Hello, friends! Unless you hate me, in which case, hello, numbskulls! Although I'm sure you could come up with a better insult than me, as long as it doesn't involve your face or your mom. Then I'll scoff at you. Ingrown smirk
Anyhow, I was rereading part three, and thinking that you have no idea what's going on in Luna's head the whole time. So I wrote what was going on in Luna's head the whole time. It was fun, although I'm looking forward to the freedom of speech that will come with part 5. (I stuck to the dialogue in part 3).
Well, I'll explain all the dumb inside jokes except one at the end. That one that I won' explain at the end I'll explain now, because it's like four paragraphs in. I can see it as I type this. It says 'the sun was up, the sky was blue and it was beautiful' which are tweaked lyrics from the Beatles' song dear prudence.
I don't own the Beatles. I don't' own Itachi. I don't own Luna. I don't own Tobi, Deidara, the burrow, Luna's bungalow, Ottery St Catchpole, but I guess I own the café and the tea shop and that park and that tree (you all know the one) …wow. Ok. Well I made them up. Who thinks I've ranted long enough? I'll let you get down to what you came for now.
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There was a loud crack, echoing slightly around the empty hills.
Luna Lovegood popped into sight, and wearing believable muggle clothing consisting of a long green skirt and a bright yellow blouse with her signature dirigible plum earrings, she began the walk to the town of Ottery St Catchpole.
Luna Lovegood is, as proved, an odd sort of witch. So it isn't so surprising that we follow her on her daily venture for breakfast down in the nearby muggle town.
The walk was fairly long, but Luna was used to it. She always felt insecure apparating any closer to the village, for fear someone might see her. She changed locations for her breakfast every month or so, coming back to places she liked every once and a while, and Today she was headed toward a charming little place, with Ivy covering the roof that made the best Scones Luna had ever tasted.
Please tell me you can see where this is headed.
The sun was up, the sky was blue, and it was beautiful. (Least there's no long and winding road) People in the streets would wave back when Luna smiled at them; she loved how friendly the town was in the morning.
And there it was, the homely café that Luna had been visiting for a little less than a week. She walked into the café, (passing a guy with a plaid button down shirt) and took a seat close to the window. Although the seat right next to the window was taken. She ordered her favorite coffee and Lemon scone, and sat humming quietly to herself until it came. She reached for the lemon scone, and noticed the man next to her.
He turned his head ever so slightly.
She smiled at him, because he looked like he needed a smile. (Doesn't he.)
He glared at her, so she went back to her scone. He must be having a bad day, she decided, and sometimes it is best to let a sleeping dog lie. If that's the right expression. Somehow I don't feel like it is. Oh well.
Luna's day was great. She spent it wandering around the muggle town, she loved how everything was different. She liked the muggle playground at the park the best, she spent an hour or two with children much smaller than her who giggled in a friendly way as she rode the merry-go-round.
The morning after, Luna could be found skipping breezily through the early streets of town, dressed in a pastel sundress and wearing a pale green jacket over top. She was once again headed for the Ivy-covered café of yesterday.
She seated herself at the same table as well, and ordered a coffee she hadn't tried before with a lemon scone.
She sat thinking about the fascinating pattern the ceiling rafts made when her scone and coffee came. She was about to take a bite when she noticed the man who was once again seated next to her.
He was staring blankly ahead, seemingly at the wine poster over on the wall. But he wasn't looking anywhere, and his frown showed discontentment.
"You seem out of it," She told him, smiling, placing her scone back on its doily.
He looked up. He glared at her. And he looked down, took a sip of his coffee.
"You're not very friendly," Luna told him, picking up her scone again. "Are you always this grumpy, or just in the morning?"
He got up with his coffee and walked out of the shop. Luna shook her head. Maybe she'd talk to him again, see if she could get him to respond. In a positive way.
And so, she went back to the same café the next day and the next, and without fail she would see the cloaked man sitting disgruntled in the table next to hers.
