Chapter Two:

Weasley Lunch of Horrors

"Ronald-fucking-Weasley is a horse-anus fucktard," uttered Luna as she walked into the Weasley kitchen. She sat down at the circular table that was located not far from the door. Luna was not having a nice day at the annual Weasley Picnic Lunch. Everybody else was having a spectacular day outside. Those happy people were eating, laughing and generally having a good time, but she wasn't and there was a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why not. Luna loved every other red-haired family member - she even considered them as family of her own - but there was one person who boiled her blood and that was Ronald Weasley. He was a horrid boy, who was arrogant and selfish. The worst part about him, she decided, was that he could get away with murder because his mother would always turn a blind eye.

"Ugh … life is unfair." Luna crossed her arms on the table and gently slammed her head onto the rough wood, marred by thousands of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and no doubt Weasley escapades. She would rather be at home than stay any longer with her own personal hell (Ronald!). She silently wished that the day would go faster; however, wish or no, her day was about to get even worse - her nemesis had arrived in the kitchen.

"Hello, Looney Luna, what are you doing in the kitchen?" The youngest Weasley son had arrived and was already causing trouble. He was very glad that his 'enemy' was sitting there, defenceless: it was time to pick on his target. Ronald puffed out his chest to display his superiority. He needed to show Luna who was the Gryffindor King.

"First of all, I am not 'Looney Luna','' she snapped immediately, "and secondly: what the fuck do you want, Weasel?"

"I just wanted to see how you were, Luna," he drawled. "Your Dad told us that you went inside because of a headache."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Luna replied back with a hint of sarcasm. She knew Ronald was up to something - he never just acted spontaneously nice towards her.

"That is so great to hear," he sarcastically replied. "Looney, don't you just wish you could be a wizard like me?" He smiled so wide that his freckles seemed to blur across his face.

Luna glared. "No, I don't want to be an arrogant bastard like you."

"Ouch, that hurt. You're feisty … I love it." He ran a hand through his wild red hair.

"Piss off - I'm not in the mood for your bullshit."

"Why don't you love me, Looney? I bet you would if you dated me."

"I have a boyfriend, and why would I go out with you anyway?'' Luna uncrossed her arms and spread her hands through the air pointedly.

"I'm the Gryffindor King!" He swelled. "You should bow down to me."

"I bow to nobody."

There was a pause. Ronald and Luna glared at each other for a few seconds until the silence broke abruptly.

"So, I heard Malfoy is going to be a teacher at Hogwarts," he said with a sly smirk. He knew what her pressure point was and he was determined to press it.

"And your point is?" Luna was getting slightly frustrated at the idiot in front of her. He was picking on her nerves and she wanted to hit him.

"Well, when you and Malfoy get married one day … At least somebody in the relationship will earn a decent living."

"What is that supposed to mean?'' She bared her teeth.

"You're a muggle librarian, Looney. You won't go very far in life and you won't earn a lot of money."

"You utter cock!" The chair's feet skidded across the floor as she exploded from her chair, hands slapping down on the table, temper lost. "Not only have you insulted me but you insult my mother too! One day, I'll beat your arse so hard, Weasel, and put you in a fucking hospital."

Ronald gave a light shrug. "It's the truth and you know it."

"I hate you." Deep inside of her, she knew he was right. She had a Master's degree in Criminology and yet she was a librarian. Luna knew she could've been a detective for Scotland Yard; however, her mother forbade her from doing so. Too many dangers, apparently. She wanted her to become a social researcher, but Luna wanted to save people and solve murders. Luna had told her parents that if she couldn't do what she wanted, she wouldn't do what they wanted. That led to many arguments until her mother gave her a choice. Become a librarian like her or leave the house and never come back. She chose librarian. At first Luna enjoyed working in the quiet sanctuary but over time, she got bored and really wanted to quit. Luna didn't have the heart or the courage to confront her mother.

"You know it's true, Looney," Ronald singsonged again, plopping the edge of his bum down onto the table casually.

"My dreams and passions have nothing to do with you!"

"Huh … and to think you can't be what you wanted because of her."

"Don't you dare speak about my mother!"

"She ruined your life and you know it." Ronald smirked. He'd hit her pressure point and couldn't wait to have some fun with messing her around.

Luna was having none of it, though. "You know what? Fuck you," she spat angrily. "Tell my dad I'm going home."

Luna stomped towards the fireplace in the lounge before Ronald Weasley could say anything. She grabbed the green power from a bowl on the mantle, threw it in, clearly said "Potter residence!" and stepped into the fireplace.

She was transported back to her home without any trouble and proceeded to step out of the fireplace.

"I need a fucking drink," she enunciated clearly.

- o -

Luna was drinking green tea in the kitchen, trying to calm herself down from the incident. She knew her father would come home immediately to check on her - she knew him too well. Luna was always close to her father, from the time she was little. Her first word was "Dad", even. Luna and her mother … they'd never had a special bond like she had with her father. They always disagreed on almost everything, but it didn't mean that they didn't love each other. Luna loved her mom like any other child and her mom loved her … it was just a very complicated relationship.

"Lu, are you alright?" James stood in front of the kitchen doorway. He was very concerned for his daughter.

"I can't do this anymore, Dad!" Her fingers clenched around the mug in her hands.

"Baby girl, what's wrong?" He took a seat next to her, forehead crinkling with worry.

