fic: elixir of change
title: elixir of change
author: snottygrrl
type: fiction
length: one-shot ficlet, ~1060 words
main character or pairing: Al/Scorpius (sorta), Luna
cards: nine of swords, seven of cups, high priestess
card interpretation: I read tarot, so I took the general feeling each card gives me to interpret each to represent a character.
nine of swords: known as the nightmare card, the Nine of Swords can be about waking up to the results of living in ones mask. The blessing is that it shows a path to the truth - this is a Scorpius who has been living his life to please his father.
seven of cups: this is a card about choices, and the danger of not making them. I sometimes think of this as the dreamer card - an Al who is v. much Harry in many ways, but grew up with Luna as his godmother.
high priestess: The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge - to me this had to be Luna
rating: G
disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
This author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country.
warnings: mostly gen with a bit of pre-slash
summary: sometimes plans change. sometimes sons realise they don't have to follow their fathers.
author's notes: though this bunny hoped right up looking all cute and slashy, it then refused to be written. going on hols certainly didn't help. fortunately, ravenna_c_tan is not only a talented writer and all around interesting person, she is also a forgiving mod. i do apologise for the lateness of this tiny offering. thanks go to edm for the quick beta.
Luna heard the soft chime of the shop's bell followed by her godson's voice.
"Hi Nettie, we've come to see Aunt Luna. She should be expecting us."
The staccato jingling of jewelry most likely meant that Luna's assistant was nodding her agreement. "She is Al. She asked me to tell you that you and Scorpius should make yourselves at home in the downstairs' parlor and she'll be with you shortly," Nettie informed them. "You know where it is, don't you?"
"Sure, Nettie. Thanks," responded Al.
Footsteps drew closer and Luna watched as the young men entered the adjacent room. It was a rare occasion when she didn't greet her clients immediately, but in a dream last night an iridescent dragon had told her that Scorpius Malfoy would need a few moments to adjust to the surroundings. She'd been a bit surprised that it would be aware of or care about such things. However it seemed an honest and forthright creature, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to take the recommendation. As Scorpius first shifted nervously, eyes flitting about the room, and then calmed visibly as he became more familiar with it, Luna silently thanked the small beast for its wise advice.
Al had warned her that Scorpius was reluctant to try any form of divination. His family had a near pathological hate for prophecies and the seers who revealed them; yet Scorpius seemed to battle an unwilling fascination with the art. Despite all that, Al was determined to help his friend and he was sure that Luna would have the answer. Which was funny, Luna reflected, because the only person who could possibly have the answers to Scorpius' questions was Scorpius himself. Same as with everyone else.
People didn't seem to understand that, always insisting she knew something they didn't. And perhaps she did. After all, she knew how to lead folk back to their own answers.
Luna studied Scorpius, contemplating the best approach. When Al had asked for her aid, he'd explained about how devastated Scorpius was by the rejection letter he'd recently received from the Potions Master apprenticeship programme. Al was just as gobsmacked by it, sure that no one could be better than Scorpius at potions, no one more deserving of a placement. He was irate on behalf of his friend and relayed to Luna how hard Scorpius had worked and how much he'd given up for this single goal.
However, the more Al had raved about Scorpius' dedication to potions above all else, and ranted at the unfairness of it all, the more the words his father and Mr. Malfoy had reoccurred.
Luna remembered another Malfoy heir who had tried desperately to impress his father, to follow his prescribed path, and how poorly that had turned out. She wondered idly if Draco was at all aware of the parallels between the Malfoy Men. Like Lucius before him, Draco obviously wanted success and respect for his only son. Yet it seemed apparent that the singular way he's learned to convey this to his offspring was the traditional diatribe about the family honour. The biggest irony of all, was that it was glaringly apparent to Luna that like Draco, Scorpius would gain far more respect and bring more honour to the name of Malfoy by not doing what his father wanted of him.
Movement in her periphery drew her attention and she shifted her gaze to her godson, Al. While Scorpius was still examining the room, Al's sole focus was on Scorpius. The scrying tools and tarot cards that usually distracted him so thoroughly whenever he visited her, held no sway over him today. Luna noted that he clenched his hands stiffly by his side, as if he was consciously willing himself not to reach out in comfort. Yet his whole body leaned towards the other young man, reminding Luna of the way a flower tilted to the sun seeking light and warmth.
