Pussin Boots: I'm assuming you meant coNfused? Thanks for the insight. I might revise this later; tell me which part screwed it up and I'll try and fix it.
Milkshake gone bad: LOVE THE NAME! Glad you liked it (and I really am. People just say that to be polite. I am not normally a polite person, so if I tell you that, I mean it.)
lunafan: Good job voting! Harry/Luna is winning! Only one-zero. Please, people, vote? Here's the update…capish? I'm confused (plus I'm a VERY dumb blonde).
zentech12: Oh, I was really worried about the Snape thing. I'm glad you think it's okay! Phew.
GildedPheonix: Here's a new chapter…thanks for the review.
The sun did not shine the next day. Instead, there was a light smattering of snowflakes against a cloudy gray sky. The weather outside, chilly, cloudy, and bleak seemed to reflect the atmosphere of the two slumbering people inside the bedroom. Luna's mother, Karina, was the first to awaken. She stood up, stretched and worked out a crick in her neck from sleeping on the window seat. With a jolt Karina realized she had slept in her spectacles. Then her face hardened. Today, she would file for divorce.
The witch glanced quickly at her sleeping daughter. Luna was frowning as she slept, whether from a nightmare or from the events of the night before. Not a nightmare, Karina told herself. I gave her a Dreamless Sleep Potion. But, reminded a little voice in the back of her head, weaker Dreamless Sleep Potions can be ineffective if the drinker has suffered great trauma. Karina sighed. The Dreamless Sleep Potions she had given Luna WAS fairly weak, since the ingredients had been slightly stale. What had Keith done? Just a month ago they had been a happy family of three.
Steeling herself, the mother suppressed all instincts to break down and cry helplessly again; she had done enough of that recently. A low rumble broke the silence, and Karina glanced at the clock and yelped. It was already seven o'clock! She had only two hours before her appointment with Severus!
Her yelp of surprise seemed to have woken her daughter as well. Luna opened her eyes, and upon seeing her room empty except for her mother, calmed down immensely. The little blonde girl patted her stomach. "Hungry," she said.
Karina walked over to the younger Lovegood and gave her a quick hug. "I know, moonchild. I'll get you something to eat soon." She walked over to Luna's dresser, halfheartedly pulled out an outfit, and set it on the bed. I'm afraid to go downstairs and get food in my own house, she realized grimly. This isn't right. It's all not right. Everything is so wrong now! "Okay, Luna," she said to her daughter, some of her maternal bossiness returning.
Luna glanced up from the set of building blocks she had found under her pillow. She had made half of a house so far, and was working on the roof.
Karina watched her daughter pull the brightly colored shapes together and attempt to get them to balance on top of each other. They came tumbling down and the little girl frowned.
Karina continued to stare blankly at the pile of jumbled blocks. Yep, that's my life, her brain told her before she shook herself out of her stupor and continued talking. "You get dressed while I go downstairs and find something to eat. I'll bring it back up here, okay?"
Luna pouted. She was not having a good day. First her tower of blocks failed and now she didn't even get to eat on her favorite stool? Her mother had painted it for her and she delighted in sitting in it.
Karina, as if sensing her daughter's thoughts, looked at her sternly and said "You are not to leave this room, do you understand?"
After a moment, Luna nodded reluctantly. She could tell that her mother really meant it. Then the girl scooped up her blocks and started to rebuild her house.
The older witch turned on her heel and exited the room. Luna was swept with a sudden felling of déjà vu, and rushed after her, dropping the blue cube she was holding. "Mommy! Mommy!" she shrieked into the dark hall.
Karina turned quickly and snapped. "Shhh, Luna! Stop making so much noise!"
Luna's bottom lip quivered. Not her mother, too! The three-year-old hastened to race into her room and dive under her bed, but Karina flung out her arm and grabbed her daughter's shoulder. Suddenly, the mother locked gazes with the girl and time seemed to stop. Karina was aware of her ragged breathing. What had she done?
Luna stiffened slightly and Karina immediately let her arm fall as she felt a cold despair grip her heart painfully. But Luna did not retreat back into her room.
"Moonchild, I'm so sorry," Karina said desperately, before she could stop herself. A few moments passed and neither uttered a sound.
Luna finally seemed to accept this, though, and suddenly broke the heavy silence. "Will you come back? Right away?" she questioned.
"Right away," the witch promised. Luna, satisfied, slipped back into her room.
