Written For:

- OTP Boot Camp Round 1: Angst / Prompt: (location) Bar

- HPFC Royalty Competition Prompt: (dialogue) "I already know."

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/The Devil's Carnival: (dialogue) "You're just in time for a story.", (phrase) like moths to a flame, (animal) Vulture

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/True Blood: (dialogue) "Like a moth to a flame, she always returns to me."

W.C: 608

Luna knew where he was as soon as he didn't answer the door to his apartment. He never ignored the door, simply because he didn't have one of those spy-hole things, and he was just far too curious to let whoever was on the other side leave.

She sighed and retracted her steps down the hallway, wondering what could be the reason that he would choose to drown his sorrows today. Being with Barty was like living in the midst of a tornado—they were never just still. The world whirled around them, desperately trying to keep up with Barty's storm.

The bar he frequented was just a couple of buildings down the street, so it wasn't hard for Luna to find him. He was slumped over the bar, as usual, clutching a short crystal glass in one hand. It was empty, and the barkeep was already wandering over to refill his glass.

She entered just in time and placed her hand over the glass before the bartender could pour the whisky. He shrugged and walked to the other side of the bar, and Barty looked up with sleepy eyes. He grinned. "Like a moth to a flame," he slurred. "She always returns to me."

Luna sat down on a bar stool beside him. "What's wrong, Barty?" she asked softly. His honey brown eyes were glittering, and Luna kept her face impassive. He was after starting a fight, he wanted to feel something. He knew that Luna wasn't that kind of person, but he still tried to gauge a negative reaction from her.

"You're just in time for a story."

"Oh?" Luna placed a hand on his arm, hoping she might be able to carefully ease him out of the door.

"There was a vulture man once," he drawled, banging his glass on the bar. "Can I get a drink?"

"You've had enough. Continue your story," Luna said.

"He was a horrible leech of a man."

"I thought you said he was a vulture?" a small smile graced Barty's lips, and Luna felt momentarily happy for humouring him.

"He clung to the bigger birds for protection, but he hunted the smaller creatures that stayed on the ground. "When he was alone, he pretended like he was the big scary vulture, predator of the sky," Barty took a breath. "But he was actually a coward. Not a vulture, a…a…I don't know. But he wasn't the vulture he pretended to be."

"What are you getting at, Barty?"

"He did so many horrible things," Barty continued, and Luna could see his eyes filling with tears. "Killed people. He was supposed to die and rot, but he didn't. Someone gave him another chance. This…beautiful…mockingbird gave him another chance."

"Everyone deserves another chance."

"I didn't," Barty concluded. "And I remember every horrible thing I've ever done. Every ghost I've met along my journey haunts me. You could never know how that feels, Luna."

"I already know," Luna whispered, curling her arm further around his and pulling him down from the barstool. "We all have our ghosts, Barty. Yours are just different than mine."

"Why did you save me?" he begged to know, gazing at her intently.

"Because I love you," she replied simply. "I didn't realise I did at first…but I do. Now lets go home."

Barty nodded, allowing Luna to lead him out of the bar. She smiled as they hobbled over to Barty's apartment building, resisting the urge to shake her head. Barty's mind was so full of memories, so constantly thinking—there was just no way she would be able to cease the storm inside of him.

But she didn't really mind.