She had no doubt that Al was painfully aware of his infatuation with Scorpius. Nor any question as to whether or not he'd shared his feelings with his friend - he hadn't. What had her curious, though, was how long it would take Scorpius to figure it out on his own. No, she corrected herself, until Scorpius admitted what he already knew. And what he felt in return.
The Roman numeral for sixteen flashed through her mind. For a moment she speculated as to whether that was in hours or weeks or years, before it hit her that that admission, even more so than the recent rejection, would be akin to XVI in the tarot deck, the falling tower.
The rejection letter rocked the tower, to be sure, but could be worked around. Scorpius could apply with individuals for a private apprenticeship and try next year or the following one for acceptance into the Master programme. He could even lower his goal and be an assistant brewer for a while; there were many positions at the ministry that didn't require Master level skills and were perfectly respectable. No doubt this was the kind of direction that Al and Scorpius had come to her for. A clue as to which choice would most quickly lead back to the path Scorpius had so carefully constructed with his father.
However, the simple act of Scorpius taking Al's hand in more than friendship would send the tower of carefully built plans tumbling to the ground. A tower built on Malfoy tradition and pride. On plans that had locked away who Scorpius really was.
Many seers, and those seeking help, disliked seeing the falling tower in a reading. It signaled such a drastic change that the process was rarely comfortable. Your average person tended to want things to happen more gradually and gracefully.
A new scrying bowl finally caught Al's eye and he turned to examine it more closely. Scorpius took the opportunity to surreptitiously watch Al through lowered lashes. Luna realised that not only was Scorpius ogling Al's arse, he was also carefully observing what Al was doing with the bowl.
Luna straightened up and parted the curtains that separated her from her guests. She suspected this was going to be an interesting session. After all, Luna had never claimed to be like everyone else; she was rather fond of the falling tower.
"Good Afternoon, gentleman. Shall we get started?"
~fin
author: snottygrrl
type: fiction
length: one-shot ficlet, ~1060 words
main character or pairing: Al/Scorpius (sorta), Luna
cards: nine of swords, seven of cups, high priestess
card interpretation: I read tarot, so I took the general feeling each card gives me to interpret each to represent a character.
nine of swords: known as the nightmare card, the Nine of Swords can be about waking up to the results of living in ones mask. The blessing is that it shows a path to the truth - this is a Scorpius who has been living his life to please his father.
seven of cups: this is a card about choices, and the danger of not making them. I sometimes think of this as the dreamer card - an Al who is v. much Harry in many ways, but grew up with Luna as his godmother.
high priestess: The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge - to me this had to be Luna
rating: G
disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
This author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country.
warnings: mostly gen with a bit of pre-slash
summary: sometimes plans change. sometimes sons realise they don't have to follow their fathers.
author's notes: though this bunny hoped right up looking all cute and slashy, it then refused to be written. going on hols certainly didn't help. fortunately, ravenna_c_tan is not only a talented writer and all around interesting person, she is also a forgiving mod. i do apologise for the lateness of this tiny offering. thanks go to edm for the quick beta.
Luna heard the soft chime of the shop's bell followed by her godson's voice.
"Hi Nettie, we've come to see Aunt Luna. She should be expecting us."
The staccato jingling of jewelry most likely meant that Luna's assistant was nodding her agreement. "She is Al. She asked me to tell you that you and Scorpius should make yourselves at home in the downstairs' parlor and she'll be with you shortly," Nettie informed them. "You know where it is, don't you?"
"Sure, Nettie. Thanks," responded Al.
Footsteps drew closer and Luna watched as the young men entered the adjacent room. It was a rare occasion when she didn't greet her clients immediately, but in a dream last night an iridescent dragon had told her that Scorpius Malfoy would need a few moments to adjust to the surroundings. She'd been a bit surprised that it would be aware of or care about such things. However it seemed an honest and forthright creature, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to take the recommendation. As Scorpius first shifted nervously, eyes flitting about the room, and then calmed visibly as he became more familiar with it, Luna silently thanked the small beast for its wise advice.
