It's not easy to explain, but . . .

Chapter 42

                                          Chapter 42 :  We need to talk . . .

"Luna?  Ah, what are you doing?"  Teddy Lupin asked, as he walked up to the blond woman standing waist deep in the lake.

The rest were still having fun dunking each other and playing chicken, although Sirius and Remus were giving Fred and George a run for their money.   Ron and Rupert, Dan and Harry, Tom and Draco were in their own little struggle against Emma and Hermione who were backed up by Ginny and Tonks.   Neville had given it up, after he and Teddy had been dunked twice by Teddy's Mum.  Neville was now acting as referee.

"Oh, just visiting with the squid," Luna replied, indicating the placid stretch of lake in front of her.

"Squid? Where?"  Teddy tried to peer into the depths, but saw nothing unusual.  "I don't see . . .YIKES!!!!" he yelped, as a tentacle wrapped itself around his lower leg.  He knew better than to try and pull away, but it was a creepy feeling, all those suckers working independently to explore and climb up from his ankle to his knee.

"She's quite friendly, you know," Luna said, as she reached into a pouch hanging from her shoulder, extracting a small fish.  "Here you go, sweetie."

A huge black mass rose from the depths of the lake, as another tentacle daintily reached out and plucked the tidbit from Luna's hand.  The limb bearing the snack disappeared under the surface, but returned, reaching toward the bag of goodies Luna had brought.

Smacking the waving tentacle, Luna wagged her finger at a bright eyeball that Teddy could see on the side of the squid's head ?. . body? whatever part of its anatomy was floating just below the surface.  Luna had taken a second fish out and given it to the lake's resident 'monster'.

"I come and visit her as often as I can," Luna informed Teddy.  "She gets a little lonesome, I think, since I graduated . . . I used to  come and see her almost every day when I was a student here at Hogwarts."

"Well, when I come back in September, I promise to try and get down here and say hello, at least once a week," Teddy replied, sincerely.

"Oh, that would be lovely."  Luna smiled at him. "But, don't spoil her . . . two maybe three fish, if they're small, each time.  We can't have her getting fat, now can we?"

"Certainly not," replied Teddy, as seriously as he could manage, although he was grinning.

Luna gave the squid the third fish and then patted the cephalopod on its head and turned to walk to shore, tentacles patting her arms and back in farewell.  Teddy received a pat on his arm as the other tentacle released his leg.  He waved and then followed Luna to the lawn, where everyone was using 'Drying' spells and 'Transfiguring' their bathing suits back to street clothes and doing the same for the non-magical members of the crowd. 

"That is the most peculiar sensation," declared Rupert. "One minute, I'm standing here in wet trunks and now that my clothes are back, I'm dry and ready to go.  Bloody amazing!"

"Yeah, dead useful, especially when you're as clumsy as I am, always spilling stuff," laughed Tonks.  "Also came in handy when Teddy was young, as he was always wet, muddy or both!"

"Mum!  I was just an adventurous kid," exclaimed Teddy. 

"Still are, come to that," Remus added, ruffling Teddy's hair which turned a bright pink, then flashed back to brown.

"Remus, it must be like living in a neon light factory around your house,"  Dan laughed.

"Neon light?"  Ron asked.  "Sounds like something we should keep secret from Dad."