Written For:
- Flying Lessons #3: We should consider the speed of a relationship as we do the speed when on a broom. Maybe one of our pairing is moving too fast in some regard and making the other uncomfortable. There are so many factors that could be causing problems so you shouldn't struggle. / Prompt used: (location) Hogsmeade
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Charmed: (Object) Flowers, (Scenario) Being hit on by a person using cheesy pickup lines
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/My Mad Fat Diary: "People can either accept you for who you are, or they can fuck off.", "I like talking to you. And I don't like talking to anybody.", "I think the hardest part about being a teenager is dealing with other teenagers; the criticism and the ridicule, the gossip and rumours."
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/HP Pick Up Lines: "Are you a Boggart? Because I have a fear of hot girls."
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Feelings & Emotions: Playful, Fascinated, Absorbed
- Gringotts Prompt Bank/HP Locations: The Three Broomsticks
Word Count: 1,758
Chapter Three
Forget Me Not
It wasn't until the weekend that Barty and Regulus saw Luna again, despite attempting to search for her amongst the halls of Hogwarts. Regulus had sent her a scrap of paper, suggesting that they meet at the Three Broomsticks during the Hogsmeade visit, but she hadn't responded. Regardless, Barty and Regulus had bolted straight for the local pub as soon as they arrived at Hogsmeade.
"Did you really have to be so soppy?" Barty scoffed as they took a seat at the back of the pub. He was referring to the bunch of blue flowers that Regulus was carrying, and the way that he had smoothed back his dark hair with wax. Regulus rolled his eyes.
"It doesn't hurt to make an effort when you're meeting a pretty girl, Barty," he muttered, scanning the pub. "You should try it some time."
"What about the flowers?"
Regulus shrugged. "Girls like flowers."
"For Merlin's sake," snapped Barty. "You're not on a date with her! We're just meeting her for a drink!" He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest, huffing. The corners of Regulus's lips tugged upwards into a smirk.
"Is that a hint of jealousy, Barty?" he leaned forward, nuzzling into the soft area of skin behind Barty's ear. "You know you're still the prettiest to me, don't you."
"I'm not jealous of Luna, idiot," hissed Barty. "I'm not jealous at all!" his face was flushing, and Regulus sniggered.
"Mother just always taught us that we should be polite to girls. Luna's new here, and she's obviously had a hard time since she got here. I just wanted to make her feel welcome."
"Fine," responded Barty. "But we're going to tell her we both picked her the flowers," he snatched the bunch of Forget-Me-Nots out of Regulus's hands before he could protest.
At that moment, a breeze blew through the door. Both Slytherins looked up as a cloud of pale blonde hair entered the Three Broomsticks. They both stood up automatically, almost knocking the other one over, as Luna smiled brightly and headed over to their table.
She was wearing a short trench coat in lavender, and when she took it off, Barty and Regulus noticed that she wasn't wearing her school robes, with it being Saturday. She was dressed in short denim overalls and a lacy white top underneath, and her blonde hair was loose and hanging almost down to her waist. Her silvery eyes flickered between Barty and Regulus as she placed her coat on the back of her chair and took a seat. "Hello," she greeted softly, flashing her smile between them.
Barty and Regulus were both momentarily speechless, but Regulus was the first to crack. He snatched the flowers out of Barty's hand and thrust them towards Luna, grinning. "Are you a Boggart?" he asked playfully as Luna carefully took the flowers from him. Her smile faded, clearly she was confused by his question.
"I beg your pardon?"
Barty finally broke his trance and he shot a dark look at Regulus. "Don't be a twat," he muttered, but it was too late.
"Because I have a fear of hot girls!" Regulus finished, and he paused, waiting for the inevitable laughter. None came. Instead, Barty continued to stare at him, mortified, and Luna raised her eyebrows. "Merlin, I'm sorry," Regulus broke the awkward silence. His pale cheeks were tingeing pink. "I was trying to be funny."
Luna's smile returned. "Thank you for the flowers," she told them both, though her gaze lingered a little longer on Barty. "That was really kind of you."
"You're welcome," both boys chorused, but Regulus continued talking over Barty. "So, where have you been this week? We haven't seen you."
"Oh, I've been around," Luna replied distantly. "I'm afraid I haven't got much time..."
"Lets cut to the chase, then," Barty said suddenly, sounding unintentionally harsh. "What are you doing here?"
Regulus shot a sidelong glare at Barty and nudged him sharply in the ribs, but Luna didn't look perturbed. "It's okay," she answered. "I...I guess I can tell you. But you shouldn't let on to anyone else that you know. Can I trust you?"
Barty nodded solemnly, and Regulus reached across and took Luna's hands. "Of course you can," he told her. Luna took a deep breath, and reached into the front of her shirt, pulling out a long, golden chain. She pulled it over her head, and showed the pendant to Barty and Regulus. It was a strange, golden object with a small hourglass set in the centre.
