Alternate Universes | Star Wars x Harry Potter (ON HOLD)

14 • the pudding

THEY HEADED back to their tent, holding the containers of pudding Luna Lovegood gave them. It seemed so quick, so easy for her to just give food to people whom she's just met a few swift minutes ago. While they were walking across the lawn, pudding containers in Luke's hands, Han cleared his throat.

"That seems like the only sound your mouth can be able to produce by the moment," Luke snapped before Han could say anything else. "What, you don't like pudding?"

Han snickered. "Have you ever considered the fact that maybe why Lovegood gave it to us was because she didn't like it?"

Luke looked at the containers of pudding in his arms. He raised an eyebrow and glared at Han. "Proves that you weren't listening, Han. She gave it to us because she said that 'she could do with the pudding they serve at the school dinner'."

"Yeah, I heard that. But it means that 'I don't like it, you can have it!'"

"Whatever," Luke said rashly, preventing another major fuss between him and Han. He's already lost Leia, and he can't lose Han now. Not when they're bemused and homesick in this totally strange new world without the droids, without Chewie, and without the Falcon. They were supposed to be a team, sticking together so that they can make it through. Yet everything's simply falling apart when it isn't supposed to be. "If you're not hungry, then fine. I'll eat all of these and maybe even leave some for Leia if she gets back. But not for you."

Han snorted and kicked a stray rock on the ground. "Do you even know what this poo-ding is?"

"Well..." Luke cringed and realized that it was the first time they were going to try whatever the hell "pudding" meant. But hey, eating with the Gryffindors for breakfast was worth it knowing that eggs can be made into sunny-side-ups and that there were such things as sausages, even though Snape caught them in the middle of eating so. "Looks like portions to me. In a liquidy-jelly form. At least it's still food."

They arrived at the tent, but it was still Leia-free. They sat on either sides of the table and Luke tossed one of the containers to Han. "Catch."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Han said, catching the container but pushing it backwards so that it was at least a meter away from him, "Do you still seriously expect me to eat that?"

Luke was busy opening the lid and wiping a spoon with a towel to hear Han's continuous rants and protests. "But like, we just met that Loony Lovegood a few seconds ago. Who knows if she's some dark conspiratorial witch or something?"

"Her name's Luna, not Loony," Luke replied defensively. "And she's no conspiratorial person or something, Han. She's just a student having empathy for others. This is Hogwarts, not Tatooine or Corellia."

Han muttered something inaudible, but Luke chose to ignore it. He was trying to get a chunk of pudding on his spoon, but the jelly-like food kept on slipping off and falling back into the container. Some of his attempts even caused the pudding to slide down the table and into his pants. Luke grimaced and said, "Gross." Han guffawed as if he's seen the biggest joke of his entire life.

"Trouble with the poo-ding, Skywalker?" he said, banging his fist on the table to show the emphasis. The table shook violently. "Bet they didn't teach you how to balance a piece of food on a utensil in Jedi school."

Luke wanted to fact-check Han for the numerous mistakes he's just mentioned in one sentence, but arguing with Han always led to pointless, stupid conversations. And they were shaming each other because of pudding. An awkward, lengthy silence followed, only the sounds of pudding slipping were heard. Finally, after what seemed like a millennium, Luke was able to spoon in the pudding in his mouth. An explosion of flavors sparkled in his mouth. It tasted creamy, everything dairy. Something the galaxy couldn't provide him with.