Karina took a moment to get her emotions back under control, and then steadied her pounding heart as she ripped away all thoughts connected to her daughter. She tiptoed down the stairs, and with the air of one well-practiced, detoured around the creaky spots in the floor. Kevin was probably at work, but she couldn't take any chances…
Finally, Karina reached the kitchen. "Lumos," she muttered, and cast the thin beam of light towards the pantry. The witch surveyed the various products with amber eyes, shifting her weight nervously in the dark room. The only noise was the sliding of glass and plastic jars, and the setting down of aluminum cans as Karina looked for something suitable to eat. A can of soup slipped from her fingers, and the thunk it made on the tile below seemed to echo eerily. A shiver ran down her spine.
I'm being silly, she thought as she reached for a jar. Kevin HAS to be at work. Aha, here we go. The classic peanut-butter sandwich. Karina set the jar down on the counter and reached for the bread, propping her still-glowing wand against a pile of books. It cast a soft glow upon the counter. A sudden creak made her jump. Must be…the wind? Karina thought, searching for a reasonable cause of the noise. She rotated the bright yellow twist tie that held the loaf of bread shut between her stubby fingers, stained with potion ingredients and shaking slightly with tension. The witch feebly stuck the knife into the peanut butter and scooped some out. She began to spread it around on the bread, jumping at every slight noise she heard from outside.
Suddenly Karina let out a shriek of surprise as a hand clamped down on her forearm. Her other hand dropped the slices of bread she was holding and scrabbled for her wand. To her horror, it picked itself up and zoomed to the person behind her before she could get a hold on it. The lights turned on, illuminating the kitchen, but this did not make Karina feel any better. She twisted frantically, trying to face her assailant.
"What are you doing?" came Kevin's voice from next to her ear.
Karina could feel her heart sinking. She did not want to deal with this now.
"I never gave you permission to leave this house," her husband continued, his voice soft. But it was not a sweet-sounding soft. It was more of a…a dangerous soft. The witch shivered in his grasp.
"Let me go, Kevin. Last time I checked, this was my house too. You can't control me; I can come and go as I please." Karina retorted, her voice sounding a lot braver then she felt.
"Actually, this is my house by right," Kevin said, an almost malicious grin forming on his face, though Karina could not see this.
With a jolt, however, she realized he was right. Kevin had gotten this property from his grandfather; she didn't own any of it. "You-" Karina began, but Kevin cut in smoothly.
"What other…dumb missions have you been doing?"
Karina snapped. With a burst of strength, which Kevin was not expecting, she wrenched herself out of his grasp and whirled around to face him.
All the emotions she had been holding inside of her the past twenty-four hours…anger…grief…hate…sorrow…things which she could not confide in Luna, they all came flooding out of her mouth.
"WHAT ARE YOU, A DEATH EATER?" she shrieked. She did not notice, already sunk deep into her hysterics, but Kevin seemed to stiffen slightly. "WHY CAN'T YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE SUPPORT, AT LEAST?" Karina started to pace, her eyes flashing wildly. Kevin watched, a smirk forming on his face. His wife stopped suddenly, swaying a little. "WHY?" she wailed. She continued to pace again, wearily now, muttering a bit.
"What has gotten into you?" she said, softly, in the tone of one who feels like their world is falling apart.
Finally she sunk to the tiled kitchen floor and started to sob. "I'm fighting for GOOD! For Luna, and for you! Understand that!" she finished desperately.
Kevin sneered, opened his mouth, but Karina sprang to her feet, her emotions violently changing. "That's IT! I'm leaving!" she shrieked again, hysterical.
She pushed past Kevin, and raced up the stairs, taking great, choking gasps of air in between sobs. The witch scooped up her daughter and headed towards the floo, ignoring the inquiries form the little girl in her arms. She grabbed a fistful of floo powder, tipping the vase over in her haste, but she did not care. "Snape Manor!" Karina cried, clutching Luna tightly.
On the floor below, Kevin's eyes flashed once, and then he shook his head, dazed. Then it all came rushing back to the wizard, and he crumpled to the floor.
The only thing that prevented Severus Snape from dropping the beaker he was holding up to the light of the fireplace was the steady hand and immunity to distractions that professional potion-brewers usually acquired. He squinted through the beaker as he continued to pour it slowly. Normally he would have gone to greet his visitor, but this particular Toenail Tamer needed to be poured all at one time in the light of a fire in order for it to work properly. He mentally ran through the list of people who had access to his floo. The Zabinis…no, they were in Jamaica. Hmmm…Dumbledore, but that was highly unlikely. The beaker was half full now, but Severus managed to catch a distorted glimpse of golden and brown hair through the glass and lavender fizz.