Al had warned her that Scorpius was reluctant to try any form of divination. His family had a near pathological hate for prophecies and the seers who revealed them; yet Scorpius seemed to battle an unwilling fascination with the art. Despite all that, Al was determined to help his friend and he was sure that Luna would have the answer. Which was funny, Luna reflected, because the only person who could possibly have the answers to Scorpius' questions was Scorpius himself. Same as with everyone else.
People didn't seem to understand that, always insisting she knew something they didn't. And perhaps she did. After all, she knew how to lead folk back to their own answers.
Luna studied Scorpius, contemplating the best approach. When Al had asked for her aid, he'd explained about how devastated Scorpius was by the rejection letter he'd recently received from the Potions Master apprenticeship programme. Al was just as gobsmacked by it, sure that no one could be better than Scorpius at potions, no one more deserving of a placement. He was irate on behalf of his friend and relayed to Luna how hard Scorpius had worked and how much he'd given up for this single goal.
However, the more Al had raved about Scorpius' dedication to potions above all else, and ranted at the unfairness of it all, the more the words his father and Mr. Malfoy had reoccurred.
Luna remembered another Malfoy heir who had tried desperately to impress his father, to follow his prescribed path, and how poorly that had turned out. She wondered idly if Draco was at all aware of the parallels between the Malfoy Men. Like Lucius before him, Draco obviously wanted success and respect for his only son. Yet it seemed apparent that the singular way he's learned to convey this to his offspring was the traditional diatribe about the family honour. The biggest irony of all, was that it was glaringly apparent to Luna that like Draco, Scorpius would gain far more respect and bring more honour to the name of Malfoy by not doing what his father wanted of him.
Movement in her periphery drew her attention and she shifted her gaze to her godson, Al. While Scorpius was still examining the room, Al's sole focus was on Scorpius. The scrying tools and tarot cards that usually distracted him so thoroughly whenever he visited her, held no sway over him today. Luna noted that he clenched his hands stiffly by his side, as if he was consciously willing himself not to reach out in comfort. Yet his whole body leaned towards the other young man, reminding Luna of the way a flower tilted to the sun seeking light and warmth.
She had no doubt that Al was painfully aware of his infatuation with Scorpius. Nor any question as to whether or not he'd shared his feelings with his friend - he hadn't. What had her curious, though, was how long it would take Scorpius to figure it out on his own. No, she corrected herself, until Scorpius admitted what he already knew. And what he felt in return.
The Roman numeral for sixteen flashed through her mind. For a moment she speculated as to whether that was in hours or weeks or years, before it hit her that that admission, even more so than the recent rejection, would be akin to XVI in the tarot deck, the falling tower.
The rejection letter rocked the tower, to be sure, but could be worked around. Scorpius could apply with individuals for a private apprenticeship and try next year or the following one for acceptance into the Master programme. He could even lower his goal and be an assistant brewer for a while; there were many positions at the ministry that didn't require Master level skills and were perfectly respectable. No doubt this was the kind of direction that Al and Scorpius had come to her for. A clue as to which choice would most quickly lead back to the path Scorpius had so carefully constructed with his father.
However, the simple act of Scorpius taking Al's hand in more than friendship would send the tower of carefully built plans tumbling to the ground. A tower built on Malfoy tradition and pride. On plans that had locked away who Scorpius really was.
Many seers, and those seeking help, disliked seeing the falling tower in a reading. It signaled such a drastic change that the process was rarely comfortable. Your average person tended to want things to happen more gradually and gracefully.
A new scrying bowl finally caught Al's eye and he turned to examine it more closely. Scorpius took the opportunity to surreptitiously watch Al through lowered lashes. Luna realised that not only was Scorpius ogling Al's arse, he was also carefully observing what Al was doing with the bowl.
Luna straightened up and parted the curtains that separated her from her guests. She suspected this was going to be an interesting session. After all, Luna had never claimed to be like everyone else; she was rather fond of the falling tower.
"Good Afternoon, gentleman. Shall we get started?"
~fin