Fic: "Forget-Me-Not", for jiazho
Title: Forget-Me-Not
Author: lazy_neutrino
Recipient: jiazho
Rating: PG
Characters: Luna Lovegood, Theodore Nott
Summary: Luna finds something unexpected in the Forbidden Forest
Author's notes: Thanks to my beta, kennahijja!
Forget-Me-Not
When Luna pulled back the ragged branch of the pine tree to get a better view, she had no idea what she expected to see. The Blibbering Humdinger had left its traces clearly enough, and she was delighted to have tracked it as well as she had, if a little apprehensive about wandering so deep into the Forbidden Forest.
A sprinkle of snowflakes fell onto the ground as she stuck her head between the branches and peered into the clearing. Humdingers were shy creatures, easily startled, but quite safe if you bowed three times and whistled the Italian national anthem. She crossed her fingers in the pockets of her woolly robes.
There was a boy in the clearing: a boy not much taller than herself, standing in the snow. Another fourth year, then, or maybe a fifth year. He was muttering to himself as he paced up and down, his footprints tracing a dotted line across the white. Every now and then he stopped, scratching his cheek with long fingers and shaking his head.
Luna watched, fascinated.
The boy tapped his nose three times and marched towards a holly bush. Kneeling, he pulled out a sack and hugged it to his chest. When he stood up again, there were dark stains on his sleeves and the rich smell of blood filled Luna's nostrils. The boy reached into the sack and produced an enormous slab of raw meat. Luna's stomach turned. She swallowed, hoping she wouldn't throw up. Blood seeped from the meat, staining the snow red as the boy threw it to the ground. Another piece followed it, then another, until the sack was empty. The boy folded it neatly, and shoved it into his pocket.
Something nudged Luna from behind, shoving her into the tree. A shard of branch smashed into her face. Stars danced inside her head and she grabbed at the tree trunk for support. When she opened her eyes, the boy was looming over her.
'Keep still,' he said. He sounded angry. 'Or I'll let it eat you.'
'Eat me?' Luna frowned. Pain lanced through her head and she raised her hand to explore the damage. No broken skin, but she was going to have a wonderful lump by tomorrow. She could feel it starting already. 'Eat me,' she said again, more slowly. 'But Blibbering Humdingers don't -' An odd smile curved across the boy's face. Very deliberately, Luna turned away from him and looked into the clearing.
Something was tearing at the steaks the boy had thrown down - something that was not quite a horse, but not quite anything else either. Four long legs supported a skeletal black body. A bat-like wing was folded along each flank. The bony face was delicate and slender, like a dragon's, with milky eyes and long, sharp teeth.
'Oh!' She gasped in delight. 'A Thestral!'
'You can see them?' The boy sounded disappointed. He ran a hand across his cheek, leaving a bloody steak on the pale skin. Luna fumbled in her pocket and produced a handkerchief. The boy recoiled.
'It's all right,' she reassured him. 'I suppose the hanky is a bit dirty, though.' She regarded it. It was filthy.
'It's disgusting. What's that blue stuff there?'
'Mould. The house-elves got me some from the kitchens. It's their favourite food, you know.' Seeing the uncertain look in his eyes, she added helpfully, 'Blibbering Humdingers. There's a colony in the Forest.'
'I know you.' Slowly the boy began to chant, watching her eyes.
'Loony, Loopy Lovegood…'
Luna beamed. 'That's right! I know you, too. That is, I don't know who you are, but I've seen you around the castle. You're a fifth-year Slytherin.' Remembering her manners, she held out her hand.
He made no move to take it. 'Fourth years aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest.'
'If you don't mind me saying so, that's a bit obvious,' Luna told him brightly. 'After all, it is called the Forbidden Forest.'
The boy grinned. He looked much nicer when he was smiling, Luna decided. But then, so did most people. She watched as he ran across the clearing and buried his face in the Thestral's mane. It was obvious that the animal knew him. It whinnied softly, snapping enormous teeth at his ear before bending low to finish off its meal.
'Where did you get the steaks?'
'Kitchens.'
'That's stealing,' Luna said with interest.
'No more than your mouldy bread.' He gave her a sly look. 'Maybe I should let them eat you. Then you can't tell tales.'
