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.

Word Count: 1876

Title: Red Carpet Material

Note: Muggle AU

Warnings:

Beta: Katie Alden, DarylDixon'sgirl1985, and a special shout out for my personal hero- ViolaMoon (without whose help this story wouldn't have gotten posted in time)

International Wizarding School Competition:

[School]: Durmstrang

[Prompts]:

[Main] [Pairing - any] Luna Lovegood/Viktor Krum

[Additional] [Object] Heart-shaped sunglasses

[Theme]: Write about an event or incident with two versions of the truth.

[Position] Exchange 1, Standing in for Year 2

Victor was sitting in the Hogwarts great hall, watching the students in their houses. Nobody paid him any mind, perhaps not recognizing him; he was trying to be a normal student, after all, it wouldn't do if they caught on to him. A strange blonde girl's eyes met him, and she smiled. He expected her to ask for an autograph or something.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Luna, what's your name?"

"Victor," he said, stunned at her oblivious nature. Did she have no idea who he was? He was one of the most famous child stars of their day, a child who had been so talented that once he reached high school, he had dropped out to be an actor and football player full time.

"I see you aren't wearing a house's colours, are you an exchange student?" she asked. Her curiosity seemed so genuine and unobtrusive, he instantly took to her, and he simply nodded. She sat down beside him at his table, pointing at the different houses, explaining what traits matched each house.

"I'm in Ravenclaw," she said, pointing to her robes with her blue and bronze scarf, and the embroidered emblem on the chest. "Ravenclaw admires wisdom, wit, and intellect, and are often more academically focused, you see?" she paused, waiting for Victor's nod of understanding. He smiled at her, wondering what he looked like, a big lug of a boy, clumsy and bulky around all these students who were mostly slim and lean.

"Um, Luna?" he said when she suddenly stopped talking and seemed to just be gazing at something that wasn't there. 'What a strange girl,' Victor thought to himself.

The relationship between the two of them developed quickly, and he soon told her about being a movie star in America, and yet, she didn't change the way she acted around him.

"Victor, you will be leaving soon, won't you?" she asked. The two of them sitting beneath a tree near the black lake. Victor nodded slowly. He didn't want to leave her, and he knew her life would change if she was dating the famous Victor Krum. "Something is bothering you," she commented, twirling her blonde hair around a finger.

"It's just," Victor started but stopped. 'Could I admit the truth? Could I tell this lovely lady how much I have fallen for her?'

"We belong in different worlds," she said softly. He felt comforted in his belief that she understood, little knowing that she longed to hear her words denied.

"Yeah," he said.

It wasn't long after Victor left that he needed to appear on the red carpet, and because the two had kept up written correspondence, she knew all about it.

Dear Luna,

The red carpet event is coming up, and I must say, I am rather nervous about the appearance. It's been a while since I acted in something as big as this! My manager says everything will be fine, my co-star, Fleur Delacour, is quite an interesting person, but I would much rather be spending that time with you.

Write soon,

Victor.

Luna grinned, holding the letter in hand. She had an idea! She intended to surprise him, and then she could be his date instead. He said it himself, he wanted her there. So she made the arrangements to fly halfway across the world to join him. She packed a bag, making sure her father received a letter that she was taking the school bus to the airport instead of coming home. She was wearing a denim skirt with an off-shoulder blouse, and heart-shaped glasses.

It wasn't an easy process, but once she managed to get some money converted and get a taxi, she went to the hotel she knew his letters were coming from, perhaps if she mentioned who she was, she would be able to catch him before the event and then she didn't just need to show up there and hope she found him.

She arrived at the hotel, and her eyes took in the details, a busboy helping an older lady, a man standing to open the door, and a large, sparkling reception area. She had a couple of outfits packed in a small backpack, that she was carrying over her shoulders.

"Can I help you, miss?" the man said.

"I am looking for a friend of mine," Luna said smiling. "He sent me letters from this hotel."

A man in a suit seemed to overhear them, and walked over to her, eyeing her curiously. "Would you be Luna Lovegood, miss?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"I am Igor Karkaroff, I am Victor's manager," the man said. He held out a hand to shake hers. He was tall and thin and was smiling. It felt cold and intimidating because it didn't reach his blue eyes. Luna had a fleeting thought of the similarities between him and her headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. 'The eyes,' she thought. 'The eyes are the main difference in what makes him appear so unapproachable.'

"Lovely to meet you, could you call Victor for me?" she asked politely. It wasn't like her to judge, the man could be kind despite his ominous appearance.

