RP: Day trip

[rar_luna]

Date: July 28, 1999
Characters: Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas
Location: The London Zoo
Status: Private
Summary: Luna and Dean go to the zoo.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[rar_dean]

Dean hadn't slept well. The combination of an already stressful week with his encounter with Katie at the party had finally gotten to him, and even having a few pints at the Three Broomsticks with Seamus afterwards hadn't been enough to either get his mind off of things or knock him out. He'd filled the troubled hours with sketches, though, which hadn't been all bad. A couple were even pleasant and worth keeping, and he'd tucked one of them--A Summery Day In the Park, he was calling it--in his pocket to give to Luna.

He had no idea what she had planned for their excursion, but the prospect of a quiet day with a friend was a happy one, and he definitely felt a bit more energised as he dashed down the stairs to answer the door. "Hi, Luna," he said, smiling at her as the door swung open. "Would you like to come in? Or are we leaving straight away?"

[rar_luna]

Luna grinned as the door opened quickly, revealing Dean looking tired but enthused about their day together. She was glad he'd had the time today.

She stepped inside, twirling a bit as she closed the door behind her. "We can stay for a few minutes if you'd like, there are no pressing time constraints. We will be outside, though, do you think you'll be cool enough in that? I packed us some water."

She hadn't meant to keep the trip a surprise, and she would likely tell him in a minute, but the intrigue was amusing her.

[rar_dean]

Dean raised an eyebrow at her as she came inside. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought she was enjoying being vague about this trip. He chuckled a little and decided to play along.

He looked down at the denims and t-shirt he'd chosen that morning. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine," he said, grinning a little. "Water, yeah? We going hiking? Or maybe putting out very small fires?"

[rar_luna]

"Water is essential to staying hydrated and having a good time whilst outdoors," Luna recited, smiling slightly when he teased her. "We're just going to the zoo. It is hot, and a little smelly there, so water will help keep us refreshed," she explained.

"Have you eaten lunch?" She'd packed snacks, too, but didn't mention it for the moment. "And are Seamus and Neville around?"

[rar_dean]

"Just down there," he said, noticing Luna scanning the enclosure. He pointed to a couple of pig-like animals nestled in the brush. Apparently the African animals were first up on the walk. He could see the giraffes a little farther down--those had always been Daisy's favourite.

"You know far more about...other animals than I do. Took the exam, but I barely managed a passing grade." He grinned at her assessment of birds, though. "The aviary here is lovely, though. It's just across there, so we'll get to see it after this section."

[rar_luna]

"Thanks," she said when he pointed out the tapirs to her, "Ooh." She tilted her head and waved to the animals.

"I did love to study them. They are so fascinating, and oftentimes so much more forgiving than people." Not once had a unicorn thought her too odd to be friends with. Not that Luna knew of, anyway. "Most of them, anyway."

"Is it?" she grinned when he said the aviary was lovely and nearby. She looked at the map she'd picked up a moment ago just to see for herself, and giggled. "They have a whole owl exhibit! How odd."

[rar_dean]

"Most of the time," he agreed, remembering some of Hagrid's more...challenging classes.

Dean couldn't help but laugh both at Luna's enthusiasm and her unique perspective on the Muggle world. He'd never really thought about it before, just because he was used to this world and to this particular zoo, but having an entire exhibit of owls was odd when you and most people you knew owned one. "I always liked the Zebras, too," he said, pointing. "The patterns on them are wicked cool to recreate in sketch form."