"Self-Discovery" for redshoeson

Apr 06, 2008 19:41

Title: Self-Discovery
Rating: PG
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: if you squint, there's implied Luna/Cho and femmeslash
Summary: Luna is on a journey of self-discovery.
Original Prompt: Briefly describe what you want: Luna's life after the war.
Tone of the fic: Thoughtful, possibly angsty.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: Nostalgia, coming to terms with the past.
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: Any rating is good with me.
Canon or AU? I'm happy with either.
Deal Breakers (what don't you want?): Rape/non-con/dub-con, chan, knifeplay, bloodplay, necro, stereotypical gender roles, bestiality, watersports, scat, Roman showers.

Luna Lovegood pushed a stray tangle of blonde hair from her face as she muttered to herself. She loved working for her father and at The Quibbler, but at the same time, it was hard to be grounded when her career was a world of fantasy. When she’d agreed to help her father out, she never thought that a year would pass before she’d move on let alone two.

After the battle at Hogwarts, after she’d finished school her father practically begged her to help him. "I want to be sure you're okay!" he’d said, swaying her eventually with his honesty. When she had been taken by Death Eaters, he had been so scared, so helpless, and she couldn't help but want to stay to give him peace of mind.

Now her father was leaving on a business trip in search of more definitive proof of Nargles and Luna wasn't content with her father's choice for her career path. She wanted to make a life of her own. In fact, she wanted to see the world like her father did at times. He searched for fascinating creatures digging for the truth.

Truth, Luna thought as she sat down behind her desk. She was sick to death of searching for the truth. It seemed so relative to her. Her truth might not be her father's and that idea wasn't a pleasant one to contemplate.

Scribbling on the draft of the next issue, she sighed and pushed it away from her as she stood up. It was time to cut the tie to her family, time to go her own way.

---

Two days later Xenophilius Lovegood came home from his trip with nothing to show for it, making Luna uncharacteristically cross at her father. "Luna, dear, what's wrong?" her father asked kindly as he reached up and stroked her hair in a gentle, fatherly gesture.

She shrugged and moved backward. "Nothing is wrong. I just need… I need space, Dad!” Things were never going to happen unless she made them happen. “You know I love The Quibbler as much as you do, but I need to be my own person," she said quietly.

Her father frowned, but nodded slowly. "Of course I understand." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "What do you want to do? You can do anything."

Luna blinked as she stared at her father blankly for a moment. "I-I want to see the world. I want to discover creatures for myself."

He nodded. "Of course, that sounds like something you'll enjoy. If The Quibbler had enough resources-"

"No!" Luna interjected hurriedly, "I'm not asking you or The Quibbler to help me out here. I want to do this for myself, and only for myself."

Her father nodded. "I can understand that."

For a moment Luna didn't know what to say. Her father always surprised her, but this time she was trying to contain her shock. He didn't seem to have even a small problem with her choices. He seemed to only want what's best for her, and her heart squeezed at the thought. Quickly, she reached out and pulled her father into a hug. "I love you, Dad."

---

Two months later, Luna was in Oban, Scotland. After booking a room at a local inn, Luna wandered the town. It was quiet city, but large enough for Luna to get lost in it, to fade into the crowd and disappear. She wanted to disappear.

Looking around at the familiar scenery she wondered if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was actually near Oban. It was more than possible when the climate matched and she knew Hogwarts was in Scotland. The problem was that the school was hidden. Its numerous charms and enhancements kept it secret from everyone until they got there. Even when she was a student, she could never pinpoint where Hogwarts had been.

It had been for the students' safety, of course, but Hogwart’s hadn't yet reopened following the battle two years ago. Luna often thought about Headmistress McGonagall and the rest of the staff (along with some volunteers and students) who were still rebuilding the castle and restoring the magical protections.

A light rain began to fall from the sky, and she looked up, letting the water wash down her face. The cool water and light breeze that had picked up was refreshing. She stood outside, letting the rain pour down on her for several long moments before she heard someone call, "Miss! Come inside before you catch a cold!"

Luna's head snapped down to locate the voice. She saw a kind looking middle-aged woman standing in the door of a pub not two feet from where Luna herself stood. The woman was waving her inside.

With a sigh, Luna gave in and went toward the woman who was holding the door. Luna ducked inside the bar and was amazed. From the outside it looked run down, with dark, filthy windows and dirty bricks, but inside it was a different story. The pub was immaculate. The floors, tables, and counter were spotless without even the dust that a normal pub would have. Glancing behind her Luna noticed the windows were perfectly clean from the inside.

Magic, Luna thought slightly disappointed. Here she was in what she thought was the Muggle world and magic just kept popping up like she could never escape it.

"Hello, dear," the middle-aged woman said, moving behind the bar. Now that Luna was closer and the light was well lit, she could see that the woman had shoulder length brown hair, green eyes, and was curvy and small.

"Hello, ma'am," Luna said politely, moving to sit at one of the empty stools at the bar, "Nice establishment you have here."

The woman grinned with pride. "Thank you. Sadly, it's a slow night. The rain does that. What are you having? Hot chocolate? It's on the house."

"Hot chocolate, please," Luna said with a small smile as she reached in her pocket. She pulled out a mixture of Muggle pounds and wizard coins.

"No, no, dear," the woman said, pushing the money away with the steaming mug of hot chocolate. "It's on the house."

"Are you sure? I have the money to pay for it," the younger witch said, eying the money.

"No, it's fine. You look cold, standing out in the rain like that."

Luna gripped her mug, bringing it to her lips and taking a drink.

A gust of cold air suddenly filled the room and Luna pulled her robes tighter around her body. Twisting in her seat, she saw a pretty Asian woman coming into the pub.