"Child, I am not sure why you came all this way, Victor is very busy, and you would simply distract him from getting ready for the event, please leave." His blue eyes stared her down, and he swirled his goatee after speaking.

"But he wanted me to come," she insisted. She hated forcing things, but she flew all this way, she wasn't just going to be told to leave without seeing him.

Karkaroff made an obvious attempt at glaring her down, and he let out a hollow snort of laughter. "Child, Victor thinks you are just a weird girl with a crush on him, he just didn't want to hurt your feelings, he doesn't want you here. He already asked his co-star, the lovely Fleur Delacour, to be his date to the event."

"I-," Luna started but paused. 'Could I have imagined it? The connection I felt between us?' she sat down in a nearby chair, and removed the letter from her bag. 'Was it all a lie?' Tears welled up in her eyes behind the heart-shaped glasses, and a hidden doubt crept up inside her, remembering that day she longed to hear she belonged with him, only to have the confirmation ripped from her by a simple, "Yeah."

She wiped her eyes, fine. If he thought she was weird, she would show him how weird she could be. She got to her feet, asking the other man for directions to the bathroom, telling them she would leave and find another place to stay once she cleaned up. The hotel worker felt sorry for her, and once Karkaroff was gone, he spoke softly to her.

"Girl," he said. "Don't take that man's words to heart."

She tried to grin. "It's okay."

"You seem like a nice girl," he added. "Don't let that bitter old man get you down." He also handed her the name of another hotel, not too far away, where she could stay.

"Thank you, sir," she said, leaving the hotel, and making her way to the red carpet event to confront Victor.

She got into a taxi and reached the venue within the hour. Getting out of the taxi, she paid the man with a small smile and walked over to the cinema. It didn't take long for her to see Victor Krum with the lovely lady on his arm. Her hair was blonde, and her skin was so pale it looked almost translucent. She looked ethereal, and he looked ordinary but her heart lurched when she saw him, and there was no more denying how she felt. She was in love with the man. The cameras were flashing so often it made her eyes dance with black spots, but she rushed past the security without anyone catching her, or even noticing her until she was beside the two famous stars.

Before they could remove her, Victor spoke. "Luna?'

"You know this woman?" the security said, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yes." The cameras went wild, but the security stopped.

No elaboration, Luna knew by now, he was not a man of many words. But his meaning always seemed clear to her, even now.

"So, you think I am just a weirdo?" she said, her voice rising in anger. "You think I have a stupid crush on you?" Her eyes were filling up with tears again, and this time, she let it fill her up with anger and pain, she pulled off her heart-shaped glasses, tossing them at the celebrity's feet. The smashing of glass echoed, and the glass covered a portion of the carpet, making the people in the stands jump back in shock.

"Luna, what-?" Victor tried to stop her, but she vanished into the crowd like a ghost, all that was left was the remnants of her favourite heart-shaped glasses, glass smashed to pieces on the concrete beneath the red carpet.

"Victor, be careful, don't cut yourself," Fleur said politely.

Hours later, Luna was sitting in her hotel room when there was a ring at the door. She had ordered some room service, she did come to a different country, after all, it was worth getting at least some experience before she went back home.

"Coming," she said, wiping her eyes on a tissue again and walking over to unlock the door.

"Victor, what are you doing here?" her stance changed, and she drew herself up to her full height.

"I came to talk to you," he said softly. "Can I come in?"

She felt her anger evaporate, and stood back, nodding for him to come into her room. He closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What do you mean? What am I doing here?" Her voice rose in frustration. "You idiot, I came all this way to see you! Why didn't you just tell me you didn't like me? That I was just some weirdo with a crush?"

Victor's eyebrows lowered, and he replied. "Who told you that?"

"Oh come on, I saw what Fleur looks like," Luna said.

"Fleur? Fleur is my co-star, Karkaroff suggested I take her for the photos." He rolled his eyes. "A woman of many words, but not really my type."

"Karkaroff suggested? But he told me that you didn't like me."

"He knows I adore you," Victor confessed. "He probably knew that once I found out you were here, I wouldn't let you leave me again."

"Speaking of, how did you know where I went?"

"The worker at the hotel, he told me where you went."

Luna looked puzzled. "But he heard the whole conversation, he would have told you why I stormed off too."

Victor laughed. "I didn't really ask for the full story, I just asked if he knew where you went." The silence filled up the room, and Luna finally realised that he had just said he adored her. Then he moved, taking something from a pocket.

"What's that?" she asked. Without reply, he handed her a new pair of heart-shaped glasses, and she felt her heart race again.

"I love you, Luna, just the way you are."