'What a silly idea. Everyone knows Thestrals don't like living meat.'
The boy scowled. 'You'd better not tell. If you do -'
Luna brushed a snowflake from her nose. 'Don't be silly,' she said, a little pompously. 'You know I won't.'
--
A month or so later, she met the boy in the clearing again.
'Theodore,' Luna said proudly.
The boy wrinkled his nose. 'I'm Nott.'
'Yes, you are.' Luna burst out laughing.
The boy gave her a shy smile. 'Call me Theo,' he said.
--
The earth was damp under their feet as they walked towards the clearing. A wren's confident song filled the air: somewhere, Luna suspected, a worm was about to have a very bad time. She scuffed her feet through the leaf-mould, enjoying the warm sunshine on the back of her head.
'So how can you see them?' Theo asked, hefting the sack into an easier position on his shoulder.
'My mother. When I was nine. I was watching her brew an experimental potion in the kitchen, but something went wrong.' She sighed. 'She was very talented. I suppose she must have been thinking of something else. So many things seem to happen at the same time. It makes life very interesting, don't you think?' Theo nodded. 'What about you?'
'My mother.' He was a little pale.
'Did her spells go wrong?'
'Dad says she was ill for a long time. I was very young.' He looked down at the ground, avoiding her eyes, then fumbled in his pocket and thrust out his closed fist. 'Here.' He dropped something hard and cold into her open hand.
Images caught fire inside her head. A dark-haired woman, smiling | The same woman singing a lullaby, her voice almost too weak to carry the melody | Reading a bedtime story about a boy and his pet Crup, her thin hair tied back so that the bones of her skull stood out starkly beneath her face | Sitting in a garden, swathed in blankets on a hot, hot day, while a tall man with stringy hair threw a boy high into the sky - Luna blinked and shook her head. At once the memories vanished.
She turned the object over in her hand. It was made of a dull pewter, silver-grey and scorched in places as if it had been salvaged from a fire. The metal was moulded in the shape of a flower, its ends twisted back on themselves to form knotted petals.
'It's a Forget-Me-Knot.' Theo reached out and took the flower from her. 'Mum knew she was dying. She had it made. She wrote me letters, too. Hundreds.'
'It's beautiful. You'll be able to tell her when you see her again.'
'See her again?'
'Well, of course you'll see her again.'
Theo shook his head. 'I don't think so.'
Luna stared at him, wide-eyed, and fell silent.
--
The last time they went into the Forest together was in early May. Twigs crunched as they walked and now and then they caught glimpses of bluebells, massed in great drifts of colour between the trees.
'Almost summer,' Luna said happily. She kicked a snail shell and watched it shatter against an oak stump.
'Almost.' Theo's face was glum.
'What?'
'I was just thinking, this summer I'll have OWLs.'
'How exciting!'
'Only you could say that.'
Luna shrugged. 'Then you get to do NEWTs. Imagine having to choose only a few! I wouldn't want to drop any. Have you thought about it?'
'A bit. Charms, maybe. I thought about Care of Magical Creatures, but Dad says - ' He fell silent abruptly, raising his finger to his mouth in a shushing gesture.
'What is it?' she whispered. Gripping her arm so hard it hurt, he jerked his head forward.
Two figures were standing in the clearing. Dark woollen cowls obscured their faces, but it was clear from their gestures that they were arguing. The taller of the two seemed to be losing: he stared at the ground and shook his head, while the shorter figure waved his hands around in angry gesticulation. It was impossible to recognise either of them, but Luna had seen their robes and masks in books. Death Eaters. She slid her eyes sideways. Theo was watching her, his pale face set. There was a curious excitement in his eyes. Very slowly he bent his head until his mouth was next to her ear.
'Don't move or make a sound,' he whispered through her hair. Luna grimaced to show she'd heard.
How long they stood there, she did not know. Eventually the two Death Eaters seemed to tire of their argument: the shorter one threw a parchment on the ground and stormed away from them across the clearing. The taller man stood motionless, watching him go, then shook his head and bent, weariness evident in his every move. Luna stood stock-still, watching. After another few minutes the second Death Eater looked around the clearing, ran his gloved hand across his cheek and set off in the same direction as his colleague.
Luna let out a deep, shuddering breath. 'Death Eaters,' she whispered. Theo nodded. His face was white.
