Chapter 1
Luna Lovegood stretched lazily, sprawling out across the bed. She hummed happily at the tingling sensation of sunlight dancing on her skin. There truly was nothing like waking up in such a way, at least as far as she was concerned.
She didn’t bother rushing to get ready for the day.
No, that wouldn’t do. She didn’t want to deal with the likes of Wrackspurts so early when it could easily be avoided. No, she’d let herself wake slowly, hanging on to the peaceful feeling her dreams often carried since the war had ended.
The blonde stirred a little more, letting her eyes flutter open dreamily. Many people assumed she never fully woke up, walking around with such a dreamy gaze, but they were easily fooled. She was simply looking beyond what they could see.
She blinked a few times. The morning amber light illuminated her eyes in an almost mystical way. Though normally a pale gray tone, the light made her eyes look more like shimmering moonstones.
She stretched once more, pulling herself up to sit. The girl looked around the room she was in, an almost curious look on her face. She slowly took in the details of the room, her eyes flitting from one thing to another.
Now Luna couldn’t be sure, but she had the distinct impression this wasn’t where she went to bed last night. This was her childhood room, a place she hadn’t been since her mother’s death over a decade ago.
“Curious…” She let the word hang in the air, her tone sounding much higher pitched than she remembered.
She held a hand up to her throat, letting out a string of gibberish words. Her tone remained the same, that of a small child. Slowly she pushed herself off the bed, leaving the mess of pillows and blankets where they lay. She walked over to a mirror, taking in her appearance.
There she was, no older than perhaps eight or nine. Her hair was a bit shorter, perhaps this was some time after she’d let the young Weasley boys help her cut it? It was still quite choppy and uneven, but she was still rather fond of it. Her childhood friends had been the ones to give it to her after all. That meant she was closer to nine years old than if she had to venture a guess.
The girl tilted her head to the side curiously. She reached up, touching her face. She traced the imaginary lines where future scars would be but only felt the youthful untouched skin.
“Most curious…” The girl dreamily smiled at herself.
Though not sure how she came to be here, it didn’t really matter, now did it? What mattered was that she was now here and not there, wherever there had been. She couldn’t rightly remember what she’d been doing the night before, or perhaps the night to come was a better way to phrase it.
The girl smoothed out her night dress, remembering the day she grew out of it. It was a sad day when magic could no longer expand it to fit her, a sad day indeed. It was such a gift to be able to wear it once more.
Luna spun around, letting the gown billow and twist in the air. She didn’t restrain the gleeful laughter that spilled from her lips as she did so, relishing in the moment of childhood bliss.
“Well, you’re certainly in a good mood this morning.” A voice cut in, but Luna wasn’t startled by it.
She stopped spinning, facing the doorway.
Her father stood, leaning against the door frame with a handsome smile. He looked much the same as how she remembered, but the glint in his eyes was something she’d missed seeing.
“Of course I am,” The girl met his eyes, smiling even wider. “I’m home, aren’t I?”
She spun around once more, holding her arms outstretched to the world as she did.
“That you are my child.” Her father let out a small laugh, stepping into the room. The man took her into his arms, spinning around with her close to his chest. “That you are.”
He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, pulling a sigh of relief from the small child. He held her closer, noting how she almost clung to him. It was as if she hadn’t seen him for some time. The man carried the girl forward, heading down the familiar hallway toward the sounds of the kitchen. Luna still clung to her father but took in the details of the house with a familiar dreamy gaze.
Upon entering the kitchen, they were greeted by a petite woman wrapped in a robe as she cooked. Her magic had things floating and stirring around the room, mixing something delicious together for breakfast.
“Good morning my love,” Xenophilius spoke, his voice practically the definition of love itself.
The woman turned, meeting his eyes and mirroring the sentiment back.
“How many times shall you tell me that this morning?” Her words were even toned, but one could easily see the hidden message. “Hasn’t it already been nearly a dozen?”
“Only that many?” The man smiled, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.”Not nearly enough then.”
Pandora smiled softly, her eyes sparkling much in the way her daughters did. The woman ran her hand down her husband's arm, taking his hand in hers. She then looked to her daughter who had remained silent this morning, unusually so.
