them. I would pay for them, of course."

"Oh, Severus, they're free for an old friend."

Severus smiled, heard the eavesdropper's cup shatter, a muttered "Reparo," and finally he nudged Karina in the direction away of the anti-apparition wards. "Go, Rina. I'll tell Albus where you are. If he needs anymore potions, I'll take care of it. You look dead on your feet."

"Thanks, Severus," said the witch sincerely.

"You're welcome," Severus said, and heard a body hit the floor after fainting in astonishment. He rolled his eyes, and then disappeared into the hustle of the crowd.

Karina watched him go, then cleared her mind and focused on the three D's.

The witch apparated to her daughter's room, stumbling slightly. She was way more exhausted then she had previously thought. All she needed to do was check on Luna, and then she would go to bed. She had closed her eyes when apparating and it was a struggle to get them open again. The mother finally succeeded, rubbing them in an effort to get rid of the grogginess. When she could finally focus on the navy coverlet, a lump of fear arose in her throat. There was no tiny lump and no rise and fall of Luna's tiny chest under the navy blanket.

Karina panicked for a moment, before she saw Luna's pale blue nightgown curled up in the corner. Did she fall out of bed? Karina wondered, hurrying over to her daughter. When she saw the handprint-sized bruise darkening on Luna's slumbering cheek, she assumed the worst. "Oh, moonchild!" she breathed, gathering her daughter into her arms and rocking her back and forth. A tear rolled down her cheek. I have to file for divorce, she thought. I'll do it tomorrow. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and had the urge to grin wryly. It was three o'clock in the morning. Actually, she would do it today. Today, after a nice, long, sleep. Luna stirred, and Karina immediately tightened her grip on her daughter. "I see the moon and the moon sees me," she crooned softly. Luna mumbled "The moon sees somebody I wanna…see…" Suddenly her eyes snapped open, and Karina felt her body stiffen.

Luna buried her face in her mother's robes, a fresh round of tears pouring down her face, and the potion maker holding her shifted slightly so the lumpy bottles concealed inside did not press against the little girl's tender cheek. After a moment, Luna tilted her head to the side and sobbed out "Daddy hurted me!"

Karina was suddenly overcome by so many emotions when her suspicions where confirmed. She head lolled onto her chest and she dozed off, only responding to the outside world when her daughter calmed down. The older witch, with a surprising burst of energy, managed to cry the sniffling girl over to her bed and set her down gently, but Luna, sensing the absence of her mother's arms, succumbed to the wracking sobs again as her mother pulled up the covers for the second time that night.

Karina paused, at a loss of what to do, for she desperately wanted to go to bed, but also did not want to leave her daughter in such a state. Sighing, she pulled out a Dreamless Sleep Potion. The potions brewer uncorked it and held it out for her daughter. "Drink, moonchild."

Luna, trusting her mother completely, stifled her wails for a moment as she poured some of the bottle's contents down her throat. She relaxed immediately, already exhausted, and the bottle slipped from her fingers. It fell against the starry quilt, and Karina, reaction time slowed due to fatigue, felt the smooth glass collide with her palm just before it hit the floor. A dark stain was spreading across the blanket, but Karina, swaying on her feet again, decided to take care of it later.

She hesitated briefly before dragging her wand out of one of her pockets and pointing it wearily at the door. Karina muttered a strong locking charm and felt her heart sink as the spell coming out of her drooping wand tip hit her daughter's bedside table instead. Gathering the last of her energy, she aimed squarely at the door before muttering the charm for the second time. The worn-out woman staggered over to the window seat, still holding the Dreamless Sleep Potion. She looked at it for a moment, her eyes having trouble focusing, before downing the rest of it and curling up on the blue cushions.

Like? Hate? Confused? Undecided? In need of chocolate? I sure am. Review, please.

Oh, sorry guys, but I like the friendship between Snape and Luna's mother. That is so not going.

Poll is open on whether it should be Harry/Luna in later chapters! If not, give me your preference. But I do need someone for a relationship so I can try this idea that's been stewing around for awhile. Also, the first person who can tell me what word I spelled backwards (since I'm too unimaginative to make something up on my own), your vote counts as two!

Mischief managed,

Signing out,

Peevsie