'We'd better get back.' Luna tried to gather her wits. 'They must be after Harry - just like last summer -'
'We should wait till it's safe -'
'Too late for that.'
The voice came from behind them. Luna whirled. The shorter Death Eater was standing there, his wand drawn.
'I thought I heard something,' he remarked. His voice was casual, as if he was having a conversation with a friend at the Three Broomsticks. 'It's a good thing I came back to check, don't you think?'
'We didn't see anything,' Theo insisted. 'We didn't hear anything. We were just leaving.'
'It doesn't matter.' Behind his mask, Luna knew the Death Eater was smiling. 'Now you know why you shouldn't venture into the Forbidden Forest. Although -' his voice became reflective, 'when I was your age, I broke the rules too.'
He squatted down and looked up at Theo along the length of his wand. 'The difference is,' he said softly, 'I lived to tell the tale.' Then his eyes widened and he toppled forward into the mud.
The second Death Eater rose up from behind the gorse. Stringy brown hair dripped down on either side of the white mask. Luna stared at him. Numbly, she willed her legs to move, but it was useless. They seemed rooted to the spot. Theo was shaking his head and staring at the ground. The Death Eater's eyes met Luna's. Now, she thought, he's going to kill me now. I wonder if it hurts. She remembered how Harry's parents had died, remembered the lesson on the Unforgivable Curses that the false Professor Moody had insisted on giving to all his classes, and steeled herself for the flash of green light.
The Death Eater raised his wand, pointing it away from them and along the forest path. Luna closed her eyes, then opened them again, lifting her chin to stare at her executioner. He met her eyes and hissed a single word.
'Run!'
They ran.
--
They did not speak until they were out of the Forest and halfway across the lawns in front of the castle. Then Luna stopped, gasping for breath.
'Hold on,' she panted, clutching her side. 'I've got a stitch.'
Theo stopped at once, waiting.
'That man -'
'Yes.'
Luna shook her head, struggling for breath. 'He looked like -'
'Don't say it.'
'All right. But we have to tell Professor Dumbledore.' She bit her lip. 'Will you come with me?'
There was a long pause and then Theo said, 'Yes.'
Author: lazy_neutrino
Recipient: jiazho
Rating: PG
Characters: Luna Lovegood, Theodore Nott
Summary: Luna finds something unexpected in the Forbidden Forest
Author's notes: Thanks to my beta, kennahijja!
Forget-Me-Not
When Luna pulled back the ragged branch of the pine tree to get a better view, she had no idea what she expected to see. The Blibbering Humdinger had left its traces clearly enough, and she was delighted to have tracked it as well as she had, if a little apprehensive about wandering so deep into the Forbidden Forest.
A sprinkle of snowflakes fell onto the ground as she stuck her head between the branches and peered into the clearing. Humdingers were shy creatures, easily startled, but quite safe if you bowed three times and whistled the Italian national anthem. She crossed her fingers in the pockets of her woolly robes.
There was a boy in the clearing: a boy not much taller than herself, standing in the snow. Another fourth year, then, or maybe a fifth year. He was muttering to himself as he paced up and down, his footprints tracing a dotted line across the white. Every now and then he stopped, scratching his cheek with long fingers and shaking his head.
Luna watched, fascinated.
The boy tapped his nose three times and marched towards a holly bush. Kneeling, he pulled out a sack and hugged it to his chest. When he stood up again, there were dark stains on his sleeves and the rich smell of blood filled Luna's nostrils. The boy reached into the sack and produced an enormous slab of raw meat. Luna's stomach turned. She swallowed, hoping she wouldn't throw up. Blood seeped from the meat, staining the snow red as the boy threw it to the ground. Another piece followed it, then another, until the sack was empty. The boy folded it neatly, and shoved it into his pocket.
Something nudged Luna from behind, shoving her into the tree. A shard of branch smashed into her face. Stars danced inside her head and she grabbed at the tree trunk for support. When she opened her eyes, the boy was looming over her.
'Keep still,' he said. He sounded angry. 'Or I'll let it eat you.'