She asked him questions, and he ignored her. The strange thing was, each time he didn't answer one of her questions, or respond to a comment, she wanted more and more to see that reaction or hear that answer. And so she persisted.
"Hello," She greeted him on the third day. "How are you today?"
He didn't answer.
"I realized last night," she continued. "That I haven't introduced myself."
He made no motion to show that she had even entered the building.
"My name is Luna Lovegood," she told him. "I live in the hills nearby."
He looked over at her, one eyebrow raised.
That was a reaction.
"Luna Lovegood?" He repeated, no emotion detectable in his voice besides slight irritation. "Why the hell are you so curious?"
She laughed, she was so glad that he had finally reacted to something. "You're just so mysterious," she answered. He shook his head and went back to his coffee.
But he didn't leave.
The next day, when she asked him how he was, he muttered "Fine." In the sort of way one does when they aren't fine at all, but she didn't probe. At least he had answered.
He didn't answer again that day, but the next day he answered one more. How had he slept? Horribly was his answer, and that's all he said. But it was still something. And Luna was pleased.
To keep the conversation up, she told him about what she was doing, what she liked and disliked, the answers to her own questions. She told him about the yellow pansies in her backyard that no one had planted, and about how she was going to the aquarium and simply couldn't wait. She'd never been, as capturing fish to be displayed is a muggle activity, and most wizards don't even know what an aquarium is.
As Monday rolled past, Tuesday rounded the bend. Late afternoon found Luna up in her bedroom, playing wizard's chess against the chessboard, which had been bewitched to play for itself.
She glanced out to the overcast path that ran by the front gate, and was startled to see none other than the strange man from breakfast every morning standing at the front gate, looking out over the strange plants in the front garden.
Without thinking, Luna got up and jumped to the spiraling staircase.
"Wait! Okay, I cheated, Come back!!!" Yelled the chessboard after her, but she was already on the floor below.
"Luna, where are you-"
"Be back soon!" she assured her father, skipping steps down the stairs past the sitting room where her father sat by the printing press.
She threw open the door, and ran to the gate. Her quarry had already passed the house and was on his way. "Hello!" she called after him, happy when he turned around. She unlatched the gate and went to say hello.
She held out her hand, and with it noticed she was still wearing Wizarding robes. Oops. But it was too late to change.
She was startled to see that her gesture had been accepted. His hand was slightly rough, and cold from being outside on such a day.
She smiled. "What brings you here?" she asked, because it wasn't very common that someone form (that one was on purpose) the village passed her father's house.
"Took a walk."
Well, he was talking to her. And it was better than playing chess with a cheating chessboard.
"It's rather stormy looking, though," Luna commented, looking up at the sky, it's sheer width taking her by surprise like it always did. "Are you sure you want to be out on such a day?"
"I like these days." Was the reply given to her.
"Oh," Luna said, she felt a little ashamed. "Well," she sighed, "Someone has to. The poor things would feel so unloved otherwise, don't you think?"
"Hm."
She looked out at the road in front of them. "Can I walk with you?" she asked, indicating the winding path that led through the hills with a little sweep of her arm.
Without waiting for an answer, because she didn't want it to be no, she began her lilting walk down the path. And he followed her.
Luna led him on in silence for a while, and was pleasantly surprised when she was not the one to break the silence.
"You live there?" Her cloaked companion asked, nodding slightly in the direction where they had come.
Luna nodded happily. "Oh, yes," she assured him. "My father and me, it's a really lovely home, although most people think it's a little out of place." She looked up at him.
He avoided her gaze. "Looks it," he muttered.
Luna looked out over the hills where his eyes led. "I don't know," she sighed with the breeze. "I think it fits the rolling hills perfectly. You never seem to know where they go either."
"You are quite the character." He shook his head, and kicked at a small rock that lined the path they tread.