Bingo. The female Lovegoods.
"Karina," Severus welcomed, still peering through the glass. "You know that floo travelling is awful for potions. And I wasn't expecting you for another forty-five min-"
A soft sob interrupted his statement of surprise. It didn't sound like Luna having one of her infrequent tantrums…it actually sounded more like…
Severus quickly set down his potion, deciding it wasn't important for this to be made just right at the current moment. He took in the scene, and then hastened over to the middle-aged woman who was still clutching her daughter. "What happened?" he asked, showing a rare touch of compassion through his tone of voice. He produced a Calming Concoction and held it out for his friend.
Karina accepted and swallowed the offered potion gratefully, balancing Luna carefully on her other hip. The child had concluded that staying quiet was presently the best thing to do, and she made no noise. Severus led the two over to a high-backed, expensive-looking black leather armchair, which Karina sank into gratefully. She took several deep breaths, finally calming down. "It's Kevin," she said, sighing.
Severus' obsidian eyes darkened, if that was even possible. He stayed silent, though, motioning to the other potions-maker that she could continue.
"He-he-…I don't know what's gotten into him!" Karina said. She just felt so confused right now.
A few moments passed in silence. Luna broke it quietly. "I heard you yelling, mummy," she said softly.
Severus raised his eyebrows. "Did he…hurt you in any way tonight?"
Karina shook her head. She met Snape's eyes for a brief moment, then she returned looking straight ahead, watching the fire twist gracefully. The witch paused. That's not a lie, she told herself, excusing her untruth mentally. He only said "tonight".
Severus sighed inwardly. He could tell that wasn't true, even without his Legimens (A/N: how the heck do you spell that?) skills. Nonetheless, his friend's next words surprised him.
"I want a divorce."
There was an awkward silence. Severus broke it first. "Are you sure? He could have been just feeling a bit out of sorts, or under the Imperius Curse," he reasoned.
Karina frowned. "I-I hadn't thought of that," she admitted. She looked down at her daughter, who was watching with wide eyes. The bruise had darkened on Luna's cheek. Severus followed her gaze.
"Very well," he said, shocked, although he tried to hide it. "Wait here." He disappeared with a quiet pop and a swish of black robes.
Karina relaxed back into the chair and began to stroke Luna's hair absentmindedly. A few seconds later, Severus returned. He passed a sheet of parchment over to Karina. She took it curiously.
"Fill that out tomorrow," he instructed.
The witch looked over the document. It was full of legal phrases, but the bottom line was that it was a file for divorce. "Thank you," Karina murmured. She had even surprised herself with her decision, but now she felt it was the right thing to do. Karina muttered a shrinking charm and slipped the paper into her pocket.
Severus continued with his brisk instructions. "The best thing to do would be to stay at the Leaky Cauldron," he told her.
Karina nodded, grateful that he respected her pride and didn't want her to stay at Snape Manor.
The two friends exchanged farewells, and the Karina pulled out her wand and apparated her and her daughter to the Leaky Cauldron.
Snape stood for a few minutes, staring at the spot which Karina had last occupied. Maybe a counselor would help; she was going through so much lately.
Karina felt her feet land on solid ground. She set her daughter down and took her hand, panting lightly. Apparating the both of them was getting to be quite a strain, since Luna was growing so quickly. Floo was still out of the question. The mother winced when she thought of how churned her potions would be from her earlier journey. Unless she emptied her pockets, they might have to resort to the Knight Bus pretty soon. She fervently wished this would never happen and shuddered.
Tom looked up from the cleaning charm he was casting. It was getting to be a bit late and the evening bustle had slowed to a trickle. Most of his guests had already retired to their rooms. His face brightened when he noticed who it was. "Ah, Mrs. Lovegood, how are you? And Luna, goodness, you've grown!" he exclaimed, stowing his wand into his robes.
Luna giggled. She liked the funny man who they often visited on the way to the apothecary.
"It'll be Ms. Lovegood soon," Karina muttered under her breath.
Tom heard this and frowned. Keith, was it? No, Kevin. Kevin Lovegood was a nice sort of fellow. He quickly wiped his puzzlement from his face and asked in a cheery tone. "Well, what can I getcha?"
"We'd like a room, Tom."
