This is Goodnight...
Luna hummed as she took the muffins out of the oven. She'd had a pretty lousy day at work and had come to Orchard's Gate to relax. She could have baked at Harry's, of course, but that would have meant dealing with the miserable looks Dobby gave her because he felt like he was a failure as a house elf. At least, that was what she thought the big tears and wails to let him do it meant. Sometimes she just didn't understand Dobby at all.
The sound of the door opening caught her attention and she turned her focus away from the muffins and towards the door. It would have to be Penelope, she thought. Unless her room mate had added someone else to the wards.
Could she really even call Penelope her room mate any more? Luna had only slept in the house one night since the funeral. She had a feeling, from the closed in feel of the house the few times she had stopped by, that the other woman hadn't been spending much time there either.
"Oh my goodness," Penelope said. "I'd no idea anyone would be here. I came to get one of my books. I need to get my lesson plans more set for the school year. Goodness, Luna. I'm a terrible roommate, I suppose. How have you been?"
Penelope studied her. Luna looked better than the last time she had seen her. Penelope knew grief could be funny, affect you oddly, but Luna looked almost like her old self to Penny.
"I'm... I still have my ups and downs," Luna said, truthfully. "And I've been a terrible roommate as well. I'm never here. I think my own books and knickknacks might be the only things that have not been moved into Harry's. Though, I noticed that your own things seem to have a nice layer of dust on them." She let the comment hang, a small, knowing grin on her face as she offered Penelope a muffin.
Penelope took it and fidgeted. She supposed now was as good a time as any for the conversation she'd been putting off.
"Yes, well... I likely shouldn't have left the Sticks at all. I'm sorry, Luna. I know I'm being terribly inconvenient, but with Percy back, I think I thought I needed to be removed from Brody, but... it's... I fit there. I know who I am when I am there. It might be crowded and loud, but Jack likes it."
She could tell Luna was confused.
"What I'm trying to say is that I am terribly sorry, and I'll help you find a new roommate."
Luna blinked. "Oh," she said after a moment. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that." She tore a muffin in half and then popped a smaller piece into her mouth. It was almost too hot to eat.
She was never here herself. As she had told Penelope, she had all but moved in with Harry. She had just held on to Orchard's Gate because... Because she hadn't thought of letting it go? Because there had been too many changes in her life? She wasn't quite sure, really.
She also wasn't sure what she would do next. Should she ask Harry about officially moving into Grimmauld Place? Just move in, figuring that he'd never notice a few more of her things scattered around, which was completely possible. Find a new roommate to share the space she rarely occupied anyway? Find a smaller place just for herself?
"Don't worry about it," she told Penelope after she had swallowed the bite of muffin. "It's kind of silly for me to be paying rent when I'm living with Harry anyway. We can let the lease go and both save the money."
She popped another bit of muffin into her mouth and smiled. "So... Brody?"
Penelope blushed and looked away for a moment before composing herself and looking back. "So... Harry?"
When Luna opened her mouth, Penelope held up a hand. "As long as you are doing all right. You'll have to check in, of course. Jack's missed you, and I know the MacDougals wouldn't mind seeing you as well. Duff has mentioned several times that I needed to tell you how fetching you looked at Hannah's wedding. He has also mentioned that he would have asked you to dance, but he did not fancy being hexed by Harry Potter."
"Harry wouldn't have hexed him for asking. Or me for agreeing. But I'm afraid that I was having a very low night that night. So, it's probably better that he did not." She smiled again. "I'll keep him in mind, though, should anything ever happen and I'm in need of a new dance partner."
She turned before Penelope could say anything else and put the last tray of muffins in. She was mentally running through a list of the things she had in the house, cataloging what she would have to do to be completely out.
"Do you want to plan on being out by the end of next month? It should be more time than I need to pack and move everything, but it's better safe than sorry, right?"
"That sounds good. Though if you need help, Brody has several strapping cousins always willing to assist a lady. Especially if they think she's pretty."
It seemed so final though. Still, Penelope would not worry about Luna if Luna were at Harry's. She'd have someone to look out for her.
Luna nodded decisively. "It's settled, then. I shouldn't need any help, but I appreciate the offer of the cousins. Dobby will probably bounce with joy if I mention needing help."
She suppressed a wince as she felt a twinge of headache. She knew what that meant, but didn't want to reveal her distress to Penny.
Penelope moved over and gave Luna a slight hug.
"I'll just get my book and be out of your hair then. If you need me, don't hesitate to floo."
Penelope headed up the stairs without waiting for an answer. She felt better about this now. She knew Luna was still grieving, but she would not be alone.
Luna waited until Penny was out of eye sight to rub her temple. This always seemed to happen when the joyeus had run it's course. A brief headache and then she was back to her normal self. Her sad self.
Or, at least that had happened the two other times Luna had taken it. Once after Blaise and Hannah's wedding, then the day the new editor of the Quib took over. Today was the third time she had taken a dose. She only had one left.