Luna laughed. "So are you, you know," she informed him, and the conversation died out. They walked in silence, and Luna felt surprisingly comfortable beside the irritable stranger. He didn't feel like a stranger. But…
"It occurs to me," Luna said suddenly, "That I don't think I know your name." She looked over at him, and he kept his eyes on the road, saying nothing.
"Would you tell me?" she asked, his head turned toward hers. He looked at her a minute, then answered
"Itachi."
He turned his head back to the road and aimed a kick at another stone. To Luna's surprise, it flew all the way to a tree that had to be at least a hundred yards away. It made her smile.
"Quite the kick," she told him, and kicked a pebble herself. It rolled feebly to a stop at two or three feet away.
She looked up at him, still smiling.
And that smile widened, because Itachi was smiling as well. It wasn't a large smile, but it seemed to make him a different person from the tetchy, downhearted man Luna had become used to in the last few days.
He walked in front of her to the stone she had struck, and rammed it so hard it flew out of Luna's line of sight. Luna's smile turned to laughter. "That's not fair," she told him. "You're just showing off, now."
And she watched as you could see him working not to smile. But he smiled. And so did Luna.
"Oh," Luna said suddenly, having seen her watch, "I'd better get back." She let her wrist fall, her witches' watch falling under the sleeve of her robe. "It's nearly dinner." She paused a moment. "You could come, it you'd like, you know." She glanced back up at him.
"No," Itachi told her, "that's okay."
"Then I guess I will see you tomorrow morning," Luna said, not sure whether she was disappointed. And she skipped on her merry way home.
Luna slept snugly, having finally won her chess game after dinner and several accusations of cheating of which only two were correct. Maybe the next time she wanted a self-playing game board she would enchant it herself.
She waltzed happily through the streets, dressed in long plaid leggings and a bright red pleated skirt that went a little above her knees, her thin looking long sleeved shirt navy blue.
She got there before Itachi that morning, She liked leaving early, because it was always so beautiful in the early hours, and that's when you might catch a glimpse of the hump-backed snashmunk, which liked to feed on morning dew. She had yet to see one, but once she had been sure there was a snashmunk in the flowers behind her towering house. (And why else would the dew disappear in the later morning? The snashmunks eat it.)
But before long there he was, walking into the café, heading straight for the table next to the window he always occupied.
Before he reached it, however, Luna caught his eye and motioned that maybe he come sit over by her. Morning coffee is much more fun to share with someone, she knew, because there was the rare occasion when she had invited Ginny to come with her. (She didn't very often because Ginny didn't really like Ottery St Catchpole, and didn't go down into the town very often if she could help it.)
Her invitation was refused, however, and Itachi seated himself by the table next to hers, by the window, like always. It did not bother Luna terribly, because she had thought he might refuse. It wasn't like she could transform him into her friend over night.
So she smiled. "Hello, Itachi," she said to him.
"Hello." Itachi replied, and Luna was taken by slight surprise, as this was the first time he had returned her daily greeting.
"Did you sleep well?" she continued, wondering if he might answer this one too.
"Lousy."
"Mmm," Luna said, "When I can't sleep, I like to read. It's such a nice was to wind down." She smiled inwardly, because her inward smirk was replaced by an inward smile at an early age. …Didn't know that could happen, and I'm the author. Authoress. Fine.
Itachi pulled a newspaper up, and Luna let him read. She watched him, though. He didn't look her way once, although sometimes she wasn't sure if he was really reading.
He got up to leave, and Luna waved. "Bye, Itachi!" she called to him.
"Bye." He muttered, and pushed the door open (yes, the 'pull' door ) and left.
The day rolled by, and because it doesn't really matter what happened that day, it was morning again. Yay for skipping hours at a time!!!
Over the next few days, Luna continued to offer him a seat by her every morning. He continued to refuse, and Luna didn't let it bother her. It was just the way he rolled. (Man, I need a way to roll.)