'Eat me?' Luna frowned. Pain lanced through her head and she raised her hand to explore the damage. No broken skin, but she was going to have a wonderful lump by tomorrow. She could feel it starting already. 'Eat me,' she said again, more slowly. 'But Blibbering Humdingers don't -' An odd smile curved across the boy's face. Very deliberately, Luna turned away from him and looked into the clearing.
Something was tearing at the steaks the boy had thrown down - something that was not quite a horse, but not quite anything else either. Four long legs supported a skeletal black body. A bat-like wing was folded along each flank. The bony face was delicate and slender, like a dragon's, with milky eyes and long, sharp teeth.
'Oh!' She gasped in delight. 'A Thestral!'
'You can see them?' The boy sounded disappointed. He ran a hand across his cheek, leaving a bloody steak on the pale skin. Luna fumbled in her pocket and produced a handkerchief. The boy recoiled.
'It's all right,' she reassured him. 'I suppose the hanky is a bit dirty, though.' She regarded it. It was filthy.
'It's disgusting. What's that blue stuff there?'
'Mould. The house-elves got me some from the kitchens. It's their favourite food, you know.' Seeing the uncertain look in his eyes, she added helpfully, 'Blibbering Humdingers. There's a colony in the Forest.'
'I know you.' Slowly the boy began to chant, watching her eyes.
'Loony, Loopy Lovegood…'
Luna beamed. 'That's right! I know you, too. That is, I don't know who you are, but I've seen you around the castle. You're a fifth-year Slytherin.' Remembering her manners, she held out her hand.
He made no move to take it. 'Fourth years aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest.'
'If you don't mind me saying so, that's a bit obvious,' Luna told him brightly. 'After all, it is called the Forbidden Forest.'
The boy grinned. He looked much nicer when he was smiling, Luna decided. But then, so did most people. She watched as he ran across the clearing and buried his face in the Thestral's mane. It was obvious that the animal knew him. It whinnied softly, snapping enormous teeth at his ear before bending low to finish off its meal.
'Where did you get the steaks?'
'Kitchens.'
'That's stealing,' Luna said with interest.
'No more than your mouldy bread.' He gave her a sly look. 'Maybe I should let them eat you. Then you can't tell tales.'
'What a silly idea. Everyone knows Thestrals don't like living meat.'
The boy scowled. 'You'd better not tell. If you do -'
Luna brushed a snowflake from her nose. 'Don't be silly,' she said, a little pompously. 'You know I won't.'
--
A month or so later, she met the boy in the clearing again.
'Theodore,' Luna said proudly.
The boy wrinkled his nose. 'I'm Nott.'
'Yes, you are.' Luna burst out laughing.
The boy gave her a shy smile. 'Call me Theo,' he said.
--
The earth was damp under their feet as they walked towards the clearing. A wren's confident song filled the air: somewhere, Luna suspected, a worm was about to have a very bad time. She scuffed her feet through the leaf-mould, enjoying the warm sunshine on the back of her head.
'So how can you see them?' Theo asked, hefting the sack into an easier position on his shoulder.
'My mother. When I was nine. I was watching her brew an experimental potion in the kitchen, but something went wrong.' She sighed. 'She was very talented. I suppose she must have been thinking of something else. So many things seem to happen at the same time. It makes life very interesting, don't you think?' Theo nodded. 'What about you?'
'My mother.' He was a little pale.
'Did her spells go wrong?'
'Dad says she was ill for a long time. I was very young.' He looked down at the ground, avoiding her eyes, then fumbled in his pocket and thrust out his closed fist. 'Here.' He dropped something hard and cold into her open hand.
Images caught fire inside her head. A dark-haired woman, smiling | The same woman singing a lullaby, her voice almost too weak to carry the melody | Reading a bedtime story about a boy and his pet Crup, her thin hair tied back so that the bones of her skull stood out starkly beneath her face | Sitting in a garden, swathed in blankets on a hot, hot day, while a tall man with stringy hair threw a boy high into the sky - Luna blinked and shook her head. At once the memories vanished.
She turned the object over in her hand. It was made of a dull pewter, silver-grey and scorched in places as if it had been salvaged from a fire. The metal was moulded in the shape of a flower, its ends twisted back on themselves to form knotted petals.
'It's a Forget-Me-Knot.' Theo reached out and took the flower from her. 'Mum knew she was dying. She had it made. She wrote me letters, too. Hundreds.'
