Sanity ~ A Luna Lovegood Fanfiction

The Visitor

I heard some muffled chat and conversations from the other side of the room where the door was. From my comfortable position at the kitchen table, I couldn't see who had arrived so unexpectedly at the Burrow no matter how far I leaned forward.

All of a sudden, as I was staring, along with Ron, at Mrs. Weasley's back, perhaps too nosily - Hermione, Harry and Ginny had continued discussing details of the big trip to Austrailia as if they hadn't even noticed the knock on the door - Mrs. Weasley turned around, dragging the unscheduled guest behind her.

I froze, my mouth hanging open.

His shoulder-length, wavy, fading, light-blonde hair hadn't changed one tiny bit since I'd seen him last, and he was dressed in his usual, yet slightly grubby, eccentric, purple robe.

His face, however, was not the same. Of course, he still had his recognisable features like his hooked nose, and his sharp cheekbones. But his eyes were dark and tired as if he'd had countless sleepless nights and his skin was covered in wrinkles, that I guessed could have been there before but I had never noticed as being so deep.

"Luna!" he cried.

If took me a moment's comprehension to realise what was going on, but when I'd finally come to my senses I could barely get any words out.

"Daddy," my voice croaked.

My conscious floated above me but I watched as my body clattered up out of the chair and rushed toward him.Dadst held his arms out wide and I ran into them and hugged him tightly.

With all that had been going on and the turmoil that had been racking my head for the last few days, I'd actually sort of forgotten about him.

"Luna, I thought you were dead-" he said, tears filling up his voice.

"What about the letter?" I asked softly, "McGonagall sent an owl to all the parents, what about yours?"

"I don't know, sugar-pie." He licked his lips unknowingly, unable to take his eyes off me, "I don't know. I'm just so glad your alright."

I stepped back from him, still warm from his embrace, and he spoke again.

"Let's go then," he said conclusively, "come along Luna."

I felt my eyebrows rising and asked,"Right now?"

"Of course, come along."

"I'll make you some tea first, Mr. Lovegood, I insist, come sit down," Molly called, having been watching our whole interaction up until this point.

"Please, Molly, call me Xenophilius, and I'd love to stay, but I wouldn't like to bother you."

"Not at all, Xenophilius, sit."

Daddy grabbed a chair and sat.

"I'll go upstairs and get my things... And change," I pondered looking down at my pyjamas.

"I'll come too," said Ginny.

"And me," Hermione chirped.

I smiled a very wide smile as I rushed to the staircase, looking back at my friends, yes friends.

I could just imagine Daddy's face of love and pride, that I had made friends. He knew I'd liked them as friends, I'd painted them on my bedroom walls, but now we both knew that they liked me back.

I jogged up the windy staircase, and heard the footsteps of Hermione and Ginny following.

I reached the first floor and ran into Ginny's bedroom, where Hermione and I had been sleeping.

"I'll change first," I said to them as I grabbed a yellow blouse, purple jeans and a pair of radish earrings from my Hogwarts trunk, and headed to the bathroom.

My mind was rushing, thinking about finally getting back home and collapsing into my own bed, surrounded by my animal teddies, my mother's smiling face and the vibrant colours and memories on my wall. I knew it meant having to leave the Weasleys, though. Thinking about all that Molly had done for me since the battle made me sad, of course. I would miss all of them dearly and I would dream of the wonders of the Burrow but I shoved my disappointment at leaving down into the depths of my mind. I would paint a tribute to them, adorning my room in dedication to all that I had experienced since the last time I'd been at home. In this way I was going to honour everyone who had helped me and I was never going to forget the lost souls of the war.

Returning to Ginny's bedroom, freshly dressed in clothes, both Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the bed.

"Here, I'll help," Hermione said when I had begun to lug my suitcase out from under the bed. In a flick of her wand all the things in my trunk folded and organised themselves. The clasp on the trunk shut with a neat click.

"Thank you, Hermione," I gasped.

"No problem at all."

"I'm gonna miss you sleeping in my room," Ginny laughed.

"Well, I'm going to miss all this company," I replied, "now it's just back to me and Daddy."

Ginny pulled me into a lovely hug and when it was finished, I said, "Good luck in Austrailia, Hermione,I'd really like to meet your parents one day."

"Thank you, Luna," Hermione replied while she gave me another hug.

"If you ever have any more nightmares or you need to talk, just come over, okay? Your house is somewhere over that hill, I think," Ginny said motioning out her window at a green down in the distance.

"I'll write of course, if you like," I said.

"Good."

"Oh... one more thing," I added, stammering slightly.

"What's up?" Hermione asked.

"It's about..."

I didn't know what my mouth was doing.  My brain was working so fast I couldn't focus on any one thing. It was nerve-wracking. My lips kept opening and closing. Somewhere deep inside me, I knew what I was doing but I was too worked up to realise until I said it.

"Uh... it's Neville."