Luna skipped down the long (and winding) road (I know it's getting old. But I decided that since part 4 didn't have a long and winding insert I had to, for tradition's sake) towards the Ivy-covered roof and what lay beneath it, wearing a deep blue jacket over a dark blue sundress.
The first thing Luna noticed, as she entered the café, was that she was not the first one there. Itachi was sitting where he always sat, watching her carefully as she glided to her usual table, and pulled back her seat.
Just as Luna was about to sit down, she felt a slight tug on the back of her jacket, and she stopped. She turned to see what it could be, and found herself propelled gently towards the seat across from the place Itachi sat. She turned towards him, and his hand was retreating back below the table. She blinked in surprise, but accepted the turn of events without question. Something about the way he didn't look at her as she sat down was so funny. She did not say anything about it, she knew she would embarrass him and that would be the end of any bond that had been built. So she just sat, happy that he might be warming towards her.
Heh. Just you wait, Luna.
Luna got up early. Even for her, that it. It was just barely light, but everything seemed to very fresh. She went out into the garden, dressed in a light, springy sort of green skirt with a daisy pattern on the hem that fell around her ankles, and a rosy sort of flower patterned blouse.
She wandered for fifteen minutes in the front garden, and she was positive she had seen the long, pointed fingers of a malice gnome sticking out from behind a speckled toadstool that had been growing in the garden for three years. (It was now roughly the size of a large dog) (Tobi would have a field day)
But eventually she just left early. Note on the wall for her father, she disapparated and reappeared on the deserted hill she visited every morning, and set off on her morning journey to the familiar little café we all should know by now. And you know what, if you don't know the café, then you really, really need to go back and reread this. Like now. Seriously, what's wrong with you???
Anyhoo…
Luna skipped toward the window, and past the table she had become accustomed to. She would take a chance, sit at the table she had been invited to the day before. If Itachi did not wish to sit with her, he would sit elsewhere.
But when he entered the café, Luna already with her coffee and scone, he sat down beside her, (or more accurately across from her but beside her sounds cuter) without the slightest inclination that she might leave. She might have not even been there, but he answered when she greeted him the same as she had done the mornings before.
Over the next few days, time seemed to fly, Luna spent several happy afternoons experimenting with the swings at the muggle parks, often swinging for an hour or more at a time, because she loved the way the wind rushed past her ears. It was like flying, except you didn't have to go anywhere. And you were supported by nothing but leather and rope. (Or chain and plastics, if you wanna go high tech.)
But the parts of her day she looked forward to the most were he mornings when she would sit with Itachi, Whether or not he talked to her much. Once and a while she would look up and catch him staring at her. Not in a creepy way, it was like he was analyzing her. She never mentioned it, though.
Luna sang to herself as she skipped through the hills, towards her house. She could have apparated, true, but she didn't want to. It was beautiful out, and she didn't want to take such a day in vain. So she sang on her way.
"Luna, dear!" Xenophilius Lovegood was waiting for her his daughter as she stepped through the doorframe. "I have great news, you'll see!"
"Oooh!" Luna exclaimed, "Have you finally contacted Bilius Barnaculus?" (Who, fyi, was a potential informer to the whereabouts of a blibbering humdinger.)
"No, but guess what?" Xenophilius grinned at Luna. "Tomorrow we take our leave and relax up in a mountain getaway!"
"I can't wait!" Luna hugged her father. "Thank you, this will be so much fun!" She ran up toward the spiral staircase, and wound her was up to her room.
"We'll be staying two nights," called Xenophilius as she slipped out of sight, "So pack enough socks!"
"Okay!" Luna called back, having already magicked her trunk open and the right amount of socks packed away. (I hate packing and unpacking. Bet magic makes it so much easier.)
Against her better judgment, she also packed her self-playing chessboard. Maybe she could make it shut up and let her play with her father.
Luna skipped into town like every morning, except she was so excited. She was leaving a little before noon with her father, but she somehow felt obligated (love that word) to tell Itachi why she wouldn't bet here. So one more coffee it was before she departed for the mountains.
