I don't own HP.


Moonchild

Chapter 20

Seleneo

What on earth was I thinking, Seleneo thought as he made his way down to the dungeon for his potions class. It's for the best, though. She'll see.

"Evening, Mr. Moonchild," professor Slughorn greeted him as he entered the potions room.

"Good evening to you, Professor," Seleneo answered. "So what are we doing tonight?"

"I've got an excellent one planned for tonight," Slughorn said gleefully. "It's called the Night-Eye potion, and it allows the drinker to see perfectly without a light source. Until the effect wears off, course."

"Ingredients and instructions are on the board, I see," Seleneo observed, "as per the usual."

Seleneo got to work on his Night-Eye potion, although his performance was less than his best. His thoughts kept wandering, and settling on a blonde girl in Ravenclaw tower who, if she were as smart as she should've been given her house, had put him out of her mind and moved on.

At 11:30, Slughorn interrupted Seleneo's work. "Mr. Moonchild, it's getting close to midnight. You know the spell for locking, right?"

"I do."

"Good. I trust you to lock up when you're finished, then. You can keep working as long as you need to. Just leave a vial of the finished product stoppered and labeled on my desk so I'll find it in the morning."

"I can do that."

"Very good." Slughorn looked around absently. "Well, good evening." He then strode out the door toward his flat.

Hmmmm, Seleneo thought.


"There he is," the familiar, dreamy voice said as it floated over to him. "Where have you been recently?"

"Oh, around, you know," he said half-heartedly. "Busy schedule and all that." There was no avoiding her, at least not right now.

"I understand," Luna said, and sat down next to him. "Listen, I know you don't want to, but we need to talk." Dear God, there's those words again. "Professor Lupin delivered the note you gave him to give to me."

"Yes, and?" Seleneo said, deliberately not meeting her gaze. "I think you'll find it was all pretty self-explanatory."

"It was," Luna said, "but it isn't true. I know you think so, but in spite that impressive brain – and it is – you're wrong this time. But listen, I know what it feels like to be different than everyone else, and I know it's difficult, but have faith. I'll give you time, because I know that's what you need. Just keep faith." She squeezed his hand, and then got up from the table. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he did feel a little better.

The feeling didn't last long, though. Throughout the day, as class after class came and went from the Charms classroom, he saw countless hands being held and kisses being shared. One of those happened to be between Harry and Ginny, although he tried to appear as though he didn't see. That Weasley girl is lucky, Seleneo thought. He's got something to offer her, even if he weren't The Boy-Who-Lived. He has character. She's got a reason to want to be with him. She's lucky. Just then, Ginny marched right up to him.

"Seleneo," she said.

"Yes?"

"I saw you talking to Luna this morning."

"Yes, I imagine you did," he said.

"I've got my eye on you," she said threateningly. "She's my friend. Don't you dare hurt her, got it?"

"I hope you aren't threatening me," he said coolly. "I have just as much power as a prefect. Keep that in mind." She returned to where Harry was waiting for her without another word.

"What was all that about?" asked Filius Flitwick, once everyone else had left.

"It's a long story," Seleneo sighed.


That evening at dinner was much like when he and Luna had first met. Neither of them spoke, but they did steal glances from each other. It wasn't a cold silence, but it wasn't entirely comfortable either. Every so often he caught a threatening look from the Gryffindor table as well.

As he was leaving the Great Hall to head up to the Astronomy tower, he was stopped by one Harry Potter.

"Hey, listen, about earlier," he began.

"Yes?" Seleneo responded coolly.

"I wanted to apologize about Ginny," he said. "You know how she can get. Redhead and all…"

"For one thing, no, I don't really know how she can get because I don't really know her, do I?" Seleneo turned his eyes to the floor. "But furthermore, there's no point worrying about it. None of you. There are much more important things for you to think about than me. That goes for all of you, and I mean all of you." He strode off without another word.