Title/Link: Atypical Afternoon

Team: Tutshill Tornadoes

Position: Chaser 3

A/N: Welcome to the second round of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition!

Guideline:

"Drink the poison lightly

'Cause there are deeper and darker things than you

I know, 'cause I've been there too."

- I'm Not The One, 3oh!3

Prompts:

"I can honestly say that I do not care."
Less than perfect
"Fear is only a verb if you let it be." - I Do, Andrea Gibson

Details: 1000 – 3000 WORDS. Rated K+

(2305 words)

AU

She couldn't really put a finger on it but ever since the Dark Lord's defeat at the Battle of the Ministry things at Hogwarts had been rather dull. The students all moved around as if they had forgotten, as if the war was a figment of their darkest nightmares while Luna sat in a tree in the Forbidden Forest unable to pretend that her fellow students were worth the idle conversation. She always wondered if spending dinner at the Great Hall was worth hearing her fellow sixth years praise her relentlessly. She had always been Loony Lovegood to them, she couldn't fathom why that had changed. When she found herself alone, distracted by her mind's ramblings it would drift down a narrow path wondering what it would be like to receive their affections and respect. Now that she had it, she would give anything to destroy it.

As if complimenting her would make up for the teasing, would make up for them constantly hiding her things, as if they could understand what it felt like to be ostracized. Her friends were enjoying their last year, soaking up the attention, she couldn't remember the last time she spoke to her fellow ministry fighters. Everything just felt so fake and surreal and more often than not Luna found herself sitting barefoot up in a tree in the Forbidden Forest or feeding the threstles.

Maybe her seventh year would be different, maybe she could live in peace. Maybe she wouldn't have to talk to anyone. Maybe she could go back to moving around the school at her whimsy. Most people didn't even understand half the things she said but for some reason they would laugh it off and compliment her, admiring her openness, admiring how comfortable she was for being so odd. She was still Loony Lovegood, they weren't trying to change her, they were just trying to accept how different she was and it reminded her how she was not like the others.

She hummed, resting her head on the trunk, she felt the most relaxed up in the tree. She felt she could be herself and never have to worry about anything or anyone. It was refreshing, a nice change of pace. Life was a never ending cycle of despair and happiness and Luna was frightened at the prospect that the united happiness could slip away so flippantly. As much as her classmates' sudden attention made her uncomfortable, everyone was happy that the light beat the dark. War was over and she was worried, and frightened to partake in the socializing all because there was a possibility for the general contentment to end.

Her feet dangled and her ankle bracelet's trinkets jingled and chimed as her feet swayed. No one would find her here, not that anyone would look for her… She never felt more alone, more awkward, more dissatisfied with herself in all her six years at Hogwarts. What was she so scared of? That people would know her and not genuinely like her? That they would go back to bullying her? She didn't know and it bothered her that she couldn't pin point her fear.

She heard a grunt in discomfort and a heavy thud against the tree's trunk. She stopped humming and used a sticking to charm to swing herself to sit underneath the tree branch. Now upside down, her long platinum blonde hair nearly touched the ground as she adjusted herself to face the trunk, surprised at the beat up and dishevelled Blaise Zabini huffing and wheezing in pain. He was covered in cuts, scrapes and scratches, his usual tied into a pony tail long brown dreads were all over the place, as if he had been rolling around on the forest floor. His left eyes was swollen and he could barely meet her gaze by the way he was hunched over, holding his bleeding stomach. The usual poise and quiet Blaise Zabini was a complete mess and Luna couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

Quietly and effortlessly did she drop down from her tree, landing on her feet while Blaise continued to hold his stomach and shoulder, breathing heavily. She walked up toward him taking out her wand. She had been studying some forms of medi-magic hoping to help anyone in the battle. She never thought that the first time she would be using a healing spell would be on a seventh year slytherin. She sealed his cuts and cleaned his scrapes with several intricate waves of her wand. She wiped her brow when done, the magic and concentration taxing and studied her work. Blaise's swollen eye and cuts and gashes on his face reverted back to his smooth dark caramel skin. Without the black eye Luna could see his hazel green brown eyes as they glittered in the afternoon sun. His hair that he elegantly pushed out of his face framed his body and head nicely. He was one of the most attractive boys in the school and the most secretive. She could count on one hand the amount of times she's ever seen him in the hallways or even at the Great Hall.

"Thank you." His deep voice resonated within her and Luna tucked her wand into her pocket and smiled, giving him a nod. His unwavering gaze was intense, calculating, analytic, and most of all alluring. "What are you doing here?" There was no animosity in his voice, merely mild curiosity. Luna's dreaming face returned and the slight glassiness in her dazed eyes gave her crystal blue a shimmering glow.

"I'm following my thoughts." She responded. He nodded, wincing as he attempted to bend his knees. His body may be healed but his muscles looked so sore. She hoped to learn how to remedy that one day.

"I would think you'd be enjoying yourself at the castle." He leaned back and exhaled heavily, his eyes turning to her gaze. "Don't you think you should be celebrating? Everyone's still celebrating." Luna didn't like that he was implying she enjoyed the attention. It was why she was in the forest in the first place, it was her safe zone away from the gossip. It was an escape form the people who didn't understand her.

"I can honestly say that I do not care." She admitted with a little shrug of her shoulders as she swayed on the balls of her feet. "Shouldn't you see Madame Pomfrey?" Luna asked gently. He shook his head and smirked.