"Daddy, I don't want to be a librarian anymore… It's time I follow my own dreams and passions. I can't be stuck at a boring job all my life. It's time I changed that."

"Lu, what will you do?"

She lifted her chin. It was now or never."I will become a detective."

"Lu … your mother won't be happy about this." He looked uneasy.

"And what do you think?"

"As much as I would like to agree with you, I have to stand by your mother. It's dangerous, Lu."

She felt her face turn red. "Fine. I see how it is."

"I'm truly sorry, Lu – "

He was cut off mid-sentence by his daughter's command: "Bring her here, Dad." Now or never, she reminded herself.

James sighed but he did what his daughter requested. He Apparated to his wife's location and after a few minutes of explaining, they were in the kitchen. James decided to stay out of the argument that was about to ensue, and slunk away towards the cupboard inside the guest room, where a 1953 red wine was hidden. He knew what would happen if he got involved. It was, he decided, time to settle his nerves with a small glass of liquid courage. The argument between mother and daughter was so loud that he heard it despite the square footage between them. He closed his eyes with a mix of grief and resignation.

"Luna, your father told me what you wanted and I will not allow it!" Lily's voice was shrill with a strange blend of fear, anger, and desperation.

"It's my life and I can do what my heart desires!"

"If you do, you will not return to this house. Do you understand me?" Lily slammed her hands down onto the kitchen table, eyes blazing.

"Why don't you want me to follow my passion?" Luna cried.

"You know why, Luna."

"Mother, that was years ago. It's not my fault Leah decided to get herself killed!"

"How dare you be so insensitive?!" The argument had escalated into words being thrown like plates, back-and-forth, relentlessly.

"It's the truth!" Luna yelled. "She decided to read my Sherlock books and go after a fucking serial killer just because she wanted to be better than me. Leah thought she was cleverer than anyone else and better, too – she thought she could use her magic to take him down and protect herself but she was wrong. Her actions shouldn't destroy my future like they did hers! I want to be a detective. I always have – it's been my passion since I was a child and you can't even support me, not even a little!"

"She was your sister!"

"She was my adopted sister who hated my guts! She was the one who put dog shit on my birthday cake; she was the one who constantly hit me and insulted me; she was the one blaming me for every terrible thing that she did," Luna was roaring out her confession; words which had simmered within her for most of her life. "She wanted me gone! You all thought that I wanted attention and was jealous of her but it wasn't me that felt that way. It was her." Luna took a deep breath and carried on talking: "It was always her. Mother, you turned a blind eye and always took her side. Now you know why I'm so close to Dad. I tried my best to love you and care for you. I always put your heart and needs first … why can't you do the same?" Luna's mouth twisted. "It was Leah. Always Leah, right, Mother?"

Lily's eyes were strangely dark. "Get out of my house, Luna, and never come back."

"I'm happy to leave and maybe you will be happy knowing that you lost your least favourite daughter." Luna silently walked out of the kitchen, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She went to her room to pack her bags and a few personal belongings. She planned to go to Uncle Mooney's house. After a few minutes of packing, she went to the fireplace without uttering a word of goodbye and left. No-one stopped her, too shell-shocked at the horror of events that had transpired.

James stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hand clutching a small empty wine glass. Both parents were silently reflecting on the entire situation. He spoke first. "I can't believe you did that to her." His eyes shone. His only daughter had left without saying goodbye. I can't believe I let you do that to her.

"Leah was our daughter, too," Lily defended, collapsing into a chair.

"She was," he agreed, "but you are forgetting about our only living daughter."

"Don't you dare accuse me of not caring about Luna. I am protecting her."

James shook his head in disgust. "By not caring about how she feels?"

"I don't want her to – to – to die like Leah …"

"I'm going to brutally honest with you, Lily," he said solemnly. "Leah has been dead for years now. You need to move on. Not forget her – never that – but to come to terms with her death. Luna is not like her and she will never put herself in harm's way just to prove a point or gain attention."

Lily stayed silent. James was right but she didn't want to admit it. She loved Leah as if she was her own flesh and blood. She consciously knew that she favorited Leah over Luna. Lily had trouble falling pregnant again, two years after the birth of Luna. She and James had tried for months and it ended up that she had remained barren for years, until PJ. Lily fell into a depression during those three years, and silently blamed Luna for it. She'd eventually decided to adopt a lovely little girl and she loved her with all her heart. Lily was devastated when Leah died. She fell into a severe depression again until her son PJ was born. Her third child, her youngest. He'd filled her gaping heart but the bond between Luna and her could never be patched up.

"I supported you for so many years. I watched you give Leah special treatment but I never said a word … You and Luna argued but I never got involved. For years I stayed silent ... " He violently blinked his eyes and his hands and wine glass trembled. "We made a promise to her when she was born and you broke it. I did too. Merlin, I broke it. I watched my little girl leave this house because of your … your … your cruelty … and now it's time for me to leave and I'm going to take PJ with me."

Lily's eyes widened and she stretched out her hand. "I'm sorry, James …"

He looked at her for a few seconds. He simply looked. Where had all the love gone? What had happened to young Lily and James? They were broken now. Everything was broken. Time had ravaged them. How could it not? "Goodbye, Lily Evans."

James left without uttering another word.

James Potter and Lily Evans.

He wished they were young again.