Luna introduced herself to Charlie, and then she extended her silvery slim hand in greeting, an armful of bracelets shimmering and tinkling like a river of metal.
Luna Lovegood. Hermione's friend, he thought. He couldn't recall ever having met her; he was sure he'd have remembered Luna.
Charlie shook Luna's hand politely and then opened his mouth to say something charming, something clever, but he found that he'd lost every shred of his gregarious charm under her wide-eyed gaze.
"I'm sure I would have met you at your brother's wedding, if I'd have gone to it," Luna said contemplatively—saving him from the embarrassment of saying something utterly stupid, "but I went on an urgent trip to South Africa with my father. I mean, who would pass up the opportunity to see a Tokoloshe?" She frowned slightly. "Although, we didn't get to see him because he was invisible at the time… silly magical pebble."
Tokoloshe? Charlie opened his mouth to ask what the hell that was, but Luna had already started speaking again in that strange, matter-of-fact manner. Coupled with her dreamy tone, it was an odd juxtaposition that made him feel a little off-kilter… unsure of what she'd say next to throw him off his guard.
"Anyway, I don't think anybody missed me there anyway… I think they only invited me because I was at the Ministry for the Hall of Prophecies battle with Harry and everybody. But it was nice of them to ask," she said, beaming and nodding to herself. "I never had that many friends at Hogwarts, but when Neville, Ginny and I joined the Trio, I felt like we were the Secret Six," she said, her tone far-away now, as though she were visiting memories in a distant part of her mind. "Anyway. It was nice to be included." She stopped speaking and resumed her frank, unblinking appraisal of him.
Charlie vaguely recalled Ron's tales of that evening, when he'd been attacked by the brains in the Department of Mysteries. He couldn't remember Ron ever mentioning Luna, though. A long, blonde strand of hair had escaped from her haphazard hair style, and she lifted a hand to wind it back around one of the chopsticks. For some odd reason, his fingers itched to pull all of the silly things from her hair. Charlie realized that he'd been staring back, and he searched frantically for something to say, something to distract him from the thought that the silence was oddly comfortable for two complete strangers.
"So… you know Hermione, then?" he asked and immediately wanted to slap his hand against his forehead for such an obvious question. Of course she knew Hermione! Hermione had told him that much, and Luna had just been speaking about the Golden Trio.
Luna smiled broadly, not giving any indication that she thought his question silly in any way. "Yes. She and I have become good friends over the last few years. She comes to Alexandria often for research. You're not allowed to remove the books and scrolls, by the way." She shook her head to compound the seriousness of the statement, and the wire pyramids at her ears swayed back and forth vigorously.
Charlie nodded, still unable to give voice to an intelligent thought.
A slight frown crossed her forehead for a fleeting moment and then Luna said serenely, "Sometimes I wonder if we became friends because I'm a librarian here. Hermione always did like her books. She didn't have much time for me when we were at school… she always thought that I was making things up," she said, shaking her head, almost in suspended disbelief. "She was so surprised when I showed her the books about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack that I discovered here."
What? Charlie thought. He had shelves full of magical creatures books, including Newt Scamander's Comprehensive Encyclopaedia of Magical Creatures in the Wizarding World. He'd never heard of a creature like that before.
Luna smiled dreamily. "That's why I like working here so much. There are so many hidden secrets." The slight frown of contemplation creased her forehead again. "Although, I'm still looking for a scroll that proves the Wrackspurts exist. I wish I could have found it before Harry died—he never did believe that they existed," she said, her tone a little sad and wistful now. "I liked Harry. He was my first real friend, you know. I'm sorry he died."
Charlie's brain was still stuck on the Wrackspurts. He felt like he'd stepped through into some parallel universe, where logic was traded in bucket-loads for whimsy and wild imaginings.
She sighed a little and shook her head, making a tsk sound before she pressed her lips together briefly. "I told Headmistress McGonagall that the Ministry was plotting to kill Harry as well—she didn't believe me." Luna paused and schooled her face into a very good approximation of McGonagall's tightly-pursed mouth when she was expressing absolute disapproval.
Charlie frowned. Harry had been killed because of the backlash of magical energy between his scar and the Avada Kedavra he'd cast on Voldemort.
"Oh, you don't have to believe me either if you don't want to, Charlie," she said, smiling indulgently at him. "Nobody ever does; I'm used to it."
"I… er—" He'd started to deny that he didn't believe her, but she was talking again already.
