This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Voodoo Magic: The Loa: Write about a woman in a high position.
Word Count: 771
Beta: heidelbergchick
Hermione had started out with SPEW at school, not knowing the extent of magical creature abuse that was actually still happening all around them. After school, she decided to campaign to help all creatures' great and small.
She had the knowledge about them, and as a Minister for Magic, she now had the means to make sure they were taken care of.
She didn't mind being alone. She knew her friends had settled down, but she was entirely too busy for that sort of thing. She often wore her silver earrings to work, hesitantly touching them, as if to make sure it was real.
It had been a gift from her father just before she went to Hogwarts, and not having been able to reverse the obliviate charm on them. She no longer had any family. Luna had become a good work colleague, assisting her in her travels and meetings with various creatures.
"Luna, what on Earth did you do to your hair?" Hermione asked in shock when she saw Luna had chopped off her long platinum blonde locks into a short edgy bob, with cardinal red highlights.
"I thought I would mix it up a little," she said. It was clear the loss of Luna's father had affected her, but her behavior remained relatively the same.
"My creation is complete," Luna muttered to herself, looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Hermione had walked with her to the lady's bathroom in the office, before they needed to go off to find some Magical creatures.
"You've been called the 'Da Vinci' of our time. What do you say to that?" Hermione said while Luna admired herself in the mirror.
"Absolutely ridiculous, I don't paint," Luna responded, shaking her head.
Luna used her position as Hermione's assistant to document things for the Quibbler. She was also running it as a sideshow while she worked with Hermione to earn money.
They were walking at the edge of the lake, looking for the water Nymphs that frequented the area. Luna had created a dress out of playing cards, and as much as Hermione would have liked to tell her not to wear it, she decided against it. It wasn't important what Luna wore as long as they did the work.
The ground was wet and muddy in patches, and the two ladies struggled to walk to the side of the water. Luna slipped, and without thinking, she grabbed Hermione's hand, causing them both to lose balance in land in the mud. Hermione was glaring at Luna, furious.
"Great, now my dress is ruined!" She exclaimed. Ignoring the fact that every inch of them was covered in mud, including her newly dyed and cut hair.
"Well, we might as well carry on," Hermione muttered, pulling herself to her feet and holding out a hand for Luna to take. The ladies reached the edge of the lake and spotted a small nymph at the water's edge, it seemed to be crying.
"It looks like a baby," Hermione said softly, and they walked towards the nymph. Luna followed close behind, when they reached the nymph, the curious face turned upon them.
"It's going to be okay little one," Luna said. "We can help you."
The small champagne coloured nymph turned his beady black eyes on Luna. "Momma," it said. Hermione was fascinated by the knowledge that it appeared these nymphs had the capabilities of speech.
Before they knew it, the lake had waves splashing towards the shore, and the mother nymph appeared, the mature nymph snatched the champagne coloured baby into her arms. She was a beige colour, which showed that she was fully grown.
"What on Earth are you doing to my baby?" she said glaring at them furiously.
"You speak English," Hermione commented, surprised. She was now intent on forming a relationship with these nymphs.
"What do they say these days, wix? Do the children say 'Well, duh!'?" the nymph shot back in a huff.
"There is no need for that, we are only trying to help," Luna said kindly.
"It's me against this world, and I don't care," she said to the two of them.
"That's just madness," Luna said softly.
The nymph was tired of these confusing wix and decided to take her baby and leave. She disappeared into the lake without another word.
"Well, we failed," Hermione said, still wiping the mud off her sleeves.
"You know what they say," Luna responded cheerfully.
"What's that, Luna?"
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts," Luna said, surprising Hermione with the words of wisdom.