Luna in Wonderland

Pawprints in the Snow

Chapter Five: The Mad Hatter

Snap! Snap, snap snap! Twigs broke under the footfalls of Luna, Dee and Dum. Luna wiped the back of her hand across her head, tired from the day's events. Surely, it should already be night? She was exhausted and could go for a nice nap.

"Why hasn't night fallen yet?" She asked Dum, pushing back a leafy branch and ducking under it.

Both the boys turned to look up at her, though they continued going forward as if they had learned the path ages ago. "Here, night and day are completely random. There's no set time for day or night. Today's day is just really long, even for us."

Luna nodded. Because that made so much sense. "Well, when shall we be arriving at the Hatter's? I'm dreadfully tired and these bugs are starting to bite," As she spoke, she felt a prick on her arm. She attempted to swat it away, but you can't hit what's not there. Luna stared off into the brush beside her.

There were eyes looking start at her. Emerald ones, she was sure.

"Dee, Dum!" She shouted, pointing. Quickly the two boys, wielding their axes for the ready, rushed over, but saw nothing. They shrugged it off and kept walking, leaving Luna deeply afraid.

"Don't worry, miss," One spoke, and the other finished. "We're almost there. It's just up ahead."

As they spoke their feet hit a cement walkway, and Luna breathed a sigh of relief. Their surroundings had totally changed. There were six-foot tall hedges leading their way to the Hatters. When they finally came to the other side, Luna gasped.

She hadn't expect the Hatter's to be a mansion.

A gorgeous mansion it was, too. It was completely white, with black and gold trimmings. Out front there was a wonderful fountain of an angel holding a pot, the water cascading out of it. Short bushes lined around it, and there were golden gates surrounding the entire area.

"You guys live in a truly wonderful place; for the Mafia." Dee and Dum nodded their heads, taking Luna by her hand and guiding her into the foyer of the mansion.

Once again, she could not believe the marbled floors, high ceilings, and crystal chandeliers.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" Dee said from her left. Luna smiled and looked at him.

"Very,"

"Dee! Dum! I see you have brought Remus and me a guest!" A disembodied voice called. Dee and Dum smiled upwards, and Luna titled her head.

Standing on the landing above them was a man. He wore a pristine white waistcoat with a red rose pinned to his breast. He wore tight black pants and formal dress shoes with it, and he wore a black top hat with a red ribbon going around it. Stuck in the ribbon was a piece of paper, though Luna couldn't see what it said.

"Yes sir!" The boys called in unison. The man began descending the steps which curved around the perimeter of the two. The trio turned to face the bottom step and Luna realized who it was.

"Sirius!" She exclaimed before she could stop herself. He chuckled waving his hand.

"Yes, that's my technical name. I mostly go by 'Hatter', or 'sir' to these trouble makers, but you may call me Sirius." He stepped forward, taking Luna's right hand kissing the make of it gently. She blushed.

"We told you 'is name was Sirius," Dee told her, annoyed. "Why'd you 'aft to go and say it like that?"

Luna shrugged. "Makes for a better story,"

Dee's eyes turned to slits. "Touche,"

"Please, won't you join us for tea?" He asked, and without an answer spun around, guiding her by the hand, and taking her up the stairs. His long hair came to just past his shoulders, and was as straight as ever. 10/6. That's what the paper said, Luna noted.

As they neared the top, Sirius called, "Remus! We have ourselves a visitor!"

"Wonderful!" She heard a familiar warm voice call, and she smiled.

Sirius took her into the only room at the top of these stairs; the tea room. In the center of the room there was a large mahogany table, decorated with plenty of stuff for tea; tea pots and sugar pots, honey containers and plenty of tea cups.

At the right to the head of the table, she saw a man with tawny-coloured locks and rabbit ears sitting, sipping a cup of tea. He saw them and waved, Sirius still holding her hand.

Sirius sat her at the left of the head, and going over and giving Remus a quick kiss. Blushing, Luna stared into her lap, but she was happy. At least the two had gotten together in one universe.

"Please, miss, look up. It's dreadfully rude to peer into your lap when you've been invited to a tea," Sirius scolded, with a kidding grin.

"R-right, I'm sorry," She said, taking her tea-cup, already filled to the brim with tea, and sipping it slightly.

Sirius watched her intently, as Remus smiled goofily, one of his ears flopping over. From what Luna could see, he was wearing a tweed coat with a tattered, faded dark red cloak and scarf combo over it.

"I head an Outsider had stumbled down the hole. But I had heard he was a male. Not a pretty young girl like yourself," He smiled, resting his chin in his white-gloved hands.

Pedophile comment unheard, Luna stopped sipping her tea. "That's my father! You see, he went missing, and my Patronous led me here,"

Sirius chuckled. "If he went missing, how do you know he's in Wonderland?"

"My Patronous led me here, I asked it to show me my dad."

"Your Patronous?" Sirius questioned.

"Yes. A Patronous is a charm to keep Dementors away."

"Pardon me, but what is a Dementor, did you say?"

"They're large, black cloaked fiends that feed on happiness and joy, and leaving nothing but despair."

"Ah," Sirius blinked at her, and leaned toward Remus, whispering loudly enough for Luna to hear, "And they call me mad,"

Luna stood, her hands clenched in fists at her sides. "I am not mad, you daft man. I can prove a Patronous exists."

Sirius waved his hand. "Then by all means, do,"

Luna walked away from the table, producing her wand from her stocking. She pointed it at the opposite wall, hearing snickers from Sirius and knowing that Remus was spectating with interest.

"Expecto Patronum!" She yelled, and a jet of hot white light shot of her wand. Coils of the light twisted together, forming a rabbit of the same colour. Luna concentrated to keep the rabbit in existence, but soon gave up for it was eating away at her already depleting energy.

She sat down, near exhaustion.

"That was spectacular!" Remus clapped, and Luna beamed at him.

"I guess I still am the mad one…" Sirius mumbled, turning to smile at Luna.

"So you know sorcery?" Remus inquired, taking a sip of tea.

She nodded. "If that's what you call it hear. Where I'm from, we simply call it magic. A Patronous is an advanced form of it."

Remus nodded. "So anyone can learn sorcery?"

"No, it doesn't like that. You're either born with the magical gene or you're not. Us magic folk try and keep ourselves hidden from the Muggles – non-magic people," Luna explained for the confused men. "We want them as ignorant to the existence of Muggles as possible."

"Fascinating, really fascinating!" Remus applauded.

Sirius hmpfed. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Then what is your name?"

Luna smiled, happy someone had finally asked her rather than assuming she was Alice.

"Luna. Luna Lovegood."

A/N:

So, update is here! Omfg you guys I'm so sorry I didn't update. D: I just…. Got out of the Harry Potter fandom. It started to bore me, and so did writing. V.v I drew a lot in that time though! :D

So, here is the Hatter's chapter, and as of right now she's still in one place for more than a chapter! O: This was pretty big for plot… *winks* but you just don't know what. (OR do you? o_o) Anyways, I feel really bad. V.v But I'm going to try and keep decently updating on this, but I have too other stories I'm working on, and it's mostly my Yu-Gi-Oh GX one not my other HP one… Shocker.

So please bear with me. I promise you though, I shall finish this story no matter what! :v