"Hello, Itachi!" She said, as she sat down across from him. He already had his coffee. "How are you today?"
"Fine." Itachi said, his hand rested on the side of his coffee mug.
"Today," Luna began happily after ordering her coffee and scone, "I'm leaving on a vacation. The mountains. I think it will be fun."
Itachi showed little emotion, he simply scrutinized her over his coffee.
"How long?" he asked finally.
"Oh, just a day or two," Luna told him, waving her hand a bit.
Itachi brought his coffee up to his mouth and took a sip. (I didn't like the use of the word 'mouth' there, so I was looking for a synonym, but I didn't really like oral cavity either. ) He seemed to be thinking, but Luna found she could rarely read his expressions. And Luna always was good at reading expressions.
"Will you be here when I come back?" Luna asked him nonchalantly, breaking a piece of her scone off.
Itachi seemed to watched her scone crumble. "Might be." Was the only reply she got.
I wish I had some pie. Yeah. Cherry pie… but not too sweet. Possibly pecan pie. I love pecan pie. Maybe just some ice cream. Okay, sorry. Back to the story.
Luna's weekend flew by in a blink. Half the time she was laughing, although she never did get the chessboard to shut up. More than once she had to practice her silencing charm on it just to sleep, and as she was only there two nights…
She and her father went hiking, and had found a small lake which they swam in after cleaning it a bit with their wands. The water wasn't too cold, as they also took the liberty of thawing it a bit.
The only bit that seemed less than brilliant were the mornings, when she would take a cup of coffee or hot cocoa (one each morning) and sit out on the second story deck watching the birds swoop over the trees and twitter merrily to one another. She kept wishing that Itachi was there, or even that she was back at the café with him, despite the cool, clear air and the wonderful view. Even though it had only been a little less than two weeks, she had become accustomed to seeing Itachi every morning. But he wasn't there, so she would remind herself that in a day or two she would have him back, and watch the early morning sky for the outlines of the songbirds that flew here.
But the day came that the two packed their belongings and disapparated back to Ottery St Catchpole, and were home. Luna went to bed early that night, waiting restfully for the morning.
And morning came. Skipping through the nearly deserted streets a little earlier than usual, dressed in a pastel paisley sundress with a skirt that reached a little above her ankles. And the café was in sight, Itachi not there yet. She had expected that, he wasn't usually very early, and often came after her. So she settled down and ordered her favorite coffee and a lemon scone, anticipating when Itachi might walk through the doors.
The morning dragged by. It was now very late morning, and neither she nor Itachi had ever stayed so long. Luna reluctantly got up. She could not wait here any longer.
Turning her head away from the seat that Itachi had not occupied this morning, she shook herself. Something had come up. She would see him tomorrow. You could not hold people to things like this, and he had not promised he would be there.
She found herself walking by the park, and headed towards the muggle playground to the empty swings. She swung herself slowly back and forth on the balls of her feet, watching the clouds and humming a song she had heard on the radio that morning.
The next morning, Luna felt refreshed. She would surely see Itachi today, although he had not come yesterday. To lose faith in someone is not something Luna did so simply.
But to her discontent, He did not show up. So, as late as it had been the day before, she waltzed out the door, and down the street.
It felt like forever since he had seen Itachi, and she wondered whether he would come tomorrow. Surely he would. Surely she could not write him off so quickly; she just needed to be patient. Surely.
She had no plans for the rest of the day, so she decided to take a closer look at the muggle shops and amusement centers. Luna wandered around, the city feeling quite endless, until she would come across something that looked interesting to her. Like the antique shop they had, it was so wonderful, although on the whole it looked rather delicate. She almost bought a glass ornament, it was a birds' next on the branch of a tree with two eggs inside, painted pale blue. But she realized she didn't have any more muggle money with her, so she left without it.