"Oh, it's always so nice to see somebody from England here in Alexandria," she said, beaming at him. "How is Ronald?" she asked. "The last time I saw him, he was being a bit of an idiot. He was upset that Hermione dumped him, you know. But it was best for her—she's much happier now…" Luna trailed off and left her sentence oddly unfinished, like she'd just realized she was speaking out loud.
Charlie nodded. "He's with Bill in Cairo." Wow, finally, a full sentence, mate.
"Oh, yes. His wife's a Veela descendent, isn't she?" Luna tapped her lip contemplatively. "I wonder what kind of children they'll have… a half-werewolf and a quarter-Veela… hmm, I'll have to do some research on that one." She pulled the peacock feather quill from her hair—causing a section of it cascade down to her waist—and scribbled a note on a piece of parchment that popped out of thin air.
Charlie watched, bemused. He'd never met anybody quite like Luna before. She was brutally honest and forthcoming, confusing, beautiful, scatter-brained and completely quirky, all in turns.
"So, what are you doing in Alexandria, Charlie Weasley?" she asked in a direct manner, gazing at him expectantly with bright, clear eyes.
Charlie found himself feeling distinctly wrong-footed again at her abrupt turn towards business after her long monologue about, well, the wizarding world and his Crup.
Trying to collect himself, he was certain that his face was probably as red as his hair, he said, "Er… yes, well, I have a bit of a mystery on my hands, and Hermione suggested that this would be the best place to look for the answer." You dolt, didn't you say that already? Charlie could sincerely not remember what he had and had not said thus far. Luna was far too… distracting. He ploughed on with his explanation. "See, a dragon was killed at the reservation recently, and I can remember reading something significant about a dragon's head once, but the details are all very… fuzzy. Where would the best place be for me to start looking here?"
Charlie felt a little sheepish for his less than lucid babbling (Merlin, he was generally the most logical bloke he knew), but from his first impression of her, he did have the notion that either Luna wouldn't notice, or that she wouldn't care. Either option meant that he wouldn't be teased for it. Looking down at Luna, Charlie was pleased to see that he was right; she appeared to be deep in thought as she considered his request.
"Well, you are in the right section of the library, so that helps." She gestured around at the soaring shelves. "Although there are so many magical creatures, it'd take you days and days without my help," she said succinctly. "But, you'll probably be more comfortable in the reading room if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. Please follow me."
Turning quickly, Luna's robes swirled gracefully around her legs. For a woman of average height, she moved very quickly, and Charlie was surprised that he had to make an effort to keep up with her. Luna twisted and turned between the stacks, following a mental map that had to be all her own before they stopped in front of a door. Luna opened the door to reveal a bookshelf-lined reading room with a large desk and a comfortable looking desk chair.
With a wave of the wand that she pulled out of her hair – causing it to fall down her back in untidy waves again – she muttered an incantation that he only understood one word of: "Praebeo Draco Liber Libri Corpus Corporis."
Immediately, six shelves shimmered brightly for a moment and then shifted forward slightly in comparison to the rest of the shelves lining the room. "You will find the most comprehensive books on dragon physiology on these shelves. It's probably the best place to start if you remember reading about a dragon's head. While you are looking around, I will run an index enquiry charm for 'dragon head'. Don't worry… I will be certain to keep you informed of my progress."
Then, as quickly as she had come on, efficient Luna vanished, and the misty-eyed, quirky woman who talked about wild and wonderful schemes and things people didn't believe in was back. She gave him a dewy smile. "I hope that helps, Charlie. I will see you later."
Charlie yawned widely as he stretched his arms above his head, wincing when he heard his joints click audibly in the quiet room. He leant forward over a thick tome and propped his cheek on his palm, sighing gustily as he resumed his (still fruitless) research. The towering pile of books on the desk had yielded nothing remarkably different from his NEWT Care of Magical Creatures text on dragon physiology.
The text was slightly blurred as he read the same summaries, studied the same skeletal diagrams for what felt like the tenth time that day: "Dragons are homoeothermic – warm-blooded creatures, internally controlling their body temperature." No shit, Sherlock, Charlie thought sarcastically. That's why they can live in all climates.
"Dragons have hollow bones to enable flight. All dragons are covered with armour-like scales that have a translucent, horny surface. This gives the dragons the iridescent hue to their bodies. The skull often has horns and sharp teeth—" Bloody obvious! Oh, bollocks to this. Charlie slammed the book closed, scowling.
He leant back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, wondering if he hadn't been imagining that there was something important about the dragon killing… the head of a dragon. Maybe it had been in one of those… Muggle science fiction books that his father used to leave lying around the house.