'It's beautiful. You'll be able to tell her when you see her again.'
'See her again?'
'Well, of course you'll see her again.'
Theo shook his head. 'I don't think so.'
Luna stared at him, wide-eyed, and fell silent.
--
The last time they went into the Forest together was in early May. Twigs crunched as they walked and now and then they caught glimpses of bluebells, massed in great drifts of colour between the trees.
'Almost summer,' Luna said happily. She kicked a snail shell and watched it shatter against an oak stump.
'Almost.' Theo's face was glum.
'What?'
'I was just thinking, this summer I'll have OWLs.'
'How exciting!'
'Only you could say that.'
Luna shrugged. 'Then you get to do NEWTs. Imagine having to choose only a few! I wouldn't want to drop any. Have you thought about it?'
'A bit. Charms, maybe. I thought about Care of Magical Creatures, but Dad says - ' He fell silent abruptly, raising his finger to his mouth in a shushing gesture.
'What is it?' she whispered. Gripping her arm so hard it hurt, he jerked his head forward.
Two figures were standing in the clearing. Dark woollen cowls obscured their faces, but it was clear from their gestures that they were arguing. The taller of the two seemed to be losing: he stared at the ground and shook his head, while the shorter figure waved his hands around in angry gesticulation. It was impossible to recognise either of them, but Luna had seen their robes and masks in books. Death Eaters. She slid her eyes sideways. Theo was watching her, his pale face set. There was a curious excitement in his eyes. Very slowly he bent his head until his mouth was next to her ear.
'Don't move or make a sound,' he whispered through her hair. Luna grimaced to show she'd heard.
How long they stood there, she did not know. Eventually the two Death Eaters seemed to tire of their argument: the shorter one threw a parchment on the ground and stormed away from them across the clearing. The taller man stood motionless, watching him go, then shook his head and bent, weariness evident in his every move. Luna stood stock-still, watching. After another few minutes the second Death Eater looked around the clearing, ran his gloved hand across his cheek and set off in the same direction as his colleague.
Luna let out a deep, shuddering breath. 'Death Eaters,' she whispered. Theo nodded. His face was white.
'We'd better get back.' Luna tried to gather her wits. 'They must be after Harry - just like last summer -'
'We should wait till it's safe -'
'Too late for that.'
The voice came from behind them. Luna whirled. The shorter Death Eater was standing there, his wand drawn.
'I thought I heard something,' he remarked. His voice was casual, as if he was having a conversation with a friend at the Three Broomsticks. 'It's a good thing I came back to check, don't you think?'
'We didn't see anything,' Theo insisted. 'We didn't hear anything. We were just leaving.'
'It doesn't matter.' Behind his mask, Luna knew the Death Eater was smiling. 'Now you know why you shouldn't venture into the Forbidden Forest. Although -' his voice became reflective, 'when I was your age, I broke the rules too.'
He squatted down and looked up at Theo along the length of his wand. 'The difference is,' he said softly, 'I lived to tell the tale.' Then his eyes widened and he toppled forward into the mud.
The second Death Eater rose up from behind the gorse. Stringy brown hair dripped down on either side of the white mask. Luna stared at him. Numbly, she willed her legs to move, but it was useless. They seemed rooted to the spot. Theo was shaking his head and staring at the ground. The Death Eater's eyes met Luna's. Now, she thought, he's going to kill me now. I wonder if it hurts. She remembered how Harry's parents had died, remembered the lesson on the Unforgivable Curses that the false Professor Moody had insisted on giving to all his classes, and steeled herself for the flash of green light.
The Death Eater raised his wand, pointing it away from them and along the forest path. Luna closed her eyes, then opened them again, lifting her chin to stare at her executioner. He met her eyes and hissed a single word.
'Run!'
They ran.
--
They did not speak until they were out of the Forest and halfway across the lawns in front of the castle. Then Luna stopped, gasping for breath.
'Hold on,' she panted, clutching her side. 'I've got a stitch.'
Theo stopped at once, waiting.
'That man -'
'Yes.'
Luna shook her head, struggling for breath. 'He looked like -'
'Don't say it.'
'All right. But we have to tell Professor Dumbledore.' She bit her lip. 'Will you come with me?'
There was a long pause and then Theo said, 'Yes.'