"Do you know what this is?"she asked them quietly, allowing them both to get a good look at it. When she was satisfied that they had seen it, she quickly threw the chain around her neck and tucked the pendant back inside the front of her top. Regulus shook his head, but Barty nodded. He was leaning across the table now, fascinated.
"That's a Time-Turner," he said softly. "But where did you get it?" his brown eyes were glittering with something new, a strange kind of excitement that Luna hadn't seen in him before.
"That's not important," Luna answered. "I just wanted you to know how I came to be here...if we're going to be friends," she added the last part in a much quieter tone, as though she was hoping they wouldn't quite catch it. They did, however, and Barty's expression softened.
"You want to be our friend?" he questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Luna let her hair hang over her face, and she looked up through her eyelashes.
"Of course I do," she told them both. The three of them were quiet for a few moments, as Luna and Barty exchanged a silent stare across the table.
"So..." Regulus started, causing Luna to snap her attention to him. "When have you come from?"
"Not too far," Luna stated. "A little over a decade, I guess. You shouldn't know too much about my time, that could be dangerous."
"Why have you come here?" Barty questioned. "Why this time in particular?"
Luna shrugged. "I just needed to...I needed to get away for a little while. I wanted to go somewhere far enough that I wouldn't meet anyone who might know me, but not as far as say, my father's time at Hogwarts," she paused for breath, suddenly looking a little sombre and sad. Hogwarts in the future is...well, it's the same as ever, I guess. But I find myself singled out a lot. Other students make fun of me, and steal my things—like those Slytherin students did the other day. I don't care, of course—I mean, I think it's rude and unnecessary, but it doesn't really bother me that much. But sometimes...sometimes it gets a little too much. I just wanted a break. I just wanted to spend some time around different students, and see if there was a change—or if it was just me."
Barty and Regulus were both staring at her, absorbed in what she was saying. "How could anyone make fun of you?" Regulus looked appalled. "You seem such a sweet person."
Luna's smile returned. "Thank you."
"Do you like it better here?" Barty asked, and Luna shrugged again.
"I haven't spent much time here, yet."
"I'm going to get us a round of Butterbeers," Regulus exclaimed suddenly, jumping out of his seat. "I'll be back in a moment!" he abandoned the table, joining the queue at the bar and leaving Barty and Luna alone at the table.
After a few more moments of uncomfortable silence, Barty spoke. "I know how you feel, you know," he told her. "I was bullied too, before I got close to Regulus. Because I'm in Slytherin, and my Dad's a big shot at the Ministry. He's put a lot of Slytherin parents in Azkaban, and they used to take it out on me a lot," he paused. "But you seem to have taken it a lot better than me. I get angry and violent and stupid."
"I don't think you're stupid," Luna told him softly. "I think the hardest part of being a teenager is dealing with other teenagers; the criticism and the ridicule, the gossip and rumours, you know? I guess my excursion to another time has shown me that teenagers are always the same, no matter when they're from."
Barty nodded. "I guess you're right."
"I like talking to you," Luna continued, her smile brightening. "We have a lot in common."
"I like talking to you, too," Barty told her, feeling his cheeks becoming hot. "And I don't like talking to anybody. With the exception of Reg, I suppose."
Luna laughed, and Barty drummed his fingers on the table.
"Look, when you go back to your time," he started, biting into his bottom lip. He was taking it a little personally, how much Luna seemed to have been picked on and victimised. "Don't take any of their shit. People can either accept you for who you are, or they can fuck off."
Regulus chose that moment to return to the table with a tray of Butterbeers, which he placed down in front of them. Barty covered his flushed face by quickly grabbing a mug and taking a deep drink, but he was sure that Luna had noticed, anyway. She hadn't taken her gaze away from him.
"Luna, I was thinking while I was at the bar," Regulus started, pushing a drink towards Luna.
"That's a first," muttered Barty, but Regulus ignored him.
"How about the three of us meet up every day?" he offered. "Obviously we can't come here every day—but we can find a spot in the castle to meet and have a chat, and stuff..." his voice tailed off, as Luna's expression had suddenly gone from pleasant to mildly shocked. "I think it's obvious that...that Barty and I really like you."
"Every day?" she exclaimed, raising her eyebrows. "I don't know, Regulus...that's nice of you, but we've only just met a few days ago."
Regulus backed down, looking rejected. Barty rolled his eyes at Regulus, kicking him under the table. 'You're pushing her,' he wanted to hiss at Regulus. "No problem," Regulus continued, looking a little embarrassed.
"I'm going to get off now," Luna stood up from her seat, collecting up her coat. She smiled at both of them. "I'll see you around," she called, and quickly flitted away from the table and out of the door, leaving nothing but the smell of her sweet shampoo in the air.