He glanced up at the high, mullioned window and frowned. The golden afternoon light had dimmed to faded, silvery lavender and grey shadows had started to shift across the room. He sighed; he'd hoped to have finished his research by now. He'd have to either find a hotel here in Alexandria or Floo back to Bill and Fleur's place in Cairo. Although, he thought wearily, I am so not in the mood for Ron.
The door opened and Luna drifted in, empty-handed as well, Charlie noted, groaning inwardly. "Did you find anything, Charlie?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No, not what I was looking for."
She glanced at the bookshelves that she'd filled for him earlier. "Well, you're only done with one out of six… there might be hope yet," she said, beaming. The washed-out light blended in with her silvery hair, and if he squinted through his tired eyes, he could almost imagine that she was part air, part magic… a mystical, beautiful creature, utterly unfathomable.
"I… er… don't think the rest'll be much help," he said, gesturing to the tower of books on the desk. "These ones all had a variation of exactly the same information." He realised it was time that somebody wrote a comprehensive dragon text – one that told the reader more than 'a dragon has teeth and breathes fire.'
Luna rolled her large, grey eyes. "They do that sometimes. Anyway… the index enquiry charm is still running on my catalogue," she said, gesturing in what Charlie presumed was the direction of her office, so that the arm of her robe fluttered through the air gently. "It should be finished by tomorrow morning," she said, beaming again.
Charlie nodded and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Thanks, Luna," he said, stifling another yawn. "I'm buggered anyway, I think."
"Are you going to stay with your family tonight?" she asked. Charlie was certain he heard a slightly longing, perhaps wistful note in her voice.
Charlie shrugged. "I dunno," he said, standing and placing the books back onto the first bookshelf. "I'm actually a little tired to deal with all those people, to be honest… I reckon a hotel here in Alexandria will be a lot more peaceful."
And that was just Charlie – he was a friendly guy, but at heart, he preferred the quiet solitude that the outdoors offered to the hustle and bustle of the city. Growing up in the Weasley house had always been a bit of a challenge for him, and he'd often escaped into the overgrown garden for the entire day during the holiday, appearing as the sun set for one of Molly's home-cooked meals.
Luna pulled a face. "Oh, the hotels here are just horrid, and they over-charge… tourists, you know." She gave him a contemplative look. "Well, if you like, I have a spare bedroom. If Hermione trusts you, then I think I can." She laughed a silvery, charming laugh that warmed the room somehow. "Anyway, I know your mother… you'll be bombarded with Howlers if you don't behave."
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Mum's lovely, isn't she?"
A slight shadow flittered in her eyes for a moment. "Oh, yes, she is. My mum died when I was younger."
Oops. "Oh… er… I'm sorry?" Charlie felt a little guilty… being sardonic about his mother when Luna had lost hers so young.
"Oh, it's okay. The Veil is just a divide in time, isn't it?" she said, lifting a shoulder. "I'll see her soon enough… when it's my time." Luna pulled a large, silver pocket watch from her cleavage and opened it. "Well, it's almost time to close, Charlie. What's your verdict then?"
Charlie hesitated for a moment, although he knew what he wanted his answer to be. He was too intrigued by Luna not to accept. And although some might say her eyes were too big, or that her mouth was a little wide or perhaps that her hair was scraggly, to Charlie, Luna was very appealing.
He made his decision, convincing himself that she was a friend of the family… of sorts. "Ah… er… yeah, thanks, Luna," he said, picking up his bag and slinging it across his chest. "That's really nice of you."
"Oh, no problems, Charlie," she said, wrapping her hand around his arm companionably. "I like having people to stay. It makes me feel less lonely."
Charlie had no answer for that statement and merely let Luna lead the way out of the Library and into the mild Alexandria evening.
A/N: According to www(dot)vanhunks(dot)com, a Tokoloshe is: a domestic spirit found in the households of witches and wizards in southern Africa. It is a brown, hairy dwarf, which is usually naked, but sometimes wears a cloak. The Tokoloshe has a single buttock. The penis of the Tokoloshe is so long that it has to be slung over his shoulder. Thus sexually well-endowed, the duties of the Tokoloshe include making love to its witch mistress. In return, it is rewarded with milk and food. The witch keeps the Tokoloshe docile by cutting the fringe of hair that hangs over its eyes. Witches sometimes inherit these demon lovers from their mothers. The Tokoloshe is usually invisible to adults, but if you do see one, you should on no account annoy it by speaking to it, or pointing at it. The Tokoloshe achieves invisibility by means of a magic pebble, which it keeps in its mouth. The creature is mischievous, but only malevolent when controlled by an evil sorcerer.
(Ahem, brownie points to anybody who writes Tokoloshe crack!fic for me).