“Good morning Luna.” She looked at her beloved child but her smile faltered, taking in the girl’s state.
Luna was silently crying, tears slowly streaking down her face. Her eyes shone with more than water, with sorrow…
With mourning…
“Oh, precious child.” The woman reached out for her baby. The girl reached out to wrap her arms around her mother's neck. She shared a concerned look with her husband, rubbing soothing circles around Luna’s back.
“Was she like this when you found her?” Pandora asked her husband.
The man shook his head, his eyes not leaving the child.
“No, she seemed…” He paused for a moment, searching for the right word. “Grateful…”
Something flashed in Pandora’s eyes, some sort of understanding.
Xenophilius reached out, taking both his wife and child in his arms. He wouldn’t push them, neither his wife who seemed to have some inkling of what had happened, nor his precious daughter who simply needed his comfort. This was his part, to be there for them both.
It took Luna a good while to stop crying, her father ended up finishing breakfast for them while her mother comforted her.
The sweet child ate her breakfast while holding her mother's hand. Neither of her parents pushed her, knowing she would speak when she was ready. Luna was grateful for their understanding. No one ever understood her as well as they did.
After breakfast was finished, Xenophilius needed to head off to work. Though he said he could fain illness if needed, Pandora told him there was no need. Luna had calmed down significantly, the woman was certain she could tend to the child.
“Owl me should you change your mind.” He pressed, obviously still worried for his daughter. “The Blibbering Humdingers have been hidden for centuries, they don’t need to be acknowledged by the wizarding world just yet. They would understand waiting another day or two, I’m sure.”
His wife good-naturedly rolled her eyes, shoeing the man away with a smile on her face. After a few loving words, the man left a kiss with both of them.
After he left, Pandora turned towards her daughter with only kindness in her eyes.
“Shall we head to the workshop then?” She gently asked, intending to distract her daughter. The curious little thing loved watching her work, often making her own conjectures about the experiments as they progressed. “I’ve been inspired to…” The words died on the woman’s tongue.
She saw the haunted look flash across her daughter’s eyes, though most wouldn’t have seen it. A frown had settled on the child's face, the sort of look that shouldn’t find itself on a child.
Pandora returned to her child’s side, taking Luna’s small hands into her own.
“Luna…” She pressed a kiss into her girl's hand.
Pandora waited, not saying a thing. Luna stared at her mother with sad dreamy eyes, though the woman could tell her daughter was cataloging her every feature. It was as if the child expected her to vanish before her eyes.
The young girl took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
“It was very lonely without you…” Luna began, her voice carrying a sad tone. “Father never did smile properly after you died…”
Pandora took in a sharp breath, holding it as she processed her child’s words.
“T-that must have been very hard for you…”
Luna’s eyes began watering once more, meeting her mother's eyes.
“It was…” The child’s voice cracked.
Pandora swept her daughter up, holding her close. Pandora closed her eyes, letting a few of her own tears streak down her cheeks. Just the idea that her precious baby had been forced to live without her was heartbreaking. The woman knew her husband well, she knew that he would have raised their child to the best of his ability. But he was a kind man, with a gentle heart. The sort of heart that was easily broken.
Pandora squeezed her daughter's shoulders reassuringly, pulling the child from her chest to look at her. She met the concerned eyes of her daughter.
“I’m very proud of you Luna.” The child seemed surprised by her words, a rare occurrence that pulled a small smile from the corner of the woman’s mouth. “You did very well my love.”
Luna blinked a few times as if thinking over things in her mind for a moment.
“I’m excited to see it with my own eyes this time.” The woman rolled her shoulders back, an almost mischievous glint in her eyes. “Though I suppose things will be quite different now.”
The small child couldn’t help but smile seeing her mother's expression.
“Yes… I suppose you’re right, Mother.” Luna relaxed, knowing her mother was at her side. “It wouldn’t make sense for things to stay as they were before, that would be rather dull to experience once more.”
The two women shared a moment, giggling together with hands entwined.
“So, what would you like to change first my dear?”