"Cho!" the bartend said with a smile to the woman behind Luna.

"Hello, Madame Scott," the woman greeted the bartender and moving to sit beside Luna in the empty stool. "One cup of black coffee." The witch turned to Luna and smiled politely. "Aren’t you Luna Lovegood from the great house of Ravenclaw!"

"Pardon?" Luna asked, reaching up and pushing a hair behind her ear.

"Ah, I suppose I'm not as well-known as you are," the witch said with a polite smile. She extended her hand. "Cho Chang, a pleasure."

"Oh, Cho," Luna said, the voice ringing a vague bell. "You were the one that was dating Cedric Diggory before he died weren't you?"

Cho froze, her hand dropping in midair. Clearing her throat and shifting uncomfortably, she said, "Yes, yes I was."

"I'm sorry," Luna rushed out honestly, "I didn't mean to be rude. Ravenclaw was a lovely house wasn't it?" she quickly changed the subject.

"Yes, Ravenclaw isa lovely house. It was my home for so long that knowing the tower is probably still in ruins hurts my heart," Cho said with a frown.

Luna tilted her head to the side, looking at the woman with interest. She was a beauty with slanted brown eyes, ivory skin, and long dark hair that fell perfectly down her back. Her frown was just as pretty as her smile, Luna noted to herself.

"If I knew, precisely, where Hogwarts was, I'd probably go volunteer to help," Luna stated, easing into the conversation slowly.

"I can't believe they are still keeping its location a secret!" Cho said, shaking her head before taking a drink of her coffee.

Luna fingered the handle on the mug of her hot chocolate, feeling the warm ceramic beneath her fingers.

Standing up, Cho said, "Excuse me," and disappeared behind a swinging door that had a sign above it that read "restrooms."

The barmaid walked up to wear Luna was and grinned. "I have half a mind to put some scotch in her cup."

The younger girl looked at her with curiosity.

"It'd be her own fault for leaving her drink unattended. Cho's a regular. She's a nice girl."

"She seems like it," Luna noted, looking into her mug. "Does she work in Oban?"

"Yeah," the barmaid told her, still grinning. "She owns the Chinese herb shop Herbal China. Well, it's a herb shop to the public, but to those who know, the back is a store of magical potion ingredients and supplies. The only one here in Oban."

"Do you get many Muggles here at the pub?" Luna asked, keeping the conversation going without being too nosey about the other girl.

"No. Well, if they do try to come in here they suddenly - like magic -" she added with a wink, "remember something important they have to go do."

Luna found herself smiling widely. It was a brilliant use of a spell.

"Everyone deserves somewhere they belong," Miss Scott said as she extended her hand, "Name's April Scott. Obviously I'm the owner of this establishment, the enabler of the magical to get drunk with their own kind. And use magic in public."

Luna shook the woman's hand just as Cho slid back in her seat. "So, what brings you to Oban?" she asked as she eyed her mug than glanced back up at the barmaid.

The older woman put up her hands, palms out. "I didn't put anything in it," she said with a grin, "At least not this time. Just ask Miss Lovegood here."

Cho giggled and lifted her drink to her lips, looking at Luna with interest as she waited for her answer.

"Self-discovery," Luna said mysteriously.

"I think that's a never-ending search," Cho said thoughtfully, "I think someone can spend their whole life looking for themselves, but never truly find it. It's just a constant search for the unanswerable questions of life and who we are."

"Profound," Luna said with a smile.

"Not really," Cho brushed off the compliment, "Just the truth."

The truth is relative, Luna thought bitterly, taking a deep drink of her hot chocolate.

"I happen to think I completed my search for self-discovery long ago," Miss Scott said with a smile.

"Oh?" Cho said, glancing at the woman.

The middle-aged woman nodded sagely and her eyes full with wisdom. "I believe this place-" She gestured around herself at the bar, "is the end of my search."

"Must be nice," Cho said with a small smile, "Herbal China is not the end of my search yet. I don't think I'll ever reach an end."

"When you least expect it, the end may fall into your lap. You just have to be brave enough to grasps it and hold onto it."

"That's almost as mysterious as Luna's response," the dark haired woman informed the older woman.

"It's not mysterious. It's honest."

"Truth is relative," Luna blurted out, feeling her face slightly blush afterward.

"Exactly what a witch searching for who she is would say," the barmaid said with a slight nod and smile.

Cho giggled. "Does it matter? Miss Scott found herself here in the pub- Oh!" she said suddenly, as if she just remembered something. "How is Miss McCay?"

"Miss McCay," the barmaid said with a smile, "She's as lovely as always."

Luna's eyebrows raised in response to the cryptic question. "Who is Miss McCay?"

"Oh, she's my partner. She owns half the pub and all of my heart," Miss Scott said with a grin.

Luna exchanged a look with a giggling Cho. "She's your lover."

The barmaid brought her shoulders back and looked at Luna without looking ashamed. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The blonde shrugged. "Not one bit. From what I see here, you're happy and that's all that matters."

Miss Scott reached over and patted Luna's shoulder with a smile. "Good girl!"

Cho grinned. "Don't tell me you're surprised to find out that she's… gay?"

"A bit," Luna admitted as she took a drink of her hot chocolate.

"They are so happy together. Makes me wish I had someone."

Miss Scott laughed loudly. "Girls are a lot easier to understand than a man, that's for sure!"

"I'll drink to that!" Cho said happily lifting her glass.

"How about, with all due respect to our straight friend Luna here, we drink to self-discovery instead?" Miss Scott said with a wink and smile.

Luna raised her glance. "To women being easier to understand and the never-ending search for self-discovery!"

All three women toasted as they laughed with delight and comfort.

fic, spring 2008 exchange, cho/luna

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