Late afternoon found her in front of a bookstore on the outskirts of town, which she entered. She always had liked bookstores. Books in general, actually. But the library at Hogwarts came with Madame Pince, who wasn't quite as charming as the books she guarded.
Either way, she found herself wandering down the shelves, looking at all the different books muggles read. She looked up to see what was over to her left, and saw-
"Itachi!" she dropped the book she had been holding (well, she put it back, but that doesn't sound as cool) and scurried towards him. "How are you!" she asked him happily, having not noticed the frown he aimed towards her. "I haven't seen you recently, you weren't at the café this morning." She explained. Although he already knew, telling him was more to excuse her excitement to see him.
Itachi didn't do anything. He seemed, possibly, even more determined to pay his book attention.
"Itachi?" Luna said again, doubt beginning to seep into her mind.
He turned toward her slowly, staring down at her, (Only slightly, they are nearly the same height. Nearly.) his book closing suddenly.
"Yes?"
She could feel her smile faltering, but kept it in place. "Are you alright?" she asked tentatively.
He went back to reading, and muttered, "I was."
Luna didn't say anything for a minute, she didn't know… what did he mean. Should she go away? She tried, but she couldn't move her feet. So she spoke up again. One more try.
"Is…is that a good book?" she asked, gesturing towards the book Itachi had been holding.
"No."
Luna looked down, then back up at him. "Are you sure you're okay…?" she asked him, because if something had happened, she would prefer to be let in then shoved out.
Itachi gave her a cold glance, then turned and swept out of the bookshop, and Luna could tell that there was more to it than just walking out. It was saying that he no longer wanted her anywhere near him, and she was back where she had started.
True, he had acted this way before, but… it hurt a little more now.
Who was she kidding. It hurt a lot more now.
She had not realized she had become so attached to him. Had she? Of course not… but… here she was, staring at the spot he had disappeared, feeling strangely empty.
But she had to move. She couldn't stand there all day. So she put one foot in front of the other, and found her way to the door, through the streets, and- stopped. Outside the park. There it was, the muggle playground that she had spent time on so many days before. So she wandered over, and in the dimming light, rocked back and forth on the swing until it really was time to head home.
Back at home, her father had prepared dinner, (it was his turn.) But Luna ate in silence. She did answer her father occasional question, but he was a bit distracted because he was expecting a call (well, really it was someone due in the fireplace, but still.) and kept looking over in the fire every time a log crackled.
That night, Luna turned in early again, but less to get up that morning, and more because she didn't know whether she wanted to stay up.
Morning came earlier than it usually did, so it seemed. Luna was already up, sitting out on the garden gate, and wondering what to do. She didn't really want to go back to the café she'd chosen for this month, and face the empty seat in front of her, so she shook her head and disapparated.
She apparated back in the spot she apparated to every morning, the deserted hills echoing her crack as she appeared. But she didn't go towards the town. She went towards the burrow, where she had been assured she was always welcome, because she felt like a little company would do her well.
She was received warmly, although she told none of them why she was a bit down. She didn't think they would understand any better than she herself did.
JAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSSJAWSS
That's chapter one. It's a little longer than chapter one for part three, and it stops a little later, but that's because this one ended up being a little longer than the other one because I wanted new material in there instead of repeating exactly what had happened.
Some of those jokes that you probably didn't understand- I wrote 'form' instead of from and then in parenthesis 'that one was on purpose.' Well, I've misspelled from as form a lot in this fanficiton. Most of them were caught by Dianna, but still. So we have a running joke about that.
Another pair of parenthesis you might have seen had 'man, I need a way to roll' in it. Well, that's an inside joke from dear dumb diary, the third I think. But my books are on lend so I can't check. Who has them again…?
The last one wasn't really a joke at all. I just wanted some pie, and felt the urge to mention it. So there.
Weeeeeeell yeah. That's chapter one of part four. Go read chapter two now, although you all should know how this ends. If you don't, go read part three and come back.