{SUMMARY} Penelope tells Luna something that's obvious but she's been putting off. To her surprise, they both decide to move out.
The sound of the door opening caught her attention and she turned her focus away from the muffins and towards the door. It would have to be Penelope, she thought. Unless her room mate had added someone else to the wards.
Could she really even call Penelope her room mate any more? Luna had only slept in the house one night since the funeral. She had a feeling, from the closed in feel of the house the few times she had stopped by, that the other woman hadn't been spending much time there either.
"Oh my goodness," Penelope said. "I'd no idea anyone would be here. I came to get one of my books. I need to get my lesson plans more set for the school year. Goodness, Luna. I'm a terrible roommate, I suppose. How have you been?"
Penelope studied her. Luna looked better than the last time she had seen her. Penelope knew grief could be funny, affect you oddly, but Luna looked almost like her old self to Penny.
"I'm... I still have my ups and downs," Luna said, truthfully. "And I've been a terrible roommate as well. I'm never here. I think my own books and knickknacks might be the only things that have not been moved into Harry's. Though, I noticed that your own things seem to have a nice layer of dust on them." She let the comment hang, a small, knowing grin on her face as she offered Penelope a muffin.
Penelope took it and fidgeted. She supposed now was as good a time as any for the conversation she'd been putting off.
"Yes, well... I likely shouldn't have left the Sticks at all. I'm sorry, Luna. I know I'm being terribly inconvenient, but with Percy back, I think I thought I needed to be removed from Brody, but... it's... I fit there. I know who I am when I am there. It might be crowded and loud, but Jack likes it."
She could tell Luna was confused.
"What I'm trying to say is that I am terribly sorry, and I'll help you find a new roommate."
Luna blinked. "Oh," she said after a moment. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that." She tore a muffin in half and then popped a smaller piece into her mouth. It was almost too hot to eat.
She was never here herself. As she had told Penelope, she had all but moved in with Harry. She had just held on to Orchard's Gate because... Because she hadn't thought of letting it go? Because there had been too many changes in her life? She wasn't quite sure, really.
She also wasn't sure what she would do next. Should she ask Harry about officially moving into Grimmauld Place? Just move in, figuring that he'd never notice a few more of her things scattered around, which was completely possible. Find a new roommate to share the space she rarely occupied anyway? Find a smaller place just for herself?
"Don't worry about it," she told Penelope after she had swallowed the bite of muffin. "It's kind of silly for me to be paying rent when I'm living with Harry anyway. We can let the lease go and both save the money."
She popped another bit of muffin into her mouth and smiled. "So... Brody?"
Penelope blushed and looked away for a moment before composing herself and looking back. "So... Harry?"
When Luna opened her mouth, Penelope held up a hand. "As long as you are doing all right. You'll have to check in, of course. Jack's missed you, and I know the MacDougals wouldn't mind seeing you as well. Duff has mentioned several times that I needed to tell you how fetching you looked at Hannah's wedding. He has also mentioned that he would have asked you to dance, but he did not fancy being hexed by Harry Potter."
"Harry wouldn't have hexed him for asking. Or me for agreeing. But I'm afraid that I was having a very low night that night. So, it's probably better that he did not." She smiled again. "I'll keep him in mind, though, should anything ever happen and I'm in need of a new dance partner."
She turned before Penelope could say anything else and put the last tray of muffins in. She was mentally running through a list of the things she had in the house, cataloging what she would have to do to be completely out.
"Do you want to plan on being out by the end of next month? It should be more time than I need to pack and move everything, but it's better safe than sorry, right?"
"That sounds good. Though if you need help, Brody has several strapping cousins always willing to assist a lady. Especially if they think she's pretty."
It seemed so final though. Still, Penelope would not worry about Luna if Luna were at Harry's. She'd have someone to look out for her.
Luna nodded decisively. "It's settled, then. I shouldn't need any help, but I appreciate the offer of the cousins. Dobby will probably bounce with joy if I mention needing help."
She suppressed a wince as she felt a twinge of headache. She knew what that meant, but didn't want to reveal her distress to Penny.
Penelope moved over and gave Luna a slight hug.
"I'll just get my book and be out of your hair then. If you need me, don't hesitate to floo."
Penelope headed up the stairs without waiting for an answer. She felt better about this now. She knew Luna was still grieving, but she would not be alone.
Luna waited until Penny was out of eye sight to rub her temple. This always seemed to happen when the joyeus had run it's course. A brief headache and then she was back to her normal self. Her sad self.
Or, at least that had happened the two other times Luna had taken it. Once after Blaise and Hannah's wedding, then the day the new editor of the Quib took over. Today was the third time she had taken a dose. She only had one left.
{SUMMARY} Penelope tells Luna something that's obvious but she's been putting off. To her surprise, they both decide to move out.