Tom's puzzlement increased, but he stayed quiet. Normally he would chat about this and that, but Mrs. Lovegood didn't seem like her normal self. "Right this way!" he said, heading towards a set of stairs. "I'll sign you in, don't worry about it. I'm afraid you just missed dinner, but if you want I can get you some-"
"No, that's okay, Tom. Thanks," said Karina, scooping up her daughter and brushing past him into the room before firmly closing the door. She felt a twinge of guilt at treating her friend like that, but she wasn't in the mood for idle, cheerful chitchat. Karina muttered a locking charm on the door, and then sat down on the bed.
Luna climbed up next to her and hugged her mom solemnly. She seemed to realize that her mother was going through a load of emotional torment and this was her way of offering support. "I'm still hungry," the little girl informed Karina quietly.
Karina realized this and groaned. They would have to wait until morning to have a meal. The witch halfheartedly rummaged around in her pockets again. She pulled out the sandwich she had been making earlier, a triumphant grin on her face. It must have stashed it there sometime during her meltdown. Good thing the bread was charmed to stay clean.
The witch separated the slightly squashed sandwich and handed her daughter the bigger half. The blonde wolfed it down hungrily, while her mother ate hers slowly, savoring the snack. The bread was a bit dry, though. Luna seemed to think so to and glanced up at her mother, licking the ring of peanut butter around her lips. "I'm thirsty now," she said.
Karina knew there was a sink in the corner which spouted warm water, but she was almost positive she had a more desirable ice-cold bottle tucked somewhere in her robes. After a few seconds of clinking, she pulled out the two butterbeer bottles she acquired the night before. One she had snatched from Mundungus and one given to her from someone else. She looked at them thoughtfully.
Luna also looked at the two brownish bottles, curiously though, then at her mother, who was about to stuff them back into her pockets. Karina stopped, paused, uncorked one and then handed it to her daughter.
Luna examined it inquisitively, then sniffed it. She knew this was not another potion. "What is it?" she asked her mother.
"It's butterbeer, moonchild," Karina answered, opening the other one for herself and then summoning two cups. She emptied the bottles into the cups, careful not to spill on the bed.
To Luna's delight, the contents were fizzing slightly. "Can I drink it?" she wanted to know.
"Go ahead," Karina told her.
Luna needed no second urging. She took a big gulp and swallowed it quickly. Then her face lit up. "It's fuzzy!" she shrieked.
Karina took a smaller sip and chuckled. "Fuzzy" was an accurate world to describe the wonderful warm feeling she received. The older witch fondly remembered the first time she had tried butterbeer. The next few minutes passed quickly and happily.
In that time, Karina could feel the atmosphere of the room lighten dramatically. For the first time in several hours, Karina started to relax. Luna noticed this and her smile broadened, if that was possible.
Finally the glasses were downed. Luna bounced happily around the room. It was getting late, but since they had slept the entire day, neither was tired yet.
Luna racked her brain for ways to pass the time. "Will you finish the story now?" she asked, though a hint of fear crept into her features. She relaxed immediately when her mother responded positively and told her to go wait on the bed.
"I'm going to go give these glasses to Tom now. I'll be RIGHT BACK," she promised. Actually, the glasses could wait until morning, but Karina really felt she should apologize for her earlier behavior. She gave him her most sincere when she reached his quarters.
He brushed them off saying "Everyone has one of those days every once and awhile, it's perfectly fine," but you could tell he was relieved. Karina, her conscience free, strolled up the staircase and returned to her room.
She placed the empty bottles and caps on the counter, figuring Luna would need something to play with later. Said girl was sprawled impatiently on the bed. Her mother smiled and Luna scooted over, and then Karina resumed telling the story.
Outside the inn, a man and a woman conversed in whispered undertones. "Should we let them divorce?" the man said. He was cloaked and hooded, and he when he spoke, he said each word sharply and crisply, with an underlying tone of maliciousness. The wind whipped around the trees, letting no one but his companion hear him.
This figure next to him, also in a black cloak, paused, and then answered. "Yes. If we let them separate, it gives us more leeway to execute," she lowered his voice to whisper, "the next part. You know how?"
"Of course. Yes, that's true. Cast the spell again tonight, don't forget. Extra strong."
"I won't fail."
The woman took her leave, cloak still whipping around her. The mild hail that was beginning to fall covered up the sound of her apparition. A second later, the man turned and rapped loudly on the door of the Leaky Cauldron.
In the window above Karina tucked her daughter in. "Try to go to sleep now, okay moonchild?" Luna nodded, snuggling deeper into the mattress. Her mother plopped onto the second bed, opposite her daughter, feeling strangely lonely without a body next to her. Karina began emptying out her robes. She laid out the slightly-crinkled divorce papers next to an old mixing spoon. Muttering a charm to erase the wrinkles in the parchment, she let out a small sigh. Finally, the witch waved her wand and extinguished the lamps before falling back onto the pleasingly plump pillows (A/N: Say that three times fast!).
