Title: Luna's Best Memory
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters/Pairing: Luna, Luna's mum
Rating: G
Warnings: Angst
Word Count: 323
Summary: Luna remembers her last birthday with her mum.
Author's notes: For
alex_parker and
hh_writersblock Challenge #54: Fantastic Beasts.
Luna's Best Memory
“You have to keep you chest forward honey.”
Luna tried hard to obey her mother’s words of advice. Her small body seemed to insignificant compared to the large animal under her.
“Elbows back. Heels down. That’s it. Your elbows should be in line with your knees.”
Her mother knew quite a lot about magical creatures, but had taken a shine to no other animal the way she had the unicorn. The two unicorns that the Lovegood’s kept could hardly be called pets. They were, after all, free to leave whenever they liked. They had always loved Luna’s mum though, so they hung around for peppermint candies and gentle pets as well as the occasional ride. And now it was Luna’s very first time on the back of one of the huge white creatures. There was no saddle, no bridle like Muggles used on their horses, but the idea was much the same-- back straight, neck erect. Luna tried her best to follow all of her mother’s instructions.
Carefully, her mother began walked around their yard. Without so much as a lead to guide the unicorn, it nonetheless followed directly behind her mum. Luna giggled in delight, a young girl’s fantasy of riding a unicorn finally come true. She had been begging for this opportunity for at least a year, but her mum said she had to be ten years old. Here it was, her tenth birthday, and she could think of no better present. Inside there was cake and tea awaiting her, but Luna’s mind was on the here and now.
In the months and years to come, Luna would often look back at this day. That very evening, her mother had died, and the unicorns had left, never to be seen or heard from again. They had been there for her mother alone, and even Luna’s presence couldn’t coax them back. It was one of many losses she felt alongside her mother’s.