"I'm not finished." She wanted to ask what he wasn't finished doing, it was at the tip of her tongue but already she disturbed him enough with her Loony ways. She gave a small smile and stopped swaying, looking up at the foliage that covered most of the sun's rays. She heard rustling and turned to Blaise, he was grinning again as he stood up, stretching his arms and legs. His shirt and jeans were tattered, ripped and dirty with little stains of blood from his once open cuts were splattered all over him. Luna admired how flawless his skin looked while his clothes were a reminder of what had once been on his untainted skin. He offered his hand to her with a mischievous smile and she stared into his glittering eyes. "Come with me." His smile was contagious, happy reckless, it was rare to see Blaise speak let alone smile. Things were changing so rapidly Luna didn't know how to react.

She gave a little smile and nod and he so quickly took her wrist and flipped her to land on his back. Luna didn't have time to react, the moment she landed on him, he was running and slowly the cotton fabric turned to beige fur, and his long dreads turned into a burgundy mane. Her mouth dropped open as Blaise Zabini of Slytherin turned into a lion. She clutched his mane tightly, pressing herself onto his back as he jumped and charged through the forest. He flipped and bounced off trees, ducking and diving over high and low branches, scraping against flowers covered in thorns. Luna nearly got smacked in the face from a rather low branch but Blaise took the brunt of it. She realized then that's how he ended up so battered and bruised. He was quick, graceful and powerful all in one but most of all reckless. Luna couldn't help but let out an exhilarating laugh, she was happy, out with nature and barrelling through the forest. She didn't want the feeling to end.

Blaise jumped into a clearing, stopping dead in his tracks. Luna blinked and sat up, seeing familiar faces lying about on the grass. Blaise padded forward and she sat up straight, her hands resting on his soft fur.

"Luna?" Harry's worried voice called out as he sat up and slowly walked toward her, meeting her and a transfigured Blaise half way, Ginny Weasley trailing behind with surprised eyes. The last time she saw them they were in the Great Hall. She gave them her usual Luna look, dazed and airy, and Harry peered at the Lion. "Are you riding a lion?"

"Some call it that." She wondered if Blaise preferred the term animagus or being referred to as the animal he had turned into. She tapped her chin in thought.

"How did you tame it?" Ginny asked, reaching to pet it. Blaise let out a low growl and Ginny jumped, immediately slipping behind Harry as he took an offensive stance.

"You can't tame wild beast or their soul dies." Luna pointed out casually. They merely stared at her as did the others, as if the words that were coming out of her mouth were pure nonsense. She frowned, disgruntled.

"Erm, if you say so…" Harry said, his eyes still watching the transfigured Blaise. Luna smiled and kissed the top of Blaise's head, the lion purring as she pet him.

"I'll see you all at the castle." Luna said calmly. The couple distractedly said their goodbyes and Luna with a wave allowed Blaise to leap over them, dashing back into the forest. She couldn't help but chuckle, the looks on their faces were rather hilarious. Blaise stopped at a creek and padded softly to drink. Luna slid off him and cupped her hands, drinking the water alongside the still transfigured Blaise. The lion licked her face and she laughed, Blaise was a very interesting guy. She often wondered why he never fed into the attention the school gave to him. Unlike her, he chose to be alone and she couldn't help but admire it.

Luna looked up at the setting sun, the foliage no longer blocking the orange and purple sky. She had nothing to be afraid of. Things always had a way of working out. No matter how alone she felt, how much of a misfit she was labelled, she would continue to be Luna. Blaise seemed to understand what she needed, knew that she wanted good company and as the time passed his company got better and better. Beside her Blaise transformed back into his usual self, the largest smile on his face. He scooted closer to her and took her hand as she rested her head on his broad shoulders.

Blaise was a mystery, a neutral in the war and a Slytherin at that, a Slytherin that didn't interact with other Slytherins, with anyone for that matter. Blaise always looked so pensive and yet so apathetic to what was going on around him. The thought of getting to know him didn't scare her as much the more she realised he did as he pleased, regardless of anything and anyone.

"Look." He pointed across the little creek and a family of threstles were nearing the fresh water. He could see threstles? Luna's heart thudded in her chest, Blaise reminded her so much of herself. Luna felt ashamed for thinking as if she were the only one with issues, with sorrow despite the overwhelming happiness in the Wizarding world. She fished through her pockets for slabs of meat, she never went to the forest without it. Barefoot, she stood up, walking into the water and stopped beside the magnificent beatss. She held up her hands filled with raw meat and they approached her, feeding daintily and noiselessly. She heard splashing and turned to Blaise as he approached, she only noticed then that he had no shoes on and he helped her feed the threstles, smiling his usual mischievous and care free smile. She may be Loony Luna to everyone but at least to Blaise, she was simply herself.

With the meat done and darkness looming over the sky, Blaise flipped her onto his back again and transformed, dashing back the way they came. Before exiting the forest near Hagrid's hut, he turned back into his usual self and with three waves of his wand his clothes mended and his hair tied back, he took her hand and they headed onto the trail leading them back to the castle.

He led her to the tower, she wasn't surprised he knew the way, and they ignored the gasping and surprised looking students at their closeness. Finally alone, away from prying eyes they stopped at the bass of Ravenclaw tower steps.

"Breakfast?" He asked. She nodded, her smile had yet to leave her face and he chuckled, kissing her cheek. With a tight hug, he was off, hands shoved in his pocket and whistling a jolly tune. Luna couldn't help but appreciate the feeling of security when next to Blaise and looked forward to the unknown for the first time since her mother died. She skipped up the steps knowing that wherever she headed, wherever she ended up, she wouldn't worry, her pet lion would take care of everything and she'd take good care of him.