Around one month later…
Karina ironed out her own robes happily, keeping one eye on Luna. It was much easier without having to do her husband's dress robes as well. She STILL hadn't perfected the Ironing Charm, and was doing it the muggle-way. It was strangely relaxing.
The mother was pleased the divorce had worked so smoothly; Kevin had agreed to it right away. Now, here she was, thirty-six days after, with a modest apartment, full-time care of her three-year-old (Kevin had agreed to that too), and a potion to cure the muggle disease called cancer in progress. She was making her own income by selling Wart-Removing Potions and the like at a small shop in Diagon Alley.
Karina emptied out the pockets of her work robe one by one, putting the contents in a messy pile. She cast a quick Scorgify charm on her robe, and then started ironing. "Luna," she called, flipping the robe over. "Would you like to put the potions in order?" Karina asked, gesturing to the jumbled various bottles she had pulled out of her robe.
The blonde looked up from the puzzle she was working. She smiled happily, bounding over to the pile and surveying it intently.
Karina didn't know why, but Luna seemed to enjoy this immensely. The older witch set down the iron and renewed the charms on the bottles that prevented them from breaking. "Go ahead," she told her daughter. She straightened a sleeve and continued to iron, still watching her daughter.
Luna began to put the potions in a line, her tiny fingers deftly rearranging the rows until she found a pattern that satisfied her.
"Are you doing it by height?" asked Karina a few minutes later. Luna shook her head. "Guess again!" she said.
"Hmm, let's see. Are you doing it by…weight?" she inquired.
"No!" Luna said delightedly. "Only one more guess, mummy!"
Karina pretended to think very hard. "I know! You're doing it by color!" she said.
Luna giggled and nodded her head vigorously. "It starts with the blue over here," she said, pointing to a few purple bottles. Karina shook her head, eyes twinkling. Luna looked puzzled, then she figured it out. "I mean the green! And goes allllllllll the way through to brown!"
Karina frowned. She hadn't made any brown potions in the last few months, and Luna never confused brown with any other color. Then she chuckled. Standing innocently in the line were two amber butterbeer bottles. She scooped them up and looked for the corks, but Luna was trying to balance them on top of each other, totally immersed in the task. Deciding that it couldn't hurt, she went to dispose of the two empty containers.
Twenty minutes later…
Karina had finished her tidying and watching Luna absentmindedly. "Do you want to read a story, moonchild?" she asked her daughter.
Luna immediately agreed and went upstairs, still clutching the two corks. She didn't spare a glance for the full, handsome cherry-wood bookcase, but headed for her bed. She wriggled underneath it and looked for her favorites.
It was her custom, to keep all the careworn copies of the texts that most appealed to her under the bed. She had no particular reason why, just that they seemed to deserve a more special place. Her mother did not agree this was a special place, she only gently scolded that it was full of spiders. Nonetheless, Luna always her favorites in this spot.
The little girl also felt that this was the right time to read one. Luna seldom brought them out; they were too special for that.
The blonde finished pulling all her limbs into the dark and cramped place, and then reached for the dark corner between the wall and the headboard. It was the only spot her mother could not reach while cleaning. Luna slid the books around for awhile, none of them passing her inspection.
In her delight on finding the previously lost "Book of Greek Myths", the two corks fell from her newly occupied hands. They dropped to the hardwood floor, rolling in a skewed line until they hit the wall and stopped. Luna did not notice, for she was already excitedly squirming back out, the pale blue book clutched in her hands. She raced downstairs, the two objects forgotten.
The couple of corks would lay there for many years, untouched until a string of coincidences, started by tragedy, would lead them back into the hands of a lost soul.
THE END! of Chapter ONE. This really WILL NOT make ANY sense until I FINISH. SO, I better GET CRACKIN' (hint: reviews?). CAPITALS RULE TODAY! PLEASE R&R, I really AM NOT YELLING at YOU! WELL, maybe I AM. But that's BECAUSE my BROTHER is being REALLY BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP (we are sorry for the inconvenience, but the author has chosen to insert blasphemes of such a degree it is unsuitable for the text to remain in it's original form. Have a nice life!) and I NEED to VENT!
Where's the love y'all?
Mischief Managed: brother now has a time-out. Whoop!
Peevise
