Round 11

Written for the QLFC, Season 5, Round 11.

Position: Beater 1

Position Prompt: Write about a budding friendship on a spring day(s) OR losing a friend on an autumn night(s).

Title: And Darkness Came

Word Count: 1,400

Beta(s): Rose, Carmen, Aya, Lynne, Dina

Optional Prompts:

6. (sound) sobbing

9. (word) muffle

Go Wanderers!

An odd silence filled the greenhouse as Luna Lovegood raked the soil of a new patch with dedication. She found that it wasn't necessary to speak at all sometimes, and people that she could be silent with were quite special. There was a deeper kind of mutual understanding between them.

This silence, however, was different. It was not the comfortable silence of two souls meeting each other, nor the warm silence of a blooming flower or growing life. It wasn't even the mystical silence that preceded a revelation. No, this was the tense silence that lead to a fracture, and Luna feared that moment. She could almost feel it pressing against her back.

She turned to see a wizard enter the building; he was clad in green robes and a cool expression.

Theodore Nott was older than her, and a Slytherin. Ginny would say that made him 'enemy number one'. Ginny had said; "When it comes to Slytherins, the little ones aren't so bad, but you should never look a snake bigger than you in the eye; it's liable to swallow you whole."

Luna really liked Ginny, but she was aware that her friend had a flair for the dramatic. How bad could Theo be if he'd taken time out of his night to come and spend it in the greenhouses, helping? He could have probably been spending it with friends — as Luna had seen most people spend friday nights — but he wasn't.

She knew that Professor Sprout really appreciated the extra help. Luna would have to speak to him and show him what needed to be done; he was still just standing at the entrance to the greenhouse looking rather spare.

He didn't even seem interested in trying to start dead-heading the obviously suffering vine to his left. Instead, he went over and leant against the Professor's desk, arms folded, staring at the door he'd entered through as rain pattered against it and the glass overhead. They were surrounded by the rain's song. Maybe he wasn't there to help afterall.

He hadn't even glanced in Luna's direction; she stood well within his line of sight in the middle of pruning the Marvolo figs despite their best efforts to wriggle out of reach.

What was he waiting for?

"Is something bothering you?" she asked.

Casting a sidelong glance at her, he said, "I was just thinking of the Transfiguration essay."

His tone was dry, dismissive, but his eyes were too open for a Slytherin — she suddenly understood why he didn't glance at her; he was as weary of her as she should have been of him.

She tilted her head. "I'm glad. I feared a Wrackspurt had got you." His reaction would tell her a lot about him, and she waited with her bated breath.

His laugh surprised her. It was not harsh or evil or condescending — it sounded relieved.

He straightened up and held out his hand. "I'm Theodore."

"Nice to meet you, Theo."

"I said my name is Theo-dore."

"Yes, but I like Theo better."

Theo held back a scoff. "Only my friends call me that."

Luna pulled some hair out of her face, leaving some dirt behind. "Well, I suppose we will have to become friends, then."

She took his hand in her dirty one and gave it a good shake. "My name is Luna. What are you doing here Theo?"

"Socializing apparently."

Awkwardly, Theo shifted from one foot onto the other, a trace of insecurity flickering in his eyes. Unlike when they'd first met, he didn't have the look of one who, despite not knowing what to do, knew where he was and why he was there, now standing with the sense of confusion and disorientation that came from being without an aim.

He cleared his throat, obviously telling himself to keep it together. A Pureblood wasn't supposed to lose his composure. "My parents want me to take the Dark Mark."

Whatever had been hanging between them fell, and she felt it tug at her, painfully.

"My parents," he repeated, stressing the word. He didn't continue, but the not me shone through his eyes. It wasn't a promise nor a reassurance, but it was all he could give — Luna knew it.

"What are your thoughts about that proposal?" Luna asked, remaining calm despite the subject matter.

This was one of the things Theo liked about her: she could be serious when needed, or light-hearted and whimsical. "I'm not keen on the idea, as you already know."

That was good news, his opinion hadn't changed. "Then tell them no."

"Unfortunately it isn't that easy, Luna." His voice held a stiffness to it that had her doubt his initial thoughts about the war.

"They can't make you. That's not right," she argued back.

The idea alone scared her. If she were to be in his position, she wouldn't know what to do, either.

"I don't want it," he assured her.

She had no choice but to believe him. She wanted to trust him, to trust the unspoken promise and hope he wouldn't break it. His silent presence at her side had always been precious. It helped to have someone she could call a friend standing next to her, working together for the same purpose.

It was already getting late, but Luna didn't care much. Even with Snape as the Headmaster and the Carrows terrorising the students, Professor Sprout managed to uphold her promise that Luna could come to the covered gardens as often and for as long as she wanted. She felt like this was more needed than ever; with Hogwarts seemingly losing its warmth, the greenhouses turned out to be the last place where she could still feel somewhat at home.

Since the school year had started, she and Theo hadn't had the opportunity to meet up. Maybe it was the hope of seeing him tonight that made her linger around the greenhouses after she finished her voluntary duties. A cold wind was rushing through the gap between the glass structures, pushing clouds over the dark night sky and in front of the moon, dimming its pale light.

Shivering slightly in her thick cloak, Luna took a few steps towards the castle, dry leaves crunching under the soles of her boots. Their sound seemed so loud to her that she stopped, leaning against the cool wall of the greenhouse for a moment. She realised after a moment that the silence hadn't completely returned.

Leaves still rustled and crunched, their sound muffled but grew louder as someone steadily approached her. Luna's head shot up in excitement, her pale eyes lighting up when she recognised the figure entering the passage between the greenhouses.

"I knew you would come!" she whispered, a small smile forming when Theo stopped in front to her.

However, his face didn't show much happiness.

Despite half of it being in the shadows created by the sparse moonlight, it was clear he was trying to avoid her eyes. A somewhat guilty expression was carved into his handsome features.

"Yeah… thought I would have to face you some time. I'm sorry, I should have done this earlier — it would have been only fair."

Luna frowned, the seriousness in his voice caused her to dread what he meant. Then she remembered the conversation from before the holidays all too vividly. "Theo…"

She glanced down at his left forearm, covered by the sleeve of his school robes, but she didn't need to see his skin to know what had happened. It felt like she'd been punched in the gut.

"I… I thought you didn't want to take it?"

"I'm sorry, Luna… we… we can still…"

Slowly, a deep sorrow grew inside of her and she gently shook her head, her voice quiet as she answered: "No, Theo. Not like this."

She would have liked to try, for their friendship's sake, but she was unable to accept the fact that he had lied to her. He had never promised not to give in, so no promise had been broken. But as far as she was concerned, a lie of omission was still a lie.

"Luna, please…" he all but begged, and regret slowly seeped into his saddening expression.

She stepped back when Theo moved closer to her. Shaking her head again, she held in the tears. "I'm sorry, Theo. I can't… It is just too dangerous now for us to remain friends. For both of us. I'm sorry…"

And just like that, she turned and walked away, the howl of the wind muffled her sobbing as it gained force. Theo watched as her blonde hair faded into the ever darkening night, never thinking that losing a friend would hurt this much.