Songs of the Waddling Bird
Title: Songs of the Waddling Bird
Author: kerrymdb
Prompt: The Grey Lady
Rating: K
Summary: How does one decide they're in love? Is it the song of the Waddling Bird? Or the feeling in their heart?
Songs of the Waddling Bird
Luna sat on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, her gaze lost in the mountains. Students rarely used the Astronomy Tower as a hiding space these days, not since Dumbledore was killed.
She needed to get away, room to think. Neville said that he loved her. They had been in the Greenhouse, enjoying the privacy it offered. Then Neville had broken away and told her that he loved her.
She had waited for the signs, like the appearance of a Waddling Bird or the sounds of the ocean in her ears, signs that her mother said would let her know that she was in love.
But all she felt when Neville said those words was a strange flutter in her heart.
The disappointment was almost too much to bear. Luna thought she loved Neville, she truly did. But if there was no Waddling Bird, how in the world was she supposed to know for sure?
A shiver danced up her spine as it always did when a ghost was near. Luna saw the Grey Lady floating towards her. “Hello, Lady Grey,” Luna murmured in greeting.
The Grey Lady rarely responded to Luna’s attempts at conversation, but that never stopped Luna from trying. She never took it personally. The Grey Lady hardly ever spoke to anyone.
However, tonight she nodded, a hopeful sign. “Have you ever been in love?” asked Luna almost shyly.
The ghost nodded and Luna looked into her eyes. Luna would love to know what colour they were; they were so beautifully shaped, that Luna just knew that the colour was beautiful, too.
“How did you know?” Luna asked hopefully. “Did you hear the ocean in your ears?”
“No.”
Luna was so shocked to hear the Grey Lady speak, that she sat up straight, and sat back on her heels, facing her.
“If you didn’t hear the ocean, how did you know you were in love?”
The Grey Lady reached out her hand and floated it over Luna’s heart. “I knew here,” she replied sadly.
The flutter Luna felt in her heart. “But the Waddling Bird…” Luna whispered.
Raising her hand and placing it on Luna’s cheek, causing a chill to run through her entire body, the Grey Lady sighed, “The only place you’ll know is in your heart.”
Luna closed her eyes. She did love Neville Longbottom. She was just looking for the wrong signs. The thought made her excited, scared, nervous and exhilarated all at once. Like she was stung by a Tremble Bee.
Jumping off the ledge, she was careful not to touch the Grey Lady. She practically ran to the door, but stopped and turned around.
“Lady Grey?” she asked, almost hesitantly. The ghost nodded. “What colour are your eyes?”
“Grey. Like yours.”
“Like mine,” Luna repeated softly. “Thank you.”
Luna turned and skipped down the steps. She couldn’t wait to find Neville and tell him she didn’t need to hear the ocean to know that she loved him.
She knew in her heart.
Author: kerrymdb
Prompt: The Grey Lady
Rating: K
Summary: How does one decide they're in love? Is it the song of the Waddling Bird? Or the feeling in their heart?
Songs of the Waddling Bird
Luna sat on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, her gaze lost in the mountains. Students rarely used the Astronomy Tower as a hiding space these days, not since Dumbledore was killed.
She needed to get away, room to think. Neville said that he loved her. They had been in the Greenhouse, enjoying the privacy it offered. Then Neville had broken away and told her that he loved her.
She had waited for the signs, like the appearance of a Waddling Bird or the sounds of the ocean in her ears, signs that her mother said would let her know that she was in love.
But all she felt when Neville said those words was a strange flutter in her heart.
The disappointment was almost too much to bear. Luna thought she loved Neville, she truly did. But if there was no Waddling Bird, how in the world was she supposed to know for sure?
A shiver danced up her spine as it always did when a ghost was near. Luna saw the Grey Lady floating towards her. “Hello, Lady Grey,” Luna murmured in greeting.
The Grey Lady rarely responded to Luna’s attempts at conversation, but that never stopped Luna from trying. She never took it personally. The Grey Lady hardly ever spoke to anyone.
However, tonight she nodded, a hopeful sign. “Have you ever been in love?” asked Luna almost shyly.
The ghost nodded and Luna looked into her eyes. Luna would love to know what colour they were; they were so beautifully shaped, that Luna just knew that the colour was beautiful, too.
“How did you know?” Luna asked hopefully. “Did you hear the ocean in your ears?”
“No.”
Luna was so shocked to hear the Grey Lady speak, that she sat up straight, and sat back on her heels, facing her.
“If you didn’t hear the ocean, how did you know you were in love?”
The Grey Lady reached out her hand and floated it over Luna’s heart. “I knew here,” she replied sadly.
The flutter Luna felt in her heart. “But the Waddling Bird…” Luna whispered.
Raising her hand and placing it on Luna’s cheek, causing a chill to run through her entire body, the Grey Lady sighed, “The only place you’ll know is in your heart.”
Luna closed her eyes. She did love Neville Longbottom. She was just looking for the wrong signs. The thought made her excited, scared, nervous and exhilarated all at once. Like she was stung by a Tremble Bee.
Jumping off the ledge, she was careful not to touch the Grey Lady. She practically ran to the door, but stopped and turned around.
“Lady Grey?” she asked, almost hesitantly. The ghost nodded. “What colour are your eyes?”
“Grey. Like yours.”
“Like mine,” Luna repeated softly. “Thank you.”
Luna turned and skipped down the steps. She couldn’t wait to find Neville and tell him she didn’t need to hear the ocean to know that she loved him.
She knew in her heart.